Monday, August 8, 2011

In Which School Gets Harder and I Am Organized

**If you are here from the blog hop...welcome! This post includes my daughters' first day of school pictures as we traditionally take them. Here are some pictures from past years also.**

Today was our first day of school!

Second grade...

And (gulp) sixth grade...

We always measure them on the first day of school and this child is 5' 1''.  Hello? Eleven years old!
2011--the gap in their heights seems to be getting bigger

2008--yep. I was right. 
 There were some little treats on their table this morning.

Cute right? Thank you Pinterest!

Found some "Back to School" cookies at W-mart too!
After a few back to school activities, Sweetheart retired to the living room to do her independent work.


While Little Bit and I reviewed some math...

Little Bit thoroughly enjoyed her day. When I said it was time for History, her face just fell. Last year she sat through the entirety of The Mystery of History Volume 3, which is by no means as "friendly" as volume 1 and she had grown to not look forward to History very much. Starting off with the Renaissance and Reformation may not be the best plan.
Anyway, she was pleasantly surprised with her Sonlight History. And boy did she love sitting on the couch by me, coloring while I read to her. Wish I had a picture of that, but...I was busy reading. We also read on my bed today and she ate it up.

Sweetheart, on the other hand, was surprised by how much work she had! She didn't complain, but she was working hard! Sitting in the living room may not work. Tomorrow she's going to try somewhere else.

Work spread all around...
The main thing was the timing of the schedule did not work out. Sweetheart took longer, Little Bit was just as expected....so we just rolled with it. Things got done out of order, but they got done. It was no big deal. That's why our schedule is put up with sticky tac!

So, even though Sweetheart is supposed to do Zoology more independently this year, we did it together today and enjoyed it. I'm thinking we may just do it together--it's the only subject they would do together this year and I think I should cherish the times they can do things together. 
We're studying Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day. Last year we studied Flying Creatures of the 5th Day. So, we reviewed the order of creation, highlighting that 5th day. We ended up with a timeline with Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 on small index cards, and day 5 on big blue construction paper. Those circles are a flannel board set we have of creation.

I was very pleased with today. It's going to be a lot of work, but we were prepared and the girls worked hard. I LOVE, LOVE , LOVE the weekly assignment sheets from Sonlight and the fact that I have the first 6 weeks basically ready. Of course there will be some Sunday prep, but I feel ready for the next 6 weeks anyway.

It was a good day and it will be, I hope, a really good  year!

9 comments:

  1. I was looking forward to this post. Looks like a very successful first day!
    I also look forward to a future post when you will show us how messy the schoolroom gets. You wouldn't disappoint me, would you? ;)
    Kathy

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  2. Lovin' your treadle machine in the living room.
    Isn't it amazing how tall they grow? My 13 year old is 5'4" - that's three inches shorter than me!!

    It sounds like things will work out with a bit of tweaking. Have a great time with it.

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  3. Read your post first tonight! Looks like you had a fun day! I like the snack idea...I may have to use that.

    I need to put a brick on my 8 year old's head...he is only about 4 inches shorter than me (I'm only 5'3", but hey...).

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  4. Thanks Rachel..that was my grandmother's and the one my mom actually learned to sew on!

    kathy--no you will likely not be disappointed.

    Jenae..you're going to get passed up.

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  5. Where in the world did you get those lap desk things?! Those look like a wonderful tool! I've got one who would much prefer to sit on the couch or floor rather than at the table.

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  6. Hi Brenda,

    Yes! Do zoology together and enjoy it! My girls are going into 6th and 10th grade and I really miss the days of sitting on the couch doing science and history, etc. together. Have a great school year enjoying your girls!

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  7. I feel your pain. My 15 year old is about 1" shorter than I am. Denial!

    Pinterest - I can quit any time I want, how about you? ;)

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  8. How fun!! I agree, do Science together! Makes your day easier and increases sisterly bonding time! (maybe, lol!)

    I ADORE the SL weekly sheets... I get warm fuzzies just thinking about them ;-) Seriously, they have made homeschooling SOOOOO simplified for me - literally open and go!

    Did you come up with a mapping solution?

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  9. we're doing swimming creatures, too! :) sonlight confuses me a bit with its many packages. i loved combining the girls' history and science last year. makes for an easier schedule. for sure.

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I don't get to talk to a lot of actual grown-ups during the day, so your comments make me really happy! :)