Excellence in Literature-Introduction to Literature, English 1 (review)

Literature was always one of my favorite subjects in school and college. I wish my children were naturally the same. However, they are not. 

I have heard Janice Campbell, the author of Excellence in Literature, speak at a homeschool conference. I was impressed with her approach to learning and her unique way of presenting academics. I had planned on getting Excellence in Literature to try for my kids, but had not done it yet. Then the opportunity to review the program (Introduction to Literature, English 1) came up and I jumped at it. 

The study I reviewed came in ebook form. At first, that challenged me. I do not  do well at reading for long periods of time on the computer, and neither do my children. Thank goodness there are easy options! I did not want to use my ink to print all 131 pages of the book, so I sent it to Staples to be printed. I also had it bound with metal spiral and put a hard cover on it. It cost me $13 and some change. Pretty inexpensive, and now I have it in both forms! There are links in the book and I can use the ebook to easily pull those up. 

When I got it all printed up, I sat down and read through it. I enjoyed it and I learned things I, a self proclaimed literature junkie, did not know. I decided to start off by assigning my daughter (an 8th grader) a few pages a day to read, up until the first unit. Well, the first day she read beyond what I had assigned her and asked to start the first unit! I wondered if in fact this were my daughter, and not one the aliens had replaced when they stole mine. She has since worked through almost two units, and is even doing the extra work, the honors track (even though I did not assign it). I am amazed that this is my literature reluctant 8th grader doing work of high school honors! It has also created in her an excitement for literature and writing that was not there previously. She even chose a non-assigned 700+ page book to read for pleasure, and that has NEVER happened. She is starting discussions with us and others that are deep and thoughtful. I cannot express to you the change in her that just the last few weeks of doing EIL has created! In addition to those things, it is teaching her to evaluate everything more thoroughly, and how to learn in new ways. 

So, with that being said I tell you I am won over. This is a curriculum that will be in our schoolroom permanently. 

This is what Everyday Education says is so spectacular about Excellence in Literature, and I must tell you I agree:

• Carefully-chosen great books increase cultural literacy.
• Self-directed courses encourage independent learning.
• College-style syllabus helps to prepare students for university academic experiences.
• Week-by-week lesson plans make it easy to know what to do when.
• Honors Option provides motivated students the opportunity to earn advanced placement or college credit.
• Evaluation rubric makes grading simple.
• Carefully designed end-of-semester evaluation reports provide a detailed snapshot of progress.
• Context readings provide in-depth understanding of literature in its historical and artistic context.
• Students will be introduced to books they'll never forget.

The Excellence in Literature-Introduction to Literature, English 1 curriculum is for the age range of 8th-12th grade. You can get it in the print version ($29 + $4.95 S&H) or in the ebook format ($27). You can also try it out for free, with the sample unit.



I was given this curriculum free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. My favorable review was not a condition of this exchange. You can read other reviews of this product and others over at the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew Blog.

Say Anything (North Star Games) - Review

SayAnything Family is a fun family game that comes loaded with a lot of laughs. No no, they're not in the box, but, I promise you, they are there. It's also easy to play. No complicated rules and regulations and no exceptions. Just open, read the few rules, and play.

The game. another product from North Star Games, is listed for ages 8+ years, for 3-8 people. Well, we got this to review and it was just me, the 6 year old, and the 13 year old when I decided to pull it out. What to do, what to do? We decided since the 6 year old could certainly understand the concept, we'd just write his answer down for him. Stay tuned for how THAT turned out!

First, let me explain a little about the game, you basically have a judge who reads a question and the other players have to write down their answer to that question. The judge then secretly chooses the best answer and lays the "Selectomatic 6000" down, which has their judgement recorded. Then, the players place their tokens on which answer they think the judge will vote for. If they get it right, they get points for their wagers. The judge gets points for every wager that is placed on their answer. Now, everyone gets to be the judge. The turns rotate. 

Playing with a 6 year old boy can be quite entertaining. When asked, "What is the best rap song?" he responded "the one about saran wrap". When asked "Which celebrity's house has the best Halloween Candy?" he answered "Mickey Mouse". My favorite was when asked "Which celebrity would make the worst presidential candidate?" and he answered "OBAMA!". Anyhow, it was a hoot. When Daddy got home that same evening, we insisted he play with us too. Now when he comes home he requests our nightly game either be this or Wits & Wagers Family, from the same company.  We all laugh so hard playing these games. It's a great stress reliever!

You can buy "Say Anything Family" at local retailers like Target, Barnes & Noble, and Toys R Us (as well as other stores, the website has a store finder app) as well as online at various retailers. The price varies from $13-$15 at most of the retailers I have found. 

I have received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. My favorable review was not a condition of this exchange, just honesty. You can see other reviews for this product, as well as many other if you click on the Old Schoolhouse Crew banner below. 

Week one of school...Picture perfect!

Week one of school came and went, and all went perfectly as planned. We did all of our studies and then some. Even made a few crafts getting a jump on our Christmas gifts. It was picture perfect, just like that beautiful picture up there someone sent me in a text message!

Now, back to reality...not all went as planned. I lied. Day 3 was perfect, even though we were making up for being on the road all of day two. Day 4, on the road again. Plan was to "school" in the car. *FAIL* Then, when Daddy & I had our medical procedure done Friday morning, we had planned on the kids doing their "schoolwork" at Nanna and Pa's house. Well, we forgot to leave their crates (Each has a crate with their stuff for school in it). *EPIC FAIL*  So, then I say, "Well, we will just have to school Saturday and Sunday to make up for it. Well, long story short, too much happening. Daddy wanted to go hunting for Dove, and took the schoolers with him. Today too...Monday, week 2. No, I had not planned on taking off for Labor Day. (Noted for next year, we will not start until after labor day.)

What to do what to do? I was fretting. Stressed. This messes our whole "rotation" up. I freaked. I cried, just a little. I hyperventilated some. I ate a lot of carbs. Then I prayed. Silly me! Why didn't I just start OUT like that. Then it dawned on me. STOP PLANNING TO DO SCHOOL WHEN YOU HAVE MAJOR THINGS GOING ON.

This week we are flying to Houston on Thursday, then I have a doctors appointment on Friday, that could take all day. My original plan was to school Mon-Wed, then do Thu&Fri work when we could on Friday. SCRATCH THAT! Instead, we are doing Thursday & Friday's work from LAST week, on Tuesday and Wednesday of THIS week, and then we will resume with week two NEXT monday. All is fine. I have SEVEN weeks scheduled to be off before June of next year. I can just adjust the schedule. I can even just keep it the same and add a week to the end. NO BIG DEAL. That is one of the many beautiful things with homeschooling, it is FLEXIBLE!

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids

You might look at the title to this cute little hardcover book, and say "I have a heart for my kids, I love them more than anyone could know". Yes, of course you do. But, something in you will say "Wait, is there something I am missing? Is there a part of me that could do better?". Let's face it, even if we are the most amazing, attentive, doting parent on the earth...we have room for growth. Enter author Rachel Carman and her book on "How to Have a HEART For Your Kids".

When I first saw this review come up, I was honestly surprised to see it come from Apologia. I mean, isn't Apologia that science curriculum company. WHY YES, it is! BUT, it is so much more than that! Apologia not only has their wonderful creation based science curriculum, they also have other divisions such as Apologia Academy (Online Courses Based on Truth), Apologia Live (Celebrating the Homeschool Journey), Apologia World (Reaching the Homeschool Community), Apologia Mission (Giving, Going, Sharing, Sowing) and then there is the division this book came from, Apologia Press (Resources for the Heart and Mind).

Now, back the the book at hand. When the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that it has a nice hardcover, and is a good size to carry along with me, even in my purse. The book is about the size of a 5x7 picture and is about 3/4 inch thick. The first thing I did was flip the book over onto the back to read a little snippit about the book. It says:

"How well do you really know your kids? What has God shown you about who they are and who they will become? He has sent these children into your home at this specific time for His glorious purposes. Indeed, you have been invited on the adventure of a lifetime, a journey on which you will see walls fall, seas parted, and giants slain. You don;t need special skills or training for this journey----you need only to seek God and hold tight to His mighty hand!"

The author, Rachael Carman, is a homeschooling mother of seven. In this book, she walks us through her own journey of parenting and educating her children. She presents the book with the word "heart" as an acronym:

H- Have a heart for the things of God

E- Enrich your marriage

A- Accept your kids

R- Release them to God

T- Teach them the truth

The book draws you in from page one. (You can actually read the introduction chapter for free, here.) The author tells us how she did not start out with a plan to homeschool. When speaking of homeschooling mothers she met, she actually tells us "...I feared their poor kids would become socially inept outcasts, unable to work with others or solve conflicts." She goes on to tell us how those opinions were to change and change her whole family. I laughed as I read along, because I *too* used to be one of "those" people who claimed I would never homeschool, and was all too quick to feel sorry for those "poor homeschool kids".

Reading through this book was not painless. Now, don't get me wrong...the pain I speak of was the kind of pain you get when you get your toes stepped on. When you feel that conviction that you have an area that needs some serious attention. This is the good pain, the pain that causes real change in our lives and those of our children. The pruning that causes good fruit to be produced. Immediately it is apparent that if we are going to really have a "heart" for our children, we have to have our own hearts right. As Rachael says in the book, and has been said many times before, when it comes kids, "monkey see, monkey do".  Scripture is used throughout the book to support the ideas. At the end of each chapter is a little "Heart Check Up" that presents questions to you, the reader, in order to allow you to dig deeper into yourself and make the changes that need to take place to have a better heart for your child.

As I was reading this book, I came across many situations where other mothers were "venting" about challenges they had with their children. To them I would say "I am reading this book right now and you NEED to read it", knowing it would help them in their journey.  After I finished the book, I was tempted to loan it out many a time. One incident I clearly remember is a young lady at church saying that she was "interested in homeschooling, but not sure yet that she wanted to". This is a young woman with a toddler and a baby. I thought "Boy, I wish I had this book when my children were that age, what a difference it could have made in my life and theirs". So, I told her she should get this book. Then another friend was talking over her challenges with her special needs child, and it touched me because while reading "How to have a Heart", I had my eyes opened to things pertaining my own special needs child and all of the times I cried out to God "WHY OR WHY can't he just do what I need him to do?". Well, it was because I was not fully accepting of him and who he is meant to be. That is not up to me. It is up to God, and it is my job to raise him up to be what God wants him to be. I knew my friend could benefit from this book too. Actually, I think all parents could benefit from this book. Those with young children, those with older children, those who plan to have children. I also think there is purpose in this book for those with grown children and those who are around parents and children.

My husband, who is not a reader and generally not interested in listening to someone read, enjoyed listening to me read this aloud. It helped him through some of the things he wondered about, and challenged him also to grow in his relationship with God and with his children.

All in all this book was an excellent read, and one I will review often. I keep in on my nightstand so I can flip through it again and again. I wish I could memorize it all. It's just THAT good.

The book is only $13 and can be purchased through Apologia here.

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I asked to recommend the product.  I am part of the 2011-2012 Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, which is a group of homeschooling parents who review products that may be of interest for other parents. 

First day of "school"

Today was day one for us. I will be updating my blog here shortly to show ALL of our curriculum.

The day went super well for Michaela...she is on the ball I tell you!

Troy...well, he had a rough start. He decided to test Momma today. We were working on his "Phonics Road" curriculum, which requires him to practice handwriting and phonics, and he refused to write. I mean FLAT OUT REFUSED. At one point he looked at me and ever so seriously said "What? It's not like the world is going to explode, crumble apart, and end if I can't make my o's right". I tried not to laugh, really I did. But, in the end Michaela and I both burst out laughing. If he had not been so serious, it would have infuriated me even more so than I was that he was refusing to try. In the end, I won out. After TWO-AND-A-HALF hours, he finally did what I was asking. I had to pray for strength. A lot. I knew it was a defiance issue and one that had to be dealt with. I pray tomorrow we do not have round two.

After that incident, the day went beautifully. Today we also had a special "guest". Here are our back to school pictures...

This is Bella, a Golden Retreiver Michaela walks...she paid us a visit for a couple of hours this morning.

Good FIRST MORNING OF SCHOOL Troy! 

And she came back this afternoon to visit again...

Michaela looking absolutely radiant on her first day of 8th grade!

(And no, the kids did not plan to wear skull & cross bone shirts their first day...it just happened that way. Odd, since each of them only owns ONE shirt with the symbol on it.)

 

Today I was not...

Today, I was not: Battling back to school traffic. 

I was driving out on the back-roads in Colorado...

I was not wondering if my kids were getting answers as they competed with many others for one teacher's attention:

I was hanging out with them discovering new learning opportunities like when we ran across the Budweiser Clydesdale's in the parking lot of a truck stop (the handler talked a lot to use about the horses, their history, and their care):

I was not worried about if my child was being picked on, being left out, or making friends:

I was delighting in my children interacting and building their relationship (a relationship that is going to matter in 20 years...which is more than I can say for school relationships):

I was not filling out stacks of paper with redundant information...I was not watching the clock to make sure I was in the right place to get my kids at the right time, nervously waiting to make sure they found me....I was not worried that someone would pull a gun on my child...I was not worried that a child that was being exposed to ugliness at home would share that ugliness with my cild.

I was taking time with my children, enjoying their presence. I was guiding them as we went to a visitors center and learned about the area. I watched as they interacted with two elderly women who told them stories that sparked interest we had to explore when we got home (about the Ludlow massacre and Kit Carson). I marveled with them as we discovered three species of animals we didn't know existed. I watched them help one another. I watched them work out their problems. I knew what food they ate and basically what was in it, AND I let them have more if they were still hungry. 

Yes, we are blessed. :)

Talk about humbling...

Over the past few weeks I have been saddened to see posts on facebook that people are posting about their kids returning to school. You know, the one's like "My kids are driving me nuts, I am so ready for school to start" and "I need some 'me time', come on school!". I have pondered these posts and thought to myself "Boy, I am glad I don't feel that way about my kids". Then, it happened. Facebook has a new feature that shows you your posts from that day a year ago. Today mine from last year made me catch my breath, and made me extra sad. This is what it said: (screenshot)

Talk about stepping on my own toes! When we moved here in March 2010, we had decided to try public school. We had heard the schools here were so wonderful. Well, the last 2 months of 6th grade were wonderful for our daughter. We went through the summer planning on putting them into public school in the fall, and that was where my mind was. Funny, if I had only known then that they would do less than two weeks in public school before it was obvious they needed to be home.

I can just praise the Lord that I am in a different place than I was then. I am so excited about school to start here at our house on the 29th, but it has nothing to do with getting my children out of my hair. It has to do with the time we will spend together learning and growing and being together.

Here are my two other status updates from later that day:

I could never do that...

As a parent who has chosen the option of educating my children at home, I hear lots of comments. I hear "why would you do that?" and "what about socialization?" (that one is really funny to me...such a fallacy about homeschooling), & another favorite "is that even legal?".  However, the most common thing I hear is "Oh, I could never do that". Often there is something said to follow that with "I am not that patient" or "you must be really patient".

Okay, let's clear this all up right now. I am not super-mom. I do not love my kids more than you love yours. I do not have more patience than you. I am not a genius. I am capable, but my qualifications don't come from a degree I hang on my wall, they come from a calling God placed on my life. I was first convicted about homeschooling our children in 2005. At the time, we were one of "those" families who thought homeschooler's were "weird". I also would have said any of the above lines to homeschooling parents, if I had known any. Honestly, do you want to hear the biggest reason why I didn't immediately throw in and do it? Because I believed society's lie that they were better off at school. I also bought into the "I need time for me" thing. I was working a job outside of the home. I had things I loved to do, like go to concerts and take classes. I needed to keep "me" alive and not focus so much on the kids education. I mean, public schools were sufficient, right?

Well, since then we have gone back and forth between public school and homeschool. I shake my head even saying that. I have known since then WHAT the call on our lives was, but when things got tough, and I allowed all the doubts others spoken by others to weigh on me, I would allow them to go "back to school".  The first part of last year I was fully enjoying educating my children at home. Then life took some crazy turns. Because of some "issues" with one of my children, I ended up spending all of my time focused on that child and not on my other children. Looking back, I know I could not have done anything differently, but what I know now that I didn't know then is that it was OKAY. I worried that another child was lacking in their education, and with fearing that they would fall behind, I re-enrolled them in public school. This is what is funny. I did not do one day of "schooling" with that child for almost 4 months. Yet, in school, the child was bored. They were BEYOND where the public school kids were. All they got out of "school" was that so called "socialization". You know what I am talking about: the talk about "who is having sex with who", what "Brangelina" is doing these days, "who can get which boys to like them", and "which nasty songs can we learn to giggle and sing". Yeah, that is the kind of socialization I desire for my child (not). WAIT, lest not I tell you about the social studies teacher that challenged my child on political stance and proceeded to dress them down because their opinion varied.  The teacher was shocked beyond belief when my child (who is very politically minded) was able to refute the things the teacher was saying and back them up with facts. Let's also talk about the teacher who, while walking around the locker room while the kids undressed as was required for gym, called my child a derogatory name because of their underwear being a certain brand. I could go on and on, but you get the jest. Nothing good was gained from that little experience. It was a short amount of time, but changed our child in many ways.  One thing did happen though, my husband changed his opinion. He used to think homeschooling was a better option, but he didn't much care either way. He hated trying to explain to others "why" we want to educate our kids at home. However, he has changed in that stance and he is firm on the "we do it because we want to be the strongest influence over what our children learn, not their friends or secular teachers".

We don't homeschool because I am better than other Mom's. We don't homeschool because I have more patience. We don't homeschool because we are raising painfully shy children with social interaction problems (that would make you laugh if you know my kiddos). We don't homeschool our children to keep them out of the world, to make them isolated. We homeschool our kids because God put it on our hearts that it was what was best for our family. We do it because we know our children are not equipped with what they need to stand up to this world, and we don't believe in trial by fire. We do it because we believe in our charge to raise this children for God's glory, not to throw them to the wolves and pray they come out unscathed.

I hear so many Christian people say "well, I send my children out to be missionaries". Well, I hope they have strong mission gifted children who have a firm foundation in the Word of God.  I personally have not met many children that are that strongly gifted, and I liken it to what Mark Glaser once said about it. He said, "You don't put baby tomato plants in the hot sun; you keep them in a greenhouse until they have roots".  I mean really, children learn what they live, and if they spend more time in school daily than at home...well, they learn what the other kids teach them. Those lessons aren't ones we deem worthy of our children. They deserve so much more, so much better. Who better to give that to them than us. No one else on this earth knows my children like I do, and I promise you now one on this earth cares about seeing our kids succeed like we do. So, who better to teach them?

I am not dogging on anyone who choses to send their children to public school. What I am doing is saying that I was once one of those parents who thought I couldn't do. I didn't think I had the patience. I didn't think it was "for" us. I was so mistaken. I love it. I love that I can truly educate my children and not just teach them to pass a state test.  I love that they socialize in the truest since of the world. They can communicate with any one of any age or race, without hesitation. They don't learn that it is "cool" to be mean and how to fight to be on top. They don't learn to hide under a desk in a drill in case a gunman comes in. They don't learn that they must do "XYZ" to fit in. What they do is work on education. Life and the meaning of life. They get their academics in large doses and still have hours a day to pursue other things, like, ahem, socializing.

Lastly, I will say this. You don't think you have what it takes to homeschool? Then tell me, what do your remember from high school chemistry? What? You don't remember much? Hmm, I guess you couldn't do any worse, and neither will I. Chances are my children will retain what they learn because they have a tiny student/teacher ratio. They will be taught in their learning style and be able to make real learning connections before moving on to something else. They also learn that in the real world, true socialization is knowing that you are received better if you call someone "sir" or "ma'am" than "hey" or "what's up".

If you have children in public school, and you are happy with that decision, then so be it. I would never tell you that your children were un-socialized or at a disadvantage.

However, if you have children that are in public school, and it bothers you, know this: homeschooling is an option for you. There are resources to guide and lead you and help you every step of the way. You are capable, and in the areas where you struggle, there is help for that too.

Lucas Miller: The Singing Zoologist

Okay folks, no disclaimer here. This is not a paid review, nor was I asked to do this review. I am writing this review because it *needs* to be written. Earlier this year, two of my children and I went to the reenactment of the Battle of San Jacinto down in La Porte, TX. They had a children's area, and that is where we met "The Singing Zoologist", Lucas Miller.

We were amused at his "Send them Back to Brazil (Fire ant song)". It was quite entertaining, and you know what, it was educational. Educational and fun? No way. I had to hear more, so I bought his "I love Earth" CD. Wait, I mean, Troy had to hear more, so I bought the CD. Then, after browsing through his stuff and seeing he had a book on Bluebonnets, I knew I had to have it too. Bluebonnets *are* my favorite flower, after all. The "Bluebonnet Time" Book came with a CD. BONUS! SCORE!

Moving on...we went home (to Nanny's house) and had to listen the CD right away. Hilarious, and once again...educational. Unfortunately, I forgot that CD in the player when we came home. It was okay, we still had the "I love Earth" cd to listen to. I think we listened to it several times, and one day I grabbed it for the kids to listen to when we went somewhere with hubby in his truck. Go me, I left it in there and kept forgetting to get it out. Then one afternoon, about two weeks later, I recognized a tune my hubby is singing as the "Mako Shark" song.  This guy, big tough mean (looking) guy....

Wait, not only that, he is also busting out with lines from "The Chimichanga song". He was helping me write my science lesson plans for Troy by suggesting songs. I can tell you also that *I* have been educated tons by the songs from that CD. I never knew why the Eagles came close to extinction, where the fire ants came from, or about the wolves at yellowstone...until I listened to this CD. That is a slim run down. I have actually learned a lot more. You know what though? My *kids* have learned too.

Another "funny"...my mother gave the CD to my 15 year old son to bring home with him. We went out to a Mexican restaurant, and he starts singing "The Chimichanga song". Turns out, he's been listening to it. On his own. No one made him. This kid:

So, he is at the table, in the restaurant, singing about his chimi and my husband joined in. I joined in. The five year old, he joined in to. The other restaurant goers...they thought we were nuts, but you know what? I bet they don't know half as much as we know now. 

Have I mentioned that I bought all of this to benefit *Troy*? You remember Troy, this cute little precocious five year old?

We also bought a story book, "Fifi the Ferocious" (which Troy says "Feee-rocious"). This is Troy's favorite book. Yeah, he can recite it without it being read to him, but we still read it. It is well loved. It has gone on playdates, to the park, mother's day out, and on many car rides with us. He likes to share it with others, because he loves it.

As I said, I bought all of this thinking it would be fun & educational for Troy. Little did we know how much we would all learn from it. Little did I know how many laughs our family would get from it, and how it would be something we would bond over. This has enlightened us, and educated us together. We have memories built around these things. I love knowing that my children will be passing Lucas' material down to their children.

I recommend every family (not just homeschoolers, like us) go pay his site a visit, and that you get his "stuff".  I don't care if you are 1 or 99, you will enjoy it and you will learn. If you have a chance to go see him live, do so. He has a facebook too...and guess what? He actually interacts with you there.

 

Anyone else WAY behind on buying their curriculum?

I am so far behind on buying curriculum...I mean, far enough behind to make my stomach do little flips. We still need (no, I am not kidding):

For Michaela:

Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1

The Art of Argument

The Bridge to The Latin Road

Vet Tech Program

Vocabulary Builder

For Troy:

Math You See Primer

I also need to get something for Bible and Character training. This does not include any list of books we need to buy for Tapestry of Grace. I can't risk looking at the library for the first few weeks because we will be traveling a lot, and that just doesn't add up. We may be out of town for a month, and the library would certainly NOT appreciate that. 

I am stressing. I did not budget for our vacation, our homeschool stuff AND my illness. Boo!

The A to Z of "why" we homeschool

I was inspired by this blog post at "The Homeschool Post". I certainly can agree with the A-Z's that this other Heather shared, and wanted to do my own. Some may overlap, and some may not. I think that this is an excellent exercise to thoroughly examine our reasons for the decision we have made in our home.

A- Accountability to God to train our children up in his ways.

B- Belief in knowing that following the prompting of the Holy Spirit to educate our children at home will plant seeds to sow great fruit.

C- Cherishing all the moments that would be lost if our children were being sent away for 8+ hours a day to be a number in a seat in an government institution.

D- Daydreams are building blocks of exploration into new areas of knowledge, and the children can explore the things they dream of instead of being trained to pass a test.

E- Excellence in homeschool is not how high one can score on a benchmark, but how excited they are about learning.

F-  Foundation...God is welcome here, his plan is the foundation of all knowledge. Too bad the public schools have chosen to ignore this fact.

G- Grace, as shown to us through Christ can be  modeled for our children and learned through practice and imitation.

H- Honesty. We all know what is expected of one another, and no administrator or teacher around here will have a hidden agenda.

I- Individuals. Yep, each of our children are an individual and at home they can have their individual needs attended to and adjusted for. They learn *their* way.

J- Jokes, laughter, joy...it is welcome at home.

K- Kooky, cause we can be and we don't care if anybody thinks we are. :P

L- Limitless: the subjects we can study, the hours we can spend on learning, the goals we can achieve, the people we can talk to in all walks of life.

M- Meals with the family are better for our children, and honestly for society in general.

N- No one is left behind. No, really! It's not a policy, it's just the way it is.

O- Oppression of our beliefs is not a factor, at home.

P- Playtime is also learning, not just a chance to get away from being confined in a seat for hours. We are never confined.

Q- Qualified, because God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

R- Restroom...pretty simple here. If they need to go, they can, at anytime. No, they don't have to raise their hand or get a hall pass.

S- Socialization, the true kind, not the kind you get from being in a classroom with people all the same age being trained to raise your hand and walk in lines.

T- Talks...the kind that would be missed if the children were away for the majority of the day.

U- Uncomplicated social structure...free of drug pushers, sexual indoctrination, and bullying.

V- Virtue (noun) is taught here. Defined: Moral excellence, goodness, righteousness.

W- What we wear is not of anyone's concern...pajamas are just fine for school, shoes not required. The latest fashions and trends only matter if *we* want them to. Our kids are free to express themselves as they wish, with a few guidelines from Mom & Dad.

X- (E)Xtra hugs and kisses when they are needed, extra snuggles too

Y- Young...they are only young once, and we intend to be the ones who have the most influence over them during this time. They don't need confromation to society, they need a firm foundation in who they are.

Z- Zoo's are a lot less crowded when the majority of other children are in public schools. This goes for many other cool field trip destinations too!

Planning is the easy part

When it comes to homeschooling, one of the most fun (and most difficult) decisions is in planning on which curriculum to use. Well, at least it holds true for me. First, I had to decide what our educational philosophy/style is. We started out very "school" like, and let me tell you...that did not suit any of us. I will say it is probably the most simple schooling method though, since many of us were raised in public school and that is what we "know" how to do. But, our intentions for homeschooling were not to be school, our intentions were to give our children the best CHRISTIAN based education that we possibly could. Enter finding "The Well Trained Mind" forum. I remember just looking for homeschool support and stumbling onto those boards. I was amazed at the wealth of information and immediately ordered "The Well Trained Mind (TWTM)" book.  Talk about a lot of information. I got the book in 2008, implemented some of it in 2008, some more in 2009, and reverted back to my "own" methods in 2010. Just FYI, my "own" methods were an epic fail! I am back to a literature based, full classical education.

That being said, I really struggled to decide which curriculum we were going to use. I do not go by TWTM completely. I use it as a guideline to creating my own system. For example, in the book it is recommended that we do physics this year with Michaela. Umm, no. We'll hit it hard in high school. This year, we are taking her love of animals and doing a pre-veterinary program as our science. She will also be going to a school to learn equine massage. Not in the book, but for this child, vital to her continued love for learning.

Like I said, nailing down all of the different curriculum sources was the easy part. Now comes the part I dread, PAYING for it all. As it is with most things in this life, I tend to chose things that cost more than other things. For example, we will be using Tapestry of Grace. Without buying the books, it is still a significant investment. I see that a lot of people have many young children when they start using ToG, so the investment will certainly pay off in the long run for them. Me? I have TWO children that will use it. One only once, the other just beginning so he will cycle the 3 times. However, I will have to add on every time because he will be older and need a different level. It would be so easy to go with something "easier" and cheaper, but it would not give me the satisfaction that it was the *best* option for us. I would always feel like what we were doing was inferior, and I would not be happy. (Because I know myself...I would get discouraged easily.) Move on to the grammar program I have chosen and there is yet MORE expense than I even dreamed I would choose. Again, I feel it is the best choice for my children and their learning styles, and will benefit them better in the long run than anything else I have run across. NOT that I am discounting the fact that something else may come along. I am always on the lookout for something that will work well for us and make learning more fun!

I am working hard at my home business, Celebrating Home, so I can apply all my profits to the purchase of curriculum. My husband is supportive of homeschooling, yet he certainly dislikes the fact that we pay school taxes and still have to spend a large chunk on their curriculum. Realizing this, I will do all I can to make sure that our home budget does not reflect the strain of those costs.

I will be the best steward of our money, getting what I can for the best price possible. I scour classified adds and watch sales. I look for discounts anywhere I can. The cost is worth the benefit though. I am sure of that, though there is no evidence to support my claims at this point.   

Next Year's Curriculum...

I am searching for curriculum for next year for the kids. Definitely for Michaela we are doing Tapestry of Grace and Teaching Textbooks. For grammar we are thinking Language Lessons. Here is the problem...for science, I am at a loss. Suggestions anyone? We are trying to do less textbook and more hands on.

Time for Learning Review...

We recently did a review of Time for Learning for a month. In this post I will post both my opinions and those of my kids.

The five year old: He loved it! The learning games were engaging and he couldn't get enough.

Me, I liked the resources that go along with it that you can print off to reinforce what they learned. It was not an overwhelming amount either. We would continue to use it for our five year old.

The 8th graders:

Girl really enjoyed the format and the paperwork that went along with it.

Boy did not like reading online, and zipped through it without really reading it all.

Me, I think it is a great resource for a child you can trust to use it correctly. For a child such as my son who just kept hitting the "next" button, there is no accountability. Only being extremely supervised would this work for him, so I might as well sit down and teach him the material rather than using the computer. Also, there was a LOT of material to print out for the older kids as enrichment activities, and that is a drain on the printer. Having these available to purchase separately as a workbook would be highly preferable.

"The" Magazine

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

I cannot tell you how excited I get when this magazine comes in the mail. It is like a gift every-time one shows up, full of all the wonderful tid-bits of knowledge, advice, laughter, and fun that one magazine can contain!

Well, today was *that* day! It is finally here!!! I am far too excited when it arrives to just sit down and start reading. Noooooooo, I have to flip through scanning it, picking out bits and pieces that interest me but never dwelling. I cannot contain my enthusiasm long enough to read it in order. So, I take time scanning and flipping, smiling and anticipating all the things I am going to get out of this issue. Then, I go back and I savor each page. Not always in order, but always in entirety before a few days have past. But, it does not end there. I never give an issue away, though I have leant them out so other's can benefit from an article that has made me think of them. I keep every issue. I believe that every homeschooling family should have a subscription to The Old Schoolhouse. It has proven invaluable to our family in our homeschool journey.

Just today it arrived, and already I had a need "met". I had been looking for a devotional or unit study to take my children through the beginning of December all the way to Christmas. I wanted something to tie in the reasons we do some of what we do to the REAL reason for the season. Right there on page 65 it was..."Christmas is all about Jesus", a 24 day devotional explaining how things like snowflakes and candles can help a family focus on Jesus. I ordered it straight away (further review to come after we use it). Their website is http://www.kovescove.com if you'd also like to look into it.

Now, to my plug...if you are a homeschooling parent, you need to subscribe to TOS magazine. If you know a homeschooling parent who does not, it would make an excellent gift. If you plan to homeschool but your children are not there yet (or maybe not even HERE yet), I still suggest subscribing. I wish I owned every issue ever!!! LOL Maybe I will make that a goal?

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is certainly a smart purchase and an excellent resource. I will spend time at a later date talking about their wonderful on-line conferences and so on.

To subscribe, just click here

Back in the Saddle

Time to get back in the saddle. I had to take time off in order to have surgery. I thought we would only miss a little bit of schoolwork, but we ended up missing a LOT. However, I have learned so much in the interim that it may have helped our homeschooling journey more than hurt it. I have learned that when not faced with a structured school day, my children still seek out plenty of opportunities to grow and learn. For the first time, I have seen the benefit of "unschooling". I have watched them pursue so many varied things that they have learned from. Another thing that astounded me was my daughter writing a 5 page book report on a Biography she checked out from the library. I did not assign it, she just did it. Tucker, the child who I have to fight to get to write, has taken to writing letters. Troy I sometimes have to almost sit on to get to listen to me read a book, but lately he'll bring me a stack just to read to him.

I have been stressing science, art, and music curriculum and feeling I am somehow short changing my kids by not having something in stone. However, I have learned in the last few weeks that they really do delve deeply into subjects when they are pursuing their own loves, and they learn a LOT on their own. So, I think I shall try to do a lot more delight centered learning.

So, this week they are each reading biographies. They are writing a lot. Math? They have been doing shopping for me and I actually let them watch me pay bills and help balance our account. I also allowed them to budget some things out and go buy them. They were amazed to see how fast our paycheck went to the most basic of things, and exactly how much it costs to live and support a family. I thought it was sweet that they felt guilty taking their allowances after they saw what it takes to keep our family afloat.

They have also gotten better at chores. There are many things I have been reluctant to do in teaching my children about housework. I don't know why, but I have. I just *know* that when they do the work, it will not be good enough and I'll have to re-do it or want it redone. However, since I am on restriction post surgery, it has forced me to change this.

At first, I was just resigned that the house would not be cleaned "right" until I got better. But, yesterday morning I SNAPPED! I cannot do it, and by golly my 12 & 14 year old are old enough to clean and clean RIGHT. So, yesterday I had them clean and re-clean all morning. They only got a pass to another area when their current area is right. I also had them keep track in a note book of everything they do, that way they can "reference" it later if they "forget" how to do it right. Since they have not been doing their chores right, and have not been helping me much while I have been down, they will not get their last two weeks allowance until this work is done. I sit here writing you proud to say the house is almost in spic & span condition, except my room and bathroom. I will pay them extra to do it as I think our own areas are ALWAYS our own responsibility.

Laundry is another area where I have remained vigilant, and have not shared. I am VERY picky about my laundry. How it is sorted, what temperatures are used, what cycle, the softener, detergent...all of it, including how it is folded/hung. Of course, laundry is WAY behind. So much so that Katie insisted on doing some on her own. She has paid attention (I have allowed them to "help", but with me there directing never on their own) and she did it exactly as I would have. I am very proud. Even more so, I realize, I don't have to take so much on even when well. The kids are capable of doing housework, and doing it correctly.

So, even though we have not been formally schooling, we certainly have had a lot of learning going on around here. I am grateful for this time of growth in our family. I think it well help us all to do better in the future.

The picture at the top is a picture of Tucker's soufflés he made the other day from scratch. They rose nicely and turned out perfect. They were hot chocolate soufflés, using a Hershey's cookbook recipe. BRAVO Tucker...he is well on his way to his goal of being a chef.

Finally, a day that went as planned

Well, it went as planned as far as "homeschooling" went. The kids didn't complain about doing their work. Wait. Troy did, but when I instituted a system of instant "sticker rewards" instead of the one sticker a day, he changed his tune right quick. He was more enthusiastic and engaged than he ever has been. Should have figured out the sticker thing before now, sure would have made things easier. (See, if he get's 100 stickers, he gets to go to Chuck E Cheese.) He can earn up to 4 stickers a day. Today he got three because he acted up when doing calender time. Silly kid.

Today was our first day of doing "Character Quality Language Arts". It is a learning curve for the big kids and for myself, but it went well. I think it is going to work for us better than I thought.

I am reading "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton to the big kids. Troy came in and sat for a while, but it just didn't keep his attention and he was gone again. I remember loving this book as a kid, and I am hoping mine love it too. It feels weird reading to the big kids, but they seem to be enjoying it. They begged me to read more, but my voice couldn't handle anymore after 40 pages or so. Maybe I'll read more this evening.

4H Bunny #2

Troy now his 4H bunny. He is a mini Rex, ad Troy has named him "P.D."...not to be confused with "Peti" (which is what we thought it was, but no...).

He is so tiny and cute.

TWO field trips, two days...

We had planned to go to the corn maze in Lubbock on the 5th, but that fell through. So, I decided to plan it for another day. We also wanted to pick apples, so we needed to plan that too. I decided we'd go this Friday.

First, we'll go apple picking at Apple Country. Then we may find something to do like the science museum. AT 5, the corn maze opens and we'll go there and do the maze and pumpkin patch. Then we'll make the two hour drive home.

BUT, I said TWO field trips, right? Well, I guess this could be considered "two", but I am only counting it as one.

Tomorrow we are headed to Monahans State Park (The Sandhills). We will hang out for the day, play in the sand, have a picnic, etc. So exciting!!!

What I realize & the love of flexibility

I realize there is a great reason why public schools fail, and even though I knew it before, it hits home. Public schools can not adjust to meet the needs of the individual child, period.

Troy is NOT ready for kindergarten in many ways, and in others he is. He is ready to learn reading, but not writing. His fine motor skills are just not developed enough to write. His attention span...well, let's just say it needs attention. LOL

At first we were doing all of his activities right together, but it was causing him to be frustrated and more distractible. In light of this I have done the following:

<------Troy with his beads,

(he did dress himself, by the way)

• removed science and art and penmanship (for now)
• reduced Bible down a LOT, we will do short Bible stories and a memory verse
• Moved his story time to bed time
• Removed his geography rhymes

We are focusing on numbers, phonics, and fine motor skills. Today he worked hard (and had a GREAT time) stringing beads. He loved it.

I love that I can meet his needs at his level, and allow him to excel where he is ready, and work harder on what needs more work. I am blessed that I can educate my children at home.