• Mar. 2, 2009
Four Legged Friends

This week's Homeschool Memoirs theme is our pets. We currently have two dogs who, though they are about the same size are as different as can be. Both are full of energy and around 2 yrs old. One dog, Sarge, is supposed to be a black lab mix, but he is extremely unfriendly to other dogs and to most people who show up at our door when I haven't had a chance to calm him down first. Though Sarge seems extremely aggressive to strangers and other dogs, he really only barks ferociously and then hides behind my legs or under my bed. We lovingly call him our neurotic dog, he is often very nervous, especially when our three children start running three separate ways; he has no idea what to do or which on to go after first.  His favorite spots in our house are right at my feet or in his "bed", which is his dog crate.

Our other dog, Layla, is as friendly as can be. She is full of energy, but very good with the kids. She obeys very well except for when it comes to going to her "bed" (her dog crate).  She would much rather snuggle up with one of the warm children at night or leave the house with us. She loves people and attention. She is extremely jealous of Sarge getting attention.

Our dogs can often be annoying, especially now, while all is wet and muddy outside; cleaning up after them is a chore. Though  they come with extra chores, they are such a source of comfort for our family. They help the kids to learn chores, patience, and gentleness. They are worth the effort, and an established part of our family... we love them and their unique personalities.

(0 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Oct. 7, 2008
Favorite snacks

This weeks Homeschool Memoirs assignment is to list the snack foods our family enjoys. Our snacks are not really all that grand. We are usually busy moving from one activity to the next.

Let me think....
1. Our favorite snack is fruit, whatever is fresh and on sale (Next year I'll try my hand at canning to save some money).
2.  Yogurt
3. Fruit smoothies
4. Applesauce or banana muffins
5. Celery with peanut butter
6. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and string cheese
7. Homemade soft pretzels
8. Popcorn with butter
9. Chocolate chip cookies
10. Homemade trail mix: cereal, pretzels, raisins, and peanuts

That's about it. It isn't a very adventurous list, but it's what works for us.

(0 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Sep. 18, 2008
A few of my favorite sites

This week's Homeschool Memoirs assignment is to post all of my favorite sites.  Hmm..... I'm not sure that I have even one for each category, but I will do my best.  I don't often have time to search around this giant world wide web, though I will gladly share the sites I return to again and again.

• Magazines/Carnivals - in print or online
•    World Magazine
•    Sporting News 
• Freebie sites - any sites that offer freebies or often have giveaways
•    Freebie of the Day
•    Ambleside Online
  
• Homeschool news/informative
•    Homeschool Legal Defense Association
  
• Forums/book clubs
•    Scrapbook Max forum
• Mom site - a sites just for moms
•    The Homeschool Lounge
  
• Inspirational/encouraging/motivational -
•    Biblical Womanhood
  
• Youth/kid - sites geared towards youth/kids or owned by them
• Memes
•    Homeschool Memoirs
  
• Organizing/crafts - sites that you look to for organizing tips or crafts
• Homemaking/Homesteading
• Bible-focused - sites mainly about God’s Word
•    Apples of Gold
  
• Homeschool Method - sites that offer a lot of info on a certain method
•    Ambleside Online
  
• Family blog - sites that give you a glimpse into another family’s life, run by a family
• Businesses, particularly homebased
•    Money Saving Mom
•    Living on a Dime
  

 

 

(2 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Sep. 6, 2008
Homeschool Routines

I have worked very hard to make a "schedule" for our homeschool this year. We've never really had one before.   Even though I am still "tweaking" our schedule, I can certainly see the benefits of having one as a tool to guide us through our homeschool time.

(0 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Sep. 2, 2008
Homeschool Memoirs... Agenda

This year the main agenda is to become more consistent with our homeschool journey. Hopefully this blog will help me out with that.  You all will help me to stay accountable, right?

I have a three homeschooling children in fourth and first grades, and kindergarten. We will also have a baby joining our household at some point this school year, so that is when consistency will be the toughest.

For my fourth and first grade boys, we are trying out Ambleside Online for history and literature. Many of the books suggested in the course of study are available at our local library or online (free). We do a lot of narration with our reading of these "real" books. The boys have to tell me back what they remember of what I just read to them. They impress me every time with their narrations! For history, my older son is also entering his narrations (either typed by me or hand copied by him) into a "Book of Centuries" along with placing the event or person we are reading about on the appropriate place in the timeline.  The forms we are using for our Book of Centuries we downloaded from http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-and-when-to-begin-book-of-centuries.html.

Our Math curriculum for everyone is Math U See. The kids all love it, understand it, and are doing great with this hands on approach. I cannot say enough good things about this curriculum.

Our handwriting curriculum is just copying verses, poems, or sayings/speeches of famous people. My oldest son is also starting to copy his own narrations. My Kindergarten age daughter is learning to form her letters as she is learning to read.

Our phonics and spelling program is Phonics Pathways. I love this book; it is written in a way that is simply laid out, with plenty of practice for learning to read and spell.

My fourth grade son is also working his way through Easy Grammar and Daily Grams. He is in book 3 on both of these as we did not start them until late this spring.

He will also be learning Latin from Memoria Press; we have a Prima Latina book that we are working through before I order the Latina Christiana set.

Oh, don't forget science! We are working through the book, "Exploring Creation through Astronomy"  by Jeannie Fulbright. We will be using narration, copywork, and of course fun hands- on experiments to learn from this wonderful book. 

Our Bible curriculum is a little of everything. We read a Keys for Kids devotion together each morning. We are work our way through memorizing passages of Scripture. I am also trying to establish a time each day where I purposefully train each child in a characer trait that needs a little strengthening.  My husband is reading through a Children's Bible with our daughter each night, and through the Proverbs with the boys each night. The boys are in a Royal Ambassador's group at church (it's like a Boyscout/AWANA group).  I have started going through the "Little Keepers at Home" book with our daughter, while the boys and dad are gone at RA.

Other than that we are trying to fit in violin, guitar, ballet, baseball, basketball, and possibly gymnastics.

That seems like a lot, but it really isn't. It is very ecclectic, but that's just the way my random brain likes it. 

(1 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Aug. 29, 2008
A Little About My Family...

 My assignment to Homeschool Memoirs for last week is a little late, sorry; better late than never, right?
 
My family includes myself, my dear husband (my hero), and three children, so far: 8 yo son, Caelen; 6 yo son, Ian; and 5 yo daughter, Ellie. We are in the process of adopting a baby, and we are all  getting so excited as we get further along in the process!

We homeschool for many reasons, the three main reasons are: dissatisfied with the public school system, desire to teach our children about God and His creation at every opportunity, and because I love teaching our children! 

(0 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Aug. 14, 2008
Blogger Class Mates 08-09

I've joined the Blogger Class Mates for this coming year. The assignments will be posted every Wednesday. Since I am so new to blogging, this should be a great opportunity to learn more and meet other homeschool moms (on the web, of course).

I am so very proud of myself right now; the first assignment was to add the class's button to my blog page... I figured it out!! It's there, and I put it there!  Yeah... I'm learning already !

(1 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)