Homeschool!

 We have had 7 days of homeschool now.  It is going to be wonderful, I can just tell.  I'm not sure who is having more fun with it.  Me getting to plan and teach and brainstorm and look on the web and and and. :)  Or them because they are having so much fun with the things we are doing, they are independent, they are leading and speeding, and they are done by lunch so they can do their own thing. :)

This post is picture heavy, but I am so excited and I couldn't choose what to leave out, so it all made the cut.
This first picture is of our schoolroom space.  I took half of our playroom and dedicated it to our school time.  The other half still stores toys, which works out great because Tanner can stay busy.  I love how colorful and fun it turned out.  Jeff added in another light and now we like to go to the basement each morning.

Here are all three of them on our first day, which was also the first day for our district.  They loved that I still wanted these pictures and considered them important to document.  

 The following are closeups of the room and what we are doing.  I found this dresser for free on the side of the road.  A little beat up but it fits our purpose perfectly.  After four coats of paint with help from the kids it looks a lot better.  I need to get it some knobs still.  I am saving for some really fun ones from Anthropologie or Land of Nod.  :)  Each drawer holds a different subject, textbooks, workbooks, binders, library books, etc.  It is fabulous!
This banner crosses the ceiling.  We made it melting crayon between waxed paper and then I sewed them all together.  So cheery.  The big leaves we got from Ikea ages ago.

This table once was yellow and graced our kitchen, and the chairs are an old family heirloom.  I found the fun fabric at a thrift store, a couple yards for $3.  It became the inspiration point for all of the other colors.  And since I had enough we made the little cozies for the top of the chairs just for fun.

 We actually added these shelves last spring when Jeff kicked the kids art supplies out of the office to make more room for his business.  But now it is all organized with magazines, books, folders, projects and all in their own places.

 We already had the easel, but it is coming in super handy.  We have been working on synonyms this week.  I found this fun lesson where you make a list of different synonyms and write them in different/synonym colors (so for example red, brick, maroon, violet red, razzamatazz and then we came up with the list for happy below and they wrote each word in their notebook with the different reds).

This is a closeup of the top shelf that contains some of our past projects that the girls have made and needed to keep...dioramas, knex boat and bike, stuffed owls, sand art, and more.  I think we will need to clear it a little to make room for all of the things I hope to add this year.

 Phoebe was such a good girl and posed for this one.  :)

 I bought a teacher planner for each girl at the dollar store and then decorated each one, differently of course to match the girl.  I write their plans for each day and then as they finish a subject or assignment they put a sticker.  It helps all of us keep track of what they are accomplishing.  Gotta love stickers!

 We have been working on creative writing.  They each wrote about field trips we have been on.  We needed to do a graphic organizer I learned, so I found a cute sandwich worksheet on the internet.  (Can I tell you how much I love blogs and websites and pinterest???) Then we proofread, changed some words using synonyms, and then they typed them up today.  I am hoping to post some of them on the blog.

 For science we started off with a bug unit.  It was a logical choice for us, considering our collection of dead bugs already filling this lovely black lined box.  You can see our cicada, butterfly, and we added the black water scavenger beetle and katydid just this week.  Phoebe has quite the eye for dead bugs.  So we have been making charts, labeling parts, and learning how to identify what makes them insects.  Tanner even got in on our list of bugs in our backyard.  So far we have thirty different species but are adding each day.  In the tub with blue lid is our new pet grasshopper and grub.  They are doing quite well so far.

I have these bulletin boards up now to display projects and writing.  It may need a little jazzing up.  You know, too many cute ideas in the teacher's head and online.  

 So after school this week they decided to raid Daddy's wood and screw supply and have building away on the patio.  They are actually very good with the tools.  Enough so that when we went to the Children's Museum last Friday they all three picked up goggles and tools and went to town.  Enough that the woman in charge of that center remarked on how comfortable they were with tools, and careful.  I think it was a compliment.

And here is the happy mommy/teacher/principal/technology director/librarian/and Jeff's favorites:  custodian and lunch lady.  Yes, all of those and still enjoying it.

I am glad I have this all documented.  We will see if I still agree in February, won't we?