Piano Baby

It is always best to start them young. She was flipping pages and pounding at the keyboard and is only 5 1/2 months old!

Curriculum Fair

Believe it or not, this year marks the first time this veteran homeschooler has ever gone to a curriculum fair! It was actually kind of fun. I did go with a list in my hand and only left with two items not on my list. It is a grand feeling to know that almost everything I need for next year is purchased. I could have stayed longer and would have loved to but the baby was getting fussy. Maybe that was God’s way of getting me to leave without finding things I didn’t need to buy and purchasing them. There was so much to look at. I did find a friend there who seemed a bit overwhelmed and I guess I can understand that. I, however, did not find it all that overwhelming. It was more fun than anything. I have decided to go again next year and possibly spend some more time there. I doubt I will attend any of the workshops. I would rather spend my time flipping through the curriculum and the fun things available.

What has been your experience? Have you been to a curriculum fair? Do you enjoy them? I think it is a bit like a child in a candy store!

Color Me Mine

Today is yet another birthday. Our third child is turning fifteen today. I have noticed that this particular birthday season has me feeling older and older with each passing birthday we celebrate.  It is vividly clear to me this particular year that the children will not be children for much longer.  They are definitely a blessing to treasure each and everyday.  It seems only yesterday that I would sit with this little one watching Barney and then struggling with her to to take her nap.  Though I am glad that the Barney watching is over and the struggling to get her to take a nap has turned to struggling to get her out of bed, I do miss her little girl days!  She has such a bright future ahead and is a grand blessing all the same! 

We have her homemade icecream cake prepared (her favorite) and we are headed out this morning to Color Me Mine to occupy her artist ways.  God has greatly colored my life with the many joys he has granted me with this child!

Happy birthday!

School Plan Questions Answered

There were several questions in the comments of the last post so I thought that I would address them today.  I know that our plans for next year seem like a lot and to be honest I tend to put too much on my plate.  We may or may not get to everything.  We are trying a few new things this year and we may end up finding that some of these things just do not work for our family.  If that is the case then we will modify things.  I have also come to the acceptance that things will hardly ever go as smoothly as I have planned out in my mind.  One thing that does help a lot though is to have a schedule.  A plan of attack makes a world of difference.  I will be working on our schedule during the summer months.  Some of the things on the list will also be completed during the summer, like the Alaskan History course and Driver’s Ed here in Alaska is only one week long.

Another thing that I would like to remind you of, is the fact that I have will have two children who will be able to drive unsupervised by next school year.  They will be able to get themselves to and from work as well as other activities and can even help to transport some of the other children if need be.  I do try very hard to schedule things for the children to do at the same time or one thing right after another on the same day.  When the children are at figure skating I take advantage of the walking track and get my exercise for the day.  The two birds with one stone type of thinking goes a long way in helping me to accomplish things.

I do not do a college type schedule.  I have tried that in the past and it just does not seem to work well for us.  I tend to schedule every subject for everyday.  I have a sheet per day with a chart on it.  The chart has each child across the top and each subject along the side and in the boxes I write the assignments for the day and we mark them off as completed.  The older children can really do most of their work on their own.  It really only takes a small amount of time to go over what they need to accomplish for the day.  I then answer questions they may have or help when needed and keep tabs on their corrected work.  I can school the younger children in about an hour a piece.  I often give them short breaks in between subjects to play with the youngers who are not schooling yet.  These small breaks allow me to check in on the older children and give guidance as needed.  You may have also noticed that several subjects have been combined for the children.  We will have our catechism/devotion time together.  Children who are close in age/grade will often share the same history or science.  Both of my high schoolers are doing some of their required subjects together.  They can then help each other and it cuts down on time.

The link that Emma posted in yesterday’s post’s comments is a great resource!  It is very similar to one of the scheduling tools that I use.  I use the Managers of the Homes resource. 

Bible Beginnings is something new that I am going to try out.  I am not sure if we will stick with it or not.  I used one of their books for older children almost 10 years ago and I remember liking it then.  I thought I would try it and reevaluate with the younger children this year.  You can find a free sample and more info HERE. As for the Bible lessons with the older girls, it is a study that I have been wanting to go through myself and we will do it together, maybe even in the evenings.  I am also considering starting a Bible study in our home one night a week for ladies. 

What are some of the ways that you make your busy school schedule run more smoothly?

Next Year’s School Plan

I am definitely in the planning mode.  I have been trying to plan out our summer excursions and I am also focusing on school for next year.  The core of our homeschool program is remaining the same but I am thinking of adding a few things and trying some new stuff.  I am off to the curriculum fair later this week to purchase materials.  There are also some new activites we are adding.  We will be crazy busy but if my hubby is deployed like we are expecting, it will be nice to keep ourselves occupied.  It will also force us to get out and about rather than sitting and moping around at home.  I will have two children who can drive unsupervised too so that will help out a bit too.  Here is the plan for next year (as of the moment).  This is still open to some revamping but I think we are pretty much set.  I will have to try and find time to blog in here somewhere too…

Child #1
He is basically on his own but still living at home.
college classes
job

Child #2
Dust to Glory — R.C. Sproul
Catechism/Family Devotional
Awana
Alaskan History
God & Government
Teaching Textbooks Geometry
Daily Grams, Wordly Wise, Literature–Pride & Prejudice : Moby Dick
Apologia Physics
Piano
Figure Skating
part time job
Ballroom dancing

Child #3
Dust to Glory — R.C. Sproul
Catechism/Family Devotional
Awana
Alaskan History
God & Government
Teaching Textbooks Geometry
Daily Grams, Wordly Wise, Literature–Great Expectations — Jane Eyre
Apologia Chemistry
Rosetta Stone Latin
Health/Courtship Study
Art–Oil Painting
Driver’s Ed
Piano
Figure Skating
babysitting & teaching piano
ballroom dancing

Child #4
Veritas Press Gospels
Catechism/Family Devotional
Awana
Veritas Press Explorers-1815
Teaching Textbooks 7th
Shurley Grammar 6, Sequential Spelling, Wordly Wise, Literature–Lord of the Rings Triology
Apologia General Science
Piano
Fencing
STILL CONSIDERING: Mandolin

Child #5
Veritas Press Gospels
Catechism/Family Devotional
Awana
Veritas Press Explorers-1815
Teaching Textbooks 6th
Shurley Grammar 6, Sequential Spelling, Wordly Wise, Literature–Little Women : Secret Garden
Apologia Zoology books 2 and 3
Piano
figure skating
STILL CONSIDERING: gymnastics and auditioning for the community theater

Child #6
Bible Beginnings
Catechism/Family Devotional
Awana
Galloping the Globe
Horizions Math 2
Saxon Phonics 2 : Bob Books
Shurley Grammar 1 :Handwriting without Tears
Explode the Code : Wordly Wise
First Encyclopedias for Science
Piano
Figure Skating
Ballet

Child #7
Bible Beginnings
Catechism/Family Devotional
Awana
Galloping the Globe
Horizions Math Kindergarten
Saxon Phonics Kindergarten : Bob Books
Handwriting without Tears
Before the Code & Explode the Code : Wordly Wise
First Encyclopedias for Science
Piano
Figure Skating
Ballet

Child #8
Catechism/Family Devotional
Awana
Figure Skating
All manner of fun playtime during the day.

Child #9
Play, nurse, sleep, nurse, play, nurse, sleep, nurse….as so forth. )

What is your plan for next year?? Do you use any of these items in your homeschool? What is your favorite?

Planning for the Summer

While we are here in Alaska we want to take full advantage of all of the fun things to do here.  We are beginning to plan out what we want to do to fill our many hours of daylight.  We plan on enjoying every moment of warm weather too!  Hubby has a lot of leave to take so we are going to be getting out and exploring.  Here is a list of things we are thinking about doing.

• Host Staff BBQ (something we tend to do almost every year)
• Native Alaskan Heritage Center
• Alaska Experience Theater
• Hiking at Bird Point
• Visit Portage Glacier
• Visit Matanuska Glacier
• Watch the Beluga whales and hopefully see some Orca too.
• Drive to Valdez, catch the ferry to Homer, drive to Kenai to stay with friends and go dip-netting for Salmon.
• Take a close peak at Mt. Redoubt too!  :0)
• Visit Seward and the aquarium
• Visit Denali National Park
• Probably a few visits to the Conservation Center
• Go blueberry picking in Whittier
• Probably a few visits to the Eagle River Nature Center
• Bear Paw Festival
• A train ride–maybe the one to Denali or the one in Talkeetna
• Musk Ox Farm

Anyone who knows Alaska have any other great ideas for what we can do?  What do you have planned for the summer?