It's Back to School for the Jennings!

We were supposed to start school last week. And, well, you know. Life happens. :)  That is just one of the reasons I LOVE homeschooling the kiddos. Not that we can just fly by the seat of our pants or anything, but we do have a little flexibility when we have a little too much going on.

So, today was our first day.  Mia is starting her first year with us at home and is super excited.  I think that we made a great decision by having her stay home this year instead of waiting for kindergarten.  Tate is in 2nd and 3rd grade, as he likes to say. :) He is doing 2nd grade curriculum except Math, which is 3rd grade.  Tucker is doing 5th grade curriculum except Math and Reading, which is 6th grade. Another reason I love homeschool - you can teach them where they are. :)

Here are our super fun first day pics!!  (realizing it may not be much longer that Tucker will stand in front of our house holding a sign)  :)

Love this!!  Super fun for calendar math and circle time on the other side. :)  A total splurge just to help keep the littles busy - and learn a little while we are at it. :)

He doesn't sit this still very often, so I had to grab a pic. :)

Lynli joined right in!  She talked the whole way through our "circle time" - complete with copying mommies hand motions. :)  We think she may be a lefty. 

So, another school year begins!  Is is truly one of the hardest, but most rewarding things I have ever done. Honestly, I don't do much else. My house is a wreck most of the time and the laundry hardly gets folded - unless my mom comes. :)  Most of my free time is spent doing lesson plans for 3 grades now and figuring out who needs to study what and what field trips work the best with who. 

BUT, right now, I wouldn't change a thing. The time I get with my children is priceless. I have been blessed beyond measure with these amazing four children. Really blessed.  And even though many days I am exhausted, totally exhausted by the end of the day, I just wouldn't change it.  

Off to fill our work boxes and sleep!!

We should have named her....

Joy.

Seriously. I love her name. Lynli Grace. It really does fit her. But, had I known her first, we might have added a Joy in there somewhere. :)

She is such a joy and truly a wonderful addition to our family. Her smiles and giggles keep us laughing and smiling all day long. Her little voice is so cute.

She is still repeating things we say, but doesn't talk very much on her own yet. In the past couple of days she has started pretending to talk to us. It is hard to explain, but so cute. If Mia is talking to me, Lynli will come over, make the same hand gestures as Mia, but will whisper and "gibber gabber" as if she is saying the same thing as Mia. PRECIOUS.

Guess who is sleeping in her room?  Yep. We moved her in there last night and so far, so good. She likes to have Keith lay with her until she falls asleep. Mia is excited to finally have little sis in her room!

The last two weeks have been really good. We are just taking it day by day. School starts tomorrow for the oldest 3 and mommy is excited to be back to a little bit of a schedule.

Here are some fun pics from Lynli's first 2 weeks home....

First haircut with Granna! 

Visiting the zoo!

Silly kiddos!

Do you see that smile?

For my mom... I tried. Really. I did. :) She was just not having it. 

At least these two wanted to pose! :)