School has begun!

Summer went out with a few bangs... an amazing trip to Disney with Aunt R being among them, but now we are in full academic swing, and the year is going more smoothly than I could have predicted.

But we had a rocky start.

I came home from [a perfect] Florida [trip] to complete chaos. New Daddy had gone camping with the kids, Poppy, and Mimi for the first part of the week, but the last two days I was away, New Daddy was working at home and the kids pretty much fended for themselves. Part of this "fending" was the decision to split up the bedrooms so that Precious and Bubby could move to their own rooms. In the blur of work and surviving without his wife around, New Daddy doesn't remember really being involved in this decision.

When I arrived, ALL of their non-bed bedroom furniture was in the [unnavigable] living room, there was leftover Chipotle on the dining room table with flies buzzing, and no one had touched a single dish. I had left the dishwasher about 15 dishes short of a full load, and it was in that exact condition when I arrived home 5 days later.

I went to the bathroom and cried. I felt like a pretty crummy mom.

So... I did finally catch up on dishes! We have gotten rid of trash bags full of toys (buh-bye dinosaurs) and old papers, given away, sold, and stored in the attic the nicer toys. Our house is a haven now! It was a *process*, but after three Saturdays of everyone working on each room together, we have a home that we really enjoy being in. Still a few straggling toys that need homes, but we have a much better handle on things than before.

Our first-day picture that we actually took in the evening, because the morning was so rushed. I'm amazed at the academic/work ethic growth that has taken place in Precious between Challenge A and B. She is really taking to B this year. Bubby was made for Challenge A, and he is eating it up, hehe! Cutie has really taken to her first year of Essentials, too! She sat in my class all last year, so she pretty much knows what to do.

An especially productive morning this week (and our *clean* living room!) Bubby's desk went downstairs with him to his new room (former playroom), so that has made the living room much less cluttered.

We made a short stop by Ikea to pick up this wall desk and pegboard for Precious. She is loving having her own space. Her room has a beachy feel with teals, whites, and silvers.

And... we're sailing! I'm so thankful to be able to homeschool my children.