Into The Swing

Well, another semester of homeschooling is into full swing around here. I'm feeling a lot more organized this semester and excited about the process of homeschooling our kids. Ever Joy was excited to return to her weekly class and see her tutor and friends. Though we only meet once a week, it is very encouraging to have a group of moms/dads to talk with. Besides Classical Conversations many parents are supplementing with other curriculum's, and I have been able to glean information and ask questions.I'm also curious about how it looks to homeschool more than one child. So far Ever Joy is getting most of my attention while we work on her phonics or math. It will be interesting to have multiple kids who will need my help. The thing I love about Classical Conversations is that they will all be learning the same basic information together while in grade school. Which will help me stay organized and prepared.

I'm still looking for a math curriculum for next year. Any suggestions? So far I've been making worksheets and using household items to teach Ever about addition and subtraction. Actually, my beads have come in very handy for counting. At least they are good for something...

Speaking of school, I've headed back to class myself. I'm only taking one class at a local community college, but it is keeping me busy with reading and studying. I would say it is a good mommy outing twice a week, but frankly I would rather stay home on these cold nights.

Besides school our family attended a Swap Shop this week. A friend of mine organized it at her church, and about a hundred people attended. I had gone to a couple other swaps in the past and had been collecting items for awhile. So it was nice to finally clean out my laundry room and get rid of all the outgrown clothes, old toys and random stuff we didn't need anymore. After the swap we came home with a few outfits that fit our kids, a world map, and some good books.

I have an easier time taking my unwanted items to a swap and seeing friends or strangers excited to get my item, than just to drop my stuff off at a thrift store. I ended up getting rid of our baby toys at this swap. I debated saving them, but realized they were just taking up space. The funny thing is I don't remember Zoe playing with them. She was usually drawn to the older kids toys. I will say there were a few items I put in storage with baby clothes I have saved, like the finger puppets and baby books. Everything else went to the swap, and it sure felt good to get rid of some colorful plastic.