the start of the school year

We are halfway through our 5th full week of school and I am just now sitting down to share about the first.  Oops.  

We actually did a couple days before our first day of Classical Conversations, just to reintroduce it to the kids and how our mornings would.  Additionally, we got back from our Canada trip the Monday before our first Community Day for our CC group, and I just wanted to get the ball rolling before then.

Lily is doing great.  She continues to memorize things pretty easily, and is doing well with math, reading, and spelling, even though I can't convince her that if she focused on her work, she'd be able to get it done in less time- and be able to do more than one page, some days- but her sisters "NEED" her, are "too loud," and "keep talking" to her.  Oh the joys.

To refresh for those of you who aren't familiar with the Classical Conversations group model, we meet weekly for a Community Day, where a tutor introduces the next week's information to a class of students.  So the kids get an "in class room" day, as well.  Lily is doing much better with working independently this year, both at home and our community day, and keeps telling me she doesn't need my help with her weekly presentations at CC- which is GREAT, but I keep forgetting and try to help her.  Oops.

Nothing too much to report here, her first grade year is off to a good start!

Emma.  Oh, sweet little Emma.  As I mentioned, our first Community Day was coming off a fun, long weekend away playing at Grandma and Grandpa H's, so I had to get the kids all moving pretty early Tuesday morning.  None of us were particularly thrilled with this.  The first day was incredibly overwhelming for Emma, and she cried most of the class time, poor thing.  She does fantastic at home, her memory work is down pat and she's buzzing through the math I have for her, but the in class days have been a struggle.  By Week 4, she finally was getting the hang of it, and only teared up once or twice, but no actual tears!  And no tears this past Tuesday either, YAY!  She isn't participating too much in class, but I know she's listening.  It's kind of tricky for me, because I'm tutoring her class, with Lily in it also, so I can't just handle things quite how I would at home.  She's getting there, and I'm figuring things out, I think.  Hopefully. 

Kaylee is doing well.  She isn't a huge fan of being dropped off for her preschool class at our Community Day, but after she calms down, she loves her class, and talks about it all the time.  She isn't really doing too much at home, mostly coloring or if I have a second, I'll work with her on tracing letters.  She absolutely lights up when she "stays in the lines!" and Lily and Emma come over to admire her work and praise her.  It's the best.  She is learning all the memory work right along with her sisters, and her favorites are to sing the Latin songs we are all learning, which is hilarious.  

And as this is my first year tutoring at our Community Day, I feel I might be getting into the swing of it?  I'm not sure yet, but I'm really enjoying it.  The kids in my class are fun and excited to learn (so far, we aren't close to Thanksgiving break yet!), so that really helps.  I feel much more organized with what I'm doing at home this year as well, which is making our days go smoother.

The girls are also playing soccer.  Well, Lily and Emma are.  They are on two different teams, on the same nights, at the exact same time, at two different locations.  Which is annoying for obvious reasons, but also kind of nice because we don't have soccer every night of the week.  Lily is enjoying it, and kind of paying attention some games.  Emma cries.  Haha, are you noticing a pattern?  Actually, the way this soccer program works is that the kids practice for half an hour and than scrimmage another team for half an hour.  She loves the practice part, but hates the scrimmage.  Oh well, she's only 4.  

ON THE FIELD, with no tears!

That's it for now, I guess!  Maybe I'll catch up on Lily's birthday and turning 6 next!  But in case I don't, no worries because Lily will be telling, "you know, I'm 6 now!" to pretty much anyone who will listen!