In the first week of our experiment, we tried to do far more than sane people should. We attended a national conference in Minneapolis (I don’t exhibit very often, so this was a rare occurrence). And because the conference was in Minneapolis — a two hour drive from our home — I wanted to add a science museum visit while we were there.

This will be a little more “laundry list” than I had planned, but with so much material, I’ll have enough Pass the Torch Tuesday posts to last me the rest of the year.

For a snarky look at our week, read this.

What went well
Our week started with two days of what I hope will be our typical homeschool day: four hours of academics, spread out from 8:30 AM until about 2:30 PM, with liberal breaks, relaxed lunch and time for crafts or physical activity. I’m still learning their ability levels and adjusting as necessary. Both kids have been very receptive and willing to teach me, while I teach them.
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We’re home just for the night, while I frantically catch up on business before returning to the conference this weekend. Thank you all for your generous comments everywhere! I promise to catch up with everyone this weekend. But right now my corporate inbox is calling;)

If you’d like a homeschooling update, check out D’s journal. It’s always unedited, which makes it a hilarious read sometimes. After a week or so, I’ll address grammar and spelling issues, but the rest is WYSIWYG.

And tomorrow, assuming I get my act together in time, I’ll share my evaluation of our very first week of the experiment. It’s been a trip so far, I can tell you that much.

Sometimes love is turning your life upside down, because you think it’s right for your kids.

Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones:
The Beginning
Week One – Starting with a Frazzle
Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff
Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing
Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS!
One-month Review
D’s Review at One Month
Week Five – Stress and frustration
Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum
Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks
Two-Month Review — Some aha moments
Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream
Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history
Five-Month Review — What I underestimated
Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month
Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review
D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series
Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig
All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS!

HOMESCHOOL EXPERIMENT RESULTS SERIES:
WHY WE STARTED
the JOYS
the STRUGGLES
the FUTURE for us

This week’s Pass the Torch Tuesday spotlight post is from Tonya, at Drama Queen’s Momma. Who needs a doctor, when Karate Kid is in the house?

Tonya receives the Pass the Torch award button, a developmental assets refrigerator magnet (just email me your address, Tonya), and a place of honor on my sidebar for the whole week. Congratulations Tonya!

Also, for those of you following the Experiment, I’ve included several links in the sidebar, including Deena’s journal page.

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I’ve become a scavenger of sorts ever since embarking on our Experiment. A once-in-a-while checkeroutterofbooks has turned into an avid attender of no fewer than three community libraries. Some of you veteran library-goers may not be all that impressed, but do you know what I’ve discovered?
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