New Blog

My best friend (and homeschooling buddy) started a new blog together! Come check it out here!

What to do with the baby?

What do you do with your preschooler and the baby while homeschooling your older kids? Usually we get it all done while the baby naps, and while the preschooler is cutting and gluing and making messes everywhere.. Today he woke up earlier then we were ready for. So the baby joined us... And ate us... Yep, he crawled right under the table and tried to eat our toes....

The Story of the World

Today we finally started The Story of the World. It went better then I had imagined. I loved how they put a little bit of a story in there, and gave us a character to learn about. We learned about Nomads today. Here are the kids doing some cave paintings. I think we're REALLY going to like this book!

I really have to say.. We are an arts and craft kind of group. My kids LOVE when we draw and paint and cut. I even get in on it and do the crafts sometimes.

We have been having so much fun lately homeschooling. We're at our 20th day... So about a month into it. It seems to be getting more fun each day!

I had to add this picture, because I feel like an official teacher or like we have an official class because it looks so public schoolish.. he he eh..

Home Schoolers

I grew up thinking home schooled children we're weird....

I was totally right.. That's why we're homeschooling! (My youngest daughter thinks making faces is pretty much the funniest thing in the world)

New Stuff

So, with a new school year comes lots of new "Stuff."

First, I updated the blog. It was boring me, so it was time for a change.

Second, we joined an public school program for home-schoolers. It's called IDEA. I'm so excited about it.  We are able to buy some curriculum that I could not afford and other curriculum that I wasn't willing to spend the money on through this program.
 We haven't received everything yet. I just placed my order in on Monday, so we'll be getting packages in the mail for the next week or so. We have however received one of the curriculum programs that I was really excited to try. We're only on day two but the girls and I love it already! It's called Moving Beyond the Pages. Google it, he he eh.

                                   (stole the picture from here. Don't actually click on the picture to learn more.. he he eh)
  Today we learned about maps, yesterday we learned about environments. It incorporates reading, writing, social studies, science, and so much more in a really fun and interesting way. Maybe even a little math too! We're still planning on using the other curriculum that we already have and  just this too it. I love how it comes with books to read, and a list of other books you can add when teaching. I also love the fact that it comes with more then one option for the activities. Having two kids that are at two separate places in learning, the books make it easy to challenge my older child while teaching the same to the younger. I also love that my youngest asked if we could "PLLLLEEEAAASSSE" do our Moving Beyond the Page work. I told them they had to do their math first, they quickly did their math so we could get to it. I love it!

We're also going to be using other materials. Once I get them in and I'll try it out and tell you what I think about them. I love helping my kids learn.

We're still alive.

So, I haven't been the best at updated my blog.
No promises in updating it more, but I will try!

So. A few fun things have happened. We decided that we are only going to do homeschooling from now on (remember one kid was in public school). I'm excited and have been planning out this next year. Lots of fun things and fun time will be had in our home!

I'm really excited also, because I've joined a homeschooling group. I went to my first "mom's meeting group" a week ago. It was SO fun. I loved sitting in a room hearing all about other women's homeschooling programs and the advice they have. It was fun to just sit and talk about different curriculum and actually have people there to understand what I was talking about. I've always had to call up my Bestie in order to get my homeschooling talk in. So it was nice to have a huge group of women to converse with. (Don't worry, I'll still call :D)

There was a program through the public school that I got really excited about. Then when I did all my research found out that it wasn't going to be of any use to us. It would have covered some fun classes that the girls could take (sports, dance, swimming.. etc). I was really bummed out. Though, after talking to some of the ladies about it, and one very experienced homeschooler about the program. It seems it is going to work. I just have to be a little bit more aggressive in making sure they understand that I already have a bunch of curriculum and the curriculum I want. We get an allotted amount of money. Half of the money has to be spent on curriculum through them (which works out perfect, because there was a bunch of stuff they offer that I was about to purchase myself) and the other half can be spent on taking classes and other activities. I'm excited to see if this will truly work out for us!!!

Umm.. I should go to bed. But I'll keep you posted on the program. I'm really excited!

Also. Go join a homeschooling group. I learned so much about homeschooling and other people styles, and even more about my teaching style!

Road Trip Continued...

So we've been on a "road trip" through the USA (we're going to other continents soon). We're using "My America and My World" and I've just added fun crafts to go with it.. These aren't planned crafts.. If they were they would be better.. But we've had fun.. Here are some we have done recently..
 

 Today we "went to" San Fransisco. We made some cable cars. It was fun. We put the "cable" on an angle and let them all roll down.. it was fun.
The orange one is mine.. Yes.. I do the craft too. he he eh..

The purple on is Hannah's

 The pink is Abby's

 The red is Emmy's

 Monday we went to Yosemite.. We made water falls.. We tore different color blue paper to make the water and glued it on.

Before that we went to Yellowstone National Park where we say some bears...

Our Home Schooling Room

I feel REALLY REALLY REALLY blessed right now to be able to have a whole room dedicated to homeschooling. It won't last forever, but as long as we have it I'm going to take advantage and use it. I finally remembered to take pictures of it when it was clean.. So I thought I'd share our homeschooling room

This is our desk area. This is where we do all the work. Each kid has a name tag (that they practice writing there name on) They have a box under there chair for their binder and handwriting books.

This is Emily's work list. She currently is finishing kindergarten at a public school, so on those days we don't get schooling in. Next year, they'll all be home with me and we'll try to do it daily.







This is our history wall. We are currently using a book called: My America and My World
I love this book. I'll probably continue to use this series. It starts of easy for 1st graders and becomes more involved each year. Right now we are on a "road trip" going and learning about different places in America. We usually do a craft with each section that I make up halfway through while Em's reading the section for the day. We've made dollar bills, liberty hats, Apple trees, made our own "laws", painted the Mississippi Rivers, and so much more. I'm grateful my kids are still young and love these silly crafts I come up with! (my two year old joins in for each craft.... you can probably figure out which flag she did)

 My dad is a computer guy. He fixed the older two up a computer they can each use themselves. We use plastic storage containers (that are full of stuff we are storing) as desks. Abby's is the desk without the computer.

 This is my little desk area.. Another storage container. This has a lot of the books I use for homeschooling and also the books the girls get to read. We only keep a few children books in the homeschooling room. The rest are in their bedroom so they have more opportunities to use them.




 Another view of my little desk thing.

This is the view from the other corner of the room. The shelves hold our supplies. Our craft supplies, our math supplies, puzzles, and etc.. Supplies go there...

That's our room. I LOVE it! Yes, I wish we could afford fancy desks and all that jazz.. But I'm grateful we have what we do.




I'm so excited we're going to just be homeschooling next year. I'm glad that I get to teach my little boogers :D. I'm hoping the new system we're doing will work way better!

Back to homeschooling.....

So... We're probably just going to homeschool next year.. and I couldn't be happier!!

Today we're getting back to it.. and I have a whole new system.. I'm excited!!!!

And that's all I'm going to write right now..