Beginning School

Today was our first day back at school! Year NINE for our homeschooling venture. Sheesh! Hard to believe!

The Monkey was so excited to begin. He rushed me all morning so we can "go do our special school"! He was thrilled with his new school shelf and items. However, as the day wore on, he got this look like, "This is what school is? I think I am going to go play trains...."

Ah well! He will have good days and rough days, like his brothers. He would do so well in a preschool program, but there is just no money for that.

I have been working hard to get ready for him. It has been a while since I have had preschool at home!

Our calendar. The Monkey was convinced that the days of the week actually read "Some boys give big farts on Sunday." Whatever!

Our button key chain to mark the date

Thanks to Counting Coconuts for all the ideas. It is a site that both inspires me (with its wonderful ideas) and depresses me (because I will never in all my life be that creative). Anyway, I have gotten a lot of ideas from there. Thanks also to my friends Leah and Christy for turning me on to the site!".
The pockets on the calendar are for our "Number of the Day" and "Letter of the Day .That is all we are doing for now. We can add more later, as the Monkey warms up to school.

My season wheel. We will place a clothespin on the correct season.

The I Spy jar

The I Spy Jar

I have wanted to make an I Spy jar for a long time. I was so glad to finally do it! I used a plastic container (that used to hold jelly beans - mmmmmm!), and filled it with bird seed and little items. I plan on changing the items out from time to time. We have all been looking in it!

I wanted to make some felt items for a felt board. I combined that with a desire to work on clothing and seasons and weather to make our Felt Man. He is going to be fun to learn with. The Monkey likes to take Felt Man and play with him already.

Felt Man in his undies, showing his casual clothes

In casual clothes, showing winter clothes

In winter clothes, showing beach wear!

In beach wear, showing rain wear

The rain wear is my personal favorite

Beach accessories!

Ah - fun!

I placed an old small bookshelf in the hallway by our schoolroom. This shelf is now the Monkey's school shelf. I will change items out. That is about the whole plan at the moment!

This week we are starting with a puzzle, wooden ABC/Noah's Ark blocks, counting bears and a sorter tray, paper and stickers. I may change the paper items out this week, and add in a nursery rhyme activity in a day or two.

The other boys slipped right back into school. Really, we are just finishing up what we did not complete last semester. For the most part, it is "old" subjects. Everyone is starting new literature. Romeo gets Roman Myths. Cookie Boy starts on The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, and The Young Adult is devouring Treasure Island!

Happy new school year!