Home School Kindergarten Orientation Success

The girls loved the classroom.  I showed them the different stations and explained some of the new activities and experiences that we will be having with Kindergarten and 'Play' School for Aurora since she is only two.  Isabelle is an eager student and I have no doubt that we will sail through this year with ease.  Our school year is going to be May to May four days a week with a week off approximately every 5 to 6 weeks. Which usually falls conveniently on major holidays.  We opted for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as our work days.  The best part is we can take advantage of our favorite activities: library, shopping, bowling, mini golf, beach etc while the crowds aren't there during the weekdays.  Tonight when I got her ready for bed she told me with a big smile how much she loved her new kindergarten.  That felt so good.  The art was just a fun little throw together loosely based on vintage toys with spray acrylics, crayons and India ink.

Kooky critters

Aurora hamming the camera while decorating her sticker reward book

Isabelle so happy to be back in school

Shared with A Favorite Thing  Paint Party Friday  Mandarin Orange Monday

Art Journal Every Day

On the Other Side of Sick

Sickness is like kryptonite to a Mom like me.  It's a huge responsibility to stay healthy, I've been fortunate to dodge a lot of bugs when the girls were sick.  Now my husband has it, laying in the bed next to me at night.  Oh and he's vomited a few times, "Oh no" No.  No, no, please no don't let me catch this.  As Mom and Wife there is no one to hold my hair when I puke and if I were to puke anywhere but the toilet forget it that will probably be there for me to clean when I get well again.  Crusted up and dried for me to scrape up.  I dread the thought of ever being on the other side of sick.  These are the things of my nightmares.  So here I drew my daughters cute little ladybug craft from homeschooling letter L to get my mind off the dreadful thoughts of the last couple days.

Read a Public Library Book Receive Free Knowledge

We went to the city library the other day and were told that they were now charging as much as $50 a year to borrow books.  I was angry and sad.  Memories flooded back of the tiny library of my childhood, Mom could take me there without becoming anxious about not having enough money for what I wanted.  A place where everyone could go and grab an arm full of adventures with the honor system of being nice, treating them right and returning them on time.  Lucky for me they pointed my two girls and I in the direction of the still free county library.  If having all that cd, dvd, ebook and computer technology meant charging fees and no longer giving free knowledge then they should have stopped.    Free public libraries with books made of paper, it's a time honored tradition that deserves to be respected and continued.

Shared with Artists Play Room

Keeping an Eye on the Don't Knows

When I draw the things that Isabelle has created during school I think about what she may have been thinking and feeling as she was creating.  She has a lot of fun making her alphabet zoo animals come to life.  We'll be reviewing the vowels she learned during the last three weeks.  I'll be interested to see if she is recalling them with ease.  While she was playing today she put the numbers in order and was saying them to herself.  When left to her own devices she seems to have no trouble recalling letters and numbers.  However if she feels put on the spot she freezes up, I can see the change in her eyes and, "I don't know" is her easy out.  How many times have we all done that when under pressure?

Shared with Homeschool Blogroll

Little Bit of Word Fun With The Blue Iguana

Am I the only one who wants to drag out the wä sound in Iguana /iˈgwänə/ if you were here in person this would be much easier to explain verbally rather than with pronunciation key.  Ohhh kaaaay enough school mode.  Here I drew Isabelle's art project for the letter I.  She's creating quite a zoo.  We now have an Alligator, Elephant, Igwääääna (couldn't resist) and an Owl.  One more vowel and we are onto review.  It's been a fast and furious two weeks I'm really looking forward to relaxing for review time and using Valentine's Day as an excuse for extra fun.

Hand Drawing of Eagle Hand Project

When I'm trying to think of an idea for something to draw nothing comes to me.  However when I just live a happy life ideas and objects jump in front of me screaming for my attention.  This is a drawing of an eagle that was part of Isabelle's lesson for the letter E.  I especially loved the way she cut out her hands and the stretching of the upper case E as she attached it to the paper. Craft projects are really fun to draw especially children's because of the unique variations in their cutting and adhering.

Shared with Sunday Sketches

Education Moving Into the Future

Sometimes when I make a meditative doodle my feelings are intense or my thoughts are racing.  These work to calm and center.  During this session I was very deep in thought regarding our daughter's education.  After a four month trial with public preschool we decided to sign her out.  I've planned her educational needs based on her level of knowledge.  She is talented and I'm confident that one on one attention will help her to thrive.  Does anyone else home school and if so are there any great education resources online or local groups in New Jersey that you would suggest?