"Here's an update on our homeschooling journey so far (since a lot of people are asking.. :)).... It's going well, overall! We have completed 7 full days (and probably like 3 or 4 "practice days" haha), and I honestly can't believe how smoothly it has gone! I have had a couple rough days... kids that were not focusing, and we've had our share of whining, but overall even that hasn't been so bad. ...We get started at about 8-8:30am everyday and begin with Bible. We do that all together. After that the older girls go work independently and I teach Johanna, Alaina, and Matthew. My goal is to be done by noon, but usually it's about 2. That is with about an hour and a half break for lunch and cleanup. Danielle is thrilled that she is doing two high school classes with Katie (Biology and History) and she's doing really well! You wouldn't believe all the Biology talk going on around here, haha! Alaina's reading is really picking up, she is flying through her book.. the best part is the cuddles I get while practicing! Matthew went from being able to count to only about 20 to being able to fill in missing numbers in a 1-100 chart, and almost count all the way himself. His handwriting is awesome, too! Katie is loving "planning" all her assignments for the week, and enjoying being home more to work on the projects that she wants to do. Johanna is getting to the point where she can do a lot of her work independently now that we have a week completed, she just knows what to expect. Of course there are some subjects I have to walk her through. Elise likes to "do school" too, so she has a couple little work books and does them if she wants to, or Danielle teaches her the letters from time to time. Joshua... well, he just wants me all the time... so that's interesting... haha. None of us have felt cooped up in the house, but even if we did, we have extracurricular activities a couple days a week to help with that. It's easier than I thought it would be, but we are only a week and a half into it, so I expect rough patches.. I did notice it's easier than Friday homeschool days were, I haven't quite figured out why though... hmmm... Anyway, that is my not-so-short update!"
Yesterday was a good day. We didn't get ALL of our school done, but we got the core classes done, and that is the important thing. We got most of the extras done as well. Plus we had a great playdate with our little friend, Paige, from church, and her Mom, Tammy. Paige is 10 and homeschooled as well. It was good to get to know them a little better.
Yesterdays accomplishments... I got Johanna to understand the difference between cardinal, ordinal, and nominal number... not that it was that hard for her to understand, but more hard for me to explain because I am like, "WHO CARES!" haha! Not a fan of math.. Either way, she got it. I was proud of her. Also proud of myself, because before yesterday even *I* didn't know what they were.. hehe...
The other accomplishment was Matthew counting to 100 all by himself! :) This is huge, because just a couple weeks ago he could maybe make it to 20, but he'd skip 15... So he is doing really well! I think math will come easily to him, though. Maybe he will be a brainiac like Steven.. ;)
I feel discouraged, probably because I look on the negative side, a lot.... I feel bothered by the people that I *feel* are just waiting for me to fail. It's silly, I shouldn't, because the support is overwhelming on the positive side.. and no one has really said anything negative, directly. I just feel it's implied. Mainly that "we won't get out of the house enough" or the kids won't is more like it... I guess no one cares if I do or not, haha.
Our usual school week, starting next week, will look like this:
Monday: chapel at 9 at the church school, and then piano lessons for 2 of the girls alternating every week from 10:30-11:30. We probably wouldn't go to chapel every week, but now that someone will be doing a lesson every week and Katie will be starting to play piano for worship.
Tuesday: Art.. we leave the house at 1:15 and get back at 4. I will be the driver every other week and Alicia will drive the other times. The times I am not driving won't be too bad, because I can come home and get things done. Even when I do drive, it's kid-friendly out there where they get lessons so it's fine.
Wednesday: The homeschool learning center. From noon to one K, D, J, A, and M will have lessons and then Katie will stay alone and work on whatever she needs to for that day and have another lesson at 2. I'll pick her up around 3:30, I think.
Thursday: Every other week I will have my piano lesson at the house, but it also my day that I will take one kid out for icecream for one on one time... just something I thought I'd try out. Except Katie, she's the babysitter, so she'll have to go with me one weekend a month. :) Otherwise it will probably be our "catch up" day for schoolwork..
Friday: We have NO PLANS... so another catch up day for schoolwork. Except Katie she babysits this one day a week for PJ and Micah. :)
If nothing else, I feel this is possibly TOO MUCH... ugh... The only thing that we can give up is The Learning Center after this first semester, which I might do. Idk... I know we don't HAVE to do all these things.. but I don't want to give up music and art and then I guess the rest is extra... but it's fun, so idk.. we'll see!
Besides, going to school to "get out of the house" isn't my idea of a fantastic time, anyway!
Signing off!
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