It’s hot outside. Our landscaping projects are not done. Summer is not over, and yet the first day of school is here. As a homeschooling family, we can have a flexible schedule and in fact we did some school over the summer months. But we were not able to do as much as I had hoped… I underestimated the power of three Catholic school cousins who were on summer break and wanted to play with my kids. It was all for the good. They had a great time, got lots of fresh air and exercise, employed their creativity, etc. (We also went to the final space shuttle launch this summer, which was an educational experience that will go unmatched.) Today public and parochial schools started up in our town, so it is our official first day of the new school year too.
The undeniable sign that it is a real school day here: kids TV and computer time (or “screen time” as Susan Wise Bauer calls it) is on hold until the schoolwork is done.
Last year I put a lot of preparation into getting things rolling. We purchased a software program called Homeschool Tracker Plus. It gives you access to some lesson plans that have been laid out by other homeschoolers, and lets you program schedules for each of your kids. For people who have to do detailed reporting to their state, it helps with grading and all that. (We are in Wisconsin, which is very low-key as far as requirements for homeschoolers. We need to register to say we are 
homeschooling, but we are not required to make progress reports or anything.) I used it part of last year, and it was helpful, but I got lost somewhere in the middle when we were trying different things, getting too busy to stick to our regular schedule, and so on. This year, I have nothing set up in there… yet. It’s only the first day.
We have begun our day by cleaning the homeschool area. The kids emptied out their desks and threw a lot of stuff away, then they sprayed them with my homemade all-purpose cleaner (water, a little dish soap, vinegar, alcohol) and wiped them down with paper towels. We moved RC’s desk to the other side of the homeschooling area to give everyone a little more breathing room. Then we got down to business, working on what I consider the easier stuff… math, spelling, handwriting. These don’t require a lot of preparation on my part so we were able to dive right in. This afternoon we will make a plan for history and science.
I am signing my daughter MG (age 7) up for our parish religious ed program because she is receiving the sacraments of Confession and Communion for the first time this school year. We will also do some prep at home and we aren’t required to put her in the program, but I know the 2nd grade teacher, and she is excellent. MG enjoyed vacation bible school this summer, and wants to be in that classroom setting again, so why not? JP (age 
9) is not interested in that at all, so he’ll be doing religious ed at home, as will RC (age 3.5).
Overall, it’s good to be back to school. Every year I feel a little more comfortable homeschooling, and every year I feel we can find ways to make this more suitable to our style, our interests, the way our family operates. I think it will be a good year. As we go along, I will of course share some of our “homeschool honey” projects that help keep things fresh and interesting. I hope your school year is off to a great start too, and wish you all the best!
Heavens Above
Sky and Telescope