Kaylee & Co.: First Day of School

We started school today! Late, I know, but that's how we roll these days. The boys are taking classes again this year at ORLA (Olympia Regional Learning Academy) through their program Homeschool Connect. It is an excellent resource for us and SO fun and great for the boys to round out and supplement what we do at home. It adds a bit more of a load for me, but it's worth it. One challenge (some might call it a drawback) is that parents, or a responsible adult, have to be on the campus while their child is there. So that means me with babes in tow, which is hard, but it is awesome to be able to peek in on their classes, be involved, intercept them between classes, eat lunch together, etc. Also this year I am still using the curriculum I've used all along (Sonlight), but because we are involved at ORLA we get an allocation from the school district to pay for many of our curriculum needs (non-sectarian only). Long story short I have been piecing together my curriculum via my curriculum website, ORLA's resource center, ordering through ORLA and friends who have bits and pieces of the "core" we are working from. So it has taken me longer this year to figure that all out. We are on our way now though!

Without going into our whole boring, busy schedule I will say this. I'm am excited for the structure and all the fun things we will be learning (even me!) but I am scared to death at the same time. I know this is a lot and there are a whole lot of people (including me sometimes) who thinks homeschooling my kids is going to be the death of me and why in the world would I do it. But I feel called and affirmed every time I take the step of faith I'm required to take every. stinkin. day. I value it so much I'm willing to do what it takes.

For my records:

At ORLA, Brendan is taking Real Science 4 Kids-Physics, Making your Art, a required POD class 4/5, Martial Arts, and Investigation Agency (problem solving)

Wyatt is taking Imagination Creation (Art), gymnastics, a required POD class 2/3, Come on and Sing! and Martial Arts.

Good times.
At home we are studying World History Part 2-From the fall of Rome through modern world history. I switched up their math this year. I enjoyed the math we have been using (Horizons). I found it challenging, and fast moving and yet the system moved them along in a way that they could grasp everything new and retain everything they had been taught. Anyway, it is published by Alpha and Omega which is a Christian organization and ORLA can't acknowledge it as something that can count towards the boys' "offsite" hours, plus I wanted ORLA to pay for our math, so we switched to Teaching Textbooks. I'm thinking it was a good move because the boys can be a lot more independent with it, and they get to use the computer, so they love that!

Other than that it is the same ol', same ol'. It's freakin' me out a bit that this begins our 6th year of homeschool...or school in general. How are my kids growing up so fast??!

Our first day couldn't have gone better. (A lot of first days are a bit bumpy with the adjustment) We operated pretty smoothly and we picked back up as if we'd never stopped. I feel so lucky to get to be with them.....to watch them learn, to help them along. It's a sweet life. I will miss it when it is over.

Lunch for everyone