Living Life: Jan 6

We started back to school this week. We had a good week. My last post included our first day pics. We did All About Me Posters and the kids really enjoyed working on these. Everyone was excited to start back since we've been on break since Thanksgiving. It was a little hard getting back on a schedule of setting the alarm and getting up. I'm not a morning person so it's a definite struggle. All week, I struggled to get out of bed earlier than the kids to get breakfast ready for us and then start our school day. Friday, I always allow the kids to sleep in a little later, I don't set my alarm and we have a lighter day than usual. That's the one day this week I woke up with no help from the alarm clock bright and early. Of course!

I start the day off working my youngest, while the older 2 work on their independent work. He's 2 years old and will be 3 at the end of February. I have to be honest. I was really leaning toward putting him in Mom's Day Out at the end of our last semester because he makes it very difficult to get our work done. After much prayer and consideration, I decided to keep him at home. We've made it through the hardest part right? He's only getting older and able to do more things. I feel like I should point out, I have nothing against Mom's Day Out. I just feel for our family financially, it's not something we absolutely need right now. Would it be nice? Yes, definitely, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices in order for me to be able to stay at home with my kiddos but that's a whole other blog. It's only our first week, but hopefully he'll be ok and can stay with us during the day. :-) He is the sweetest thing but loves to talk and be loud and he's all boy. I looked on Pinterest and got lots of ideas to try and keep him busy while I work with the older two.

Counting all the ladybugs in the picture

Learning the letter J this week. He got to color with markers on the letter J.

Got this idea off Pinterest. Who knew it would be such a hit? He has really enjoyed this and has requested it all week, even during non school times. Even my 5 year old daughter has been playing with it. It's an old muffin tin, those little fuzzy pom poms, plastic tongs and a paper towel tube.

Another picture of him playing with the homemade activity

Here he is making a caterpillar out of the pom poms and tongs

I work with my daughter next while the boys work together. My oldest reads and plays games with his little brother and does some of the activities I have planned for them to keep him quiet and out of trouble while I work with her. I'm so proud of her too. She is reading so good. We are doing Hooked on Phonics and Explode the Code. There's a total of 14 books in Hooked on Phonics Kindergarten level and she just completed book 7. I took a video of her reading this book. She also loves Math. It's her favorite subject and she requests to do it first everyday.

Doing her math workbook

We learned about fish in science so she colored a fish coloring page

Here is the video of her reading book 7

After I get through working with my daughter, it's time to work with my oldest son. He's 9 and in 4th grade. The younger two go play in their room with a Leap Frog video, tablets and an activity I have planned for them. We are studying dinosaurs in Science and I've always been very fascinated with dinosaurs. That fascination has sparked his interest too and he was super excited to be starting back and reading the dinosaur book. We love Heart of Dakota's choice of History and Science books.