...In NSW Australia where we live, each child of school age gets $50 to help with books, uniforms etc.  I mean $50 is $50 dollars better than nothing sometimes!!  So as 'Lisey is registered and 'Merah turned 5 last year I applied for both and we got a $100 cheque that I banked yesterday.

Yesterday

'Lisey is starting to think she's missing out going to school because all her cousins get new school bags and lunch boxes, pencil cases and she misses that.  So we went out yesterday, and did their 'school' shopping, I let them do their own choosing, and we added up their purchases, to make sure they were under their alloted amount.  Each girl got a lunch bag, (apparently they are packing separate lunches when we go to HSchool activities)  felts, pencils, etc. etc. all the new things little kiddies like to have.  Of course we already have all their stationary at home so really nothing was needed, but I think sometimes you need to feel you have something of your own, don't we all.

Today

Anyway today everyone had all their stuff set out, on my new couches!!   So I marched them quick smart to the dining room table and explained that NO stationary/felt pens etc. was to make its way to my light coloured couches in this lifetime or the next!!  With our rules set out the kiddies excitedly got down to teaching themselves. 

While I was getting books, 'Lisey started teaching the other two how to spell.  When I came back each little child had their own letter 'A' that they were colouring in, and 'Lisey was proceeding to teach them how to spell the words in her spelling book.

What they did

However I soon took control again as she would have loved to just sit there all day being a teacher and colouring in.  Lisey did her spelling, maths and reading, Merah had her reading done and maths matching game and workbook.  all before 1.00pm, oh did I mention we woke up at 10.30.  Late night last night.

Sonlight

Then we did our Sonlight reading: starting with Window on the World about Iraq.  We were all done by about 1.30 had lunch and I decided to do a deep clean out of the bathroom, you know bleach the grout in the tiles, scrub the floor that sort of thing. 

So that was the end of school for the day.  Short and sweet.  No one got bored, and really they are still running around now playing with their pencils and papers, cutting things, 'Merah is doing her Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons without me, she's quite independent lately.

I didn't want to overwhelm on the first day we did just have 6 weeks of holiday!  We played games, cleaned up, had lots to eat, bit of study, had fun.