School Days are Fast Approaching

Well, it is now close to the middle of July. Where has this summer gone? For that matter, what happened to the month of June? It seems like I blinked and now we are quickly approaching the start of our "official" first year of homeschooling.

Wow. This is for real. I always pictured myself being a homeschooling mom. It always seemed like the day we would start true academic work was a long way off. However, the Bugs is getting close to being four-years-old. Nearly all her friends at church and in small group are at least a year older than she is and they are all going to kindergarten this year. She isn't. She has asked and begged to go to kindergarten like all of her friends. After explaining to her that she was too young and she had two more years before they would let her start because of her age and where her birthday is, and that we were going to do school at home, she hasn't stopped asking to do school.

We did some school work type stuff back in the spring. She fell in love with some work book pages, and she has always loved being read to. Next month, we are going to be truly starting and keeping track. She isn't of legal compulsary age yet, but I still plan on keeping track of school days this year. I'm not so worried about grading her work though. Most of what we will be doing is read alouds and basic skills. Stuff that we don't move on with until it is mastered. Granted the curriculum we chose for this year is equivilent to our local public school kindergarten and first grade work, I figure that the Bugs is only going to be four, so I'm not going to put the pressure on either of us.

Beans is going to tag along for the ride. She can listen in to the stories and play with play-dough and manipulatives along with her sister. Whatever she absorbs, great, we will repeat this program with her in probably two years. She doesn't turn three until February anyway. She loves to do what her big sister does and is just as smart too.

I still can't believe that our eldest is old enough to start preschool and do school already. It seems like yesterday I got the positive pregancy test with her. And then holding her in my arms for the first time and looking into that tiny, wrinkly face and telling her that I loved her. Time flies when you blink. I wouldn't trade the last four years with her for anything. She has taught me so much.