Anyone cranking out their "topics" for next year?

[jillian]

I say topics because I know for me and most of y'all your kids go in spurts and fits of learning. So unless you are doing a "next level" curriculum it's hard to plan.

 

We are doing next year for essentially 3rd grade (with some 2nd grade stuff tossed in):

Math (Singapore, moving on to 3a/3b most likely)

Science (Mr. Q earth science with lots of fun supplementation)

English--includes Grammar, Copywork, Narration/Dictation, Handwriting, Literature

Fine arts--Music and Art (doing a more hands on practical application next year)

Languages--introducing different languages but mainly Spanish, Latin and Greek

Geography--still trying to figure this out since we know our continents and oceans already

History--Middle Ages, still plotting resources but have our reading selections for the time period chosen already

P.E.--Dance Class, Swimming until the end of September when our pool closes, and perhaps gymnastics.

[lewelma]

I just finished my modern history book list and ordered any that were not in my library!

 

Modern History

 

Inventions

Library books on: Edison, Bell, and Rutherford

The Wright Brothers: How they Invented the Airplane by Russel Freedman

 

Life in the Victorian era

Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Flesh and Blood so Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin

Shutting out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York (1880-1920) by Deborah Hopkinson

Oliver Twist by Dickens

Around the World in 80 Days by Verne

ds13 Beyond the 100^th Meridian by Wallace Stegner

ds10- The Great Wheel by Robert Lawson

ds10 - Little Britches: Father and I were Ranchers by Ralph Moody

 

Exploration

Library books on Livingstone, Stanley, Shackleton, and Scott

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

The Impossible Rescue: The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure by Martin Sandler

Reaching the Summit: Sir Edmund Hillary's Story by Alexa Johnston

Trapped: how the world rescues 33 miners from 2,000 feet below the Chilean Desert by Marc Aronson

 

WW1

The War to End all Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

Truce by jim Murphy

 

Between the Wars

Bootleg: Murder Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal

Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929 by Karen Blumenthal

Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl by Albert Marrin

Experanza Rising by Pam Ryan

ds13 Growing Up by Russel Baker

ds13- Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

ds13- Babbit by Sinclair Lewis

ds10- The Blue Willow by Doris Gates

 

WW2

Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration by Joanne Oppenheim

Bomb: The Race to Build – and Steal-- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust, Doreen Rappaport

The Good Fight: How WW2 was Won by Stephen Ambrose

Frontier of Dreams: The Weight of the World Wars (NZ perspective)

Diary of a Kiwi Soldier in WW2 by Cecil Coughlan

The Secret Armies: Spies, Counterspies, and Saboteurs by Albert Marrin

Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow

ds10- Miracle on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen

ds10- House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong

ds10- Winged Watchmen by Hilda Von Stockum

 

Asia and Oceania

Library Books on NZ and Australia

Young Fu of Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis

The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

Burma Chronicles by Guy Delisle

Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China by Guy Delisle

Illustrated History of the South Pacific by Marcia Stenson

ds10- Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry

 

Environmentalism

Black Gold: The Story of Oil in our lives by Albert Marrin

ds13- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

 

Civil Rights

After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Non-violent Resistance Perry O'Brien

They Call themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom by Sue Macy

 

Cold War

When the Wall Came Down: The Berlin Wall and the Fall of Soviet Communism by Schmemann

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Mao's Last Dancer by Chuxin Li

ds10- Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

 

Technology

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Thimmesh

[jillian]

That's awesome!!!! Next year for Middle Ages we are going to read for tied in literature:

Shakespeare For Kids Series: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet

Saint George and the Dragon

Beowulf the Warrior

The Canterbury Tales

 

We will also be doing some good literature, though we've not decided yet. Little Miss will be 5.5 but she loved the Illiad and Odyssey this year. We are doing Little House in the Big Woods and she enjoys that a lot. She'll probably get a couple more of those books for Easter in her basket lol. Any other great choices besides E.B. White and the Little House books?

 

We will be doing Bible/Religion too.

[chicagoshannon]

We'll be starting the history cycle next year using a combo of Sonlight and Veritas Press. We'll also be moving on to Singapore 3a/b, although we might start that in a couple of months. I haven't decided on science yet. We're using Apologia this year and she is enjoying it but its hard staying with one topic for the entire year.

 

I think we might start on Kindergarten math with my ds. We'll see how these next few months go.

[jillian]

I love Mr. Q so so much, like just adore the books and it's funny enough to keep Jenn interested. Shannon, it's so nice to see another mom of a 5 year old doing SM 2a/2b, we are about to buy the 2b book

[quark]

Ruth, I could seriously hug you! :) DS has been asking for more modern history resources. Thanks for this awesome list of books.

[jillian]

Anyone have good literature suggestions, not following history but just good reads that every child should read or have read to them?

[Esse Quam Videri]

Anyone have good literature suggestions, not following history but just good reads that every child should read or have read to them?

 

Try these:

 

http://amblesideonline.org/curriculum.shtml#years

 

http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/curriculum/literature-grammar.html

[jillian]

Thank you!!!

[Runningmom80]

Oh I so love this approach.

 

I have no idea what we are doing next week let alone next year.

[Ailey]

I'm keeping my eyes open for more ideas - creativity is definitely not my strong suit.

 

Next year, 4th grade:

Literature - 19th century (I'm sure I'll have trouble cutting this down!)

History - US and World, 1800-1912(ish)

Geography - US, South America, India, China, Japan

Science - Chemistry (Ellen McHenry Elements & Carbon Chemistry)

Math - Not sure, likely geometry

Languages - Continue Latin and German

 

Kindergarten:

Literature - Ambleside Year 0/1

History/Geography - US (light, mostly picture books)

Science - Animals

Languages - Latin (SSL)

[kiwik]

Hi. Ruth you had better add a book on Richard Pearce in with the Wright brothers. tongue smiley.

[boscopup]

I think I mostly know what we'll be doing. It will largely be "the next book" of whatever we're using now.

 

DS1 (will be 9, 4th grade)

Math: Will try AoPS Prealgebra. If that doesn't work, I have Dolciani Prealgebra or I could go slowly through Jacobs Algebra, just doing the first half (prealgebra review) that year.

History: 2nd half of US history, Sonlight Core E (we are LOVING Core D this year!)

Science: General Science

English: R&S English 5 (and he has to do about half the exercises *gasp* written!)

Composition: Mixture of the rest of IEW SWI-A, WWE3, R&S writing lessons, and general notebooking

Handwriting: Pentime 3 (cursive)

Spelling: R&S Spelling (finish 4 and move into 5)

Latin: Finish GSWL (I'd like to do Latin Prep afterward, but I want to wait until 5th grade for that)

 

DS2 (will be 6 at beginning of year, 1st grade)

Math: Singapore 2, Life of Fred Elementary series (we have all of it and are halfway through Cats now)

Phonics/Reading: Continue what we're doing

Handwriting: Pentime 1 book 2 (we're doing book 1 now)

Composition: WWE1 if he's ready (I think he will be, though he may not be able to read the copywork yet)

Other: Sonlight Core A

Science: Magic Schoolbus videos

 

DS3 (will be age 4, PreK4)

Math: Singapore Essential Math K

Handwriting: Pentime 1 book 1 (he asked for it and is ready)

Phonics/Reading: Phonics Pathways

Other: Sit in on Sonlight Core A if he is interested (he wanders off during P4/5 readings now, so I don't expect him to be interested in A)

 

DS3 will do school only on a "when he asks" basis as he does now. He just wants to be like big brothers and asks all the time. :D He may do some of his work independently, as he prefers it that way. I can't complain about that!!!

[jillian]

I'm really waffling between splurging on MCT or going with Rod&Staff.

[boscopup]

I'm really waffling between splurging on MCT or going with Rod&Staff.

 

At your DD's age... R&S would probably be too slow and boring for the lower grades. I did not care for grade 2 that much. There was nothing in there that my DS1 didn't pick up in one lesson, and they'd spend 6 weeks on it! Grade 3 was better, but still slow. Grade 4, we had to skip some lessons for being too easy, but then I found a spot to start, and we're just going lesson by lesson. Yes, it's still easy, but there are things he has to think about, so that is a good thing. I'm also having him do the written work (about half of the exercises), to give him more practice writing in general. I just have to watch him for those smart aleck things, like this week when he was supposed to write sentences using "this", "that", "these", and "those", based on a picture. His sentences were, "What is this? What is that? What are these? What are those?" :lol: I let it go, as he technically DID do the assignment, and you could use those sentences in that picture. :rolleyes:

 

I did not go with MCT, mostly because I didn't see anything (grammar-wise) in there that I wasn't getting from KISS (free). I switched from KISS to R&S because I do want more writing involved in his grammar work. Grammar is easy if it's all oral. I want him to write with it and practice it, not just go over it orally. I also am in a position of needing my eldest to have some independent work, since I have younger children to school also, so R&S is nice in that I can go over the brief lesson and oral drill, then assign some written work for him to do while I work with another child. MCT is completely mom-dependent, and I'm trying to move away from such curricula as I add more children to our schooling. Obviously, that wouldn't be a concern for you.

 

I did get the MCT Building Language and Music of The Hemispheres. We stopped after a while, as I streamlined things to shorten the day some. I'd rather the kid go outside and play than do school all day, and those books can wait.

 

ETA: Forgot to say... You can do MCT now and use R&S later. It's easy and perfectly acceptable to switch around grammar programs in the elementary years. They all (except KISS) start at the beginning each year, including MCT (AFAIK).

[jillian]

I've looked at KISS and have it downloaded but it seems all identifying and she knows most of the basic parts of speech and can pick them out. This week we are starting identification of phrases, clauses, incomplete sentences, etc so I don't know what is appropriate yet for her given she can identify a lot of the parts of speech already. Her handwriting isn't super advanced so I was hoping MCT could provide practical uses of the grammar rules and such you know? I was going to order the basic package

[Embassy]

I just have to watch him for those smart aleck things, like this week when he was supposed to write sentences using "this", "that", "these", and "those", based on a picture. His sentences were, "What is this? What is that? What are these? What are those?" :lol: I let it go, as he technically DID do the assignment, and you could use those sentences in that picture. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

:lol: When I was in elementary school I had the boring assignment to write sentences for each of my spelling words. I wrote sentences like "What does xxxx mean?" for all my words. My teacher was not pleased!

[jillian]

I used to do the "what does xxx mean?" too lol

[boscopup]

I've looked at KISS and have it downloaded but it seems all identifying and she knows most of the basic parts of speech and can pick them out. This week we are starting identification of phrases, clauses, incomplete sentences, etc so I don't know what is appropriate yet for her given she can identify a lot of the parts of speech already. Her handwriting isn't super advanced so I was hoping MCT could provide practical uses of the grammar rules and such you know? I was going to order the basic package

 

This is why I wish I hadn't even bothered with grammar in first grade at least. My son could learn all that stuff no problem. He didn't need to spend year after year after year on it. He also wasn't going to be able to use it in writing for a while. This year, we're using some grammar via Latin and his writing, but still, he isn't needing to know more than a typical (for homeschool) 3rd grade level of grammar for all that. So why did I waste time teaching it in first and second grade? I could have done something more interesting and started in 3rd (probably with R&S 4) .

 

The whole point of grammar is to be able to write well, so when there is a large gap between the grammar ability and the writing ability, it just doesn't make sense to me to keep increasing that gap by adding more and more grammar. My son could FLY through R&S 4 pretty easily right now. The lessons are very simple, and much of it he already knows (in the usage section, we both laugh hysterically as I read the sentences out loud with a very rural southern accent... he has never tried to use the words "yous" or "youns" in his daily speech :lol:). So we do grammar less often, not focusing on it as much, and I'm keeping it slow and easy and focusing more on using these exercises to build up his *writing* ability (physical and mental). He still reverses letters occasionally, so the more he writes and gets used to the 'b' going one way and the 'd' going a different way, the less he'll have to think in order to not make that mistake. This is why I'm really liking R&S for him right now. It's not hard at all, but it's giving him practice writing, and he needs that. He hates copywork and gets nothing out of it, but R&S exercises are basically copywork while *doing* something, and he does get something out of that. Keeps it interesting, I guess?

 

But really, I wouldn't fret about grammar at your DD's age. If you want to do MCT, go for it. If you want to take a year or two off from formal grammar and replace that time with something cool in history or science or literature, go for that. That's one nice thing about being accelerated, you can skip some topics and pick them up later.

[jillian]

Our grammar consists of reading the Basher Basics books and then using sentences to identify the parts of speech lol. She can write well if she's copying, but struggles still if she's just writing independently. Right now our copywork is out of Aesop's Fables and will probably move onto sentences from Just So Stories and just build her skills

[boscopup]

Our grammar consists of reading the Basher Basics books and then using sentences to identify the parts of speech lol. She can write well if she's copying, but struggles still if she's just writing independently. Right now our copywork is out of Aesop's Fables and will probably move onto sentences from Just So Stories and just build her skills

 

I think that's a good plan. :) You're still in that stage where the brain is way ahead of the hand. My oldest was terrified to write an original sentence even last year. This year at age 8, he's able to write a whole paragraph. He still doesn't LIKE writing, but he can do it now. At 5-6, he was able to maybe copy a very short sentence.

[Mommy_of_4]

Ds just started 2nd grade material

Math :Abeka 2

Phonics :Horizons 2

Spelling :Rod and Staff 2

English :Rod and Staff 2

Science :Lifepac 2 with living books and netflix

History : Lifepac 2 with books and netflic

Handwriting : Abeka K4 cursive

Tons of logic puzzles and crafts

 

I think I am going to add in Beast Academy soon for him along with CWP 1

 

Dd is prek and we will finish going through Abeka K4 phonics and rod and staff workbooks. Ice she finishes that I am not sure yet what to do next with her.

[La Condessa]

My oldest daughter is turning four in a month, and I have decided to start doing some 'school' consistently (which we've already been doing as we felt like it). The real purpose isn't the academics though; it's to try to establish a precedent for good habits and attitudes for school time. She is very, very strong-willed, and my husband especially likes the idea of using this year as a dry run at homeschooling, to see how the dynamic works out between the two of us. So, here's my plan:

 

Reading: I have started offering her the chance each day at the beginning of nap time to come out for a reading lesson while we cuddle on the couch. She hasn't always taken me up on it (she enjoys her time with her audiobooks during nap time), but I think she's starting to look forward to it. We generally only make it through about 1/3 of an OPG lesson before her attention starts to wane and we stop, but just doing this more frequently this past week has her sounding out CVC words much more quickly and confidently than before. We also do Bob Books, and I've come up with some phonics games to help reinforce the stuff we've already covered.

 

Literature: I've burned some great audiobooks to CDs and gotten a cd player for my daughters' room, and they're loving that. We're doing Homer Price for our read aloud right now.

 

Math: She was on a math glut a few months ago, and is not so interested in it right now, so we're just playing with math manipulatives at the moment. Within a month or so when her interest picks up again we'll finish the end of the Beginning Mathematical Reasoning-age 4 book, and I think maybe I'll get Miquon Orange for her after that.

 

Spanish: My kids love Salsa and beg to watch it all the time. My husband has agreed to do a 'Spanish Day' with us on Fridays. I'm trying to just use Spanish as much as possible, and read to the kids and letting them watch a show in Spanish. I know more than one day a week would be more effective, but this is where I'm starting--and I'm hoping that since Dad, who is fluent, has agreed to just speak Spanish to them on this day, maybe we can work up to more with him. (I wish he would do OPOL, but it's not happening.)

 

Physical Ed: My younger daughter has just started a gymnastics class of her own, and I'm hoping that the older won't be ready to move up this year. I won't hold her back if she is, but I'm just not ready for my little girl to move up to the more serious stuff yet.

 

Music: I'm doing a music group with some other kids, and I made box violins for my girls recently. When they feel like it, I do little beginning lessons from a suzuki teacher's blog that I found. I would love for them to be able to start lessons with a real teacher, but that would mean a 40 minute drive each way for us besides the costs, so we're holding off on that.

 

Art: Right now, just coloring or occasionally painting when we feel like it. I think I need a plan to do a little more with this.

 

Other: Magic School Bus episodes, cooking with Mommy, and lessons in personal skills like making your bed and getting your own snack. I plan to add in basic chores, too. We also have a once-a-week preschool group that I host every third or fourth week, and I'm at a loss as to what to do for that. The kids have such a huge range of abilities and knowledge that it is really hard to come up with activities to include them all.

[Greenmama2]

We don't do mama-planned topics so much, my planning is closer to what Donna described. I read a LOT & squirrel away information and resources so that when a topic comes up we are (somewhat) prepared to run with it. Our official school year starts on Tuesday although DD & I started last week. We are currently working through:

McHenry's Elements, a seventh grade science text and some assigned science reading (on flight ATM)

Finishing up odd pages from three different SM workbooks while we wait for LoF to arrive. I'll be ordering BA once the budget has recovered from paying all the new term class fees that are due in the next two weeks (if I wait long enough maybe I'll be able to order A-D? Wishful thinking)

A third grade handwriting wb

Music theory

That's all for formal school. DD does most of her LA through free reading & resultant discussion plus self-motivated letter writing and journaling (she always asks for help/guidance or proof reading). I try to make time to play chess or Khet or her new favourite Flux with her and she fills the rest of her day with violin practice, ballet research (i.e. watching her favourite productions and trying to learn the choreography) and fighting with oops I mean playing with her brother.

[jillian]

I think that's a good plan. :) You're still in that stage where the brain is way ahead of the hand. My oldest was terrified to write an original sentence even last year. This year at age 8, he's able to write a whole paragraph. He still doesn't LIKE writing, but he can do it now. At 5-6, he was able to maybe copy a very short sentence.

 

She enjoys doing it because she likes seeing herself writing so much. I try to encourage her to form her own complete thoughts/stories verbally as much as I can right now to develop those creative skills when she starts to tell stories.

[LucyStoner]

The basic idea for my ten in June son: (We will start most of this in summer since we homeschool year round at an unhurried pace.)

 

Math- AoPS Pre-Algebra with Problemoids and other things thrown in.

 

LA- MCT Voyage level with Paragraph Town instead of Essay Voyage + Classic novels, based on what he finishes by that time. Also, he does a Writer's Workshop class with 4-5 graders. Writing, especially with a pen/pencil is a challenge for him and we are shifting to him doing more of his school work by typing. Looking to get him a netbook or iPad for portability. May or may not continue with practicing cursive. It seems helpful for his manual dexterity.

 

Science- CPO Life Science as the spine. Self selected books and articles on life science topics.

 

Latin- Minimus Secundus.

 

Spanish- Rosetta Stone and with dad (who is fluent) and a class at the homeschool center in fall if schedule works.

 

History and Social Studies- SOTW 3. For American History, we are using A History of US and will continue with that. Also, The Kid's Guide to Social Action.

 

He takes art and Lego robotics as electives at the homeschool center. He will continue outsourced piano lessons.

 

For our preK guy (4 now, will be close to 5 in fall) we are planning MEP Reception and just general life as a preschooler- scribbling, music, t-ball, reading and more reading. He is just starting to read now.

[lizbusby]

Music: I'm doing a music group with some other kids, and I made box violins for my girls recently. When they feel like it, I do little beginning lessons from a suzuki teacher's blog that I found.

 

 

Can I get a link to that?

[EthiopianFood]

 

Can I get a link to that?

 

:iagree:

[EthiopianFood]

Dd, just turned five. I'm realizing my list doesn't look very accelerated. :tongue_smilie: I suspect dd is gifted, but we haven't done these subjects formally, so we have to start somewhere!

 

Math: Continue Dreambox, start Miquon now :glare: and continue that as well. I don't know dd's potential in this area yet, so that is my plan unless it becomes obvious she needs something more. With essentially no math work, she tested at early 1st on the Peabody, and naturally adds in her head, so...? I have a vague idea that I will have her complete Miquon, then start Singapore until she can do BA and reevaluate again.

 

Grammar: Start FLL 1

 

Handwriting: Continue with Zaner Bloser.

 

History: Start SOTW 1 and make it awesome with lots of activities!

 

Science: Still just books from the library, aim for more simple experiments. I want to start BFSU, but I know myself, and I know I can't handle starting two intensive planning curricula in one year. If I can make history happen, I will be very proud of myself!

 

Foreign language: Find the energy to start Mandarin again, ugh. Practice ASL throughout the day.

 

Music: Maybe do a composer each month. I would love for music to relate to history, though, I'm just not sure how to find music from ancient times....

 

Art: Drawing with Children.

 

Wow, that's more than I realized. :leaving:

[jillian]

RaeAnne, don't be scared lol, if you are meeting your child where they are at you are great! We will be adding in lots of "introduction" classes. She's going to start ancient greek (Memoria Press' Greek), Latin (Prima Latina), and we will be continuing with Spanish, especially Rosetta Stone. She loves stuff on the computer. We will also play around with the Mandarin Rosetta stone (we have both as well as French). All level 1 and see where her interest lies.

 

Our reading fluency has sprang ahead a lot in the last couple months, she can read aloud now quite easily. She sometimes pretends she can't, and whispers softly and pretends to not know simple words (bus, cat, and so on) but she does. We had take out last night, and she broke open her fortune cookie and had a difficult time reading successful, unusually and business but that's only because she's not really seen them much. I think I'm going to start with her doing her fluency reading (Little Bear) and then help me with literature (Little House)

[MissKNG]

We generally just continue with what we are currently using but we are going to use (I think) NOEO Chemisty II next fall for a switch with science.

[BugsMama]

I think we are pretty much just continuing now that we have found our groove- the only thing I am not sure about is language arts. I'm thinking about maybe using MBTP' lit units for language arts and writing? We'll keep using LOE and MCT, but we need *something* for writing.

[La Condessa]

 

Can I get a link to that?

 

 

Here's the post on how to make a box violin:

http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-make-box-violin.html#uds-search-results

 

And she has this great little series on how she starts a beginner:

http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-start-beginner-introduction.html

http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-start-beginner-part-1.html

http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-start-beginner-part-2-holding.html

 

I think she just starts them with a real bow, but I made some for my girls out of a dowel and an eraser to go with their box violins.

 

[La Condessa]

One other thing I've been trying to decide on for our school plans, is whether to add in handwriting.

 

My daughter has very good fine motor skills and she often will decide to write on her own. She will ask me for help if she wants to know the correct spelling or when she forgets how a particular letter is supposed to be formed, and any time she asks for my help I will demonstrate the letter correctly, talking through how it is formed as I show her. She's been doing this for quite a while, and more of her writing is legible than not just from this. However, it could still use a lot of work; she can't write a lot of the less common letters and there are a some letters that she often forms incorrectly. I've been wondering if I should start some handwriting practice with her to correct these before the habit gets too ingrained, or if I should just leave well enough alone until she's closer to normal school age. I've also toyed with the idea of just continuing as we are for printing, and starting cursive with her when she's five--skipping formal handwriting instruction on printing all together.

 

What do y'all think?

[EthiopianFood]

RaeAnne, don't be scared lol, if you are meeting your child where they are at you are great!

 

I'm not worried about her; I'm worried about myself!! :tongue_smilie: I wanted to ease into full time schooling, but I guess I am realizing she is ready before I am!