School has started

I have a first-grader.

Last year when Mavis was in kindergarten all of this Core Curriculum didn't matter - she was learning how to be around other children and to be away from home. All of the counting and cutting out and coloring was just reinforcement for what she'd started to learn at home. Today I glanced through the PDF file of what will be taught to her this year and one thing really jumped out at me: fractions! Wow. I don't remember when I learned them, oh so long ago, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't in first grade. Last (school) year I did show her some recipes and how we use fractions when cooking and baking and I can do that again, of course, but still...lots for her to remember and keep track of. And helping her will be mostly up to me as Chas works evenings three nights a week.

We also started piano lessons again as part of Mavis' daily/weekly schedule. While I don't have any training in teaching piano, I do at least play and have done since I was five. So she'll start with me as her teacher and then when we can get her with a someone more experienced perhaps she'll have learned her notes, timing, finger placement and a few songs. Neve watched us very intently the whole time.

I'm loving this time of year with so much started anew. Giving my girls these experiences and exposure to activities and concepts is very satisfying for me. But as I write this I am reminded of the projects and ideas I was going to pursue for my own edification and learning. First will have to be time management, apparently.