Last Friday I could tell we weren't going to get too much school work done at the table.  Taking a cue from so many other bloggers - like Melissa - I decided to pack up Science and our sketchbooks and head outside.  (See photos above.)

It was just a short hike to a beautiful meadow carpeted with little yellow flowers - (still need to identify those).  The kids ran to the creek and were knee deep in two minutes flat. 

We didn't get all that I wanted done - but we did identify a tree, discuss ants and some of their worthy character traits and read a chapter of Mrs. Pigglewiggle. 

Most beneficial of all was the fresh air which inspired me and delighted their souls.  We will do it again soon.

Oh - just as an aside - today I caught my 6 yr. old daughter picking her nose - and said, "Laura, don't pick your nose" - to which she replied - "I'm not - I'm trying to put it back in." 

This week we enjoyed two great nature hikes - and sadly we had snow two times as well.  Winter seems to be upon us early, but I'm still hopeful for crisp fall days minus snow.

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year.  I consider it to be the beginning of the year - instead of January, even before I started homeschooling.  I so enjoy the excitement of new subjects, fresh clean books and brand new pencils.  The colors are also my favorite here in the mountains - the contrast of the evergreens and the reds, golds and yellows of the aspens and maples. 

So the nature hikes - we headed out with our sketch pads, and nature id book and I can't believe what a great time we had.  I was so impressed with my kids.  At the end of each hike - both older kids said, "We are so doing this again!" 

 All and all - we have enjoyed fall so far. I am hopeful that we have more crisp days as opposed to freezing days, so that we can enjoy more days together outside.

Today is our first official day back to school.  The monsterous project of assignment books was completed last Tuesday, and my last Teacher binder went together last night.  When I took on this assignment book project, I had NOOOOOO idea how much work it would be.  Maybe it is "first time" handicap or something.

What are these assignment books?  Well, I CANNOT claim the idea as my own.  I sat in on a workshop at the CHEA convention last May.  What I have done is make a Excel Spreadsheet  for each course my children will take this year.  Math, Handwriting, Reading, History, Science, Language Arts, PE, Cooking, Fine Arts and Bible.  Part of each spreadsheet is a place for them to check off when it is done, and then a place for the grade - for each assignment.  Also, whatever grading system you will use for that course.  Like cooking gets evaluated on level of difficulty, presentation, clean-up and taste.  Some subjects are more subjective than others.  Some I just care that they get completed, not graded, like PE.  For some subjects there is a survey that must be completed.  Like Fine Arts - they must complete 30 assignments in a year.  They can choose from watch a play, see a concert, do a craft, visit a museum, etc.  Once they complete the activity, they complete the Survey Form which asks questions like What did you do?,  Who with? When?  and my favorite, Would you recommend this activity to someone?  When the book is done, school is done. 

Once all the Assignment sheets and Survey forms were built, I designed cover sheets for all kids, customizing them to their current likes and passions. 

Then the worst part - the copy store!!!  We laminated the covers, made multiple copies of the survey forms, and their Story of the World Activity Sheets, Considering God's Creation and Bible Notebooks.  (You can assume that Office Depot's copy machine jammed over and over again, and that my children decided to behave like martians from outer space, and my infant needed a bottle of milk because I didn't think it was going to take so long. )  OKAY, so once the covers are laminated and copies made, I had Office Depot spiral bind each childs book, - in a different color spine for each kid so we can know whose book is whose with a quick glance.

So, the alleged beauty of this system is that all your assignments are done at once, they are all in one place and all the grades are in one place.  At the end of the year, simply add your attendance records, grade summaries if you want, and a few select pieces of work and your recordkeeping is done for the year.  Also, this helpls student begin to plan and organize their time because they can see the whole year layed out for them.  I lose steam in  March and this system will help keep my on track, I think. 

I have used computer software for assignments and the Sonlight Teachers Manual, but I still had trouble with following-through.  I am optimistic, and the kids seem pleased.  Our experiment has begun!

Blessings to you all!

Well, today I would spend my few alone minutes checking out more Open Houses, but sadly, I think the responsible part of me must get to work on planning our own school year.  At a homeschool conference last spring I learned about a great way to give out assignments.  But these assignment books won't create themselves.  I've been working on them all summer, but it is time to finish them up if we are going to start school on August 27.

I've so enjoyed checking out these Open Houses.  I love not feeling all alone - finding out that we all have something in common.  In every post I found a common ground.  God is so good-He even uses the Interenet to connect His body.

This Open House has also reminded me how much I love women.  God did create such amazing creatures when He made women.  Roaming around these various blogs is like getting to go to your Annual Women's retreat any time you want.  If you want deep and meaningful conversation, you can find that.  If you are wanting to swap recipes, fashion tips and child rearing woes, that too can be found.  Anyway,  thank you Lord for creating this awesome sisterhood here on earth.  I cannot wait to hang out at the girls club in Heaven. 

H