A Gentle Start

It just dawned on me that I don't think I've written a weekly wrap-up since we started school.  Or maybe I did.  This is how my brain functions!  It's only been two weeks since we started school but it already seems like a month.  Not because we've done so much work that it seems like an entire months worth, that's for sure.  We actually haven't an a full week of school yet.  And that is driving me crazy!

Our first week was the week of Labor Day, so we had no school on Monday.  It seemed to take us forever to get through just a portion of a full day.  I wondered how on earth we would work in Emily's language arts and writing.  Let alone do art or any form of music.  But I think some things have a way of working themselves out.  This is why a gentle start is good for us.  It takes a while to adjust to a new schedule.  And thankfully, the girls are taking art at co-op.

The second week was much better as far as moving at a better pace.  But we still didn't start language arts or writing.  And since we went camping last weekend, we had no school on Friday.  In addition, we started co-op last Monday, so last week was just a 3-day school week.  Bummer.  We managed to squeeze things together to prevent falling behind.  But I generally don't like doing that.  This is a problem I have with attending a co-op.  Sometimes I feel too strapped down.  Field trips are sometimes stressful because I feel like we shouldn't take a day off our normal routine.  At the same time, I feel they are important both for the kids and for me, to have a break from normal school while still learning.

So far, the Romans are holding our interest in our MFW studies.  The health book is wonderful!  We've used the Apologia Anatomy & Physiology book during co-op and I think it's too advanced.  I wonder how in the world elementary age kids retain all that information.  Well, they don't.  At least mine don't.  This is why I'm so thankful for The Human Body for Every Kid.  To look at the cover and just flip through it, it might look boring.  But the text and definitions are worded well and easier to comprehend.  The diagrams are clear, which make them easy to copy and label.  This is so much more reasonable for our kids and just another confirmation that our choice to use My Father's World is the right one. 

Once we get Emily going in language arts and writing, I will feel much more accomplished.  So, here goes week 3!