Exactly One Week!

As of today, we have exactly one week before homeschool is back in session. We have had a wonderful summer. We went to lots of festivals and fairs, museums, the zoo, and of course, we visited family and friends. I try to make the most out of their summers and incorporate learning where I can.

Micah is drawing towards the end of an era and he's a bit torn up about it. All of our children take ISR lessons during the summer. For those who don't know what ISR is, it stands for Infant Swim Resource, and it is a swim program that starts with infants, ages 6 months and accommodates children up to 6 years of age. At first the babies just learn how to float and how to communicate to get someones attention if they were to say, slip into the pool. As they progress through the program, they learn many more swimming and safety techniques. Unlike other programs, the kids learn how to swim clothed because, most of the time if a child does slip into a pool and no one is around, they aren't in their swimsuit. So Micah has been attending these classes since he was 6 months old, but since he is 6 now, it will be his last summer of ISR. I'm just so glad to have found such a program. Our kids love to swim, and this program has taught them not only how to swim, but how to survive in the water. He's a bit torn up about it now, but next summer I'm sure he will be involved in something else that will have his full attention.

As for me, I'm finishing up our school schedule and looking ahead in the subjects to see where I can fit in some fieldtrips for certain topics. I think the kids are really excited about jumping back into the swing of things and moving on to new topics and areas we haven't covered. I will have one first grader, two pre-kindergartners, and two preschoolers. Of course, I have already read through all of our materials and I think the kids are really going to enjoy this year. I've been working on putting together some extra little experiments and hands on activities for them as they love that sort of stuff.

So the babies are due in October and many are wondering how I'm going to fit that in. Well, I've done it before. I am not going to cram in materials and overload the children. I have made a schedule and plan on sticking to it. My husband will be taking over lessons during his paternity leave which is a week. We have been sitting down in the evenings after he gets home, going through the curriculum that we should be on around the time of my due date. Being that this is not the first time I've had a baby during the school term, the kids pretty much so know what to expect, the older ones anyway, and they know what I expect of them. The main thing is for me not to overdo it. We may have to have some lessons in my bedroom or in the living room so that I can be on the couch, but honestly those are the best lessons ... the ones where I am snuggled up with our children. Plus, it's good to have a change of scenery sometimes. I remember how when I was school, I wished we would have class outdoors or something. I just wanted a change of scenery, and that's what I do for our kids. We have had classes outdoors, at the park, by the pool, or just in another room of the house.

So that's all for now. It's only 8 AM and the kids are already wanting to go outside in the heat and humidity. I guess it's better they go now instead of when the sun is in the middle of the sky. Well, until next time, God bless!