A New School Year is Here!

Well, if you're like me, you're wondering; "Where did the summer go?"  It feels like I blinked and it was time to begin planning lessons and getting the classroom back in order.  I can't complain because I had a great summer, but I'm not ready for it to be over yet.

We had a very busy summer to say the least.. The kids and I spent time in Florida with family and then we moved into a "new" house in July. Thank God my husband moved the heavy items into the house before we got there. Mama just needed to unpack boxes (and suit cases) and make the house more of a home.

So, now it's September and the new school year is among us. I am sticking to my starting school after Labor Day, and that's exactly what we did!  Even though we were sad that summer was over, we welcomed getting back on a schedule! (even if work was involved.)

This year marks year three of home schooling. We are still loving it and enjoying the fruits of our labor.  The kids love mommy teaching them and love getting their new books. They took a couple of minutes just sitting at their new desks and looking through the books they will be using this year. Minnie (me) is in the First Grade and Super Boy is in Kindergarten. They were both super excited to start a new school year!

My First Grader

                                                                 

My Kindergartener

                                                              

We are still using Abeka, but Minnie (me) is using Saxon Math. Super Boy will switching to Saxon Math next year, but for right now, I wanted to stick with the whole Abeka curriculum to get a routine going before I start changing things around! The kids love all their books and that makes mommy happy!

The first day of school, we always do an "All About Me" worksheet. This year, thanks to Pinterest, we did a cute one! Minnie (me) picked an owl and Super Boy picked a pirate. Arrr!  It's just a great way to see what the kids are into that year and also I can see the progress they are making with their writing!

This year, we actually have a room set up as a classroom, so it's much easier to teach my little blessings! Last year we were using the dinning room, and even though we made it work, I felt like a chicken running around with it's head cut off! I just wasn't as prepared as I thought. This year I am better prepared so all is going  great. I am also one who likes to have things hanging on the walls. Kind of hard to do in a formal dinning room.  So now it really looks like a classroom, which makes it more fun to learn in. (and teach in!)

I decided to have (even) more"busy" learning activities. These activities are to keep one child busy while I am working with the other.  I have a ton of lap books, which I LOVE, and also some other fun things as well.
So far, it's working and we are all happy and content. Some new things we are using this year are Mosaic Magnets from The Orb Factory. It's great because the kids have to use a color code to match the color magnet blocks to the numbers on the paper. When they're done, they have a beautiful picture!  Another new goodie are Learning Links.  It's a great for their small motor skills and also learning patterns. You have to order cards along with the links, so make sure you have both!  We are also using them with our calendar by coming up with a pattern each month that the kids need to follow. The kids place that color link by the date. (so if our pattern is red, yellow, red, yellow...they have to put that color link by the date according to the pattern)  I just love things that have more than one use!

Minnie (me) did a Orb Factory Mosaic.

Super Boy is playing with the Learning Link.