Homeschooling, Day 11

(The 3 munchkins sitting on a table. The 2 younger are waiting for Miss Home School to finish her daily online quiz.) 

Homeschooling is going...well. Actually, MUCH better than I really expected. Ming Wai is an absolute joy to have at home all day, and I don't think I could have said that a few years ago. I'm grateful for the time she had in Public School up to this point. She has matured a lot, and (yes) learned to sit in a desk and just "get 'er done." I just love teaching this little munchkin.

Forgive me if I sound a bit scattered. My in-laws (read: daily 3pm reprieve) are out of town, and I'm a bit tired.

A normal day for us goes something like this.

7:15am : Mom wakes up
7:30am : Wake Siu Jeun up, help him get breakfast and get packed for the day
8:00am : Siu Jeun walks out the door to meet a neighbor for the walk to school
8:00am-ish : Ming Wai wakes up, finds her breakfast. (Interesting to note - for several years, I have mandated a protein filled, balanced breakfast to keep her fueled for school - grain, protein, fruit. Her natural rhythm is NOT the one I had set for her for her previous schedule. She is happiest if she can wake up, munch a Babybel cheese round while sipping a glass of water, and then begin her studies. It is a much more spartan breakfast than I am used to seeing her eat.) 
8:30am : School starts! Usually math first, then reading/spelling/composition, followed by Social Studies, Science, and/or Art
(Baby YingYing wakes up at some point in there, and eats her breakfast while I guide Ming Wai through her books.)
10:30am : BREAK. Everyone, who wants to, gets dressed.
10:50am : load up the car to pick up Siu Jeun from kindergarten
11:10am : We are home. The kids watch a cartoon while I get lunch together
12:00pm : If Ming Wai still has school work to do, we do it. Otherwise, the rest of the day is for play/chores/errands

Not every day is "normal", obviously. Wednesdays, I teach piano lessons before AND after school. Every other Tuesday, Ming Wai heads back to the elementary school for art with her old class. One Monday every other month we make time to put together a dinner for a women's shelter and drop it off. Things happen. But, thus far, my track record for stodgy things like Daily School and Finishing Today's Lesson is 100%!

I did the math as soon as the lesson manuals arrived. If we take NO days off, we will finish school the last week of May. Fairly impressive, given that we started almost two months into the school year! *phew* That said, I'm sure there will be days off. Like, oh...Christmas. New Years. Thanksgiving Day. (Although the jury is still out on Thanksgiving. I REALLY like nice round numbers and natural ending spots. The idea of being done with school on the last day of the last week of a month is VERY appealing. Poor Ming Wai.)

So. That's us, checking in!

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FYI - We are using the 2nd Grade curriculum from Calvert School. It includes all of my lesson plans, manuals, test keys, online resources (including games and videos for nearly all of our subjects), and some specialized paper for things like writing and drawing. It is not the cheapest option, but it IS an all-inclusive one. Dummy proof, if you will. Which is perfect for a Stay At Home Mom trying to keep a toddler entertained AND a house up and running while still helping a bright young girl learn to love math again.