#teamhschoolforgiftedyoungsters

Guys.  Summer went so fast and I didn't blog about it at all (obviously).  I am going to look back years from now and wonder what I did this summer that seemed to fly by.  Maybe eventually, I'll recap what happened on our #hildebrandgirltrip 2015 edition..but thank you, Instagram, for keeping up with me there.  

The most important and exciting thing going on right now is that we officially are a homeschooling family, starting with our very ecstatic kindergartner.  Lily has been ready for school for months.  Probably even since last year and she first heard the word "school," and we've hit the ground running.  To catch up, we are involved in a Classical Conversations group, and we.love.it.  All of 2 weeks in.  I begged asked my mom to go to a practicum over the summer that was phenomenal in explaining what it was we would be doing and the classical model of teaching.  If you are interested in it, send me a message because I would love to talk your ear off about why you should homeschool.  And since I've had quite a few questions about it: once a week, we have a "community day" where our entire group gathers and all the students break up into classrooms where a trained tutor goes over the upcoming weeks material.  It's wonderful.  Not only does it show me one way I can present material, but it also gives Lily some in classroom time where she can listen to another teacher and learn classroom etiquette. 

first community day, and so excited!

Anyway, the point of this post: we are starting. 

And I am so so so thankful we are starting now.  I am having so much fun.  I know that I am still honeymooning over here, but come on, I'M TEACHING MY KIDS and I'm thrilled.  This will take some getting used to, and making sure that all the important things are covered, but hey, it's kindergarten.  I didn't have to start with physics and calculus.  I am viewing this first bit as "oh hey, let's figure out a schedule so Lily can learn while simultaneously entertaining a 3 and 1 year old."  And let me tell you, a few friends have gotten  an earful of meltdowns from me already because Kaylee was tearing everything apart like the hurricane she is and school just was not happening right then.  But, we are learning and adjusting.  And it's wonderful. 

first day!

One of the key components of Classical Conversations (henceforth referred to as "CC") is the Timeline song, which is just what it sounds like: a song that teaches a timeline, starting with Creation and ending with some later date we haven't reached yet.  Put to music with hand motions/signs to make it stick a little more, my girls love it.  Kaylee even loves it and will start madly signing the beginning motions if I ask if they're ready for the Timeline song.  Each week at our community day, we learn a new section of the song with new motions, to be combined with the previous week(s) information.  Lily was heartbroken the first week because she didn't catch on immediately and didn't get to go on stage with the other children who were helping show us.  The second week, she was ready, and when the call for, "anyone who wants to come up front to help lead" was given, she practically jumped out of her seat and charged onto the stage with all the bigger kiddos to demonstrate.  She's not shy, that's for sure.   

Emma and Kaylee go to the preschool class at our CC.

Lily turns 5 at the end of the month (what??!) and is just a little sponge that has a fire lit under her to learn everything she can.  I showed her how to tie her shoes maybe 5 times total, over a few months, and one day she said, "I'm going to tie my shoes!" and sat down and did so.  Seriously?  This is not my style of learning.  Hopefully Jesse can keep up with her later because she's going to blow past me.  I'm letting her set the pace for math and teaching her to read right now, and she's doing fantastic, in my opinion.  We will slow down when she hits some concepts she is struggling to understand, so I don't mind zipping right along now because we'll get there.

Emma is participating while we go over the memory work that CC has provided, which covers History, English, Science, Latin, Math and Geography.  I found a few preschool level workbooks, but she is still trying to master enough dexterity to hold a pencil so I've been giving her tracing sheets with the alphabet to practice on mostly.  By the time the memory work is done, I have been trying to put Kaylee down for a nap and Emma may have Quiet Room Time while I finish with Lily, and bam, lunch time and we are done.  If only high school would be so quick and easy...

Kaylee...I don't know what to do with her yet.  A third of the time, she sits and plays quietly; another third, she is destroying everything in sight; and the final third is spent trying to color on EVERY surface she can find with markers I thought I had hidden.  Needless to say, I don't know how to conduct a school morning with a very active and independent 19 month old.  And by independent, I mean until I want/need her to be and play by herself in the next room over...but we'll get it!

couldn't leave this one out. 

we got our new pencil grips today!  SO much easier for these little hands and I'll stop stressing about how they hold their pencils.

these if you were interested.

And as our basement is under construction, my schoolroom is a disaster.  I will show it off when the construction is cleaned up and I'm organized.  Hopefully by the time Kaylee graduates.