A week full of transitions...

We have had a busy week as we transitioned into a more structured homeschool day now that Ayden is home.  It has been a challenging week, I can't tell you it wasn't.  Keeping the little ones busy while I give Ayden the one on one he demands has been a whole new level of multitasking.  I know the need for constant focus from me will lessen as we go.  Signing Time has been a great distraction for the littles when needed.

Preschool for Levi was nearly all integrated learning and a little table work here and there.  Ayden on the other hand not only needs to do some table work, but also WANTS to do it.  He will sit at the table for hours and hours and I have to beg him to take a break, get a snack or get up and play a little.  I know that some of this is just the model that he had while in public school, and I am hopeful that it will change as we come into a better understanding of what homeschool looks like for us.

Truth be told I am more of an unschooling kind of mom.  I dont hate book work, but I feel kiddos learn better when they can experience things.  Ayden LOVES workbooks and worksheet and I realize that for him they work.  Levi is NOT a table work/worksheet kind of child and needs more hands on activities.  One of the things I love about homeschooling is that I can cater to the learning styles of each child, thats something they can't get in public school!

This week has surely been interesting!

As I sit here, Ayden is busy working on writing numbers.  Levi is mad at the world because I took away the markers that he couldn't keep out of his mouth.  Liam is coloring/eating crayons.  (I dont know why crayons are so yummy to him but I can't seem to stop him haha)

On a homemaker level there is again a whole new dynamic.  I am learning how to squeeze things that I need to get done in throughout the day.  Before I had set times that I did certain things, for now its looking more like 'I have 5 minutes I will do what I can now...'   This is difficult for me.

Big changes.

Ayden has been learning so much from school...he has a new zeal for learning he didn't have a couple months ago.  We are extremely grateful for that.  However,  there are several things that were not working for him.  I wont go into all of them, but the biggest problem was the bullying he was enduring.  We were watching him change, close down...overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, but we could not get him to give us an answer as to why he was having a hard time.  All of a sudden it all started pouring out of him.  I know there is likely more to it than I even know.  It broke our hearts to watch this all happen!  We have done a lot of talking, researching, praying, ect.  In the end the decision was made to remove him from public school.  He didnt even bat an eye.  He was excited to not be going.  (Like I said, more to it than I know!)  His teachers were sad to see him go, and I really do feel for them!  We will be going back to visit with them again.


Today was our second day of homeschool.  He is a total sponge.  I have to talk him into taking breaks or even eating, reminding him that it will all be there for him to come back to.

His learning style is so opposite Levi that I feel like I am needing to look at everything so different than I have been with Levi.  (Not to mention Levi is working on totally different things, like pencil holding and pre-writing skills)  Its going to be a tough road as we navigate our way into home school with Ayden. I am thankful to him for his willingness to take this journey with us.


Here he is today working on patterns.

Pictures

School Pictures!!!

Ayden: Kindergarten-age 5

Levi: Preschool-age 4

First day of school!

Today was Ayden's first day of school.  He was so excited to go!  He did really great.  He did get a little overwhelmed when we got there and started settling him into his chair, but overall it went well!    So proud of him, he is more independent than I thought he would be!

Ayden is going to school...

We have had a hard time making a definite decision on the school front.  Ayden is old enough for kindergarten now!  (wait, when did that happen??)  After much research, prayer, tears and visits to his potential school we decided to let him attend public school.  The school he will be attending is a public charter.  Colorado's very first ischool.  We love the curriculum, we love what they are about, and we are confident in their abilities.

Levi on the other hand will be homeschooling.  I have not found a preschool program I am comfortable with, and I am unsure that I will ever be comfortable with sending him to public school due to the communication barriers and him being unable to tell me what really goes on in his day.  I am fearful that should anything negative happen he would totally shut down and we would never know why.  I feel safer knowing he is safe, here learning, growing, developing and exploring at home.