First day of school...

Yesterday was the first day of the homeschooling year 2011-2012 for Collin and Kaitlyn.  In our home we have chosen to follow a lifestyle of learning in place of a set 'grade' in which the children complete a boxed curriculum each year.  We do have a few workbooks but most of our learning is reading, discussions, hands-on activities, and lessons learned from daily living.
This year I've chosen to use Walking in Truth Bible study by Notgrass, Language Lessons by Sandi Queen, Life of Fred-Math and Math-U-See, and Sequential Spelling.  We will continue using Mystery of History for our time-line and our science will be mostly hands-on dissections and experiments.  Oh boy, what fun!

Life lessons will include every aspect of our lives;  gardening (flower, herbs, fruits and veggies), yard work, building a chicken coop and raising chickens, bird watching, couponing and grocery shopping, furniture building with dad, meal planning and preparation, household projects, car upkeep and repairs, letter and story writing, budgeting and bill paying, character and relationships, volunteering...all the fun stuff of daily life! 
We cannot leave out the relaxation activities like swimming and biking, soccer, reading, arts and crafts, movies... our life is full and we love it!  I am so thankful for the opportunity to home educate my children.
~Diona