The Real First Day

This is it! Our "real" first day of fourth grade. I got up ridiculously early to make muffins as a treat. Big Sister got her ride around 7:25 to start her junior year of high school. I had a second cup of coffee and went for a walk. This is where I sit in the morning to listen to The Daily from the New York Times and Up First from NPR. I also knit a bit, unless the cat (below) won't leave me alone. (Do I look like I'm ready for this? Not so much.)

Finally, Mr. Henry was ready to rock. And by ready to rock, I mean he was a distracted mess.  It's going to take a while to get back into the groove.



We did some math. We did some social studies - an overview of Mesopotamia. We read  a few chapters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Then, we had lunch.  After lunch, Henry found a new friend whom he named Dave.  He played with Dave for a bit, then he left him on a branch on the lilac bush.

So It Begins...Sort Of

How did we get here? How did my tiny baby get to be nine and a half?  How is he in fourth grade?  Time marches on, and we have arrived in Henry's second year of homeschooling.  We have been doing a little bit of work here and there over the summer.  Mostly there, to be honest.  We have been reading The Unwanteds series of books by Lisa McMann.  If you haven't discovered this fantastic series yet, please check it out.  We're on book six, Island of Graves. and we are still eager to find out what happens.

The most exciting thing we did this summer was watch the eclipse on August 21.  We weren't in the Zone of Totality, but we got about 75%.  It was so cool!  We had eclipse glasses (thank you, Science Teacher Friend), and we used a pinhole viewer.  We went to  a friend's house and made a little party of it.

"School" should officially start on August 28. We're planning on doing Ancient Cultures, Physical Science, math, reading, writing, art, music, and PLAY. With luck and good fortune, we will have a really awesome year!