George Washington

Hubby gave Primus her first official history lesson a couple days ago. The next day, I asked her what she learned, partly so she could review, but also because I was curious what she would remember since I did not witness the lesson. Here is what she told me about George Washington and the Battle of Trenton:

He was the 1st President of the United States, which is our country.
He had 11 battles and 3 scores. And King George got lots of fails.
King George was a mean king. He didn't let people do a job for him. (Apparently this last part had something to do with him trying to explain taxation without representation. ??)
King George camped with his army. And Geore Washington wanted to sneak up on them. And then Washington and them got out of their boat and walked across the icy water because it was so icy.
George Washington was the leader of our country's battle. And they won. 3 scores.

I'm so proud!! Homeschool is so much fun!

Why I Love Homeschooling

1. We get to start the day with calendar and journal time in our pajamas.

2. We can do super fun stuff and call it "school." This week we held school at the grocery store as she shopped for pizza makings, armed with her own personal grocery list. The next day she used the things she bought to make little pizza faces for dinner. Here's to finding educational opportunities in everything! 3. We can go on field trips whenever we want. We've been learning about maps and today we went to Effie Yeaw nature center with a friend. As we were leaving, Primus was insistent that she wanted to get a map of the nature trails. So we picked one up and now this week we will study the map, reviewing what a compass rose and map key are. Then later in the week we will take a field trip to Effie Yeaw and follow our map to the river!

4. We get to go to Monterey Bay Aquarium for free! Every year they let homeschoolers go for free on particular days. So Hubby, the kids, and I will go in November. So excited!

5. Shopping for school supplies makes me happy. I read on a blog, "Most homeschoolers have a gene alteration that involves an intense lure to school supplies. There's something so satisfying about getting new boxes of colored pencils, glue sticks, and composition notebooks. Hit the sales and that will give you even extra boost of accomplishment, as this DNA for school stuff is often bonded with a frugal gene." So true!

6. We get to study what we want, when we want.

7. As a home-educator, I'm finding out that I qualify for some stores' teacher discount and rewards programs. Yay! More school supplies!

8. The charter school we are enrolled in (South Sutter) pays for all my books/supplies/extra curricular. Primus has started gymnastics and is loving it. A friend of mine has nieces who also go through South Sutter and they have taken horse-back riding lessons on the school's dime. That's what I love: these are activities and experiences that I would never be able to provide to my children on my own. (And they wouldn't get experiences like this in public school, either.)

9. I've learned that I am in an infinitely better mood, and I have more patience if I wake up early, before the kids get up. (That also means I have to go to bed early. I love staying up late!) Homeschooling has been the push I need to force me into this routine and it is working beautifully! I am getting more done, I am happier, and I am less stressed. And most importantly, I am enjoying my children more!

First Day of School

The first day of homeschool for Primus was August 15th. So far it is going great! I'm going to have to post more about that later. But here is a picture of her all ready for the first day of kindergarten, still in her pj's.

 Secundus's first day of preschool was August 23rd. She's going 5 days a week for 3.5 hours, like Primus did last year. I am pretty confident about my decision to put her in preschool even though she is only 3 and even though I am so passionate about homeschooling. Having something fun to do everyday that is special just for her alone is going to be really good for her. So far, she is loving it. On Thursday she was bawling because she was so upset that she had to come home after school. She was having fun and wanted to stay!

The first day went really well. She had no hesitation whatsoever. She was really excited. The following picture is really cute. As I was getting Tertius out of the car and into the stroller, I noticed that Primus had taken Secundus by the shoulders like so and was giving her a pep talk.

She was telling her things like, " Mommy and me want you to have fun and be a good girl, ok?" She is such a little mommy! I love my kids!!

She knew exactly what to do with her backpack and was so proud of herself. She told everyone she saw all about her Dora backpack.

School is Starting!

I am soooo excited for homeschool to start tomorrow! I'm also nervous.
Per our new family tradition, we all received Priesthood Blessings tonight from Hubby. I won't share here all the council that Primus, Secundus, and I received. But suffice it to say that I have a testimony that Heavenly Father knows me and my children personally. He loves us and is proud of us and the decisions we are making. He is watching over us and will guide us if we follow Him in faith.