First Day(s)!

Monday, September 11th, was our first official day of school.  We could have gone back the day after Labor Day, like the rest of the state...but...it was a kind of full week, so why add on so much, right?  Haha.  :)

So Monday was our first official day of homeschool for Finn and Layla, and preschool for Cora, BUT it wasn't a normal day.  Finn and Layla had a field trip planned already through Base Camp at Fort Snelling.  Once a month they have homeschool days, the the kids go and spend all day there doing things like building fires outside, building shelters outside, orienteering, rock climbing, archery, group games, etc.  So, day 1:  off with a bang, right??

Here was Cora walking into school on the first day of preschool.  She loved it, of course, and I got lots of giggles out of hearing her play by herself (since Layla and Finn didn't get home until after 4:00) for the rest of the day and role play some of the things she learned at preschool.  Too cute.

This child KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS.  Her first day out fit was all her, 100%.  

 After preschool Jonas took Cora to our park down by the lake for some running around time...

I asked Jonas to take some pictures before he left with the kids from Base Camp, so here they are.  Outside their main building, and then doing two of the last activities of the day:  archery and climbing.  (It was 84 degrees for the high on this day, September 11th.  It's a high of 87 today.  Enough now, summer.  Let it go.  Fall is here.  Leave gracefully.  No one wants to run their AC units in the fall. Everyone wants to wear their tall boots and sweaters and make soup now.  Be gone already.)

Finn discussing the finer points of shooting with a new friend...

So that was our official first full day around here....and it was so QUIET, haha!  When there is honestly no one else to entertain her, Cora has to find something to do...and sometimes she even DOES.  So odd.  It was a great first day for everyone.

Today, Wednesday the 13th, was our first official day of "book work" for homeschool with Layla and Finn.  I'm only going to do hard core book work 3 days a week, M/W/F, while Cora is in school.  Then on T/Th we're going to do all of the things that people *say* are just as important as book work, but rarely follow that statement up with  the dedication of their time.  So, I'm making a conscious effort to value the learning that takes place outside of the wall of my home, or outside traditional expectations for little kids.  This takes a little bit of un-learning on my part, as I'm a type-A rule follower to a T, but I'm learning.  And trying.  At least I'm trying, right?  Haha.  

Today was a really good first day at home with Layla and Finn...we got through a LOT of subjects in our dedicated 2.5 hours!  And I even managed to take pictures...for our second day.  Sigh.  SO CLOSE.  :)

SO CLASSIC.

I did not ask for this pose...this is NATURAL FINN...haha.