Managing the different age groups is by far my biggest challenge.

Charlie, as you can imagine, needs to be kept busy (otherwise I deserve whatever it is he's going to do to me). He is not yet at a point where he can entertain himself (will he ever be?). If I get him busy with something and try to walk away, he's hanging on my pant leg within 30 seconds. I often end up holding him while trying to work with the girls. We also have taken to working in the afternoon while he's sleeping.

Maya's is awesome. She's the least of my worries. She can play alone for an extended period of time. And although she needs a lot of guidance during school time (which is done in short spurts) she is generally patient while waiting her turn. She is a lot of fun at this point because playing games, reading books and generally being a part of everyday life is "school" for a four-year-old.

Madison takes most of the instructional time at this point. When she begins reading independently that will change. She gets tired or distracted easily when we're working on something challenging. But when she's focused she is a hard and enthusiastic worker.

Makenna. Oh, Makenna. Unfortunately the second grade Language arts curriculum is too easy. She'll be finished with it this week. It's very textbook based at this point and she's quite board with it. We'll spend next week reading, reading and reading while I review more curriculum choices for her. The market is full of options. It is hard narrowing it down. She doesn't understand why she has more work to do and needs to work longer hours. Nevertheless she is a hard worker and driven student. She complains about the noise the others are making and she can't concentrate. Now, could our house possibly be louder than a classroom of 20 kids? Well, possibly.