Spiritual Development –

Create a tradition of putting 'things' I want to be intentional to share with her into a three ring binder with her name on it.  Now it could be as simple as putting together the handouts from her Sunday school and new little songs for us to learn and sing together.  Later, as she grows, it could contain articles, quotes or discussion topics, maybe even notes that we write back and forth to one another.

Read from our Beginner's Bible at breakfast.

 Language -

We'll start our week, whenever possible, at the library, picking out new books and making sure we have a few books that focus on our 'Letter of the Week.'  A week ahead I'll select two or three activities from Brightly Beaming Resources Letter of the Week Curriculum to reinforce letters.  But these will be done at our leisure and only if she seems to be enjoying them.

We'll continue to read story books aloud.  Right now our pattern is two books or stories before 'Quiet Rest' in the afternoon and two books at night before bed.  Some days we read a lot more during other play times, but this seems to be working well to give some enjoyable structure to our day. 

I hate to admit this, but Grace LOVES 'shows.'  By shows she means TV programs, especially Dora.  I've decided to timidly embrace this love and look for ways that Dora can inspire her to learn new vocabulary and phrases in Spanish.  I'll continue teaching her naturally occurring vocabulary and phrases, but I'd like to keep a notebook, for myself that helps me remember what she's learning so that I can reinforce it.  I'm also going to introduce some Spanish language children's books and maybe Muzzy videos.

Music and Movement -

Can you believe that my daughter is now asking if she can be a ballerina?  Off to our first dance class we will go!

Picture Study -

We'll look at Baby Einstein ABC’s of Art, following along with the letter of the week.

"I'm not after sympathy. We are blessed. What I want is a reality check on what rich means," Ms. Parnell says. "I can pay my mortgage and I can buy some clothes. I'm not going without, but I'm not living a life of luxury."

I've been thinking a lot about how Easter and Passover have overlapped this year.  I'm a big picture kind of person, so when I can see how seemingly different parts work together in God's Story, I get excited.  I remember years ago first learning about the 'Passover' story.  While death visited the homes of Egyptians without the sacrificed lamb's blood on their door frames, God's people were saved!  This amazing story points us to Jesus and his death on the cross.

1 Corinthians 5:7

Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Here's a hymn that I typed out for the ladies in my small group today.   I came to it after studying Hebrews 4:16...

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. "

Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat

By John Newton

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat, where Jesus answers prayer:  There humbly fall before His feet,

for none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea, with this I venture nigh:  Though callest burdened souls to Thee,

 and such, O Lord, am I.

Bow’d down beneath a load of sin, by Satan sorely pressed, by war without and fears within,

I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield and Hiding Place, that shelter’d near Thy side, I may my fierce accuser face,

and tell him Thou hast died.

O wondrous love, to bleed and die, to bear the Cross and shame, that guilty sinners, such as I,

might plead Thy gracious Name.

I found this list on Ambleside Online and it's given me a lot to think about in relation to early learning.  I love how Charlotte Mason's list seems challenging and natural all at the same time.

"A Formidable List of Attainments for a Child of Six"

A reprint of a curriculum outline from a CM school in the 1890's. from Summer 93 Parents Review pub by Karen Andreola

1. to recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns
2. to recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm
3. to add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters
4. to read--what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child
5. to copy in print-hand from a book
6. to know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows
7. to describe the boundries of their own home
8. to describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach
9. to tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English, and 3 from early Roman history (my note here, we may want to substitute early American for early English!)
10. to be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views
11. to mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them.
12. to do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees
13. to know 6 birds by song, colour and shape
14. to send in certain Kindergarten or other handiwork, as directed
15. to tell three stories about their own "pets"--rabbit, dog or cat.
16. to name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences
17. to sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song
18. to keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations.

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In thinking about this list I've sketched out a Kindergarten overview that I think matches up to the most important points.

Age 5-Kindergarten/Foundation Year

Bible- Continue Hymn study and begin a Bible Notebook of dictated narration, response drawings, beginning copy work, and scripture memory verses etc.

Math- Consider beginning a number sense/ mental math type curriculum depending on the child's interest and readiness, maybe Singapore Math?

Language Arts- I'm expecting Grace to be ready for some 'early readers'?  Continue reading aloud books of interest.

Once a week?-

Social – Weekly home school/play group and Create ‘Friends of the Week’ Notebook.

Nature Study- Continue focus on child’s interests.  Learn names of wildflowers and trees in Nature Notebook

Spanish- Continue in-home Spanish group.

Art Play/Picture Study-

Come Look with Me: Exploring landscapes, Gladys S. Blizzard
Preschool Art, MaryAnn Kohl

Music/Movement- Continue with a dance or gymnastics class?

Handicrafts-?

I've still got a lot of 'question marks' to learn about.  Much of this depends on what any individual child may be ready for, while avoiding 'academic' type lessons.  While I'm still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of homeschooling the elementary years, this outline has given me some understanding of what it might look like for us. 

I'm sure there are as many answers to this question as there are families that desire to teach their children at home.

Here's what I'm thinking through...  What might teaching our extremely bright preschooler at home look like?  What do you do with at age 3 year when she already knows her letters and their sounds at 2.5?  How do we continue to spread a rich buffet of life experiences for her without pressuring her into academic material?

These are preliminary thoughts...I'd love any feedback or comments on this one.

Age 3 Pre-School …

Bible –Read from our Preschool Story Bible.

Language Arts –Select activities from Brightly Beaming Resources Letter of the Week Curriculum to reinforce letters and continue to read story books aloud.

Spanish- Continue teaching naturally occurring vocabulary and phrases.  Introduce some Spanish language children's story books.

Picture Study-Go back to our book Baby Einstein ABC’s of Art and follow along with the letter of the week.

Social-Arrange for a playgroup one morning per week.

(Unstructured time together includes, household activities, outside play time, math concepts when appropriate, art play, spontaneous songs and finger plays.)

Age 4-Pre-School…

Bible (add Hymn Study)- Read Big Picture Bible and sing favorite Hymns, possibly responding with drawings and narrations.

Language Arts- Brightly Beaming Resources -Sound of the Week and continue reading aloud.

Once-a-week…

Family Math/Number Sense projects

Nature Notebook with labeled specimens, drawings, photos etc.

Begin an in-home group Spanish class with friends

Art Play/Picture Study- Come Look with Me: Exploring Art with Children, Gladys S. Blizzard

Music/Movement-?

Social- Continue with a weekly play group

I guess I'm on some sort of advice giving kick right now, after my cloth diaper posts I got a request for some

New Baby Recommendations…

 I don't have opinions on everything, but off the top of my head here are a few thoughts...

Gear

Infant car seat-  Consider carefully before paying more for an infant car seat that is usable for higher weight limits.  Sure your baby may be able to use it longer, but are you really going to want to (be able to) lift that ‘heavier’ baby in and out of the car in the seat???? 

Convertible car seat-  This may seem a long way off, but research is showing that the 40ish pounds that most convertible car seats go up to with the 5 pt. harness just isn’t good enough.  I'm investing in seats that go up to 65lbs.

Strollers- Check out Phil and Ted’s.  The option of getting the single stroller now and then a second seat later, to make a double stroller, is very appealing.  I think this will save you my agony now of trying to decide weather to ‘splurge’ on it.

Baby Wearing- Get a good multi-purpose baby carrier, ie- one that can be worn multiple ways, not just on the front like a Baby Bjorn.  I have an Ergo, but I like the looks of the Beco too.  Use this for nice long walks, grocery shopping, getting stuff done around the house.  Look for one that is 'masculine' enough and encourage dad to try it too.  My husband wore Grace on his back all around Sea World when she was almost two.  She loved being up high and he was very comfortable.

Nursery

I like the 'Pack and Play' concept.  Use it as bassinet for your newborn in your room initially and then as a travel crib and play pen later on.

No need for a changing table if you get a desk or dresser with a removable changing pad.

If you really want to go crazy on nice crib bedding go gender neutral…I don’t mind how much mine cost for how long it’s used because we’re using it again.

Layette

At one size or another you’ll probably just end up with ‘too much.’  Hang on to clothes and blankets with gift receipts to see if you’ll really need them.  If not, return them for the next bigger size, or shop the clearance rack…I returned one outfit to The Children’s Place and walked out of the outlet with seven!

Immediately return anything you can’t machine wash and dry.

One additional thought, if you're at all interested in natural childbirth and/or breastfeeding, prepare  in advance.  I used Hypbirth to prepare for labor and it was a tremendous help to me.  Also, I didn't do this, but I wish I would have asked a friend if she would let me watch her baby latch on for a feeding.  I had never seen this in person and I just don't think that books do it justice. 

-Basic Infant Cotton Prefold-  This is a very inexpensive way to diaper.  They can be used as burp cloths, additional stuffing for pockets in the larger sizes, and even cleaning rags once you're not diapering anymore!

-Kissaluv's size 0- A popular newborn diaper.  I liked them, but I didn't love them.

-Covers-I've bought Prorap and Bummis for myself and they're ok.  Most recently I got a hand me down Dapi cover.  I actually like the Dapi the best, and it's the cheapest!  The Dapi is 'crunchier' because I think it may have plastic in it, but it does not leak...A Dapi cover is only $2.99!

-For different sized pockets, the go-to diaper it seems to me is the Fuzzi Bunz brand.  They are very trim and seem to fit a lot of different babies.  I had one in medium and it was my absolute favorite for Grace.  I couldn't afford a whole new set of these for Everett so I got 10 of the newborn size from Hugga Buns.  The ones that I got are not as accuratly sized as the Fuzzi Bunz, but they worked well and I loved the insert- very trim and absorbant.  I recently noticed a good price for Fuzzi Bunz is for 'seconds' so this may be an option if you're on a budget.

-For one-size I bought BumGenius from Cotton Babies.  They have been such a joy!  At first I thought they were too expensive, but I deciced to try them out and I was not disappointed.  I know that Happy Heiny's has a one-size and also Fuzzi Bunz just came out with their own one-size.  You might want to get one of each of these and see which one you like best.

What I'd like to try...

-Something I'm intregued by is a Bamboo fitted diaper.-I'd really like to try this package from Costco, but I don't really need any new diapers right now.  :(

-I just bought some hemp baby wipes, I'll give an update on how those are working in a few weeks!

-12 infant size prefolds ($18) (use as long as you diaper)
-The bambo fitteds w/ boosters package (6 diapers) ($60) (small fits to 22lbs)
-4 small Dapi covers ($12) (small fits to 14lbs)
-6 Hugga Buns with the inserts (newborn fits to 15lbs) ($78)
-One of each of the one-size pockets to see which I liked best ($50ish?)

So, for just over $200 you would have everything you would need to get started with a new baby, and lots of things that would grow with your stash.  And everything here could be used with any future children for even more savings! After baby got to that 14lb. mark I would buy 2 size medium (or one-size) covers to continue to get more use out of the prefolds and fitteds and more of the pockets depending on what was working best for me. 

Enjoy!