In keeping with the kids' decision to have scheduled academics on weekday mornings, we sat together this week and pulled great stuff from a few different websites that focus mainly on Charlotte Mason. It's been working really well so far and they want to continue with the great readalouds, narrations, copywork, nature study, art, history timeline, dictation, and artist/composer studies. And they also want to keep doing their favorite workbooks, J's math program, science experiments, crafts, homeschool co-ops, field trips, and W's spelling tests (he loves those). I have also found some awesome booklists of classics I think they'll love. It's just so amazing to me how much fun they have with it all. J especially, can't get enough. She's like a sponge for learning new things. I'm so grateful that homeschooling brought that back to her.

Any schedule we make is really only guideline for us, and we don't always get everything done that's on our list. And that's totally okay. I love the days they spend being creative and engrossed in their own artwork or game they made up. It's fun and stress-free to follow their lead and see what the day holds. Even if we follwed the schedule to the letter, I don't think it would take more than 3 hours. The entire rest of the day is a free, unscheduled cornucopia of whatever they choose. Both kids got the painting bug again and are currently into acrylics on canvas and paper. Can life get any better?

Dance this week has been all about the recital coming up next month. J's in about 10 numbers (including her vocal solo) and they're still learning stuff like the finale and opening numbers. On Wednesday we went to a class at a nearby environmental center with the homeschool group. The topic for both groups was insects and there must have been about 40 kids total. I organized it and had 2 classes running at the same time - one for ages 6-9 (about 15 kids) and another for ages 10-13 (about 25 kids). It seemed everyone enjoyed it and even got to take home a butterfly larvae. We're putting ours in one of our old, small fishtanks where it'll hang from the top and hopefuly soon turn into a butterfly. Thursday was the circus class. They're still loving it and both want to continue with it next year. J is also begging for violin lessons, but she'll already have dance, circus, voice, and sewing (plus homeschool clubs, competitions and fundraisers for dance, and volunteering somewhere). Right now, the kids are at the comedy/improv workshop (next week is the last week, and it was free). It must be nice to have all this energy, lol.

W will be doing hip-hop dance, cub scouts, and football. Football starts next week and I think he's so ready for their "Peanut" league. This Sunday is a cub scout parade. Dance starts up again in September. Thankfully most of the kids' activities won't break the bank (yet). I'm all for letting them trying whatever piques their interest. I think it's great they have so much to choose from in this city.