Posted in My Kids

I tell people that our daughter started “School” when she was 3 weeks old.  I had planned on taking a 1 month break after her birth, but my 1st grade son was so excited about “finally” having a classmate that he couldn’t wait another week to get back to school.  Up until this point his only classmate had been our very uncooperative cat.  Now that he had a sister his prayers were answered.  The last day of 1st grade he was still so happy to have a classmate he organized an end of school year party complete with food, games and of course a dance!  

I often wonder what baby of a homeschool family must be thinking?  Our baby just turned 2 and has of course never known any other life.  But, the stories he could tell if only he could talk!  I think his favorite part of the school day is when his big brother and I do Math at the kitchen table.  This is his opportunity to crawl out the doggie door and play in the backyard where I have full view of him from the kitchen table.  He’s an independent little soul and loves playing out back more than about anything.  

Then there is the Homeschool Group Preschool Co-op I co-teach on Thursday afternoons.  He was 9 month olds when I started teaching it.  What could be more fun than learning to crawl with 26 little feet dodging you as you scoot across the floor?  Now, I’m sure he considers himself one of the class!  He sits right with the rest of the class at  story time and snack time.  He’s not too interested in craft time, but that’s his opportunity to have all the toys to himself!

Field trips are especially fun.  Mom of course is desperately trying to keep the little one happy (& quiet) so this is a guaranteed lollipop!   Not to mention Mom usually has a flashlight in her purse to pull out for just a moment like this!  I just counted in my school record book and our 2-year-old has been on  46 field trips in his 2 short years!  (That’s a lot of lollipops!)

Homeschool bowling & skating days are favorites of our youngest.  Skate day means sitting at the arcade racing game and pretending to drive for 2 hours.  Bowling is even more fun for a 2-year-old obsessed with balls!  Not so much fun for Mom as she tried to be invisible chasing him down the lane as he goes after his sister’s ball!

I know our little guy is watching by the things I catch him doing.  Tonight he and his sister decided to have a car wash.  They were in the family room with wet rags scrubbing down their Little Tykes car.  My daughter had gone upstairs and I heard a scraping noise coming from the family room.  I went in to investigate and the 2-year-old had drug the vacuum cleaner out of the pantry into the family room, had the hose inside the car and was trying to figure out how to plug it in!  He’s been watching…