in the beginning...

so this week has been pretty terrific.

i mean, not that it hasn't been a little overwhelming to try to coordinate a new schedule and educate a kindergartner in the midst of soccer, homeschool meetings, preschool, travel preparations, a birthday, and a sale at the mall.

but we are handling it all quite well.

ella (and bennett!) absolutely love "school" so far. bennett was disappointed to leave for preschool today. he didn't want to miss anything.

they are thrilled for circle time. (i've been getting most of my ideas here.) (that is, after getting every morsel of wisdom i can from my sister.)

and our curriculum has been really easy (for me) and fun (for ella).

it seems to be one of the big questions i get from others, what are you going to do for curriculum?

and the options are endless. i could spend hours upon hours researching the perfect curriculum for my child's learning style, interest, etc...

but that just isn't going to happen. come on, who has hours upon hours to do research about something like homeschool curriculum?

how would you have time left to waste on blogging and facebook?

my "research" for curriculum went something like:

"angie (sister), what curriculum do you use?"

"my father's world."

"perfect." done.

in addition to this, we've also been enjoying five in a row, which i found at a homeschool sale for $2. (also recommended by angie.) these books give you a list of children literature to use to teach everything from math to history to art.

and amazingly, this is fascinating to my kids. we've read the same book each day this week. paul revere's ride.i was thinking it would be way over their heads. but they love it! we've learned about poetry and minutemen and muskets and signals and palladian windows (they aren't the only ones learning here...) they can't wait to read it again and again...

there is an excitement for learning each day. (any ideas on how to capture this and keep it going for the next 12 years?)

so the challenge for me has not been in the actual educating. its been more in the taking care of everything else.

for instance... do we actually have to eat another meal tonight? and how does one make a housekeeper magically appear at the door? and why does stress make me want to eat more chocolate?

and any ideas on what to do with one of these?he wants to be in the middle of everything.

and to get there, he's usually jumping on people, throwing stuff, tearing papers and screaming.

and if he's not in the middle of us, he's into the glitter and markers and decorating himself. or helping himself to snacks and all kinds of stuff he's not supposed to do. so when people tell me how they don't want to homeschool because they need the break...

I GET IT.

because even though there's learning going on, it's kinda crazy around here too.

but i must say, its fun to snuggle on the couch with my kids and a book. and its great to see the light go on when they learn a new concept. and it's fun when they ask questions when we are out and about that pertain to what they are learning.

so even in these short few days we've been doing it, its been incredibly rewarding.

and i wouldn't have it any other way. (not counting the housekeeper part of the "other way." that i would definitely have.)