This is "A Week" and I've got plenty of "A" words to associate with this week. Anxiety. Assurance. Accomplishment. Anticipation. Advocacy.

And adaptable.

I never realized just how UNprepared I was for this homeschooling business. I learned today just HOW important it is to figure out ways to meet my daughter's educational needs. I thought it was enough to figure out what subjects to teach and for how long, and that her lessons would be every day of the week (contrary to normal preschool hours, which are actually less continuous for some pupils). But, alas, it would happen that I just don't have enough supplies needed for her math, English, science and art lessons. I have made use of the Internet -- downloading worksheets and picking up on lessons here and there to incorporate -- but I just don't have the supplies and extra materials for her homeschooling needs.

To improvise, I've had to get creative. For her socializing needs, for example, I take her to PlayLand, where she plays with other children for at least an hour almost every day of the week. That is also where she can do arts and crafts, so if I don't have anything for an art project for her to do (like I did today), then PlayLand meets this need, as well. I also had to create the flashcards for her math lesson today, as well as use the English worksheets I made which she has been working on all week. Additionally, I bought cheap 99-cent stickers for her beach art projects, as well as changing supplies for projects if I can't find/afford something.

I've also restructured lessons on the 'Net, changing them to accommodate my daughter's educational level. For example, if a preschool science lesson involves naming the parts of a plant, I'll break that down for her in a way that she can not only easily grasp the words but also remember them by writing it down or drawing it.

Where I can't do a lesson with her because I don't have the materials or know how to get somewhere or can't afford a trip to an aquarium (we've been studying the beach and marine life themes all week), then I'll print stuff off of Web sites and throw it together as an improvised project. The same theme is still being taught, but until I get organized better and get more materials, I can't teach them the same way everybody else does.