You'd think I'd learn!

Life got interesting again. And, like always, the blog is the first thing to go. :) I'm back though! We had some work to do at the office which was sparked by a visit from a potential client, and that caused me/us/family to be gone from home for a very busy few weeks. I'm tired. But I'm home! Unfortunately, this meant that we didn't get to have that grand start to lessons that I thought we'd have. However.....

.... drum roll...

We finished day two of lessons today! (I purposefully didn't post about it yesterday for fear that a "Day one" post might cause the Murphy's Law portion of heaven to pounce upon my head and beat me with a dose of obligation. Like a good little girl I prayed... and kept my mouth (and fingers) quiet. But, I feel safe in saying that our school year is officially under way! We're easing in to lessons by adding more and more each day with the goal of having a full load started by early next week.

Tuesday we started with Math. I love our new math program. I was very nervous about this subject this year because quite frankly we have hit my threshold of comfortability. Poof! Comfort be gone! However, CIMT makes their MEP program fit my kid like a dream. (Yes, they made it just for her. Didn't you know that? Mighty nice of a university to think of a child on this side of the pond, don't you think? :rolling eyes and cackling!:) We have completed two lessons and it is proving to be easy to teach, easy to understand, and cost effective... it's free! The scope and sequence gets a big thumbs up from DH. Based on the scope and sequence we're starting C in Year 5, though we might adjust it. It looks like a great fit, however I've learned to always keep an open mind. ;)

Wednesday (today) we added something else to our math routine though for the life of me I can't think of what. I'll have to get out my planner. I broke down and actually purchased a planner this year instead of making one. I just didn't have the time to sort out the changes that I wanted to make. This planner fits all that I need with just a few pages that I won't use (like a seating chart!) C also chose her first literature selection. Another drum roll.... Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. I've chosen our list of books for the year but will allow C to choose what order she reads them. I'm trying to have her make choices and decisions where she is able so that she can "own" her work just a bit more. I'm hoping that this will help with her attention to detail. We shall see...

Tomorrow brings more lessons, something else added, and some scrapping at Cord. My friend/neighbor got me hooked! I love going to Cord and using their die cuts, etc. It's just so quiet and peaceful. C loves going and has started her own scrapbook. We're going to plan on taking one or two Fridays a month to scrap her school lessons, though I think it might actually be more like a short trip two or three times a month. She's done a bit of it with lessons last year, so it will be fun to see how her notebooks come along this year. We do need to get a good bit done tomorrow because Friday won't be a lesson day. A neighbor has asked me to watch her youngest daughter because she doesn't start school until Monday. (Our local district started school today so her older sister isn't around to sit for her anymore.) It will be the shortest first week of school ever. Three days and a day off!

I'll update soon on some changes we made to this year's World Geography. I just love the workbook that I found! Plus, my mom is going to start a pretty fun US Geography project with her next week. I also found a nice Spelling workbook that we'll add to her Fly Pen usage. Lots of good stuff at the local teacher supply store!

The rain has started again. I am very thankful that we got our errands done before it started. Our dogs are less than thrilled with not being able to play in the yard much, and one is having a bit of an anxiety attack with the thunder. Asher - my pup - is getting a little stressed over it too. He was fine the first few days as storms don't normally bother him. However, after three (or is it thirty!) days of very loud thunder he's getting a little rattled around the edges. I have to admit though that it is absolutely gorgeous out right now even with the rain. The sun is so bright and beautiful. It's such a strange sight to see the sun like this while it pours and crashes. My grandmother used to say that when the sun was out in a rain it was the devil beating his wife. For the life of me I never understood what they meant with that phrase!

Off to stare at the day and plan a bit for tomorrow.