More summertime fun to post...

but it took me forever to get the pics on the computer, and now I need to go to bed. So hopefully, that will come soon. For now, read our school post:) Can't believe the summer is over for us and the school year has started! It is a good thing:)

Polaris Press: The Beginning

We have started! We actually started on August 8th. Our first week was half-days with our Unit Study on Chocolate (from Amanda Bennett). Too fun! The kids slowly got into it and I would say 2 really good, positive school days. The others were a little rough. We topped the week off with a trip to the local chocolate factory where we didn't see any Oompa-Loompas but we did sample many tasty treats! It was yummy though I must say, gourmet chocolate is wasted on me. I like cheap chocolate just as much, or even more!

This week, we are starting in on a regular routine...which will probably change a million times between now and the end:) Here's the daily plan:

10am
Start with Read Aloud (goes with the unit study) and 2 vocab words a day (on index cards on a ring to keep throughout the year)

10:30
Unit Study (Amanda Bennett's Download and Go's) This includes writing, reading comprehension, history, science, art projects, etc....

Noon
Recess and Lunch

1:30
Spelling and Grammer (All About Spelling)

2:00
Math
Natalie-Alpha Omega Life Pac
Levi- Math U See with drills on the computer

2:30
Silent Reading (30 minutes)

*George is teaching Chinese on Wednesday nights
*I would like to fit in copywork using scripture mastery scriptures as soon as get the scriptures prepped and ready to go so that will fit in somewhere

So this is the ideal day. But there are many days when this just doesn't work out. Like Monday, we went to the zoo to kick off our rainforest unit study. Only reading was done at home. Wednesdays, we soon will start gym and swim classes at the YMCA and will have Lego Club and that will fill up the day. Thursdays, twice a month, we meet with our co-op group in the morning and that is in place of our unit study. And Friday is a field trip day, if we have one planned. Can I tell you, I just LOVE homeschooling!

A new post because I am so sick of seeing...

Potty Failure #2. So I will add potty training failure #3 to the list. This time, I wasn't taking no for an answer! The program was "Potty Training in One Day". It involved the usual rewards and such, but the new thing was a consequence when accidents occured. Potty Practice Runs we called them. 5 times, from different places in the house, the mom and PT-ing child run to the potty and practice. This worked once. From then on, he just collapsed and I had to carry/drag him around the house. Boo. We started Wednesday and on Saturday, I said, "Diapers or Underwear?" He said, "Diapers!" so that's where we stand at the moment. This was a huge power struggle and I wasn't up for it. He started having bad behaviors in other ways, to assert his independence and show his power. It was ugly. We are better now, though I am taking advice for PT round #4:)