Organizing and Planning

The past couple of weeks I have been focused on gathering, organizing and planning.  I have been trying to get my sewing/craft room organized, which I am still working on but it is coming along nicely. I am waiting for Papaw to finish up my one needed shelves to go behind my sewing machines to put jars of notions and spools of ribbon and trim on. I can’t wait for that to go up.  I can’t wait till I have it all perfectly organized.

I have also been working on trying to come up with a good solution for a homeschool work area for Doodlebug for this school year, instead of just being spread out where ever. Last year much of our class work was done kicking back on the loveseat in the upstairs den area. Our upstairs den area connects with our kitchen and it seems to be the hub of the house.  It seems to be where we gravitate to the most. The space is a good size space but not huge and trying to come up with a workable solution was a bit of a challenge. I had run across an old fashioned desk ages ago in a little antique shop in a town that my mom and I meet at sometimes for lunch. I went back a couple of weeks ago in hopes that the desk would still be there. It was but with a big sold sticker on it. Needless to say, I didn’t give up. We went through several of the antique shops and I found this old drop side table that works out wonderfully for a work area. Doodles can pop up one side of it easily when she needs to sit down and get to work and pop it back down when she is finished for the day. I also like the idea that she has a creative space to gravitate to when we are just in there in the evenings. She already seems to love to pop up the table and pull out her drawing pad or grab a book.  I also think the table will be great for the holidays. Being able to use it as an extra table in our dining room, when our table in there will be wonderful. 

Over the past several months, before we finished our last school term, I had been reading, researching and collecting the school books and materials we were planning on using this school year. I am so glad that I planned a bit ahead. It helped take some of the pressure off when getting geared up this school year. We have had several weeks of just summer fun and down time and the pre planning sure helped there.

We are all signed up for enrichment classes. I think Doodles is going to have a great time on fun Monday’s with our homeschool network group. I never knew how wonderful being a part of such an active group could be. Signups for the enrichment classes were pain free. The group of parents that organize and arrange the classes, field trips and activities for our network are awesome. I am in awe of their commitment to make sure our group is one of the most well organized groups in the area. I feel so blessed that our family is a part of this group.  We were even given a piano for Doodlebug from one of the families in the group. Doodles will be starting piano lessons on the 24th. She is so excited about learning to play. She loves her piano.

We officially start back with school lessons on the 22^nd. We have been doing so many things throughout the summer that is still focused on learning but most of the time, didn’t involve a book. We have read quiet a bit this summer but have enjoyed outings to historical locations in the area. We have also focused on the goodness that summer brings, gardening, taking care of our chickens, catching lightening bugs, fishing and staying up late, just because. 

She loved the pigs at a homestead farm we visited. Now she wants pigs too.

Doodles learned to make fried green tomatoes this summer.

So, we will have to work on getting back on a bit more of a schedule this next week and we are looking forward to all the wonderful things that fall brings.

Hope you all have had a wonderful and blessed summer!