Best Laid Plans...

     After spending hours getting Five In A Row resources lined up, I don't think that's going to fly this year.  The twins really weren't that into it, and quite frankly, neither was I.  Most of the activities I found to go with it, were a little too much like busy work for me. I'll tolerate a little bit of busy work, if the kids are really into it, (lapbooks, for example) but I'll never force anyone to sit down and do a worksheet.  Abriel would much rather be doing this.

Or this.

     She always has some kind of elaborate game going on.  Currently it's a little world she and Anna have with their root children dolls. She likes stories being read to her, but after it's through, she'd much rather go and do her own thing, instead of doing an activity based on the book we just read.
     Samuel loves doing "school".  He likes practicing writing letters and counting anything and everything.  He thinks he needs to do school right along with Anna, and I think that was the problem with BFIAR. It wasn't school like enough for him.  When I brought out a coloring page for him and Abriel, he said, "I want to do school now, Mommy."  When I told him this was his school, he looked at me like I was nuts.  I think he's going through a highly curious period.  He smells everything, even people; this can be embarrassing.  He wants to know the how and the why of everything.  But... He is still very three.  His idea of school is sitting on my lap while we count his fingers and toes, or me helping him write the letter that he wants to learn that day, not a set "letter of the day".
     So, what has our first week of preschool looked like? 
     They listen pretty well to me reading the Bible in the morning, and some other of Anna's readings have caught their attention.  Abriel was very into the D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths.  We made play dough together and they had a play date with their nephew and niece.  They helped make muffins and go grocery shopping.  We went to our homeschool co-op on Thursday. They drew many colorful pictures with their new beeswax crayons.  We set up our small tent on the deck and played camping for a couple of days.  They caught lizards and butterflies, and most of all, played. 
    This is natural.  This is us living our lives, not trying fit into a prescribed schedule, or check off a list of what we should be doing.  I like this. 
    Sometimes our best laid plans don't turn out exactly like we thought, and some times that's just fine.