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Just my thoughts, questions, frustrations, and everyday successes shared in a blog.
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Mail's Here!!!
| All my wonderful curriculum is arriving each day! It's so exciting! At least to me it is. I have dreamed of this and planned for this for 3 years now! And now I'm finally doing it. Maybe I get excited over small things, but at this point I'm just so happy. God is so Good! |
Posted: 7:50 PM, Mar. 26, 2008 |
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I haven't posted anything in a while. I've just been busy. And the minute Spring started outside, the idea of sitting in front of the computer all day seemed ridiculous. I have seeds started. And more to go. So far I have, Snow peas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, reg tomatoes, chives, and rosemary started. I will start some flowers this week. And we bought some haybales this weekend so I can get out there this week and start preparing my beds. Hubby built me a cute gate for my picked fence. Now I cant wait to get out there and get it all stained.
Hobby Lobby is having a big sale this week, so I'll head there later today. I need some scrapbooking supplies, and I want to look at the garden decor.
A family a blue jays made a nest in the tree right outside my window. When I sit here at the desk, I can look out at them and hear them sing. It reminds me of how wonderful Spring can be. I'm still dreading summer though. But at least I have a vacation to San Antonio in August to look forward to. And I'm currently trying to loose some weight so I will feel better this summer.
Last week I ordered a TON of Homeschool supplies and curriculum. I can't wait until it all comes in. Up to this point I've been making up my own stuff or just using little books from Wal-mart. This is my first real curriculum. Most of it is for next year, and making myself wait until then is going to be a real challenge. I ordered some big laminated maps for our walls. I know the boys will love those. And I'm getting ready to make a big bulletin board to hang over our work station. That will be fun to decorate!
I need to go get busy now. God Bless! |
Posted: 11:16 AM, Mar. 24, 2008 |
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Does the "search function" on this site not work? I tried searching for friends, and every time it would find "0 results". I tried some pretty wide searches too. Like just anyone who lives in my state. I guess I will try again.
We went to the library last night and got our regular "ton" of books. I just keep adding until I can't carry it anymore! Then i know it's time to check out!
I got several Search and Find books for the boys, like "Where's Waldo" and a few others like it. I thought the boys might like those. And I hoped they could take those searching skills to start finding things in their room when they need to. Well, they LOVE them. Haven't put them down! Even my 3 year old loves them. He crawls up in my lap and shows me everything he has found! We'll have to see about the "bedroom search" thing.
I saw several books at the library that I knew were "coming up" later in our homeschool schedule and curriculum. I had to fight the desire to go ahead and get them. I am notorious for getting AHEAD of myself, so I trying to pace myself.
Well, I have to get ready and head to the laundry matt. My washer is broke and the parts won't be in until next week. But at least it's a beautiful day! And tonight is the Jason Crabb concert at church.
Have a Blessed Day!
Allison |
Posted: 12:05 PM, Feb. 8, 2008 |
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Sick no More!!
So I haven't been around in a week, but I've been sick. Bronchitis. It's gone now, HALLELUJAH!! And now I'm on my 3RD cup of coffee and SOOO pumped up!!! WOO HOO!!!!!! ( I haven't had ANY caffeine in 2 months so this is GOOD STUFF!!!) I have a LONG to-do list!
The good thing about being sick is I spent a LOT of time with curriculum magazines and reading reviews and message boards. And now I am set on what curriculum I am going to do with the boys. I even have a 12 year plan typed up, that I know will change over the years, but at least it gives me a framework to go by. (Justin taught me how to use EXCEL and now I'm addicted to making charts!)
Here's the plan for the next year:
-Five in a Row (with both boys [ages 4 and 6]) www.fiarhq.com
- (for Roo [PreK]) Winter Promise's Get Ready to Learn. [just a light version to compliment Five in a Row] The books - "Sing! Play! Create!", "Math Play!", and "Wow! I'm Reading!".
- (for SciFi [1st grade]) Abeka's Language Arts, and Spelling. And I'm going to try "Math Mammoth" for Arithmetic. It looks good, and it's inexpensive, so even if it doesn't work, I won't be out too much money!
-and for Bible (for both boys ) I'm getting "The Big Book and Questions and Answers from the Bible" and the "Big Picture Bible Timeline". Both of those are also to compliment Five in A Row.
-Music, a variety of stuff.
-and ART, History, Science and Geography are covered in Five in a Row so I won't add any of that yet.
I've been told by several people that I don't need to add ANYTHING to Five in a Row because it's a complete curriculum in itself, but SciFi LOVES to do workbooks (Just like his Dad ). And he loves to school, wants to do it all day, instead of just a few hours. Plus, he's so eager to learn. So I'm adding to it for those reasons.
And Roo, well he HATES workbook work (Just like me ). BUT, he gets so jealous of the one-on-one time that SciFi gets when we do his work, so I'm adding the Winter Promise stuff as a fun curriculum that I can do "one-on-one" with him. He may not sit still long enough to do much, but I can re-use it for K if I need to. And I think he will like it since it's not workbooks! It's very interactive and fun.
Well, that's the plan. I'm NOT going to change my mind again! *chanting over and over again*. I think Hubby will strangle me if I do. I really think the Lord has led me in this direction. I'm working on compiling a list of Bible Verses that I can claim for our family, and our "Home School". Speaking of, there is one that I'm trying to find (but don't have a very good concordance). Can any of you find it for me? It's about "The indecisive mind" A great lady told it to me a few years ago when I first said that I couldn't make up my mind whether to homeschool or not. I said that I keep going back and forth. And she gave me a GREAT verse, that one, and I can't find it now!! Something about how indecision brings folly, or displeases God. Anyway, any help would be appreciated!
Well, I better run.
God Bless!
Allison |
Posted: 11:59 AM, Feb. 6, 2008 |
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Five in a Row?
Has anyone reading this done Five in a Row? I've been reading about it and am considering it for my 4 yr old for next year. But the site doesn't really explain how to use it. It says ages 4-8. So if I use it next year, what about the year after that. He's still WAY too young for the next level up. ( Ages 8-12)
I'm just hoping to find someone who's done it before and can give me their opinion. It looks fun. My 4 yr old will NOT sit down and work in a workbook. Unlike his older brother he still doesn't know his alphebets, (except when singing the song) and resists all efforts of mine to teach them to him. He's really smart in other ways though. And he LOVES to have books read to him. It's literally the only thing he will sit still for. So I thought maybe this would be better for him than some other approaches.
Thanks! |
Posted: 11:07 PM, Feb. 1, 2008 |
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No Snow!! And Home School Woes!!
We didn't get any! Everyone ELSE DID!! It's all over blogworld today! All that beautiful snow THEY got! I don't get it. We used to get snow. A couple a times a winter we'd get a little dusting. And every great once and a while, we'd get "the big one". But for years now, NOTHING. My KIDS have no idea what it is like to build a snowman! It's enough to make me believe the whole "Global warming" thing.
Or, maybe it's God with a really GOOD reason to keep the snow away. And I guess I need to just except that and praise him anyway. (But can I pout a little first?) Maybe there is a homeless family out here nearby, and every night while the mom tucks her little ones down in the box, she prays there will be no snow. ( you see, this is how twisted my mind is) And then of course her prayer is much more important than mine. I'll just keep believing that it is something like that. Because, as bad as that is, it's still better than believing we've destroyed the Earth to the point that our climates are changing and in a matter of years we'll all be underwater because the ice caps are melting.
This is really a post of me just ranting today. (If you didn't catch on)
Yesterday was a rough homeschool day. I have this math work for Si that is only supposed to take about 20 minutes. But it takes him all day! He doesn't pay attention when I'm giving him instructions, and since that is mainly what the work is trying to teach "Listening to Instructions" he's not doing well. OR him being himself, he will listen at times, but decide he has a BETTER idea, and do something else entirely, and then bring it to me SOOOO proud of his "great idea"! And this is were I am torn. I know I should be careful not to crush that creative, inventive spirit in him, but at the same time, I had to save for a LONG TIME and spend ALOT of money on that curriculum, and he is ruining it by not following the instructions. As proud as I am that he can write out the names of all the members of his favorite Rock Band, he was supposed to be counting the Farm animals and writing the numbers on those lines!! And yes the beautiful variety of colors he used to color the houses are pretty. But the instructions said to color the tallest house green, and the shortest house red. Period!!! Not use every color in the box to color ALL the houses just because he "thinks it's prettier this way". SO now he's ruined a chapter of work, I can't buy another, and he's NOT learning what those pages were trying teaching him! *banging head on wall*
Sigh..... I have a couple of ideas of OTHER ways to show him how important it is to follow instructions. We may play "Mother May I?" and "Simon Says". And do some activities. He does this with lots of stuff though. The other day he was playing a video game and I noticed he wasn't doing it right, and was getting a terribly low score on something that should be easy for him. I mentioned to him he was doing it wrong and he said "I know. I just like doing it THIS way, Mom." Funny enough, that sentence could sum up his whole personality. And I am so grateful that at least I CAN homeschool him because I'd hate for him to have to try and fit in the tiny (intellectual) box that most schools try to cram their students into. He's definitely an "outside of the box" thinker! Well I better go think up new ways of "ruining my children's fun"! Thanks for listening to me vent! Have a great day! God Bless!
Allison |
Posted: 10:35 AM, Feb. 1, 2008 |
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Change Of Plans
| We changed our homeschool plans again. But I'm excited about this change. We were trying to just school Monday - Thurs with Friday just being a catch up day on what ever we might be behind on. But I've changed that to Tuesday - Friday with SAT being our catch up day. Monday is just SOOO busy for me. I have to spend HOURS at my computer paying bills, filling out expense forms, balancing our checkbook, planning menus, cutting coupons, making shopping lists, etc. Plus, my house ALWAYS gets TRASHED on the weekends so Monday HAS to be a big cleaning day. I try to do most of our laundry that day, or at least get it all sorted into piles and START on it. And I have to use Monday to run errands and buy groceries. So trying to homeschool is just out. Also, because Sunday is such a long, busy, tiring day at the church for us, we are ALWAYS draggy on Mondays. So, now that's I've changed our plans, my kids can sleep in, watch cartoons, and just play while I do MY things, and then Tuesday we are all ready to dig into our schoolbooks! |
Posted: 12:16 PM, Jan. 31, 2008 |
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Thank God it's Friday!
| I love Fridays! My hubby is off, and it's a lite homeschool day! We just do fun stuff, like watch movies, bake cookies, read for fun, and as soon as the weather warms up, PLAY OUTSIDE!! Today it's sleeting though so we are tucked safe and warm INSIDE!!
My 3 yr Old "Roo" and I just made some MAMMOTH Blueberry Muffins. They are really big! You could feed a small family with just one of them. But they look so good. That should make the girls happy when they get in tonight. They eat me out of house and home when they come home for the weekend so I always try to have LOTS of food made up ahead of time! If teenage girls eat this much, I can only imagine what it's going to be like when the boys are their age! I better start saving now!
I stayed up LATE last night printing freebies off the web for school. We have limited funds whenit comes to curriculum and I want to get the best for my buck. So I'm trying to weigh the cost of buying an EXPENSIVE MATH program, as opposed to just using some free stuff off the web. Does anyone have any experience with this?
I already use my library for almost all of our reading, and what they don't have, or things that I NEED to own because it's used so much, I just buy used off Amazon, or have grandparents buy it! All year I've been telling myself "It's only kindergarten.", so it doesn't matter as much if I do something wrong. But I want to know I'm doing the right stuff in First grade.
Well, I better go clean some more.
God Bless,
Allison |
Posted: 5:05 PM, Jan. 25, 2008 |
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First Post
| Well, here I am. I've been meaning to sign up on this site for such a long time, but never really got around to it. But now I'm here and OH SO EXCITED! I just started home schooling for the first time in September, my 5 yr old son. I'm new to the whole concept because I went to public school myself. My husband was home schooled though and he turned out great so I thought I'd give it a try. I just LOVE being able to share these experiences with my child rather than send him off to school, and have to hear from someone else what my child does all day and how he's learning. We are having so much fun.
I actually never got to order the curriculum that I wanted this year because of money issues, so I'm having got kind of MAKE IT UP as I go. But I'm using some GREAT free resources on the web, and we spend lots of time reading library books. For First Grade I'm leaning towards Sonlight and Veritas Press as far as curriculum goes. I may do a little a both and just mix it up. I'm still shopping around though so if anyone has any other ideas or suggestions, I'm starving for advice, and I don't know anyone else who is homeschooling right now personally. Everything I've learned is from the web, and the few home school books I found at the library. And from the catalogs I get in the mail! Gotta love those!!
Well I better go check on the kiddos, and make sure they haven't destroyed the upstairs!
God Bless,
Allison |
Posted: 1:21 PM, Jan. 24, 2008 |
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