We've started school!  I have to admit that a couple weeks ago I was dreading this week.  But as I started planning, I started to get excited.  Of course, for me, the planning is my favorite part.  If only I could plan and then just by osmosis the information could get into my children's head, I might be positive that I would homeschool forever!   Truly, I just love the start of the new school year.  It's a chance to start over, try new things, buy school supplies and just have a fresh outlook on our homeschooling. 

I am excited that we are starting a new math curriculum!  We have been using Making Math Meaningful since the beginning, but I've always struggled with teaching it as it's not the way I was taught math.  But since I had a resident public school math teacher as principal who assured me that it would work, I tried persevering.  This year, our "principal", agreed that it wasn't working for our family and though we will continue to supplement with it(I really don't think there is much better in getting kids used to solving word problems), we have settled on Right Start Math.  It has lots of games to cement math facts and lots of manipulatives.  Our "principal" has also agreed to teach the older kids math a couple days/week before he goes to work so I can honestly say that I am excited about math this year.

We will also be doing the Konos Online co-op this  year and though I wasn't all that excited about the topics that were to be covered, the planning has excited me about this too.  I am looking forward to spending some time on American History and filling in the gaps to my own education:)  The co-op starts with Explorers and eventually gets into Settlers, Revolutionary War and the Founding of our country.  This means we will talk about elections after the elections have happened, but I don't think any permanent damage will be done.  Since the co-op hasn't started yet, though, we have gone back to a Volume I unit that we weren't able to cover last year.  The kids are really excited about studying the Medieval times for a few weeks. 

So what did we do on the first day of school?  BW took the kids to Magic Mountain!  We had some free passes that needed to be used and I just love this perk of homeschooling.  While he took the big kids, I had the priviledge of helping one of my dear seminary wife friends pack up for their pending move to Montana where God has called their family to minister.  We also brought home the newest member of our family - their goldfish Gilbert who they weren't sure would be able to make the long journey.  Gilbert joined our Goldfish Lisa who has been in our family since Boy7 turned 3.  A friend from church is giving us a bigger tank, but so far they seem to be getting along well. 

Although almost 5 months ago I was the first in our circle of seminary families to leave for ministry, it is still bittersweet to let other friends go.  It was somehow easier for me to know that they were all still down there.  But I am so excited to see how God is placing everyone (in His timing) at just the right place. 

On our second day, we started with the kids receiving their new Chorepacks.  I am trying to change their chores every six months or so and hadn't really changed it since we moved.  This helped to introduce some to some new chores.  I am thrilled that my 2yo can put the silverware away and my oldest can clean out the birdcage!  We also outlined our daily schedule though we have yet to completely keep it. 

One of my new plans for this year was to implement specific things for the kids to play with while I am doing individual schooltime.  So I pulled out some of my homeschooling books and made a list for each day.  Well, Tuesday happened to include letting the kids play with pots, pans and water on the kitchen floor.  After all, so the book said, after they spill you can just mop it up!  Well, I should have been more specific about just how they were to play with these items.  While in the middle of math with Boy7 I realized that Boy2 had dumped his whole pot of water on the floor and was dancing in it in his socks and Girls8 & 5 were starting to go through the spices to "make soup"!  I'm debating whether that will be a recommended activity next week.

I love the flexibility of our schedule because after a solid week of school we will be getting a vacation!  We will be going to Northern Cal to visit our family up there next week.  Oh the joy of making our own schedule and easing back into this school thing!   I am excited to visit and to go shopping at some of the stores we don't have here like Michaels and Target.  I am making a list of craft supplies we may need for some of our units so they I don't have to worry about how I'll get them later in the year. 

When do you start back, and if you did, how's it going?  What changes are you going to make?