Thinking about not purchasing the big curriculum and instead piecemealing LA, math, history, handwriting and Science. Am I leaving anything out? This is what freaks me out about pulling it together on my own. Was inspired by my daughter's recent progress in phonics with www.starfall.com and the way she has taught herself alot of what she is supposed to learn in 1st grade math. Maybe I could just spend the next three months unschooling and see where we're at. Oooh, that freaked me out a little, just typing that!
Such strange thoughts to be entertaining. A friend implanted the idea in my head (KW) after I had firmly stamped it out a year and a half ago. We are doing so darn many extracurrics that it might be just fine, though. J is taking soccer, ballet, art, monthly nature class and gym n swim as well! That doesn't even include playgroup and field trips with and in addition to the ones we take with our support group. Z is even joining in by taking a park n rec "preschool-type" class and tumbling.
Z's class went very well. He was so excited about it that he was awake, dressed and with his backpack packed and and on his back when I woke up Monday morning. He wanted to leave immediately but I talked him into eating breakfast and brushing his teeth before we left. He had zero shyness and was very polite about meeting his teacher and introducing her to us. From what his teacher said, he kind of did his own thing - playing dinosaurs while the class made art projects - but she was fine with that, and so am I. He has somewhat of a reserved nature, and doesn't like to jump right into group situations and I appreciated her respecting that. I hadn't exactly planned to tell her we homeschool, but when we picked him up she asked Joss what she had done all morning. Joss said, I did my school and then I made tickets (one of her busy little paper cutting projects)," The teacher said, "Oh! Are you one of those lucky kids who are homeschooled?" Joss beamed, and I knew I liked this teacher!
We did have a nice AM with Z at school. We got J's schoolwork done in half the usual time. We are in the last five lessons of Calvert K! Now if I could just figure out what we are doing next! Part of my reason for considering pulling together my own curric or unschooling for a period is that she is actually quite a bit ahead of the K work. I do not want to spend the $ for Calvert 1 and have to be skipping/combining lessons as we often needed to for Calvert K. I was hoping that we could maybe work together and get her up to Calvert 2 in math and reading and then purchase that midway through this year.
Dang, I hate when I have a plan and then start to doubt it! It is such a nice secure feeling to know what comes next. I think I really could do it though. Between the great online resources, like starfall, enchanted learning and others, the library and my mom, I ought to be able to educate a 1st grader. hmmmmm...
BTW I am very pissed and annoyed to report that I am coming down with shingles again. I have not sprouted the sexy and glamorous lesions yet, just enjoying the searing nerve pain that is wrapped around my right side. I did get going on Valtrex this evening so hopefully we knock it out before I sprout the so-lovely blisters. Damn dormant varicella virus. Damn shingles. God bless Valtrex, although pharmaceutical companies are owned by the devil so I don't know how that will work.
Good news: My mom rocks and gave me lots of cool school stuff including tons of science story books, a teacher plan book (useful if I actually pull off this insane curriculum planning idea), monarch eggs and I can't remember what all. She also took J to girl scouts tonight, cuz my head hurt so bad and Ryan, wonderful father that he truly is, couldn't quite muster up the courage to take her. That also would have left me home with the two noisy boys, blechhh.
Best new of all: MY LITTLE BRO IS COMING HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN!!!!!! For a leave only, but soon, before the end of September we are hoping. The kids flipped when I read them his email. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!