Our new school year

Well, I did say these were sporadic thoughts in the line under my blog heading!
This year is going so well. We are in week 6 of our new school year. Dd is 11 and a half, Ds is 10. I got so bored during our long summer break, that I did oodles of preparation for our new school year. I was, as usual, impatient to begin.
I think being in our 3 rd year of homeschooling (we began back in June 2003) I have lost a lot of those beginners heebee jeebees. I feel much more confident. I know what I want to do, I have read very widely, I know the kids in that unique way that homeschooling mums get to know their kids- what will work, what wont, and how they learn.
We have a good routine and the year started straight into it. Except that I put back our starting time half an hour- I shifted it from 8.30 to 8am. And the kids have to be out of bed by 6.30 am and lights out at 8.30pm. It is summer here though (well, officially beginning autumn but we are having a late summer) and no one has balked at all at the earlier start. It makes such a difference though, to the day.
Here is what we are doing this year:

Dd 11.5, she would be in 7th grade here in Australia, but 6th in the U.S. I tend to follow TWTM mostly, so I go with the U.S. grades, approximately.
Maths- Singapore 5B, 6A, 6B. Caluculadders, and a Living math book.
Memory work- poetry to match our history year, and Latin, so far.
Classical Writing HomerA. Going very well. Using Harveys as well, and this is very refreshing after slogging away with Rod and Staff last year, for both of us.
Latin- Cambridge book 2. Also she attends a Latin class which is still on Cambridge book1- we use the class as revision and to fill any gaps.
Science- Tops Science Beans and Corn for the first 5 weeks. Very successful. Now we are doing Singapore My Pals are Here 6. love it. Nicely presented, simple and doable, but develops good thinking skills.
History- SOTW 3 and 4 this year,I decided. We do 2 chapters a week. She outlines 1 chapter (well, the corresponding KHE pages usually) and writes a report related to the other.
Logic- Philosophy for Kids, and Fallacy Detective
Art and Music appreciation- 8 musicians and 8 artists for the year.
Australian History, using various Living Books.

Classes- Piano, Recorder ensemble, Drama, Sport, Watercolours, Latin, and Scouts.

She is such a bright kid, and her strengths are in languages and art. I want to start French and Greek with her too- but where to fit them in?

Ds10.
I am very happy with his progress and that finally I can get him to write more. He still doesnt like it, but he is getting better. Handwriting is still pretty bad, but he is remembering his punctuation most of the time, yay!

Maths- Singapore 4A and 4B, Calculadders
Memory Work- poetry and Latin.
Classical Writing Aesop. This is working well for him. We are not doing any other grammar this year, this feels like enough. I would rather he solidify those basics.
Latin- Cambridge 1, with me.
Spelling- Calvert.
Handwriting- 1 line a day.
Great Editing Adventures book 1- simple editing. I just have the student book. Takes 5 minutes.
Science- Top, and Singapore MPH4. Going well.
History- SOTW 3 and 4, but he writes one or 2 narrations a week, depending on our time.
Music Appreciation- I have a plan for the year, 2 composers a term.
Art- again, 2 artists a term.
Logic Puzzles- Mindbenders and Sodoku.

Classes- Treble recorder, recorder ensemble, Drama, Sport, and Cubs.

I am SOOO happy with the way things are going so far this year.