Preschool

 As soon as we took the first number out, Taco sat right down to take it over.

 Brishen wishes I had worked with him earlier on his geography so he could have gone farther in the state geographic bee, so we're starting now.  The kids know their continents and oceans and are pretty good with naming the states on the southern border of the US.  We are using songs from a geography songs CD to make it easy and fun.  Kids this age are ridiculously good at memorizing things, and so proud when they have learned something.  I haven't detected anyone who is passionate about maps so far, but we're hoping!

 To tell the honest truth, I don't actually think preschoolers need to "do school."  Shh!  I'm not structured about it and am perfectly happy when they'd rather spend the morning outside.  Even if I don't work with them a couple will get out the memory work folder and quiz themselves most days.   They also beg to get out the Kindle Fires we were given at Christmas.  I am not a natural lover of technology, but I am amazed about how simple learning apps can do.  

For example, I'm not giving the kids handwriting worksheets, but they love  the Letter School app.  Even Edison is patient enough with it to be improving his fine motor skills.  Then I was thinking about getting or making some sight word flash cards even though the "mom of a dyslexic" in me shutters at the thought of sight words.  I'm pretty confident that my four new readers are not dyslexic, however, and I know that some basic sight words will make their reading more fluent and fun.  I found an app that makes practicing sight words a lot of fun--Cassia's the only one who has used it so far, and I definitely still encourage her to sound out the sight words that make sense phonetically.  The kids also have two sets of Bob Books to read on the Kindles and a couple children's books that are read to them on it.  As long as I hide the "I'm Your Gummy Bear" song on them, I think the Kindles are a pretty awesome addition to our school days.

I think that when you have several kids, you need them to specialize in different fields so we can get lots of free services one day.  I'm still determining who will be the dentist.  Asa is starting on his first novel.

How do I feel now about keeping all the kids home from preschool, you ask?  

I'm glad you asked.  I absolutely love having everyone home and do not have a single regret.  OK, OK, you got me.  I do have a single regret.  It's that I have to figure out what to do with all the kids when I need to take someone to the doctor.  Other than that, it is a dream come true!  This is the first time since we started fostering that I feel somewhat in control of my life and my children and my schedule.  This is the life I wanted for my children, and I am thankful that we have reached this place together.

*Please notice the lack of pictures of wonderful projects I am doing with my kids.  It's just not happening.  At all.  :)