Just cruisin' along...

We're enjoying our summery afternoons. Mornings are strangely cool and overcast, not our normal summer weather. I blame the volcano, since, historically speaking, volcanoes have adversely affected weather in the past. Anyhow, the afternoons are lovely and warm, verging on hot, and I can still sleep with a blanket at night!

I've been working more (and more varied) hours this summer, which is both good and bad. Good is being home in the evenings to read to the kids at bedtime, bad are shifts that take up the entire day. I'm used to those shifts on Sundays, when we earn time-and-a-third, but during the week is another matter. Thankfully, I return to my normal scheduling in a couple of weeks. The additional hours have taken their toll on my wrist - I am having to wear a brace again as my tendonitis has flared up once more. But, actually being able to put a little money into savings is a good thing!

We've been very lax on "summer schooling" the last couple of weeks since I've been gone more. Next week I'd really like to get back into a groove with daily reading and math. Fairy was making great progress before we let reading slip by the wayside! And Elf has been simply bouncing around from book to book... I'd really like to get him settled into one at a time for a while.

I have made progress on my school plans for fall though! I'm going to trust my instincts, and allow a much more natural flow, largely child-led, though I am insisting on the Three R's. You can see my plans here. I'm at peace now, no more what-ifs, changing constantly, and "oh, that looks good!", although I am seriously lusting after Life of Fred math for the following year! I would use it with Elf, maybe in conjunction with the Key to series. I hear the Fred author is coming out with books for younger kids too, which is exciting news!

I return to school myself in a few weeks. I'm taking two on campus classes, and an online class. That leaves me with only math as a necessity to graduate, which I will tackle in the spring. I'm trying to work with the credentialing program so that I can get started with that in the spring as well. Hopefully they'll let me enter it even though I won't have technically graduated at that point... we'll see. M is going back to school in a couple of weeks too - one on campus class, one online. He is both very nervous and very excited!

For now though, we'll enjoy the last few weeks of summer break. M is taking Elf fishing and canoeing today, and Fairy and I are off for a girls' afternoon out, complete with movie, etc. We had a good day yesterday too, meeting some friends at a favorite park for the afternoon. I am trying to talk these friends into joining the homeschool 4H club, since I think they'd really enjoy it, and my kids would love having them around more.

And that's about it for now!