Update

It has been a couple months since an update.  The truth is that we've really scaled back on planned activities.  I've been researching Charlotte Mason philosophy & felt that I was pushy "school" on the kiddos too early.  We still do a low key version of the morning message a couple times a week, but I haven't done any more "units" in a while.  We studied about horses, but mostly just reading books about them.  We just finished studying about airplanes {again, mostly books} & are getting ready to study about eggs {very broadly}.  We play outside a lot, even though duck poo has kept us inside more than we'd like lately.  We need to do something about them!  We do a story time at our library & at a local garden center.  We try to get together with friends/family every couple weeks or so....too often & I start feeling like my home isn't at rest anymore.  We have stopped {read: majorly limited, we aren't military about it} watching television or using the computer/tablet on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, so our time together is able to be more imaginative and creative.  We do free art, some cooking projects, lawn maintance, household maintance, math manipulatives, and lots of reading {esp. classic children's lit}.  No screen time has led to an increase of chocolate consumption for me & a few more tantrums than before, because we get sick of each other now & then, and can't "turn off our minds & veg", but for the most part, I think we all feel a sense of peace knowing that it it just the way it is.  I hope to increase C's phonics/reading instruction in the near future, but I'm not pushing it.  I found a dry erase phonics book just for him.  I think he likes it mainly because the girls don't get to use it {yet}.  Anyway, that is just a short update on our "schooling" right now.  We are at the point of starting our BOB books for learning to read but I'm just holding off a bit until I really feel like they want to learn.