Happy Summer!
I can't believe I haven't posted on here in four months! It's partly because I forgot my ID on the BLOG site, LOL:)
We completed our Spring Session on May 27th-this was definitely our most successful year EVER:) Considering that was added Kody, our middle son, six, to the mix, that's a really big accomplishment!!!
Skye our oldest, managed to not only catch up after her diasterous third grade year, but completed fourth and fifth grade in one year! We schooled year round, and she doubled up on math, spelling and grammar-her own choice-for most of the year. Her writing is at least 7th grade level, and her vocabulary is way beyond that. She spent a large part of her year perfecting her budding art skills-which are AMAZING-seriously-sometimes spending 6-8 hours on one project. She got professional water colors and pastels recently, and has absorbed every book and video on the mediums front he library:) She's also self taught herself Coolpage web design and Paintshop Pro 8 for graphic design. This has definitely been a year to see many advantages to homeschooling:)!
Jordan, age 8, would have completed second grade if he was in public school. He completed third grade in math and science, and fourth grade in all language arts subjects. He's gotten into paper airplane building and has, again, taking out every book on the subject:) He spend hours designing them and flying them. He had an AWESOME year in Sunday School as well, receiving tons of praise and reward from his teachers. His writing is improving and is at about fourth grade level. He's become quite the drawer, and is showing interest in fine arts and music as well. He is begging to play guitar.:) little Elvis???
Kody had a great first official year. He fiddled with some bits and pieces in the fall, and mostly unschooled til February. I started him on a pretty strong classical program at that point and he THRIVED. He began doing history with the older kids and enjoyed chemistry as well. We used First Language Lessons for the first time, and he loved it. He also started with Spelling Workout and Plaid Phonics and is now reading basic stuff:) He does Singapore as well, and really loves that.
Julian is four, and he did Dora K level Math and Singapore Earlybird Math. We also did some stuff in BIG SKILLS, and lots and lots of art projects. He also helped us plant our gardens this year, starting and charting seeds indoors for months. He will start formal K after Winter Break in 2006, next year. That should be a hoot:)
Next year is completely planned out. I am sooo happy that I discovered The Well Trained Mind three summers back-my time spent planning is ZERO these days. Homeschool Tracker, of course, makes it easier:) My review is on June 21st....
We are spreading our Support Group wings! We participated in a Multicultural fair with a group on Monday evening. We were Russia and my kids kicked a little tail getting it done:) There work was amazing and there was TONS of it. I simply directed them and they went with it. It helped, of course, that they'd been experiencing "Culture Day" with our Circle Co-op for two years. My daughter built the Kremlin from modeling clay-really something to see....Pictures SOON! We hope to hook up with that group again soon:)
Next week we're hoping to join up with a UU based group in Annapolis. I am REALLY excited about the prospect of meeting other UU Homeschool moms!!! That will be totally new for me:) Annapolis is a BEAUTIFUL place and I haven't been there in forever, I can't wait!
Our Circle Co-op is growing, and there's such a no hassle, grown up attitude...the contrast to things we dealt with in earlier days is HUGE. I think back to those times and wonder why I trusted people so much...People were just HORRIBLE to one another. It's funny though, once we got rid of the moms that kept yelling "this is just like Junior High" it stopped BEING "just like junior high". Hmmmmmmmm........Completely stopped. Again, hmmmmmm.
The group is doing great, no issues for, jeez, a year or more...:) We just have canceled alot of things due to being "burnt out" however....We'll get there:)
We have been off for the last week and a half...We spent last week getting Russia ready though. Today the kids spent the whole day watching tiny camcorder videos from the last 7 years. They are all in need of some sort of cataloging and that's what they were doing. It took up most of the day, and they are just heading to bed-it's just before midnight here...We start back with lessons next week for three weeks. Then a week off, then three weeks of lessons, then another week off....Three more weeks and then they have off the whole month of September. They will do double math four days a week, a creative writing assignment each week, various science projects, and geography which will include doing Flat Travelers. We're studying drawing in June, Painting in July and Sculpture in August. We plan to complete a full semester of Math. Kody will continue with his first grade lessons three days a week.
We have tons going on at church-a Dr Seuss Day, a Harry Potter Book Release day, and an entire month of "Arts in August" in which the adutls share arts with the kids through dance, movement, art, poetry, drumming, gardening, scrapbooking and more. Each sunday has a different class. I will be doing a yoga/sculpture class with the children...I also plan to teach PreK Sunday School again next year, be on RE Committee and co-chair the committee as well. I guess we plan to be busy....Speaking of which, SOCCER starts in 7 weeks...!!!!!!


That made me tired....:)

Signing off to say Moon Blessings...
Sami