Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmetic - Back to School 2013

Today was our first day of school.  Prior to that we spent most of the Labor Day weekend shopping for supplies, writing lesson plans and getting the house in order.  I bought pretty notebooks and pens (for myself) since I'm a sucker for all things sparkly.  My cursive is prettier in glitter LOL.

I don't even know how I got to this day (okay I know, grace).  Even up until last week I didn't have the desire to think about anything else outside my own grief. There is a blog post coming about that - living life in the absence of desire.  With the beginning of the school year slowly creeping up on me I remembered that it was the same way when my mom died.  I didn't know how to put my life back together in time to make lesson plans.  So I just plowed through each day whether I was  up for it or not.  Lesson plans have to be written, pretty pens have to be bought since a dotted line was signed under "Thy will be done".  Pinterest and Google were also partly to be credited for my return to life LOL.  Once the materials came, I started having a vision again of what I want our homeschool and home life to be like this year.  I'm still not sure how many of those are realistic but hey, I have plans, they are pretty and covered in prayer. 

So enough talking, I have pictures to post!

my precious

ugly bin about to be prettified, thank you Pinterest

pretty Contact paper...

you know where this is going...

on the now not-so-ugly bin

and the kid's bin just can't be outdone, thank you Contact paper

I came home to this after morning Mass, the girl made breakfast and set the table. I knew then it was going to be a good homeschool day

their official first day of school photo with schultute which I first saw on Barb's blog in 2008

creative writing class via Sarah Small - we are having a blast so far, yes I am doing it alongside my kids.  My favorite assignment was the first one - buy a pretty journal. So I did!

and then there was an egg-less fondant to roll out.  The girl made this on her own for the fourth child's birthday, part Science experiment and all Culinary skill!

umm yeah, this needs a pretty fondant to hide the delicious ugliness

and voila! pretty cake...she's making balloon shapes from the left over fondant, a birthday boy will be so very happy tomorrow!

I hope you are all having a good school year so far.