I do not love Texas summers, but I sure love the fall, winter and spring weather! Our summer is like winter in the north, everyone gets cabin fever from being inside! We avoid trips out after 9am (seriously, we shop painfully early in the summer) and we consolidate trips and avoid getting the kids in and out of the car because it’s dangerously hot. It’s all about inside activities, and we get a lot of lessons done!

But then autumn comes with this gorgeous weather AND our swimming, PE program and co-op all start again. Things shift around with our schedule and lessons happen less consistently. We’ve been back in our new school year (which really means nothing as we school year round) for about a month and we’re already having a week of virtually no lessons (due to Mom’s appointments and kid playdates.) I was feeling bad about it until I reminded myself this is just part of the natural ebb and flow of our year, and it’s another reason we love the flexibility of homeschooling!

Though to make myself feel better and recognize we ARE getting work done I looked at where they are in math: C’s on Saxon 65:79, Mo’s on 3:42, B’s on 1:89, and E’s on 1:23. (So B’s finishing up the first grade book while E’s starting it.) So technically they are all just where they should be (or further ahead!) seeing as they have only just begun grades 4, 3, 1 and kindergarden. We’re on chapter 4 of our Story of the World II, we’re working on a Shakespeare play and Black Beauty and about to start Sarah, Plain and Tall with our co-op. The kids were at the science museum IMAX to see a dolphin movie and we’re watching science movies, reading books, and most importantly they are spending tons and tons of time in the yard exploring! We are loving our new Great Musicians book/curriculum (comes with CD and poster!) and our Great Artists Explained, piano lessons are going well, and the kids are making their own art.

We’re spending some time refining cursive handwriting and introducing it to the younger ones, and at their request we’re also working on Kid Power program. We are reading a ton, as always, with frequent library trips and the kids working on their Braum’s and Pizza Hut reading programs. C’s working on journaling and his blog, Mo and B are learning/reviewing their parts of speech and grammar. Everyone’s getting time in the kitchen helping with meal planning, cooking and chores. Add in the therapy schedules, PE, swimming, co-op, and playdates and it’s a pretty crazy week! But a good reminder to me that we are getting a LOT done, even if math and language lessons may not happen as frequently. 🙂

I think my issue is that I feel like mathematics and language are the main subjects and if we’re not doing those at least 3x a week I feel like we’ve not “done school” – which is silly, as the kids are doing math and language every single day even if they aren’t sitting down with textbooks. Reminding myself they are learning and it’s okay to skip lessons sometimes to go outside and enjoy the weather. On that note, putting slippers on the baby and heading into the yard to join my kids who wisely are already out there enjoying the sunshine!