What We Did This Year

I figure I need to post something about what we did this year since much of the point of this blog is to keep a journal of what we've done school-wise.

I advanced the kids up a grade last week, so now Josie is in the fourth grade and Jake is in the third. They are still doing the same schoolwork. Jake is young for his grade, but he has moved up to fourth grade math. He is an "A" student in math as well and that makes me very proud. We haven't used a math curriculum this year, we have just bought a few math workbooks and when they finish one for their grade, they move up to the next.

They both started gymnastics last month, which was a big milestone for Josie, since I haven't had her in any type of class situation since taking her out of school last year. She has a very patient coach, and is learning little by little some of the social rules that go along with taking a gymnastics class. Jake is practicing his handstands every day trying to see how many seconds he can stay upside down. I like that he's set himself these goals. That's a real little-boy thing after all.

They have two notebooks each that are full of schoolwork that we started in on around January. We signed up with Oak Meadow School and that got us jump started. Every day we read a story or a fable or something from history and they draw a picture and practice their cursive writing with a brief summary of what they have drawn.

We also have learned about the Babylonians, the Phoenecians, the Romans and Greeks, the Assyrians, the Spartans, ancient Egyptians, and the Jews and their nomadic travels. We have a large timeline made of foam core board that we label with major events and people after reading a chapter from our favorite little history book.

We've read so many books this year. Together we read Alice in Wonderland, Despreaux, The Higher Power of Lucky, and we're currently reading The Wind in the Willows. We have also read about 25 fables since January, and the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Josie has read everything I could get her by Roald Dahl, and Jake has read most of those too. Once I'm unbanned from the library (darn those hidden pockets in backpacks!), I'll begin to get some audio books for the car.

This year we went to the Human Body Exhibit in Atlanta, missed the shuttle launch in December, but it still counts, visited the nursing home at Christmas time to pass out cards and sing songs, went to Safari Adventure in Pigeon Forge, recently we visited Liles Acres, a really neat little farm in Maryville with llamas and chickens and organic gardens. We've done countless other little trips too.

The major thing we did this year was join a homeschool co-op. The kids have made some great friends and so have I. If I hadn't met all of these great folks, I might not be the confident homeschooler I am right now. I have gotten so much support and so many ideas from them. Most of all, I've gotten the comfort of knowing I'm doing the right thing, by hearing about their trials and triumphs, by seeing how well their children are doing, and laughing together about the things our kids do, when at one time many of us were consumed by worry.

Keeping this blog has helped me as well. Whenever I feel like we've slumped out, I can look back and see how busy we have been, and how much has been accomplished this year. I can safely say I'm proud of myself and truly proud of my kids, and blessed to be able to take this responsibility to help them grow and learn.