I do miss blogging. I miss sharing this way with my friends and family oh so much. It just seems so much easier on facebook. However it's not the same as a blog. I might come back here one day and share more but for now...I live in the land of facebook.
Faith
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
First Week of School cuz it's cool!
Well last week was our official first week of school. I have to say, I always love the first week. New books, I am organized-for a change, the kids *actually* want to learn, and I love the feeling a being all Teacherie. But usually after that, it's all down hill (like a workout video you think you will do until your butt is in shape...it never happens right?)
But this year, I have a drive in me, that I have never had before. It's not a drive to "finish all of our books" or a drive to do school on time everyday. It's a drive to TRY. that simple. I usually let "research" get the best of me. I try to perfect everything, and in the end, do NOTHING!
I will have to admit my biggest reason for this change is:
1. my diet. I gave up sugar and caffeine (and soon phosphoric acid-it hurts my bones! and bread and pasta-cuz I just eat too much of it) I feel alive now...like my soul is on fire! I wish I would have known this 4 years ago...but maybe this is God's way of me being able to share with the world...that stuff steals your life.
2. GREAT examples of other homeschool moms. I have had some women in my life lately (blog and real life) that share my passion's and to see them in action...it's, intoxicating! I figure, why keep researching it ya duffice, get out there and live it. It would be great to be the example to others that they have been to me. Hey its my dream, stop laughing!
3. my husband, he is my rock, and I feel like when I don't put the effort in, what kind of wife am I? Oh and he works like 10 times more than I do...so I feel kind of like I should be atleast trying a little more.
4. my kids. They love school, and they love spending time with me. Why not give them what they want? It's not like they want candy and PlayStation. Well they do...but that's not my point.
Can you have 4 better reasons? Yes...the Lord. For those that don't have Him in their lives, I just don't know how they make it through the day. Especially if ya don't have the drugs, caffeine and sugar anymore.
My life is not perfect...but I love it just the way it is (minus the disorganized parts of course)
Faith
But this year, I have a drive in me, that I have never had before. It's not a drive to "finish all of our books" or a drive to do school on time everyday. It's a drive to TRY. that simple. I usually let "research" get the best of me. I try to perfect everything, and in the end, do NOTHING!
I will have to admit my biggest reason for this change is:
1. my diet. I gave up sugar and caffeine (and soon phosphoric acid-it hurts my bones! and bread and pasta-cuz I just eat too much of it) I feel alive now...like my soul is on fire! I wish I would have known this 4 years ago...but maybe this is God's way of me being able to share with the world...that stuff steals your life.
2. GREAT examples of other homeschool moms. I have had some women in my life lately (blog and real life) that share my passion's and to see them in action...it's, intoxicating! I figure, why keep researching it ya duffice, get out there and live it. It would be great to be the example to others that they have been to me. Hey its my dream, stop laughing!
3. my husband, he is my rock, and I feel like when I don't put the effort in, what kind of wife am I? Oh and he works like 10 times more than I do...so I feel kind of like I should be atleast trying a little more.
4. my kids. They love school, and they love spending time with me. Why not give them what they want? It's not like they want candy and PlayStation. Well they do...but that's not my point.
Can you have 4 better reasons? Yes...the Lord. For those that don't have Him in their lives, I just don't know how they make it through the day. Especially if ya don't have the drugs, caffeine and sugar anymore.
My life is not perfect...but I love it just the way it is (minus the disorganized parts of course)
Faith
Thursday, August 13, 2009
homeschool book deals & organization mess
First HOMESCHOOL DEALS: (below that if you chose to skip is my organization mess)
Okay a week or so ago I went to a used homeschool book fair to get me some good deals on some homeschool books. For the FIRST time in the 6 or so years that I have been going there I went there with a cut and dry list of what I wanted. I did not walk out with all that I wanted, but I walked out very happy, and $90.00 dollars poorer!
Right up front let me start by saying that I am on a mission. You see I have found certain curriculum's, that to me, works for every type of child. They can be relaxed, or rigid, depending on what learning style they have. And so I have started buying every grade, to own the whole collection 3rd-12th grade. I have about 13 more subjects left and I am done! Oh and I love LOVE books made by the homeschooler for the homeschooler...my list shows it.
Okay a week or so ago I went to a used homeschool book fair to get me some good deals on some homeschool books. For the FIRST time in the 6 or so years that I have been going there I went there with a cut and dry list of what I wanted. I did not walk out with all that I wanted, but I walked out very happy, and $90.00 dollars poorer!
Right up front let me start by saying that I am on a mission. You see I have found certain curriculum's, that to me, works for every type of child. They can be relaxed, or rigid, depending on what learning style they have. And so I have started buying every grade, to own the whole collection 3rd-12th grade. I have about 13 more subjects left and I am done! Oh and I love LOVE books made by the homeschooler for the homeschooler...my list shows it.
The books I use are:
Apologia science (need 2 more for high school, 4 for elementary)
Math-U-See (need 5 more)
The Mystery Of History (1-4) (need 2 more)
All American History (done)
Spelling Power (done)
At the used sale I was able to get 3 apologia science years for a little over $20 each and a Math-U-See for $10 (still needs student workbook) and a Latin curriculum for $10. I also got a KONOS high school Medieval World set for FREE! Its a massive set with all kinds of stuff, she just gave it to me because someone gave it to her! New it would cost $60.00! It covers one History, Writing, and Art credit for high school each! is that not cool or what! And because my kids seem to love hands on projects, this will be up their alley!
organization mess: (homeschool that is)
Before you read below, what I am writing may sound like lots of extra work, it is not in my eyes. I love working on my kids school and so I enjoy the 'extra work'. Also please do not think that the extra work I am providing for my children below is something they must do during *that* subject time. My children get 1 hour a day of book reading or a school DVD to do each day (weekends included-don't worry my kids love it) and this *extra* fun work can be done then.
I have been working on organizing my life little by little. You would not know it by my house as of yet, but I am. The other day at a friends home I was thumbing through her new version of the Mystery Of History book and was baffled that she had large post-it notes in each chapter with stuff I could not make out on it. When I questioned her she told me she finds books that she owns to correlate with that time frame and has her children read them. (insert open mouth shock) Of course this curriculum already lists a large number of read along books to do during private time, but she had her own collection and used hers instead. That is not the shocking part, the shocking part is by just taking a couple of hours to leave notes for her children, she now knows they will be reading those books at that time. LOVE IT! So instead of them just reading any old book during reading time, they read a books that go along with what they are studying at that time! Might sound boring to you, but it's actually really fun, I have seen my own children after reading or hearing about one subject, go to the library and get more on it.
I tried to do roughly the same concept as my friend last year with my Mystery of History book but failed at it because I was trying to do it as we went along and was frustrated that the library either did not have the book we wanted or by the time I was able to pick it up we were about done with the chapter. So early on I gave up. But now I realize that if I just start a few weeks before school begins and write in each chapter what I need, then 2 chapters before time I can easily look it up and get the books or DVD's. A little planning ahead makes light work later on.
I am also doing this for science, language arts and maybe Latin too if need be. It has been fun to get onto the libraries website and look up cool books and DVD's to go along with what Devin will be learning in science. I practically want to do school with him!
It will probably take me from now until September 1 (when we normally start school) to finish doing this, but I am so excited to start! Let the homeschool games begin!
So what do you think?
Faith
organization mess: (homeschool that is)
Before you read below, what I am writing may sound like lots of extra work, it is not in my eyes. I love working on my kids school and so I enjoy the 'extra work'. Also please do not think that the extra work I am providing for my children below is something they must do during *that* subject time. My children get 1 hour a day of book reading or a school DVD to do each day (weekends included-don't worry my kids love it) and this *extra* fun work can be done then.
I have been working on organizing my life little by little. You would not know it by my house as of yet, but I am. The other day at a friends home I was thumbing through her new version of the Mystery Of History book and was baffled that she had large post-it notes in each chapter with stuff I could not make out on it. When I questioned her she told me she finds books that she owns to correlate with that time frame and has her children read them. (insert open mouth shock) Of course this curriculum already lists a large number of read along books to do during private time, but she had her own collection and used hers instead. That is not the shocking part, the shocking part is by just taking a couple of hours to leave notes for her children, she now knows they will be reading those books at that time. LOVE IT! So instead of them just reading any old book during reading time, they read a books that go along with what they are studying at that time! Might sound boring to you, but it's actually really fun, I have seen my own children after reading or hearing about one subject, go to the library and get more on it.
I tried to do roughly the same concept as my friend last year with my Mystery of History book but failed at it because I was trying to do it as we went along and was frustrated that the library either did not have the book we wanted or by the time I was able to pick it up we were about done with the chapter. So early on I gave up. But now I realize that if I just start a few weeks before school begins and write in each chapter what I need, then 2 chapters before time I can easily look it up and get the books or DVD's. A little planning ahead makes light work later on.
I am also doing this for science, language arts and maybe Latin too if need be. It has been fun to get onto the libraries website and look up cool books and DVD's to go along with what Devin will be learning in science. I practically want to do school with him!
It will probably take me from now until September 1 (when we normally start school) to finish doing this, but I am so excited to start! Let the homeschool games begin!
So what do you think?
Faith
Monday, August 10, 2009
READ INSTRUCTIONS FIRST!!!! I Warned you!
Okay before I give you what this post is about, I am giving you fair warning, what is below is a guide line for my family, not a hard fast rule! Do not under any circumstance think that what is below is a daily *have* to. We probably won't do 75% of it each day. I just need guidance, and after much prayer and hard work this is my answer:
My Daily Schedule
Chore Chart and details
P.S. It probably has a few things that will need to be adjusted as we find issues. OH AND YOU HAVE TO USE THE ARROW (that faces down) at the top of the chart to make the document larger.
So what do you think???????
Daily Schedule and Chore Chart
Monday, August 3, 2009
Our 2009/2010 School Year
I just wanted to post our homeschool meanderings for everyone. We will be starting school September 1st, like we have for about 5 or 6 years now. We do school roughly 4 hours a day 4 days a week for roughly 45 weeks a year. Taking off Christmas and Vacation/life. Giving us a total of 720 hours of 'class room' school. The other 280+ hours (MO requires 1000 hours of school) will easily be made up in many other ways, mostly in reading, writing, and school video's.
Tyrus our 4 year old will be doing miscellaneous school because I don't usually buy curriculum for a child before 3rd grade. However my friend Karen gave me plenty to keep him busy throughout the morning hours and he loves doing school with his brother.
Tyrus our 4 year old will be doing miscellaneous school because I don't usually buy curriculum for a child before 3rd grade. However my friend Karen gave me plenty to keep him busy throughout the morning hours and he loves doing school with his brother.
I will be rotating our school so it will look like this:
Everyday: English, Math, Reading, Spelling
Mon-Wed: Science, Music, Writing
Tue-Thurs: History, Art, Biblical Latin
For P.E. Devin will be volunteering at HOH every week on Tue or Wed from 2-4pm. He is also involved in Baseball, Basketball, and Bowling throughout the year.
Our Homeschool Schedule for 2009/2010:
7-9am All are done as a family except dress and rooms
-Dress
-Pick up rooms
-Cook/Eat/clean up Breakfast
-Garden chores in summer House chores in winter or a mix if needed
-Bible Time
-Get school books out and ready
9am Reading-we read lots of classical books out loud for this class
9:30am Math-U-See Pre-Algebra
10am snack
10:15am Spelling with Spelling Power
10:30am English Intermediate Language Lessons
11am Science Apologia Physical or History MOH II Early Church and Middle ages
11:30am Music guitar lessons or Art
12pm Writing Faith Writers or Biblical Latin for beginners
12:30pm lunch
2-4pm volunteer at HOH once a week
I also plan on having the children doing independent reading for at least 30min-to an hour a day or watch a school-ish video from time to time.
So what do ya think?
Faith
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
'places to see' -Always YOU!
A few weeks ago my BFF sent me a questioner and one of the questions was 5 places you would like to visit. My dear girlfriend put on there some great vacation spots, but when I erased them to add mine (cuz you have to fill it out and send it back and then to others) I could not think of ONE place I would rather be other than with friends and family.
It's not that I don't want to see this amazing world God made, it's just that to me, I need vacation to 'be' friends and family. Because after those vacations are long gone all I can remember are the great times I had with family. I don't remember a sunset, I don't remember a bright blue ocean;
I remember my mom and I laughing and having a good time with me, making brownies.
I remember my dad and our family laughing at the dinner table while eating my mom's yummy dinner!
I remember meeting my sister for the first time at age 31.
I remember standing in line at an amusement park talking to my BFF, or I remember laying on the beach watching our boys play and my friend and I just talking about good old times.
I remember the wonderful times with my grandparents Doris...who sat with me one day and told me so many wonderful stories about our families history.
I remember my Grandmother Ray, my cousin Kitzi, my mom, and my new to me sister Karrie all sitting at the table looking at old photos, some of us even crying. Oh and my grandma was a hottie! And my dad looked great in a dress!
For me, God put my vacation spot, right in the heart of another human. I just find it hard to see any 'physical place' as a vacation. Though it would surly be a bonus if I have a friend or family member at that vacation spot~
Faith
It's not that I don't want to see this amazing world God made, it's just that to me, I need vacation to 'be' friends and family. Because after those vacations are long gone all I can remember are the great times I had with family. I don't remember a sunset, I don't remember a bright blue ocean;
I remember my mom and I laughing and having a good time with me, making brownies.
I remember my dad and our family laughing at the dinner table while eating my mom's yummy dinner!
I remember meeting my sister for the first time at age 31.
I remember standing in line at an amusement park talking to my BFF, or I remember laying on the beach watching our boys play and my friend and I just talking about good old times.
I remember the wonderful times with my grandparents Doris...who sat with me one day and told me so many wonderful stories about our families history.
I remember my Grandmother Ray, my cousin Kitzi, my mom, and my new to me sister Karrie all sitting at the table looking at old photos, some of us even crying. Oh and my grandma was a hottie! And my dad looked great in a dress!
For me, God put my vacation spot, right in the heart of another human. I just find it hard to see any 'physical place' as a vacation. Though it would surly be a bonus if I have a friend or family member at that vacation spot~
Faith
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The milestones of a 3 year old
I don't rightly remember much about my oldest (now 12 ) when he was three...there are few things, but most is lost to me. I am sort of sad by this because I can't pass those memoir's on, so I thought I would use this blog to keep those milestones (because I plan to print all this...some day).
These are my 3 year old's milestones...not your 3 year old milestones, please do not expect them to be what your son's or daughters should be. And if my child is behind your child...I am okay with that. I just wanted a memoir of these times.
Ty turned 4 this weekend and here are some things he did while 3.
He learned to say his abc's (he actually knew them at 2 just sometimes had them out of order)
He knows the sounds to most of the abc's-again at age 2
Most colors-at age 2
Most shapes-at age 2
He can:
count to 14 (and sort of does to 20...on good days, lol)
add up to 10 (just so long as he can use his hands like 6 + 1)
subtract up to 10
He can spell:
Stop
Go
Tyrus
Mom
Dad
Buffalo
God
box (when prompted)
If you give him the sounds of the letters of a word he can usually spell them.
He can sign (American sign language) :
yes
no
yellow
train (railroad)
read
book
doll
The letter 'y'
He knows what a blank is:
nocturnal
decompose
Tornado (and it's siren)
swine flu (I will never make that mistake again)
cops
bad guys
He knows that we:
Love and listen to God
Homeschool
Don't do the Easter bunny and egg part of Easter
Don't do Santa
Is starting to grasp time and is starting to read a hand clock
Loves to tell stories to his dad
These are my 3 year old's milestones...not your 3 year old milestones, please do not expect them to be what your son's or daughters should be. And if my child is behind your child...I am okay with that. I just wanted a memoir of these times.
Ty turned 4 this weekend and here are some things he did while 3.
He learned to say his abc's (he actually knew them at 2 just sometimes had them out of order)
He knows the sounds to most of the abc's-again at age 2
Most colors-at age 2
Most shapes-at age 2
He can:
count to 14 (and sort of does to 20...on good days, lol)
add up to 10 (just so long as he can use his hands like 6 + 1)
subtract up to 10
He can spell:
Stop
Go
Tyrus
Mom
Dad
Buffalo
God
box (when prompted)
If you give him the sounds of the letters of a word he can usually spell them.
He can sign (American sign language) :
yes
no
yellow
train (railroad)
read
book
doll
The letter 'y'
He knows what a blank is:
nocturnal
decompose
Tornado (and it's siren)
swine flu (I will never make that mistake again)
cops
bad guys
He knows that we:
Love and listen to God
Homeschool
Don't do the Easter bunny and egg part of Easter
Don't do Santa
Is starting to grasp time and is starting to read a hand clock
Loves to tell stories to his dad
He wants to be a pilot when he grows up and fly around telling everyone about God.
He only likes to pray in his head
He can usually dress himself
He can make his own bed, pick out his own clothes, and clean his room before I get up!
He loves to sing 'you love me' and
He loves bubble gum and does not swallow it
He loves chicken nuggets fries and ketchup when we eat out...no matter where we eat out, lol
He takes a nap everyday around 2pm!-this is mandatory or he goes ADHD on me!
Ty never ever would need Super Nanny to visit him, I remember joking one time that she was coming here and he gave me this scared look of what did I do, I am not a bad kid.
Devin and Ty fight way too much that is my fault for not training their hearts more.
Ty play's on the furniture all the time...something as dumb new parents we would never let Devin do.
Ty loves his Grandma "cuz she gives me food...and not God's food, the good kind of food"
He so could be in theater cuz he is very theatrical!
He is shy for about one minute and if you ask him 1 THING that is it he won't stop talking, your his new friend!
I am not done...will finish later!
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