This is our first year with someone in school! It has been pretty exciting around here. Hermione has started Kindergarten at Aumsville Elementary. She is having fun learning and meeting new friends. She can sometimes be hard to wake up so early in the morning, but we (which mom has had to work on too) are getting into the swing of things. Mom gets up at 5:30 to get at least half an hour alone to do Bible study with
Good Morning Girls, then wake up Lucy and nurse her while listening to a sermon or Focus on the Family, wake up the other 2 around 6:40, and start breakfast. I have been learning to make it simple. We either have eggs and toast or oatmeal. We get dressed, brush hair, find shoes and sweaters, and pack up. Goal is to be out the door by 7:30.

Hermione doesn't talk much about school, but she seems to enjoy it. She can write her name if you tell her the letters to write, which I find pretty impressive in itself since her name is so long. We practice at home and the thing we are focusing on is making sure we start as far to the left as possible so we have plenty of room to write. She is expressed a great interest in letters and she enjoys The Berenstain Bears books and Hello Kitty accessories. We have made a deal to pick at least one favorite thing at school to tell me about at the end of the day. She usually says recess, crafts, or coloring. We have had a lot of fun singing "I Love My Blue Shoes" from the Pete the Cat book.
Ariana, along with Hermione, are working on the program
Little Hands to Heaven. Some days are great and some days are just too silly and some days everyone is a little too tired. The time it takes to do everything for the day's lesson always seems just right. I have set up file folders for all the crafts and paper work. It keeps thing so much more organized. Since the program basically focuses on one letter a week I have added a couple things. On Monday we pick snacks that go along with our letter ex. B= bananas, brownies etc. This week we are working on D so we have been eating WAY too many donuts and Doritos. There aren't a whole lot of healthy foods that start with D (hehehehe). We also pick extra literature to read with the letter of the week which we get most of our suggestions from
Letter of the Week
Ariana is so much fun when she isn't over tired and frustrated. She can also be very whiny so I have had to use a new discipline plan I read about in 123 Magic. She is responding well. But I love teaching this little girl. She knows what she likes and loves to recognize the letter A especially since it is the first letter in her name. She has started Cubbies just yesterday so she is surrounded by much spiritual training this year. These pictures are from our last summery thing before it started cooling down- fountains at Riverfront Park. Ariana's favorite things are anything fashion related, ponies, the color purple, coloring, and painting. She has also made me take back something that I thought my kids would never do- color on the walls.

Lucy- she has a lot of explaining to do. She is 9 months old and so tiny for her age. At almost 16 pounds she can sit up and army crawl where ever she wants to go. She wants mom pretty much 24/7 and almost always smiles for the camera. We love her! She is just too cute except for when she doesn't want to take a nap. As for school, she has finally warmed up to the idea of being read to. We use the
Brightly Beaming Baby Lessons so we read a lot. We rock back and forth to
Love You Forever and can't get enough of
Are You My Mother?
We can't wait to tell you more about what we are learning and doing. Right now I am currently involved in teaching 2s and 3s Sunday School class and on Women's Ministry Committee. Next school year I hope to homeschool full time so all encouragement and prayers are greatly accepted. Jeremiah 29:11- "
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."