Have You Met Si the Turtle?

Don't you love this? The cat really just likes the turtle food.

We have had the best time with this turtle, well, after we found a new home for the other two. Long story... We bought this turtle in Panama City Beach back in September. It was just a little thing. Si, as my son named him, (yes, after Si on Duck Commander) is growing so fast! I know that it won't be long that he will need a bigger home. We sure are attached to him....

2012-2013 School Year - Picking Curriculum {and blog hop}

This is big!

I am just as surprised as the little guy above!

This will be my THIRD year using My Father's World!!!! I am still in shock myself!
All of those years I spent wandering through the wilderness of homeschool curriculum choices. The countless times that UPS man came up my driveway. The thrill that eventually gave way to a sale on eBay. For three years I have been done with that routine!

Did I say yet that I love My Father's World? Okay, I did? Just checking. :)


Let's start with Jessie, my upcoming high school junior. (That is equally as shocking to me)

MFW US History to 1877 (photo from MFW website)

Her core is the US History to 1877. Yes, the price is a little much to us homeschool moms. But really, is it? Considering what this education would cost at a private, Christian school I think it is a great investment. I have 3 others to come up through this program.

What will be new this year? This:

Don't get me wrong, I can really appreciate Dr. Wile's love for science and his Apologia Science books, but I just can't go there again with this child. Ah, the beauty of homeschooling! This is Biology 101. A DVD series that the entire family can and will want to watch and learn together. With the included Course Accreditation Program and Guide book ( you print these yourself) then it is a full years credit for high school Biology. I am beyond excited!  I purchased mine here: Biology 101 @ Rainbow Resource

Jessie will continue with her Viola lessons in the Suzuki method. She will also use Artistic Pursuits. She is my artsy child and I love to see her create. She has spent the last year beginning to take photographs for people and make money! She also taught herself Photoshop and by the looks of that program that is quite an accomplishment!

For the dreaded math we will continue and finish with Math-U-See. Bless her heart! :)

For ACT prep we are using this book

She will continue on through French although we are not sold on Rosetta Stone. (Any advice here is appreciated, please, leave a comment!)

To round it out she will complete the Logic course detailed on the MFW site for one semester and then this: One semester of Health. 



Whew! She is going to be a busy young lady!


Now, onto Josh (7th) and Jenna (2nd)

Exploration to 1850

MFW Exp to 1850 (MFW image)

The core for Josh and Jenna is Exploration to 1850. Awesome!

Josh is using Teaching Textbooks math and I could not be more happy about that!

For Science we will use Apologia General Science, and he will watch the Biology 101 DVD's. 

I found this awesome stack of papers lapbook to accompany this course. I chose to purchase it already printed. I also picked up the lesson plans for this level. 

L@@k at that stack...in a 3 inch binder.....what was I thinking??? Okay, I was thinking that it made this textbook look a little more fun and a little less intimidating! I will let you know how it all works out. 

For Jenna she will use the 2nd grade supplement that goes with this plan. I added these finds for her: Emma Serl's Primary Language Lessons Teacher's guide...I never knew...and I am glad I do know now!

Primary Language Lessons, Teacher's Guide

Also, I care not for Drawing With Children, I am sorry! I tried it twice! So above is a shot of the art I have added.

Beginning Drawing
I have purchased for Jenna Artistic Pursuits, but I don't understand why any art curriculum would start by asking the child to draw without showing them how to draw first.  So, that is why I added that DVD. Thanks to Tara for sharing the knowledge!

Jenna will continue with Singapore Math.  with plans to move into Teaching Textbooks.

On the topic of Jenna, I am still amazed at how she learned to read so well. I am in love with the fact that she learned to read not with only "Mat sat on Pat", but with starting at Genesis and reading through the MFW First Grade Bible Reader.


I am sure that there is more, but this post is long enough and gives a good idea about our year. Not to leave out little Janie, she will just tag along and will watch a lot of Leap Frog Letter Factory. I greatly attribute that DVD to Jenna being so ready to start MFW K.

Have a wonderful time planning your homeschool!
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Week 1 Rome to the Reformation & Beginning 1st

So the happy day! The day finally arrived when we got to start our new books! So, here is a little re-cap of how the week went.

As you can see the girls had their picture made with the subject of our first couple of history lessons. We live near Rome (not Italy) and our Rome has a little statue of Romulus and Remus. My son, the one who is studying RtR, would not have his picture made with that "gross" statue! (his words) :)

Really, I don't have a lot to share about our first week. We just picked up the books and went with it. I did add in the "Story of the World" on CD where I could. I love the format of MFW and they just make it easy to pick up and go.

Now, on to 1st grade!

Little Jenna is just the most excited little girl about her new books and she thought we were never going to start. Finally we did and although I had kind of got freaky about not having a grid (I did wind up with a very nice grid, btw) It is going well and I am WRITING IN THE TEACHER'S MANUAL! *GASP*
Yes, I am making myself notes about read-aloud books and other things that I am afraid I will forget. I use the grid and make notes. I am most afraid of forgetting something to do with math. I ran across a site just full of ideas Mama Jenn (if you have not been there and you are using MFW check it out!) I LOVED the Calendar Notebook idea and quickly made one for Jenna. I put our Number of the day sheets and 100 chart in it also.Very cool!

One more thing we did a little different was the base ten sticks. The idea of trying to glue beans on a stick just made me shiver with dread. My Jenna is a girly-girl and someone on the MFW boards had said they used stickers instead of beans ( I think it was Crystal). I knew for Jenna that stickers would be a lot more attractive than beans, then the idea of some bling instead of beans hit me!!! So , here is Jenna's base ten stick in the works.

I found these jewels in the craft section of Walmart.

She loves it already!

For the scroll, instead of making one I purchased one from Miller Pad and Paper. It is working out great!

So, we are off to a great start!

I have worked hard tweaking our schedule and it paid off this week. We were in revival meetings nightly with my husband preaching and we did all of our school, kept the house clean and had 3 healthy, home-cooked meals a day! Now I feel like I have accomplished something!!! What a great feeling! Thanks in no small part to the ease of use this curriculum offers. What a blessing from God!

A few more snap shots:

Little Janie is always by our side!

He did not want his picture made....shhh... don't tell him!

She works so hard!

Playing while we read :)

So what is missing??

She is! My Jessie! She is in high-school you know and that means that she is working in her own space for the biggest part of the day and I MISS HER being in the books with me. Always an eager one to learn, especially when it comes to history! So, I am still trying to adjust to this and she is beginning 10th grade!(doing WHL) I know that she has to have quiet to do all of that studying and writing, but sometimes I just want them all around the table. So, I may just start a family read-aloud and use an awesome Lamplighter book! You just never know what I will come up with!

Happy Homeschooling!

{this post is linked to Homeschool Highlights in MFW at 2 Ladybugs & a Lizard}

Time to Do Things Differently

We have a schedule.

This week was to include homeschool in the morning and VBS in the evening.

I'm cooking for VBS. Last night we did 450 mini corn dogs. Served the children in shifts. Enjoyed the fellowship. Became really tired.

The schedule....oh yes....I forgot. We have been so tired, we {Mom}have been so tired in the mornings.

The mornings have moved slow, but good.

I have not minded the schedule very well.

We have read library books, played board games. Mom has laughed {does Mom do this enough?}

Today I have decorated a "hip hipster bag" won at the Library Summer Reading Program.

 While saying in my mind, "I don't have time for this."
While thinking, at the same time, "When will I have time for this?"
When? When they are big and don't care about mom helping with an iron on?
What am I waiting for?
I know, for the schedule to run like clock work, then I will be successful.
Really? I've been grasping at that for many moons and it don't feel good anymore.

"Mommy, can you paint my fingers?"

My usual response.....Not right now I have to______(fill in the blank with any task that really doesn't matter)

I painted 20 little toenails and 20 little fingernails.

(wait...what was on the schedule?)

We washed Jake. {cute little new puppy who had too many fleas} Cowboy has been asking for a week.

So I had to get this tired to slow down enough to see that those who are most important need time with me. Not just clean clothes, although important, the bodies in those clothes need hugs and smiles and I've been stingy with those because I have a schedule.

Now look, I am not bashing a schedule. We all need some order and there are things that have to be done. But as I played that game of Trouble and decorated that bag I realized that I had not done those things in a very, very long time.

Here was the reward, Little Jenna says, "Thanks Mom, that means so much to me." You don't know how profound those little words were.

Then to top it all off, Ann had this amazing blog post today.

Yes, I think I understand. Thank you Lord, for the time to learn this. That today I will live with one less regret.

Now, we will swim. Then the little ones will nap { I will rock that little Janie, singing her favorite "Rock-a-bye Baby" and I will enjoy every minute of it! }

We will go and try to reach out to the little children in our community that have been so sweet
{and hungry :)}

Yes, this week has been different.
Am I stressed? Not one bit.
Is that unusual? Oh yeah!



{A big thanks to Jessie, for the always wonderful pictures & coffee}

Day 9 of 100 Days of Health Habit

The text message from me to Sweet Hubby went something like this:
                                            
                                  "Today has been rotten. 
                                             The mercy ship has sunk
                                                     and grace has jumped overboard.
                                                           I wish I could start over."
                           He replied:  You Can {with a big smiley face}


Ever the optimist.
I am learning.



So, you get the point. Today was hard. And, if you keep reading this blog for the rest of the 100 days then every 28 days or so you will notice a pattern. 8)

But, this determination I have now scares me.  Where in the world have I caught this sheer will that has eluded me for years? Will I lose it just as quickly as I have found it?
Breathe......remember.....ONE DAY AT A TIME!

If there ever was a day I could have eat a whole pan of brownies (and I am not the chocolate lover) it was today. I wanted to go for comfort & ease. Curl up with a blanket and a book and a bottle of ibuprofen.

Then the voice of my Josh, "Mom, when are we going to workout?"
I have created a workout monster. :)

He was pouring sweat! Those 8 pound weights are heavy and that workout lasted about 48 minutes!
Go Cowboy!

So, I made it.
Even went to a local restaurant with fabulous 1000 island dressing for a birthday party (complete with birthday cake) and I came home and did 2 miles afterward to get in the 10,000.

I thank God for what I have been able to do.
                        Something that I am not good at.
                                                        Being consistent.
                                                                 Even when it was the last thing I wanted to do today.

Step: 10,084
Calories tracked and stayed in range.

Day 5 of 100 Days of Health

Rolling right along.

The kids are loving the exercising. Last night the 11 year old joined the fun. I hope he sticks with it!

Steps 10,089
Tracked all calories and stayed in range.

One day at a time....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Snow Day

I told the kiddos last night that we wouldn't take snow day,  we would do school. They really believed me....for a minute.

It is so beautiful outside. It is so warm and cozy inside. All together. :)

Thankful...... sometimes the world does slow down.