On book ordering.

I should really have done it sooner!

I bought a lot of my books on Ebay at a great discount. But a few got away from me and I won’t have our history text until September 10 (or so Amazon says) and I am still waiting for our Saxon math workbook to arrive. (UPS tracking says it will be here tomorrow.)

So today was simple: reviewing the short vowel sounds and a little handwriting.  Then we read about classification of the natural world and moved onto to our worm unit. We read the page in Usborne, and then a couple of books. Tonight we are going on out with flashlights to hunt down some worms for our “farm.”

[Don't worry, no worms will be harmed in the making of this project. After a few days, they will go a good home, otherwise known as our compost pile.]

A begged to do some yoga, so we filled in nap time with exercise, 2 picture books, and a few quick computer games.

I am really pleased that Em, at the ripe old age of 3, is interested in everything that we do and is easy to satisfy.

Now El? Not so much. And her new trick is climbing up onto the entertainments center. At 15 months! We’ve always called her “the little monkey” but she is taking things to a whole new level. And I don’t like it!

Concerns.

• Trying to do anything with a baby running around and getting into trouble.
• Getting A to listen to me instead of arguing.
• Keeping Em (3) occupied and hopefully included in whatever we are doing.
• Finding time to study midwifery in all of this busyness.
• Teaching a kid to read fluently.
• Finding a homeschool group that is inclusive and, if not secular, not evangelical either.

Beginning in earnest.

Is it really the end of August? Unbelievable.

Our homeschooling adventure will officially begin on Tuesday.

I considered starting a little sooner, but with all of the neighbor kids still running around, I didn’t see the point of trying to keep A interested in reading or listening when all she would really want to be doing is riding her bike.

I am anxious, but also excited. I want to give her as woman-centric an education as I possibly can. Which doesn’t mean excluding great men (and there are many) from her education, for the record. Compared to public, or even private, education, if I divide up authors 50/50 or even 60/40 (in favor of men), that would be phenomenal. Who says history should be all wars and victories? And of course, there are a great many female scientists to cover. (I really love this book for young girls.) I am also looking forward to focusing on peace and simplicity as a lifestyle. (There are great resources here.)

I purchased all of our books already and put several on hold at the library. Hopefully, they will be ready for us soon.
We are using these:

Plus, math, handwriting, spelling, and the other usual subjects.

The first two weeks, we are learning about earthworms, which will coincide nicely with me trying to get my compost pile to do something. Like decay and turn into compost already.

I am in the process of deciding which activities are worthwhile at this point. She had the choice between ballet and gymnastics. Both meet once a week. She chose gymnastics, but wants to do ballet eventually. Right now, all she wants to do is learn how to cartwheel and do flips.

I am also thinking about the Girl Scouts. At first I was hesitant to consider the Girl Scouts.

I was a brownie for all of two meeting as a young, eager, but somewhat shy first grader. I remember singing Sally the Camel. I also remember the troop leader refusing to allow me to use the bathroom and the humiliation that resulted when I just couldn’t hold it anymore and peed my pants.

I also thought that Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts were interchangeable aside from gender. I swore I would never let my kids be in such a homophobic and exclusive organization. But then I read this and I fell in love with the Girl Scouts organization more than I ever thought possible.

We are hoping to start piano lessons this fall as well. We just need the piano!

I know my regular readers don’t come here to experience me droning on about education and homeschooling, so I am thinking about a second blog. Still undecided.

I still can’t believe it is nearly September.