September | 2008 | TeacherPerson's Xanga Site

Onto the Yellow School Bus and Through the Gates of Hell

Yes, I confess, I thought of that book title when two of my kids got on the school bus this morning for the first time in their lives. (The book is by by Mary Hood, a proponent of relaxed homeschooling, which you can buy on Amazon for 55 cents used, if that tells you anything.)

Yesterday, though, was the first “official” day of school. For the first time, it was just Little Miss and I for homeschool. We did a lot of cooking and such, which was an interesting way to start a first day.

[Feel free to skip this tedious "We Went Here and There and There" section.] Then, the running began–pick up Gockle and Libby from school (they go half-days to the middle school), pick up TGD, go to the car shop where the van was being detailed (I have a totally clean van–HUZZAH!), send LibbyK with TGD so he could later take her to GhostFroggy’s house so they could go to the Jonas Brother’s concert later that night, hang around at the library, pick up Hunter and Wit, go to Dairy Queen for a first day of school treat, home to a crock pot roast (which is one of the things Little Miss and I made in the morning), off to football practice, and then wait for poor, tired TGD to bring LibbyK home from her concert at 11:30 p.m.

Yes, that schedule is more normal for this year than I’d like to confess. Hunter was offered a job at a day care near our house doing after-school care/homework help for K-5s M, W, and F from 3:00 to 6:30. This job is even more perfect than you’d think as he is considering majoring in elementary education next year in college. LibbyK works two afternoons a week as a mother’s helper. Wit has a full day of classes at the school (many architecture/computer electives) and three homeschool classes.

Yesterday, Gockle said, “I’m so excited for tomorrow! I’m so excited!”
“Why?” several of us asked.
“Because we have SCHOOL!” he cried.
Yeah. That’s enough to warm the cockles of a lapsed homeschooling mother’s heart. Oh, yeah. (grimace)

Little Miss is still firmly homeschooled and has shown a lot of Handy Manny initiative. She wanted to make a cat bed for our new kitten (which we suppose we might finally get in 2022 when the application is approved.) She found wood at the house, measured, and planned. TGD had to help her with the cutting and getting the nails started. But, this is what she made.