Homeschool-One month down!

Where did the past month go? It's already October! Seriously its all a blur! So much has happened this past month! We started school which in itself was a huge event! Kassel's first day of school, Kaitlyn's first day of first grade, my first day teaching, all of our first day of homeschooling! It was a blast! As I stated before we are not doing the traditional homeschooling. We are using a virtual academy, CAVA in conjunction with K 12. Its a mixture of hands on learning along with virtual education. Its all state mandated, funded etc. It IS a public school but yet were homeschooling! If that wasn't enough on my plate we have a small classroom with 8 students (not counting the Jr highers!) A friend of mine and I are teaching the kids in a a very small classroom setting using the K12 program. We have 2 preschoolers, 2 kinders and 4 first graders.
The first day of school just went by in a blink, but we all had fun! Kaitlyn and Kassel were so excited to start school!



Getting settled in the classroom and catching up with friends. Can you feel the excitement in the air?


School is in session. We start the morning with pledges and prayer and then on Monday mornings we have Bible. Starting with worship songs.

Here's our cute folders we made for each of the kids. I love the cute little backpack rack.


I plan on taking pictures of each of the kids each month to see how they have grown and to show the seasons. Here is our "school pictures" for September.



And the best part of homeschooling..... We go swimming!!!


More to come soon!

Count down Calendar

We created an advent calendar today, counting down the day until school starts. She is so anxious to get started hopefully this will help her see how many more day as well as other things we have going on. First I had her draw a big apple tree while I cut the apples. She cut the leaves for the apples while I glued the all together. I wrote the numbers on the apples and ended it with one special green apples which represents the day we start school! As well as the numbers on the apples, I wrote other things we have going on. She gets to take one apple down a day. She was pretty proud of her project!


Two more weeks....

Girl Scout Recogitions

Yesterday we had our Girl Scout recognitions. Kaitlyn and her friend both got awards for top sellers for fall product and cookies! They were both very excited and proud! This pictures makes me laugh, its not a good angle but both her feet are off the ground! Think she was a little excited about going up there?

Kaitlyn with our Service area leader.

Kaitlyn and her friend showing off their awards.

My co-leader and I with the girls and Kassel snuck in too.

Not a very good picture, but we pretty much never get family pictures so I like it!


Great job girls and congrats! Hope to do again this year!!!

The Set-up!

We were so excited a week or two ago when we received all the curriculum. Kaitlyn and Kassel ran out to the UPS truck and couldn't wait to dig into the boxes!


We had alot of fun going through each box. Wow, was there alot of stuff!

Then Wednesday we got the computer! Even though we will not be doing school here (that's a story for a separate day) I still decided to set up the computer at home until we needed it at the one room school house. Here's our stack of curriculum and the computer.

And then here's her little set up for now.

Like I said she wont actually be doing her school work here but it's nice having an extra computer since the laptop decided it didn't want to work anymore and theres always a boy on the desk top! So now I'm able to start working on lesson plans and stuff like that on the new computer!
I think Im going to make Kaitlyn some sort of count down calendar for school to start, kinda like an advent calendar. Hmmm... ideas anyone?

17 more days!

Little bit crafty!

Man, it's been SO long since I've been crafty! Crafting used to be my life. Then life got in the way! I'm not complaining because I've been very busy with Kaitlyn being in Kindergarden and helping alot there, Girl Scouts take alot of time, keeping Kassel entertained, etc etc, I do miss scrapping and crafting but theres been lots of other great things going on!
I joined a die cut swap on my scrapbook message board, which I have been badly neglecting. These are the goodies I made for that. I still need to work on one more category but having problems coming up with something. I don't love the lollipops, but the rest of them I'm really happy with! Oh I just noticed you cant see the details on the mermaids face! there is a face on her! lol


Then I decided to make something for myself! I love crafting but I very rarely make stuff for myself or my house for some reason. I love giving gifts to people so besides my scrapbook pages I don't usually make stuff for myself. Since I'm going to be teaching (I still cant believe I'm saying that!) I decided I needed an altered clipboard! I used to make and sell them, usually around the holidays but sometimes for the beginning of the school year, but this one is for me! I was aiming at doing the colors in our classroom (pink, green and blue) but then it was going to be pink and green, and then turned into black, white and pink. I LOVE it! Here's the front (that will usually be covered and cant have much detail or makes it hard to write on)

and the back (the pretty side that people will see when your holding it)

What do you think? Theres one thing I wish I added to it, but of course I'm my own worst critique!
Now don't go on expecting to see more crafty stuff! I don't see when I will have time, but thats defiantly where my heart is and I hope to eventually balance my life so I have more time for it! Until then, theres my craftiness.... signing out!

Not Your Ordinary Back To School

Let's see if I remember how to do this.... been a Loooonnnggggg time!

School started for pretty much everyone around here yesterday. Lots of sad moms. Lots of happy moms! Lots of free moms! I remember the first day of school for Kaitlyn like it was yesterday! I didn't want to leave, I bawled like a baby and then I stalked her school all day! Seriously it was BAD! Do you guys remember that day? Well that was basically a year ago and it seams like yesterday... and yet also years ago. Weird how that happens huh?

When I think about how much she has grown, how much she learned, how much more mature she is, it seams like years ago! How I remember sitting in the car in the parking lot crying and then not going more then 2 miles away from the school the whole day... yea that seams like yesterday!

This year things will be VERY different! As I posted before we decided to home school. There is a lot of different types of homeschooling. We decided on a charter school. CAVA, California Virtual Academy working with K12 is where she is enrolled. We are all REALLY looking forward to it! But.... the closer we get to starting school I'm starting to stress a little more and more. I KNOW once we start going and we have the routine down things will work out, but as for now its the unknown that's kinda scaring me. I'm excited that she will be able to progress as fast or as slow as her little mind can soak it all up. Nothing having to wait for the class! We start school August 30, the countdown begins....

18 more days!

Crazy!

OK, yea I feel I've finally came to the point where I can openly admit I should be admitted! If I wasn't busy enough with Girl Scouts, Passion Party, being homeroom mom, and typical everyday tasks of being a SAHM of two and wife. We have decided we are going to home school next year. Yep you heard that right, I'm going to home school! Eeek!!! We have been sweeping this idea under the rug long enough and it finally came to the point where we had to seriously look into it. Now, don't get me wrong I LOVE and I mean really LOVE her school! Frankly we just can't afford the tuition anymore, it honestly breaks my heart. We are all really looking forward to our new adventure! I know it wont be easy and I know there will be points where I will regret this decision but I'm Really hoping overall we end up loving it!
I have 2 cyber friends that homeschool, one local friend who homeschools and I have come to find more acquaintances that do too! So I should be able to do it and have some assistance if I need it! We are planning on using a charter school called CAVA here in CA. Its a state run accredited charter school. I am still looking around to see other options to make sure I made the right decision on that. The beauty of homeschooling is that if it doesn't work we can change programs until we find one!
I'm not sure if I want to home school Kassel for preschool or send him to a preschool. Right now I think that all depends on finances. I would love for him to go to the same school that Kaitlyn and I went to, family tradition and all ya know? :)
So yea.. that's one of those huge things that have been putting even more undue stress on me, on top of the million other things!



PS. If you homeschool I'd love to hear from you! Any tips?