Teaching Mommy

Math Argument

2012-02-10T00:37:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned before that my children are doing Mathletics this year. Along with the on-line activities and games, I also print out their worksheets for each grade level. One of the best aspects of this curriculum is the different ways they have of getting students to view problem solving. They include many real-life applications and fun games for the younger ones.

This week, Seth is reviewing counting. Yes, a bit below his level, but, sometimes it's nice to do something a bit easy. Anyway, one of the activities was to pick a number from a given list and count up to the next 100. We chose the number 922. The spin was to do it with a partner each person alternating numbers (i.e., he'd say 922, I'd say 923, he'd say 924, etc.) and say them as if you were arguing. This was a ton of fun! Mike got the camera out about half-way through our argument.

Just another day of homeschooling!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - Feb. 6, 2012

2012-02-06T21:57:00.001-05:00

In my life this week:
I did little else besides school & get ready for our first day of our second semester of our homeschool co-op (HOPE).

In our homeschool this week:
My husband took over much of our son's science, for which I am very grateful. I get so frustrated with the fact that I haven't improved much in that subject area since I was in 9th grade. Desiring to be better at Science & Math is just not enough to make it so.
My 2 older daughters wrote short stories for Language Arts and I was very pleased with their final copies.
My middle children have come far in working independently this year and I am very happy with them.
My youngest daughter finished her First Grade Science & History...already. Took her a total of about 4 weeks. Very reminiscent of her 2 oldest sisters.

Helpful homeschooling advice to share:
If you can find a homeschool co-op to join that is like-minded...join! It breaks up the monotony and helps with areas you may be weaker in.

My favorite thing this week:
My husband telling me he liked my hair. If you know him...this is a rare thing. Made me smile.

Things I'm working on:
Last week, it was HOPE. This week....Homeschool Fair.

I'm reading:
Still on The Lamplighter. Didn't have a lot of time to read.

I'm praying for:
My friend to receive good news in her test results concerning her breast cancer.

A video to share:
Just being goofy with my 2 youngest one day. (NOTE: I have no idea why Zane was trying to pull his tongue out. I swear, it is NOT a threat I use!!)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - January 29, 2012

2012-01-30T00:24:00.002-05:00

In my life this week...
Though it was a rough week with school, in the grand scheme of things, my life is good. And uncomplicated. Wednesday, my good friend's life became complicated - she was diagnosed with breast cancer. What have I to complain about?

In our homeschool this week...
This was a week I'd rather not repeat or remember. Interestingly, it seems that many homeschoolers had a trying week. Just when everything had been going so well. While my children did FINALLY complete all of their assignments, I'm ready for a new and better week.

Helpful homeschooling advice to share...
When scheduling doctor appointments, schedule them for the afternoon when most (if not all) of the school-work is done. If it's an emergency & there's no way around it....just call a sick day. Maybe I'm uptight, but after driving an hour, getting checked by the doctor, and filling a prescription, I'm not in the mood to pick up school when I get home. Therefore, I try to cram as much as I can in the short time I have before leaving for the morning appointment I so stupidly made. This only raises my blood-pressure. Not a good thing.

Learn from my mistakes. Schedule appointments during non-school hours.

I am inspired by...
Michelle Duggar. Proverbs 15:1 in action.

Places we are going...
We headed to the Federal Building in our city for a great field trip in which we met a Federal Prosecutor, a US Marshall, a bomb dog that works for the US Marshalls (one of only 19 in the country), and a DEA agent. Very cool.

My favorite thing this week...
Getting ALL of my laundry done on Saturday. With a household of 9, this is no small task. Nor is it one that happens often.

What's not working for us...
Morning doctor appointments. Do you sense the frustration? ;)

Thoughts I have...
If all my kids went to school, I'd get so much done & they'd like me better.

Oh, please, don't tell me you've never thought that!

Things I'm working on...
The final roster for our 2nd semester of co-op, lesson plans for co-op, speaker schedules for co-op...I guess I'm working on co-op.

I'm reading...
The Lamplighter. This is an old Christian fiction book that I was able to get for free from the Kindle store. According to the review, this book was second only to Uncle Tom's Cabin in sales during the 19th century!
I'm cooking...
Check out my blog post on my Triple Chocolate Cake!

I'm praying for...
My dear friend and her family.

A photo to share...

See? Told you it was a rough week...

...but I may have recovered.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T15:10:00.001-05:00

In my life this week...
I took care of a couple of sick children, took one to the doctor, consistently got up late, but am glad to say that I'm still staying on my goal to read my Bible every day this year. Some days, it's more than others, but God has spoken each time I've gone to Him.

In our homeschool this week...
We had the day off on Monday due to MLK Day. This was not a planned vacation, but as my niece & nephew had off of school, my brother asked if they could come to our house for the day. Like my kids were going to get any school work done and I'm sure my niece & nephew would have loved for me to make them do extra school work! So, they all had a blast playing outside and enjoyed tubing with my husband.

Due to illness and kids just feeling "blah", I didn't rush any one out of bed. We had no plans to go anywhere at all, so we just got school done as we could. Haven't double-checked, but it appears most of the children have finished all of their assignments.

Helpful homeschool advice to share...
The Homeschool Chick reminded me of this one. HSLDA. If you are not a member, become one. In this world of ever-changing laws, it is essential to have legal advice and advocates if ever you need them. The membership is about $120/year. We never have had to use them, but we don't feel we've wasted our money. It's worth knowing that they're there if we need them & our cash allows them to help those who are in need currently.

Places we are going...
Does the grocery store count? How about the doctor's office? Piano lessons tomorrow? That's about it.

What's working for us...
Having few outside activities planned. One more week of this bliss and then all activities pick back up. This rest has been like a high-carb meal before a marathon. So glad to be rested before the busyness gets going.

Thoughts I have...
*this space free*

Things I'm working on...
Getting info out about our second semester of co-op and organizing details. Getting more serious about planning the annual Homeschool Fair.

I'm reading...
I'm finishing up "The Heart & the Fist." Other than some profanity (which I don't recommend and is why my 14 year old won't be able to read this book), it is a fantastic book in which the author knows how to balance compassion and warfare. Sadly, in this fallen world, one needs the other.
I also read a newly released e-book written by the author of a blog I regularly read. Her blog is the Parents Magazine winner of Best Blog about children with special needs. Her new e-book, Dreams Change, is a must read for anyone desiring to understand the heart of a mother with a child who had Down Syndrome. It is a poignantly real look at the emotions that come with the diagnosis and the love that grows along the journey.

I'm cooking...
Black beans, at the moment, for chili. Does anyone else think that cooking beans smell like dirty feet?

I'm praying for...
A friend who is having a biopsy Monday to find out if she has breast cancer.

A photo to share...
My kids, niece & nephew tubing with my hubby. I think the caption is a perfect reminder for the rest of this homeschool year!

Checking in

2012-01-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

We ended up taking yesterday off due to the fact that my niece & nephew (who go to public school) had off for MLK Day and they came here for the day. It was nice to have a bit of an unplanned day off, but today I feel so...unmotivated. Three of our children completed their work today. Two are sick in bed. And, the youngest...well, she did educational activities on my iPhone. That counts, right?

Good news...Mike made #1 in the USA on Mathletics.com for the second time in a week!!! He was listed as #52 in the WORLD last week. Not sure where he places (if he does) this week. So very proud. His accomplishments spur the other children on and Katrina made it to #12 in the USA this past weekend - the first time she has made the list. I'm so thrilled that they are motivated to do math and continue to improve their skills.

So, any good news in your homeschool? Anyone else having an "off" day? I'm grateful for the fact that we have no plans and I haven't been stressed about "lost" time. I'm really learning to let things go and just enjoy my time with my family.

Homeschool Mother's Journal - January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T16:11:00.000-05:00

In my life this week...
I've been a bit under the weather. Fighting the 3rd ear infection in 1 1/2 months (or is it the same one?). I'm on my 3rd round of anti-biotics which, so far, seem to be doing the trick. I am so pleased with how my children really focused on their school and picked up the slack around here as I went to my doctor then crashed in bed on Monday.

In our homeschool this week...
It was our second week back to school after the Christmas break and, though the schedule was a bit off due to illness and appointments, it went very well. This is our first week of our 3rd quarter (yee-haw!) and it's good to be able to say that we are more than halfway through our school year & right on track!!

Helpful homeschooling advice to share...
I am really finding out how having less scheduled outside the home is making things a lot less stressful during our homeschool days.

I am inspired by...
This will sound cheesy, but I just finished reading Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar's book "A Love That Multiplies" and they truly inspire me to take things as they come, focus on the joy of family and the Lord, and care more about the things that really matter - such as children's character and happiness - rather than the superficial things many of us focus on - such as how perfect our house looks.

Places we are going & people we are seeing...
Doctors and their offices. Not much else.

My favorite thing this week...
The fact that my family was able to really pitch in together and allow me to rest when I needed it. Those days when I had 5 children 6 and under are still in my recent memory and it was nice not to have to call in back-up from outside the home.

Questions I have...
Why is it that, if Christian teens have Jesus Christ in their hearts and lives, they still want to look "cool" by frowning and looking miserable? Our countenances should be different than those who have no hope in Christ. If our children (and us) look as miserable as the world for the sake of fitting in, why would the world want Christ?

Things I'm working on...
Not much. I've enjoyed taking some time off. I think it's about time I get back to co-op lesson plans and Homeschool Fair plans.

I'm reading...
"The Heart and the Fist: The education of a humanitarian, the making of a Navy SEAL" by Eric Greitens. I've been contemplating reading this book for some time, but have hesitated as I'm not much into reading military books. However, this book is amazing and - dare I say it? - life changing. Truly a book that takes a real look into what life is all about and how we need to care for our neighbor. No, it's not written by a Christian, but, so far, I see little that would go against what is meant by "Love thy neighbor as thyself."

I'm grateful for...
My family.

I'm cooking...
Working on Chicken Pie right now.

I'm praying for...
My friends who are on the mission field and my friends who are going through difficult times.

A quote to share...
"Without courage, compassion falters...without compassion, courage has no direction." -Eric Greitens "The Heart and the Fist"

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - December 4, 2011

2011-12-04T22:54:00.000-05:00

In my life this week...
Life began to get back to normal, which is always a good thing. I felt like I was doing less running around and got a chance to catch my breath. I think that's a good thing as the holidays are upon us and I'm about to take off again! Good thing is, I've done more than half of my Christmas shopping and most of that has been done on-line! I took 5 of my children to my mom's small town's Hometown Christmas celebration this past Saturday, then came home and made home-made hot chocolate, popcorn, and settled in for a movie. Later that night, I wrapped all of the gifts I have on hand - a first!!

In our homeschool this week...
I had my oldest son do his school work at the table with us this week and he actually accomplished all of his assignments. Having him in view allowed me to help him keep on track and I didn't forget to check his work. Will be doing that again this week. Katrina finished her health book and Seth will finish his this week! All of the children are more than halfway done with their grammar books! We are definitely on schedule! Therefore, I decided to take a full two week Christmas break instead of the week & a half I had originally planned. I know the teacher is very happy about that! :)

Helpful homeschool advice to share...
I am doing some re-evaluation. I recently read that if you're just homeschooling to keep your children out of public school, you are doing it for the wrong reason. I know that is not the reason we began homeschooling, but lately, that has seemed to be my main purpose. I am asking the Lord to help me to get my initial vision back in focus and balance academics and ministry, Bible-learning, etc. This is something most of us need to do, at least every year or two. OK - it's something I need to do!

Places we are going & people we are seeing...
While we said good-bye to two very dear friends last Sunday, the Lord has been so gracious to me as He has dropped dear friends who have moved away on my doorstep 3 different times in the past week!!!!! How wonderful the gift of friendship is and how wonderful God is!!!

My favorite thing this week....
Just happened this evening. I was feeling overwhelmed by all the housework and cooking I'm struggling to keep up as many hours of my day are filled with homeschool. Clutter drives me to near-insanity. I'm not kidding. I poured my heart out to my husband tonight. He looked at me and told me how proud he was of me for all the planning I do with our homeschool and how he thinks I'm doing a great job. We planned some ways to get the kids on board to help. He then began to straighten out my front room and even moved the broken elliptical that's been upstairs for over a year outside!! I am totally blessed and humbled by how cheerfully & lovingly my husband serves me!

What's not working for us...

I am thinking about halting the LLATL for my Gloria. I like the curriculum for the older kids, but as her level just focuses on learning to read, which she is doing through 100 Easy Lessons, she and I are bored with it. So, I think we'll finish 100 Easy Lessons (21 more to go!!) and just continue on in the Pathway Readers my children love so much. We will also go ahead as planned and introduce Science & History after the first of the year.

Thoughts I have...

Filled with love for my husband.

Things I'm working on...

Being a joyful mother of children. Christmas shopping.

I'm reading...

"Growing Up Amish" by Ira Wagler on my Kindle. This is an amazingly eye-opening book into the lives and minds of Amish youth. It makes me realize that I need to be sure we live our Christian lives with joy in front of our children and explain to them with the Bible why we live our lives the way we do.

I'm cooking...

Um.....

I'm praying for...

My friends who moved to Barrow, AK last week and whom we haven't yet heard from!

A photo to share...

Took this as I was leaving my mom's hometown yesterday.

May you all have fun and not get overwhelmed with all the activities of the holidays during this part of our homeschool year!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - November 20, 2011

2011-11-21T01:25:00.000-05:00

In my life this week...
I haven't posted in the last couple of weeks as I've been busy helping a good friend who was thrown from a horse and broke her ankle. Not only has it been a huge blessing to be able to help someone else, but I've become much more thankful for my lot in life right now. I have several friends going through stressful moves (is there any such thing as a stress-free move?), challenging situations, physical problems, etc. I am busy, I am challenged in my parenting, I have an ear infection...but, I have so much and am so grateful.

In our homeschool this week...
Though life has become a bit busier, we have been able to keep up with our school, for the most part. While I've let up a little a couple of days, we have, indeed, done school every day. This week coming up is the first week this year that I'm not making lesson plans as I will be at the hospital with my friend as she has surgery on Monday and I'll be babysitting and preparing for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. The children will do as much school as they can Monday & Tuesday....

Helpful homeschool advice to share...
I've mentioned several times in this journal to keep on going, even when you don't feel like it. I'm so glad I've kept my advice as I can now ease up a bit when I have a friend in need. Helping others is a good reason to take a bit of a break from the school schedule.

I am inspired by....
My friend who was hurt is a single mom. She keeps going through it all and leans on God and His strength.

Places we are going...
Not very many places other than my friend's house, the store, the doctor's, and church.

My favorite thing this week was...
Seeing my girls do their very best at their violin recital on Friday evening and seeing 2 of them given flowers by their teacher in recognition of the fact that they have used their gifts more for the edification of others throughout this past year. Though ministry is not about public recognition, I think this act of kindness was a great encouragement to my girls. We are blessed to have some of the best music teachers for our children and all of them love & serve the Lord - great examples for our kids!

What's working for us...
Focusing on someone else other than ourselves. I have had to be away from my children more often these past 2 weeks, but they have ministered to our friend by behaving themselves in such a way that I can minister more efficiently without worry.

I'm reading...
Emma's Gift by Leisha Kelley. This is the sequel to Julia's Hope. I haven't had a lot of time to read, but will be catching up tomorrow as I wait for my friend to get through her surgery.

I'm cooking...
Potato soup for tomorrow night. Meatball subs for Friday. Breakfast for dinner on Wednesday. I'm responsible for the breads and desserts on Thanksgiving, so Wednesday will be spent baking!

I'm praying for...
My friend, Lisa. Missionary friends who have been dealing with illness and spider bites.

A video to share....
Two of my girls played a special in church a couple of weeks ago. By God's grace, I pray they will continue to desire to serve God always.

For more journal entries or to join us, go on over to The Homeschool Chick!

We Interrupt Your Day for a Special Report....

2011-11-01T17:21:00.001-04:00

This just in:

Two of my kids have been listed as the Top 50 USA students on Mathletics.com this week. Currently, Anna is in 3rd place.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled day.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - October 28, 2011

2011-10-28T21:42:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...
I'm slowly getting back to an early morning exercise routine & quiet time. I've been blessed by some marvelous quiet times with the Lord the past couple of weeks, but adding exercise has been wonderful, too. It's been missed.

My 14 year old had a milestone this week: he went bow hunting for the first time on Tuesday morning. He saw several deer, but none close enough to shoot. Going again tomorrow. It was a bit nerve-wracking for me, but time with the Lord, prayer, & the elliptical while listening to a sermon helped a ton!

In our homeschool this week...
If there was ever a week I just wanted to take off of school, this was it. I had such a bad & weary attitude on Sunday evening about the upcoming week. However, we muddled through Monday and plowed through Tuesday. By Wednesday, I was almost looking forward to school! I'm so glad we kept going...I feel like a success and no longer defeated!

Helpful homeschool advice to share...
Keep going, no matter if you feel like quitting. Just like a tough work-out, you'll feel better for completing than you will if you give up. It's one thing to skip a day of school because something comes up. It's another if you skip because you just don't feel like it. Those are the days we just need to hang on to the Lord for strength and keep on.

Places we are going...
Today, we went on a fantastic field trip which took us on an hour & a half tour of the Erie Canal. We even got to experience a Lock. Very cool!!! The sky was blue and the fall colors were absolutely gorgeous!

After the field trip, I took the opportunity to go to the only Apple Store in our area. The store is 45 minutes away from our home and, since the field trip was held close by the store, I decided this was the day to go get the glitch in my phone fixed. This was the children's first visit to the prestigious Apple Store. Their impression? I quote, "We could stay here all day!!" Yep. Those are my kids!

My favorite thing this week was...
My husband making it home for dinner most nights this week!

What's not working for us...
The fact that Mathletics.com has been re-vamping their website and their workbooks have been unavailable for 3 weeks.

Things I'm working on...
Editing my 3rd photo shoot in a month's time; laundry; getting kids clothes together for winter.

I'm reading...
I just finish "Inconceivable" and have just begun, "The Best Kind of Different: Our Family's Journey with Asperger's Syndrome" by Shonda Schilling. As I have a few friends who have children with this syndrome, I think it will be a good book to read in order to understand more of what these children and their parents deal with everyday.

I'm cooking...
Enchiladas tomorrow to take to a bachelor-friend on Sunday.

I'm praying for...
Good friends who have spent the last 3 days in Barrow, Alaska as they consider taking a job up there.

A video to share...
Thought I'd share a clip of my Gloria reading. She's doing so well. This clip basically is a snapshot into our everyday homeschool reality around here...sound effects, comments, goofy faces, and all. I'm sure you all can relate!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!!!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - October 24, 2011

2011-10-24T23:37:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...
I'm posting the Journal entry 90 minutes before the deadline. Does that tell you anything???

Had one of my husband's best friend's from high school come over for dinner last Thursday. Haven't seen him in 13 years, meaning this is the first time my children ever met him. They absolutely LOVED hearing stories about daddy in high school!!

In our homeschool this week...
We did school in our local public library two days in a row. What a great thing it was to have a change of scenery!!! The kids worked hard and didn't even mention they were hungry when it got past lunchtime!

Helpful homeschool advice to share...
Get out and do school in a different location!

I am inspired by...
The wisdom and insight of younger friends.

Places we are going/people we are seeing...
My husband isn't going anywhere. He's only seeing fields and grain bins. We, however, have gone to the library, my nephew's football game, co-op, etc. I met up with the adult members of my family for a nice dinner last night...sans hubby. :(

My favorite thing this week was...
Having the long-absent cleaning lady come in to clean my house for company. Sometimes, you have to admit that you can't do everything and still have family members survive.

I'm reading...
Still on "Inconceivable" by Carolyn & Sean Savage. Interesting read. Won't say much more.

I'm praying for...
Courting & engaged couples. Overwhelmed moms. Missionaries.

A quote to share...
"Wish I was there with you." -my husband. *sigh*

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - October 9, 2011

2011-10-10T19:17:00.000-04:00

No matter how I try to get this done earlier than Monday, it never seems to work. Oh well. Such is the life of a busy homeschool mom.

In my life this week...

I was able to get together with a couple of high-school/life friends last Monday night to celebrate the engagement of one of these dear friends. This friend suffered an almost-fatal brain aneurysm back in March. What a blessing that God spared her and she is planning her wedding with a great guy...also a fellow-graduate.

On Friday night, we had an impromptu dinner-fellowship with another couple with whom we go way back. They were only in town for a week and were leaving the next day, so we made the most of the short time we had. Between our 2 families, we have 15 children 15 and younger. All those kids plus all the memories made for a lot of fun on Friday night!

Our last session of soccer was on Saturday morning. It's been a great and fun 8 weeks for my four children who have participated (1 was an assistant coach and 3 played). While some of the coaches were better than others, each of my children enjoyed themselves and all 3 of "my" players scored a goal during the Saturday league.

In our homeschool this week...

We had another shortened week due to a birthday. Our sweet Anna turned 11 on Wednesday and birthdays are one of the best reasons to take a break from school and celebrate! Other than that, we are getting well into our "rut." At this point, it's a pleasant "rut," though I foresee me wanting to break free from it come the middle of February.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

Fresh out of advice this week.

Places we are going...

Wednesday found us at a great local playground while celebrating Anna's birthday. We met Grandma at a nearby Apple Farm for some fresh fry-cakes and cider afterwards. Friday was co-op day and our routine is kicking in there, as well. On Sunday, my husband was busy with the fall harvest, so I took the kids to a nearby waterfall and had a picnic consisting of pizza and Coke! We enjoyed a beautiful hike on a rare 80 degree, sunny fall day. Had a chance to get some photos of my 12 year old and am looking forward to editing those this coming week.

My favorite thing this week was...

After H.O.P.E. (our co-op) on Friday, I found myself surrounded by several of the K4-1st graders proudly showing off their artwork to me. How sweet it was that they wanted me to see what they had done! I sometimes think little ones are afraid of me and it was sweet to see that this group isn't!

What's working/not working for us...

This past Monday was the first Monday in which we had to combine my son's weekly piano lesson, my daughters' monthly cleaning job, and our weekly city ministry. Not sure that's working for us!

Questions/thoughts I have...

What is it about Tuesdays???? That seems to consistently be the day that my kids POKE around with their school and I get totally stressed. What about you? Is there a day that seems to be more stressful?

Things I'm working on...

Laundry and cleaning....again.

I'm reading...

"Inconceivable" by Carolyn Savage. I just finished "Choosing to SEE" by Mary Beth Chapman. THAT was an amazing book! Though I'm not a huge CCM fan, I found that the Chapman family has a very real relationship with Jesus Christ. It is often said that your faith will shine through in the midst of a trial or, in contrast, prove you have no faith during a trial. The fact that Stephen Curtis Chapman gave the gospel message to the doctors and nurses while he gazed upon the lifeless body of his 3 year old daughter is proof of a strong and real faith. I can only hope I would be so faithful to God in such a trial. I highly recommend "Choosing to SEE."

I'm cooking...
A lot of pasta. It's easy.

I'm praying for...
Friends who are making decisions regarding employment and a major move.

A quote to share...
"If God has called you to be a servant, don't stoop to being a king." -Gary Beikirch

Journal along with other dedicated homeschool moms over at The Homeschool Chick!

Annoyed or Annoying

2011-10-03T01:17:00.000-04:00

The other day, I was teaching Seth (7 years old) the difference between "there, their, and they're." The following is the short conversation that took place:

Me: Seth, if you get this, you will be ahead of 50% of the adults in the English-speaking world. The other 50% of us are annoyed by those who don't get it. So, Seth, it comes to this: you can be annoyED or annoyING. Which would you rather be?

Seth: AnnoyED. It's embarrassing to be annoyING.

That's my boy!!!!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - October 1, 2011

2011-10-01T22:07:00.000-04:00

In our homeschool this week...

Normally, we accomplish five days worth of school in four, but this week we crammed five days into three. On Monday morning I received a text from my brother informing me that an old friend had passed away the night before. Once I found out that his memorial service was Thursday morning, I knew that I had to make sure the children's school work was done before I could go. So, we all worked hard and pulled some long hours, but I was glad to be able to attend my friend's service. It was truly wonderful as the speakers were amazingly eloquent in honoring our loved one.

Helpful homeschooling tips/advice to share...

"Be prepared." It's not just for Boy Scouts. As homeschool moms, we need to be as efficient as possible. While it costs me a few hours every weekend, writing down all of my students' assignments and looking through the material to see what is expected of them (& of me!) during the week saves me headaches and stress later in the week.

Places we are going and people we are seeing...

I saw a few friends I have not seen in a while at the funeral home on Wednesday evening and at the memorial service on Thursday. After the service, I took advantage of the time I had alone and did some shopping for school materials and other needed items. Sadly, I didn't get half of the items on my small list, but I did find some nice ear rings! :)

I took a couple of my children to sing at an assisted living apartment in town in order for them to minister to the residents with our church's youth choir. That was a ton of fun.

Friday, four of the kids and I went on a field trip in which we learned about some of the road construction going on in our town and how all of those type of projects come to be and are carried out. While the kids seemed to lose interest fairly quickly, we adults were fascinated with all aspects of construction.

My favorite thing this week...

Having my husband ask me to go to the store with him just to get a couple of things. He knew I'd go to the store late at night when all the kids were in bed and I was dead tired. Instead, he made it a fun little date for the two of us!

Questions/thoughts I have...

In light of our field trip this week, why is it that the older we get, the more questions we have? Why do we become more interested in things we do not know about and yet have less time to learn about them now that we are parents rather than when we were teens and had "all the time in the world"?

Things I'm working on...

Cleaning my house. It's a long, unending process. Can I get an "Amen"?

I'm reading...

"Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman. You know it's going to be a tear-jerker when the dedication page makes you cry!

I'm cooking...

A lot of pasta. It's quick & easy and relatively healthy!

I'm praying for...

A friend who just left for his 4th (or is it 5th?) & longest tour in Afghanistan.

A quote to share...

"Go to other people's funerals or they won't go to yours." -Richard Wilson. Posted earlier this year on his facebook page. Went home to heaven Sept. 25, 2011.

I went to your funeral, Rich. I expect you to return the favor someday. ;) Thanks for all the laughs and all that you did for my family. Looking forward to sharing the joys of heaven with you.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 25, 2011

2011-09-25T21:46:00.000-04:00

In our homeschool this week...
We had our ups and downs, just like any other school week. However, due to some meditating and soul-searching, I do believe it was a bit more joyful and peaceful. We are well into our routine and that is good (though I'm hoping routine doesn't turn into rut too soon!).

Tuesday was a big test day. I've come to realize that I dread grading tests about as much as my children dread taking them, but I am happy to report that most of the tests resulted in great scores!

My daughter incubated 31 chicken eggs and we had 17 hatch! 1 passed on into chick heaven yesterday and 2 little lives are hanging in the balance, though my vet-daughter is doing all she can to nurse them back to health. She's also in her glory with three very young goats that arrived last week!

Helpful homeschool tips/advice to share...
Keep on going. When you feel like skipping a day - don't. You'll just be tempted to skip another. Trust me on this one. So glad I overcame temptation this week!

Places we are going/people we are seeing...
My two oldest girls painted a shed for a friend this past week. It was a great first experience for them and one for which they were paid! Other than that and the library, we stayed close to home...again! :)

My favorite thing this week was...
Having coffee & cheesecake with my mom as she told me all about her recent trip to Vermont & Maine. Made me feel like I was living back in those places again. So want to return for a visit. But, it was good to see my mom so happy and hear that she had the time of her life!

What's working/not working for us...
I'm loving the fact that my oldest daughter has taken over the task of writing out the weekly chore list. I never even see her do it, but it's done every week. I don't even have to think about it, but the chores continue to get accomplished!

Thoughts I have...
The Bible says that a merry heart doeth good like a medicine. My heart has not been merry as of late, but this week, I made sure I smiled more. I asked God to help me focus on what was important. While I saw through my own life and through the Bible that it is impossible to be happy all the time, I can rest in Christ and do what He asks of me. This is peace.

I'm reading...
My Lucky Life by Dick Van Dyke. While interesting, I'm even more convinced that if one is a celebrity, they are able to get a book published and printed without it actually being edited for major grammatical flaws. I did finish reading Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. What a book!!! I am so grateful for the freedom I have and the love I am shown by those around me.

I'm praying for...
Missionaries and pastors, a courting couple, and my family.

A quote to share...
"What happens IN you is much more important than what's happening TO you." -Gary Beikirch (Congressional Medal of Honor recipient).

What happened in YOUR homeschool this week? Share with us over at the Homeschool Chick!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 12, 2011

2011-09-12T21:06:00.000-04:00

In our homeschool this week...

We only had 2 days of written school-work. Because my husband actually gets Labor Day off, we enjoy just having time with daddy. It was a relaxing day at home - a much needed one! As my oldest's birthday was on Thursday, we also took that day off, leaving us with 2 days to do school. Oh, how sad we were...NOT!!

Our bi-weekly homeschool co-op, HOPE (Helping Our Parents Educate) began on Friday. This left me staying up until 2 a.m. finishing up lesson plans for my 2 geography courses I am teaching, as well as final arrangements in the overall organization of the day. After 4 1/2 hours of sleep, I stretched before getting out of bed on Friday morning and did something horrible to my neck leaving me in quite a bit of pain over the weekend. Good thing about the pain was that it really didn't get too bad until after HOPE - God gives blessing in the trials, amen?!

Helpful homeschool advice to share...

Cut out as many of the extra-curricular you can. I'm trying to tone it down this year and, so far, so good. No matter what, our life is still busy, but I'm trying to be a bit more discriminating in what we choose to do and where we choose to go.

I am inspired by...

Anyone who coaches beginner soccer. I watch my 6 year old daughter's Saturday Soccer coach and feel a mixture of humor, compassion, and awe. Mostly, I feel exhausted. This man coaches 8 little girls who have very little idea of what they are doing and he smiles the whole time!! Amazing!

Places we are going & people we are seeing...

We really didn't go too far last week - and I loved it!!! We did make a quick trip to the hair salon for my 11 year old to donate 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love on Wednesday and I met up with my mom for some delicious coffee on Saturday before she left for a big trip the next day.

My favorite thing this week was...

Having only 2 days of school to plan for.

Questions I have...

How in the world do homeschool moms have so much time to blog, guest-blog, run a business, spend hours on a computer during the day and still educate their children? I wish I could do all those things, but I seem only able to sit with my kids and do school...hmm....

I'm reading...

My first e-book. I electronically signed a book out of our local library and it's pretty cool to be able to read it right from my phone. The book is an amazing autobiography about a woman who escaped slavery in the mid-1800s and she attempts to let the North know exactly what slaves went through. Nothing is sugar-coated and it is a real eye-opener. The book is entitled, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. I never heard of this woman until I went to a local museum. She has local ties as she spent some time with Frederick Douglas and his family while they lived in Rochester. I highly recommend this book, even if you already feel you know many of the atrocities of slavery. Not recommended for young readers, however.

I'm cooking...

On the menu this week: pulled pork, ham & mashed potatoes, chicken salad wraps, beans w/ hot dogs, golden potato soup, and Pasta al Forno.

I'm praying for...

A friend's mom who is recovering from surgery and a friend's nephew who was just reported injured on the battlefield in Afghanistan.

A picture to share...

So proud of her!!!!

For more journal entries, go on over to the Homeschool Chick!! Better yet, join in next time. It's really great to be able to see that we do accomplish something in our homeschool each week!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 5, 2011

2011-09-05T19:49:00.003-04:00

In our Homeschool this week...

We finished everything that was on the schedule for the 3rd week in a row!!! So excited about my 6 year old's progress in reading - she is doing great. This is not a surprise, but a blessing nonetheless. One of my children had to be grounded due to a test grade, but then next test that child took was an A!! So, lesson learned - which is the important thing in the end. My son attempted something different with his schedule - basically he would do the week's work in one or 2 subjects a day. It seemed to make for longer days, so we'll see what he does this week.

Helpful homeschooling tips to share...
I posted my lesson planning method in this post. If you own a Mac, you may want to check it out.

Places we are going and people we are seeing...
My husband and I celebrate 17 years of marriage this coming Friday. As are children are due to break out with Chicken Pox right about then, we decided to celebrate a week early by getting away for the entire day on Saturday. We drove and saw many areas of our great state that we've never before seen. While some were duds, some were wonderful. Among my favorite places: a newly discovered coffee joint about 20 min away from home! The caramel latte - only THE BEST!!!! Let's just say we were glad to find that before we found Starbucks...thankyouverymuch!

My favorite thing this week was...
hmmm....I would have to say my son's version of The Gift of the Magi. Read on to the last section in order to find out.

What's working for us...
Consequences for poor test grades. I hate to be a meanie, but, sometimes, you do what you gotta do.

Things I'm working on...
I'll give you a hint: We begin our homeschool co-op (aka HOPE) this Friday. I lead the group and am teaching two World Geography classes.

I'm reading...
Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton. I finished Leap of Faith by Queen Noor last night (finally). After that book, Surfer is a lot like reading Cat in the Hat by Seuss. It's good to have some light reading after the last few heavier books I've read.

I'm cooking...
A lot of stereotypical large family meals - pasta, casseroles, & chicken. At least my family is eating and relatively healthy, at that.

I'm praying for...
A great start to HOPE and another good school week. Although, we only have 2 days of school work due Labor Day & my oldest son's birthday on Thursday. What a shame...

A short story to share...
My son was studying O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi this week in Literature. You know the story: a young couple completely in love with each other agonize over the lack of funds with which to purchase the other the perfect Christmas gift. They sacrificially give in order to surprise each other on Christmas Day. Well, my son's assignment was to write a paragraph telling about Jim counting his money and thinking about what he can get for his dear wife. He did not need to stay within the storyline of The Gift of the Magi. Only a almost 14-year old boy would come up with the following:

97, 98, 99, $1.00. "Boy," Jim thought, "I don't have enough money to buy her a wardrobe." Then he saw money on the ground; he picked it up and saw that it was $20.00. "Only ten dollars more and I can buy that wardrobe!" A rich man passed him. Jim ran up to him, knocked him out, and took the money he needed.

Seriously, I laughed. Hard. No, I don't worry about my son having violent tendencies. He is a normal 14 year old who was bored by a love story and showed some creativity. Definitely a successful week!

To see what others are doing in their homeschools, head on over to the Homeschool Chick!

Lesson Planning via Bento

2011-08-28T23:56:00.005-04:00

*This is not a paid advertisement. I just enjoy sharing with others things that have made my life easier!*

Just to give you an idea what my lesson planning looks like every week, click on the image below.

I use the Bento program w/ my iMac & absolutely love it. I used this template from the Template Exchange and just tweaked it according to my needs.

As you can see, I enter all of the assignments required for the week for each child. The oldest 3 students copy their assignments into their personal assignment pads and devise their own strategies for how they will finish the week's work. No more writing detailed daily plans for 6 children!

On the far right, you will see just a part of the box labeled "goals/what happened this week." At the end of each week, I write a short journal about the highs & lows of the week and what was accomplished. The hope is that I will be able to read through these at the end of each quarter when I'm ready to write up my quarterly reports. I don't know about you, but by the end of 10 weeks of school, I have often forgot what happened the first half of the quarter!

Syncing my desktop program w/ my iPhone is invaluable. Having my schedule in my phone allows me to always have assignments handy to help me figure out what each of the 3 younger students need to accomplish on any given day. When any my kids take a test, I just enter the score into my phone and, when it's convenient, I will sync it w/ my desktop so I can have all the grades in one place for future reference. This convenience is huge for a homeschool mom of more than 1 or 2 children!

I realize many are still Windows users, but in case you've come over to the brighter world of Mac, you might want to try the Bento program for your lesson plans. It's saved me a ton of money on pre-made planning books, it's tailored to my personal needs, and it's been extremely easy to use. I'm all about easy organization and this is it!

What all Homeschool Mothers LOVE to Talk About

2011-08-25T19:35:00.000-04:00

So, now that we are finished with our first two weeks of school, I will share what curricula we are using.
I just know you've been sitting at your computer losing sleep at night waiting for this! Well, wait no longer!

While I am using a variety of publishers, etc., I am using the same curriculum for all the children in each particular subject. (ie - all grades are using BJU History). I didn't necessarily plan it that way as I tend to use whatever will meet a particular chid's needs, but it worked out that way this year and, so far, it seems to be a working. So happy for that! This year, I am teaching the following grade levels: K/1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 8/9.

Reading/Literature/Grammar/English language:

Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons - My 6 year old is enjoying using this book in order to learn to read. My two older girls learned to read with this program. While it didn't work for the next 2 children, I am pleased that it seems to be working wonderfully with Gloria. In all honesty, though, this kindergartner is so ready to learn to read that I'm pretty sure any program would work for her at this point. I'm just glad I can use an easy one!

Learning Language Arts Through Literature - I went into this program with a sense intrigue and a bit of trepidation. As an English major, I was worried this curriculum would major on "the joy of reading" and prove weak in the "important" areas of English. However, I am very pleased with this program. Gloria's Blue Book is also working on reading readiness and it works great alongside 100 Easy Lessons. The rest of the kids are reading some great books they would not have otherwise read and are learning to pay attention to detail in writing through the copy-work exercises. I love the personal spelling lists - my children spell a word wrong somewhere in their school week, it gets added to their list for the next week. They are learning the many parts of speech as well as other areas of the English language. My 9th grader, who normally doesn't care for writing, just finished a great short story re-telling the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan through the donkey's point of view! It was wonderful!

Easy Grammar - Because of my fears that LLATL wouldn't be strong enough in the grammar department, I bought this curriculum for my children. Mostly self-explanatory and not at all overwhelming, this is, by far, one of the best grammar texts I've ever seen! This curriculum has the kids learn and memorize the prepositions first (the list is more extensive in the upper levels than it is for the younger elementary). The thinking is that if the student can eliminate the prepositional phrases first, he will have an easier time of identifying the other parts of speech. There's no doubt about that! When I was in 3rd grade, I had no idea what a preposition was. Forget that - when I was a freshman in college, I had no idea what a preposition was - a pretty scary predicament for an English major!

Math:
Mathletics.com - This on-line-based math program is one that my kids really seem to enjoy. Eric & I love the fact that the writers make our kids THINK. It's not just a list of facts, but a lot of logical reasoning. Written & developed in Australia, it's neat for my kids to become familiar with the different terms and spellings of words - an added bonus in reality-schooling! I print out the workbooks that are available on-line and assign their work for the week. They each need to spend 15min/day 3 days a week on-line doing Math drills, assignments, and games. I can even assign different drills for them to do before they can even get into the games. It's definitely stretching their minds (& mine) to think through problems. I love the short-cuts the program teaches, as well. It's not about a lot of work and "show me your work" - it's about getting the correct answer. THAT I love. My biggest concern is that the upper levels don't have all of the on-line workbooks completed. So, I'm doing what I can until we have to cross that bridge.

Science:
Apologia - I've already raved about Apologia in recent posts, but it bears repeating. My 3&4 graders are doing "Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day" together while my 7th grader is doing "Land Animals of the 6th Day." The 8th grader is doing "General Science" and the 9th grader is doing "Physical Science." If you are familiar with Apologia, you will notice that my two oldest are doing titles that are one grade below where they are. Two reasons for this: My kids are fairly young for their grade level. While they can do the work of that level, Apologia is a lot to consume once you hit General Science, so I start them in 8th grade rather than 7th. The other reason is that I really don't see my kids doing Physics in their Senior year, so I'm making better use of that added year making sure they are ready to comprehend what they are studying. Does that make sense? It does to me, anyway! :)
I will say that the "extras" are extremely beneficial (audio book, cd-rom, and lab kit) - especially in the upper grades. Have I mentioned lately that my son got a 93% on his first test?! Well, maybe this is the third time, but I'm pretty excited about it! I totally praise God for a husband who is not afraid to spend a little extra money to help our children succeed!

History/Geography:
BJU - This was a difficult decision for me this year. As a lover of history, I tend to want to get away from the dry textbook/worktext format for a subject that can be so exciting. However, I have yet to find anything that is as thorough as BJU. So, what I'm trying to do is add "real books" (for some reason I struggle with that term. Real books - like there are fake ones out there?) to supplement what my children are studying. I came close to doing "Story of the World" for my younger ones this year, but I decided to have them complete their BJU history and then start them with SotW in the winter, as BJU won't last the whole year. As I'm not sure I'll keep up with the activities in SotW, I will use it as a supplemental.

Health:
A Beka - Is there even another Christian publishing company that offers this subject? I'm so pleased with their tasteful and extensive teaching on the important subjects of hygiene, nutrition, exercise, safety, etc.

Handwriting:
Handwriting Without Tears - I began using this curriculum years ago and I doubt I'll ever use anything else to teach my children to write. With only 1 page a day of skill practice, the books live up to their name. I have one student repeating the cursive book they did last year just to fine-tune their penmanship. I made it clear to this child that it wasn't a punishment, but just to build their skill & the child is doing great. I HIGHLY recommend this curriculum - especially for boys who struggle with writing.

So, there you have it. Just as a disclaimer - in no way am I telling any of you that you have to go out and buy the curriculum that I'm using. This is what is working for our family. Your family may have different needs. I'm so grateful for the many options homeschoolers today have in the area of curricula so that each of our diverse needs are met!

How about you? Are you using any of the same things we are using? Do you love it or hate it? I'd love to hear from you!

The Carnival of Homeschooling

2011-08-23T22:22:00.000-04:00

This week's issue is up over at Our Curious Home. Thanks to Christine for linking my post (you'll find it under the sweet pic of the 2 boys eating). I often find other great homeschool blogs & encouragement while browsing the carnival. Hope you enjoy!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - Aug. 22, 2011

2011-08-22T17:11:00.000-04:00

In our homeschool this week...

We got started with our year. I went into it with great fear and trepidation, but our first week went great! I was exhausted at the end of each day, but I believe it was a success! We are using a few new curricula and enjoying most of them! The work load is definitely more intense (especially for mom!), but I really feel my kids are getting a great education. For more on our first week, read this post.

Helpful homeschool advice to share...

Forget the laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc., during the school day. It's hard for me to see that things "aren't getting done" while I sit and educate my children, but something IS getting done - something that will last a lifetime. I find that while I am trying to kill two birds with one stone (ie - do dishes while helping with math), my children and I both get frustrated. Multi-tasking during school is not a good idea. OK, well, helping 6 children with school IS probably considered multi-tasking, but let's not get technical! :)

I am inspired by...

Those who can do it all. Or, seem like they can. Maybe inspired isn't the word. I think I get more depressed...

Places we are going/people we are seeing...

During the school year, we will continue going to our weekly children's Bible club in our city (CHOICE). We also went to the library last week (a weekly must-do) and soccer started for 4 of my children on Saturday. After soccer, I took my oldest to his best friend's house where a bunch of the guys had an AirSoft war & swam while the parents had a great time laughing harder than we have for a long time. It was great to relax after a long week.

My favorite thing this week...

My son getting a 93% on his first Science Test!!

What's working for us...

Easy Grammar & Apologia Science. I really believe the extras I purchased for my son's science curriculum helped him attain his best grade in a long time!

Things I'm working on...

Keeping my head above water.

I'm reading...

"Leap of Faith" by Queen Noor - the wife of King Hussein II. I'm less than 100 pages into it, she stands for most everything I oppose, but, it's intriguing.

I'm cooking...

Tater-Tot Casserole. Kept up with my menu plan last week. It's a good feeling to know that, even after spending most of my day "doing school," I can still give my family something good to eat. Just a little forethought...

I'm grateful for...

My children and the effort they're putting into their school.

I'm praying for...

God's strength...every day.

A quote to share...

"Show me the condition of your Bible and I will accurately gauge the condition of your soul." -A.W. Tozer

There's still a few hours to join in the sharing over at Homeschool Chick!

Observations & Joys of Our First 2 Days

2011-08-17T23:42:00.001-04:00

OBSERVATIONS

1. It's a good thing to ask others to pray as we begin our school year. I haven't been more terrified of a first day of school since....well...never! But, I asked people to pray and many dear and true friends did. I am so grateful to each of them for it is because of their prayers for me and my family that our first day went so smoothly.

2. It's a good thing to lean on God. I have reached the point where I truly realize that this is all God's deal. I have six children in school this year with grade K-9. I will fail miserably without God's help and I'm holding onto Him for dear life.

3. While I was terrified of our first day, Gloria was excited for her first day ever. She still loves it. Ok, so it's her second day into 13 years, but....

4. Long gone are the days of school being done by lunchtime. School is taking about 6 hours. On the up side, this makes me feel like they're getting a great education!

5. I have a lot of kids. And, I have a lot in school. And, I have a lot of grades to help teach. K/1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9. The youngest is learning to read while the oldest is doing experiments on the kitchen table for Physical Science. This all adds up to one thing....

6. I'm no spring chicken.

JOYS

1. My son, the struggling learner, took his first science test today. He made sure he got a head start in school this year, and he's been working diligently. Anyway, he only got ONE answer wrong resulting in one of his best science test scores ever - a 93%!!!!!!!! What a great way to start my morning!!!! All the helps I got him are paying off!

2. My 2 oldest are working together in math. Today, they were trying to figure out a riddle/problem. Mike was downstairs while Cassia was upstairs. Just as he was beginning to say, "I GOT IT!" Cassia came bounding down the stairs exclaiming the same thing! Smiles and a sense of accomplishment - THAT's what makes this mom happy.

3. Yesterday, my husband said homeschooling is a thankless job. For once in his life, he was wrong. Gloria, a few hours after finishing her first day of school, thanked me for doing school with her. Make my heart melt, kid!

I'm exhausted, we're only 2 days in, but I'm less stressed and more excited about this year. With the Lord's help (a lot of it!), we will succeed happily!

The First Day of School - Delayed

2011-08-15T17:19:00.002-04:00

So, I was going to begin school today, until I looked at the calendar late last week. Turns out, my son had an eye exam scheduled for this morning. 10:15. Prime time for school. Who wants to break up the day and mess up the schedule on the very first day? UGH!

Today, I took my 4 year old to his exam and then went grocery shopping. Just he and I. I figure that, as he is the only one not in school this year, he'll start getting less attention once school begins. It was good to have him all to myself for a few hours - though I found that if he had been our first child, I probably would have been to exhausted to have had any more!!!

Once I got home, I started a spontaneous meal-prep session. I got 4 meals prepared and, tomorrow, I'll prep for at least 2 more. This should make dinner-time a lot easier these next couple of weeks. I'm hoping to continue this throughout the year. I usually make a weekly menu in order to avoid the stressful, last-minute decisions after a long school day. But, if I can actually get the entire dinner made ahead of time, or even just the majority of the prep-work, life will be even easier...and I'll have more time in the afternoon to get other things accomplished, whether it be chores or rest!

So, tomorrow is our official first day of the school year! Pray for us!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - Aug. 8, 2011

2011-08-08T13:14:00.001-04:00

In my life this week...
I took thing easy and got some things done for our final preparation for the up-coming school year. I also took our 10 year old daughter to have some minor surgery this past Tuesday. All went well and we'll find out in a month or so if it was, indeed, successful. I was reminded, once again, of all those who care for us through their taking the time to pray for our sweet girl.

In our homeschool this week...
We are getting ready to start next Monday (8/15). Actually beginning to look forward to it!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...
It's taken me forever to learn this, so I'm probably the last person to suggest this, but: see where you can cut back on your activities this year. After a down week at home, I'm realizing the importance of slowing down in order to really focus on my family. Even my kids are tired of running hither & yon.

I am inspired by:
James Knox. We heard him speak at our annual conference Wed-Fri night last week. His messages focused on our Saviour, Who He is, and what He did for us and what that means for our relationship with God & our future.

Places we are going & people we are seeing...
Didn't go too far last week, as I said. Went to church for a few nights, went swimming at a neighbors on Saturday and had some new friends for a very informal supper that night. Went to a friend's house yesterday afternoon for a good time of fellowship & delicious food!!

My favorite thing this week was...
My husband quit work early on Saturday and took all of us swimming at our neighbor's. What a treat to just relax with him and have fun!

What's working for us...
Slowing down.

Thoughts I have...
For some thoughts I had last week, check out my post over at Love & Rewards.

Things I'm working on...
IHIPs & lesson plans. I have 2 IHIPs completed, 1/2-way through a third, and have 3 more to go after that. Then, I'll be making my weekly lesson plans. Last year, I planned the whole school year, but I think I'm going to go back to planning week by week, or, at most, do a month at a time. I use the Bento program on my Mac.

I'm reading...
I finished Julia's Hope...LOVED it and look forward to reading the other books in the series. I am now half-way through The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure. There are some words and issues that I'm not crazy about, but, overall, it's a very good and very honest book about the impact of the Little House books on its readers.

I'm cooking...
A ham for dinner tonight with leftover salt potatoes. Will have to come up with a good dessert to serve.

I'm praying for...
My friends the Snyders - missionaries in the spiritually hard country of New Zealand. Mrs. S is due with a baby at the end of the month - about one day after they are scheduled to move into a new house!

A link to share...
A picture from the 150th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Mannassas.

For more journal entries, go over to the Homeschool Chick!

Making Science Better - for them & for me!

2011-08-03T23:31:00.006-04:00

So, I was doing my final school shopping on-line today and I found this:

It's the Apologia Physical Science Lab kit. This is our 2nd year of doing Apologia Science. I love how thorough it is while still being interesting. There are several labs throughout each course, but, last year, we didn't do most of them as we were usually missing one or two of the required materials. That's where this kit comes in. My son is doing Physical Science this year and this kit includes almost all of the materials he will need for each experiment this coming year! The beauty of it is, the materials are separated out by modules (chapters). It takes the load of thinking, preparing, and running around to various stores off of me and allows my son to get the most out of his science curriculum. I am thrilled.

I also bought a kit for my daughter's General Science course. If I could afford it, I'd get the kits for my elementary students, as well. Hmm...the year's young. I could always wait till next month....

Check it out. You can get the kits from CBD (like I did), Rainbow Resource Center, or directly from the people who do all of the work for us...Nature's Workshop Plus.

Homeschool Mother's Journal - July 30, 2011

2011-07-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...
I succeeded in doing something I've never done before - driving from one state to another without anyone to follow or take over the driving for me. My son & I went down to Mannassas, VA for the events surrounding the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Mannassas. I didn't get lost (too badly), no tickets, and no accidents. Trusting in the Lord to get us through a blinding downpour on PA Rt 15 was a faith-building experience and one that has given me more confidence in trying new things.

In our homeschool this week...
My son and I learned even more about the Battle of Bull Run & Gettysburg. Other than that, nothing else seems to have been accomplished.

Helpful homeschooling advice to share...
Try to enjoy your summer vacation. I am finding it nice to just be able to rest and get daily chores done without having to juggle so many things and dropping most of them.

I am inspired by...
Our Marine Corps. My son and I toured the USMC Museum last Sunday. Reading the accounts of the various battles and the soldiers, gave me an even deeper respect for those I've always admired.

Places we are going & people we are seeing...
The biggest reason we went to Virginia was to see the re-enactment of the first major battle of the Civil War. It is impossible to describe the impact of over 8,000 re enactors on the field - rifles firing, cannons shaking the ground, smoke filling the air. This 2-hour long re-enactment was worth the over-16 hours in the car. We spent some time at the Mannassas Battlefield Park, USMC Museum, and had a QUICK tour of Gettysburg on the way home. Seeing Big Round Top was a thrill for Mike.

As far as people - we stayed with my "sis", her hubby, and their sweet one-year old daughter. My "sis" and I grew up with our families being very close. As she and I had no sisters, we adopted each other long ago. It's sad not having her nearby, any longer, but VA is where she found her wonderful husband and I am thrilled at the happy life they've made together.

Once we returned home, life didn't slow down. We went to our CHOICE Kids Club on Tuesday, went blueberry-picking and swam at a beach on Thursday, went to our home-town parade on Thursday night which was followed by trip down to the carnival for some steamed clams and a stroll. Friday night, I took my middle child to the County Fair for some mommy/daughter time. We saw her older sisters who are working there most of the week. Katrina rode the rides, ate cotton candy, saw the fireworks, and watched the Greased Pole event. She went to bed just before mid-night. Oh yes, summertime is a wonderful time!!!

My favorite thing this week...
There are so many things, it's hard to choose a favorite.
1) Spending the weekend alone with my oldest. No clue how many more times that will ever happen.
2) Seeing my children enjoy the Parade on Thursday
3) Seeing my daughter smile and laugh on the rides at the Fair

Thoughts I have...
Somewhere along the line this week, I had a sort of "revelation" or "break-through." For sometime, I've been a bit frustrated with the slow progress of my photo "business." Everywhere you look, there's another photographer. People I know are constantly getting more clients, better equipment, etc. However, when I heard about 2 photographers that I know and what they were accomplishing and purchasing it dawned on me: these people do not have families. If they do, they are smaller and younger. I realized that, while I am envying their apparent success, they may trade it all in for what I have that is "hindering" my photography success - my sweet family. THEY are the treasure. THEY are what I'm investing in. Maybe the time I've spent with my children this week made me more aware of it. I do know this, I am enjoying my photography and my family more now that I've had this realization. God is good & gracious!

Things I'm working on...
Check my last journal entry. Basically the same! :)

I'm reading...
"Julia's Hope" by Leisha Kelley, a depression-era Christian novel that, so far, is proving quite interesting. Before beginning this book, I finished, "Young Pioneers" by Rose Wilder Lane. A great short novel written by the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, it was very reminiscent of her mother's tales. For an instant, I wondered if she was "copying" her mother's books. However, when I saw the copyright, I saw that she wrote it before her mom wrote her first Little House story. It was so neat to see how this woman used the stories she had obviously heard while growing up to inspire her writing. Obviously, Laura Ingalls Wilder didn't always intend to write books. However, she always had a desire to keep her stories alive - evidenced by the fact that she told her stories to her daughter over and over.

I'm cooking...
I will be making blueberry jam later today and made a blueberry-crumb pie yesterday. YUM!

I'm praying for...
My 10-year old daughter's out-patient surgery on Tuesday.

A couple of photos to share...
Of my sis & her sweet Esther Mae:

For more Homeschool Mother's Journals, go to The Homeschool Chick! Better yet, join us!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - July 17, 2011

2011-07-18T09:28:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...

It has been hot for Upstate NY - temps reaching near 90! My hubby got the a/c in, though, without me asking once!!! Love when I don't nag & I know he does, too!

My oldest went to a Boy's Camp and helped remodel a house. It was a great experience for him - working with other guys as a team and hearing some good preaching. For more on my thoughts on this, go to my other blog and read this post.

We celebrated our oldest daughter's 12th birthday this week, as well. Time is a-flyin'!

In our Homeschool this week...

My son actually finished his Science; it was a stipulation for him to finish so that he could work at a local Air Show before he went to camp. I also read a bit of my daughter's science book with her, as well and we're closer to finishing that, as well. I still have to finish ordering books and plan next year. I seem to have run out of steam...

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

Umm.......yeah, I'm not much of a help this week.

I am inspired by...

Missionaries who work in places where the temperatures exceed 90 degrees on a regular basis.

Places we are going & people we are seeing...

We headed to a park at the beginning of the week for a friend's birthday party. Went to a friend's pool a couple of times - LOVELY! Took some of my children & nieces & nephew to the local Horse Trials on my daughter's birthday. What a wonderful way to spend a day - watching horses gallop over hills & jumping gracefully over obstacles. Celebrated the 80th birthday of my husband's uncle and saw/met many family members. My husband's aunt is in from out of town and it will, most likely, be her last time here. Hoping to get together one more time before she leaves. :(

My favorite thing this week was...

Cleaning my son's room!!!! It had been over a year since I had been up there to clean and, boy, what an interesting project THAT was!

What's working for us...

Summer vacation. I don't know how people homeschool year-round do it!

Questions I have...

Homeschoolers who school year-round: How DO you do it???!!! :)

Things I'm working on...

Blog posts, bills, listing books to sell on Homeschool Classifieds, ordering books, making a plan for next year.

I'm reading...

"Signers of the Declaration" by Katherine & John Bakeless This is an amazing book which is made up of short biographies of each of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It's amazing to see how our Founding Fathers were still sinners and human just as our modern politicians are, but they feared God. They had committees solely for the purpose of prayer & fasting. Thomas Jefferson, whom so many "blame" for the concept of the separation of church & state, was actually one of three Virginian politicians who called for a day of "Fasting, Humiliation, & Prayer" when the port of Boston was to be closes by the British in 1774.

I'm praying for...

Rain. Friends in PNG need rain to fill their barrel so they can wash their clothes, bathe, etc. We need rain, but not so much that will ruin the wheat that is ready to be harvested.

A quote to share...

John Adams referring to Dr. Benjamin Rush: "Too much of a talker to be a deep thinker." Ouch!

For more Homeschool Mothers' Journals head on over to the Homeschool Chick!

Summer Learning - Pea Harvest 2011

2011-07-01T10:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the pea combines were in our fields harvesting the peas. This is always a highlight here on the farm. The kids & I, along with my niece & nephew, walked over and enjoyed our donut-breakfast while watching the large machines do their thing.

While my husband plants and cares for the peas, he grows them for a particular company and they are the people who decide when to harvest and who does the harvesting. I'm not even sure if my husband was in the field at all yesterday.

Here is a short video of the happenings with a bit of commentary by yours truly. It's definitely something you don't see everyday and your children may learn a little more about where their produce comes from. Put it towards Ag. Ed. Enjoy!!

H.O.P.E.

2011-06-27T09:56:00.000-04:00

This past week, we finished getting our class list and schedule together for our homeschool co-op at our church. In many ways, it is hard to believe that we are going into our 4th year of H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Parents Educate) and each year I am so excited about the classes that we are able to offer.

There are two main things that make our co-op a bit different than most. As co-ops usually do, we have classes that are taught by the parents of the students; however, we are blessed that several of our teachers are actually fairly recent homeschool graduates who are enthusiastically willing to share their time and knowledge with those younger than they. We are also blessed in the fact that our co-op has several men involved, which I have noticed helps keep the kids under control without using any sort of disciplinary measures. What a blessing it is to have young people and men involved in something that most in this world aren't even remotely interested in.

Though our co-op is "closed" - meaning, it only is available to members of our church - I'll list the classes we are offering this year. Maybe there's someone out there who is thinking about beginning a co-op or needs some ideas for a group this upcoming year. If so, maybe this list will help you. Other than that, I'm just so excited about them, I want to share! :)

2&3 year old classes include:

Bible/Music - Bible stories and time of singing Sunday school and other popular children songs.

Art

Physical Education

Lunch/Listening Skills - children will practice listening skills through various activities during their lunch time.

K4-1st grade classes:

Art

Phys. Ed.

Lunch/Listening Skills (combined with the 2&3 year olds)

Introduction to Music - children will be introduced to various music styles and musical instruments

2&4th grade classes:

World Geography - learning about the continents and major landmarks and countries on those continents. Several guest speakers will come throughout the year who have lived in or visited various countries and share their experiences and observations. Map work.

Sign Language - a dvd class mediated by a teacher who knows ASL

Phys. Ed.

Art

Lunch/Missionary Letter Writing - children will learn to perfect their letter writing skills in a class where they will learn about various missionary families our church supports and write letters to them.

5th-8th grade classes

World Geography (see previous description) OR Sign Language (see previous description)

Home Ec. - children will learn to prepare and cook various meals (1st semester

Woodworking - children will learn various types of wood-types and complete a variety of small projects (1st semester)

Photography - students will learn the functions of the settings on their cameras, the importance of lighting, and composition of a photograph

Phys. Ed.

Art (1st semester) - most likely, chalk drawings!

Skit Performance (2nd semester) - children will learn the art of preparing, practicing, and preforming a skit. Great for building public speaking skills!

9th-12th grade classes:

Mathematics Overview - students will review various math concepts in order to gain the mastery of skills they will need throughout their lives

Missionary Biographies - we will be using an ACE program in a classroom setting for students to read about, discuss, and answer questions about some great heroes of the faith. Current missionaries will also be guest speakers

US History from a Christian Perspective - students will learn the incredible history of our country and how it affects and pertains to current events

Chamber Orchestra - a great class taught by a godly & accomplished musician that will challenge our instrumentalists to further their skills

Phys. Ed. - Volleyball!

Home Ec. - the young ladies will learn to can & freeze various jams, fruits, and vegies. They will get to take home what they canned that day (1st semester)

Small Engine Repair - young men will learn to identify the parts of a small engine and their functions. Safety in working with small engines will also be taught. (1st semester)

Photography - (see previous description - 2nd semester)

I am excited about another year and look forward to meeting every other week with families I have come to know better and love more!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - June 17, 2011

2011-06-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...

I have been blessed to be able to continue to be faithful in my Bible reading and exercise in the mornings. It is amazing to me how much better life is when I am spiritually & physically refreshed.

In our homeschool this week...

We are supposed to be taking the summer off, but my 5-year old continues to beg to do one subject or other. This week, it was Math. I was able to print off some of the kids' worksheets from Mathletics this week, and Gloria was more than thrilled to get started. As homeschooling 5 older students has left her somewhat neglected, we are catching up with her schooling this summer and she is a willing student!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

Plan, plan, plan. If you go into your school year without a plan or goals, very little will be accomplished.

Places we are going and people we are seeing...

This week, we stayed pretty close to home, which is a rarity! What a blessing it was to only have to do a couple of things outside of the home. We had our second round of annual physicals this week and will finish those up this coming week. We had the farrier here on Wednesday to trim our horse's hooves. Our niece, a horse-lover, came for that and stayed the night along with her brother. The girls rode the horse and explored the woods while the guys went fossil & frog-hunting. Our church's music school began last night and we've been occupied with that today and will attend again tomorrow. After tomorrow's class, most of us will head to some horse Fun Days and see what kind of action we can find there!

My favorite thing this week was...

...getting things a bit more organized for the upcoming school year!

Question I have...

What planner do you use for your homeschool? Do you use an on-line planner, a pre-printed planner, or do you make your own?

Things I'm working on...

Besides laundry? I'm printing out the children's Math worksheets for the year and purchasing the remaining books needed. Then I can get going on our IHIPs and weekly plans. I'm also finishing up the parade pictures I took last week.

I'm reading...

Jan Karon's newest book, "In the Company of Others." I finally was able to get it out of the library and am so excited to read it. If you've never had a chance to read the Mitford series, I highly recommend it!

I'm cooking...

...way too last minute for my taste. I've been extremely lax in my meal-planning these past few weeks. Sadly, this results in meals that our often nutritious & yummy but thrown together at the last minute!

I'm praying for...

My Gloria. She had some lab work done this week as we try to get to the bottom of these stomach pains she's been having. We'll go over those this Tuesday and discuss what, if any, further tests should be done. Also praying for my Anna who has an invasive test this Wednesday that she will need to be somewhat sedated for.

A link to share...

As today is the 3rd anniversary of my son's scoliosis surgery, I will remember it by revisiting this post I wrote that day. There are other posts that were written at that time that you may find interesting, if you have the time this weekend. God was so good to us at that time. It's unbelievable how well he is doing now. This past Tuesday, the doctor measured him 1/2 inch taller that I!

That's about it for this week. For some fun weekend reading, head over to The Homeschool Chick for more Journal entries!

A Very Interesting Article

2011-06-15T15:50:00.000-04:00

I read a very interesting article yesterday concerning the spoon-fed mentality of college students today. As homeschoolers, we need to ask ourselves if we are holding our children's hand every step of the education way or if we are allowing them to fall once in a while. Do we show them exactly where to find the answers? Do we fall into the trap of preparing them to pass exams instead of truly learning the material? Or, do we allow them to find information for themselves and learn through hard work?

Take a few minutes to read the article by Jerry Weinberger. It may surprise you. It may depress you. It should challenge you. I know it did me.

Question

2011-06-13T22:46:00.000-04:00

Well, seeing as there are, indeed, some of you out there reading this, I have a question for you.

What do you use in planning your homeschool year? A printed planner such as the Well-Planned Day, a CD or e-book of many forms that you can print out and fill a notebook with (such as over at TOS), printables from Donna Young, a homemade spreadsheet or other such thing, software, or something else. Maybe you don't plan at all - that would be a whole new concept for me.

I'm pretty sure I know what I'll be doing this year, but before I say anything, I'd love to hear from you!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - June 11, 2011

2011-06-11T11:46:00.000-04:00

I've discovered this link-in over at The Homeschool Chick and thought I'd join.

In my life this week...
I found the best way to begin a diet...get a canker sore on the side of your tongue. For three-four days, I could barely eat anything. As I have a class reunion in less than a month, this turned out to be a blessing as it gave me a jump-start my crash diet. I have had about 10 pounds to lose for a while and I now think I am well on my way. :)

Places we are going and people we are seeing...
It seems that we are ALWAYS going places and this week was not exception. We had our last CHOICE Kids Club of the school year this past Monday and that ended with a bang as a child pulled the Fire Alarm! Four of my children, along with my niece and nephew, had their annual piano recital on Tuesday night. Congrats to each of them for a job well done! The temperatures on Wednesday made it impossible to get anything accomplished, so we packed up and spent the afternoon at a local spray park where we ran into some friends. Had a great time and I finally got some sun! Thursday, it was off to do a photo shoot for a great senior. Friday morning found us at the airport welcoming friends home after 3 weeks in PNG to visit their daughter & son-in-law. On Friday night, we went to my mom's small town and enjoyed a summer evening watching the Fireman's Parade. I was able to play photo-journalist and hope a couple of my pics make it into their local paper. Today, we go to our church's homeschool graduation to support and cheer-on about 7 graduates. Whew...can't wait to take a bit of a breather this coming week!

My favorite thing this week was...
...just watching my kids run in the water and play on the playground at the spray park while I soaked up the sun!

Questions/thoughts I have...
Does anyone read this blog?

Things I'm working on...
Editing the Senior session I did Thursday and the photos from last night's parade. I'm also finalizing classes for our homeschool group this coming year.

I'm reading...
My issues of This Old Schoolhouse magazine that I haven't had time to read during the school year. I have found that I love homeschool magazines as the information in them is equivalent to attending a weekend homeschool convention!

I'm cooking...
Uh-oh! I just realized I need to get dinner in the crockpot!!

I'm praying for...
Those mothers just beginning their homeschooling journey.

A photo to share...
I just had this one of my daughter printed as a 5x7 this week:

This was kind of fun to remember all we did this week, though I think I'm ready for a nap! Want to join the fun? Head on over to The Homeschool Chick & link up with us!

You'll Ruin it for the Rest of Us

2011-06-10T12:41:00.001-04:00

I live in a state that has fairly stringent homeschool regulations - or so I've been told. I've never lived in another state and have always followed our regulations, so I don't know any other way and, therefore, do not feel over-burdened by what I have to do.

To give you a better idea of what our state requires, here is the list:
Letter of intent turned in by July 1
Individualized Home Instruction Plan for each child due August 15. On this form is the child's name, age, grade, teacher (me!), each subject to be covered, what books I am using along with the name of the publisher and copyright date, and a list of what will be covered during the year in that particular subject.
Quarterly reports - hours covered each quarter, what percentage of the work was done that quarter, and a letter grade
Evaluations - K-4 grade - I write how each child is doing in each subject, where they're struggling, how they're excelling, and if I recommend them for advancement to the next grade. 5-8th grade - children are required to take standardized testing every other year (my children do every year). 9th-12th grade - testing takes place every year. We hand in the results of these tests with our last quarter reports.

Yes, these things take quite a bit of my time. Yes, I get nervous during test-time. Yes, I would love to live somewhere where I could be making sure my children were doing their best for their own benefit without the stress of making sure I was pleasing the school district.

However, some accountability is not bad. Where there is freedom, there is responsibility. This country allows us the freedom to educate our children at home and, no matter where we live, we are blessed. I know that there are families who do not follow the requirements of our state. Whatever their reasons, it all boils down to one thing: they are breaking the law. They are not honoring the government that God has put over them. The government is not asking us to commit heresy or renounce Christ. They're asking for paperwork. Some parents don't see any reason for this and rebel against the system. If I were a wagering person, I'd wager that these same parents would be appalled if their children disobeyed them just because they didn't see the reason for the rules given them. I also believe that these are the parents that would shout the loudest if suddenly our homeschool freedoms were taken away - all because people didn't follow the rules.

If we want our regulations to be lifted, there is a process that is to be followed. I am sure there are homeschool advocates in our state's capital working on this. Personally, I am too busy to worry about it. I have HSLDA to help out when the school system oversteps their bounds and, for that, I am grateful. But, even HSLDA will recommend that you follow what regulations are in place in order for things to run more smoothly when you come up against REAL issues, such as CPS, unnecessary paperwork, etc.

Last year, I spoke directly with the woman who reviewed all the homeschool paperwork in our district (she has since retired). She didn't have two heads nor did she breathe fire. She was a very pleasant woman. She instantly recognized my name and said I was among the best homeschoolers in our district - not because of my children's progress, but all because I turn in the required work on time. She confirmed that the school system is not out to get homeschoolers. They have to obey the state laws just like anyone else. It is their job to collect the information and make sure that parents aren't abusing their freedom by neglecting their child's education. She didn't seem to agree that the State should have that role, but it didn't matter. This was her job. She confirmed that she doesn't go through my IHIPs, reports, and test grades with a fine-tooth comb. She just makes sure that the requirements are fulfilled and then the papers get filed away. If I ever come up against a problem for which I need HSLDA, they'll be able to prove that I've done everything I've been required and that will give me a lot of leverage.

What are you doing? If you are following the requirements, good for you! Keep up the good work and stay diligent. If you are a parent that has decided to rebel, please reconsider. You will ruin it for the rest of us. The future of homeschooling is at risk not because of the rules already set in place but because of those who have decided to disregard them.

I'm Too Poor to Educate My Children

2011-06-03T08:32:00.003-04:00

New York State has placed among the top states for education spending...again. It was reported that the Empire State spent over $18,000 (on average) PER STUDENT this year. The majority of this money went towards teacher's salaries while the rest of it goes toward curriculum, food, building maintenance, extra-curricular activities, etc.

Interestingly enough, Rochester was one of the highest spending districts while producing some of the worst results in the country. Something tells me that money is not the answer to education in America.

My husband and I have 6 school-aged children. According to these statistics, we would have to make over $108,000 just to educate them this year. My husband doesn't even make half that figure and we buy curriculum, pay for several music lessons, have our children involved in a Homeschool co-op, art classes, soccer league (all of which cost money), take them on field trips, feed them 3 meals a day, insure them, house them in a decent home, drive them around in a decent vehicle, meet their needs and wants, and pay our school taxes. Thanks be to God, we are also debt-free.

So, New York! $18,000? Really?!

Homeschoolers willingly pay out of their own pocket for the essentials and non-essentials. If we want our children fed, we feed them. If we want them to learn to play an instrument, we find the teacher, pay for weekly lessons, and purchase the instrument. If we want them involved in sports, we find a league, pay for the uniforms, and drive them to the games. If our struggling learners need extra help, we find and pay for a tutor or invest more time to teach them ourselves.

New York State's educational system could learn much from homeschoolers. Schools need to focus on reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and history. The rest of the responsibility needs to go back to the parents. You'd be amazed at how the spending would decrease and the quality would increase.

- Vicki

After School

2011-05-25T10:20:00.001-04:00

I saw a young man last night who will be graduating next year. When I asked him what he will be doing after he graduates he said that he didn't know.

This is a very fine young man, yet his answer concerns me. I remember hearing such answers from my own high school friends many years ago. Having set my own goals when I was in elementary school, I've never understood the I-don't-know-mentality.

I have a son who is entering 9th grade in the fall. Before I know it, he will be graduating. When someone asks him what he will be doing, I hope he will have an answer.

My son has goals and dreams. I am more determined than ever to find the best ways of guiding him in reaching those goals. He wants to be a missionary to Germany and has a desire to learn the language. I guess I better find a good program for him to do that. Oh, I know he may change his mind, but whatever he learns now will only benefit him in his future.

I also realize that my son needs to learn a trade or develop a marketable skill in order to earn decent money while he attends Bible Institute and prepares for his own family. I fear too many homeschoolers are following worthy goals while neglecting the training needed to attain those goals. My question is what skill ought my son learn? He needs to do something he has a knack for. He his a huge Civil War & American history buff. We are currently praying about him becoming a summer intern at the Manasses Battlefield when he turns 16. However, today I am thinking he should begin doing something in that area now - maybe volunteer at a local living history museum. Increasing his history knowledge and natural people skills may help him financially in the future while he strives to achieve his lifetime goal.

Just some thoughts. Do your children have a post-graduation plan? Are they doing things now to help that happen? Are you guiding and supporting them? The goal of homeschooling is not graduation. It is the means to get our children to be godly and productive adults able to fulfill the task to which God calls them.

- Vicki

Be Real

2011-05-24T10:32:00.001-04:00

I just found out recently that someone was intimidated by me. ME!! I never thought of myself as intimidating. Intimidated, yes, but not intimidating. When I asked this woman why she felt that way, her answer was because I seem to "always have it together."

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Ahem...*

Now that I have control of myself, let me graciously say....NOT!!!!!!!

It is amazing how we can get an idea of how someone really is when we only see them about 3 hours a week. The woman who mentioned her intimidation now lives out of state and we, obviously, no longer attend the same church. When she did, she only saw me Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. She saw me smiling, dressed with clean and matching clothes. She saw me laughing with my friends and sitting with my family; our arms around each other, holding hands, or holding a little one on my lap. I guess I may have look pretty put together.

What this woman didn't see - what most people do not see - is the hurrying around the house before church. She doesn't see the Wednesday night dinner dishes still piled on the shelf as I didn't plan far enough ahead to get everything cleaned up before running out the door. She doesn't see the times where kids have to rummage through the DIRTY laundry sack to find a pair of matching socks to wear! She doesn't hear me raising my voice at my children to "get with the program!!" She doesn't see the tears I sometimes shed on the way to church in desires of having it together like so-and-so.

Should I walk into church looking as disheveled as I feel? I don't believe so. For testimony's sake, I put a smile on my face. However, I sometimes think this does more of a dis-service to my sisters in Christ than it does bless them. Those who know me well know that I struggle. Yet, they don't even know the extent. My pride keeps me from sharing too much.

I recently read one of the best books ever written for moms. Todd Wilson's "Lies Homeschool Moms Believe" is directed toward homeschool moms, but I think all moms struggle with some of these lies. I won't reiterate his entire book. I will highly recommend you find a copy and read it (it only took me about 4 hours). One of his main points was that by us moms acting like we have it all together we are often a discouragement to other moms. We all know at least one person who looks like they can do it all with no stress and we compare ourselves to her. When we're standing in the midst of our home looking at our dirty counters, listening to our children arguing, seeing the books piled on the kitchen table, we think about that person. We beat ourselves up with the thoughts that "so-and-so never goes through this. She is so organized. She would never allow her home or family get out of control like I do!"

Finding out that someone actually thought that I was one of those moms who seemed to have it together really confirms my beliefs that even those "perfect" moms are intimidated and wish they could be more like someone else. You've heard it said thousands of times before, but believe it this time - NONE OF US IS PERFECT!!!

By merely taking the time to talk with various moms, I find out that even the most "put together" struggles with fears, intimidations, anger, stress, etc. There is a formula to help us from being intimidated by one another - take time to talk and be real with one another.

I apologize to anyone if I have ever appeared to have it so together as to be intimidating. It is only by the grace of God that I am even able to put one foot in front of the other some days. Just ask my husband. For the bitter truth, ask my kids. But, I don't think my pride could stand that kind of honesty!

*NOTE: I recommend a video interview with Todd & Debbie Wilson over at Home Educating Family Publishing. *

Last week

2011-05-16T11:17:00.001-04:00

This is our last week of school! As you can see, we are doing whatever it takes to get everyone through!

Guess I'm out of the running for "Homeschool Mother of the Year"!

- Vicki

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T09:51:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day. At our church, We spend time honoring the moms by opening a couple of mics for people to stand up and let everyone know how much their mom means to them. The lines of people are huge and it is a time filled with love, smiles, laughter, and tears.

Three of my children opted to honor me in front of the church. One of them, however, exploited the realities of my mothering when it was her turn.

"Thanks for homeschooling us even though you tell us about 100 times a year that you're going to send us to school. Happy Mother's Day. I love you!"

Yeah - in front of 500 people. Me, the head of our church's homeschool co-op.

I had to laugh, though. And, I did feel better when a couple of parents came up to me afterward and say "You say that, too?"

I love my kids - even when they're blatantly honest!!!

All I can say is....

2011-05-02T22:19:00.000-04:00

...ONLY THREE MORE WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are We Done, Yet?

2011-04-26T00:16:00.002-04:00

Anyone else ready for the end of school? I feel like we're just biding our time. I seriously think we have just about everything done. Are we really that on the ball or am I missing something? I'm definitely missing my motivation!!

The Human Calculator

2011-04-14T00:04:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I talked a bit about the "Human Calculator." Whereas my kids LOVED the Duggars, my husband LOVED this guy! I didn't go to his workshops, but I did see this video. The guy is amazing. Take about 8 1/2 minutes and watch.

The MidWest Homeschool Convention 2011

2011-04-13T23:59:00.003-04:00

Above is a photograph (curtesy of my husband) of just a portion of the exhibit hall at the MidWest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio which took place March 31-April 2. This was our first year attending this event and we definitely plan on going again next year. There were amazing speakers and I could have spent a whole day in the exhibit hall. My only complaint was that I was constantly choosing between awesome workshops and disecting curriculum!!

We were introduced to a fabulous new Math curriculum. Mathletics (www.mathletics.com or http://blog.mathletics.com) is a wonderful on-line tool where the kids play games, answer questions, parents can print workbooks, and keep track of their children's progress. Though non-Christian, I enjoy the way they teach concepts and I love how my kids WANTED to play the games while we had the free trial. Seriously - let them compete live against other kids from around the world to see who calculates equations the fastest and they were happy. Me? I was staring in disbelief. Really thinking that's the route we will be taking with them this next year (maybe sooner). Their spokesperson is known as "the Human Calculator" and is the world record holder in mental calculations. My husband went to both of his workshops and made sure our children were there to see him. They all thought it was the coolest thing!

I also discovered Learning Language Arts through Literature and Easy Grammar. I will be using these books for our English next year. I love how LLATL is much like FIAR as far as using one book all week to teach various English concepts. Their grammar isn't strong enough for my liking, which is why I added Easy Grammar. I really like the concept of teaching prepositions first and teaching important grammar skills without overkill.

The plan was not to buy anything on Friday (convention began Thurs, but that was our travel day) - just check out what we wanted. So, Saturday was the day to buy...and that didn't happen until the last 45 minutes the hall was open!! Frantic, but tons of fun!

I'm waving up at my hubby. I smile when I'm shopping....for books!

Meeting the Duggar family was a huge deal for my kids. At first, I was not real comfortable with the excitement of "Duggar-sightings" but I realized that all kids will have heros and I am very grateful that theirs are godly.

On Sunday, we headed over to the Creation Museum. I'll be posting a little of that in a few days. All in all, a great weekend!!

Have You Ever...?

2011-02-17T16:41:00.000-05:00

Mom - have you ever been inundated with questions from three or more children at once?

Have you been innocently sitting at the kitchen table, helping one child with her multiplication tables, another one with English, when suddenly another child needs you to check her History workbook and the 8th grader needs immediate help with his math?

Have you ever given 5 separate spelling tests in one day and get annoyed with the fact that children even need to learn how to spell?

Have you ever realized at 4:30 in the afternoon that you completely forgot to "do" Science with your 3rd grader?

Yeah, me too.

No advice - just feeling your pain.

For Those Considering Homeschooling

2011-02-10T14:21:00.002-05:00

When you are considering homeschooling, you are most likely approaching friends and family who have been homeschooling for quite some time. You are visiting homeschool blogs, reading books about the best methods, looking through piles of curriculum, and reading magazines geared toward homeschoolers. Each of these materials will have pictures of a serene mother sitting with her children as they happily soak up the knowledge being poured into them. Homeschoolers don't want to discourage you from this wonderful option, so you will rarely find the down-side of homeschooling presented. A homeschool article is much like a sitcom - challenges & situations are placed before you in a lighthearted way and quickly solved in a matter of paragraphs.

You are happy in your bubble. Well, I'm armed with my pin.

10 Realities of Homeschooling

1) The ABCs are downright terrifying.

2) Your children will be excited with their new books for a total of 2.5 days. No matter how relaxed your atmosphere, how colorful the workbooks are, or how many REAL books you read, kids have a natural school-detector and they can smell school no matter how well-disguised it may be.

3) Your children will take the first opportunity they can to get to run around, play with toys, wrestle, or pull each other's hair. Even after 3 bowls of cereal, they will be starving by 9:30 am and start rummaging the cupboards. There will be phone calls you WILL have to answer. You cannot leave the stranger at your door standing in the cold. Even if you turn off the phone and bar your door, you WILL have to use the bathroom. It will then take you another 10-15 minutes to reduce the chaos. I say "reduce" because once chaos ensues, it's almost impossible to regain total order.

4) The only reason those mothers in the magazines are able to smile WHILE homeschooling is because they have no pre-school children. The mothers of pre-schoolers are always posed in a family photo...on a Saturday...in the summertime...while dad is home.

5) Some days, your favorite color is school-bus yellow. You will dream about it. All. Day. Long.

6) No matter how bright your child appears to be at your kitchen table, he will forget everything he's ever learned as soon as he is among his peers. Of course, other mothers will beam with pride as their 3rd graders list all of the elements on the periodic table while drool begins to come out the side of your child's mouth. You will see the looks of pity on parent's faces as they realize how severely mentally challenged your child must be.

7) Homeschoolers still argue with their siblings. Often.

8) Tests scare you more now than when you were in college. You will fear "academic probation" for decades.

9) Some days, your children will finish school in three hours and you will question if you are giving them an adequate education.

10) Some days, your children will finish school in 10 hours and you will question if you are being too hard on them.

If you are a homeschool mom and have no idea what I am talking about, you are either, 1) a mom with 1 or 2 children who are not beyond the 1st grade or, 2) a mom whose last child is in their last year of school and you have been able to block out all of the trauma and now remember everything with sweet nostalgia.

No doubt, there are some wonderful aspects of homeschooling. I see it as the ONLY option for our family. But, I'm living it...day by day...in the trenches.

If you come to me with your questions and ask me for my opinion, I will encourage you to homeschool your child. I will suggest curricula, help with paperwork, and tell you that you are indeed qualified. I will also tell you that there are days you will not want to get out of bed, but then there are days that you will know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is the BEST decision you ever made.

A Beloved Author's Birthday

2011-02-07T17:08:00.001-05:00

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born February 7, 1867. Through her writings, children today are able to witness the settling of the American frontier as her family travels from Wisconsin to Minnesota and finally to the Dakota Territory. Several years ago, I read the Little House series to my 3 oldest children. During that time, we had a Laura Ingalls Day on February 7. They have talked about that day ever since.

This year, I have begun the series all over again with my youngest four. We thought it would be a good idea to have another Laura Ingalls Day and they have enjoyed it immensely, as have I.

We had stacked pancakes for breakfast, just as described in Farmer Boy. They were delicious, but incredibly filling!

After cleaning up, we did school the one-room schoolhouse way. I listened to spelling lessons aloud, quizzed them on grammar skills, they each did "figures" on a slate or pad of paper and we had a good old fashioned Spelling Bee!

As I read to them their history (a chapter from the book, "Little House on the Prairie" of course!), the children worked on clove oranges. These are wonderful gifts that are quite easy to make.

First, you tape around the center of the orange - where the ribbon will eventually be placed.

Then, using a nail, holes are punched on either side of both pieces of tape.

Next, place whole cloves in the holes just created.

Once the cloves are placed, make more holes with the nail and fill with a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Then, place in a cool, dark place for a week until dried and put a ribbon around it for hanging. It will last for years!

We made egg-nog for lunch according to the directions found in the Little House Cookbook. While Seth & I enjoyed it, the others voted they like my recipe better!

Of course, a Laura Ingalls Day would not be complete without picking up some Little House on the Prairie DVDs. While the children watched a couple of episodes, they shook cream in quart jars and made butter. The buttermilk is being used in tonight's biscuits which, of course, will be topped by that delicious butter!

What have you been doing to break up the monotony of school?

Snow Day

2010-12-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

One of the negative consequences of homeschooling is the fact that my kids miss out on the ever-anticipated "snow days" in the school system. Growing up, I loved listening to the radio on a snowy morning to find out if there were any closings. When they started reading the list, I'd sit down and listen very carefully and jump for joy when my school was named. Fact is, I still listen to that list for the name of my alma mater!

A few years ago, I began to give my children a modified version of the Snow Day. The first good snowfall resulting in most of the ground being covered with snow gives us a reason to take a bit of a break. In recent years, the snow has come at night and we've been surprised with both the winter wonderland and the treat of a snow day. This year, however, the accumulation didn't begin until late morning when school was already well underway. That was yesterday. So, the plan was that if the snow stuck around (ha ha) until today, we would have our day off.

So, as the snow is still here, the children have been throwing snowballs, making snow angels & snowmen, and sliding down the hill with their sleds. They've warmed up with cups of hot chocolate accompanied by a peanut butter cookie. I had the time to make mac & cheese (a favorite around here) for lunch, as well. Most of them are inside now playing quietly, reading books, or making Christmas presents while one of them is outside helping her daddy.

You know what? I still love snow days!

Blood

2010-11-11T13:26:00.004-05:00

My girls have been learning about the components of blood this past week. Today, they made a blood model. I love activities that they can do on their own!

I labeled the first picture with the ingredients, but I fear it may be a bit small for many of you to see.
Red Blood Cells: cinnamon candies White Blood Cell: white jelly bean Platelets: candy sprinkles
Plasma: light corn syrup

Though it was "edible" the "blood" was awfully sweet, so we have to discard it in the "Hazardous Waste" bin!
Great way to visualize the substance which gives us life. Try it with your children and then discuss how Christ gave His blood to save us!

MidWest Homeschool Convention

2010-11-10T16:54:00.000-05:00

If any of you are looking for a homeschool convention that is worth going to, you may want to check out the MidWest Homeschool Convention taking place at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, OH
March 31-April 2, 2011. In recent year's, the convention in our area has become exorbitantly priced with very few good speakers and fewer vendors.

Though we will have to pay gas and hotel, my husband and I think the MidWest Conference will be worth going to this year. If you register by November 18, the cost for a FAMILY to attend all three days of the conference is ONLY $40! There are over 300 workshops with such speakers as Ken Ham, Ted Tripp, Carol Barnier, Todd Wilson, etc. Saturday night will cap off the weekend with a presentation by the Duggar family ($1 reservation for family). A bonus is that the convention is not far away from the Creation Museum.

For more info (there is a lot of it!), follow this link. To find out the prices after the early-bird deadline, be sure to check out the registration pricing page. The earlier you sign up, the more you save, but the prices are reasonable for the next month or so. Be sure to book your hotel early as they will sell out early.

Not for the Easily Nauseated

2010-11-04T21:40:00.001-04:00

Tuesday's science lesson with Katrina involved dung beetles, flies, & maggots. You think I'm kidding. Seriously, a whole 3 paragraphs on the dung beetle. Do you know there are parts of this world where people will special order dung beetles to help clean up the excess...well, you know...dung...in their areas?

Then there was the interesting tidbit about flies vs. cockroaches. Did you know that one fly landing on one part of a slice of bread will leave more bacteria behind (and, yes, they did inform us from where!) than a whole troop of cockroaches marching over the same slice of bread? I live on a farm, people. This is NOT what I need to know!

And, what about those maggots? I finally learned how dogs and cats go about getting worms. Worms, which, apparently like to feast on Rover & Fluffy's insides.

I need to learn to do science AFTER lunch. Way after lunch.

Missionary Stories

2010-10-27T21:44:00.001-04:00

We enjoy reading Christian biographies in the morning - especially missionary biographies. A month or so ago, we finished the book, "The Adventure of Missionary Heroism" and last week we finished "Cowboy Boots in Darkest Africa." Both are fantastic books with true heroes for our children to learn about.

However, I realized the stories were really staying with my children when, a few days ago, my 6-year old came running through the kitchen chasing my 3-year old. As they raced through, the 6-year old said, "I'm a cannibal and I'm chasing my supper!"

Monday, we started reading "In His Steps." I'm thinking my kids are ready for something a tad less violent. :)

Applied Science

2010-09-15T13:33:00.000-04:00

The other day, Anna and Katrina were heading outside when Katrina tripped. Anna, who has been studying the skeletal system in science, asked, "Did you hurt your femur?"

I'll take that as a success.

Field Trips

2010-09-09T07:42:00.001-04:00

A good friend of mine told me years ago that the best time to visit some of the museums in our area was during the first week the public schools are in session. I have taken her advice often and it has always been great. Yesterday, I took my kids to the local Science Center and we only had to share it with about 3 other small families.

While planning your field trips this year, look to schedule them in the early afternoon. If a school does have a field trip to that particular place, they will be leaving shortly after lunch time in order for their students to catch the bus and you and your children will have the place to yourselves. Also, schools rarely plan field trips for Mondays. When you don't have to share a place of interest with 300 other school children, guides will have more time to talk with you and answer questions and your children will be able to handle any hands-on displays without being rushed.

Just some helpful homeschool hints!

Science Fun

2010-09-05T23:18:00.001-04:00

I love that my son sees experiments in his book and goes ahead and tries them without my prompting. It's also great entertainment for the whole family!

Understanding my Children

2010-09-01T14:34:00.000-04:00

In sitting with my children helping them do their schoolwork, I have come to a deeper understanding of them and their struggles. In spending hours sitting with each precious child day in and day out, I have come to a poignant conclusion:

The reason my children often SEEM brainless is because the ARE! It is no fault of theirs, but their school books have the power to deplete the majority of their brain cells during the course of the morning.

How did I come to such a profound conclusion? Because by the time the morning is over, MY brain cells have been severely reduced by textbooks on 5 different grade levels. By 2:00 in the afternoon, there is nothing left of me than a mere shell of a human being.

Brain cells DO grow back. I know this because I have a fully-functioning brain by 7:00 every morning. I enjoy them the few hours they actually last.

Here's hoping your brain cells remain plentiful always...

Making Life Easier: Get Your Own

2010-08-18T15:18:00.000-04:00

One of the new rules we have this school year is that each of the four oldest children are responsible for preparing and cleaning up after their own breakfasts and lunches. I only serve the 3 youngest (and the 6 year old will probably graduate to self-sufficiency in the next few months) and the person scheduled to do that meal's dishes only has to do their own plus the two youngest children's. It's quite a bit less work for everyone which takes less time away from the school day.

It's making my life easier. Let me know if it does the same for you. Or, give me some ideas of what has made your life easier.

First Day of School

2010-08-16T14:40:00.000-04:00

Today was the big day. I must say, it was the best first day we have had in a couple of years. I don't remember ever being so nervous about the school year beginning, but I felt about as panicked as a new teacher in a classroom of 30 students!

Until last night. Last night I finally felt organized enough to start this year off on the right foot. I still have much of the yearly lesson planning to do, but I'm well under-way. I have the whole week completed, so imminent catastrophes have been avoided.

We took a family trip out to the stores last night to buy school supplies. That is something I realized I never really did last year. We just kind of used the old stuff and did a quick job of clearing off the old materials to make way for the new. I made sure this year to get the kids new pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, etc., whether they needed them or not. They'll use it all eventually and new things give them a positive sense of anticipation. With all of their school shelves cleaned up and brand new books setting on them, they could not wait to get under-way with school. My 8th grader had two subjects completed before 8:00 this morning! Always a great start!

I listened to kids read, instructed the younger ones with their math & English, and the kindergartner with her letters until about 1:30 this afternoon. Other than feeling a little numb, I enjoyed the peacefulness of it all.

No complaining, no arguing, no lost pencils, and all work done before 2:00. Whether or not that will happen ever again during the course of this year, I don't know. But it made for an excellent first day of school!

Hope yours goes as well. Would love to hear about it!

We're Starting School Next Week...

2010-08-09T23:39:00.000-04:00

...and I was feeling a bit guilty about cheating my kids out of the last 4 or 5 weeks of summer. Until I found out that schools in the South are beginning this week.

Guilt-free.

Not to mention, my kids only have 4-day weeks and we like to finish school by the beginning of June. Am I not an awesome mother? *wink, wink*

I had great visions of having my entire year's lesson planning finished by now. Let's just say that guilt-free feeling didn't last long.

How about you? Are you beginning school soon or haven't you even begun thinking about it?

Cost of Education

2010-06-29T09:36:00.001-04:00

A little while ago this morning, I was listening to the radio. There was a conversation taking place about the cost of education in our area. I always think about that this time of year as I am planning and purchasing my curriculum for my 5 full-time students. The average cost PER STUDENT in our area is $15,000.00. Let me say that again - 15 THOUSAND dollars. Per student. Per year.

What?

I realize that there are bills to pay for each school building. I realize that the salaries of the teachers are included. I realize that there are insurance, food, and many other costs included in these figures - not just books. But, for heaven's sake. $15,000.00? Some quick calculations on my part tells me that with those figures, it should be costing my husband and I about $75,000.00 to teach our 5 children each year - and that's only figuring about 8-10 hours worth of their care, five days a week for 9 months a year. I can tell you, I am pretty certain we don't spend $15,000/child/year in our home - period. We not only school them, but house them, clothe them, meet their health care needs, feed them 3 good meals a day, entertain them, and the list goes on. And, we pay school taxes.

So, I ask you - where is this $15,000.00 per student going? Because, on my paper, it's just not adding up.

What I'm Using Next Year

2010-06-22T17:09:00.000-04:00

Ok - I know you all have just been dying to know what our curriculum will be made of next year. All (maybe) 1 of you. Seriously, is anyone out there?

Anyway -

Math - Grades Michael, Cassia, and Anna - A.C.E. This curriculum works great for us as I am not mathematically minded and when the kids can't get it on their own it's written write there in their book where I can understand it!
Katrina, Seth, & Gloria - BJU. What else?

English - All grades will use the best curriculum in this area - BJU. Not that I've tried them all, but I did major in English when in college and their concentration on the writing process and the intricacies of grammar are superb.

History - This year, I let the older kids actually choose what they're going to do. Daring, I know. Mike is doing (surprise) Evan Moor's Civil War History Pockets. He already knows much more about this war than I do, but I have a feeling it's going to play a part in whatever he chooses to do in his future. So, I don't mind him spending a year of concentration on it. He has purchased even more books and will do reports on it on top of the projects included in the pockets. I truly hope one summer in the next few years he'll be able to intern as a guide at Mannasses.
Cassia is also doing a History Pocket - Moving West. She is very much interested in pioneers, etc. She will be doing the projects, a report or two, and reading various books including on on Narcissus Prentiss & Marcus Whitman.
Anna is my more orderly, no-frills student. Therefore, she chose to use the BJU 6th grade Heritage Studies. She's basically covering world history & geography. I personally like the organization and "no-thinking" planning that gives me, as well.
Seth & Katrina will be doing history in our homeschool group. As we have 19 weeks total and most history curriculua for that age-group tend to only last half a year, that will suffice. We will build on what they are learning in class and we will also be reading the Little House series. We read that series together when the 3 older ones were young (Anna, my 9 year old, barely remembers that) and I think they'll enjoy it very much. It also ties in nicely with Cassia's history studies.

Health - each of them will be using the A Beka health books geared towards their grade level. It's basic, easy to read and understand and covers all sorts of issues such as diet, hygiene, changes in teens, manners, etc.

Science - I'm really excited to join the Apologia family this year. Mike & Cassia will be doing the General Science program. Mike will be taking the Hands-on Science class in our homeschool group, as well. Cassia is undecided. We will be doing as many of the experiments in our book as possible. Anna is doing Apologia's Human Physiology & Anatomy and Katrina is doing Flying Creatures of the 5th Day. The fact that they have notebook activities to go along with their lessons was a huge selling point for me. Science is more about observing and doing. Seth will be doing A Beka's Enjoying God's Creation. It's only about half a year's worth of information and he will enjoy the experiments of the older children.

Reading/Literature - Katrina and Seth will continue with Hooked-on-Phonics for improved reading skills and utilize the Pathway Readers for practice. I love the Pathway Readers and so do all of my children. I don't make my kids do a lot of workbook work for reading and I think that has proved a good decision. None of them see reading as work, but as something they love to do.
I didn't plan on the older kids doing a formal reading program until I came across some great literature books as a used curriculum fair. Mike is going to use an old BJU edition of "Explorations in Literature", Cassia is using A Beka's "Of People", and Anna is using the 6th grade Pathway Reader, "Step by Step." Each book has questions at the end that my kids can answer aloud. This way, I can make sure they are reading and comprehending all of the material. This is important especially for those stories that seem to be a bit more dry to them.

Handwriting - Katrina and Seth will continue to use the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. Katrina is in the 2nd cursive book and Seth is in the 3rd printing book. I began using this series about 4 or 5 years ago and I love it. My kids' never minded doing handwriting and they improved without much time put forth every day. This program won't last a whole year, but they'll continue to get practice as they write out their spelling words, etc.

Spelling - I found a great antique speller among my husband's grandmothers' books - "The Essentials of Spelling". This speller was published in 1919 and covers 5-8 grades. Michael and Cassia will be using the 7th and 8th grade word lists given. Anna has opted to use the BJU 6th grade spelling and Katrina & Seth will also be using BJU for their grade levels, as well.

Bible - We rarely use a formal Bible curriculum. We will finish reading Adventures of Missionary Heroism and probably continue reading other missionary biographies together. We also go over our church's Sunday School lessons together on school mornings and sing a few hymns together. I plan on implementing more Scripture memorization, as well.

My children, as I've mentioned, are also involved in our church's homeschool co-op. They receive their physical education and art instruction from this group. They will also be involved in choir, home ec., and literature classes besides the classes I have previously mentioned.

I've already planned what days we will be doing school. With 4-day weeks beginning August 16, having all school-year birthdays off, a short Thanksgiving & Christmas break - we will still have 180 days of school (19 are co-op days and 6 are field trip days). I'm excited to have next year planned out ahead of time.

So, there's our plan. Even if no one is reading this, it's nice to have it all in one place. Wonder if I could send a link to this blog to my school Superintendent and use it for my IHIP.....:)

A New Vision

2010-06-10T14:36:00.000-04:00

So, I just ordered the last of my curriculum for next year. I am sure you all are anxiously awaiting to find out what we are doing in our homeschool for the 2010/2011 school year. But, first, let me explain something I feel the Lord showed me.

These past couple of years, we have been doing unit studies. As you know, we have enjoyed them very much. We have been able to do a lot more fun things together and I really believe the kids retained a lot of knowledge - in the history department. However, I was struggling with the other subject areas as I felt they were a bit weak. I LOVE history, so doing more research and doing the projects were not difficult. I am not gifted in the area of science and expounding on the prepared lesson plans (which seemed a bit unorganized) were difficult. English is my specialty and I know this was very weak in the curriculum I was using.

Another problem was the fact that I now had 2 younger children not old enough to really get involved with the unit study we were doing. I was doing things with them and that was fine, but running two studies was getting a bit stressful. Also making things hard was the fact that all of the kids had to be together at the same time to teach them our "together" school. If one child was out helping a friend or another one was in deep concentration over long-division, we lost a lot of time.

Most of all, I noticed that I spent most of my time doing school with my kids, leaving little time to minister to others or truly keep my home. Looking through Scripture, it was confirmed to me that my first priority as a mother is to manage my home and be a help to my husband. Where is it taught that the Proverbs 31 woman actually sat down all day and schooled her children? Her children learned how to be a wives (or what kind of wife to seek), how to work in business, how to minister to others by watching their mom and, I daresay, by working along-side her. She was a mom who loved and spent time with her children - but not just by educating them, no matter how creatively.

Sending my children to school is not an option. Yet, sacrificing ministry and the organizational management of my home is no option, either. My children need to be educated to make it in this world and to be a good testimony. They also need to see me ministering and minister alongside me in order to please God and to be a good testimony.

So, my answer? Textbooks. *GASP* Yes, I realize that textbooks are evil. They zap my children's love of learning. They aren't real life.

Let's face it. Even in unit studies, the kids know when we are doing school. No amount of projects and reading aloud is going to mask the fact that they are in school-mode. They still look forward to being "done" with school and having free time. As far as textbooks - I don't know, but it seems that I'm still picking up textbooks to learn how to do various things (ie: cookbooks, photography books, sewing books, etc). Textbooks seem to be a large part of my real life.

I realize that much of my time will still be spent educating my children. My older children will be able to read most of their material and figure it out on their own. I will do review questions with them, aide them in their writing projects, correct their work, etc. My younger ones will still require a lot of one-on-one with me. That's understanable. That's expected. However, I'm hoping that with the organization of textbooks I will have more time to do what I need to do - be a true help to my husband. Teaching our children is only one of the many ways I need to aide him. It is not the only way.

I want to spend more time teaching my children scripture. If you study the Bible, THAT is what parents are supposed to be teaching their children. I need to teach them what God wants from them - His Words, His principles, His love. I don't need to be concentrating on getting my children to love reading the classics. I need to be concentrating on developing their love for the Word. I don't need to teach my children every word of the Gettysburg Address. I need to memorize Scripture with them. I don't need to spend time developing their love of learning all things scientific, literary, etc. I need to develop their love for Christ and for others by ministering. That is what being a Christian mom is all about.

I've decided that I'm not a homeschooling mom. I'm a Christian mom who homeschools. There is a difference. The difference is in my priorities.

Speaking of Planning...

2010-04-23T14:14:00.000-04:00

...I already have a plan for the upcoming school year. I know, I know. THIS school year isn't even over, yet. But, I like to plan ahead.

My goal is to sit down with my Well Planned Day planner several days throughout the summer and plan each lesson for each day of the new school year. For instance, get out my children's math books and go through and plan what lessons and what pages they will be doing for each day. Then, on to English. When will that test be?

As we know, the best laid plans tend to fall victim to real-life. There will be days that someone is sick or an unforeseen field trip occurred. But, I will have finished all of the hard lesson planning during the summer, so will only have to take a few minutes each week to re-evaluate where we are and plan my children's days accordingly in the Home Schooler's Journal.

That is my plan of attack in lesson planning for the 2010/2011 school year. Do you have a plan? I would love to hear it. I'm not above changing my plan for a better one. :)

Planning is Everything

2010-04-19T15:36:00.000-04:00

But how do you plan?

Some people don't. They fly by the seat of their pants. Some make it look effortless and manage to accomplish much. Others, like myself, fail miserably in this method. Sometimes, it's necessary to just be flexible and do what you can when you can. But, for the most part, a plan is needed for homeschool survival.

In the past, I created an Excel spreadsheet to help organize my children's lesson plans. I've used individual assignment books so each of my children can see what is expected of them each day. Unfortunately, this creates a lot of work for me and my kids somehow seem to lose things in about 10 seconds flat.

In my search for the perfect planner, I've come across a few very helpful materials. I am listing them on my website this week including the one planner I've stuck with these last several years. Go on over to Homeschool Potpourri an take a look. Let me know if you use or have tried any of the planning helps I've listed. What do you use & why do you like it?

Have a blessed homeschool day!

New Site for Booksellers!

2010-04-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

Funny. I posted about Homeschool Classifieds the other day and I get an invitation in my e-mail inbox to be among the first to join another homeschool book selling site. Ironically enough, the site is called sellhomeschoolbooks.com. If not catchy, it's easy an address easily remembered!

Though I'm still getting a bit used to this site, it's really easy to use. Posting is similar to e-bay, though much less complicated. The best part is that it's FREE!! Looks like you could use some options that would cost money. This leads me to believe that someday they may decide to charge for membership fees and other niceties on the site. But, for now, I'm taking advantage of my free year.

Check it out. Be one of the founding members. Who knows what you might find there.

Homeschool Classifieds

2010-04-12T18:07:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love Homeschool Classifieds. It is a great site for homeschoolers to buy and sell their used books for free! You can pay a minimal fee in order to list more than 5 books at a time, but it is more reasonable than e-bay. Not to mention, they also allow you to sell Teacher's Editions!! I mean, really, aren't those the books we're looking for the deals on or desiring to make some of our money back?

Check it out. You do not have to have an account in order to buy, only to sell. Let me know what you think!

Taking Time

2010-03-27T16:32:00.000-04:00

I wish I had already known some things several years ago when I began to teach my oldest child. Being the first child, he was the one with whom I compared the "normal" home-schooler. If "most" kids were understanding something at a certain age, then he should be as well. If it wasn't a difficult concept for me to understand in my childhood, then why was he struggling? If he didn't get the day's concept, we worked on it until he got it - some nights we worked until 9:00 p.m. It was my immaturity as a homeschool mom that many of our "bad" days were formed.

Now that I've been homeschooling for 7 years, I'm either wiser or just plain tired.

My six year old son is a first-grader this year. He has been doing quite well, though he would much rather be outside running around than writing spelling words. At the beginning of the year, he really struggled with expanded form in Math (i.e - 50 + 2 = 52). This concept was so easy to me as a youngster. My previous 4 children never struggled with this and I had no idea why he just didn't "get" it. Just recently, I realized it had been quite a while since we had done expanded form - months, in fact. I wondered if he would get it now that so much time had elapsed and he was doing quite well in other areas of Math.

Wouldn't you know it? Just the other day, his review section on his math page was....expanded form. And, again, wouldn't you know it? He got EVERY SINGLE ONE.....RIGHT!!!!!!!!! No problem. Piece of cake.

All it took was time. Not time in beating the lesson into his head over and over. Not time in making him write different numbers in expanded form for hours on end. Not time in me worrying and pulling out my hair. Just time off without even thinking about it. Through time, stress was removed. Through time, precept was built upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. And, he GOT it.

What I wouldn't give to have known that seven years ago.

A Fantastic Opportunity

2010-03-10T16:31:00.000-05:00

My husband, myself, and five of our children recently returned from a whirlwind tour through history. Most of our time was spent in Southern Virginia - more specifically, Williamsburg. We spent one day at the Jamestown Settlement where the America we know today began, one day in Yorktown where the Revolutionary War ended, and two days in lovely and historic Colonial Williamsburg. For the seven of us to tour Colonial Williamsburg for 2 days this time of year, it would cost us $207 - and that's the "special" rate. However, a special opportunity just for homeschoolers is extended twice a year - one week in September and one in March. With this deal, the seven of us had a 5 day pass for a whopping total of - ready? - $77!!! I could have bought the 2-day pass for just $8/person, but at the time of purchase, I wasn't exactly sure of our schedule. Jamestown and Yorktown also offer a combined pass to both sites for $10.95/person for the entire week. This includes the guided tours, full access to the museums, and special classes offered to the students.

I would highly recommend any homeschool family to take advantage of these offers - especially if the number of children you have limits where you can go on vacation. This was our first family vacation in three years and I am so grateful to the historic sites in Virginia for making it possible for us to have such a memorable time together! Each of the three areas had wonderful interpreters and there were many hands-on activities to make history truly come alive for my children. The ages of the children we took were 6-12 years old. Each of them had something they loved. We didn't take our 2 & 4 year old as we were sure they wouldn't be able to keep us with all the walking and would become bored (we all have been around bored and tired toddlers - not "happy-family-memory" material!). We were glad we made that decision and they were happy with Grandma!

Check the offers out at the following sites: Colonial Williamsburg (they are still showing the Spring Program, but I know they will be offering their Fall Program in September for the same price) and Jamestown/Yorktown (their Spring info is still up as well, but they mention the Fall program). Let me know if you are seriously considering taking this trip or let me know if you've gone already. Tell me what you think!

I am logging our trip over at my other blog, Love & Rewards. If you care to read more about our time there and see pictures, feel free to stop by.

Massachusetts Night

2010-02-24T00:13:00.000-05:00

It's been 2 months since I've posted here? Good grief!

I must say, last year there seemed to be much more to post about as we had a special evening scheduled every few weeks at the end of a unit. However, though I am using the same curriculum this year, there aren't as many special evenings planned as there are only 3 seperate "units" in our area of study this year.

We did, however, do a little something special a couple of weeks ago as the children had done some information gathering on the state of Massachusetts. We had Boston Baked Beans for dinner (along with some chicken & biscuits) and Boston Cream Pie for dessert. It was the first "pie" I had made and the first the children had eaten. It was a hit! The children read to us their papers about the Wampanoag Indians, who are indigenous to Massachusetts. They also read aloud their journal entries for the week. I had them write on each day of creation as that is what we are discussing in our church's Family School.

I will post a couple of pictures tomorrow. Though the Massachusetts night was not in the planned curriculum, I am grateful to have set aside a special evening so "daddy" could get some insight into what the children have been doing. He always enjoys that and the kids love being able to show off the fruits of their labors! We will do another special evening again soon, I'm sure.

Planning!

2009-12-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! Last year I finally waded into the waters of Unit Studies. I walked in carefully using a wonderful "beginner" program called "Learning Adventures." This has been a great program for us as it has laid out very clearly our daily activities. It is so detailed that I could just read from Dorian's notes if I wish (and on the days that I'm experiencing fried-brain, that is exactly what I do.) However, now that I have gotten my feet wet and I see how to do a unit study, I am ready to take the plunge into developing my own unit study for next year!

I have been very happy with Learning Adventures, but so far, the author has not had the opportunity to continue the program through the Civil War - a subject in which my children are extremely interested. I am also not completely satisfied with the grammar section of the study. Therefore, I have done some searching.

My cousin's wife introduced us to Evan-Moor's History Pockets this year and has allowed us to borrow 3 of her books. If you have never used these, they can be found here. They are filled with information and lots of fun and EASY projects for the kids to really comprehend what they are learning. I have supplemented our study of the colonization of America with these pockets. The book gives some starter information about the topic and it would be so easy to use that info as springboard into finding other books to dig deeper.

As I was preparing some more pockets for my children to do in the next couple of days, I noticed on the back of the book that Evan-Moor also offers Literature Pockets. I hurried to the computer, went to the Evan-Moor site and I have found a pluthera of educational supplies that will make it easy for me to create a customized curriculum for next year. Each of my subjects may or may not relate to one another, but each subject will be a fun, hands-on, and educational unit.

If you are looking for something more interesting to do with your students next year instead of the same ole workbooks, I highly recommend this site. I understand that the information comes from a secular and evolutional world view, however, I see that as a teaching opportunity in itself. I plan on using their "Daily Science" books, yet when we are confronted evolution, we will see what their belief is and search out and contrast the Creationist view.

I am so excited about this new venture next year and the fact that I have months to plan for it!

Fancy That!

2009-11-29T23:46:00.000-05:00

My mom came over for a visit this past Saturday morning. We were not able to spend Thanksgiving together and, as she was going to be in the area doing some shopping, we decided it would be great if she came over to do some "catching-up."

As she was due to arrive at 10:00, I just assumed I would serve her some coffee and leftover pie (check out the recipe here). Around 9:00, inspiration came upon me - why not have a simply fancy lunch? My children had neglected to eat breakfast, so we could eat a bit earlier than usual so my mom could still get her shopping done.

The menu - peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, bananas, juice, cider, and chocolate ice cream (kids) and pie (mom & me) for dessert.

"Um, Victoria, I hate to tell you, but that sounds anything but fancy!"

Yes, but it's all in the PRESENTATION!

(OK - here I must apologize. I will be discussing presentation without any pictures to illustrate as I dumbly have forgotten for the 400th time this week to recharge my camera batteries. So sorry.)

First, my daughter made the good ole American PB&Js and then cut them into shapes - dinosauers for the boys and hearts for the girls. I realize that cutting sandwiches into shapes leaves quite a bit of wasted bread, etc., which is why we don't do this often. (If you have any suggestions on how to creatively use the crust "remains" please leave them in the comments.) She then stacked the dinos on one glass plate and the hearts on another. So pretty.

When it was time for lunch, I brought out my good dishes and peeled the bananas before placing them on the plates and serving. Everyone got a very pretty stemmed glass from which they drank either apple cider or sparkling juice (grape juice mixed with Sprite). An everyday lunch served on special dishes, makes for a pretty fancy meal.

When it was time for dessert, I dished up the children's ice cream in some pretty glass sundae dishes that I have tucked away and drizzled their scoops with chocolate sauce and topped it with whipped cream. They were so happy. Mom and I used the dessert plates from my good set and ate our delicious warmed apple pie.

Simply fancy. It made my mother feel welcomed and my children feel special. Having guests for lunch no longer appears complicated.

Question for You

2009-11-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

I need some help.

We are beginning the busy holiday season. As most homeschool families have experienced, the daily schedule seems to get as mixed up as a box of Christmas lights this time of year. I know the obvious solution is to not over-scheudule ourselves. However, that often means turning down ministry opportunities, which can be more valuable than book lessons.

I live in a state that requires quarterly reporting. I know my kids are learning even on the days where their "formal lessons" are not possible, but try explaining that to the superintendant. So, my question is:

How do you accomplish "real school" in the midst of many busy days of "real life"?

Please leave your suggestions in the comments. I would appreciate it so very much!

Just Walk Away from the Lesson and No One Will Get Hurt!

2009-11-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

Did you ever have a day when your child seems to have a total brain-block against something? Yesterday, my almost-6 year old son just could not get the words correct on his reading page. He was learning the "s" sound at the end of the word. i.e. cats However, he kept switching the last two letters of EVERY word he was reading. i.e. cast Talk about frustrating. At one point, he just had a bad attitude and began crying. I sent him upstairs to rest until he could come back down without getting upset. When he came down, his attitude was a bit better, but those pesky letters kept switching around on us!

What do you do? With my first child, I would prolong the agony until the early evening hours. "It's not that hard. You just need to try." However, I have learned that nothing is accomplished that way except for tempers flaring, hair loss, and an increased loathing for education. Now, we just put the lesson aside for the next day. Which is exactly what we did yesterday.

This morning, we opened up to the reading lesson and, lo and behold, the letters stayed where they were supposed to be! He didn't miss a word. At one point, he stopped and said, "Now I'm getting it!"

We didn't fall behind a day in our lesson. The lesson was to know when to walk away with the intention of trying again the next day. God's mercies are new every morning - even in the trials of a 5 year old's education. All was bright and clear today - especially his smile!

Savings!

2009-11-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to make you aware of a great website: The Coupon Mom. A friend of mine "introduced" me to her and she has really motivated me to save some money on my grocery bills. Not only is her site great, but if you go HERE, you can see her in action. Be aware: it takes a little while to get your act together where you're really seeing some great savings. Don't get discouraged - be persistant!

During the holiday season, it's a blessing to be able to save money wherever we can. Happy Savings!

Pocketful of Pinecones

2009-09-03T17:08:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read this book by Karen Androla? It's been out for several years, but I finally decided to read it. Now that my approach to homeschooling has changed, I find this book extremely encouraging and has given me several new ideas.

Who knows? Maybe we'll start a Nature Notebook of our own.

Give this book a read...and tell me what you think.

Great Organizational Tool

2009-08-31T15:29:00.001-04:00

I am a huge planner. I know that if I don't plan, nothing will ever get done - especially in our homeschool. I have purchased The Homeschoolers Journal, made my own Excel sheets, used Donna Young's printables to make my own notebook, etc., etc. Each of these has been a blessing to me in different season's of my life. I must say, I loved the Homeschooler's Journal, but I now have too many children to really make it work efficiently for me. If you have just 2 or 3 children in school, you might want to look into that excellent resource.

However, I have recently discovered Homeschool Tracker Plus. To date, this is the best method for me, by far. I am into day10 of my $5 30-day trial and I think I'm going to spend the $45 more to purchase the program for keeps.

Everything is in the computer, but I can print out assignment sheets made up directly from my lesson plans. I type in the subjects with what I want to cover on certain days and...WHALAA!

Well, with a 300-something page user's manual, maybe not quite so "whalaa!" Getting to learn the program is probably the biggest draw-back. I'm the type of person who learns by doing and it's taken me a few hours to really figure things out. However, I can go to the site any time I want and watch how-to videos or look at a pdf file of the manual. I would also recommend becoming a part of the discussion board. I couldn't figure out how to edit the grading chart but after going back and forth with the creator of the program, we have it figured out. What a HUGE help having someone there who knows the program and actually answers your questions almost immediately!

If you have several children or high school students, I would suggest you give this program a look-see. Tell me what you think. And, if you get a chance, tell them you heard about Homeschool Tracker Plus here at Teaching Mommy.

My Career

2009-08-29T19:56:00.003-04:00

This week, I realized that I spend a total of 5 hours a day teaching my children. That's FIVE hours of SITTING with them, talking with them, directing & guiding them, and helping them learn.

That's FIVE hours of nothing else getting accomplished.

To some homeschool moms, this seems like a lot. This seems a bit daunting. I mean, there's dinner to cook, laundry to do, house to clean, gardens to harvest, canning to be done, dresses to be sewn, etc., etc. Trust me, I thought this was a lot of time, as well.

However, this year I have a bit of a different mindset. Something more important than a home-made quilt is being accomplished. I am spending time with my kids. I am not rushing school so that I can get the things I NEED to get done finished. What I NEED to accomplish is this: raise children who know that I love them and have an education they (& their parents) won't be ashamed of.

I look at it this way. Many of America's moms are working 40 hour weeks. That's 8 hours, five days a week. With drive-time, most of those moms are away from home 9 hours a day. That's 9 hours of no cleaning, no laundry, no baking, no gardening, etc., etc. So, if I spend 5 hours a day doing none of those things because I am TEACHING MY KIDS, why should I feel guilty? Why shouldn't I enjoy myself? After all...everyone is taught that they should strive to have a job they love.

I went to college to be a teacher. I love to teach. If I rush the teaching part of my day just so I can clean my house (a job I, well, DON'T love), I am only succeeding in creating a stressful environment and no one is having any fun.

I realize that some moms just do not have 5 hours to sit and teach. There are some exceptions (those with newborns being at the top of the list). However, the time you do HAVE to sit and teach, I challenge you to ENJOY. Don't look at it as time when chores are suffering. Look at it as time your child will treasure and benefit from for the rest of his life.

It's my career and I am loving it.

First Week - Done!

2009-08-20T14:34:00.004-04:00

Ok - so it's been a couple of months since I've posted. But, after all, it's summer and this is a homeschool blog.

I had every intention of schooling through the summer to prevent boredom and to finish up what we didn't finish during the school year. However, by mid-July I surrendered. It was a losing battle. The kids are older which means we are a lot busier and going more places. This provides less opportunity for boredom (and less opportunity for me to get any real projects completed).

However, we just completed our first week of school today!! Most importantly, it was incredibly successful! I was able to accomplish most everything I had planned. We began last Friday so we all could get a taste of our new schedule without feeling overwhelmed. After a nice weekend, we did school on Monday, took Tuesday off to go to a friend's (planned months ahead of time) and then did school yesterday and today. As my niece and nephew are coming tomorrow, we doubled up on our work today.

The older kids are studying the Age of Exploration. We are reading through an antique textbook - Explorers and Founders of America (written 1907 - our copy was printed in 1929) - which has made Columbus, De Leon, De Soto, and Vespuci come alive. I love old history books as they tend to stay closer to the truth than modern-day books. Even some of the Christian books tend to slant history a bit more conservative than it actually was. We are also enjoying a mini-study on oceans for our science.

The younger ones are doing Five in a Row this year - Volume 1. Madeline was the book of the week. We also did a little fish project to kind of tie in with the older kids oceanography. Lots of fun. And, even though the craft was simple, it made me look like a fun mom - always a bonus! We are reading The Light and the Glory for children in history this year. I like the style of writing, but I've never been to keen on the slant. It may sound odd, but, as I mentioned earlier, it has a very Christian slant to the degree of changing facts, I believe. I am not sure if Christopher Columbus really came here to spread the gospel - any thoughts on that? Everyone in the book tends to either fight with pride and/or want to spread the gospel to the natives. The next chapter deals with the Jesuit priests who come to bring salvation to the Indians. Not to offend any of my readers, but this book uses this in a positive light and equates them with born again Christians. This makes my job a little more interesting. However, I'd rather have a book add more Christianity to history than to scorn it or take it completely out. Anyone know of an interesting book for kids that has the balanced truth?

Our schedule seems to be working wonderfully. I teach the younger children in the morning while the older kids do their independent work. Then, after lunch, I sit with the older kids doing our read-aloud, history, science, and English. This has only taken an hour, so far, each day, but there will be many days that it will take 2 hours. Our schedule looks like this:

8:30 - individual Bible reading time (I read w/ the younger children)
9:00 - 11:00 - I teach the younger ones - Five in a Row, history/science, spelling, math, penmanship, reading. The older children do their math, any english and spelling assignments, and practice their instruments. If they finish with extra time, they keep Zane occupied.

11:00 - 12:00 - finish up morning assignments, Bible memorization (yet to start), getting ready to make lunch

12:00 - 1:00 - lunch/free time

1:00 - 3:00 - younger children finish any independent work; little ones go down for naps; I do the "together-schoo" with the older children.

3:00 - 4:00 - my favorite addition to this schedule - QUIET TIME FOR MOMMY!!!!! The children go outside or play QUIETLY in the house while mommy goes upstairs to read or nap. This is a great refresher for the evening!

4:00 - 5:00 - dinner prep with dinner @ 5:00

Notice my schedule has become more flexible - it is no longer minute by minute. We often finish school for the younger ones after 11:00 and the older ones, like I mentioned, are done before 3:00. I love the flexibility our school is allowing us - so much less stress for us all!

Have any of you begun school, yet? I would love to hear how it's going or when you plan to begin. Comment away!:)

Just a Bit of Reading

2009-06-09T19:27:00.002-04:00

William Shakespeare and Martin Luther. Two very different men with two very different purposes in life. I've introduced both of them to my children in our study of the Renaissance & Reformation. They are our read-alouds for this unit.

Leonardo DiVinci, John Bunyan, and Johann Gutenburg - these are the men my children are reading about on their own during this unit. Each is reading a different biography and they will inform the rest of us on their character in a report they will read during our end of unit celebration.

Have I ever mention how much I love unit studies?!:)

The New Bible

2009-06-01T15:46:00.004-04:00

So, we were at a used curriculum sale the other night and my daughter's were frequenting the ever-popular "free table." My 8 year old came back to me very excited.

"Mom, I've needed a new Bible and this was on the free table!!"

I looked at the compact-sized Bible and read the front: New American Bible.

Hmm...New. American. Bible. Yep, everything she was looking for.

Well, sort of.

For those of you who don't know, we are KJV-only users. Not only was this Bible not KJV, it wasn't even our "religion."

She found the Catholic Bible. On the free table. Macabees, Judith, the works.

So, what would you do? I must admit, I originally explained to her what it was and sent her to put it back on the table.

Then, I called her back. We're keeping it.

Why? What better education than to actually see the holy book of another's religion? What better way to really learn the differences in our beliefs than to have it right in front of you? We are firm believers in preparing our children to have an answer for every man and this is a great way to help them.

I must say, that "Bible" may have been the best find at the sale!

Switzerland

2009-05-27T15:43:00.005-04:00

We're studying the Renaissance and are getting a bit of a European tour in the process. We are loving it - especially trying some of the yummy foods!

Today, we stopped over in Switzerland. I never knew that Fondu originated in that European country. The word fondu apparently comes from a French verb meaning "to melt." Usually, as they are a big dairy country, cheese is the melted delicacy of choice. However, they are known for another favorite food group...

CHOCOLATE!!!

So, guess what our afternoon project was. Oh yeah!!! Chocolate/peanut butter fondu in which we dipped and smothered strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows.

Can you say "OUTSTANDING"?!!!

The best part - the kids won't be hungry for supper meaning I can get away with serving left-overs!:)

Oh - in case you want the recipe:

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. peanut butter

Mix chocoate, sugar, and milk and microwave until chocolate melts (watch carefully so chocolate doesn't burn). Add the peanut butter and blend. Pour into fondu pot. Skewer fruits, etc., dip, and enjoy!!

Next stop - France. I see dessert crepes in the menu!

A Quick Summary of the Last Couple of Months!

2009-05-18T22:20:00.004-04:00

It's been forever!! No we haven't decided to send our kids to public school. Or private, for that matter. Though, we've thought about it at times.:)

We've just been crazy busy. And having fun.

We finished Rome ages ago and completed the Middle Ages a couple of weeks ago. LOVED our end of unit feast. We ate roast chicken, rolls, salad with herbs and fruit tarts. YUM!! We were entertained by minstrels, jesters, a couple of miracle plays, and the readings of poems and essays done throughout the unit.

Can I just say how I LOVE my husband for his participation in our craziness? These feasts are a ton of work, but we both agreed that our kids learn so much from the "doing" part of school. Eric is a huge encourager and it helps the children look forward to surprising daddy with all of our festivities.

We are now studying The Renaissance & the Reformation. I am looking forward to giving my children a closer look at some of the true heroes of the faith. We are studying astronomy for science and we are all looking forward to a visit to the planetarium & science museum in a couple of weeks.

The food is awesome in this unit. We learned about Italy last week and enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal. Not to mention we discussed that sardines were first caught off the coast of Sardinia - so, of course we had a bit of a treat that day as we delved into a can of sardines. YUM! (well, the kids loved it, anyway). That same day, we discussed the Milky Way in science. What better way to make it memorable than by washing those sardines down with Milky Way bars?

Today, we studied Germany. Dinner was bratwurst, sauerkraut, potatoes, salad, and a delicious Black Forest Cake for dessert. Who knew that Germany has the Black Forest region which is known for its cherries? I love that I am learning right along with my kids!

On top of all this fun school at home, we have been busy with our homeschool co-op. This was our first year and we've loved it! Our last day of classes is this Thursday and it will be followed by a curriculum fair and a presentation about our co-op. We are very much looking forward to that.

I have also been taking kids to the library for book discussion groups 3 Thursdays/month. The girls go to an American Girls group while Mike, Katrina, and Seth go to groups appropriate for their age groups. We have loved being a part of these groups.

FYI - I do preview the books my kids are assigned before they read. This month, I have had to turn down 2 of the books. The wonderful thing is, the kids are still allowed to take part in the group. Their part of the discussion is just why they didn't read the book. I hope they don't just say, "because my mom wouldn't let me." They have an opportunity to be a witness. Please pray that they will politely tell the truth with conviction. What a great education!

It is late and this mom has much more to do. So glad to stopped by. I hope to talk with you again real soon!

Volcano Dessert!

2009-02-24T10:52:00.005-05:00

Yes, we're still learning about Rome - almost finished, actually. It has been quite interesting seeing how the Roman Empire parallels the history of the United States.

But, this post is not meant to make you lose your appetite, but whet it!

Our science for this unit has been geology - focusing on the 3 categories of rocks and then on to earthquakes and volcanoes. What's the connection to Rome? The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79 occurred during the Roman empire in Pompeii.

Of course, we did the age-old volcano eruption using baking soda and vinegar, but my favorite project is our volcano sundae! Be warned - the picture doesn't do it justice!

I'm telling you, one of the best things of Learning Adventures are the awesome recipes we get to try! This Volcano is made with 1/2 gallon vanilla ice-cream, 1 C. peanut butter, 1 C. chocolate chips. You mix in your mixer and then pour it into a graham cracker pie crust. As the ice cream is softened, you mold it into a volcanic shape (I had my children do this all by themselves - hence, the charming imperfection). After you finish sculpting, put it in the freezer for a couple of hours or until dinner. Then, take it out, form a crater in the top and pour hot fudge into the crater, until the "lava" begins to flow down the mountain. A mixture of powdered sugar & chocolate milk powder dusted over it makes the appearance of ash! Add a few volcanic bombs (chocolate chips) and dig in!!! YUM!!!

WARNING: By the time you finish this delicious dessert, your stomach will feel like it's about to erupt!:)

You can make this dessert without creating the volcanic shape, etc - just in pie form. This way, your guests won't think you've totally lost your mind!

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our science class and wishing you all a wonderful school day!

Olympic Festivities

2009-01-09T22:33:00.005-05:00

This was the day of our Ancient Greek Finale! What a wonderful few weeks it has been studying Greek culture, myths, history, people, along with the human body (for science). There is SO much more to learn in these areas - which is part of the beauty of unit studies. We walk away knowing so much more than we used to but realizing there is so much more knowledge to gain. We have just whet our children's appetites for more.

Today, the children held the Olympic Games at Mount Olympia. Well, the Mount looked much like our hay barn, but with imagination we were champions at the place of champions! I read through the names of the participants, the athletes repeated the Olympic pledge (they each wrote one and voted on the best pledge to repeat), and I began each event with the trumpet fanfare (otherwise known as the screeching of a recorder). Races were run, ropes were jumped and tugged, relays were...relayed. Fingers and feet were frozen, but all walked away winners.

The Olympic banquet consisted of Greek pizza (pitas topped with ricotta & feta cheeses, spinach, tomatoes, & olives), Greek tortellini salad (tortellini marinated in red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, & salt and mixed with fresh spinach, red onion, and feta cheese), and, for dessert, Greek lemon cake. A very different meal, but one that most of us enjoyed. Best of all, it was a huge success with my husband!

Once we cleaned up from the banquet, the children presented the play they wrote together based on the fable, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." It was quite good and it's always fun to see them successfully work together. I never enjoyed doing skits or family plays, but our children seem to live for it!

Then came the awards ceremony. I presented the medals for each race, always beginning with the bronze and ending with the gold. Of course, the gold medalist stood on a stool between the other two medal winners.

We then had a group recitation of Psalm 139:1-15. There are 24 verses in the chapter, but we had a rough time with a couple different verses. It is our goal to have the entire chapter memorized soon.

We topped the evening off with a reading that concluded Book 3 of Mary Pope Osborne's "Tales From the Okyssey" entitled "Sirens and Sea Monsters." This is an abridged version of Homer's Illiad & Odyssey written for children. It has been a great evening read aloud for the family and we will begin book 4 as soon as we can check it out of our library!

I am actually sad to say good-bye to the ancient civilization of Greece, but I anticipate a great adventure beginning next week in Ancient Rome!

Raising Story-tellers

2009-01-08T23:29:00.002-05:00

This evening, my 3 year old daughter wanted me to read her a story. In fact, her favorite phrase lately has been, "Read me a story, Mommy." My "favorite" phrase is, "Later, honey." However, even though I don't drop everything and run to read to Gloria whenever she requests a story, I do spend a lot of time reading to this little girl.

Tonight I was too tired to read. So, I took the "easy" way out and made up a story. Of course, the main character's name was Gloria. It was a silly story involving flowers, birds, toads, and jungles but she was entranced. A few more of my children gathered around to listen, as well.

When I finished, Gloria and my 6 year old daughter both wanted to try telling a story. Theirs were even more silly than mine, but I enjoyed listening to the girls develop their creativity. It's hard to make sense of a 3 year old's story, but, with time and practice (if allowed) she will become a great story-teller.

Much better than her mother.

What We're Doing Today

2008-12-03T08:11:00.005-05:00

Really, when you introduce your kids to their new best friend, how can you get any school done? Let's call it, Learning to Care for a Pet Day!!

Name: Hunter (unless a better name is found)
Breed: Yellow Lab
Age: 10 weeks
Adopted: December 2, 2008

Merry Christmas to us!!!!:)

An Idea

2008-11-23T15:56:00.004-05:00

How do you convey the idea of large numbers to young children?

At our homeschool co-op this past week, I was teaching the 2 & 3 year old class about the reason for Thanksgiving. I was telling them that the first Thanksgiving was almost 400 years ago. (Ok, so it was easier than explaning 380 years!) To a 3 year old, 400 years and 1 year are equivalent - they don't comprehend such things. In order to convey the idea more clearly to them, I had 403 pieces of dried corn (my children counted them out for me). I held 3 pieces of corn in my hand. "Most of you are 3 years old. This is 3 pieces of corn." Then I showed them the rest of the corn in a bowl. "In here are 400 pieces of corn. That's a lot more than 3. Just like 400 years is a lot more than 3 years!"

Their faces showed understanding. I'm sure they still don't have an overall concept of time, but they understood it for that lesson.

Do you have any other ideas for conveying the concept of time? I'd love to hear them!

Good-bye, Egypt! Hello, Greece!

2008-11-16T20:39:00.006-05:00

Well, we have officially completed our study of Ancient Egypt. I must admit, though I was excited about beginning unit studies, I was looking forward to just getting through this topic so I could get on to one that really interests me. Ancient Egypt just didn't sound very appealing to me. You know, eat the spinach so you can have cake? I'm amazed at how much I did enjoy the "spinach!" Not only did my children learn much from our study of Egypt and deserts but I did, as well!

We concluded our travels in Ancient Egypt with a Passover meal. We had read the Exodus story and learned the history of the Passover and the meanings of the various foods and traditions of the Seder table. So, if you had come to our home on Friday night, you would have observed our children searching for the 10 pieces of leaven left throughout the house. Once found, each child threw their leaven (bread) into the fire. The next night, we prepared a Seder plate including 3 pieces of Matzo (representing the fact the Jews left Egypt before their bread was able to rise), onion (bitter herb - representing the bitterness of slavery), an egg & parsley (representing new life that was begun once the Jews left Egypt), and a bowl of salt-water (representing the tears shed by the Jews during their slavery). In the middle of the table was "Elijah's Goblet" - a goblet filled with grape juice waiting for Elijah to enter our open door (which remained open throughout our meal) and announce the coming of Messiah and drink the juice waiting for him. The juice (wine) represents the joy of the Hebrew's freedom.

Eric took one piece of Matzo and broke it in half. He wrapped half of it in a napkin symbolizing the bread packed in the Jews' knapsacks during their flight. Anna asked him questions concerning what we were doing - in the tradition of the youngest child asking the questions of their father so that they may learn of their heritage and how God saved their people. We then named each of the ten plagues taking a sip of juice after each one was mentioned. Eric left the table for the ceremonial washing of hands and then hid a piece of Matzo for the children to find after dinner. When he came back, he broke matzo and gave each family member a bit of it to eat.

Once the ceremony was finished, we ate our dinner of Chicken & Matzo Ball Soup, Potato Latkes, Baked Asparagus, and Hard Boiled Egg. It really was a good meal. Before you begin to think that I must have over-done myself with grating potatoes and mixing matzo meal for the balls, think again. You'd be amazed at the convenient instant Passover foods you find at the local supermarket!

After dinner, the children presented the play Cassia and Anna wrote (for Language Arts) illustrating the story of Moses' birth through the time of his escape from Pharaoh who sought to have him killed for the murder of an Egyptian. It was quite good and the kids had a great time performing it.

What an incredible adventure Ancient Egypt was! I look forward to beginning our adventure in Ancient Greece tomorrow. I've always been fascinated with mythology, the Greek way of life, and their architecture. On top of that, the science study for this unit is one of my favorite topics - the human body! We are going to have such a great time with this. Will 30 days be enough? Obviously not. But that's what is great about these unit studies - it wets the children's appetites and encourages them to continue learning even more long after the study is "finished."

Good-bye, Egypt. I'll actually miss you. Hello, Ancient Greece! Can't wait to get started!!!

2008-11-03T21:09:00.003-05:00

As we are studying Ancient Egypt, I wanted to read the children a biography of a missionary to this country. Obviously, there were none to Ancient Egypt (unless you count Moses), so I Googled "missionary to Egypt - biography" and came up with very little. In fact, the only name that was consistent in popping up was Lillian Trasher. As I couldn't find anything about her in our county library system, I went ahead a bought this biography from Amazon.com - a missionary biography is always a good investment.

I had never heard of this woman, but after reading about her, I wonder why I never have. Lillian Trasher was a remarkable woman of strength and faith. She cared for over 20,000 orphans in her lifetime. She had nearly 900 orphans in her home at one time. She cared for these orphans (as well as some widows) as a single woman throughout both World Wars and a cholera epidemic that ravaged the whole of Egypt. She and the children often lived day to day not knowing where the next meal was coming from. In my opinion, Lillian Trasher is the female equivalent to George Mueller in many aspects.

Everytime I would finish a chapter, the children would yell, "Read more! Read more!" The girls can frequently be found playing "orphanage" and whenever I would pick up the book to read in the evenings, the children would excitedly exclaim, "LILLIAN!!!!!" Definitely worth the $8.00 I spent for this book!

We finished "Lillian" last night. Today, I perused the orphanage's website with the children. It was so interesting to them to see the orphanage their new-found heroine began and that it is still taking in and raising children in Egypt. We also watched a short documentary about Miss Trasher which was filmed in the mid-1950's. How intrigued they were to actually see this woman and hear her speak!!

Whoever said nothing good came from the internet?

I believe the most profound statement came directly from one of Lillian's quotes that was at the end of this biography. When asked what was the greatest thing she ever did, Lillian answered, "I just stayed! I did not quit. I stayed with the work God gave me to do."

Oh, if each of us could just do what she did - stay with the work God gives us!

"Lillian Trasher...The Greatest Wonder in Egypt" - 189 pages that will stay with my children for the rest of their lives.

Ask Mr. Bear

2008-10-23T06:52:00.006-04:00

If you don't already use Five in a Row, or even if you do, you must be sure to read "Ask Mr. Bear" to your little ones! I have been reading this classic to my 3, 4, and 6 year olds during the past few days and they are loving it just as much as their older brother did when he was their age.

The story is about a little boy named Dannywho is trying to find something to give his mother for her birthday. He sets out for ideas and asks each of the farm animals if they have something they could give for the occassion. The hen has an egg, the goose has feathers for a pillow, etc., but the boy's mother already has all these things. In the end, Mr. Bear whispers a great birthday gift idea into Danny's ear.

Anyway, you have to read the book. A large part of the fun comes AFTER you read. My children and I have re-enacted parts of the book a few times. For instance, the guessing session Danny has with his mother towards the end. Also, Danny hops, skips, gallops, etc., throughout the book and we have hopped, skipped, and galloped, throughout our house as well! Yesterday, we went in search of all the items suggested to Danny from the animals. That was huge fun. When it came to the milk and cheese, we had a little snack. Of course, we ended that session the same way we complete our reading of the book - with a great big birthday bear hug!!!!

Last night, as I read the book, I changed all the gift ideas from the animals. Seth and Gloria tried to "remind" me what the correct idea was as they giggled. I made a "mistake" at the end of the book and said that he gave his mother a birthday tickling which I proceeded to give to them. Through absolute fits of laughter, they were able to "correct" me again!

We have had so much fun with "Ask Mr. Bear"!

Projects

2008-10-15T21:37:00.003-04:00

Our Columbus Day project for the younger children - the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria

To sample some Ancient Egyptian cuisine, we made Barley Cakes.

Much like pancakes, they are delicious hot with butter & honey.

Our Nile River project. We formed the Nile with Sculpey, then placed potting soil along its "banks" and planted grass seed. The outer edges are filled with sand (the "Sahara").

Walking through the marsh along the Nile.:)

Our Journey from Textbook to Unit Study - Part II

2008-10-14T20:45:00.006-04:00

For those of you who may not know what a Unit Study is, let me explain. Instead of having several different workbooks with different subjects and topics for each individual child to learn, a unit study will take one topic and use it to incorporate all the subjects for several different age ranges. For instance, if you were to do a study on the Civil War, your English would be to read a book such as "Across Five Aprils" and you would possible write a paper explaining the style in which the book is written. Spelling would consist of words used in articles about the war or from the Gettysburg address (which you may have your children memorize for Social Studies). You may study human anatomy or the development of modern day medicine in science. Most of the books you use would be found in the library. You would do various hands-on projects, such as, recreating a battle using civil war action figures or you would create a large map illustrating General Sherman's march, etc. Baking "hard-tack" (a soldier's food staple) would be a fun thing to do in the afternoon as well. The list goes on.

Unit Studies rarely contain Math, so you have to supplement that course with a textbook or something similar.

I've always been fascinated by the Unit Study concept. My hesitation came as a result of the overwhelming projects often suggested and the lack of pre-planned lessons from the companies offering such studies. I'm a person who can take a plan and get creative with it, but I need the blue-print to get me started.

Not to mention, getting 150 of my children's friends to re-create the First Battle of Manassess complete with large cardboard cannons and a tremendous amount of red dye (for blood, of course) was not something I was excited about doing with a bunch of pre-schoolers and nursing babies in the house!

However, with BJU's announcement of the coming cancellation of our satellite, I began to investigate Unit Studies. I was being pulled in several different directions as once helping various children in various subjects. The idea of teaching most or all of them at one time was beginning to sound very appealing.

So, I found "My Father's World," a great Unit Study which incorporates many Christian biographies as it covers an intense geographical study of the world. Most importantly, it offers a day to day lesson plan to guide me as I attempt to successfully teach my children.

One problem. No one I knew had ever used it. There was no way for me to get my hands on a copy to really look at it to see if it was right for our family. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on a curriculum sight unseen.

As I was calling and e-mailing various Unit Study moms, I talked to a friend from church. She did not use MFW, but had used a similar curriculum (meaning, it was laid out with a day-to-day plan).

Enter, Learning Adventures. I had not come across this curriculum in my research, but my friend had it on hand and was willing to let me take it home for perusal. I got myself to her house as quickly as I could. The first year is called "A World of Adventure" in which 180 days are spent studying Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, The Middle Ages, The Renaissance, and Reformation, and The Age of Exploration (all in 30-day increments).

As I looked through the massive 3-ring binder packed full of detailed plans, book lists, materials lists, etc., I became quite excited about the prospect of actually taking a completely different approach in our home-school. How could I wait a whole year to try it out? At the same time, we had spent quite a bit of money on a curriculum that we were only into 5 weeks of using.

I broached the subject with my husband.

"I feel bad about possibly dumping something we just spent a lot of money on."

"What? A thousand dollars?"

I must remind you - we're farmers. We're not exactly rolling in the dough. Dirt maybe, but not money!

He continued. "If it's not working and you find something better, go for it!"

Trust me, you don't have to tell me how blessed I am to have a husband like that!!!

So, the next day, I informed the children we were to embark on a trial week. I let them know we were going to put away all but the Math books and begin a new way of learning. So began our study of Ancient Egypt.

We're in our 3rd week and we haven't looked back. My children have frequently mentioned how much fun school is now. One even told me that she looks forward to school everyday! I just ordered my own copy of the study a few days ago.

We have made an easy model of the Nile River which has real grass growing on its banks. We made barley cakes which turned out to be quite good (a lot like pancakes) with butter and honey. Soon, we'll be creating friezes with plaster of paris.

We have covered the story of Joseph and explained the 5 parts of a plot line using this biblical story. We talked about characters, settings, and styles. My children learned about conflict in a story and we discussed the various conflicts found in the story of Joseph.

In science, we're studying deserts. We spent one evening teaching daddy about camels and the many interesting facts we had learned together. Even now, we have 2 jars in our green house filled with water - one with aluminum foil over it and one without. This is demonstrating how clouds keep moisture in the earth and without them (such as in the desert), water evaporates much quicker.

Our spelling words are words that we are finding in our study. The children also have begun a study of latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes to help learn the meanings of various words that have come from them.

Notebooking is another element that we have been able to naturally incorporate into our school. I have different papers with various borders for much of their work - many times they are able to draw a picture that goes with the assignment. They LOVE this part and it allows them to individualize their work.

The children and I are loving spending this time together. We don't spend all day in school, but we spend enough hours to know that they're getting effectively educated. We usually begin at 8:30 and they finish all of their work (including Math) around 1:30 or 2:00. But, they're not stressed out because we've had a lot of fun and variety throughout the day!

I could write so much more, but I will continue to share our days with you throughout the coming year. I am just so thrilled that education has become a JOY at our house.

Our Journey from Textbook to Unit Study - Part 1

2008-10-12T21:56:00.010-04:00

Within the past two weeks, the face of our home-school has completely changed. Since our oldest (who is now in 6th grade) began school, we used textbook curricula. This was the best way for me to gage my children's rate of learning and it helped me to stay on track. Textbooks are helpful in keeping the school day organized and predictable.

We began our home-school with books mainly from Rod & Staff Publishers. A Mennonite-based publishing company, their textbooks were completely black & white, but were quite thorough. Some of the history had philosophies reflecting their beliefs, but instead of shielding my children from these, I took the opportunity to show them how others believed and why we believe what God says in His Word. After 3 years of Rod & Staff, my children were getting weary of the pages of rote math problems and having to copy 20 sentences out of their English texts to diagram every day. When you're experiencing burn out in the 3rd grade, it's a sign that things need to change.

Unfortunately, using just textbooks in several different grade levels I was pulled in several different directions at one time. When one child had a question while I was working with another, they had to wait. Inevitably, this would result in the waiting student going off to play or finding some sort of trouble to get into. Not to mention, I had 3 little ones in school, 2 toddlers that kept getting pushed to the side so I could help the students, and I was pregnant again. Whew! I'm getting tired reminiscing!

Halfway through Michael's 3rd grade year, we began to investigate DVD schooling from A Beka and Bob Jones. After much research, we decided that BJU's Home-Satellite program would be best for us. It required a bit more work on my husband's part (recording and burning dvds), but it would grab the interest of our children, they would have "real" teachers teaching them, and it would free up some of my time for other things - such as making sure our house didn't fall down, nursing a baby, and paying attention to our pre-schoolers.

For 2 school years, BJU HomeSat was a life-saver for our family. We knew exactly what our children were learning and they were enjoying most of their classes. As with most schools, you had some favorite teachers and some teachers who really seemed to have picked the wrong occupation. But, it worked for us while I was pregnant with another baby and nursing him.

We began this school year continuing with HomeSat. I now have 4 full-time students and one little guy in K4. Mike began doing the A.C.E. curriculum this year, for various reasons and it seemed to be working for him, though I felt a bit out of the loop with what was really going on. But, if it was working and he was giving me less trouble, I count it a success. My other 3 1/2 students were using BJU. Often, I would find myself pulled in 3 different directions looking for materials for this person's class, helping this one with their assignment, and re-teaching the other one their math lesson. On top of that, my bright fourth grade student was spending 7-8 hours on school work. Something is wrong when a student gets about 2 minutes of play outside and little time to practice her piano or send notes to a friend or someone who is ill.

About a week into the school year, we received a notice from BJU stating that they would be cancelling their satellite program at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. The program is no longer cost effective for them - in fact, the college has been subsidizing HomeSat for a couple of years.

We could go on and continue recording classes for future use - until they update the books and the classes and work are not longer coinciding. But, we thought that this was a good time to see what else was out there.

So, the hunt began and I was led to something I was always interested in, but somewhat afraid of...

The Unit Study.

Welcome!

2008-10-11T22:42:00.000-04:00

As my other blog has various readers - some who may not want to know all the details of what occurs in our homeschool - I've decided to create this blog to update anyone who may be interested in our school day. Please feel free to peek into our schoolroom as often as you like. We'll save you a seat!