End of Day One

Today was supposed to be an easy day, with just some review work and organization for the school year.
If it was any indication as to what I'm in for, I may want to cut my losses here!  Don't ge me wrong, I'm not throwing in the towel.  I know that it will get easier, and that it will take a little time for the boys to be back in school mode.  It was rough, though, to say the least!

Since I overslept, I let the boys sleep in a little later so that I could get some caffeine into my system before I started trying to corral them.  Liam didn't want to get up, as usual.  It didn't take long before he had a headache, and stated that he hated school!  It's only day one!  As the day progressed, Liam tried working on the patio, in the hallway, in the living room, and in the dining room.  There was no place that he could "concentrate".  His complaint was that his brother was bothering him.  This will be my challenge for the remainder of the school year.

Cross remained at the dining room table throughout the entire school day.  He took longer than he should have to finish, but he accomplished a lot.  It will definitely be a matter of getting back into the swing of things.  He will be on campus Monday.  That will help him get more organized and ready for homeschool on Tuesday.

Today was a bit boring.  It was review work, which Liam said was Kindergarten work.  I'm hoping the curriculum will challenge him, and that I can make it interesting and fun enough to keep him interested.  The more he enjoys it, the easier it will be for me to teach. 

I always enjoyed school, so it's hard for me to see it from Liam's perspective.  He would rather be outside, climbing rocks and playing sports.

I know that it will help if I am awake earlier and prepared to begin the day on time.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be more successful.  I'm going to review some of the online resources that I've been given.  I'm hoping that I can find something that Liam can enjoy and learn from.

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.  Also, if you have any techniques to help boys learn, please share!  I'll try them all!

In the Beginning...

Well, here it is, the first day of school!  I overslept, and then decided that it was okay, because it's homeschool after all. 

My boys are part of the charter school program in this area.  They are primarily homeschooled, but will be on campus up to 2 days per week for classes.  This will give me a little break, but still allow me to monitor what they are being taught, and incorporate some fun and important extras for them.

I am a little nervous about all of this.  Cross is great at working independently, which will be so helpful!  However, Liam is spirited and bores easily.  We tried homeschooling him in Kindergarten, which was not successful.  Hopefully, now that he has his basics behind him, it will be easier to find a way to help him learn.
I also have the support from the school, and from my husband, which I know will prove invaluable.  I just have to find a way to make this fun for him.

Thanks to Liam, I am anticipating a challenging and exciting year of school!  If you know him, you know exactly where I am coming from.  That's one reason I decided to blog this experience.  I knew that if nothing else, it would chronicle the mistakes and memories that we will make this year, and give us something to look back on.

Teachers have a gift.  Many of them are born for this role.  I am, sadly, not one of those people, which will add to this challenge.  My mother has taught high school in a Christian school for over 30 years!  She has the patience and low blood pressure, to deal with the situations there.  I, on the other hand, was not given the same level of patience.  I am one of those people would rather do it myself than wait for you to "get it".  It is definitely something that I will have to overcome.

Well, breakfast is over, and it's time to get started!  Here goes nothing...