New school year, great expectations!

What a difference a year makes!  Last year, on the first day of school, we were all so nervous.  Ana had just had a breakdown, and we were plunging into a whole new world of mental health care.  The girls were returning to public school for the first time in five years, and Zachariah was going to be without his sisters for the first time in his life.  Everyone was on edge that morning, and it did not start out well.  I wanted to take my girls to school, just for the first day, and they wanted to ride the bus.  I wanted pictures of their first day back to public school!

 

Yep, that's the best I got.

This year, however,

In the carpool line

After school.  How gorgeous does she look at the end of the day?

She ditched the pigtaials sometime during the day.  Zachariah was super excited to welcome his sisters home from school!

They actually wanted me to take them to school so they didn't have to ride the crowded bus with all their first day of school supplies.  Both were excited to see their friends and no cranky first morning words.  :)  Yay!!!

Celestia is playing clarinet in marching band this year, and Ana is taking all Pre AP courses.  The middle school also has a new principal, and I have high hopes that he's going to be far more compassionate than the last one.  Here's to a new school year!

Weekend randomness

We participate in a homeschool co-op that holds Friday School for the kids to get together and take enrichment classes.  A couple of weeks ago the sign language choir performed in chapel.  The pictures aren't great, but here they are.

Today, Zachariah hurt his finger and got his very first bandage.  :(

 

It didn't last very long.  He chewed it off his finger.

Finally, a break in the weather!

It's been a bad summer.  No rain, SO hot, we've pretty much hibernated indoors.  So when we woke up today and it was actually cool, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go to the park!  This was Zachariah's first visit, and he seemed to enjoy it.

We ran into friends and walked around part of the lake with them!  :)

And then fed the ducks.

Ummm, actually, mostly geese.

And of course, Zachariah wanted some bread, too!

Even these big girls haven't gotten "too cool" to feed some fowl.

A little milk to wash down the bread?

Love snuggling with my boy!

Daddy saved a piece of bread just for me to throw.  <3

I have to say that I'm really looking forward to being able to go to the park more this fall!  :)

2011-2012 homeschool kickoff!

Each year, we begin school going over rules.  They really haven't changed much over the years, but I like to sort of revamp, and remind everyone of what we're trying to accomplish here.  One of the things that I am required to teach by the state, and one of the things I feel that I fall short in, is good citizenship.  Especially this year, with a tween and a teenage girl, I want to focus on attitude, which can, even on the best of days, go south in a hurry.

1) Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Matthew 7:12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

2) Respect your teacher.

Deuteronomy 5:16

Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

3) Do your best work.

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

4) Do your chores cheerfully.

John 13:4-5

so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 

I wasn't able to find a verse really applicable to doing household chores, but if Jesus can wash his disciples smelly feet, then NO ONE is too good to pick up around the house a bit!

And that, dear friends, is the summation of our rules.  I, of course, have little specifics for how I want work completed and organised, but it all boils down to those four rules.  I'm seriously considering printing them out in a pretty font and framing them in the hallway where we keep some of our visuals for school.

So what exactly have we done on this, our first week of homeschool for the year?  Well, chores, of course. I've implemented a new system that I stole from my pastor's wife.  I am not a naturally neat person, so I need all the help I can get!  Each room has its own card, and everyone has to choose a chore card to complete that day.  So far it's working pretty well.

We use a literature based curriculum for most everything, so there's been a lot of reading, a bit of science, some math...

copywork...

music theory...

music appreciation, and composer studies...

and we died some formerly natural coloured wool longies for Zachariah a pretty purple, because the natural gets really grungy.

And what has Zachariah been doing during all this?  Eating is always a big favourite...

And Tatiana made him a transmogrifier.

All things considered, the first week back in school went pretty well.  We had a few meltdowns the first couple of days, but once we got rolling, there weren't too many problems.

Summer fun!

Busy, Busy, Busy summer!
Both girls have gone to camps and had bunches of fun.  I have absolutely NO pictures of Celestia at camp, but we took Tatiana, and picked her up, so there are pictures of them at Camp Copass.  I'm really glad I got to go out, because we've had at least one child there for the last five years!  This, sadly, will be our last year for a while though, because both girls have gotten too old.  :(

The Jonathan Project playing a final set.  Oh how we love these guys!

Drew Worsham is always a hit, too!

Love these girls!

It's Zachariah's first trip to Camp Copass!  I hope he will have the same wonderful experiences that his sisters did there when he's old enough.

One last look at Lake Lewisville before we leave.

Zachariah is eating lots of new foods.  Basically, if we eat it, he does too.  Sometimes we need to keep him clean...

 

But for the most part, he feeds himself.

What's this?

Ooh, noodles!

Thanks for the super tasty stew, Daddy!

 Which is often a very messy experience

Requiring multiple baths in a day.

Which obviously, Zachariah loves!
And while we're on the subject of water, How's this for some super cheap entertainment?

Several bowls of water and a half a dozen towels later, Zachariah had happily splashed for a solid 20 minutes.  :)  Gotta stay cool somehow.  I'm so ready for fall!