It's been a long time since I've been on here. Just busy I guess. Nothing really to blog about because we haven't been doing anything too exciting and no cool craft projects. I look forward to Monday and doing school.

Anthony is about to switch math books. He has been struggling with the one's we have been using. And off the top of my head I can't remember the name of them! All of the workbooks have been placed in a 3 ring binder so it's not like I can glance over at the front cover. Anyway, I am switching him to Bob Jones 6th grade. And we are starting it from the beginning. He can move along faster if he needs to but I want to make sure he has mastered the basic concepts first. I have a feeling that his 6th grade year is going to end with him having math in "summer school".

Really homeschool will be year round for us. Christmas break was almost unbearable because of how boring it was!! I couldn't wait to get back to school to give the kid's something to do.

Emma has started Speech at school and she's supposed to goes twice a week. Don't know how much that will help. It's only 30 minutes twice a week. I guess any learning time is beneficial. She has actually only gone once because of the MLK holiday and then on Wednesday she had a doctor's appointment because she said that her ear was hurting her. It was nothing but I'm glad we had her checked out.

She is doing a lot better with her alphabet and learning sounds. She does not want to learn to read. If anyone has suggestions on how to make reading time more pleasant for her, please let me know. I believe she is dyslexic. The Diagnostician at the school said that she wasn't old enough yet for them to make that diagnosis but that Emma probably was. Good enough for me. She doesn't care much for writing either. It is so hard to stay positive and upbeat when the child is shutting down and refusing to do her work. Then I get mad and force her and she agrees to it. Ahh!!

Sara on the other hand demands more and more work. BUT she doesn't want to follow directions! She is 5 now and I realize that I spend so much time working with Emma that I don't do as much with Sara. Talk about a guilt trip! I bought this Leap Frog fridge letter thing the other day. It has alphabet letters that stick to the fridge and you put them in the base and it sings a little song telling you the name of the letter and the letter sound. It also does the entire alphabet. The girl's LOVE it!!!

Well I know at least a couple of people read my blog so I need to ask some advice!!!!

We are using Bob Jones 6th grade for Anthony. For those unfamiliar with it, basically the child has so many pages to read, then the teacher asks questions from her book and then you can have a conversation about it (or just the questions, either way) and then there are maybe one or two worksheets to do.

The problem I have is scheduling. I have tried it with just me and Anthony doing all of his schoolwork first and then do school with the girls. Which is tiresome because the girl's only have a little of work to do together and then they both have their own thing and I have to go back and forth helping them both. Plus I am just sitting there bored as all heck waiting for him to finish his reading.

I have also tried it where I do school for all three at the same time. The problem with that is sure enough I will be in the middle of helping the girl's and Anthony will finish up his reading and be waiting for his questions, or done with the subject ready to move on, and I can't help him right then because I'm helping the girls. Then Anthony will seize that opportunity to do nothing or bug me to get on the computer for just a minute (no no no). And he won't stop after I've said no, so then he gets into trouble and loses his computer time completely. Then he has an attitude for the rest of school.

AND it is frustrating because he is 11 years old and capable of looking into his assignment book and moving on if he needs to. He has his own little book and it tells him exactly what to do. I am so tired of having to baby him about it! And every chance he gets he asks to take a break. But if I let him, he won't go back to doing his work. So he doesn't get any breaks because of it.

I am soooo mad right now thinking about it. I shouldn't have to waste so much energy on it. He complains that I give him too much work! Go ahead and go back to regular school then. Go sit in a desk from 8-3! Of course he doesn't want that!

Deep breath.....

so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks