Starting Medieval

Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness.

As a family, we learn year round.  Every week I observe and keep a record of what my children are learning.  But I do have to be a little bit organized and need a bit of a schedule for myself to see where we've been, what we are doing and where we are going. 

This year we are studying Medieval.  We just finished Ancients and the kids are really looking forward to learning about this time period.  So am I, actually, because I don't know much about it.  And for sure, History(+Geography) and Science, BY FAR, are the funnest subjects. 

At the onset of Medieval, I had the kids dress up accordingly.  Rebecca was so excited to dress up (Jon, not at all), I was a little surprised.  This is what she came up with:

I thought she was pretty creative with that.

So by schedule, we've been getting up with dad for family prayer at 6:30am.  By 7 I expect Jon and Rebecca to start their seatwork, hopefully keeping the little girls asleep.  This includes Math, Spelling, Handwriting (and typing for Bec) before breakfast, around 8:30am.  Afterwards we work on English, piano and "Kidschool".  Kidschool is what I call our reading time.  Reading Childcraft encyclopedias, scriptures, songs, the Pledge of Allegiance, fairy tales, library books, or whatever I feel like reading to them.

After Kidschool today, I let them play Jump Start on the computer.  They love those CD roms and they learn a lot from them.  During which time I could spend individual time with them while the others had computer time (Bella just happened to nap :)  Afterwards we are finishing our chapter on the Fall of Rome and colored some pictures that represented their own "Magic Carpet" to fly around the world (mostly ancient Rome).  I did not realize, that while I was making lunch, they actually all created real magic carpets, stashed with bedroom stuff, like a campout!  Here they hold their pictures of them on their magic carpets.

They worked really hard on the coloring and cutting and loved this simple activity!  After hours of "school" they continue to play on their magic carpets with a floor map and globe on hand as they travel to destinations around the world.  :)

I'm really proud of my children.  They are getting the feel for learning at home, and I love the flexibility.

Yesterday was the first day of school in our area and everyone saying summer is over.  Ed happened to be off, so we went to the lake,

 and he surfed

and Jon got up first time on the wakeboard!  (he's attempted all summer)

and I LOVED the freedom I felt of making our own family schedule.  Our summer is not over...not yet.

And if I sound like I'm rubbing it in, I'm really not.  I'm just so excited to be with my children more and to cater to the things we want to do.  I love my work.