Finally settling in.

Why does it take so long to adjust to a new home? We've lived in our new house for 2 months now, and I'm just now starting to see a routine take shape. I really think that adding the outside activities is what has helped. Right now we have added piano 2 days a week for the 3 oldest, swimming on those same 2 days for my 3 year old, and art lessons on another day for all of them. Knowing we have to leave the house at a certain time makes us get the schoolwork done instead of putting it off.

I've also found that typing in the Story of the World recommended resources has helped me tremendously! I have a spreadsheet with the title, author, book #, chapter #, and which library its at. I think I need to go through now and add the call numbers as well, since I'm having to look those up weekly. I still don't have my printer set up, but once I do that I'll print this list and keep it in my binder (still to be assembled) at all times. I believe I'm also going to copy some of the pages from the Homeschooler's Book of Lists and add that to my binder for Goodwill and book sales.

This week we've read several of the books correlating to SOTW 3 Chapter 2, and I've noticed a big difference in retention, especially for 9 year old Mr. Blue. We managed to add in one of the activities as well, and that was a big hit with that same son and his 8 year old cousin. The 6/7 year old girls didn't like it quite as well and gave up.

In the mail this week we got the Story of Classical Music. The same afore-mentioned 9 year old loves it. He told his sister, "Don't you wish you were like one of those kings who could listen to this music any time you wanted?" We also listened to the Themes to Remember version of Beethoven's 9th symphony and read in TTR about him. I have library books to go along with that, and said son is learning Ode to Joy in piano this week, so I feel very connected! I told a friend if I get ambitious I'll correlate SOTW to the Story of Classical Music, but we'll see if that ever happens!