End of summer, a new school year, homeschool

We took a trip to Nauvoo to see Grandma and Grandpa and to take to kids to pageant for the first time.

They had fun at the old fashioned county fair before the show.

I didn't get any pictures from pageant but we loved it!  We watched the Nauvoo version on one night and the British one the next night and they were both so well done.

We searched for geodes in the creek bed near grandma and grandpas house.

Back home...cooling down at the park

First day of seventh grade! The rest of the kids are doing homeschool this year but Andrew wasn't interested...although he is letting me homeschool him for English.

My cute students

Our first Science unit was learning about rocks

I have a hard time knowing how to answer when people ask how homeschool is going. I guess the short answer is that usually its great. I love doing it and the kids love it too (although everyone isn't always happy). I think they're learning enough but I definitely fall short when it comes to teaching them everything that I want to or plan to. There are benefits though that make it worth it even though I hoped to do more. I try to not be discouraged and just enjoy it as much as I can.

She has come so far in reading!

Our first (and maybe only) art project. I definitely wanted to do more art but the things that take some planning are often the things that don't get done. 

If only this is what it usually looked like :) Actually they're just drawing here while I was reading to them. We started out with a fun book called Kenny and the Dragon and now we're reading a great and classic series- The Chronicles of Narnia.

PE- a hike at the park- something else I've wanted to do more of- hopefully we will now that the weather is cooling down.

Writing is one of my main goals- we're doing OK

Its fun having my kids at home to help me with preschool.

Eliza got this halloween costume at a garage sale and was testing it out so the other kids joined in the party.

Another lost tooth

The girls are still doing piano lessons and now Ethan joined them.

A field trip and hike at a nature center

Ethan joined in with the girls roller blading obsession.

boat racing for Ethan's pack meeting at scouts

Our 4th of July city firework show was postponed due to flooding so they did it on Labor Day. 

Catching crickets