Happy First Day of School!

This is the schoolroom from the living room. 

New school cupboards Sweetheart installed this weekend.  They are leftovers from the kitchen and bath cabinets we were given.  It is so much nicer that what I had before and I can hide the junk. I had a place to lay everything out this morning before we started.  Love that!

Looking back the other way back towards the living room.

 

 

 

Shh!  Don't tell my kids it is a holiday.  They don't know that everyone didn't start school today.
We're done for the morning.
We started our Scripture Memory work box at breakfast.  Prayed for the day after breakfast clean up.  I also measured them on the kitchen door jam so we can check how much they're growing.  Then they opened little gifts of flashcards (not as cool as Legos) and a poetry book.  (Thanks Grandma Eileen for the book!) 
Then we took these pictures.  It's a cloudy day here so they are pretty dark.  We even got a few rain showers.  Hopefully Sweetheart and his friend missed those being up in the woods getting firewood.
We talked about our new school schedule.  Yes, we were already behind.  Ahem.  But I did good and didn't say so. 
We did our Calendar Time in a cool notebook idea I found online.  Will add link later if requested.  A short math lesson followed.
Then they worked on their math while I made smoothies and everyone had a break.  The idea that the more you focus and attend to your math, the longer your break will be was its own lesson.  I rotated the laundry and prepped a bit for dinner with Cupcake's help.
We then all did our first Chinese lesson together.  Cupcake's pronunciation is spot on!  Just fifteen minutes for that and then onto Handwriting and Grammar.  The Handwriting went great, but Grammar stunk. 
Normally, we'd have History or Science time, but we don't have all our books in yet for that.  Wasn't it just July?  Whatever.
So now it's a few chores like check for chicken eggs and rotate laundry and make lunch.  After lunch and clean up, I've instituted a Quiet Time.  Cupcake's naps are dwindling which changes life.  I figure a quiet half hour lets her fall asleep if she needs to and gives everyone a break even when she doesn't sleep.  Plus, the boys can happily read quietly in their room.  I plan to take that half hour with a cup of tea and a book (Tenant of Wildfell Hall) for me in my room as well. 
After that everyone awake can come downstairs for project time:  art & handicrafts, music, building, etc.  Then we'll spend some time outside, hopefully each day.  Around three we'll settle in for tea time and read aloud time. 
We'll see how it all goes!