moving right along

[rhoda_bruce]

Yesterday my 9 year old finished the 2nd grade and I ordered her 3rd grade books. I wanted to get that done in September, but life said,"NO!" DH had a heart attack. Daddy broke his hip and pelvis. And a few other issues, I won't even mention, which all took my time. I'm not really as late as her age would indicate, because I wasn't ready to let her go to school at 5, which is why I homeschooled and they informed me I could take up to 2 years in Kindergarden, so I didn't stress, cuz I knew I legally didn't need to send her until age 6. But she has a few days to play and spoil herself until her books come in.
In the meantime I'm jumping on my 5 year old, which I want to finish Kindergarden before she turns 6 in March. We had an awesome school day yesterday. I had started her when she was 4, because she demanded so much of my time and was stealing some of her older sister's attention, so bad that I finally said,"If I have to deal with her like this, I'm just going to teach her now." So, she started school on her 4th birthday. I can tell that she has matured so much since we first started. I totally freak out when she proves she remembered something important. And her handwritting........soooo much better!!! Glad I was patient with that wild little 4 year old.
We did our lessons about 2 hours and I let them have a long recess. Decided to sneak a little PE in with it. Got them to help me measure 50 yards on the road, so I can start timing them for dashes from time to time. They thought they would be racing, but I knew that would mean the 9 year old winning and the 5 year old crying, so explained that the race wouldn't be with each other but against their last time. Now they harassing me to find a watch and do it.
Also grabbed 5 wooden eggs and a hospital basin and put them about 20 feet from the basin with the eggs and told them to see how many they could get in.....I called it my rock chucking contest. But the 5 year old smiled and took several steps forward before she took her throws.
All in all it was a fun day. Now to see what I can do to compete with that.....

 

[mrscoyote]

Sounds like your doing great. I love homeschooling. I had my oldest daughters home from 4th and 5th grade through graduation and now we are hs'ing our son he has never been in the system.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Tell you what....my 9 year old is always making my face towels disappear, so I am thinking about jumping the gun on home-ec. Both the little ones have grown in the past year, so all the little one's dresses had to be given to a younger cousin and all the older one's dresses now belong to the little one. So she can use a few dresses. I'm pretty sure I can get a 9 year old to cut fabric straight and do some simple stitches. And even the machine.....heck, they can learn the computer when they toddlers; why not a sewing machine.
I sent my first 2 to public school, but really in a way, I can almost say they were partially homeschooled too. Just don't have the papers to prove it. #3 is somewhere in the middle. Now she is a challenge. Teenagers....geesh

 

[so lucky]

My 6 y/o granddaughter wants to sew on my machine *so bad* but she has a sister who is 18 months younger and is really hyper. I rarely have the older one(A) by herself, and everything A does, H wants to do, has to do, insists on doing. Maybe over the Christmas vacation I can get her by herself. And then, of course, a day with H.I love my granddaughters!!

 

[Mattemma]

Sorry to read about the health issues.Speedy healings!

When I hsed I started my dd at 6.My ds started PS at 5.It was a mess.Ended up hsing both till they went into Montessori.I plan to hs my dd for high school.Not sure what my ds wants to do.Both kids are advanced in some areas and on target or behind in others.This is being IN school,though it is Montessori,but still a school. I would not stress it.They WILL learn.Provide,encourage,and it will happen.

My dd did word embroider back in 4th grade that they framed as a gift for me. I think they did it like this with the paper....http://jennytheartist.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-embroider-words-onto-fabric.html

I think they are doing pillows or pillow cases this year.Simple stuff.Back in the day I recall stitching a stuffed animal together for home ec. class.Got the pattern at the local craft store.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Of course she can learn to sew at 9! My grandma started me at age 4, and I was sewing invisible zippers and French seams, buttonholes, making bias tape...all sorts of fun things. By the time I was 9, I took home ec for the fun of it. Ours was sewing home ec.....and the teacher let me help teach the other students to lay out and cut, as well as help them understand their machines and stitches. My 2 sewing projects for that year of home ec.....a winnie the poo stuffed animal, and an A-line skirt. I also made the lined vest that went with it.
Sewing, cooking, woodworking, etc...all are great tools to teach math, science, etc.....hands on learning experiences that stick in those young minds better then book learning some times.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

You know its scary, but sometimes I can almost swear that ya'll must be my first cousins and have had the exact same grandparents as me....like we would have played together as children and I can't quite place ya'll.
Yeah...looking back, I was sent to public school and yet in a way, I was sorta homeschooled too; just not officially.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

I did that with my kids....taught them alot at home, as well as sent them to school The oldest went one year to a christian school, but in the long run, it wasn't worth it. His teacher tried hard to change his dominant hand from left to right, and I didn't agree with that at all.
My second child is more Aspergers Syndrome. Highly intelligent, but has emotional issues. Yet, I still felt public school was best for him, as well as the other two. We as parents, family, need to teach at home. School is not their only education.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Life is easier for me in one way and harder in others, but I've got on some kind of roll and I'm working on catching up my kids since all the set backs of heart attacks, surgeries, multiple deaths and such that have taken some of my time away from my children.
Today, I plan on finishing Religion on DD10's 3rd grade, so we can fax in all her finished test papers, quarter reports and book reviews and I hope to order the 4th grade. That has taken me longer than I wanted, but if I can get at least half done before summer vacation is over, and keep on a good roll, I can catch her up.
DD 7 will probably be right on task, if I can just get some spelling done. All is fine with everything else. Once I finish up with DD10, then DD7 is at my complete mercy until 4th grade arrives, so I think I should be able to pull something off.

 

[Marianne]

Hang in there, rhoda. Sometimes I think it doesn't get easier, it just evolves to something different. Small victories and small moments of peace make a huge difference, huh.