I'm back, and I'm hoping to be much more diligent at keeping this blog updated this time around. Things just got busy last year, and I reached a point where I didn't feel much like posting anything. I guess we all get that way from time to time...

C and I finished our kindergarten year in mid-July and will be starting 1st grade next week. We completed Saxon Math 1 and will be starting on Saxon Math 2 with the same basic idea - if things get too difficult (which they probably won't), we can take our time with it and stretch it over two years instead of one. We did some studies of continents and countries and touched on some science topics, but nothing like I had planned. That's okay, though. We had fun with what we did.

This year we'll start our morning with math, then go on to language skills (spelling, grammar, reading, and writing), history (3 days a week), and science (2 days a week). I'm also going to work in some piano lessons for him. I took lessons for several years and taught it briefly while in college, so I think I'll do a fair job of getting him started. If it's something he does well and wants to continue with, I'll look into finding someone else to teach him once he surpasses what I can teach him.

I'm wanting to start J with some sort of structured activity during part of our school time. He likes to practice writing some, so I'm going to buy him a preschool workbook that he can work on while C does his work.

We're still following the guidelines of The Well Trained Mind for our studies. I can't wait to get into the ancient history (The Story of the World). There are several other homeschoolers in my Bible study group who will be using the same thing this year. We would like to get together to do some of the history activities together. We're also thinking of forming our own mini co-op this year. I don't know what all that entails, but I'm eager to be a part of it.

For science, we'll be studying basic biology: 20 weeks of animals, 10 of the human body, and 6 of plants. Since we have a zoo membership, we can take a trip there any time we want - for free! We can also get into the small aquarium for free. The larger aquarium is much nicer and has a big rainforest exhibit and a penguin exhibit, but it costs quite a bit to get in. We haven't been in over 2 years, and I think it's almost time to make another trip. I'd also love to take a day trip to Fossil Rim for another field trip. Sea World in San Antonio would be great, too, but I only have so much money - or rather so little! Fossil Rim is definitely on the list; Sea World is a dream for now.

For our language studies, we're going to be using Spelling Workout A, Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind, My Printing Book, and various library books that correlate with our history and science studies.

What are you using this year, and when will you be starting? Can you give me any ideas about our co-op? What about any suggestions about the curriculum I'm using? Tell me!