Day 12

When I actually have time to write more, maybe I'll have better titles, but this will do for now.  This morning we actually finished violin practice in record time (not because we sped through it so much as there wasn't as much procrastination) and had an excellent morning.  The only thing we missed was handwriting since I had misplaced the book the day before.  But we're bounding ahead in math, averaging two lessons a day and did our first test.  History we also did some catch up to get the worksheets up to were we are in the book.  I think we could do history all day and nobody would complain.

Week 3, Day 11

Now we're rolling!  A slightly slower start to the morning, but we were able to add in some history work, a personal timeline (my husband's printer is being finicky, so no family history since I can't copy the worksheets :( ).  We're getting into a pretty good rhythm.  Violin practice, math, reading, writing and history worksheets in the morning.  Literature and history reading and maybe some art in the afternoons.  Today the kids were working on their sewing/embroidery while I read some Little House in the Big Woods and Magic Tree House #45.  Plus finished a library book I had started the other day.

Day 10, Friday

Ugh, not an easy day.  It started hard and ended hard and the only thing that made things okay was the school part in the middle.  My son can take his emotions out on his sisters with his hands, and it was just a rough day with all three of them together.  Fortunately, he also loves synagogue, so telling him that he can't go if his behavior didn't improve worked to get us through dinner and out the door.  The school work for the day was cut short a bit by needing to go to the grocery store, so no history and only three pages of math.  Reading was a book he'd already read to me, but this time he didn't struggle with it.

Day 9

I lucked out on figuring out my curriculum.  A friend of mine home schooled and recommended www.welltrainedmind.com as a resource.  There is a book that describes the curriculum from preschool to 12th grade (400+ pages) and you can buy 1st Grade in a Box, basic and deluxe.  I went for the deluxe, and well, it really does have everything, maybe even for two years!  Math, reading, grammar, writing, handwriting, history, science (lots of science), art and music.  It's overwhelming, but still comforting that it's all there.  The Well-Trained Mind has it's own publishing company, Peace Hill Press, and several of the books are written by the same two women who developed the curriculum.  Everything is developmentally appropriate, which is something that seems harder and harder to find in public school curriculum.  We put our children in Montessori preschool, so I am very much aware of the importance of teaching to a child's level.

Today's work was similar to yesterday's, but more math.  The kids love the history book so I'm trying to read it after my daughter is home, but son couldn't wait so we did the next chapter right after violin practice.  Finished Matilda and read a bit from Little House on the Prairie.  I had started the Little House series at the beginning of the school year with my daughter during her (now non-existent) special time with me every afternoon.  She loves Laura and Mary!  Well, now we're starting over again so that both kids can hear the entire series.  If they're anything like me, we'll be needing a new set in a couple of years.

Day 8

We have the textbooks, it's a regular day, and I finally feeling like we're doing something.  Violin practice, start some math worksheets and crack open the reading book.  The first 26 chapters are on the letters so I skip ahead and have my son practice making words on a magnetic board with letters.  Word endings at, an, ad, and am.  He has fun and gets most of them himself.  Then he practices writing letters until it's time to get his sister from school.  After lunch we read the first chapter of the history book and a few chapters of Matilda.

Day 7, Veterans' Day

Today was kind of an odd day since middle sister was home from school and the grandparents decided to drop in.  We did still manage to do the first page of the new math workbook, 19 pages of the handwriting book, read Sandra Boynton Moo, Baa, La La La and half an hour of violin practice.  The biggest, most awesome change that I've seen so far is in violin practice.  It's always been a struggle, and that is getting easier since it's always the first thing that we do, and the sound just keeps getting more amazing.  I really hope that it continues!

Second week, Day 6

Not a great schooling day, mainly because I needed to get some errands done.  We did the bare minimum of Math, Literature and Reading.  But, I did finally get the books!  With some errors in the package.  But it was a 42 lb box of books, so I'm not going to complain.  Will write more about it when I'm feeling less overwhelmed, and have more time.  I did say to keep expectations on the blog low for now!