First Week

We successfully completed one week of learning at home!

Jamison and Katherine began math. They are each using something different. After researching, I decided that Teaching Textbooks would be great for Jamison. It is all on the computer but also has a workbook. We found that the first chapter was review and he quickly worked his way through most of the lessons. I like having to workbook to follow along with him. We can go over anything he missed that way. Katherine is using Math Lessons for a Living Education. It is a workbook but I love the way it is laid out. There are five lessons per week and they are very short. I'm so glad I chose it for her this first year. We will have several fun projects to do together and she seems to like having the workbook.

We are using Brave Writer for our language arts. I decided to begin with the 7 Day Writing Blitz. There are seven writing activities that we are doing over 2 weeks. I decided not to go 7 days in a row because I didn't want to overwhelm them! So far it's going well. They loved writing on the windows for the "graffiti" activity. It is difficult to get them to let loose and just write without thinking too much. Katherine especially is such a perfectionist. She wants her handwriting perfect and every word spelled correctly. It is going to take time to teach them that mechanics are the last thing they need to worry about when beginning a new writing project. Just getting thoughts on paper is the first step. But we will get there.

Madeline had a super two days at Mother's Day Out! She was a little nervous but made friends and loves her teacher. She got the "happy Jack" on Thursday. Apparently, Mrs. Annie only gives one each week to the student who is the best both days. I am so proud of her! At home, we did calendar time and sang songs. She did some princess cutting and tracing strips. I am excited about some of the Montessori activities I have planned for her this year.

Next week, we are going to add handwriting to our routine. In September, we will add in a few more things. Small steps!

Start of Something New

Today was our first day of school. This first day was very different from the first days we've had in the past. No alarm was set. We took our time with breakfast. No lunches were packed and no backpacks were filled with supplies for the classroom.

When we started talking about homeschooling, I knew that it was something that I would be interested in but I couldn't wrap my mind around it. How could I not send my children to school!? This is the school I attended and many of the same teachers are still teaching or working in some other capacity in the school district. My kids have had AMAZING teachers since kindergarten. They have tons of friends, make straight As, and have super behavior. I've been a regular volunteer, PTO mom, cupcake deliverer, book fair secretary, and party lady. Why would we even consider this? All Blake and I have known is public school. His parents were teachers, my grandmother was a teacher and principal, I was a teacher. We love the teachers that our kids have had. Jamison and Katherine were happy

But there was still a desire from our children to homeschool.

So, we decided that this would be the year. We knew we made the right decision when we told our kids about our new school plans. Their excitement could not be contained! When I began to search for curriculum, I got excited!

I know every day won't be easy. I know that every day won't be exciting. I know that there are things they might miss about being in a traditional school setting. But I also know that I am going to do my very best to give them the best learning environment that I can give them. 

My prayer is that they grow to become faithful Christian leaders. I hope that they desire to learn something new every day. I wish to give them experiences that will last a lifetime. I know I will never regret listening to them and spending this time with them. 

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." ~Confucius

Going Home

Before leaving St. Louis, we decided to spend a little more time checking out downtown. Mimi, Poppy, and Rebecca started home. The five of us ate brunch at Rooster then walked to the Old Courthouse. The building is beautiful and the history of St. Louis is pretty interesting.

Next, I wanted to check out the Old Cathedral. The kids had a lot of questions about Catholicism. It was interesting to walk through the museum and see the artifacts and read about the religion. We went inside the cathedral but didn't stay long because mass was about to start.

We also made a quick stop to see the World's Fair Pavilion. It would have been nice to explore some more but we were ready to get on the road.

The drive home was fun. We stopped in Walnut Ridge at Beatles Park and visited the guitar walk. What a cool detour! Of course, we also had to stop at Bald Knob and have burgers and shortcake at the Bulldog Restaurant. 

We had a great week in St. Louis but were SO happy to be home. There's nothing like it!

Meet Me in St. Louis

Our spring break trip with Mimi and Poppy turned into a summer vacation after a little run in with the flu. The upside of that is we got to throw in a Cardinals game. The downside is it was HOT! However, St. Louis is full of exciting places to see and delicious food to eat. 

We spent the first day visiting the St. Louis Science Center and Planetarium. It was amazing! There are great interactive exhibits for the kids and they wanted to see them all. Did I mention the museum in free!? 

After the science museum, we had our fair share of root beer and black cherry soda at Fitz's Bottling Company. They bottle their own sodas and have a pretty decent lunch menu. We left completely stuffed and sloshing. 

We still had time for The Magic House. I had no idea what to expect. We've been to quite a few children's museums and this one ranks in the top 5. It was huge and so much fun! We stayed until closing trying to fit it all in. To say we had a long first day in the city is an understatement.

After such a full first day, we decided to sleep in a bit and meet for brunch at Half and Half. Oh. My. Word. Best French toast I've ever put in my mouth! I didn't even get a good picture because I was so excited about eating it! I would go back just to eat here again.

After breakfast, we ventured out to Grant's Farm. The rain kept the temperatures down a bit. The kids loved feeding the goats and seeing all of the animals. Jamison left wishing we had a Clydesdale! 

The Cardinals game was a blast! We had good seats, and I was thankful we were surrounded by other families with smaller children. Hot dogs, clapping, the wave, and trying to get on the dance cam was enough to keep even Madeline entertained. Even though the cards didn't win, J and K were happy to see Josh Bell play for the Pirates. And everyone went home with a souvenir. 

We spent our last full day at the St. Louis Zoo. It is a huge zoo, and it was a hot day. The heat kept some of the animals in. Madeline got to pet a guinea pig. For someone who is scared of every other animal, she sure does like guinea pigs! Jamison and Katherine got to touch sting rays, and J even touched a shark. Madeline wouldn't put her hand in the water. My favorite part was the 45 degree penguin habitat. I found a fan and finally cooled off!

We went to the Gateway Arch that night. A storm blew in on our way there and we got a little wet but we went to the top! Blake and Poppy weren't thrilled with being up so high but the kiddos loved it. Madeline wanted to know where the arch was when she looked out the window. She was pretty excited to know she was in it!

We were starving after the arch excitement so we had a late dinner at Mission Taco Joint. It probably wasn't the best time to go with kids, but the chicken flautas were worth it! Jamison said he would go back just for those!