SCHOOL DAYS – Amanda

I can’t believe that another school year has already started. And, more than that, I can’t believe that Amanda is a Senior this year! WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE? It seems like just yesterday I was trying to chose between 5 math programs for her kindergarten year and not being able to chose between them we did all of them (LOL)! On our first day of school this year Emily asked if I knew this was the “last first day” that we’ll ever have homeschooling Amanda… sob…… wiping tears already as we consider all that means.

She is SO BUSY! The other day she said HELP I need a day planner (LOL)! Here is what her desk looked like before the planner:

She had yellow post it notes EVERYWHERE (LOL)! We went shopping for just the right day planner. It had to have month-at-a-glance pages and it couldn’t be too big nor too small. I think we found the perfect one… at least she’s using it and unfortunately for her it’s as full as mine!

SCHOOL WORK:
This year Amanda could have a lighter load if she wanted, but she doesn’t. She has LOTS of things she wants to cover this year. If she wants to do them then I’ll find them, write the course descriptions, and help her.YEARS ago when we were just starting kindergarten math, I NEVER thought I’d see the day when we would reach Advanced Math! YIKES! What a journey this has been. We are SO HAPPY to have found an excellent math tutor who helped her once or twice a month over the last 2 years or so. This year she will see the math tutor once a week.

Her science this year is Apologia’s Advanced Biology course. She REALLY enjoyed biology and wants to dig in deeper. So, here we go! I’m excited about that because biology was also one of my favorites many years ago.Part of her lab work involves using this very detailed coloring book. We even went and purchased some special FINE TIP artist colored pencils so that she can get all of the detail colored in just right.History this year is a mix of living history books with a two series spine that will give her a broad sweep of history from ancient civilizations to present day. She will also earn a government credit this year.Since Amanda has more than enough science credits to graduate I think I will count her foray into criminal investigation as an occupational science credit. I’ll write a course description after I see if she has enough interest to make it at least a 1/2 credit.

MUSIC! For starters here is her 4 inch worship team notebook. It has grown an inch since the last time we had to buy a binder (LOL)!I don’t even know how many music credits she will earn this year (LOL)! She is taking guitar lessons and drum lessons from “real” teachers. Tim is teaching her to play the bass this year and I continue to help her with keyboard things. We have also found someone to continue mentoring her in worship leading this year. Her goal is to become compotent enough on each of the “band” instruments to be able to better lead her band by being able to show them what she’d like them to play. So, here she is practicing her guitar lesson. She’s only had two lessons, this year but so far she is LOVING it and is very happy with the direction the lessons are headed:
Tim loaned one of his spare basses out to another student the last couple of years, but now that we finally have it back Amanda has started on it! She is picking it up very quickly. Here she and Tim are having a lesson. And, Amanda suggested tonight that the spare bedroom downstairs be turned into a music room instead of an office for Tim. We will have to consider that since we’ll be setting up a drum set pretty soon and right now there is NO ROOM for one.The drum lessons haven’t started yet… that will start later this week and in an effort to blog her school plans for this year I’ll go ahead and post this without a picture!There are lots more things in the works! American and British literature, logic, writing and more. I’ll have to post more as I get them ironed out, but for now… we have the basics and music and that’s quite enough already on top of her work schedule!