First Day of School, and the Getty

Evan started Joy School, and Connor and Elise had their first day of school during the first week of September.  Evan was sooo excited to finally have his own "school".  I debated whether I had time to do Joy School this year, but I'm glad I decided to just suck it up and do it.  I'm also still a big fan of the older kids' enrichment program.  It gives me a little bit of a break, and they do all kinds of stuff I'd never have time for at home!
  

First Day of Joy School

   

First Day of Eagle Academy

   
We're trying some new things this year with our homeschooling, including having a (mostly) set schedule of M/W/F for schoolwork, and a five-weeks-on one-week-off plan, so we can have time to catch up on random things and do field trips.  Connor is also doing a curriculum called Memoria Press in addition to the subjects he did in previous years.  It's pretty rigorous, and includes Grammar, Spelling, Composition, States and Capitals, Greek Myths, and Astronomy.  That sounds like a lot, but it's spread out throughout the week, and since we've never done any real Language Arts programs, I felt like he needed it at this point.  I gave Connor a pre-test for States and Capitals, and I was shocked at how much he knew (no capitals, but lots of states!)  I think he picked up most of it by playing "Stack the States" on my phone.
   

I don't know who took these pictures.  I don't know what they were doing to poor Corinne.  But, I know I couldn't delete them!
  

The shirt adds a lot.  

  
One Saturday, we decided to go get culture, and took the kids to the Getty Center.  We looked at a little bit of art, but the kids lost interest after awhile.  They did like the kids' room, but the best part of the Getty for families is just the lawn in back.  This turned into a total Corinne photo shoot while she practiced walking and the other kids roughhoused with Dad.  Yeah, if I'd known, I would have put her in cuter clothes.  
  

Reading Bed

Illuminating Manuscripts

Walking on the Lawn