Prepping for school because summer is almost OVER!

I can't believe that summer will be over in a few weeks!  I can feel the pressure simply by going to Walmart yesterday...seeing the parents frantically getting school supplies at the last minute.  Although I won't be starting until after Labor Day, I still feel pressure to prepare for the school year ahead of time so I won't be rushing the last minute.  As a homeschooler, not only I have to get all the supplies ready (including potential art supplies for projects), I also need to look over the whole curriculum, throw away old papers, store away old books, etc.  Arghhh!

This year we are continuing with My Father's World curriculum - 2nd grade for the boys.  What I like about MFW is the multi-age teaching it provides so I don't have to get separate curriculum for each child.  Also, starting in the 2nd grade level, the curriculum set doesn't include Language Art and Math.  This design allows parents to get level-appropriate books since some kids might have advanced skills in these particular subjects or some might need more help.  Ethan is technically going into 1st grade but his reading skills is about 3rd grade and can already spell some basic words on his own.  However, there are other Language Arts skills that he needs to learn, so I bought the suggested 2nd grade level Language Art books from the curriculum.  While looking through the curriculum, I did have a frantic moment because of the addition of History this year...thinking of how to fit it all in the schedule.  However, this curriculum is designed for 2nd grade or 3rd grader so I might just spread it over to next year, depending on how well he gets the concepts.  Knowing this, I feel less stressed. Also, a good mom friend reminded me that it's not about how much you teach but how much they learned.  So I will take it slow and have fun with each subject....hopefully!

The boys will also do enrichment class at park district and Learning Vine, both will have gym this year.  Hopefully they will grow in their sportsmanship skills while building up their bodies.