Back to School

This is our 4th day back.  I started on Sept 1 for a 3 day week.  This week was supposed to be a 4 day week, and next week a 5 day week so we could ease our way in.  Well, I forgot about Labor day.  (I'm taking off Friday for the Women of Faith, so that was the day off I was thinking about)

 
Our day starts off with our personal prayers, the Lord's prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and adding a penny to their money jars.  Somehow Ginnie knows to grab a quarter for her jar!

We have already made pinch pots and talked about how the Bible was first written on scrolls and stored in clay jars.  Liv just finished making a scroll today, but I haven't gotten to take a pic yet.

We then work out of our "My Father's World" curriculum together.  George will go back and forth with assorted work/activity books and table games when Liv does her work sheets.  I have to help them both while tending to Ginnie's 3 second attention span.  She will play with a table game, toy, whatever for a few mins then throws it all over the place.  Liv and George and I take turns cleaning up her messes until we finish.  The 3 of us are thinking of a better way.....

Then comes snack time.  Who am I kidding.  We ALL like snack time.  I nurse the baby while the kids eat, so that means I check mail/fb/twitter/connect with the world.  Or, if she is not ready to eat, I'll read a chapter of Little Town on the Prairie.  I find it is best to read to them if they are busy eating, either at snack or lunch.  Keeps them quietly eating and I don't get interrupted as much with food in their mouths!

Then Center time!  AKA- free play in the porch.  Easy.  I set up for lunch and what we need for the afternoon, along with tending the baby, chores, and keeping Ginnie out of too much trouble.  Maggie is an angel, sleeping almost anywhere!

Clean up time, lunch, depending on the time, more play before Ginnie's nap.

We take schooling into meal times also.....

My version of falafel as we learn about middle eastern countries.  

Carlie is coming tomorrow to teach us some yoga!

A layered salad that the kids helped make.  We were talking about layers of skin in health, and layers of soil under the ground.  I love how things tie into each other!

We use the afternoon session for Hooked on Phonics workbooks, reading from our health book, sticker dictionary books, art, and math.  (If the art is more exploration or toddler proof, we would include Ginnie in the AM)

If Ginnie hasn't woken up by the end of the afternoon session, I let the big kids have some screen time.  I try to keep it to videos that count for school and educational sites, like Starfall.com

Then Ginnie, Liv and George all play outside, usually with a snack to hold them over until dinner.

It has gone pretty well.  I sometimes have one hand while holding the baby, or am crawling under the table picking up puzzle pieces from Ginnie, but I don't know how that can be helped.  I'm very grateful that Liv and George both have a love for learning, especially in this sometimes crazy environment.  Their attitudes about school make dealing with logistics so much easier.  I couldn't imagine if I had to fight them about getting their work done with everything else going on!  This is when I see that God will make a way.