First Day of School 2021

After a lot of discussion and prayer, we decided to continue homeschooling the kids for one more year.  Our main deciding factors were flexibility on some travel we want to do this year, concern that the schools still aren't "back to normal" and the focus would be on catching up kids from COVID with a lack of attention on our kids who are still on track, and we also discovered several benefits of homeschooling from last year that we didn't want to give up (extra free time, more creativity, stronger sibling relationships, individualized learning and enrichment). We are looking forward to another great year of learning and growing and mom not going too crazy 😜

We had a bit of a soft start to our homeschool this year, but we had our official "first day of school" on Monday, August 23, fresh off of our beach vacation.

Mondays are a busy day for us, so we fit in school around our activities- Katherine's first day of dance (10:00-11:00), and Samuel and Elisabeth's gymnastics (12:00-1:00)

We took some first day of school pics outside before heading to Katherine's dance. 

Elisabeth's first day of first grade!

Katherine's first day of being the adorable three year old little sister :)

Nathan's first day of fifth grade!

Samuel's first day of third grade!

These kids really are best friends, and amidst all the fighting do genuinely enjoying playing and being together. I attribute a lot of that to COVID/homeschool and all the togetherness they've had over the past couple of years. 

Elisabeth came with me to Katherine's dance and we did some one on one school while the boys stayed at home and worked. 

Our first day of school traditions include freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for an after school snack and burgers, hot dogs and root beer floats for dinner. 

The kids completed their annual back to school surveys too. 

Nathan

How old are you?

10

What is your favorite color?

Orange

What is your favorite food?

Tacos

What is your favorite TV show/computer game?

Roblox

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas

What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?

Go to Texas Roadhouse

What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?

Play Video Games

What is your favorite thing to do with Samuel?

Build Hot Wheels

What is your favorite thing to do with Elisabeth?

Play Roblox

What is your favorite thing to do with Katherine?

Build Duplos

What are you most excited about this year in school?

Lego League

What are your most nervous about this year in school?

Language Arts

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Imagineer

What is your favorite movie?

Lego Batman

What is your favorite toy?

Legos

What is your favorite thing to wear?

Champion clothes

Who are your best friends?

Daniel, Wyatt, Liam, Caden, Levi, and Caleb

Samuel

How old are you?

8

What is your favorite color?

Cerulean Blue

What is your favorite food?

Pizza

What is your favorite TV show?

Power Rangers Ninja Steel

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas

What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?

Eat at a restaurant

What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?

Go to Urban Air

What is your favorite thing to do with Elisabeth?

Teach her school things

What is your favorite thing to do with Nathan?

Play Roblox

What is your favorite thing to do with Katherine?

Read to her

What are you most excited about this year in school?

Co-op

What are your most nervous about this year in school?

I don’t know

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Imagineer

What is your favorite movie?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

What is your favorite toy?

Nintendo Switch

What is your favorite thing to wear?

Champion Basketball Shirt

Who are your best friends?

Asher, Bennett, Daniel, and Leon

Elisabeth

How old are you?

7

What is your favorite color?

Teal

What is your favorite food?

Spaghetti

What is your favorite TV show/computer game?

Roblox

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas

What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?

Get Pedicures

What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?

Play Games

What is your favorite thing to do with Samuel?

Make crafts

What is your favorite thing to do with Nathan?

Play Roblox

What is your favorite thing to do with Katherine?

Play princess

What are you most excited about this year in school?

Learning to read

What are your most nervous about this year in school?

My math

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Gymnastics coach

What is your favorite movie?

Polar Express

What is your favorite toy?

 Kindle

What is your favorite thing to wear?

Blue soft shirt

Who are your best friends?

Sarah, Elise, Ainsley, Makinley, Ilona, Kaydence, Addisyn, Audrey N. and Audrey R.

Katherine

How old are you?

3

What is your favorite color?

Teal, yellow, and green and blue

What is your favorite food?

Cupcakes

What is your favorite TV show/computer game?

Tic Tac Toy

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas

What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?

Play games

What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?

Play

What is your favorite thing to do with Nathan?

Watch him build Legos

What is your favorite thing to do with Elisabeth?

Go around the block

What is your favorite thing to do with Samuel?

Play hot wheels

What are you most excited about this year in school?

Going to the playroom at Co-op

What are your most nervous about this year in school?

Leaving mommy

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Gymnastics girl

What is your favorite movie?

Paw Patrol the Movie

What is your favorite toy?

Baby dolls and Calico Critters

What is your favorite thing to wear?

Dresses

Who are your best friends?

Laura, Makinley, Ainsley, and Amelia