I am unreasonably excited about starting back on Monday!

[musicposy]

I know autonomous educators won't have this feeling, but we took 6 weeks off for the summer and I am so desperate to get the children's teeth into some work again!

I've bought new books and stationery, ordered new GCSE textbooks from amazon, and sorted out all the junk hanging around from last year.

I've even done a timetable for both of them for this week, haha .

It won't last, of course. By October we'll be bumming around again working at a more relaxed pace again, but it's fun to plan it all out!

Tell me it's not just me! Or, tell me I'm slightly obsessive, if you prefer.

No our workbooks and new excercise books are sat on the table ready and waiting theres new pencils in a pot and a big packet of crayola crayons that I sniff to remember infant school all waiting in anticipation of next week ......

I'm not a home educator yet (DS not quite 2) but can totally understand the attraction of new pencilcase etc. It's the most lovely and perfect part of the whole school year.

We went to a carboot on Bank Holiday Monday and got loads of stuff, including brand new KS3 Maths, Science and English books, brand new, for £3 for the lot.
Got grandson a little Page-a-Diary from the Works for £1.
Got 2 lapbooks planned already - Snakes one and a Meerkat one to go with our visit to Cotswold Wildlife Park a few weeks ago.

We started two weeks ago!

It's always really hard to motivate ds into working again so we don't take that much time off in the summer, just keep ticking over with the odd bit of work, but we've had a two week holiday away this year, plus ds had a week on summer scheme, and the weeks in between were 'readjusting' (he has Asperger's so it's necessary). I've been desperate to get back to normality and I couldn't wait any longer.

By the end of Sept I'll feel right again!

Good luck all for the new 'school year'!

Thank you! I am clearing out old textbooks today and throwing away the mountain of past papers my DD worked for her GCSEs (poor girl, I did feel slightly sorry for her when I saw the quantity ). I am really enjoying myself!

Am also sorted for tomorrow. DD is very excited to be starting 'work' again. It's nice getting new stuff and ordering off amazon. Have spent the last 2 days sorting out work plans/timetables etc, printing out stuff, buying 'e-books'. Still waiting for 1 book from amazon but other than that everything is ready!

We have a big pile of books to sell/give away too!

I am always excited about the potential possibilities when planning and buying resources. I can't seem to get away from the idea that new resources equals an even better learning outcome. Of course I need to move away from this idea before we all sink under a pile of text books and CD's! I plan to make better use of the library and hide my bank card. Do other people end up buying more resources than they need, or is it just me.
I have planned the next 6 weeks and DS is really keen to get started. His younger brother goes back to school but I have planned to use after-school time wisely this term and have set up reading eggs and Ed city for him. Partly in response to the long list the school have provided detailing everything I should teach him this term as yet I haven't sent back a list of what I expect them to teach him this term! tempting though it is.