Order Complete

It's official, all of our homeschool supplies are ordered! It feels good! No, it feels great! And we're very excited to get started! Next week we're indulging in one last family vacation (when everyone else will be back in school) and then the following week we'll begin.

I'll be traveling to New York City the following week to attend a taping of the Martha Stewart Show, a lifelong dream of mine. I've already told the kids to expect a substitute teacher those days (it'll be nice for my husband to get a feel for our routine those two days).

The next step will be for the rest of the materials to arrive. I'm excited to get the instructional binder together and look through the teaching manuals. I think all of us have a small child inside and love new school supplies and organization in the fall. I know I do. And my house is showing it!

Update:  My husband didn't touch the homeschool materials while I was gone...but that doesn't mean he wasn't teaching!

Never-Ending Summer

Today is a very rainy day, and according to the 7-day forecast, we're in for an entire week of the same. Luckily, we've truly made the most of our summer this year and the great weather Wisconsin has been gifted with. So taking this week off to stay inside will be restful and a welcome calm. I have a few art projects in mind to do with the kids and a couple of ideas of places to take them when we're going stir crazy.

I remember last week Sunday when I woke up and realized it was August already. I immediately felt a bit sad...like summer was coming to and end...and how I would miss it so. And then I remembered that was not the case for my family. Because of homeschooling, summer isn't over until we say it is! And the togetherness, flexibility and freedom summer provides, will actually be with us all year long! That is a very welcome thought for someone living in cold Wisconsin!

We can still hit the beach on hot September days and have picnics even in the snow.  I can't wait to discover all of the other opportunities homeschooling will give our family!

Homeschool ID Cards

I just found out that the state of Wisconsin is changing their system to register your child as home-educated. They used to do a triple-ply form but are now upgrading to an online registration page...that won't be available until the first week in September (although the first time I was told about this by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction it was supposed to be up and running by the first week of August).

Because I'm unable to file with the state of Wisconsin at this time, I'm unable to qualify for teacher discounts at our local Learning Shop store and other book stores. This got me thinking of other ways to start getting the discount sooner rather than later. So I Googled homeschool ID card and found this great site, Homeschool Buyers Co-op, where you can purchase or print (at home for free) ID cards for both home educators and homeschooled children that look like the sample one above.

I'm going to give this card a try this weekend at the local educator's shop...I'll let you know how it works!