Today I worked on whipping the homeschool room into shape. Typically, this is a very exciting project for me. I love working with curriculum and making elaborate plans and schedules. But this year we are streamlining. I want to spend more time teaching and less time preparing, so we are using Sonlight as our base. My boys absolutely love being read to, and Sonlight offers amazing history and literature selections. Homeschool junkies like me steal a few extra minutes this time of year to check out all the blogs and see who is using what. So, for those of you with interest, here is our list for the coming year...
Sonlight - study of the Eastern Hemisphere
Sonlight Science - The Human Body
Math U See (Zeta)
Abeka Grammar
Institute for Excellence in Writing (the boys will take a class together for this)
Sequential Spelling
Bible - Survey of the Old Testament by Train Up A Child; they will also participate in Bible Bowl this year and work on memorizing the book of Genesis.
It will be a busy year! Hannah also has her course of study laid out for her senior year. She will complete Cornerstone's Worldviews of the Western World this year, and is looking forward to taking an Anatomy and Physiology class and continuing with American Sign Language.
School supplies are my absolute favorite things to shop for. Just because we homeschool, we do NOT miss out on the fun of new markers and notebooks and organizers and a rainbow of highlighters. We overbuy every year. I can't resist sticky notes on sale, and I always dream up way more potential uses for notecards than we will ever reasonably have time to accomplish. Frankly, my kids could care less what they write with. So, I was on my own today as I blissfully filled our drawers with new supplies and sharpened my beloved Dixon Ticonderoga #2's.
Emma even has her very own little box. In theory, these things will help keep her busy while we do school, but I know they won't buy too much peace with a two year old!
We have a big and exciting addition to our school room this year. Several months ago, my Dad gave us a new table that has a mission style base. I love it because it is heavy and very sturdy. We've been using a mismatched collection of oddball chairs with it, but recently several of the chairs fell apart. The boys requested comfy chairs with arms and cushioned seats, which I was certain would be out of our budget. But, we went to our *favorite* store this week and found these beautiful chairs on clearance! It is a family owned furniture store with a precious little country store and book nook in it. They have the most beautiful things, and twice a year offer spectacular sales. These new chairs match the base of the table perfectly, and I'm so happy with how they look in the room. The boys got their wish! (Tomorrow I will take photos of the homeschool room in daylight so I can show the whole room.)
Tonight we had a back to school celebration with a spaghetti dinner. I sent Buzzard and Hayden to the store for a loaf of bread, and they came home with chocolate cake for "teacher appreciation". :) Chocolate is a definite plus in helping the year to get off to a great start.
So, we're off and running. This will be our eleventh year of homeschooling, and every single year I'm convinced it will be our best year ever. There is always something exciting about starting with a clean slate and new books. A preschooler, two middle schoolers, and a senior.....it's going to get crazy, but I wouldn't recognize it as home if it were anything but!
3 comments:
Have a GREAT first day of school!
Love you all.
Oma/Mom
LOVE the new chairs! They are perfect.
I thought I had commented, but I don't see it.
I had to laugh about the Sharpies because they have some sort of strange attraction for me too, as do all the school supplies.
Very nice looking room.
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