Happy Not-Back-to-School Day!

The Ambleside Online curriculum that I'm using has fantastic resources, including related Yahoo groups.  One of the groups has had a recent thread about homeschooler's "not-back-to-school-day" traditions.  Since this is our first year home schooling, I thought some of these ideas were fantastic!  However, we have a full schedule today so the only idea I was able to implement was to show him his new school books and explain a little about what we are going to do with them.  I'm also working on putting chalkboard paint on an old chalkboard (fixing small holes and covering over some white paint) that a friend found - then we'll hang it up and the dining room will be a school room.

Some of the ideas I liked included breakfast with dad while the other kids are bussed to school, decorating the school room and throwing a party with school supplies as gifts, and taking "school" photos.  I would love to implement these traditions, and may be able to do some of them next Monday when we officially start.  Today was the first day of school in our county, so it would be the official not-back-to-school-day.

Why can't we start school now?  My husband is out of town at a game convention (GenCon) and DS and I will be joining him Thursday night through Sunday, just for fun.  (If you are near Indy, take your family on Sunday for discounted badges/admission and go shopping for games!  Make sure to stop by the GameScience booth for some awesome dice!)  Also, I had a merchandising job to do this morning, a chiropractic appointment (ouch! ribs are still healing!!), and a couple extra kids to babysit while their mom takes care of "big people" stuff. Sometimes I wonder if I ever *will* have a "normal" day.  And what is a normal day, anyway?  LOL

FD and I got up before the boys, and she did a great job getting ready for her first day of school - even brushed her own hair and put it in a ponytail!  She wore the Justin Beiber shirt again with the boots. :)   She popped out of bed, hugged me and said, "I'm going to miss you today".  Awwwwww.....it is different without her here!  We walked to the bus stop together (waited from 6:25 to 6:40am for it) and met the neighbor and her boy, who is one year older than FD.  I'm glad she already has a friend for the bus ride, and a couple of girls in class that she knows.  I'll see her again at 3:30pm.  Long day for a 6 year old!