Planning is so much fun!

We finalized several plans for next school year this week and I've completed my year-at-a-glance schedule for next school year!  Woo-Hoo!

The biggest thing I was waiting to confirm was whether or not we were going to put our girls into an enrichment program for homeschoolers.  Several families do this, and while I don't think it is necessary for the educational aspect, our kids were expressing a desire to be around other kids more often.

We've joined a Homeschool Group that shares our Christian faith and offers monthly opportunities.  We are slowly getting to know the other families.  We also visited two "enrichment" programs for homeschoolers this month.  One was a Christian Co-op and the other was a secular "Options" program offered through the public school system.

Surprisingly enough, the co-op wasn't the best fit for us this year.  I was a little disappointed that it didn't work out, but I know God has us in His hands!  It required parents to lead one whole class and assist in a second class of the co-op.  I didn't feel ready for that commitment with my youngest still quite attached to me, and me still figuring out this homeschooling thing at home.  Only one of my older kiddos enjoyed the day we spent there.

We did end up enrolling in the options program.  It was scary for me to consider, but our girls really wanted to be around other kids more and I'd heard several other Christian families saying their children attended.  The in-person visit was reassuring to me.  It is managed by a homeschooling veteran (a mom of eight!) and a member of the evangelical church that the program uses.  Several of the teachers were also church-goers and very up-beat about their role in the classrooms.  I don't have to commit to teaching, just supervising a lunch hour or two throughout the year, and both of our girls loved the visit and asked to start going right away! 

The other plus that I liked, but didn't want to be a deciding factor, was that they offer a free curriculum lending library to families enrolled and it also gives me a break for a few hours each week where I will just have the baby to worry about.  I have to admit I am looking forward to that built-in opportunity to focus on my youngest and the house.

With that piece of the puzzle complete, I was able to finalize my plan for the year so we have 36-ish weeks of school, built in breaks, and some extra days for flexibility.  Now I can focus more on curriculum and summer planning!