The First Day of School

One of our family's traditions is our First Day of School. You might think, well, what does a homeschooling family do for the first day of school.

First off, the kids get up early, at least earlier than they are used to. The day starts off with a Treasure Hunt that allows them to get their brain cells, which have been napping all summer, up to speed for the year. They are forced to run all over to find clues and the final prize of their backpack/lunch box loaded with school supplies, treats, and little surprises. Last year was especially thrilling as we were studying the Eastern Hemisphere, and I picked up goodies that tied into the countries----chinese yo-yos, lots of unusual candy (some Japanese candy that has an edible wrapper) and snacks, and even some coins from the different countries. We have such fun the first day of school---thankfully we've never had a rainy day!

Here are some pictures from this year and the years past. Looking at the years past brings a lump to my throat---how quickly our kiddos are changing!

The boys are all excited about their finds. Jenny is checking out her stash with Nate assisting. Ellie was in the wagon---she would've been in the picture otherwise!

Do you notice the tired eyes?

Nate is trying to figure out if he should throw this log or keep it to bring into the house. If I remember correctly, we persuaded him to leave it outside.

Ellie coloring. Notice the page is still white but her lips are green. If we ever need a marker, Ellie can find one. She has made some awesome murals on the library floor. She is also good at face painting. Somedays she'll come find me and be covered with ink----I don't know how she finds the markers.

2006

This was the year we studied the Eastern Hemisphere. The kids wore their Pacific Island garb for the first day.

I'll have to ask Joey what country this headdress is from.

2005

2004

2003

This picture pulled on my heart---look at how young the kids look!

I had to include this picture of Joey. This was the day before school started 2003. Oh, the lazy days of summer! He actually slept for quite awhile on the deck.

Our day at Bay Beach

To close out the summer, we decided to take a trip to Bay Beach, a small amusement park. The older kids went on the rides with Bill, and we all spent some time at the Wildlife Sanctuary helping the geese prepare for winter (visitors can buy corn to feed the geese and the geese are not shy---from what we heard, most of them get enough food so that they don't migrate.)

Here is a shot of Bill and the older four before they started down the gunny sack slide.

Here is midway down---good thing the park is closed for the season. Nate won't be taking a trip down the Gunny Sack Express anytime soon.

When the ride finally comes to an end, Nate looks like lunch might be coming up, and Bill can't stop smiling!

Jenny and Joey tried out the swings. Their lunch stayed down. I sat and watched as Aunt Becky's Arnold's Park experience was still fresh in my memory and there weren't any open picnic tables close by.

Then on to feeding the geese and ducks.

Nate thinks that throwing handfuls of corn at geese is much more exciting than moving rapidly down a huge slide on a piece of burlap.

Ellie is wondering why these animals are getting so close to her stroller and why the rest of her family is throwing corn at her sandals.

All in all, we had a wonderful day!

Some of the ways we spent our summer

We had such a great summer! As the leaves begin to change colors, I've found myself thinking about the memories we've made over the summer. Here are a few to share with you.


We dressed up---

And we undressed-----






We played a lot in all kinds of water-----

We had some fun with animals-----

We cried a little-----


And we just had fun-------





Although we can't talk to our friends and family as often as we would like to, we hope that we can stay in touch with you through this blog.