Due to the munchkins asking me THE question--"When are we going to start school?". I decided to start school this week with them. I was not fully prepared to start with them but we managed with me flying by the seat of my pants. Now that it is Friday, I am a bit more organized and even have most of next week planned out already!
Here is a look into our school....
J is my independent learner. I give him a daily to-do list and he is able to stay on task and complete his work on a daily basis. Most days I find that he can get it all done before lunchtime. Some days that is a benefit so that I can correct his work and also do some one on one time with him in the afternoon.
J's schedule looks like this:
Bible--reading thru the Bible and keeping a Journal
Spelling--Zaner Bloser Grade 6 Lessons (thanks to Joann at Our Homeschooling Expedition for showing this to me!) I give him the words on Monday which he practices writing in cursive(handwriting), Tuesday I give him a Pretest to see which words he needs more practice on, Wednesday and Thursday are practice days with the lesson worksheet and dictionary skills or other grammar skills(like doing synonyms or antonyms of the words, finding out what part of speech it is, or writing the words in a sentence). Friday is a Test day only if he got more than four words wrong. Math--I have an older edition Holt Math 8 book that I have started using with him. He has excelled over the last few years in Math that I need to provide some challenge for him this year. I will also be doing a basic math facts drills with him on a weekly basis.
Language Arts--Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Book Grade 6 (again thanks to Joann for showing this to me!) I have not done a lot with writing over the last few years so we are going to really be concentrating on that aspect of things this year. We will keep our basic grammar skills polished as well.
Reading--He is my avid reader! This is part of after lunch "quiet time" so every day for a 1/2 hour there is silent reading taking place at my house! I am still working on his Reading List because there has been soooo many books that he has already read, I want to put a list together of new to him books. Any books on the Reading List there is a required book report for that book along with discussing the book with me.
Science--Various unit studies, to name a few: Trees/Fall(to go long with our family vacation to the UP of Michigan for a fall color tour); Rocks and Minerals; Human Body Systems; Winter; Flowers/Spring
History--Government/Civics/Presidents Unit Study that I made up on my own using Ben's Guide to Government and US Citizenship & Immigration Services Civics & Citizenship Study Materials . In the spring, when we are done(or just about done) with the unit, we are planning a family vacation to Washington D.C.
D is my hands on learner. He also needs a place free of distractions and gentle reminders to stay on task. He hasn't been officially diagnosed as ADD but he sure shows me daily that he doesn't need to be officially diagnosed! LOL
His schedule will look like this:
Bible: AWANA and Character Studies
Spelling: Zaner Bloser Grade 4 Lessons following the same daily schedule as J.
Math: BJU Math 4
Lang. Arts: Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Book Grade 4
Reading: Reading List; read 1/2 hour during "quiet time" each day.
Science: same as J
History: BJU History 4(Early America to WWII)
(The above Lang. Arts, Spelling and Math will begin around the middle to end of October for D. Right now, he is working on some 3rd grade level SOS in those subjects--I am having him finish a couple units of each from the SOS material we did last year because it is new material to him that we didn't get to before our summer break and it will help him to get back into the groove of school.)
T is my follower, so as long as others are working on school he will do the same! LOL He also seems to mimic the attitudes of D, which some days makes it hard for me to work with both of them at the same time. T loves to have the instant gratification that he is doing the work right.
T's schedule looks like this:
Bible: Awana and Character Studies
Spelling: Zaner Bloser Grade 1 Lessons following the same daily schedule as J except T will be writing in manuscript instead of cursive. Also I will be probably switching him to Grade 2 Lessons in the middle of the year.
Math: BJU Math 3
Lang. Arts: Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Grade 1 to start the year and then finish the year off with Grade 2.
Reading: Reading List; read 1/2 hour during "quiet time" each day.
Science: same as J
History: BJU History 3(Early America)
S is wanting sooo bad to do school this year because her neighborhood friends(who are 17-18 months older than her) are going or doing school. So I decided to officially start her in *my* half-day/very relaxed school! I am going to work with her on writing her name, recognizing her letters(she can sing the ABC song without missing a letter but recognizing the letters is a different story), recognizing numbers 1-20 and shapes. I decided that I would use this curriculum as a guide with her. During this year, I know that "quiet time" for her will no longer consist of a nap but for now I am enjoying that she is still taking one!
So far she is loving school! She comes to me every day and asks if I can teach her school. Today, I worked with her tracing her name and she was able to write it once without any help or having to trace the dots! Yeah! She is going to progress well!
Overall, I think that all of us will be enjoying school this year. I want to add in more fun things rather than it being all book/writing work. I will see how it goes esp. with adding a toddler to the mix of things!
Friday, September 7, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
A Military Wife
Yes, I am a military wife. My dh serves our country in the US Navy Reserves. Here is a tribute to ALL the military wives! May God bless all of you! Stay strong!
The Military Wife
Author Unknown
The good Lord was creating a model for military spouses and was into his sixth day of over-time when an angel appeared. She said, Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What’s wrong with the standard model?
The Lord replied, Have you seen the specs on this order? They need to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect host/hostess to four or 40 with an hour’s notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if they are pregnant and have the flu; and they must be willing to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years. And, oh yes, they must have six pairs of hands.
The angel shook her head. Six pairs of hands? No way.
The Lord continued, Don’t worry, we will make other military spouses to help them. And we will give them an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in their spouse’s achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it is over-worked and tired, and be large enough to say, 'I don’t understand', when they don’t, and say, 'I love you' , regardless.
Lord, said the angel, touching his arm gently, Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow.
I can’t stop now, said the Lord. I am so close to creating something unique. Already this model heals themselves when they are sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave good-bye to their spouses from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand why it’s important that they leave.
The angel circled the model for military spouses, looked at it closely and sighed, It looks fine, but it’s too soft.
They might look soft, replied the Lord, but they have the strength of a lion. You would not believe what they can endure.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran a finger across the cheek of the Lord’s creation. There’s a leak, she announced. Something is wrong with the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model.
The Lord appeared offended at the angel’s lack of confidence. What you see is not a leak, he said. It’s a tear.
“A tear? What is it there for? asked the angel.
The Lord replied, It’s for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride, and a dedication to all the values that they and their spouses hold dear.
You are a genius! exclaimed the angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied, I didn’t put it there.
The Military Wife
Author Unknown
The good Lord was creating a model for military spouses and was into his sixth day of over-time when an angel appeared. She said, Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What’s wrong with the standard model?
The Lord replied, Have you seen the specs on this order? They need to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect host/hostess to four or 40 with an hour’s notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if they are pregnant and have the flu; and they must be willing to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years. And, oh yes, they must have six pairs of hands.
The angel shook her head. Six pairs of hands? No way.
The Lord continued, Don’t worry, we will make other military spouses to help them. And we will give them an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in their spouse’s achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it is over-worked and tired, and be large enough to say, 'I don’t understand', when they don’t, and say, 'I love you' , regardless.
Lord, said the angel, touching his arm gently, Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow.
I can’t stop now, said the Lord. I am so close to creating something unique. Already this model heals themselves when they are sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave good-bye to their spouses from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand why it’s important that they leave.
The angel circled the model for military spouses, looked at it closely and sighed, It looks fine, but it’s too soft.
They might look soft, replied the Lord, but they have the strength of a lion. You would not believe what they can endure.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran a finger across the cheek of the Lord’s creation. There’s a leak, she announced. Something is wrong with the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model.
The Lord appeared offended at the angel’s lack of confidence. What you see is not a leak, he said. It’s a tear.
“A tear? What is it there for? asked the angel.
The Lord replied, It’s for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride, and a dedication to all the values that they and their spouses hold dear.
You are a genius! exclaimed the angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied, I didn’t put it there.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Menu Plan Monday(Tuesday)
~~Holiday yesterday has got me a day behind on everything today! LOL~~~
**This is just a plan and plans have the ability to change at the cook's discretion! Oh was that the case last week!! I don't think I followed the plan that well for dinner! I know that one meal that appears this week was actually on the plan last week but did not get done. Lunches listed below are for the kids and I, dh's lunches are not included as he normally will just take what leftovers are available. A special thanks to Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday!**
Sunday: (9-2)
Breakfast: eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, and muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner:BQ Pork Sandwiches(used leftover pork from last week) or Leftover Sloppy Joes, fries, and carrots
Snack: yogurt
Monday: (9-3)
Breakfast: cereal, donuts, fruit
Lunch: pizza rolls, chips, cookie
Dinner: chicken nuggets and/or fish sandwiches, mac & cheese, green beans
Snack: popsicles
Tuesday: (9-4)
Breakfast: waffles, fruit
Lunch: cheese quesadillas, chips and salsa(carry over from last week cause there was tons of leftovers to use up)
Dinner: pork chops, rice, peas
Snack: "snack basket"
Wednesday: (9-5)
Breakfast: cereal, donuts, fruit (4 kids have dentist appt, so gotta have a quickie)
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: roast, carrots and potatoes in crockpot, biscuits (carry over from last week)
Snack: homemade graham cracker cookies
Thursday: (9-6)
Breakfast: french toast, canadian bacon
Lunch: sandwich and chips
Dinner Tacos(chicken & beef), chips and salsa
Snack: "snack basket"
Friday: (9-7)
Breakfast: bagels and fruit
Lunch: sandwich and chips
Dinner: beef gravy, noodles, peas, and Homemade bread or rolls
Snack: homemade shake or sundaes
Saturday: (9-8)
Breakfast: "Cook's Choice" (whatever you find that looks good eat it! LOL)
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Crockpot Roasted Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and homemade bread or rolls
Snack: popcorn
**This is just a plan and plans have the ability to change at the cook's discretion! Oh was that the case last week!! I don't think I followed the plan that well for dinner! I know that one meal that appears this week was actually on the plan last week but did not get done. Lunches listed below are for the kids and I, dh's lunches are not included as he normally will just take what leftovers are available. A special thanks to Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday!**
Sunday: (9-2)
Breakfast: eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, and muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner:BQ Pork Sandwiches(used leftover pork from last week) or Leftover Sloppy Joes, fries, and carrots
Snack: yogurt
Monday: (9-3)
Breakfast: cereal, donuts, fruit
Lunch: pizza rolls, chips, cookie
Dinner: chicken nuggets and/or fish sandwiches, mac & cheese, green beans
Snack: popsicles
Tuesday: (9-4)
Breakfast: waffles, fruit
Lunch: cheese quesadillas, chips and salsa(carry over from last week cause there was tons of leftovers to use up)
Dinner: pork chops, rice, peas
Snack: "snack basket"
Wednesday: (9-5)
Breakfast: cereal, donuts, fruit (4 kids have dentist appt, so gotta have a quickie)
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: roast, carrots and potatoes in crockpot, biscuits (carry over from last week)
Snack: homemade graham cracker cookies
Thursday: (9-6)
Breakfast: french toast, canadian bacon
Lunch: sandwich and chips
Dinner Tacos(chicken & beef), chips and salsa
Snack: "snack basket"
Friday: (9-7)
Breakfast: bagels and fruit
Lunch: sandwich and chips
Dinner: beef gravy, noodles, peas, and Homemade bread or rolls
Snack: homemade shake or sundaes
Saturday: (9-8)
Breakfast: "Cook's Choice" (whatever you find that looks good eat it! LOL)
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Crockpot Roasted Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and homemade bread or rolls
Snack: popcorn
Monday, September 3, 2007
Nice Matters Award
Wow! I feel so blessed and honored to receive this award! Thanks to Joann at Our Homeschooling Expedition for giving me such an honor. I am glad that people are reading my blog and enjoying what they find here.
The criteria to receive such an honor..."This award is for those bloggers who are nice people, good friends, and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world."
Having just gotten into "blogsphere". I am not sure exactly who to pass it on to but I will definitely keep in mind to pass on to others as I get into this "culture". LOL
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Singing Sunday
(didn't go to church today due to sickness but this song has been playing in my head for a couple of days so I thought I would share it with everyone today.)
Come Thou Fount
by David Crowder Band
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
And teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
I'll praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
And let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Come Thou Fount
by David Crowder Band
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
And teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
I'll praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
And let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
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