Today was Poppy’s first day of kindergarten. Rockford was able to work from home for part of the day today, and it was great to have him here as we started our school year (and not only because it meant that Poppy and I got to go out for a mommy-daughter lunch). Poppy climbed into our bed first thing this morning, and we spent a few minutes cuddling before getting up and brushing teeth. Then we climbed back into bed to start our “work.”
Our book this week is “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson. I’d never read the book before. It’s a sweet, simple little adventure story — perfect for reading while cuddling. After we were all dressed and fed, Poppy and I talked about what a neighborhood is, then she drew a picture of our neighborhood — complete with an extra-large Marsha and one of the neighbors’ ducks. We had our handwriting lesson after that, and then Poppy and I went out to buy ballet shoes and have lunch. Later this afternoon we’ll read the first chapter of “The Story of Doctor Dolittle,” and tonight we’ll have a Bible lesson.
It’s been a gentle, lovely first day of kindergarten.* I’m going to try to post a schooling roundup once a week; let’s hope I can continue to share gentle and lovely stories!
*Mostly. There was the part where Pete and his pal Addison locked Rockford, Poppy and I out of the house and ran amuck until Rockford found a neighbor with a ladder tall enough to reach our back porch. But that’s another story for another day.
Our schoolroom/playroom. Click the image to see a boatload of other homeschoolers' learning areas!We’re going to be starting school next Monday, and my new school room is not ready. When we moved Petey and Poppy into the same room, I had grand plans for transforming the extra room into a schoolroom/playroom hybrid. It’s definitely served its purpose as a playroom, but my schoolroom ideas have only sort of come to fruition.
I did find the Ikea bookshelf that I wanted for the room on Craigslist for $75, and I love it. It has more than enough room for what I need to store (for now). I don’t have the whiteboard I’d hoped for yet, though, nor have I finished moving all of my books and supplies up there. I’m hoping they’ll migrate themselves. (Oh, and everything on the walls? It’s Petey decor, which I really ought to try to incorporate into his new shared bedroom.)
The schoolroom corner of the room looks pretty orderly so far. The rest of the room, over, looks like Toys ‘R’ Us exploded on it. Right now we have four small pieces of furniture holding toys, not to mention the basket of stuffed animals, the play kitchen and the various Little People houses. One of my other yet-to-happen plans is to get six more bins for the larger white shelving unit so I can consolidate the toys into one piece of furniture and get the others out of there. If everything doesn’t fit in those nine bins, we’ll rotate the toys out every now and then. The play kitchen and the Little People abodes are still well-loved and played with frequently, so they’re just going to have to keep taking up real estate for now.
Last year we did all of our schoolwork downstairs, either at the kitchen table or on the couch. There’s a good chance that we’ll still do some of it downstairs, but I think it’s going to be really nice to have all of the supplies in one place. Even if said space doesn’t look exactly as I’d hoped it would.
The important thing is that I have all of the supplies for what we’re doing this year, and I have two small people who are so excited to learn. (I would still like that whiteboard, though.)
When did the years start going by so quickly? When I was 13, the distance between me and 18 seemed epic and endless. Then yesterday I had a baby,* and in fewer than two weeks she’ll turn 5. The day after that, she’ll be a kindergartner. Gather ye rosebuds, I’m feeling old. But this isn’t meant to be about me and my feelings. I was going to tell you what my kindergartner is going to be doing this year, schoolwise. Continue reading What kindergarten looks like at our house→
Today was Poppy’s first day of kindergarten. Rockford was able to work from home for part of the day today, and it was great to have him here as we started our school year (and not only because it meant that Poppy and I got to go out for a mommy-daughter lunch). Poppy climbed into our bed first thing this morning, and we spent a few minutes cuddling before getting up and brushing teeth. Then we climbed back into bed to start our “work.”
Our book this week is “Harold and the Purple Crayon
