First week at school - I mean homeschool

I would say the first week at homeschool was a complete disaster ... chaos ... and super fun. Let me start with the disaster and chaos part and leave the best for last.

Class curriculum:  Somewhere between Nursery and etc ...
Location: A 20 MIMS Ardendale --- Basement
Student name: Isaac George Joel

We (Isaac and me) started on Monday June 4, 2012 morning at approximately 8:30 am.
While at the breakfast table I wrote down BIG and small alphabets till 'E' and Isaac enjoyed watching me write as I asked him to guess the alphabet.
We headed to the basement and after a small prayer, which included me asking Isaac to pray for Amma for lots of patience today I started to play some nursery rhymes. I think I was more excited than Isaac. As we started playing 'the ants go marching' I started to teach Isaac to march ... and we had a blast! I completely forgot that I was 35 years old and bound to tire very quickly. At the end of the song I was exhausted. However Isaac kept listening to the songs and kept dancing and playing with his toys.
I had also forgotten that my 2.5 year old got bored quicker than I could organize the next activity.

So it was little before 9 am and Ziva was still hanging out with us when I told Isaac we will paint when Ziva goes for a nap. Mistake number two .... My 2.5 year old still does not get what waiting means. Isaac started to throw a tantrum that he wanted to paint and in about 5 mins was annoying me. I managed to distract him with some more music. This time I introduced Mozart 'uncle' to him .... Yes Mozart - symphony #40. Luckily Ziva's aunty came and rescued us and took Ziva up for a nap. We painted and listened to more Mozart uncle. Then it was play time for Isaac! Phew! Isaac goes to the park with the maid and hangs out with another little girl his age called Kia and they both seem to have a blast and are best buddies. It seems to be a good time for him to adjust to another child who tugs toys from him and teaches him to share in her own way!
Play time was followed by lunch and reading right before nap. We have chosen a few books from the Ladybird reading level 1 and 2 set. Isaac already knows them to heart! Quite annoying when he says the dialogue before you get to the page!
-----------------END OF DAY 1

Day two started similarly with a prayer and Amma and Isaac dancing to BINGO! I had made a big mistake .... over enthusiasm. Isaac would not let me sit down and kept pulling me up to dance. Having Ziva around did not help since she kept getting into trouble and kept trying to run up the stairs!  Mid way through Isaac turned on the Organ and started playing the pre-recorded 'Livin La Vida loca'. So by 8:45 there was pure noise in the basement and one exhausted Mama.
Again Ziva's aunty came to my rescue and left Isaac and me to some caryons and drawing time. We revised alphabets and reading was Just Ducky one of Isaac's favorite book followed by me copying the ducky on a piece of paper and Isaac attempting to color it.
We learnt the difference between light and dark colors.... Light green ... dark green
Playtime
Lunch
Nap + Reading
------------------End of Day 2

Day 3
A completely exhausted me was dreading day three. But an over enthusiatic Isaac wanted to go to the basement and play music. I managed to drag myself downstairs and turn on Mozart Symphony #40. Isaac played around for a little bit.
We read 'My Big Little Bible' given to Isaac by Lincy aunty.
We revised Big 'A' and small 'a' ... alphabets
Playtime
Lunch
Nap + Reading
--------------------End of Day 3

Day 4
The house was a complete mess. There were books and crayons everywhere and we were out of groceries. I decided to use this day as learning time at the grocery store. We looked at fruits and vegetables and translated everything we could into Malayalam.
I was still exhausted from Day 1-3 and we reached back home in time for play time
Lunch
Nap + Reading
----------------End Day 4

Day 5
I went to the basement with the newspaper and tried to read in the hope that Isaac would just play around for a bit. But he kept annoying me and pulling my paper away. Finally I gave him some puzzles (4,5 and 6 pieces). He put them together in a matter of a few minutes and then was back to pulling my paper!
Finally I took Isaac upstairs and we baked a cake together. .... It was both a change for us and entertainment for Isaac to play with the batter.
Playtime
Lunch
Nap + Reading
----------------End Day 5

I had learned some important lessons this week.
a) Do not let the house go into chaos because you are trying to homeschool a 2.5 year old. i.e. take time to do some household chores that the maid cannot do like grocery shopping.
b) He is a 2.5 year old ... he doesnt need to learn something everyday !  So I am thinking every alternate day we take a break to start with
c) Curb my enthusiasm .... Week 2 was much better since I sat down while Isaac danced to BINGO
d) Its going to get better
e) Mommy needs more Prayer


Highlights of the Week 1
a) Isaac asking me to play Mozart uncle at Lunch instead of one of his animated movies
b) Isaac recognizing light and dark colors
c) Isaac looking forward to going to the basement
d) Isaac yelling 'Appa look small 'f' ' at the mall :)  (this is at the end of week two)
e) Eating cake that Isaac and I baked together.


I will put up how week 2 came along  ... to let my readers know that it did get better when Amma curbed her enthusiasm!
Will put up a video of Isaac dancing to 'BINGO' soon!

Breakfast at the Joels

So breakfast in our household is normally a hurried affair. Each person eats or is fed as the food arrives. However today Sunday June 3 2012 ... it felt a little special. No there was no special occasion today. Just ... good old eggs ... and pretty pictures taken. Each one had a slightly different variation of egg. As Suresh says ' You can never mess up making Eggs!'

Here is what we had

Ziva - Wheat Kanji mixed with hardboiled Egg Yoke with a small spoon of butter mixed in. And on the side a slice of pear and to drink some good old milk! (Breast mlk!)  Ziva has just been introduce to egg. I am not certain if she likes it.

Isaac - Eggs beaten up with onions and sausage. Right as it was cooking up I spooned over the top some cheese and covered the pan. On the side was a small piece of sausage, some tomatoes and a slice of pear. Isaac decided to start with the pear and then worked up to the sausage and left the egg for last. To drink ... some good old Bournvita!

Suresh - Eggs beaten with onions, sausage, coriander and a lot of black pepper. Just as I had done with Isaac, I spooned in some cheese and covered up the pan. On the side a small piece of sausage, a slice of pear and toast. To drink ... some Litchi juice!

Me - Oatmeal with almonds and cranberry. On the side the white of a hard boiled egg i.e. leftover from Ziva and a slice of pear. To drink ... good old milk!