July 29, 2008
We had a great summer. We schooled, on average, four days a week, skipping Henry's flex day unless he was working from home. I managed to score a job with edHelperBaby.com, which was wonderful. It is my first consistent writing job, so I am thrilled. Now I am chomping at the bit for more work from them! Therese is well into Saxon Math 5/4, and is doing very well. She is chafing just a little bit at the review, but it's good for her. Nicholas is loving All About Spelling. He is learning spelling rules that I don't remember learning until late in elementary school. The twins are just happy if they have a craft!We are headed to Galveston for a few days, and we will begin the year in earnest on Tuesday, a week from today. The kids are excited, mostly, as am I. I have made a change regarding science and history, as we did not progress adequately through SOW I this summer, and I really want them to love and marinate in history, as nothing else. To that end, we will be doing SOW I and Life Science, rather than SOW II and Earth Science. Since we school year round, I am still confident that Therese will finish SOW by the end of her grammar years. Nicholas should actually finish early, leaving him extra time to study Greece, Rome, and Egypt, although not in that order, obviously. We're still going to be using Apologia science, as I have found that it grabs younger children as does no other program. It is more labor intensive for me, but that really is the point of homeschooling young children, after all. Why would I put a science book in front of them, tell them to read the chapter and answer the questions? They can get that in public school...or private.Therese's vegetables consist of Anne of Green Gables. She can't get enough, and I fall in love with Anne all over again. I long for a Diana, just as I did when I was a girl. Well, Therese is a kindred spirit, if ever there was one!