Welcoming October and Fall

This is how we started the week:

October's Party (author unknown)

October gave a party
The leaves by hundreds came.
The chestnuts, oaks and maples,
And leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand;
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind led the band.

The chestnuts came in yellow,
The oaks in crimson dressed;
The  lovely decked out Maples
In scarlet looked their best.

All balanced to their partners,
They lightly fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow,
New fallen from the sky.

There in the dusky hollow,
At hide and seek they played.
The party closed at sunset
And everybody stayed.

Professor Wind roared louder,
They flew across the ground;
And there the party ended
With hands all around.

I read this poem this morning before starting our new lessons in Science and Language Arts.  I love it!  The kids did too.  After our lessons we went on a nature scavenger hunt.  We set out to find a variety of leaves, seeds, flowers and other things.  The kids not only had fun doing the hunt but they were surprised at finding wooly worms and 3 inch long grasshoppers.  I am so glad we went out and had fun!  This week end this grading period and I am so happy at how they are doing.  They really are striving to reach high and go further. 
   Sara has taught herself multiplication.  YES SHE TAUGHT HERSELF!!!  I showed her one thing and she took off.  I am so PROUD of her!  Kris who was struggling with math last year is striving forward and is catching up to where he needs to be.  I dislike my kids being held back when they want to learn new things, that's what happen to Sara last year.  I also dislike my kids being pushed forward when they haven't mastered something, such as being pushed to learn division when they haven't mastered the concept of multiplication.  Something that happened to our Kris.  Just aggravates me to no end!
  I love my kids and I love home schooling!