School Days

I have had many ask how it is going here at our very own little school!!  HA!  I will tell you, there are days I feel that all I do is run around from kid to kid but really, most of these days we are finding our rhythm and the kids have an understanding of what is expected from their days and what seems to be working!  Katreese, for the most part, is very self motivated and responsible for her work, although today was the first day she learned to scan her homework into her computer and submit it "properly!!"  AAAGGH!!  That took way too long!!  She still is getting things figured out on her end!

The "school room" has become a regularly busy place especially when my high school kids get home and there are times we are still plugging away (we always have a rest time) so they join in their quiet fashionable way (sometimes with schoolwork of their own), of course!! Yeah, right!!  Anyway, one of the first weeks Cyrus came in to check things out and he was laughing at Eden raising her hand.  He said,"They have to raise their hands?"  I said, "Well, Cyrus how would you feel after a whole day of hearing kids shouting out, "Mom!  Mom!  Mom!!!"  He got the point!!  Little Bear also is expected to play quiet in his area unless he needs me for something urgent while the kids are doing school.  I have worked a bit with Little Bear on school but it is clear he is not ready for Kindergarten which is fine but I always bring him in to our schooling if I can, like our reading times!!  

There has been so much adjustment for me trying to get everything done around my home and garden with school going on.  I have found that some things just have to be left undone!!  It's hard for me, but it is rewarding to get school done and know that we have completed everything that was planned for the day!  Oh, yes, there are those kind of days where the school work just is not happening very easily, especially with Eden.  When she is anxious about something, like an upcoming event (such as an excursion to Sacramento for Little Bear's appointment) I have to ease up on the work....  I am still learning that lesson.  

In fact, I decided Eden's science and history in the third grade level were too hard for her and making things unnecessarily stressful!  I have decided to put her back with Bella for now (the first grade level) for science and history.  After all, one of the main reasons we decided to do homeschooling this year was so we could work more on emotional issues with Eden and not worry so much about academics!!  I was assured this is the right thing, when the other night I met with a professional lady who is a therapist, speaker, etc!!  It was an amazing opportunity for me to have a private meeting with her!!!  Anyways, she told me that we need to focus first on her emotional well-being and not to worry so much about academics because as she gets caught up emotionally, she will get caught up academically!!  This, as you can imagine, was something I needed to hear!! 

As for Little Bear, I took him in to get another xray on his right arm again and it is indeed broken, although after 3 weeks since the injury it is well on it's way to healing but they still put his arm in a splint that is designed like a cast!  They warm it up and then as it cools, they form it to his arm and it hardens!  I am loving this "cast" because it can be taken off for baths (with a key:)) and is much lighter in weight for him!!  He is now wearing this splint until it is healed!  Let's say the first xray still seems to be a mystery because the doctor showed me the first xray again which was taken a couple days after Bella had fallen on his arm, when it was swollen still and you can NOT see any clear break but on the xray that was taken this week you can see the calcium formation (which is what I was feeling lumpy in his arm) and a line where the break was!!  We definitely have a fragile lil' guy!!  We are still awaiting his DNA test results.....

This afternoon, Lil' Bear having his smoothie in our school room!  Notice his hi-tech cast / splint

Eden was finishing up her last thing of school and drinking her smoothie.  

This has become Katreese's "spot" away from the other 2.  Bella was watching  her since
she had finished her school work for the day.