First Day of School

We have been so busy with Fairs! First the Altamont Fair then the State Fair. Maddie and her fellow Mohawk Monarch, Deanna, had a great time selling strawberry shortcakes at the Altamont Fair. Pictures coming soon! This was a great learning experience. It taught them simple things like you can't work and eat at the same time and the basics of making a shortcake. Some bigger things too like you can look pretty darn cute but if someone isn't hungry they probably won't buy a shortcake. The State Fair was amazing. There was so much to see and do that we couldn't possibly take it all in. We saw so many things! All the 4H projects which included chicks hatching, we hit it at just the right time. The sand sculpture of the Beatles. Shark on a stick! The butter sculpture which was not as impressive as the sand sculpture but still fun. People dressed all in silver including silver make up on their hands and faces standing so still we thought they were statues....until one of them stole sunglasses from the lady looking at them!

Today is funny because while all the other kids in Scotia are having their first day of school Maddie is having a day off. We have been "doing school" for about 2 weeks and are finally starting to settle into the routine of Saturday - Wednesday school and Thursday-Friday off. This year Maddie is studying The Middle Ages in History, Saxon Math 2 which will include the beginning of multiplication and divison at the end of the year, Earth Science, Astronomy, Writing With Ease Year 1 (mechanics of writing, grammar), Handwriting without tears 2nd grade, Spelling Workout B, Latin and English from the Roots Up(study of Greek and Latin root words related to vocabulary). Plus reading practice of course and poem memorization. We have started everything except Latin...that will begin next week. So far things are going very well and we are enjoying it all. Our history chapter this week was about the rulers of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian and Theodora. I asked Maddie mid-way through the chapter if it was history or a Disney Princess story.

I am always thankful that we have the opportunity to homeschool and that I have a wonderful husband who understood why I wanted to do this crazy thing and agreed to it! But mornings like this one remind me again how wonderful it is to do this. On this gray, cold dismal day Maddie slept until 8:10 or so while so many other children had to be woken up and put on buses early. Its like the mornings when she does math in her jammies...what a great memory for her later on!