School Days: The Week of September 17 - 21

School is well in full swing in our household. We began homeschooling when Josh started back at the public school on July 31st. I really, really don't like starting school that early and next year, if I have anyone still at home with me, I will not being until the Tuesday after Labor Day. Indiana law requires that I homeschool the kids 180 days a year. They do not care which 180 days that I pick. During the years when I take an actual summer break instead of schooling year round I find that the kids have a hard time transitioning back into a school routine. To combat that this year I had the kids start off with two school subjects and then added a subject or two each week, so that they could ease into the full swing of school life. As with any kid and school some days are more of a struggle to get things done than others, but we almost always get what we need to do done.

This school year is certainly more hectic with Josh being gone full time and Sarah being gone part time. I thought that their absence might make things easier because it meant my work load would be lighter, but I am finding that this is not the case at all. Joshua still needs help and oversight just as he always has it just looks differently than if he was at home. Plus, I miss him a lot. His absence in our family is felt, but I know that this time away is so good for him.

Here is a look at pieces of our week last week:

Andy was helping Elizabeth to make a Roman pillar out of cookie dough. The idea was to create the pillar, bake the dough until it became crumbly, and then remove it from the oven. This is supposed replicate what a lot of the architecture felt like as it was going to ruin. 

Elizabeth completed a project about the solar system. She choose to do Astronomy this school year for science. 

Sarah was working on a writing assignment. 

This is supposed to represent a Roman banner that was carried into war. 

A homeschool week wouldn't be complete in this house without spending some time outdoors. 

I love the sky here. 

Reading time! 

I can remember when we first started learning braille about 3 years ago getting a book like one and thinking how in the world would Sarah ever be able to read a book with braille so close together and on both sides of the page? I thought the task would be impossible. And here we sit. Sarah reading a book that I thought I could never teach her how to read. This is one of my greatest accomplishments and one of the things that I am most proud of.