We are half way thru our fourth week of school here at Serenity and all is going very well considering I only got half of the curriculum I had planned (nothing like having to fix a car instead). We are trying a new scheduling system of 6 weeks on and 1 week off, some of the other homeschoolers that I have heard doing this call it Sabbath Schooling. Once we get our History curriculum it will work really well since they plan there units on a 6 week long basis. That will give me a week in between to prep for the new unit and do a deep tidy on the house or even take a trip without having to drag school along.
I am really hoping that before the new year starts after the holidays I will be able to get the History curriculum I wanted. Not sure if I am still looking at the Language I was originally. It will all depend on how we adjust to adding the History in. Until then we are doing a lot of reading aloud with books that involve history and am having the older two do some Hooked on Phonics SRA readers I got at the thrift store. They breezed thru the first few and now its getting challenging. That and some sight word spelling and vocabulary is how we are rounding it out for now.
The most important curriculum I got was for math I am LOVING it and so are the kids, I am already looking to buy the next level since the kids are enjoying this one so well. We decided on Teaching Textbooks this year for my older two (4th and 5th grade) since they weren't happy with Math-U-See (but still doing a blend of Alpha and Beta for my third child). I am hoping that Teaching Textbooks comes out with 1st and 2nd before my youngest needs them, thankfully I have a year or two!! It was getting hard to do math since so far none of my kids are thrilled with MUS so finding one they really liked is a good thing, my 2nd grader is very upset he doesn't get to use it yet. He loves sitting next to the other two while they do it and is learning a lot from just watching.
For Science we are starting Apologia Exploring Creation thru Astronomy this year as a family, technically haven't really started it yet. I am waiting till after our first break since I don't have all the supplies yet. We have reviewed the curriculums plan and started reading random library books about the solar system already.
I also started an actual handwriting program (A Reason for Handwriting) for the older two, daughter is loving it but my son not so much. I am thinking it may be a bit too advanced for him still so I am hoping that I can get him a lower level and get my other son started on it also.
The thing I am most impressed with this year is that the older two kids are really turning into self starters, they are getting up early and starting on their math (son) or handwriting (daughter) without me asking and most often even before breakfast has been started.
We are also starting to do some random cooking lessons and am looking forward to tomato canning soon (at least I hope its soon) with the older two helping, it will be the first time they get to help can from the garden.
