Our lives are moving along at lightning speed! 

Today was the first day of school for the 2 girlies that have to go to public school because they are wards of the state :(  BUT to be honest, I did enjoy the break today.  I did a little math with Jordyn - Math U See - it's great!  she is 5 so I have the Primer book...I'm sure it will go great.  The last three at this age I used Saxon 1 (The green one)...super teacher-intensive, but actually quite fun.  Much to a lot of people's shagrin (sp?) I actually enjoy Saxon....but I'm a math person.  Math-u-see has been a life saver for my kiddos who are NOT math people.  Usually at this time of year I am really excited about the school year, but this year has been a struggle for me - well more than a struggle...I flat out don't want to do it.  There, I said it.  I dream of decorating my house with  background worship music playing, cookies in the oven, dinner in the crock-pot, and an overall peace descending from on High!!!  All the other years that I was excited about it, of course all the children wanted to go to school...this year when I am ready to take everyone and register them, they all want to stay home.  I am trumped at every turn!  LOL  I know it's God's plan, just sometimes I get tired, cranky, and would like to FINISH a room, a meal, a conversation, a sentence, or a thought, without being interrupted.  I'm whining, I know. 

I'm working on organizing my schoolish resources and I think when that is all done, I will feel much better.  This year we will be involved in a co-op which I haven't done in a couple of years so we are looking forward to that.  In planning my year, I took someone's outline...I think it was OreoSouza, and reconfigured it to fit my family.  So, for each kid I came up with certain goals I felt like needed to be accomplished this year ... in the end, it looked like this:

(entheos is a small private school run by former homeschooled students and credentialed teachers to supplement homeschoolers or anyone else who needs it; the ideas in green are ones that I have materials for and am ready to go; the stuff in red we changed our minds on; and the stuff in black is just stuff I still need to make a final decison on, or sign up for)

2006-07 Home school ideas

JOEL - 16 years old

Life Skills

·        Math-u-see stewardship

·        Set up own checking account & debit card

·        Budgeting

·        Teach how to do account on Microsoft Money & balance

GED Prep

·        get book from library then list subjects

·        practice test?

·        basic comp class - at entheos

Long-term career goal

·        youth pastor  /  own business

·        2-year interns for CCC – get application form and fill out

·        Speech class - entheos - not this year

·        Get mentored by youth leader/pastor

·        Find out info on bible college or how to become youth pastor – ordained?

Other classes interested in

·        History – 1900’s to current (all world wars, etc.) - A/O lifepacs

ALYSON - 14 1/2

Life Skills

·        Math-u-see stewardship

·        cpr class

·        More responsibility with meal planning, grocery lists, cooking

·        Driver’s ed

* possible job w/ Iverson family babysitting - CALL

Long-term career goal – move in this direction

·        teacher’s degree – college bound

·        math class – A2C or geo algebra – entheos - not this year

·        foreign language – Spanish – taking on Fridays

·        PE or sport - interested in joining the Y, and taking tennis in spring

·        Basic comp (English) - entheos

·        History – 1900’s to current - a/o lifepacs

·        Science – Biology at co-op (Apologia)

*   computer language class at co-op

·        High school credits or portfolio – build one this year

Other classes interested in

·        piano?

·        bass guitar lessons

*   voice - choir at vallivue high school 

MADELINE - 11

Life Skills

·        own laundry

·        clean & organize room

·        cook – one night a week at home

·        sew – goldie doll & other stuff?

·        Mood management – healthy eating, different strategies, etc.

·        Dog obedience class – 4-h maybe??

Educational goals for this year

·        math-u-see – keep going with intermediate level

·        more fluent in spelling – grade level spelling book easier for her? 

                Check out SPECTRUM or something like that

·        Writing strands – begin where we left off in level 3 – FINISH book

·        Handwriting skills – copy bible passage each day - and/or use handwriting workbook

Other interests of hers

·        piano lessons?

·        dance - Capital City Ballet  

·        possible Crossroads co-op (will be doing for art, drama, science, & PE)

JORDYN - 5

Life Skills

·        pick up after self

·        make own snacks

·        make bed

Educational goals

·        Math-u-see primer level

·        Telling time more effectively

·        Penmanship

·        More reading….SSRW blue book

Other possible interests

        *Ballet 

         ·        Crossroads co-op

CADEN - 21 mos.

·        mops group at church

·        fix up backyard for him – playyard; etc - lots of climbing stuff

This sounds really schoolish to me and I am a little (lot!) more laid back, but I think it fits with my unschooling mindset in that I don't have a curriculum making my plan for me....it's waiting on and hearing God's voice for what's best for my children....the textbooks and curriculum I use are MY tools, I am not THEIRS!!  Also, it was fun to go over the goals I wrote down and discuss them with each child and make sure it fit with what was going on in their minds and hearts.  Some of it has changed and we will continue to change and be flexible as they grow, but getting an OVERALL sense of some direction has been very helpful. 

I think for me not getting "stirred up" is the hardest part at this time of year and at the end of the year...getting caught up in "what all are we going to do" and "what all have we not done??"  I need to STOP and hear what God is saying...and take a few deep breaths....