Showing posts with label kid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kid. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Year Four: Nice and Easy? That's Not How We Roll

How nice to meet someone so undeterred by things like…reality.
-The Lorax

And so it begins. We've waited for this day and spent the years before this preparing for this wonderful moment in time. 

KINDERGARTEN! 
I will admit, my little sidekick was disappointed in the beginning because we were continuing his education at home. However, I have made some changes to our plans and he has adjusted quite well. 
Not having to wear shoes to school is an obvious plus. 

First things first. My kid is a potato. His words, not mine. Oh to be five and ever so silly!

Now, for those big changes I spoke of. We are actually a part of the public school system. (cringe) BUT, we are online. I researched schools in the area and found none that met my (probably high) expectations. So, I switched directions a bit and searched for online schools in the area.
We settled with K12. It is still early days with it all so I won't give you my full opinion (yet). 
He does have a wonderful teacher and we are doing well keeping up with the schedule and curriculum. 

The boxes from the above picture were organized into the red drawers you see here. I had to make some room, please do not judge me from the looks of my closet! 

Now this, is more or less what we use on a daily basis. Seems like a lot but it really isn't so bad.  

 This is our schedule. Yeah, it made my eyes go big like that too.
Being a part of the public school system (still a little cringe) we are supposed to work a minimum of 6 hours a day since that is comparable to the hours he would spend in a physical school. 

Let me tell you a little secret: he doesn't spend that long on any of these projects so far. SHH!

You see, because I have homeschooled him since before he was 3, he knows just about everything we have covered so far. Because of this, he finishes his work with extraordinary speed. Which is okay with me because then we can play! 
And before you ask... No, I'm not having him moved to a higher grade and I don't want to because I feel as though he needs to mature a little more and I don't want him to be in a place where he'd be uncomfortable if/when he does begin school in a physical classroom. 

Moving on! Here is some of what we do with our school day:




Most subjects have an online and an offline activity. It gives us plenty of wiggle room for breaks when necessary and taking extra time when needed. 

Oh yes. We still play. 

 Sidekick is learning to focus, listen, have patience, and general ninja skills! No big deal. :)

Starting in October, he will be taking a weekly class in Robotics! I don't even know what all he will be learning but in his trial session, he played with robots, magnets, and computer bits to make lights and sounds. He's very excited!

 We have some traveling coming up next week. Mimi will be in charge of making sure he gets his school work done while I have an Intensive and attend class from 8-5 for the week. Like a "real" job. That's going to be a lot of adulting and I am unprepared. HA!

Once we are back home and settled, I will make sure to fill you in on the happenings. 
It's always an adventure!


Monday, March 21, 2016

Year Three: Week Seven: It's TIME!

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
Salt from My Attic (1928) ~ John A. Shedd

We have had some beautiful weather! It has been so nice to get outside with my sidekick and our pups and enjoy the sunshine. After my week away for my own school, we had to catch up and get back into routine. I just want to praise my mom for a minute; without her, we never would have survived our week apart. :)

We got to have some fun exploring (and eating) before our Mimi headed home. 

 Like I said, we got some gorgeous weather! We walked to many parks in the past couple of weeks. 


 When I asked my sidekick what he wanted to learn about, he asked to learn to tell time. So here we are! There is only so much you can do with time, so I did the best I could! We also have a flashcard pack (Like $1-$3 from Target!) that has both analog and digital clocks on the cards for extra practice. Sidekick got it down in days and now tells me the time everywhere we go. 

Yeah, so I spent some time texting with my kid while I was at school.... 

 20 books read, y'all! That's what this face means!

 I was going to wait for the dentist until after our move but, then I didn't. Sidekick did great and we are looking forward to finding our new dentists in our new town. 

 This would be our album cover...if we could sing... 
But no, we are just enjoying more sunshine! 

 He just makes me so happy. I was here at the computer and I heard him banging stuff around behind me. I kept an eye on him without him seeing me and this was the result. I love that our busy boxes still work and get put to good use!

 He set up a breakfast date for us. Be still my heart!

He's had a bit of an independent streak. Every now and then, I'll get him a Lunchables and do his own thing for lunch. This was him, giving me all the directions as he made his pizzas. He's getting so big!

Alrighty! That's all for now. We've got more in the works! See you soon!