Our homeschooling adventures, learning right along with my family. We have an eclectic approach where the most important thing is to make sure we have fun while we learn. For my other family adventures check out my other blog "Ever After . . . My Way" as linked on the sidebar. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:45:00 -0500 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:45:00 -0500 We had fun doing Fire Prevention Week. We found some great stuff: for fun stuff for her to play with: Sparky We did these two: Checklist Get Out- a fire safety song for young children: Fire Safety Song This one was good: NFPA Safety Information we did the origami dog and that was a big hit. And we watched some videos from here that were wonderful: Dan Doofus http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/734908/ Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:45:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/734908/ There are days when we have  a rough start to our homeschooling day or when she is particularly tired and restless that I wonder if I am doing the right thing for my girl.  Not so much if the school is a better place for her, her teachers, her Principal, Prince Charming and even Princess Belle herself all agree that the school environment is not the best place for her.  But I am sometimes scared that I am going to screw this up, that I am not going to do it right.  I just want so badly to do right by her. Then there are days like today when things go so well, and she is happily working away on her science project, skipping back and forth to show me what she has accomplished and when we have to search high and low to find her science and social studies text books because she has been reading them in her spare time and I am so happy to be doing this.  I am so glad that I get to foster that love of learning.  I have never seen her take such joy in learning new things before.  She comes up to me with shows she wants to see because she can learn about things while she watches them, she has projects she wants to try, she takes time from playing and watching tv and doing other things to read text books and plan for things she wants to try later. On those days I know that however tired I get, no matter how hard it is for me sometimes doing this while caring for her sister and being 6 1/2 months pregnant, I am doing right by her.  I remind myself that this is the only year I will be pregnant and homeschooling and this is the only year I will be homeschooling with a toddler and a newborn.  When we make it through this year, I will never be doing this as tired as I am now.  And I remind myself how lucky I am that I get to see those lightbulb moments when she finally gets a hard concept, or when she is taking pride in her work, or when I say she did something well and her face lights up and she hugs me.  I would never give up those moments and certainly not for extra sleep and more time! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/734337/ Thu, 8 Oct 2009 10:05:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/734337/ I just got back from our meeting with the assistant director of the board of education. It went really well. The official approval will come from the director himself, but I have a feeling we got it. They were arranging our next meeting, explaining the reporting process, and providing us with all sorts of resources that we will be able to use. They were very positive and helpful. They apologized for our last meeting (the one that upset me so much), said that any negative things said last time about our homeschooling were said in error and have arranged that all records of that meeting be destroyed and this more positive meeting be the one that goes on the record so that there will be nothing to hinder our homeschooling in the future. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729759/ Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:45:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729759/ We are heading out to our meeting with the assistant director of the board of education. Wish us Luck!! Princess Belle said that she didn't want us to go because, "What if he says, NO". I reassured her I thought it would be okay, now I need someone to reassure me! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729758/ Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:44:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729758/ It has been a long day today and I am too tired to think of something interesting to post right now. I got up and went to the healthy baby club. After I got home, I tidied up the house a bit. Then after that Princess Belle and I did homeschooling. Now I am blogging before I get up to make supper. Usually on days I have healthy baby club, we take the day off school and make it up on Saturday, but I have another meeting tomorrow with the board of education and didn't want to miss two days in a row. I am super tired, but I am glad we got everything accomplished. If I get the energy later, I will throw a load of laundry on too. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729756/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729756/ It looks like the hold on our application to homeschool is going to be lifted!!!!! I am so happy! I don't know whether my lawyer has anything to do with this, but I am thrilled. Things should be okay after all. I am so glad I decided to spend the weekend not stressing about it. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729755/ Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/729755/ I am feeling better and confident today. I trust my HSLDA lawyer to take care of things as he has assured us he will and in the meantime I am goingt to continue to educate my girl. I spent today organizing my homeschool books, papers and files and doing research for new and more interesting things to add to our curriculum. I am feeling really good about where we are. Prince Charming and I have talked and we have decided that we will do whatever it takes to make sure we can do this for our girl. She needs it. She needs the extra help I can give her. She needs the extra attention she can get from me that she can't get in a public school. And for her, we will do what it takes. Tomorrow, I hope to make a nice family breakfast, do some extra housework and enjoy a day with my family. I will not let anyone get me down. I am loving my family too much. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/728500/ Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:32:01 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/728500/ I am feeling better and confident today. I trust my HSLDA lawyer to take care of things as he has assured us he will and in the meantime I am goingt to continue to educate my girl. I spent today organizing my homeschool books, papers and files and doing research for new and more interesting things to add to our curriculum. I am feeling really good about where we are. Prince Charming and I have talked and we have decided that we will do whatever it takes to make sure we can do this for our girl. She needs it. She needs the extra help I can give her. She needs the extra attention she can get from me that she can't get in a public school. And for her, we will do what it takes. Tomorrow, I hope to make a nice family breakfast, do some extra housework and enjoy a day with my family. I will not let anyone get me down. I am loving my family too much. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/728499/ Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/728499/ Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am being forced to enroll my girl in public school for the time being. I am contacting my lawyer and making some phone calls to get this straightened out. But it all goes back to those same harrassing neighbours who are the reason we are moving!!! Will they ever stop causing us troubles???? I am so done. So now my girl is crying, she doesn't want to go to school, she says she likes how I help her learn. I am telling her that it is temporary and that we will do what we can to get her home as soon as possible. I am really upset and stressed and as we speak right now, I believe Prince Charming is talking to our lawyer. But why do people have to make things such a hassle. EDITED TO ADD: I was right, Prince Charming was talking to our lawyer. He has advised that we are completely within our legal rights to disregard the instructions we received today and we are NOT to send Princess Belle back to school. He has given me confidence that we can rely on him and this will all be taken care of. I tell you, retaining this legal counsel when we decided to homeschool is the best thing we have ever done. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/728235/ Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:04:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/728235/ Big things are going on in my world right now. I have two really important meetings going on this week: I am meeting with the board of education to get my official approval to homeschool. My house is getting inspected to see if I can get approval to get a transfer to a house owned by the same people in the town I am moving to. This would make moving SOOOO much easier! I am kind of nervous about both of them, but I am doing everything to make sure I am completely prepared. Or at least as prepared as I can be. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/727211/ Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningeverafter/727211/