Posted in Homeschooling

Well I am planning our new year which start January the 8th. Here is what I have so far.

Prima Latina on Mon, Tues, and Friday

Story of the World and Mystery of History Mon, Tues and Friday

And thats it! I have dont the lesson plans for these. I will be working on getting our Science together this week. Im thinking I will follow the Well Trained Mind suggestion for 1st year Science. I will also have some art and music for fun thrown in on alternate days.

My girls are moving right along in their studies. Karly just finished First Language Lessons so I will be getting her Rod and Staff English 3 to work on in January. She will also be transitioning to cursive in the next few weeks.

Kelsie is doing great in all of her 1st grade subjects.

Well thats all the time I have now.

WHY does HSB keep double spacing everything? Hmm..have to check that out!

Posted in Family

To post a link here to the blog with pics of my kids...here it is...Im trying to update it more often.

Posted in Homeschooling

We started a "formal" program with Adrian (3.5) and Tamara (newly 5) I am using the prep program for ages 2-4 at the Letter of the Week website. Its a great program. We are learning about cows, the letter A, the square and the number 1 this week. They loved it. I want to get through this by the beginning of January, move onto the Letter of the week program for ages 2-5 and be ready to start Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading by the end of Febuary. Once we get through that we will do Saxon Phonics K and from there we just focus on reading a lot combined with First Language Lessons and Spelling Workout A. I hope to be through Saxon Phonics K by this time next year. Im keeping these two children together as much as possible. Adrian picks things up a little quicker and Tamara likes to take her time learning new things. I think personally they meet right in the middle.

My older girls Kelsie (6.5) and Karly (9.5) are moving right along in their 1st and 3rd grade books, respectively.
Kelsie works on:

A Reason For Handwritting A

First Language Lessons for the first grade year

Spelling Workout A

Saxon Math 1

and

Go For the Code book C (starting in January)

She is also reading Dr. Suess books right now. Starting in January I will pull books off of the Ambleside Online reading list for her to read through.

Karly works on:

A Reason For Handwriting Transition book

First Language Lessons (she is finishing up the 2nd grade year)

Spelling Workout C

Saxon Math 3

and

Explode the Code book 4

She is reading through the Little House on The Prairie the Caroline years book series.

Im getting geared up for our new school year which officially starts in January so I will post what we I am planning in a few days. Still lining everything up.

We are taking two weeks off at Christmas and we have cut back our schedule to two days a week for the rest of the month.

Posted in Homeschooling

Anybody using this? Im looking into it for some parts of our schooling. Any suggestions, tips or advice?

Posted in Homeschooling

So my nine year old has some serious problems focusing on the task at hand. The other day it took her one hour to correct two math worksheets. At one point she handed it back to me twice with the same answer for one of the problems. Now maybe Im a big meanie but if it is something we have been doing for months such as borrowing in subtraction I dont help her. If its something we just learned I will guide her down the right road, but I tell her Im not doing the work for her, which is what she really wants. She then proceeded to take another hour on her spelling which should take between 15-30m. MAinly because she gets distracted and does not focus.

Here is my husbands suggestion. He wants me to let her pick out a piece of candy before she starts the lesson. If she finishes in the allotted time she gets the candy, if not she does not.

My thought is using her breaks as incentives. Give her computer time, karaoke time, drawing time, part of a video, or something else she enjoys doing during her breaks. If she does not complete the assignment on time then she has to finish it during break time. She loves her breaks so Im really thinking that she might miss one or two before she takes the hint.

Any other ideas?

Posted in Homeschooling

School has been going well lately. Check out my other blog to see all the healthy changes we are making. Healthy changes means more energy for mom. YAY! We are actually almost on the right day for schooling. Im used to being up to a week behind. We did  miss a day last week, because I was sick but we are back and going strong. I just dont understand how my younger daughter is all caught  up but my oldest daughter stays a day behind. Something to research for the next few weeks I guess. We will not take as much time off in November as I wanted, because we are not where I wanted us to be. However I just discovered if we stay the course my oldest daughter is going to finish her Saxon 3 ahead of schedule next year. She starts Saxon 3 in two weeks. She needs to be at least half way through it by May when we have testing. She is doing great and should be ahead of target by May. My 1st grader will finish Saxon Phonics K this week and will start Spelling Workout A and First Language Lessons the week after that.

Im so very impressed with their reading abilities. They have both taken off. We have them read some from an assigned book every night before Bible time and they are doing great.

I will start my 3 and 5 year old on Saxon Math K and Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading in January. We are also doing letter of the week and reading a lot. I am working on keeping these two together for as long as possible. He is excelling in simple math excercises and letter recognition already so I think it will be safe to at least start them together.

The baby is being read to often. We are also starting Baby Signs with him. We are not expecting much but its fun and the older kids enjoy learning signs and showing them to him. I like to sing counting songs to him, like the duckies and the Indians. He likes those and will laugh while you sing them. Right now we are doing "more", "eat", "drink", and occasionally "sleep". He watches us so intently I know his little brain is just a working to proccess the information. He has learned what "no" means. Its so funny to see him think about something when you tell him "no". He sits there hand in mid air looking at you, his hand, and the object he so wants to touch. Then he either decides to touch earning a rebuke or not to touch earning a big smile and lots of praise. I also like to see him test his theory by touching something and being rebuked a few times. Then he smiles at you and wanders on to the next job. He is just amazing to me.

Well hubby and I are off to snuggle on the couch with Braveheart. Neither one of us has seen it and he really wanted to so here we go.

Posted in Homeschooling

Wow! I really am planning on keeping this blog up. As for pictures, my camara is acting up. I am trying REALLY! Also homeschoolblogger is not sending me emails about comments so I did not know I had any from the last post. Im sorry for not responding. Hubby was given a centimeter ruler with his company logo on it, so Im not worried about that anymore.

I love Saxon math. I love the memorization and the review. For my troops its the best.

I joined a homeschool group. They have monthly outings and fieldtrips. Today was park day and we missed it because it was rainy and Im coming down with a cold. I thought sitting in the rain would not be conducive to my health. LOL. I did have a million errands to run though so we spent a lot of time in the car. GRRRRRR I hate days like that. Next week we are going to a sink hole. Its out of town but not too far away. Should be interesting.

I was looking at the Sonlight curriculum today. It made my eyes glaze over, but also brought out some I wishes! I think I will stick to my mix match curriculum even though it takes time to plan and implement.

I do need a better schedule, but the Lord is working on me in that area.

Ok the kids are ready for bed so I better go. I promise to try to update weekly. :)

Posted in Homeschooling

Well my school room is almost all set up. Still need to organize the cabinet and bookshelf and hang up the maps. We are still schooling in the dining room because I have to wait until October to get a new table. For now Im just going to go with a big table. I will have pics posted on my other blog by Friday, I hope.

This week we hit a math lesson in Saxon 2 that requires a Centimeter ruler. I have milimeter and inches, but I dont have a centimeter ruler. Im a little perplexed by this as I looked at Walmart and Target and neither had a centimeter ruler. We have skipped the lesson, but now we are on a lesson that requires the ruler to find the perimeter. This is kind of an important lesson so I cant skip it. *Sigh*

Kelsie started her Saxon 1 math book last week. I appreciate the review that Saxon offers and the repititvness of it, but Im afraid that I will go insane teaching it over and over and over and over and over and maybe a few more times. Im truly hoping to keep Tamara and Adrian on the same track. They are about a year and a half apart in age but Im thinking that if I tone down just a bit I can work this and have them in the same books for the most part. He picks up things pretty quick..when he wants to. He can count to 30 with help, recognize a few letters, and sort things by shape and color. Tamara can do all of that as well, but she needs a little more help than he does. She is a bit more mature though so that could be a factor.

Karly started Spelling Workout C last week. She likes it, though she is not really happy that I am making her copy down the spelling rules this time around. I have decided not to go with a formal phonics program with her so we are using these rules along with a lot of reading to get her ahead. She is reading wonderfully now. Im so impressed. Though I still  have to make her read. She is quiet content to grab a picture book and just look at the pictures. We are working our way up from there.

Well thats all the homeschooling news that is fit to print. We went to the museum last week with a new homeschool group. I forgot my camara so I dont have any pics from there.

Oh well, next time.

Posted in Homeschooling

I have really missed doing school this week. But I am so excited that we will be starting again next week with a whole new look about us. I do have a question for the pros. I am looking at these tables here as individual school tables for the two older children. Any thoughts? I also have the option of getting another big table. A large rectangular one that we can all sit at. If I get the individual tables I will get a smaller table to do group work and arts and crafts. So any suggestions? Right now I have the 6 year old and the 9 year old. I am doing preschool with the 3 year old and the almost 5 year old. Oh they are getting a small table for thier use.

Also Im back at my other blog full time. For those who have asked its keepersathome.blogspot.com I am going to post pics of my new school room there next week. I will let you know when I do.

I am keeping this blog and updating at least weekly. With homeschool thoughts, questions and happenings. :)

Posted in Homeschooling

Dr. Phil is looking for homeschoolers. I'd be so nervous. What if I looked like an idiot?  Although hubby said he is secretly going to fill out the application. Does he realize he would be sitting up there with me?

I should edit this to add. I dont want to do this. I think some one with a strong view and logical thinking should be the one to do this. I get waaaaaaaaaaaaaay to passionate and defensive about what I believe in to get up there. I would make a fool of us all. I believe my hubby was joking when he said he would sign me up for this. I was just wondering what you all thought. LOL

Posted in General Stuff

Im thinking about heading back to my original blog Keepers At Home. I would keep this one for homeschooling updates and info and the other for all my wild ramblings. LOL. I really like blogspot. It is easy to use and I have the templates figured out over there. Here I am having the worst time figuring stuff out. Im going to try it out and see what happens. In the meantime, I will be slugging away at learning HTML which I cant seem to grasp. If I ever learn it I will move back here. Probably. For now check her weekly for updates on homeschooling and check the other blog for everything else. Ok?

Posted in Homeschooling

Today my kids are having real world school lessons. Civics and interior design. We went to the polls this morning for primaries. I showed them how to take a ballot and fill it out correctly and put it in the machine. On the way there and home we talked about how to choose a canidate. I explained to the girls that daddy and I research canidates and then daddy decides how we will vote. I explained it was important to elect people with our values and beliefs.

Then we came home and commenced rearranging furniture. I have my dining room mostly set up now and the couch is in the new TV room. I need to move the TV in there and the coffee table which will now be used as our game/puzzle table.

Then I get to start on the school/playroom. Mainly for now moving in bookcases and my storage cabinet and organizing all the school supplies. Fun Fun. But Im looking forward to the end result. I will move the toys in gradually. I just found something at Target that I really want. Just waiting on hubby to approve it.

We are culling toys which stinks because we have a birthday party for my soon to be five year old planned for Saturday. MORE TOYS. Oh well I dont have another party until January for Jonathan's first birthday. Of course in between is uh-oh CHRISTMAS. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Posted in Loving My Children

I found this and just had to copy and link to it. If you are a mom for modesty click on the picture and go to this woman's blog and comment.

Posted in General Stuff

This is the news I woke up to this morning on my google news page. I was shocked and saddened. While he got on my nerves my kids really liked him and so did my dad.

Posted in Loving My Children

Why would anyone ever pick up a book {besides the Bible} and trust everything it says? I mentioned recently reading the Babywise books. I have also read To Train Up A Child and two books from Sears. I am ordering Shepherding A Child's Heart and there is another parenting book I would like to read but I cant remember the name of it.

Do I follow these books religiously? NO. These people dont know my children. Only I do. They dont know what works for my kids. I have one child all you have to do is send her to her room by herself and not let her participate in what the family is doing and she acts like you just killed her. Its highly effective for her. She rarely ever gets the biblically approved form of punishment that dare not speak its name out loud. A couple of my kids do get it and its the most effective form for them. 

My 7 month old is attached to his bottle. Since moving him to regularly scheduled solid feeding times and bottle times he is loosing the attachment. He is flexibly scheduled which is something I picked up from Babywise. He is gaining weight and is happier because he is getting a full night's sleep. He is also getting to a point where he knows when it is nap time. I put him in his playpen {where he sleeps in our room still} and he plays quietly for a few minutes before konking out. I wake him up in about 2 hours and he is so happy. He then plays in his swing for awhile and then eats and then crawls around in his play yard and then goes back to the playpen for a cat nap. We have seen a huge difference in him even during this first trial week.

We demand first time obedience from our kids. Even the 3 year old. As a result we have four children who can sit nicely in any resteraunt without causing a disturbance, sit quietly through church with nothing to occupy them, say please and thank you and get tons of compliments.

My children know if I say something will be it will be. Good or bad. Sometimes punishment is not immediate, because it cant be. At church the other night we were letting all the kids watch a movie while we fellowshipped and read a book together. I admit I broke my rule and told them three times they needed to stay in a certain section of the church. The second time I informed them if there was a third time they were not in there it would be dealt with at home. There was a third time. All I said to them was find a seat until it is time to leave. They came home and got jammies on and came to sit for Bible time. When Bible time was over we discussed the behaviors from the night and then they were reminded that there were consequences and since they choose to disobey they chose to suffer the consequences. They were punished and sent to bed.

Thats another thing hubby and I have chosen to do. Make sure that they understand that by choosing to misbehave they are choosing to suffer the consequences. I find many people today who cant take the blame for thier own lives. As a former foster parent I look at these people and see that they are passing this mentality on to thier children. I expect when we pick foster care back up we will encounter the same mentality. I want my children to understand if they choose the wrong road they must own up to it. Its not the circumstances of thier childhood that led them down this road it is thier choosing.

This is getting long and preachy. I want to finish it for now by saying. Im not a perfect parent. My kids are not perfect kids {by your standards... by mine I think they hung the moon and stars LOL}. I do use outside resources as references for my child rearing ways. I take what I read pull from it what would work for our family, run it by hubby and then we implement. If it doesnt work we regroup and reevaluate.

I dont expect my children to grow up like the Pearls, the Shepherds, the Wilsons, the Phillips, the Ezzos or anyone else's kids. I expect them to grow up as individuals. As people God created from His own image. With thier own personalities and quirks. The above people all have good stuff though and I will gladly take some of thier advice and apply it to my own methods.

My first stop is the Bible though so anything I read that does not line up with the Bible is not sound advice. I know Im rambling but this is a major issue for me right now as I fend off attacks {albeit polite attacks} because I choose to mention a method I am using.

Many people I am finding who attack Babywise have never read the books. Same for To Train Up A Child. Ezzo is against hyper-scheduling. He recommends newborns be fed when they are hungry. working towards a schedule. There is a lot more that people have claimed against him that I found refuted in his books, but that is another post. Anyways, Im done now because it is Sunday and I am supposed to be spending time with my family.

Posted in General Stuff

thats what Im doing tonight. We spent part of the day working on the house and Im exhausted. Hubby asked pizza or chinese? I said, woohoo, chinese. LOL. We still have so much to accomplish this weekend so we will be working hard.

We went to the library yesterday and filled up two milk crates. I have to go through and find the books for school and seperate them from the books for "fun" reading. Karly has discovered a love for drawing so she is allowed to pick out a drawing book. Of course Kelsie wanted one also so I found one about how to draw bears using squares. Its cute and she loves it. We have square bears all over the house right now.

Well thats it for now. Maybe some more later.

Posted in General Stuff

Why is my three year old running around in pajama shorts and a t-shirt 10 sizes to big? Because I cant find his clothes. I dont know where they are. Im my quest to rid my home of clutter I might have decluttered my little boys wardrobe. I am sizing the kids closets down and I think I sized him down to nothing. I ran to Walmart yesterday and found a few shorts and shirts on sale so he is ok for now. I just wish I knew where his clothes were.

Posted in General Stuff

Not sure what to blog about, just knew I wanted to write. Im going to join a homeschool group. Its a group with an optional co-op. At first I was not going to join because I did not want the co-op, but then I found out it was optional. Im looking forward to it. They have parties, playdays once a month, fieldtrips, and a moms support group. Im going to the mom's monthly meeting next week with some people I bowl with. Im looking forward to seeing what it is all about.

We have been spending entirely too much time sitting at the table and doing school. I wanted school to be a fun learning experience, now it just seems rather tedious. I know Im sticking with the Well Trained Mind method, I just have to figure out how to make it more experience and less doing. Ya know? Of course it does not help that math worksheets that should take my daughter thirty minutes tops, take her almost 1.5 hours because she refuses to follow directions and because she ends up staring off into space.

Im having a blast with the preschoolers though. We worked through the letter A last week and this week we are on B. We are counting and sorting and reading. My three year old drew an A for the skeptical inlaws this weekend without being prompted. When I asked him what letter it was he said A like my name. His name is Adrian. It was a proud mamma moment. Of course then Kelsie my 6 year old told my MIL that she could not read. NICE. Of course I got a lecture about how she should be reading. Yes, the child can read. She reads to me all the time. She is just a bit L-A-Z-Y and did not want to be bothered reading what grandma had for her to read. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

I have been major on edge this past week and not sure why. I think it has to do with the fact that Im waiting for Mr. Wonderful to be able to finish painting our two front rooms so I can rearrage everything. We also have to rip up carpet in there. We will be painting the concrete as a temporary measure. Next year we want to add laminate flooring throughout the house. 3 cats + 5 kids = NO CARPETING LOL

Im reading On Becoming Babywise and the second book for pre toddlers though I cant remember the name of it off the bat. I dont agree with everything he says, but Im finding a lot of useful information. I know. Let the tomato throwing commence. My 7 month old has not been sleeping through the night too well and its really hard on hubby. I have been scheduling him a little better, not strict scheduling and if you read the books Dr. Ezzo is against strict scheduling, but just trying to have regular feeding times and such. He has slept great and if possible had a better disposition. He has a great disposition already so a better one is just awesome. Im looking at the library lately for more of his books. I used to think he was a quack, but thats because I was listening to others opinions of him. Now that I have read him I think he has a lot of knowledge.

Anyway, enough ramblings. Im trying to get to bed by 11 this week and get up by 7. I have always been a night owl so this is weird for me, but as I get older I notice that I need more of a schedule myself. LOL

Posted in Homemaking

Yes, I am getting ready for Christmas. Yes, I am uber organized super mom. Yes, I have all my decorations color coordinated. Yes, I have all my Christmas cards addressed and waiting to be sent, along with a detailed entertaining, witty news about our family and a perfect family picture. HAHAHAHAHA if you know me you can pick yourself up off the ground and stop laughing. If you dont know me you can quit rolling your eyes. No the above person is not me. Promise.

I am however planning my holidays now with the help of Mrs. Catherine and OrganizedChristmas.com. I used part of OC last year and really enjoyed it, though Im looking forward to using it a lot more this year. My advice: check out these sights and see if you aren't inspired to begin planning your Christmas now.

Posted in General Stuff

my awesome new computer. I might not seem very excited but I am. My exclamation points dont work on my brand new keyboard and this is going to be a huge problem. I love exclamation points. My super hubby put this together for me because he loves me...and because he wants his computer back. LOL. Im very excited because he set up a printer on this computer. Im not sure how a homeschool mom can survive without a printer. I have a ton of sights bookmarked that I cant wait to print out. Im also going to learn html for my new computer so I can fix this place up a little. Make it mine. Ya know? Well Im still installing stuff on my computer and its going to log me off in a minute so I better sign off. Hope you all had a wonderful Lord's day.

Oh yeah and Im still getting used to this new keyboard so if my typing looks a little weird every now and then..HAVE MERCY....