Today is the day.  Yet again, I am going to attempt to declutter and organize in preparation for the new school year. 

We usually “start” around the middle of August when it gets too hot to enjoy outdoor activities and endless hours in the pool are no longer desired.  As homeschoolers we probably fall firmly in the eclectic category meandering somewhere between unschooling and traditional learning (worksheets, etc.) .

I follow a basic outline of study using the guidelines in the Core Knowledge Sequence. We move through the content at our own pace and check off the topics as we go.  We are very open to “beautiful weather” days and interesting extracurricular activities.  Grocery shopping, chores, doctor visits, and the like are all educational opportunities.  We read…a lot!  I rarely use textbooks and haven’t ever really used “curriculum” unless bits and pieces are discovered at the thrift store.  We go to the library at least once a week. 

We aren’t in a co-op, but have participated in various homeschooling group activities.  Last year my youngest daughter was a cheerleader for a homeschool football team.  My son was the mascot for the same team.  This year my son is a senior and is working almost full-time to earn money for school.  My daughter will try choir.

This year our house really needs some work in order to be ready to add learning into the mix.  We’ve moved things around quite a bit this spring and summer.  We moved our business into and then out of our home.  We made room for our two college kids to come home for the summer. We’ve had lots of guests. My studio is spread throughout several rooms, cabinets,  and closets.  It looks and feels like chaos.  I can’t count how many times someone has said, “Do you know where _____ is?”. 

So…this week I’m going to concentrate on getting it all together.

Our large family/entertainment room is going to house my studio and a dedicated classroom.  Belongings will go to their proper place. Hopefully boxes and bags of stuff will leave. Surfaces will shine!

I’m not going to post “before” pictures because we don’t all know each other that well and I don’t want you to think (know) that I have slob tendencies.  I am going to try and post updates. 

Change is good!