Back to Homeschool Week 2

Last week we officially started back to school.  We start our school work back gradually adding in a few subjects at a time until we are back to a full schedule.  Last week we started out with P.E., History, Bible, Reading, and Science.  This week we added in Writing/Handwriting, Spelling, and Math. 

One of the challenges to our schedule this year is scheduling the children who are using DVD programs and also the computer.  Nick and Chelsea both are using DVD's for Math, plus Nick is using them for Latin and Writing.  Anthony is using Reading Kingdom on the computer, the younger children are using Speekee, and we just got a new computer program to review called Zoo Whiz.  Our TV is in the family room and the younger children get to watch a show while Emmie goes down for her nap and the older children are doing afternoon school work.  I had Nick use the laptop with ear buds so he could watch his DVDs in the schoolroom while I was doing Spelling with Alex.  Chelsea had to rearrange her schedule to wait for the computer so she could do her Math.  Anthony uses the computer while I am making lunch, Alex after recess and we watch Speekee late in the afternoon. 

Our most fun projects of the week were for Swimming Creatures.  We made our ocean box that w will be filling with clay animals or animal pictures as we learn about them.  Our Triops and Grow a Frog kits came in the mail yesterday.  We need to get the right kind of water for the Triops and send the certificate in to get the tadpole.  The children are very excited about these projects!  They also want to buy an aquarium and some fish.  I love the Apologia makes learning about Science so much fun!

Emelia did better this week too.  She seemed to be more comfortable with our schedule and content to go and play while we did our morning schoolwork.  She did cut a new tooth this week and was very clingy one day, but not in a way that was disrupting.  Her favorite part of the school day is P.E.  She sits and watches and laughs and claps.  Sometimes she even tries to do the exercises with us and is very cute!

The most exciting thing that happened in our homeschool this week was that we got an iPad!  I had been looking at them for awhile and actually jokingly told Art last spring after my Ebay selling spree that instead of Math curriculum I was going to take the money and buy an iPad.  I didn't.  I bought that Math books.  But when we were talking about it again last week and all of the educational/homeschooling possibilities there are with the iPad, Art told me to stop talking about it and go ahead and buy it!  So I did.  We have only had it a few days but so far we LOVE it!  I will say that the amount of apps available for the iPad can be a bit overwhelming!  There are so many out there it is hard to choose.  I put several free apps on there for pre-school activities, piano, star walk, presidents verses aliens and a few games.  I have bought stack the states, rocket math,and kinderzoo.  For Emelia I put an Old McDonald app and she loves it!  I want to find some really good educational apps for all of my children.  I don't want the iPad to be a time wasting device.  I want the children to use it as a learning tool.  I did also put The Old Schoolhouse Magazine App on it for Me!  I am really excited to have the iPad and the possibilities it adds to our homeschool!  I will definitely be blogging more about the iPad and how we are using it in our homeschool soon.