Day 1 9/6

Trio: Visual Latin 32 A&B, Saxon Grammar. No CNN10 since it was Labor Day.

Gilbert: Story of Science Aristotle, String Straightedge and Shadow, Algebra 2, LOTR.

Trix and Gloria: Journey to the EH, EH notebook, Young Fu, Sweet and Sour, Small Poems, next TT math lesson.

Dorothy: Primary Phonics, Charlotte’s Web with Sean, Mighty Mind puzzles.

Clementine: BOB Book, lots of drawing, Mighty Mind tiles, discussion of seasons.

Day 2 9/7

Trio: Visual Latin worksheet 32C, Saxon Grammar, DOCAT 1-5 and questions.

Littles: outside time

Gilbert: Story of Science Aristotle, String Straightedge and Shadow, Geometry, LOTR

Trix and Gloria: Journey to the EH, EH notebook, Young Fu, Sweet and Sour, Small Poems, next TT math lesson.

Dorothy: Primary Phonics, Charlotte’s Web with Sean, CLE math, CHOW.

Clementine: BOB Book, lots of drawing, Mighty Mind tiles, Little Owl study and lots of read-alouds

We did it! Home and school Glees all educated. This week we’re doing history, literature, Latin (x2), science. Next week we’ll add in math, grammar, composition, theology. That’s for these guys:

And this one will be doing Euclid and later Algebra 2, Cicero, Latin (x2), composition, Church history, literature, history, government, physical science. EDIT: No, he’s at home with us, this didn’t work out at all!

The Latin (x2) is because I foolishly think we can manage First Form and Visual Latin 2. And even a little Lingua Latina per se Illustrata. If I have to cut back on another subject to fit it in, I will, I think Latin is important. It will take precedence over English grammar, for example. But right now, in the rosy glow of the new school year, I think we can do it all.

I do think that’s too much for Gil. I know something will fall off. But we’ll see what.

EDIT: Gil is at home with us because HLS did not work out.

Gilbert decided he wants to go to the Highlands Latin Cottage School in the town north of here. Very exciting! It’s one day a week formal instruction with the rest of the week at home. They use Memoria Press, which we’ve used before of course. So I quickly changed gears and ordered all the stuff he’ll need.

I got him two polo shirts, new pants, new shoes, new socks, some hair ties, and a whole whack of curriculum.

Most of it has come in. I think we’ll get by okay. The other change to our year is the start date; HLS starts two weeks earlier than I had planned. I don’t get a summer break this year (I spent all of July ferrying Gloria and her pal three hours a day to camp and back, a chore I will not repeat again!) That’s OK, I’m not complaining (well, maybe a little.) I just have to get the year sorted a bit sooner than I’d like.

Gil (grade 11) is doing the above plus Sonlight Science J and Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2 and concurrently TT Geometry. A big load but he can do it! Trix (grade 10) and Gloria (grade 8) are in Sonlight F with TT math and Visual Latin 2, Dorothy (grade 3) in Sonlight B with math yet to be determined – leaning TT. Clementine (grade 1) won’t be in a Sonlight core per se but will get a variety of material from Sonlight 4/5, K and A, with first grade phonics and math.

The drama program we do in the city is less set this year. I am weighing whether to do it. Gilbert is out – was already before he decided to do HLS – and Trix is on the fence. That leaves Gloria and Dorothy, both of whom want to attend. Developing situation, as they say.

All told I’m really looking forward to starting up again!

I have ten children, ages 21-2. They all still live at home. I am a homeschooler so they are always here, too. Recently, I posted a “we did it!” photo of six of the kids when we finished our Sonlight curriculum for the year and I was asked several times how we did it. Read on!

My formal “schoolies” this year were 10th grade Gilbert, 9th grade Trix, 7th grade Gloria, 2nd grade Dorothy, and kindergarten Clementine. (I also had pre-K Peregrine, toddler Malcolm, and three grown-up kids here, but those are the kids of compulsory school age.) Gilbert, Trix, and Gloria all did Sonlight 100, Dorothy did K, Clementine did A, and Perry did P.

• 7:00-8:00 wake up, coffee with husband, tend to little kids as they awaken
• 8:00-8:30 wake up everyone who isn’t awake, daily Mass if we can get out the door
• 8:30-9:30 Mass or breakfast
• 9:30-11:00 Latin with a break after
• 11:00-4:00 teens do math, history, literature, breaking for lunch somewhere. I do the littles’ cores with them and fail at housework or errands. Sometimes the teens need a little more accountability so they sit with me, but often they work alone.
• 4:00-5:00 I check in with teens and make sure they have kept up with the day’s work.
• 5:00-6:00 cook dinner
• 6:00-6:30 family dinner
• 6:30-9:00 evening time
• 9:00-9:30 get littles to bed
• 9:30- 10:00 get bigs to bed
• 10:00-11:00 hang out with husband, sleep!

We use 4 day schedules and the 5th day is for an art/drama/PE enrichment day for homeschoolers by the parks dept. The kids do two to three full dramatic productions a year, make portfolios of artwork, and get to play group PE games. It’s a blast.

I don’t really feel like it’s a lot. Where I drown is with keeping everything tidy. (I don’t.) I can cook, clean, or homeschool, pick 2. I pick cook and homeschool. The house is simply always messy. I keep up with laundry and dishes, and of course it’s not filthy, but there are toys everywhere, books everywhere, drawings everywhere. I’ve come to terms with it mostly but it can be quite dispiriting. I focus on all the good stuff we get done.