The last few days off work have been spent cleaning and organizing our homeschooling space.  While I am planning to add a few more wall pieces, I can happily say that we are ready to go for Monday's first day of school!

Our schooling area will actually be in the loft, or B's bedroom.  There are a few linen closets that do not get used, so we are taking advantage of them for our supplies.  In one of them, I have dress up clothes on the bottom/floor, children's dvds on the first shelf, children's books/puzzles/color books on the 2nd shelf, games on the 3rd shelf, and grown-up dvds on the 4th shelf (with random things on the very top).

The loft has its own bathroom with a large closet along with a smaller linen closet that also leads into our attic.  My husband and son thought it would be a fun hideout, and have turned it into such.  It still needs to have the framing done around the "door" and I plan to add a floor cushion similar to this one (I have material for both kids to have one).  I had a floor mat from B's baby room decor that fit nicely across one side of the hideout.  We added a lamp for light and there were already shelves so we chose a few of B's favorite books to place on one, a few others for LJ on another, and then put a basket under them that can hold a few more books.  While it is technically B's hideout, he has been very sweet in sharing his area with his little sister.  It will be a space that he can get away and read, color, or just imagine whenever he has free time.  I have to say, I kinda wish I had my own little space like this!

The wall organizer will hold our 100 Chart, bible verse cards, bible flash cards, and badges.  The plaid tote on the floor holds our music books (piano, vocal, ukulele), ukulele, and tuner.  The amp and keyboard stand is for my personal keyboard (currently not pictured due to using it for my band).

Next we have the bookshelf/desk:


The top shelf holds reading books that are collections such as Sesame Street (they were mine as a child), Curious George, Dr. Seuss, etc.  The second shelf holds educational books that can be used for busy work, road trips, or even taken to the grandparent's house when I'm working.  It also has our Etiquette Factory curriculum/place mats and our Apologia Science curriculum (that will be implemented at a later date).  On the left side of the desk top has our file folders for MFW units, labeled "Creation" and #1-#26 with subject focus, and holds each weeks student sheets.  The right side has our cuisinaire rods and MFW books/cd/flash cards.  B's kindergarten book and my teacher's manual is in the middle.  The desk drawers hold old markers/crayons in the top, busy games (from our MFW pre-school package) in middle, and puzzles in the bottom.  The colorful rolling drawers were on sale this week for 50% off at Joann Fabrics (!!-woot!!).  They hold the rest of our school supplies.  I have a snap container to the left of the desk that holds all of our play-dough and toys.  The bag to the right of the desk is currently empty but will be used to take to the library every month to get our reading books.  I'm hoping this will encourage us to keep track of them and can be used to take in/out of the hideout, in the car, in the living room, etc.

I took a panoramic picture of the area, as it looks right now:


I got the calendar, days of the week, and weather stuff from our local Teacher's Aid and had it laminated. I bought a caddy (on the top of half-wall) to hold all of our pieces.

Well, there you have it!  C'mon Monday, we are ready to rock-n-roll!

Over the last year or more, I have been trying to get my health in better working order.  More on that in a later post, but this past May, my husband mentioned that he'd like to have some chickens.  As in, real.live.chickens.  I had been thinking about this as well but figured he would laugh me off if I mentioned it (which he tends to do whenever I make a suggestion at a healthier lifestyle change...men and all that).  So imagine my surprise when a week later we came home with 6 baby chicks, 4-5 weeks old!  Our goal was/is to have our own egg layers.  People have laughed at us when we bring up the fact that we are now chicken owners, and have make the typical "fried chicken" jokes.  That's okay, though.  Look how cute they were! How could you NOT want to take them home and love them?!

 

 


We are new to chickens, so we have really relied on family that have experience, along with the amazing site: backyardchickens.com.  The first few weeks home they lived in a tub in our garage with a heat lamp.  We made sure to hold each one at least once a day so that they could get used to being "handled."  My son immediately claimed his favorite one, which happens to be the smallest of the group (it's the one in the top right), and named it "Big Wheel."  Big Wheel and Lightening (bottom left pic) are bantams, with Lightening being a Gold Sebright.  We also have 2 Rhode Island Reds (who are currently named "Red" OR "Reba and Rayna" depending on the day) and 2 Brahmas ("Cookies and Cream").  We are pretty convinced that the bantams are both going to be Roosters...which is a bummer because we can only keep one and we've all fallen in love with both.  The other 4 are more than likely hens and should be pretty decent layers.

The dogs have not taken a liking to them.  Well, unless you count the obvious desire to chased them down, pull them out of the coop, and gobble them right up?  I think they'd be better if we had them out in a controlled environment, but until our main coop and run are in working order, they get zero visitation.

Daily chicken life is pretty fun and easy.  It didn't take long for them to out grow the garage tub....or to stink it up.  My husband works odd hours and has been building them a coop when he has had time.  It's almost done, but we still have to put the run together.  As a temporary fix, we have put them in a little tykes playhouse with chicken wire over the windows.



Every day we change water and food (they LOVE to ruffle their feathers and make the pine shavings go in the water bowl multiple times a day) and try to let them out to roam and eat the grass.  They're so cute when they get "outside time."  They take off running, flying, chirping and squawking like there's no tomorrow.  You can feel their excitement as they eat the clovers and bugs.

The Brahmas have been the friendliest and will climb right up your arm or leg and perch on your shoulder.  No joke.  They like to cuddle!  And at about 10 weeks old, they have really gotten big.  The kids have a great time playing with them.  B helps feed, water, and clean their coop.  LJ follows them around, waving and talking to them like they are her BFF's (well, other than her brother, of course).



They won't start laying for about another 10 weeks or so, but we are having the best time with them.  It's a fun, family adventure and educational at the same time!  We are learning about responsibility, caring for God's creatures, providing healthy food choices (non-gmo feed/eggs) for our family, finding out how nature provides resources such as food for us (even in the grass, cloves, weeds that the chickens chow down on), recycling our food scraps, and so much more.  We have lovingly decided to name our coop: Creekside Manor (thanks to living along a local creek).

As we are all learning together, I am finding these are some of the best days of my life so far and I am looking forward to more.

While we've done pre-k stuff and relaxed learning in the past, we will be officially homeschooling beginning Monday, June 16th!  To say I'm excited is an understatement.  I've been going over the curriculum and working on organizing.  I am a bit overwhelmed at all of the things that are included with the lessons.  Not that they are too much to accomplish, because a lot of it is "do as much/little as you want."  However, the possible activities are very abundant and I LOVE IT!  Once we get started and into a good groove with MFW, we will slowly add in our music lessons and our super-cool-catchy-fun-etiquette factory lessons (seriously, we've already got the CD memorized and haven't even started the actual "curriculum" yet!).

So with my handy life planner (yeah, completely worth the $$, btw, and so customizable!), I am filling in our daily schedule while leaving room for flexibility.  This includes soccer, co-ops, band practice (for moi), work, playdates, etc.  The first 10 days of MFW is all about setting a foundation.  So we will actually start our units after that.  Each unit is actually 6 days which is encouraging due to my wonky schedule.  The 10 days of foundation are about Creation.  Here is an example of our first 2 weeks:

MONDAY 
Lessons: (Day 1-Day and Night)
Bible Lesson
Math-Creation Numbers
ABC Song
Letter names
Review Names
Creation Book
Songs
Activity

TUESDAY
Same as above (Day 2-Sky)
REACH (co-op play group) 1430-1630

WEDNESDAY
Same lessons (Day 3-Land and Plants)
PEACE (co-op play and field trip group) 1200-1500

THURSDAY
Rest day (Work away from home)

FRIDAY
Same lessons (Day 4-Sun, Moon, and Stars)

SATURDAY
Rest day (work away from home)

SUNDAY
Park Day! (yes, this is actually in the curriculum!)

MONDAY
Same lessons (Day 5-Birds and Fish)

TUESDAY
Same lessons (Day 6-Animals and People)
REACH co-op 1430-1630
First soccer practice for the WCSL 1830

WEDNESDAY
Rest Day (work away from home)

THURSDAY
Same lessons (Day 7-God Rested)
PEACE co-op 1200-1500

FRIDAY
Review Day

SATURDAY
Park/Zoo Day (weather permitting)

So, there you have it.  I'll post a more detailed lesson plan at a later time (hopefully with some pictures).  My plan this week is to finish putting the lessons together in file folders and gather our supply list items.  Woot woot!

Homeschool Update:

• Curriculum: After much consideration, we decided to go with My Father's World for our kinder curriculum.  My son kept asking when we were going to get started on it because it was "taking forever to do it."  So, I ordered it last week and it came a few days ago!  You would've thought it was Christmas time at our house due to how excited the two of us were!  I have been looking through the teacher's guide while at work (yes, I have a great job that allows me to peruse the interwebs, work on life stuff, and get paid!) and I need to get some organizational stuff taken care of before we start.  The supply list is short and easy, so we will hopefully work on getting that this week.  I will also be getting a file folder to put our daily work sheets in.  I recently bought a few organizing totes from a friend of mine and plan to use those as well.  Once I get things put together, I'll post pictures :)  I am hopeful that we will begin our classes either this Sunday or the following Monday.

• Schedule: Since I work 24 hour shifts, my week is not the typical one.  We will be doing our homeschooling on my days off, 1-2 hours a day.  There may be small activities, such a science experiments, that my husband will do, but the majority will be with good ol' momma.  Since MFW is our main curriculum, I will be started with it before adding any of our Apologia science.  I don't feel rushed to add it in, and would like to see how we do with MFW first.  B is also learning how to play the ukulele and we will have music lessons at least once a week (possibly more when our schedule permits).

 

• Co-Ops and Resources: We are a part of 2 different co-ops that do field trips and play dates.  There is another co-op that meets during the normal school year and we may join that as well, depending on what classes are offered when that time comes.  I have also joined a few online FB groups for homeschoolers (both state and local) that has allowed me to gain great support, information, and new friends!

• Other Activities: For sports, B just finished up his regular soccer season last weekend (he scored a goal in his last game!).  However, he has asked to play in the YMCA World Cup Soccer League that begins in about 2 weeks.  So we will be doing that once a week through August.   He is loving soccer and I am very proud of how brave he is becoming.  Last year he wouldn't even go out on the field without me standing right next to him (it was a miracle if he wasn't holding my hand).  This year he may start out a bit shy each practice/game, but within a few minutes he is all over the field, talking to his team mates, giving us "thumbs up" as he runs past to chase the ball.  He is a naturally shy person and that's ok.  However I love seeing him shine and enjoy himself.

From the looks of it, we are embarking on a wonderful ride of new adventures.  Let's get this thing started!

Yesterday, I went to my first homeschool convention.  This was a local one, and my husband and kids went with me, so we strictly visited the vendors and did not sit in on any workshops.  There was not an over-abundance of vendors, but I had been considering Sonlight as a curriculum and they were there, so I was glad to have that opportunity.

B really enjoyed looking at the science stuff.  He is very much into how things work, putting things together, and making something out of nothing.  I'm honestly thinking that, given the right direction, he will be someone that excels in science and math.  Folks, this is both exciting and annoying.  Why?  Well, I was NOT a good student in those subject at school, haha.  However, considering that homeschooling is more about doing what works best for the child than about keeping a group all on one level, I have high hopes that we will get it done together.

Anywho, back to the convention.  There were a few booths that had used curriculum at a huge discounted price.  If I had already decided on which curriculum I was going to use for the year, I probably would've spent most of my time searching the racks.  A great resource for those who are more experienced and knowledgeable about what they want.

Prior to yesterday, I was not really interested in the A Beka curriculum.  However, the gentleman that was representing them was just a fantastic person.  He reminded me of a preacher with his demeanor and sweet spirit.  With this product, you can do a dvd style teaching where the child just sits and learns with a virtual teacher.  They have the same teachers the entire year and it takes about 2-3 hours a day for school.  The other option is to do parent-child teaching, in which you order both the parent/teaching material and the child's material.  He showed me which books come with the package, along with some supplemental stuff you can choose to add in (music, etc.).  My biggest concern with ABeka is that B seems to be a more tactile learner and this is a lot of workbook stuff.  Don't get me wrong, he likes the workbook learning, as well, but he really enjoys and excels at putting things together, seeing things in 3D form, etc.  So, I'm not sure that this is for us.  However, I think I may stop at the booth in Indy this next weekend to look at them a bit more.  The gentleman also said he would be back in May for a workshop and would present more info.  I'm hoping to decide before then, but I may go just for future reference.

Usborne books was there (which I LOVE), so we stopped long enough to buy a book.  It was about how things work.  B was wanting to look at the whole thing while standing by the booth, so I'd say that was a success.

I stopped at another vendor, but I'm honestly not sure what it was, or what they're about.  The girl was not overly convincing or appeared knowledgeable.  I think she may have just assumed I knew more about it than I did, but um, hai.  I came here for info.  Give it to me!  It did have some cute workbooks, and I took a catalog to look at later, but wasn't convinced to look into much more.

Another group I was not planning to look into further was Classical Conversations.  Honestly, in the stuff I had read about it, it seems a little too "uppity" for me.  Also, they do a lot of presentations, helping the child be independent (not a bad thing!).  After talking to the director and tutor, I'm willing to look into it.  They have 2 open houses next month and you can observe their classroom.  I'm going to at least go to that so I feel I am staying open to all possibilities.  The director did say that they started with 6 people in the class, and are now down to 2 due to people moving and other extenuating situations.  However, even 2-6 kids sounds like a great environment.  They mentioned to me about how close they become after only a couple of months, and I appreciate having that atmosphere.  For CC, the parent is the teacher, but you meet every Thursday from 9-11 with the tutor and go over the lessons.  The parent stays with the child, so everyone sorta learns together.  My hold up with this choice is the same as ABeka.  I'm not sure there's enough intrigue and hands on things to satisfy the natural pull that I've noticed B has.  I could still supplement with things at home, join the C.H.O.I.C.E. co-op that I had already planned on in the fall (they have things from music to karate to gym to other various subjects), etc., but I was really hoping to have a curriculum that was more tactile, without supplementation.  Still going to look into CC more, though.

The one vendor I was really looking to talk to, Sonlight, was so far below my expectation that even my husband said he was not impressed.  The rep's son was the one to greet us, give us a bag with a coupon, ask if we wanted to sign up for something (and keep the pen), and then walked off.  The rep stood there, never introduced herself, commented on how impressive it was that my daughter didn't put her necklace in her mouth, and then waited for me to ask questions.  Granted, not everyone is as research-addicted as I am, but seriously, your job as the rep is to tell me why your product is the one for me.  Ask me what I'm looking for, tell me what's included in the packages, give me information....WITHOUT me having to pull it from you!  It's not a cheap curriculum by any means, but when you tell me that you didn't bring the entire packages offered, only books, because you didn't have room or enough strength to carry them all?  Not a good selling point.  There was no informational brochure or catalog offered.  I got an orange bag, a coupon, and a pen.  Great freebies.  But I would much rather someone take the time to talk to me about the product than shove free stuff at me and hope I just buy from them.  The reps at ABeka and CC were wonderful and I enjoyed their conversations.  Sonlight rep was a big disappointment.

That being said, I am going to another convention/conference next weekend (on a state level-so much, much bigger) and am going to stop by their booth up there to give it another chance.  I don't want to choose a product based on a rep, or on a price, but I also know there are many things out there to choose from, so I can afford to be picky.

I have written down some other vendors I am hoping will be at the state convention, and am planning to get in to a couple of the workshops...that is, as long as my kids make that possible since it'll just be the 3 of us, without help.  I'm also hoping there will be vendors that show/offer organizations items/tips, or even set up ideas.  I'm going to plan on packing up a little bag of snacks, sippy cups, entertainment items to take in the stroller and pray that will keep both kiddos capable of lasting as long as possible.

All in all, even after the convention yesterday, I am still leaning toward MFW, at least for kinder.  I've used them for preschool, I know what their product is about and looks like...at least on the younger level.  I believe they will be there next weekend, and plan to stop by their booth.

I think that's about it, as far as my experience with my first HS gig.  Here's to looking forward to more learning and investigating!

I've been getting B workbooks from both the dollar store and Joann Fabrics (my second home) for the past few years.  They're perfect for helping him learn while giving us easy ways to fill our days.  I had also gotten the preschool kit from My Father's World (MFW for future reference) about 2 years ago.  Basically, it's little games that help with motor skills, problem solving, matching, color and shape recognition, hand-eye coordination, etc.  We both really enjoyed it (and still pull it out occasionally) and it's durable so it will be able to be used many times over in the future.

When we officially decided to home school, I knew that I would need to look into curriculums, organization ideas, and figure out what works best for us.  My sister in law has HS her oldest two girls from the beginning, so she has been an excellent resource for me.  While they were visiting at Christmas time, my husband and I sat and talked with her, asked questions, and were given some good things to look into as far as local resources.  I, immediately, found a local home schooling group on FB, along with a few co-ops.  I will admit that it can be somewhat intimidating and overwhelming whenever you realize not only how many curriculums there are to choose from, but also how many ways there are to actually home school!

My SIL suggested a book, 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.  I was able to borrow it from our library and have been slowly working my way through it.  The author takes you through questions to figure out what type of teaching style you have, what type of learning style your child has, and then gives you 100 top picks of curriculum, with review, to help you look into which will work best for you and your family.  It also explains the different types of HS'ing (unschooling, Charlotte Mason, unit studies, eclectic, etc.).  I'm really enjoying it and have learned a lot.  As of right now, I am leaning more toward the Charlotte Mason style, but pulling from other styles as well.  That's the great thing about this!  You don't have to be stuck using one method, one curriculum, one way of teaching/learning.  You see how best you both work and decide from there.

I am planning on attending 2 separate conferences in March.  I've already registered for the IAHE and plan to attend the local one, SWIHE, the following weekend.  Both my husband and I have to work at some point during both, so I am going with just the kids to IAHE and he will accompany us to the 2nd day of the local one.  You are able to purchase material at both places, and it is my hope to have a pretty good idea of what I want before I get there, and then buy what I feel I need first.

I haven't had a chance to look over a lot of different curriculum, but I was initially leaning toward Sunlight.  The cost is a concern, but doable if it's what we feel is best.  However, I am now leaning more toward starting with MFW while we are doing the kinder this year.  We can always pull from other areas if I feel something is lacking, or we can switch to something else next year, as we enter 1st grade.

Both B and I are really looking forward to it.  We have already set up his desk, organized our current "school stuff" and have have recently put up a calendar and weather chart (note: the "days of the week" in the middle?  It says "yesterday was," "today is," and "tomorrow will be."):


I have been scouring Pinterest for ideas on organizing since we will be doing our (inside) schooling in his room.  I do plan on us being involved in a few co-ops (two are specifically for play dates and field trips, another holds various classes every Monday) and, since B is more of a hands-on type of learner (and loves science/inventing), I am going to make sure we take advantage of any outside learning opportunities.

A family member recently asked B when he was starting school (knowing we've decided to HS, and was referencing to that).  She expressed that, when it's time, she would like to take him shopping for school supplies because that's what she did with my niece and nephew.  This includes a new backpack and lunch box.  He was happy about that offer, as was I.  My entire family has been very supportive of this new adventure we are taking, and I am very appreciative of that.  I know that there are concerns about socialization (as anyone has when they're not familiar with the TONS of opportunities available!) and that's okay.  They are not doubting my ability to teach my child.  They are only loving us.

Looks like LJ is awake, so that's my cue to sign off for now! :)

Last year, I found that having LJ, and then losing weight and getting healthier, put me in a mind frame of facing some of my old demons.  I am slowing healing from the pain of infertility, but IF is not the only thing that has smacked me around.  It showed me my insecurities, and made some of them worse.  However, it's not the only thing that drew me back against a wall.

Having two kids has been the best thing for me.  At the same time, they have also reinforced the insecurities I've tried to hide.  Actually, not the kids, themselves, but parenthood, pregnancy, delivery/c-section, recovery, etc.

2013 was about me learning that I am ENOUGH.  Enough for whom?  Myself.  I am not the skin I'm in.  I am a spiritual being having a human experience.  I heard that at a Ted Dekker (my faaaavorite author) book tour and it just clicked.  When I look at my hand in front of me, am I that hand?  If so, then who is looking at it?  Realizing that I am enough, no matter what anyone (including me) thinks, is a very difficult lesson.  I am STILL trying to learn it.  Looking back on the past 34 years, I can still tell you specific moments that someone said something to me, even in elementary and Jr. High, that still stings.  There were comments made about my eyes, my height, my hair, my endless talking, how accident proned I was (am?), the spiritual enlightenment I had, and even being a preacher's kid.  The words hurt and, while those individuals may never remember what they said, I still remember.  It affected how I looked at future relationships.  It changed how open I was to others, and some of the choices I did/not make.  Should I have let them decide my decisions?  No.  But they did.  I am human.  We all are.  It's just the way it is.

So, while I am constantly learning the meaning of "enough," I am on a new mission...or should I say an added mission?...for 2014.  What's the word I'm working with?  STRONG.  Words that go with that are BOLD, and my favorite, BRAVE.  I am learning that the things I have dreamed about ARE possible.  I can have the life I want.  I think that a lot of us feel that once we reach a certain age, dreams aren't attainable anymore. Or that you need to let go of old dreams and build new ones.  While I think some of that can be true, depending on what is going on, I do not think it is set in stone.

How am I being strong, bold, and brave in 2014?  Ohhhhhhh, well, LET ME TELL YOU!!

I am pushing my body to find its limit.  I've lost over 40lbs since having LJ.  I am now working out, eating the best I can (though I admit, last week I ate like crap--and felt like crap), and trying to focus on having more positive than negative thoughts running rampant in my mind.  I am currently signed up to do a Polar Plunge for the local Special Olympics on Feb. 1st.  Am I crazy? Meh, I'm just getting started.

I have signed up to run my first half marathon (I planned for one last Sept but had an injury)...in Nebraska!  I will be running with a friend of mine that I met via infertility and we are both excited for our little families to meet each other :-)

And my biggest push is that I am planning to do the Nashville Tough Mudder in June!  Don't know what that is?  Check it out.

Now...Am I crazy?  Nope.

I am STRONG.
I am BOLD.
I am BRAVE.

But that's not all!!

As of this past November, I have joined a band.  It's mainly country, but we do a little rock, a little blues, and a whole lot of fun!  I am the lead female vocalist, but I will be doing some keys (and maybe even some tambourine) on some of the songs.  We are still working on the perfect name but we plan to be playing out within 2-3 months.  I am not exaggerating when I say this is a life long dream of mine.  Haven been to college for music, sung in many musicals/groups/contests/specials/etc., I really thought that I'd missed any opportunity of putting my love of music and singing into motion.  But it's really happening!  Who knows what will happen, but the ideas are endless.  It's quite a vulnerable feeling to be putting myself out there, willing to be judged, but again...STRONG. BOLD. BRAVE. I can do this!

And if you haven't thought I've completely gone bananas, let me finish it up for you ;-)

After a lot of thoughts, prayers, conversations, budget-looking, researching, and more, my husband and I have decided to homeschool B.  We will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and take each year at a time, but I believe this will be great.  I have already begun looking at curriculum, joined FB groups for HS'ers, talked to other HS'ing moms (including my SIL), and even started planning for our little "school" set-up at home.  We will be joining a few co-ops to offer even more opportunities for B to expand in his interests, talents, and social skills.  The ideas are endless and I can not wait to get started!  I have found myself slowly working away from mainstream when it comes to lifestyles for our family, and I am loving it.

I am STRONG.
I am BOLD.
I am BRAVE.

Here's to new adventures!