Next Wednesday is the first day of school!  DH will be teaching 4th grade again at Neighborhood Christian School where J1 will be in 6th grade and J3 will be in 1st grade.  J2 and I will persevere at home. 🙂

J2 will be in 4th grade – with the exception of the subjects that are directly affected by learning disabilities.  Here is what we are planning to do for our school this year:

Bible – we will be listening to an audiobook format of the Bible and then J2 will narrate (ala Charlotte Mason) daily.

Math – at recommendation of our consultant Sharon we are not proceeding with Saxon math this year.  J2 loves math – and likes to do it independently – but Saxon math requires more and more reading.  Which means that he would need me to read it to him.  So, we are going to use Modern Curriculum Press’s mathematics this year.

Science – Elementary Apologia’s “Exploring Creationg with Astronomy

History – California History with Beautiful Feet and field trips with Daddy’s class.  Beautiful feet is a literature-based approach to history.
Language Arts – This is where J2’s learning disabilities hit us the hardest.  We are using some older curriculum and going as slowly as necessary.  We are going to create games using flashcards of our hardest words and steadily work our way through it.  J2 is still writing a book about pirates and he’s eager to get back to it.  When I say ‘writing’ I mean that he tells me what happens and we develop those ideas into complete sentences and thoughts on our whiteboard.  He copies it down into his notebook and illustrates the section.

That’s pretty much the bones of our education this next year.  I look forward to it and dread it at the same time.

So, Ruth and I joined SAM4 KAL – that’s Sock A Month #4 Knit along – and we’ve been amazed at people who are already DONE with their August socks. So, we challenged each other – well, she challenged me anyway 😉 – to get started today! So here is my proof:

j3sox_start

The toes are done on some sock for J3 using Night Lights Superwash Merino from Cavyshops.
And, look!! Birthday books are already here!!!!

birthdaybooks

Truly.  It was the worst.  The day before my birthday, Wednesday, I took my brother to San Francisco for his weekly checkup – with his new attachment, he can’t drive. DON’T follow that link if you are sensitive to medical stuff!  Traffic was good.  I got all my work done for the day in the wee hours before we left so when we realized we had a few hour to kill we joked that we could get lost in San Francisco for awhile.  So we did.  Actually we got lost in the Presidio!  We saw lots of things we’d like to go back and see again – if we can ever find them again! LOL  It was lots of fun.  On the way home we ate some fast food hit the grocery store for the next day’s activities.  So far, so good.  Thursday was my birthday and we were heading to Dillon Beach with my family and my mom for a picnic.

However, Wednesday night after getting home I started to get sick … and then I was sick.  Sigh.  I didn’t want to cancel but after I missed my birthday breakfast out – my favorite thing to do on my birthday – I realized it was not happening.  I was up most of the night before so I slept most of my birthday.  Eric and Brett took the boys to the movie to “get them out of my hair” but that only added to my pity party!  🙁

So, now it’s 2 or 3 days later – and I’m still not back to normal.  However, I did shower, blowdry my hair and worked today.  So, there’s improvement!  And, I got some smashing gifts!

  • Two shirts from my sister
  • $$ from my inlaws, my mom and my dad and s-mom (used theirs to buy knitting books!! – no idea what I’ll do with the rest)
  • Firefly on DVD from my brother
  • Plant from hubby
  • Shirt and charms for my Crocs from my friend

And, hey – next year has GOT to be better….right?!?!

My Dad and S-Mom sent me $$ for my crappy birthday (you can read about that on my other blog eventually) – and I bought books!! Knitting Books!!  Now I’m eagerly awaiting these titles:

Can’t wait to get them!!!  Now I’m off to whine on my other blog about my crappy birthday.  Sigh.