Tuesday, August 21, 2007

So You had a bad day....

That song is ringing in my ears as I finish up this day. Yeah it was a bad day at school and our house has some illness going through it. Well illness... make sure the door doesn't hit you on the way out.

Just like in every endeavor, there are bumps... and ours was an 8 year old that couldn't focus, a 4 year old that has a persistent cough, and a two year old who thought it would be really cool to destroy the house after the girls of the house cleaned it. (And I am not exaggerating here... you should see my stairs LOL.) But all is well now. Dishwasher is running, kids are in bed, and I have a bit of time to do my own thing. All is not bad though...we did get most of school done; we just have to pick up extra History and Science tomorrow. It is also Experiment week for Science so that should be a lot of fun. I know Princess K is looking forward to it. I will have to post pictures once we are done.

Praises to the Lord as these times are great learning experiences. This becomes one way in which the Lord tells me to reconsider my expectations (often using the candidness of my dear Techie Guy). So now to look at what REALLY has to be done during the day (outside of school). I thrive on reading to my children and would rather be doing that than cleaning. But my type A personality seems to go crazy at an untidy house.... Sigh time to look at reasonable standards and accept when days are icky, we should just let the house go, read, and have fun. Unfortunately the house will still be there - messy - tomorrow.

I will praise the Lord even in my trials!

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Notebooks, Lapbooks, History Pockets Oh My....



Well this was an attempt to put this on the Sonlight Forums but it didn't work so I will post it here. These are History Pockets based on what we are working on in history and my attempt to add in some hands on Activities to our studies. We add other notebooking pages to our history pockets. We are also starting lapbooks this year for science. I will post pictures of those as they are completed. The pictures on the right are of Notebooking pages we have done for our Greece pocket. We are also starting lapbooks this year for science . I will post pictures of those as they are completed.
Posted by Picasa

Sunday, August 12, 2007

The Basics of Schooling at the Kitchen Table

Well I started out this post with grand plans of pictures we had taken last week and a long discussion of our curriculum choices. I walked away and thought about and realized that I can't get pictures onto my laptop yet soooooo I put all my previous "stuff" away to start with the basics. (That is what I get for walking away and letting myself think.) First off... yes we do school at the kitchen table.. and the floor... and the couch... and pappa's desk... and hopefully the park this year. Going outside to do school during the winter months is a goal for me this year. That's why we live in the desert right???

Now to the nitty gritty The one bit of information you are always asked for as a homeschool mom- drum roll please - What is our curriculum. Ok so it isn't that exciting but it is the spine to which we use to learn. It is also the cause of many a time on our knees in prayer, fists full of hair, and grotesque faces in frustration on what do we use. I am happy to announce that most of our choices this coming year are returning choices we made last year.

For 7 year old Princess K
1. Bible: We plan to start
Bible Study Guide for All Ages in September when we finish with our Bible studies from last year. I LOVE the idea of this curriculum and I hope it turns out as great as I hope it will.

2. History/Reading/Language Arts: These will all come from Sonlight. Again we are finishing up last years work (Core 1) and will go on to Core 2 with Advanced Readers in September. We will also be adding to our history studies Mystery of History Volume 2 (because I just can't leave well enough alone).

3 Spelling: Returning from last year is Spell to Write and Read. It provided us with a good solid foundation for spelling and reading, and I can use it for all three kids.

4. Math: Another Returning Champion is Right Start Math. I am blessed to have a math genius for a husband and he takes over math instruction so this is more his neck of the woods. We are using Right Start Level C once we finish Level B in September.

5. Science: I found a curriculum that completely fits us. It is NOEO Science and I absolutely love it. It is literature based and just slips in so nicely with Sonlight. Right now we are working through the Biology I curriculum, and we will switch to Chemistry I thereafter.

6. Spanish: We are blessed to have someone providing this for us. Every Thursday we pop on over to this wonderful lady's house for 1 hour of Spanish instruction. Then throughout the week we work on the words and phrases we were taught.

7. Latin: Yes we are starting Latin. Call me crazy but I think it will be good as long as we take it slow. It might even aid in our Spanish studies. We will be using Prima Latina very slowly throughout the year.

8. Art: I found this wonderful gem at our homeschool group used curriculum sale. It is Artistic Pursuits and looks to be gentle, easy, so much fun. I can't wait to start it (again in September).

9. Those things with out a curriculum are Memory and handwriting. Along with scripture memory we are memorizing various poems from the Book of Virtues by William J Bennet. We are grouping them based on how they are grouped in the book. I am using all memory items for handwriting practice. Nothing builds handwriting skills better than practice. I just have Princess K put all her writing in a pretty composition book.

Well that is the basics for our 3rd grade year. We will be including various projects and lapbooks to enhance our studies. What these are I will have to go into those another time as well as what I am doing with our preschool and our ever roaming 2 year old. But for tonight I am going to bid a farwell.

Have a Blessed evening!

Monday, August 6, 2007

It's August and Bouquets of Pencils are popping up everywhere.

I love this quote from the movie You've Got Mail:

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address"


I don't necessarily know what it is like in New York in the fall, but I do know I just love the idea of a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils and the smell of a brand new pack of paper thrown in as well. Back to School time has always been one of my favorite times of the year. It signifies new supplies, new subjects, new clothes, and the start of a fresh new chapter in life. Mmmmm I can smell that graphite and paper now. Pack up that new book bag... it is time to hit the books.

Today we started our 07-08 school year and it is a perfect time to reflect why we are on this journey. I say we because homeschool for us is an entire family affair. Many years ago, long before we had children, my dear husband and I decided that we would homeschool our children. It became apparent to us, by God's divine appointment, that this was the road we must take in order to fulfill our own duties as parents. We knew family members who homeschooled, and of course were influenced a bit there, but we followed even a different path than they did.

So here we are on an adventure storybook ride that only God can write so well. We have prayed through curriculum choices, activities, and most of all goals.

1. Our number 1 goal is to raise our children to: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22:7

2. To give our children an environment where they can foster a personal relationship with our one and only Saviour, Jesus Christ.

3. We want the education in our home focused on and honoring to God. We do this by placing His word as truth in all aspects of life.

4. We want our children to love to learn and know how to learn. It is one thing to have memorized a bunch of information but knowing how to obtain that information and apply it makes one truly educated.

5. We want our children to experience what they learn and to understand the when, where, and how of the things they learn.

These are just the highlights of our goals, and our homeschool will be successful if we keep our eye on God and follow the path he lights up for us... One step at a time. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

My First Blog Post!

Well I am officially a blogger now! I have been contemplating whether or not to join the blogging community; concerned whether I truly have anything more to offer than what is already out there. I figure that if anything it can be a place I can share our walk with the Lord, a place I can think out loud, as well as share our adventures with loved ones that live apart from us. I don't have any preconceived notions on where this blog will go or the information I will include in it. I guess I will just roll with the punches and let it evolve on its own.

A bit about my family and I. We are a homeschooling family as mentioned in my profile. I feel truly blessed that I am on this God led journey, and I will post at another time how we decided to homeschool. We live in the desert southwest and right now are enjoying the bountiful rain God has been sending our way. I enjoy reading, crafting, researching, and lately playing board games with my dear children.

Come Monday our life will shift from watching the summer roll by and the monsoons roll in to the structure of school and the preparation of fall activities. I cannot believe summer vacation is over. Where did the time go? It seems I always look ahead and before I know it where I was looking is suddenly in my face staring right back at me. Maybe someday I will learn to not look so far beyond where God has put me - right here in the present.