Trying to get organized

We start school in only a couple of weeks and I have been very lackadaisical about getting ready for it. I'll take all blame off me and put it on the fact we have been traveling a lot and the weather has been too nice to spend much time inside organizing & thinking. But, the temps are now above 90, with humidity and the mosquitoes are attacking en mass. So, time to get ready for August.

Big strides have been made since we stopped school last Spring. I take no credit for it, the kids are just finding their own stride. I'm having to re-think where to start this year with each of them. Emily has managed to finish all pre-K and most K-level math workbooks I have laying around. In most areas she is ready to begin the 1st grade materials I have. But, she is only 4 1/2 and has some perfectionist issues that are limiting her writing at this point. I would not even be pushing her to do anything, as I tend to try to delay "academics", but she wants her school like her sisters.

Katie has discovered the fun of reading. She is working through her own personal list of books for Barnes & Nobles Summer Reading program. It has been a lot of fun to sit with and listen to her read, and laugh, and laugh some more. She re-reads passages she finds particularly amusing, over and over.

Mary has decided that writing and reading can actually be useful. Being away at camp with the only contact with us being emails & letters has jump started this. She still doesn't LOVE reading or writing, but I'm not so concerned about her being able to keep up with 4th grade this year.

I've had a general idea of what we are going to cover this year for awhile, with a short list of books I would like to use. But, as money continues to be tight I'm trying to figure out what we already have that can be used instead. I did order Math Mammoth for Katie & Mary, and my mom is going to order The Story of USA to use as our history spine this year. Mary's reading is going to be based on the books she will be reading for US History. I have readers for Katie and Emily. I'm on the fence about a penmanship program this year. I already have materials for Language Arts/Grammar. Science is Earth Science, which I have a lot of misc books and workbooks to use for this...along with the library.

Now I just need to sit down and layout at least the next couple of months. Something to do for the next few weeks.

Peace,

Amy