Homeschool

We started homeschooling the first day of public school.  A lot of people wait longer, but it was a natural start with my other kids. I also want to do a lot of exploring and field trips so like doing less crammed in learning and spreading it out.  I think learning is great and spreading out learning is great.

I am REALLY excited for the year!  I started two weeks into school last year with Blake so it was so nice to think about curriculum, what I wanted to accomplish with homeschooling and why I am homeschooling.  Blake was in CRISIS last year.  It was really hard!  I wasn't able to do much expect for help Blake.  That also meant staying home with him a lot to make his world smaller.  This year I feel like we can go and do so much more.  I will do anything for my kids, but I need to be out and about and love doing things with groups so super excited to implement more of that.  It is a balance of what works for your kids as well as you as a teacher to make it full of passion for all.

Monday and Tuesday will be learning days.  Wednesday will be at Vista Oaks.  Thursday is a social studies/science co-op I created with some friends and Friday will be a lot of field trips.  I love having a routine, but I also know a huge benefit of homeschooling it being flexible and adapting to what they week or even day brings.

I feel like we have so much more time to do things with homeschool.  Kira joined a craft group for 9-10 year olds. She and Abby are going to go together with either me or Jen while one of us watches and plays with the little kids.

I debated putting Parker in preschool again this year but felt like his preschool days were .  I am also trying to join forces with friends who have younger kids so one of us can do the activities with the older kids and the other can do something fun with the younger kids.  I hate being at places where Parker and Hanna are just waiting or bored.  I am trying to find activities that can also meet their needs.

We joined a chess club that meets at the library.  The kids loved it!  It is super low key and all levels.  They meet twice a month and rotate playing other kids.  They can play or watch, they can teach or be with their same level.  It is at the library so I can go to the library with Parker and Hanna during that time and play in the kids section with puzzles, puppets, books and play with just them.

Everyone says how public school is so good for kids socially, but I really do think that homeschool for us is filled with more true friends.  Friends you actually hang out with not just friends you see in school.  I am soooo blessed to have amazing friends who are homeschooling.  They happen to have kids my kids ages, are similar in personality that we all just help each other and love each other and parent together.  It fills my need for socializing and friends while my kids are socializing and being with friends.

Even on co-op days, I am going to try to get in a little bit of school.

We start at 810 with the pledge, a prayer, scripture reading and come follow me.  This year we are using the Good and Beautiful for Language Arts.  It isn't a ton of writing so we are going to do a book club with their co op based around Ca history and packets.  Paragraph of the week and essay of the month for Kira.  Kira loves to journal so does an online journal.  We are starting Big Life Journal which is a journey of mindfulness.  We are going to do a 2nd and 4th grade interactive grammar journals that look fun.  I think Kira will love it.

Science we are going to do with the Co-op.  I might do science of the ancient world if I feel like I want something more and have time.

Social studies we are doing ca history for 4th grade and general social studies for 2nd with famous people, government, and culture.  Super excited!  I plan to do a lot of 4th grade field trips and a book club with it.  So excited to be with great friends. We are dividing the co op into three groups- 4th and up, 2nd-3rd and 1st and down.  The kinder/preschool group is going to do music makers which died a couple of years ago. We are getting our instruments back and bringing back music makers.  It is such a fun program.

Math we are doing Singapore Math which it simple and seems to work.

We will also do spanish and piano.

Week 1 went great.  We eased into getting to know curriculum and going on adventures.

Monday we did some learning, made flags for the pledge and then headed to Chess Club at the library. We met friends to go swimming/lunch at the gym.  Jen brought Kira and Abby to craft day with about 15 other girls which was right down the street from the gym while I watched the kids at the pool.  Jen came back for the last hour and I went to the club.  Afterwards, we came home and I went swimming with Kira and Scott for County practice.

Tuesday we did school in the morning and met friends at the splash pad for lunch and play and then headed to bowling at 2, karate at 4 and swimming at 6. 

Wednesday we did school in the morning. It was early day and I hadn't been home for the other kids all week so we hung around for them.

Thursday we did school then headed to the park to do some owl learning and art before playing at the skate park with other friends and sand pit aka volleyball court.

Friday we did school then headed to walnut creek for Lindsey Wildlife to actually see the owls and other animals.  We got in for free as part as the bike free days and had a great day.  They did a ca native animals show that the kids enjoyed.  I had to go potty and get a drink with parker and we ended up watching a movie at the animal hospital in the dark which was a great break for Parker.  They re did the musuem since I have been to it and it is soo cool!  They did an amazing job.  So much hands on learning.  Fun for all ages.  Would highly recommend it to everyone.

 The best part of it all was being their with friends.  I am really extraverted and feel like homeschooling for me is the best thing because we are usually done with school by 10 or 11 and get to hang out with friends all afternoon being out and exploring.