Home school greats and home school fails

Every year at this time I start to get antsy about planning next year's curriculum. Mostly, because we will get our tax return and I will spend it on fun things like school books. Yep. I really do find it enjoyable! I am a nerd. My children will tell you. And, I am proud of it.
I am very happy to say that most of what we have done this year has turned out well. We have had some good things in years past, and major fails. For instance, we planned to do music study one year. It NEVER happened. Oh well. It's on the shelf, and one of these days we will get to it, but, it just didn't make the cut that year.
This year I chose the following;

History: Story of the World Volume 2 and Activity Book (2nd, 5th, 8th)
              Streams of Civilizations (for my Eighth Grader)
              Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia (Fifth and Eighth Graders)
              Kingfisher History Encyclopedia (Fifth and Eighth Graders)

Bible: Discover the New Testament from www.discoverthescriptures.com Grades 1-3 (2nd, 5th, 8th)
           Journey Through the Bible by David Cook (Fifth and Eighth Graders)
           LDS New Testament Reader (Kindergarten and 2nd graders)
          www.lds.org Bible Videos
          King James Version of the Bible

Science: Apologia Exploring Creation with Land Animals (2nd and 5th)
               Apologia Physical Science (8th)
               Apologia Notebooks

English/Grammar: Learning Language Arts thru Literature (Yellow and Purple Books)
                               Apologia Jump In (8th)
                                Progeny Press Study Guides (8th)
                                Winston Grammar Basic and Supplement (5th and 8th)
                                 English from the Roots Up (2nd, 5th, 8th)

Spelling: Spelling Power (5th)

Math: Math U See (Everyone)
           This year we are using/have used Primer, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta.

Kindergarten: My Father's World Kindergarten
                       the Bob Books

So, let me just say that we ditched art this year. The girls took an art class over the summer. And we do drawing in our history and bible notebooks, so I have decided it wasn't necessary to do an art Program. With 5 kiddos, one of them being an infant, I needed to have less stress. For Music, Abby and Rachel are taking piano. I've been getting better at making sure to get their lessons in. (I have 11 OTHER students that I teach each week, so, it gets a little crazy.) Jacob has participated in Football and Basketball, and Abby and Jacob will be starting track soon. Rachel and Abby are currently playing Basketball. The girls are both learning to cross stitch and they do that in the afternoons. Abby and Rachel have learned basic crochet, and we will brush up on that here in the next few weeks. (We always have them work on a baby blanket during General Conference. You can learn more about that at www.lds.org.)

History: Story of the World has been a lot of fun. The kids have enjoyed listening to me read the stories. We try to do all the maps. I need to be better about doing a timeline. I loved that My Father's World came with timeline figures last year. I have been missing them this year. I meant to buy them, but never did. We've been reading the Usborne and Kingfisher Encyclopedia pages that go along with each chapter as indicated in the Activity Book. I tried to buy read alouds to go along with Story of the World. So far we have had some fun ones, Hour of the Olympics, Hour of the Olympics Fact Tracker, Stallion in the Starlight, The Golden Goblet, The Bronze Bow, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Alladin,  & Son of Charlemagne. I also got Caesar Augustus World. That one was huge. I assigned it to my 8th grader as Independent Reading. That was a fail. Ha ha. He got about halfway thru and we both lost interest.  To help me, I have been reading Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World. LOVE IT!!! It has really been a fabulous resource. Another book I read was The Centurion Principles, very good. I also read Julius Caesar (with cliff notes in hand!) For my 8th grader I added Streams of Civilization reading. It goes further in depth for history. Occasionally, I have had him write a short essay on what he read. When we have coloring pages to do out of the Story of the World Activity book, I have my kids write a summary of what we read on the back. Often I use the narration questions to help prompt them. I usually have them write as many sentences as their grade. For my 2nd grader, I have her narrate and I write down what she says. Overall, we have really enjoyed Story of the World Volume 2. I would definitely suggest getting some read aloud books to help make the history really come alive! The Activity Book has a lot of great suggestions.

Bible: Discover the New Testament. This has been fun. I purchased the 1-3 grade PDF only. It's perfect for my 2nd grader. The bigger kids do it. My 5th grader enjoys it as well. My 8th grader loves our Journey Through the Bible book. It has great pictures and tells a lot of the background of the scripture stories. The 1-3 PDF is meant to go along with the New Testament Reader. I simply wrote down the corresponding scriptures from the King James Version of the New Testament and then assigned pages from Journey that went along with those. We read together and then discuss the scriptures. I have LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the new Bible videos from www.lds.org. They really make the scriptures come alive.

Science: Apologia Exploring Creation with Land Animals (2nd and 5th)
This has been a really fun science. We started off the year with me reading to the girls. As time went on and my baby became mobile, the girls read to each other. They read out loud so I can listen. I have been really impressed with how much they have learned and retained. We have the notebooks from Apologia to go with the book. SO WORTH THE PRICE!!!The Jr Notebook has been perfect for my 2nd grader. Instead of doing all the work in 2 days like the schedule has set up, we spread it out over 4. We don't do all the activities. I usually pick a few, and then they choose 1 or 2 of their favorites. Going to the zoo has been so fun. They love to tell me all the facts they remember about the animals. This is our first year that science has been a success for my younger kids. YEAH! Rachel has been begging to do Astronomy, so I think Apologia's Astronomy will be next on our list.

Apologia Physical Science
Last year our co-op did General Science with the kids 12 and up. We had decent success, so I decided I would get the Physical Science for my 8th grader this year. Last year we did not get the NOTEBOOK. I saw some of the other kids had them, and my son wanted one. It has definitely been a big help in getting the assignments done. This year I also bought an experiments kit. Unfortunately, it was the lower priced kit with mostly basics. We have found it to be lacking. It makes doing the experiments difficult, which is what I was hoping to avoid. My advice would be to pay for the full kit, so you can do the experiments without worrying about where to find a test tube or a copper wire, etc. Overall, it's a great course and I am glad we are doing it.

English/Grammar

I really, really, struggled with what to get for English. I asked lots of questions, looked at lots of curriculums, watched videos, and prayed like crazy to find something that would work for our family. In the past we used Language Lessons for the LDS child, and Sandi Queens Language Lessons for the Elementary Child and Language Lessons for the Secondary Child. I liked copy work and it really only took me 2 years to figure out dictation. My kids loved the picture studies. But, I just wasn't in love with them. We had tried Writing Strands for writing. We all agreed, we hated it. In a sense, I felt like we were behind. I felt like we kept trying things and I didn't really feel like we were retaining what we were supposed to be learning. In the end, I decided to go with Learning Language Arts thru Literature. We took the placement tests and my second grader went with the Yellow Book and my 5th grader went with the Purple Book. I talked with consultants from Rainbow Resource who suggested I add spelling for everyone and extra grammar for my 5th grader.
I have been so glad to have Really Liked this curriculum. I am getting better and better and understanding how to implement it. We like the Literature Links and the poems and the daily assignments. They are small manageable lessons. You as the teacher definitely need to be involved with the lesson, but they are short enough that it doesn't take up all your time.
There is one thing I plan to change, the Yellow book works on cursive writing. The book is hard to lay flat and all the cursive writing practice is on the left side. The pages are perforated so you could pull them out, but, I just plan to take it to the copy shop and have the binding changed to a spiral binding so the book will lay flat.

Winston Grammar (5th and 8th)
Can I just say I love this program. We used All In One Grammar for my 8th grader last year, it was a mess. He hadn't really learned how to identify all the parts of speech and so it was really difficult. We needed to go back to the basics. Winston has been such a blessing. The cards are easy to use and makes everything so plain. We have used the supplemental book for extra practice. I highly recommend this program.

Apologia Jump In Writing (8th)
Another major blessing. This book teaches the student how to write multiple kinds of papers and essays. It teaches all the different types of  Poems. It teaches how to write a bibliography and more! Simple, daily lessons. Our reluctant writer has really come a long way. 

Progeny Press Study Guides (8th)
These are great. I do recommend BUYING the book that goes along with it. We have borrowed books for the library for these, but it is much easier to just buy the book. Then, you always have it for reference.

Spelling Power (5th)
I am not in love with spelling power. My fifth grader really struggles with spelling. Her siblings do great, but she has a hard time.  I just can't seem to be consistent with it. So we have gone back to lists and writing words five times each, and writing them in a sentence. Finding a good spelling fit for our family is high on my list for next year.

English from the Roots Up
We used this last year and studied Greek Roots. We did okay with studying Latin roots first semester. We just haven't been able to fit it in this semester. I am determined to get back in the habit. We really learned a lot with the Greek Roots. I just found a help on pinterest that might make our Latin Roots get going again.

Math
Math U See
We love this program. I love the blocks and the hands on nature of the program. I love that the program is straight forward. Steve Demme does a great job explaining the lesson in a short time (under 5 minutes.) We have used ALL the books from Primer to Zeta.

Kindergarten: My Father's World Kindergarten
I have been spoiled. I have a group of moms that do this as a co-op. We each teach on Mondays and Wednesdays our own children, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays they meet together. This has definitely helped me time wise. I love the Character Lessons my son is learning. He has learned to blend his letters and is reading CVC words (consonant, vowel, consonant.) He enjoys the lessons. I did not buy the packaged book set to go along with this. I had a lot of books that went along with the lessons already. I did buy a few books for units that I did not have books already. We have added some crafts, but mostly we use the lessons as is. They are great.Very little prep work necessary. We have really enjoyed this program.

Field Trips:
Albuquerque Balloon Festival
Albq Aquarium, Botanical Gardens, Zoo
Pumpkin Patch
and we are Going to the Petrified Forest in March

Today was a Good Day

Today was a good day. I am thankful for many things today. I am thankful for promptings from the Spirit as an answer to prayers. I am thankful for sunshine this morning. I am thankful that we did school outside for a couple of hours. Oh! The difference it made for me today. I have felt very boxed in and quite a lot of cabin fever this winter as my windows are covered up due to the addition. My bedroom and kitchen are caves. This is tough on all of us. So sunshine and warmth were a very welcome blessing today.
Laurel is our outside girl. She loves to go out side. Regardless of the weather. She waves bye bye and then signs and says PLEASE. It is so precious. We all love it.
School took a long time today. But, that's okay. We had no major other commitments and I really didn't feel stressed to make anything happen in a certain time frame. Thank Heavens!
And, when I was inside, I got to stare at my beautiful flowers. Some unnamed friend sent me flowers this week to cheer me up. Definitely feeling loved.
I was glad to feel happy and cheerful and Not overwhelmed.

Sweet Sleep or the lack thereof

Everyone is asleep, except for me. I should be asleep. I'm tired. I love to watch my hubby sleep. I love to snuggle with him. I love that when he rolls over, he puts his arms around me so I can snuggle him up close. I love to see my children sleeping. Laurel is so cute in her crib. I love that she will let me rock her to sleep. (especially because she is such a stinker about standing in her crib.) Rachel needed snuggles and a book tonight because she was scared of spiders crawling up her nose. I told her spiders don't want to go in there. There are BUGGERS in there! David is sleeping on his couch on the floor of his room surrounded by blankets and sleeping bags and who knows what else, that Jacob pulled out in an effort to find his Sunday shirt. Only, Jacob never did find his shirt. So, he wore one of his dads. It was pretty funny to see him try on his old Sunday shirt! My has he grown. Jacob is sleeping with the fan in his face. He is his mother's boy. Abby found her way to the couch. Were she was sleeping under one of Laurel's blankets. So of course, I found a bigger blanket and draped it over her.
I did find tonight while rocking Miss Laurel that she holds her breath every 3rd breath. It's been 3 hours since I put her to bed and she is still doing it. Weird. Her heart rhythm sounds funny to me too. Never give a mother a stethoscope. She will be all kinds of paranoid. We'll bring it up with her dr. this week at her appointment.
Jacob indulged me earlier today and sat at the piano and sang with me. Love that boy's voice. I got caught up listening to Winslow sing in choir today. The only time Winslow sings in the choir is when his wife is the director. He loves me. He also has an amazing voice. But he only sings in church to the hymns. Stinker :). Abby and Rachel practiced singing with me for their primary program. It's fun to sit and sing with my kiddos.
Jacob and Winslow had a wild afternoon protecting goats and a sheep from two dogs.
It's been raining daily. I am looking forward to my skylights being reinstalled in some future day. Soon I hope. I'm ready for more light in my day!
I have spent hours on pinterest looking up all sorts of fun things to do with David for Kindergarten. This year I am trying in all of our schooling to slow down. Learning to take time to spend extra time on the stuff we really want to learn more about. my anxiety freaks out a little, while I let my creative side shine a little more. But, it's one of the reasons I like Home schooling. So be quiet little anxiety. Creativity creates lasting memories.
I keep sitting in our addition planning all sorts of fun things I am going to do with all that space. It's still a long way off from usable, but we are moving forward!

progress

Richard, Winslow's dad, is here working on our electrical for our addition. Jacob is working as his helper. He's learning and working hard. And sometimes he's daydreaming :).
Richard is telling our kiddos all about the fun things their daddy did as a boy.
Rachel has learned a nursery rhyme from her grandpa. There was a crooked man... She practices with her crooked cane (aka Jacob's marshmallow gun.)
Abby is learning the first nursery rhyme her daddy ever learned.
Rachel and David are helping Grandpa take off his boots at the end of the day.
Laurel has learned to wave and she waves at her grandpa every chance she gets.
Winslow is loving all this time with his dad.
And I LOVE watching it all happen. These are the days that memories are made of.

life as it really is

I long for many things. A clean house. Polite children who quickly obey and treat each other with love and respect. Time to myself. Dinner ready and waiting for Winslow when he gets home after work. The patience to never raise my voice when above mentioned children forget to do their chores or quarrel with each other. Fancy clothes.
The reality is... my house is filled with toys and school books on the kitchen table, or the couch, or the floor, or the lazy susan. (Yes, one day I found a math book in the lazy susan. Not sure if the child got distracted or was trying to HIDE their book!) The kitchen table is clear long enough to move from one activity to the next. Just when I think the kitchen sink might actually be empty for more than a few minutes, here comes the stash of cups from the bathroom. There are barbies all over dressers and even in drawers sometimes as make shift make believe happens everywhere.
Today my umbrellas and a quilt were dragged outside for exciting adventures while I taught piano. (Wish I had had a chance to grab my camera and capture that moment.)
My children wrestle each other to the ground on a fairly regular basis. My boys are always in need of torturing each other, (my husband included.)
Dinner often runs late, and I am stressed during the few minutes of "free time" I have in the afternoon while the teething baby (Laurel) sleeps, to get everything ready before Piano lessons start.
Our school day is filled with moments of me hollering instructions from the back bedroom while changing the squirming baby's diaper, (again, Laurel). Some of them are simply, "do your math, I'll be right there." Some of them include threats, "Stop pestering your brother/sister or I'll make you do his/her chore!" Others are hollered from the bathroom. "Can I please go to the bathroom without the whole world falling apart?"
Fancy clothes would be nice. Heck. Getting dressed would be nice. In order to maintain some sanity I go walking. I get up, I make breakfast, I go walking. Then I come home, clean up breakfast. Encourage my children to finish their chores and be ready and happy to start school. But alas, somewhere in the chaos I am lucky to get a shower. I try to get dressed and be presentable in the short period of time where I am also trying to get dinner ready. Thus, some days I am clean and dressed, and some days dinner is ready, but usually not both.
And somehow the Jehovah's Witnesses always pick the days when I am still in my exercise clothes or jammies, to show up at my door. When I open the door there are school books everywhere, Lincoln Log towers all over the front room floor, and David and Rachel are about to take eachother out like WWF wrestlers. I'm sure it all comes across wonderfully.
But there are moments when it all comes together. Like when I get to rock my baby to sleep and she leans her head against my shoulder. Or when I can sit and talk to Jacob about teenage life and important decisions of virtue and integrity. Or discussing the beauty of God's creation with my girls. Or teaching David how to read. My girls won't remember if the house was clean or dirty the day mom sat and painted their nails while they talked of what was important to them. David won't care if dinner was a few minutes late because I sat down to read with him. And I won't remember if we got all that was on the schedule done they day I sat rocking my baby to sleep and smelling the sweet shampoo in her hair.
Life is happening. It's nitty, it's gritty, and it's often messy. And more than likely it's louder than I'd like. But I love that David loves to brush my hair. That Rachel can play her piano piece two times before having it memorized and wanting to play it every time she passes the piano. I love that Abby is writing her own novel, that she has taken courage to write despite the challenges she has with writing. I love that Jacob is growing to be such a handsome young man, yet he still gives me hugs infront of all his friends. (He even says he loves me!) And Laurel, sweet, crazy Laurel who is getting teeth and trying to walk at 8 months. She knows exactly what she wants, and she is going to tell you about it. And my heart melts every time that sweet full head of hair lays on my shoulders.

LOVE and all that mushy gushy stuff

I love my hubby. A lot. A lot, a lot. I'm also VERY JEALOUS! which he finds incredibly amusing. If he tells a story about high school or pre mission years and a girl is included, I'm jealous. (which is odd also, because he never had a girlfriend before we dated, and um yeah...my brothers still tease about how MANY boyfriends I had.) Yep. Jealous. Like come over here and let me give you a big fat kiss so you remember that you love me and only me. Haa Haa Haa. He still says he loves me more, but I think I love him more.
I worry often about the rate of divorce where will live. It is Atrocious. For Real! And so we are trying to be better about Date Night, and Holding Hands, and Couple Prayers. I love this guy. Sure, we have our differences. And may I say that two Oldest children married to each other is EXCITING. We both feel very strongly about our Own point of view. And heaven forbid we should compromise. Hee Hee. He is my world though.
I have nightmares. And often. And sometimes I dream that he's left me, or died. And I wake up. Totally feeling helpless and incomplete without him. And I wake him up and tell him... I love you more. (He usually drowsily hugs me and says, Uh huh.)

I Love my kiddos. LOTS AND LOTS. and I want them to know how much I love their daddy. When we got married, my young women leader Sister Evans Gave us the saying "Choose your love, and Love your choice." And I LOVE that President Monson used it in conference recently. Because that little saying has stuck in my mind and helped me to say, I'm Sorry. It's helped me to look past odd habits and frustrating moments. (you know, when I've decided I'm right and life would just be better if he could decide my way is best. :)) I Chose you.

I'm grateful for Parents and In Laws who are great examples of this. I know their marriages haven't always been perfect, or what they imagined. But, they keep working together, loving each other, for better of for worse!

I trully believe the lesson my parents taught us growing up. Marriage is Hard WORK! And like anything that takes effort, patience, work, and forgivness, it's worth it. "It's the hard that makes it good."

p.s. I love you more!

Camp Out

So our kiddos decided to camp out this weekend. In a tent. On our Addition. Ha ha ha. They are so cute. They set up the tv to watch a movie outside. I Love, Love, Love summer weather here. GORGEOUS! They cleaned up their dinner dishes, and set to work setting up a tent and laying out blankets and sleeping bags. I love them to pieces.
Laurel, of course, is staying inside and will probably end up sleeping all night in my bed. Love this baby!!! I just want to snuggle her ALL DAY!
Winslow and Jacob have been hard at work on the home addition. My boys love me! They spend all their free time driving nails and putting up boards.
The other  morning the kiddos got out all the pet shop toys and the Barbie's and set them up all over the living room. PARTY.
The girls are getting ready to take an art class this summer. They are SO excited.