We just started into our first week of using the Evan-Moor Hisotry Pockets.

I just wanted to let you all know how much I like them. We are using History Pockets Ancient Civilizations.

I was overwelmed at first looking at everything, thinking it was going to be so time consuming and... perhaps a little too much.

Someone online linked me to this great schedule. It is linked with Sonlight Core 1. I wish I could tell you who made this chart but I cannot. I am just putting it here for reference and if someone else would benefit from it.

I posted a HUGE post on how I make hair korkers for my daughter and gifts at my homestead blog if anyone is interested. TONS Of pictures for each step.

www.homesteadblogger.com/lindai

Well I am ALMOST ready to start prek. I have tweeked and tweeked. I don't think there is ANYTHING left to do... but I keep hesitating. Alyssa keeps asking to start. I keep giving her filler work because I don't want to dive in yet. I think I will push it as long as possible because when her cousins come over (off for the summer from public schools) they want Alyssa.

I can't wait to start though! I have added in and taken out things to the sonlight schedule. Took out the DEL workbooks. And added in Rod and Staff ABCDEF workbooks. http://www.rodstaff.com/cgi-bin/ras/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=thispage&thispage=titles/10020.shtml&ORDER_ID=337658957

I also added my singapore math, Get Set for School Handwriting without tears, and Hooked on Phonics.

Then I have A is for Adam and printed off the sheets. I am going to do those when we get to the Dr. Suess Letter of the week.

My teachers manual looks a mess and we have not even started yet. I started transfering to a spread sheet but that takes FOREVER. lol

So I am ready. Just now deciding when to start. When do you start?

Went to see Pirates of the Caribbean last night! Oooh la la! What a jerk movie director! He leaves you hanging SOOOOOOOOOOO bad at the end. Oh I think everyone in the movie whined at the end.
But Orlando and Johnny were beautiful as always. we went after the kids were in bed. My bil came up and watched a movie on our couch (Justin told him he would buy his ticket to see Superman with him if he did). It was so nice to be out and not worry. The kids didnt even wake up.

My mom brought my sonlight box! YEAH!!! But coming on Friday night means no time to really dive in until monday to look through it all.

Questions - when reading things like "New toes for Tia" I noticed a line that said some thing about a past life. Now do you pause and explain what others believe or just go by and mention it if they say anything? My daughter is one to hear and pick up on stuff like that. But I just worry she wont say anything and just believe it.  How did you approach it.

Last night I organized my homeschool cupboard. Now I am just waiting on my Sonlight order to come friday. I also got out my Hooked on Phonics (hop) and Handwriting without tears (HWT) stuff to go through. I am trying to work on a schedule but I guess I will wait until my Sonlight comes.

Everything is geering up. I cannot believe I will officially start homeschooling this year. I know it is just prek but everyone will start the "Isn't she is preschool?" Questions soon. So it feels official!

Justin reloaded windows onto our computer the other day so I had to reload homeschool tracker. Lost all my favorite links too though.

If you have any cool links for Alyssa to play on the computer or me to use feel free to post them.

Now it may be only PreK... but I jumped ship and ordered! So when it comes I can start PreK anytime I want.... I am thinking of waiting until her birthday. She is still 3. She will be 4 - on Sept 13th. I think for the sake of how hard Sonlight is reputated to be, I should wait until she is officially 4 to start.

I am just so happy to have decided on Sonlight. I just feel like it is the right fit for me.

I got the $249.xx Hooked on Phonics set from Ollies for $59.xx! I was thrilled.  I was not going to go in there but I did just to kill some time and right in the door was the display! I am thrilled!!!!

I also got a learning money thing and my CLE order came in today! Woo hoo! I am in heaven!!!

Hi everyone. Staying at home is going WONDERFUL! I am also working full time from home this month too. It is an adjustment and I am super busy. No school for now because I am still working. So it is hard! So I am not expecting too much school for this month. Maybe next. But we do take each day on its own to find new things.

I got some magic schoolhouse books from a friend. She likes those. Anyone watch the show on tv? I am wondering if it is any good. I think we will try and see some of it once we move.

Ok well I have bills to pay, kids to play with and oh so little time... be back online soon! Miss and love everyone!

Ok... I just went with PreK Christian Light Education. I figured for the $ it can't hurt. I really want their Grade one stuff but was afraid to just skip to it. I know. I am corny. But you all know I am new to homeschooling so...

On another note. My Sister in law has always been against me homeschooling. She says I am going to turn my kids weird. Ok... Well she just asked me to pray for her yesterday on the phone. Because she said she thinks she might homeschool my nephew.

Can we say - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Ok that feels better.

No seriously I think in the world today it is something that strongly should be done by Christians if you can.

I got my CLE catalog in the mail and was browsing it. Anyone here ever use their Learning to Read program and early phonics? I am really interested in it. I read the review from the Old Schoolhouse but it seems to be on the 2nd grade stuff.

Has anyone used their phonics program starting with Preschool and up? I do not plan to use them for anything but perhaps Reading and Language Arts (Phonics). So really that is all I am interested on your opinions on. I am piecing together Curriculum and still looking for this.

All opinions on CLE welcomed. :)

I ordered a book - the one on my sidebar of the Pennsylvania Worksheets from Amazon.com. Normally that is all cool. But I went with the private sellar. ... I really think I should have gotten an email from them by now. I hope I am pleasently suprised and it will just show up or something...

Well the count down is ticking down. 4 more weeks of work. Then I am a stay at home homeschooling mother. I did tell my boss I would work from home though and cover a girl here's maternity leave. But it is from home! Praise God.

I ordered a few books from Amazon.com. They should be here before the 13th. I want to get a routeen down. I got...

More Five Minute Devotions

A Is for Adam

Leap Frog - Math Circus         

I already have Five Minute Devotions and we LOVED it. I received it as a gift and love the little stories and devotions. So I thought it would be perfect to get the next one. My problem is Alyssa never wants to stop reading them. She is always begging for one more. I have also been toying with getting A is for Adam for a while. I bit the bullet and just got it.

And I cannot say enough good about Leap frog Videos/dvds. I have all 4 others and this completes the collection of what they have out. I love them. I hope this one is just as great as the others.

Ok ok. I just got off the phone with Dana (www.homesteadblogger.com/matsmom97) She says that I am silly for worrying so much. The point is, I want to have everything I need at my fingertips so I don't miss anything. Plus while I still have an income.

What am I talking about? I was asking questions about pre K and K Curriculum for Alyssa. Dana is dead set that I don't NEED curriculum but only walmart books. I agree to a point.

I just WANT to give her a good start. What phonics programs you using? I have Explode the Code A, B and C but like I posted before, I think it is too easy since she learned ALL her letters via Leapfrog letter factory. After letter sounds... what is a good one? For a 4 year old? (plan to use it in september when she turns 4 even though she would not mind something right now)

I guess until then what I need to do is concentrate on HWT and Singapore Math that we do have. Although it is looking like it will take her 2 months per book and that is doing it VERY randomly, instead of half a year like they are supposed to cover. For now the concepts are easy.

Anyways. Please Please please recommend some random preschool (perhaps kindergarten - because she is ahead in my eyes) resources for EACH subject. Because I know I also need some science, history, bible, etc. Not for NOW to start. But for now to buy to use in Sept. But since I want to quit, now is the time to be planning.

So what did you find catchy and fun? I dont particularly want boring and black and white. I want our classes to be WOW. Colorful and eyecatching. Things that draw her to say PLEASE mommy can we work on school! (you know - what I was complaining about in the post last week! but once I am home I WANT her to want to do it!)

I found my explode the code A, B and C  books. Yeah. I was going to start them with Alyssa. She is beyond the concept of them... but her gripe and pencil steadiness is not where it needs to be to do them. I am at a loss if I should just skip them and save them for Tristan. That might be my route. I think with a few more months her hand steadiness on a pencil will have matured to writing things better. But her brain is beyond that. I know she could breeze through those books. That is what is good about two totally different kids that are not that far difference in age. I can just save things if I don't use them.

I found so many things I want to get from Usborne books. Wow... I could spend a fortune in there. I am going to have to narrow this down. The confusing part...

I see that sonlight uses Usbornes books a lot. I also noticed when browsing the books on the Usborne site that there is a LOT of Evolution pictures in the books. Meaning Cave People, etc. What do you do with that? Also the millions of years. I don't want to have to continually make her doubt her material. Should I just skip the books entirely even though they seem like a good portion of the curriculum? I am not on one curriculum yet but when I have extra money (yeah right what is that?) I am buying pieces of it here and there. I can get it the same price through a friend who would make commision on it. But I dont like the looks of the books.

I love answers in genesis things. But they don't seem to branch out as far into things as Usborne does. AIG sticks more with creation and evolution and dinosaurs etc.

So has anyone gone through sonlight K and 1st? What did you do with the books that show things we do not believe in?

This is a schedule that Stefanie typed up for me. It is a guideline of what to work on for Get Set for School by Handwriting without tears.

HWT Readiness

Day 1 *Shake hands with me (IG p. 7) ***stamp**** CD 7 "hello song" * Wood pieces in the bag (IG p. 10) * Wood pieces everywhere (IG p. 11-15)

Day 2 *Shake Hands with me (IG p. 7) ***vanilla*** *Body Awareness (IG p. 16-17) CD9 Count on Me CD 11 Toe Song *Mat Man (IG p. 18-19) CD 8 Mat Man

Day 3 *Shake Right Hand ***kiss*** *Readiness (IG. p. 23) CD 1 Where do you start your letters? *Finger Play (IG p. 34) CD 16 Ten little fingers (IG p. 34) *Wooden pieces Letters A, B, C, D

Day 4 *Shake right hand ***water*** *Finger Play CD 14 The ant, the bug,and the bee (IG p. 43 and 89) *Wooden Pieces Letters E, F, G, H, I

Day 5 *Shake right hand ***lotion*** *CD 1, Where Do you start your letters? (IG p. 23) * Wooden Pieces Letters K, L, M, N

Day 6 *Shake right hand ***stamp*** *Wooden Pieces Letters O, P, Q, R

Day 7 * Shake right hand ***vanilla*** *Finger Play CD 15 Spiders Love to Party (IG p. 89) *CD 4 There's a Dog in the School (IG p. 85) * Wooden Pieces Letters S, T, V, W

Day 8 *Shake right hand ***kiss*** *CD 21 Skip to my Lou (IG p. 91) *CD 1 Where do you start your letter? (IG p. 23) *CD 5 Crayon Song (IG p. 36) *Wooden Pieces Letters X, Y, Z

Day 9 *Shake right hand ***water**** *Mat Man (IG p. 18-21) *Build and Draw anything we want (IG p. 38)

Day 10 *Shake right hand ***lotion*** *Alphabet Song (IG p. 85) *Finger Play CD 10 Five Fingers Play (IG p. 6 and 87) *Play Dough Make letters A, B,C,D

Day 11 *Shake right hand ***stamp*** *CD 12, Bird Legs (IG p. 88) * Play Dough Make letters E,F, G, H, I

Day 12 *CD 1 Where do you start your letters? (IG p. 23) * Play Doh Make letters J, K, L, M

Day 13 * Play Doh Make Letters N, O, P, Q

Day 14 *CD 13, Animal Legs (IG p. 88) *Play doh Make Letters R, S, T, V

Day 15 *Matt Man (IG p. 18-21) *CD 17, My Teacher Draws (IG p. 90) *Play doh Make Letters 1, 2, 3, 4

Day 16 Shake right hand ***lotion*** *CD 1 Where do you start your letters? (IG p. 23) *CD 22, Down on Grandpas Farm (IG p. 92) *Play doh Make #'s 1, 2, 3, 4

Day 17 *Play doh #'s 5, 6, 7

Day 18 *CD 4 There's a Dog in my School (IG p. 85) *Play doh #'s 8, 9

Day 19 *Review Play Dough letters

Day 20 *CD 1, Where do you start your letters? (IG p. 23) *CD 5, Crayon Song (IG p. 36) *Stamp and See Screen (SSS) A,B,C,D

Day 21 * CD 23, Peanutbutter and Jelly (IG p. 93) * CD 21, Skip to my Lou, (IG p. 91) * SSS, E, F, G, H, I

Day 22 *Shake right hand, water *Mat Man (IG p. 18-21) *SSS J, K, L, M

Day 23 *Putty/playdough play *SSS N, O, P, Q

Day 24 *CD 19, Tap tap tap, (IG P> 15) *CD 20, Golden Slippers (IG p. 91) *SSS R, S, T, U, V

Day 25 *Hand exercise *SSS W, X, Y, Z

Day 26 *Finger Play CD 10, Five Fingers Play (IG p. 76& 87) *SSS 1, 2,3,4

Day 27 *CD 5, Crayon Song, (IG p. 36) *Putty/playdough play *SSS 5, 6, 7

Day 28 * Shake right hand-stamp *SSS 8, 9

Day 29 *Hand exercise *SSS, review letters

Day 30 *Putty/Playdough play *SSS review numbers

Day 31 *SSS review letters

Day 32 *CD 4, There's a Dog in the School, (IG p. 85) *CD 15, Spiders Love to Party (IG p. 89) *Wood pieces 1, 2, 3, 4

Day 33 *Wood pieces 5, 6,7,8, 9

Day 34 *Wood pieces

Day 35 *Review

Book work begins. The directions and activities are pretty self-explanatory in the IG. Firstly, be sure to go in the order the book is written. (There will be warm-up lessons before letters. Don't skip them!) Secondly, continue to use the manipulatives.

For each letter in the book we'd... Day 1) Build the letter with wood pieces on the letter cards. Then we'd do 'Wet,Dry,Try' on the slate. (If they need additional help, we'd do the roll-a-dough or the SSS.) Day 2) Workbook page

Extra: In conjunction with the PreK HWT workbook, we made an ABC scrapbook. One page of pictures, diecuts, and words that begin with each letter.

ok. I ordered Singapore math work books. I have been browsing them for a while and mom gave me some money this morning. Dad and her got some for pastor appreciation this month! Suprise suprise since it is not the AG pastor appreciation month but the pastors wife came home and sprung a suprise on them. So she gave me some money which I gladly ordered something with!

I got earlybird kindergarten 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B. From rainbow resouce center. I looked at the sample pages and it looks really easy for Alyssa to start on in January.
I keep telling her we are going to do school starting January and Handwriting without Tears is only a 15 min a day thing.

I want to order Math U See also to go along with it but that might come with tax time. So more like in September we will start M*U*S when she is 4 with the primer. 4... wow she will be 4 - I cannot believe it.

I can't wait to get them. Looks like we might breeze through them though from the sample pages so I just went ahead and bought all 4 now so I can just work at her pace and not hold her back to stretch it.

5 more days!!! until I get to see all the christmas homeschool stuff!! YEAH YEAH YEAH!

Justin said he heard from a valuable birdie that another road position is coming up in February. We are down to only one guy above him in seniority that is a possible might take it. But the guy does not have to work. His wife makes $$$$ and told him to be a SAHD and he does not want to. If you dont have to work - why would you take a night job? So I think we have a good chance. Pray please...