I just haven't been keeping up this blog as much as I should.

We started our year off ok, not as gangbusters as I would have liked, and I think we've been suffering as a result.  I've been having a hard time getting in and keeping the groove.  We just don't have the momentum that we should.  Some of my challenges:

• I have almost completely neglected Science, which is going to change this week as I'm going back to my previous approach with My World Science.  I have borrowed the books until I get my own.  I just realized over Christmas as my kids played a game of "Are you smarter than a 5th grader" and I heard some of the science questions that I'm just not covering some of the things I should
• We had to finish up Core 3 History.  That put us a bit behind on Core 4.  I finally admitted that the only way to get it done this year was to switch over to the 4-day schedule and still try to fit it into 5 days.  I'm going to give the readers that are "Skipped" to Samantha because she is always ahead of our History and Read-Alouds, and I already supplement with different books for Michael since most of the Core 4 readers are way too hard for him.  But, I'm slowly catching up.  We should be on about Week 16 and we're on about Week 10.  I tell you - the best thing I have done is gone back to Read-Alouds on CD.  Mike has been out of town this week, so we listened to our Read-Aloud at lunch AND dinner this week - per the kids request.  I actually had to do some catch up with the History reading to catch up with the Read-Aloud since we had been doing it so quickly.
• I slowed down Samantha's Sonlight LA 4 to stay on pace with History, since the assignments co-incide.  So, she "feels" like she is behind but I don't feel too bad, because I ALSO have her do Writing Strands assignments from time-to-time so I think she's getting enough grammer.  I also am keeping pace with Grammar Ace.
• Michael is also a bit "behind" on his Sonlight LA.  But, I think I'm gonna find a couple of weeks that I can just "Skip".  I wanted to get the writing instruction but intended to use First Language Lessons as my primary Grammar - are we are doing ok with that.  So, we'll be ok with that.
• Both of the kids are doing OK in math.  They are both advanced in that area, so I'm not particularly worried if I don't finish a curriculum on a certain schedule.  Michael is getting ready to finish Horizons 2, which includes multiplication, so I feel like he's already in 3rd grade math (he's only a 2nd grader).  Samantha is doing Saxon 8/7, so I don't care if it takes her 2 years to finish it, since she's only a 5th grader.

So, I think in a couple areas if I can just pick up the pace a little, and manage my expectations that we will go well into June, I think the pressure of feeling "Behind" will go away a little.  That is, of course, if I get moving on Science so my "Mommy Guilt" will go away.

Schooling has also been challenged by Emma, who can't be left alone for too long without getting in lots of trouble.  As with many homeschoolers, I don't have "Mrs. Cleaver's house".  I have stuff everywhere.  Emma tends to exploit that and find pens and markers and necklaces and things she shouldn't and do things she shouldn't, to the tune of broken necklaces, permanent marker everywhere, crayon all over the walls, etc.  At least now she is fascinated with her "painting with water" Christmas present she got, so that is keeping her out of trouble right now.  But, my curriculum choices this year require more of my time one-on-one with the kids, and that's tough with trying to keep Emma occupied.  I'm just trying to finish getting her potty trained and then there is a preschool that is willing to take her and learn about her diabetes.

So, that's where we are with our homeschooling year.  I'll try to do a better job of updating where we are with things!