Still plugging along

We're here!

We're buried under the pile of science projects, math books and addition flash cards. My "turn in" box threatens to overflow. One mother has a hard time keeping up with 5 subjects from four children.

I'm sure enjoying my time at home with them. We have corrected, or at least attempting to keep on top of the corrections, in Robby's handwriting. He's 2nd grade and has been making lots of his letters backwards; s, d, g, p, and 7, 3, 2, and 5. I think I have at least figured out the why. He's a very precise and exacting child. He likes things straight and true.

He even thinks that his food stays sorted out in his tummy. So when he writes, his paper is NOT turned at a slant and he crooks his arm around the top of the letter and writes top down, instead of angling his hand with his paper and writing left to right in a natural arc. I usually sit right with him when he writes and re-tilt his paper so he stays correct. He is making far fewer errors with his letters. He told me today after I corrected a word he was writing that he likes the vowels in the words so he writes them last.

Ace, (who is 8) finishes before everyone else and is 4 lessons ahead in his spelling. But he presses down very hard, has horrible handwriting and he's a "lefty." I have a hard time trying to figure out how to fix this issue. Bear says to have him write on toilet paper so he has to have a light touch. (I found that only slightly weird, but pretty amusing!) Dear Husband has interesting ideas sometimes. We may try tissue paper at the very least. Ace's hand hurts after he writes and he tires quickly.

Right now we are having issues at home with integrity. It seems they have realized there is only one of me and I can't be in all places at once. Papers turned in with nonsense answers, reading books when studies should be completed first. It is a bit overwhelming to say the least.

However, on a positive note, they are working together nicely. They are not fighting and bickering as much, and I can see numerous areas where homeschooling has definitely benefited them. I'm very glad we made this decision. I'm even learning things I didn't before.

Tomorrow we start a unit on rainbows and color. We will have a fun day of cut and paste, maybe mixing some corn syrup "paints" for sugar cookies. They have worked hard all week and Friday is close upon us.