So, we're back in the saddle again. Homeschool started for us last Tuesday. I like to get a few weeks in before the Labor Day holiday just so we have extras hours accomplished in case we want to take off more days during the Christmas holidays. You know how it is. Juggle juggle juggle.
So far things are running smoothly. The teen's college classes are challenging. The greatest challenge however, is figuring out how to fit in time for the homeschool classes as well. College takes a lot of work! She's taking Sociology, College Composition and Modern Western Civilization. Big words for a science, language arts and social studies credits. At home this semester we're tackling Algebra 2 and 1/2 a course on Government. I've also thrown together a 1/2 credit course loosely called 'Bachelorette Living'. A friend suggested it and I thought it a good idea.
Bachelorette Living will cover: cooking/baking basics. Budgeting & shopping for groceries as well as planning for utilities, insurance and rent (for when she has a place of her own.) It will also include cleaning & laundry instruction, basic household repairs. How to set up electronics, basic sewing and repair. I'm hoping to also show her how to do basic car checkups. I'm sure I'll learn all that right along side her. The course will flow nicely into next semester's Personal Finance course covering: more budgeting, especially for large purchases, credit cards/debit cards, bank accounts, balancing a checkbook, stocks, bonds, 401k, whatever she would need to know about money. After these two courses I"ll feel confident to kick her out into the world. I mean gently tap her out of the nest when necessary. lol
The little one has embraced Sonlight curriculum. So far we love it. I bought Sonlight Core 5 (History, Reading/Read Alouds, Bible) and also their Science program, used of course. I've been supplementing with a math textbook to catch her up to 5th grade math (we didn't quite finish last year's textbook and she forgot some things over the summer.) Language is a textbook too. I feel like I'm already falling into last year's rut of textbooks. I need to sit down and plan out a month's worth of learning that doesn't involve textbooks for the most part. I do not want to hear again how she HATES school. I feel like such a failure then.
The little one asked me the other day if learning to play Blackjack and bet on each hand counted for anything in school? Oh brother! Apparently dad taught her. They couldn't just play a nice round of Monopoly or Go Fish. *sigh*
I'm really hoping to enjoy this year and not count the days until Thanksgiving vacation. But I do feel like my summer hasn't even started yet. Our real summer was full of problems. The teen hurt her leg. On crutches for weeks. Dr., Dr., ER, ER visit. Then she got a spider bite that turned into MRSA. Dr., Dr., Hospital for surgery and a 5 day stay. Then my mother had to have surgery. We visited her in the hospital and then spent weeks going to her house during the weekdays to help care for her (loved spending all that extra time with her.) Everyone is mending now but I just miss my summer time of lazing around, pool visits, lots of art time and reading time. Oh well, there is always next summer.
So far things are running smoothly. The teen's college classes are challenging. The greatest challenge however, is figuring out how to fit in time for the homeschool classes as well. College takes a lot of work! She's taking Sociology, College Composition and Modern Western Civilization. Big words for a science, language arts and social studies credits. At home this semester we're tackling Algebra 2 and 1/2 a course on Government. I've also thrown together a 1/2 credit course loosely called 'Bachelorette Living'. A friend suggested it and I thought it a good idea.
Bachelorette Living will cover: cooking/baking basics. Budgeting & shopping for groceries as well as planning for utilities, insurance and rent (for when she has a place of her own.) It will also include cleaning & laundry instruction, basic household repairs. How to set up electronics, basic sewing and repair. I'm hoping to also show her how to do basic car checkups. I'm sure I'll learn all that right along side her. The course will flow nicely into next semester's Personal Finance course covering: more budgeting, especially for large purchases, credit cards/debit cards, bank accounts, balancing a checkbook, stocks, bonds, 401k, whatever she would need to know about money. After these two courses I"ll feel confident to kick her out into the world. I mean gently tap her out of the nest when necessary. lol
The little one has embraced Sonlight curriculum. So far we love it. I bought Sonlight Core 5 (History, Reading/Read Alouds, Bible) and also their Science program, used of course. I've been supplementing with a math textbook to catch her up to 5th grade math (we didn't quite finish last year's textbook and she forgot some things over the summer.) Language is a textbook too. I feel like I'm already falling into last year's rut of textbooks. I need to sit down and plan out a month's worth of learning that doesn't involve textbooks for the most part. I do not want to hear again how she HATES school. I feel like such a failure then.
The little one asked me the other day if learning to play Blackjack and bet on each hand counted for anything in school? Oh brother! Apparently dad taught her. They couldn't just play a nice round of Monopoly or Go Fish. *sigh*
I'm really hoping to enjoy this year and not count the days until Thanksgiving vacation. But I do feel like my summer hasn't even started yet. Our real summer was full of problems. The teen hurt her leg. On crutches for weeks. Dr., Dr., ER, ER visit. Then she got a spider bite that turned into MRSA. Dr., Dr., Hospital for surgery and a 5 day stay. Then my mother had to have surgery. We visited her in the hospital and then spent weeks going to her house during the weekdays to help care for her (loved spending all that extra time with her.) Everyone is mending now but I just miss my summer time of lazing around, pool visits, lots of art time and reading time. Oh well, there is always next summer.
Cheers to a great school year!
