Yay!!! At the end of today, we will have completed our first 20 days of homeschooling for the 2014-2015 school year.  My husband and I decided a non traditional schedule would work best for our family.  So instead of following our school districts calendar we created our own schedule.  It is very similar to a year-round approach.  We will work six weeks then take a week off plus allow for normal holiday breaks.  We started mid July and will finish right before Memorial Day (the required 180 days of instruction).  We are so excited that Labor Day weekend will kick off our first week long break!  We are ready that is for sure. I thought it would be fun to share a list of some things I have noticed over the last 20 school days.  In no particular order... :)

1. The rolling office chairs drive me to the point of wanting a drink and I don't mean iced tea.  Those things were a horrible idea (cute but such a bad, bad idea).  We seem to have forgotten how to use our legs and feel the need to roll every where.  My mission right now is to figure out how to make those chairs stationary.
2. The colorful trash cans under their desks are also driving me nuts.  For whatever reason all three of my children feel the need to put their feet in them.  What? Why?
3. I have been wonderfully surprised at how much the kids love to teach and mentor one another.  Those types of moments have made up for the chairs and trash cans. :)
4. I don't know why this should be a surprise, but my children have a LOT (often strange) things to say.  At times their words are wise or witty.  Other times I just look at them and remind myself not to visit their apartments in college.  I am definitely referring to the boys with this thought.  Our youngest son sat at the kitchen table with eyes closed tight.  He flapped his arms and then made a motion with his hand on his forehead (like a sailor looking for land).  When he was finished he said, "Mommy, do you know what that means?"  I honestly could not think of a response before he added, "It means I have lost my chicken."  Without skipping a beat he just continued on with his lunch.
5. Kids can pull a lot over on a teacher, they cannot pull much over on their mother.  Nothing upsets me faster when a case of pure lazy sneaks into our classroom.  I cannot stand to watch them attempt to just "get by" or not give their best effort.  
6. I love that all three (even our oldest) enjoy crafts.  Even though most of the crafts are geared towards our four year old, the older boys expect to be included.
7. They get such excitement from little things like smelly markers, stickers and stamps on their work.  Not once has our oldest acted as though he is "too cool" for the small things.
8. I have been surprised by our unplanned moments of education.  We had an exterminator at the house due to a serious ant problem.  The older gentleman was so sweet as he took the time to give the kids a mini lesson on ants and other colonizing insects.  It just so happened that was our topic for Science that very day.
9. We start our day with the Pledge of Allegiance, a Bible story or verse, and prayer journals...enough said.
10. Boy oh boy am I working hard!!! For those who think homeschooling is the easy way out, think again.  I taught dance for 10 years at a public high school.  Keeping my three of different ages and different abilities on track is harder and more of a challenge (to me) then running a dance class of 40 girls.
11. I don't think I will ever get use to people's reactions when they find out our family home schools.  Person:  "Where do your children attend school?"  Me:  "We homeschool. "  Person:  "Oh...."  Cricket, cricket, cricket....
12. More than anything, growing 6 more arms and becoming more like an octopus would be ever so helpful.