Mom Remembers

1. He enjoys fantasy literature.  He and I have been reading lots of great chapter books recently; we are currently halfway through The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the second time.  Reading together is something we both enjoy a lot. 2. He is verbally affectionate. 3. The verbal affection is related to his eagerness to please adults.  I can usually trust him to follow rules and interact pleasantly with authority figures. 4. He is excited about Soren's schoolwork and copies a lot of it.  He wants me to know that he is always  doing his "best work". 5. He "reads" to Sven, reciting Sven's favorite books from memory. 6. He has lots of energy! 7. But he can also sit still and play with legos for hours. 8. He does not nap but will look at books quietly in his bed for an hour every afternoon.  I was worried what would happen if he stopped napping before he learned to read but it has turned out ok.  I still get my quiet time. 9. He is a grea...

It's back to school and this year, unlike last year, none  of the young children in our neighborhood are going to public school.  They are all homeschooling!  (This is not as weird as it sounds, the truth of the matter is that there are only two other families with young children.  But of the two families that moved out, even one of them  is homeschooling!)  I realize that we are living in a dream world, where homeschool is the norm; we will just enjoy it while it lasts. This is my first year doing two different grades and I am also juggling a very busy toddler so laying down a workable schedule has been my number one priority this month.  This is how it has been working: 7:30 am - The kids get up, begin their housework, have breakfast, finish their housework, and then have as much free time as is left before school starts (which they spend playing with legos). 9:00 am - Sven goes to play in his room and the older boys clean up their toys. ...