Great site for worksheets!

If you are looking for some additional help in adding to your curriculum - you will definitely want to check out KB Teachers.  They have many worksheets available for free and they also have a premium membership available for only $29/year.  You can choose from over 1000's of worksheets!

We are enjoying the Anatomy section right now as we learn more about the human body.  We are enjoying our membership.  Here is a review I did for them last year.  I'd have to say that we would use that premium membership now too.   Enjoy!

TOS Review: How to Have A HEART For Your Kids

I was so excited to receive my first review product for the year.  Mainly, when I think of review products I think curriculum so when I saw the item was Apologia's How To Have A HEART For Your Kids by Rachel Carmen I was thrilled.  It was something that I alone could sit, savor, and enjoy.

I think I've mentioned before when I hear Apologia my mind immediately goes to science but they have so many different products available including many resources to aid homeschooling families in their journey.

After reading this book I must make a suggestion that Apologia make a new category in curriculum called, "Mom's Curriculum"!!  There is no doubt in my mind that every homeschooling mother should read this book.  Honestly, even mothers who don't homeschool should read this book.  I was discussing it with our pastor's wife, who doesn't homeschool, and she's in line next to read it!  We may start our own book club!


The timing of it was perfect for me.  We were still enjoying summer which really flew by.  When it arrived we were in the middle of an unplugged week so I had plenty of time for devouring every drop of wisdom.  Please excuse the not so glamorous look but I was enjoying myself.

As I first began to read, I found myself actually nodding my head because I could relate so much to Rachel's homeschool story!  My children were not homeschooled from the beginning and I didn't plan to although I had felt God calling me too - I resisted for several years.  This was just the introduction which you can read here.


Then came the meat -


H - Have a Heart for the Things of God
E - Enrich Your Marriage
A - Accept Your Kids
R - Release Them To God
T - Teach Them The Truth


One of my favorite passages came from the Accept Your Kids chapter.  It was just a big aha moment for me and it comes back to me each time I'm struggling with something with one of my children.


"Jochabed had prayed for deliverance for her people, the Hebrews, and guess what?  She gave birth to the deliverer!  How's that for answered prayer?  Could it be that you or I have given birth to an answer to prayer?  That will make you think.  What are you urgently praying for?  Godly government leadership? A cure for cancer?  Are you praying for a new generation of dedicated homeschool families?  Missionaries to take the good news to the lost?......................It's possible that the answers to some of these prayers are already here in the form a of a child, a teenager, or a young adult."


This was very eye opening for me and helps me to look at my children very differently even if they aren't the next so and so above.  They are a creation of the Father and not something I should take lightly.


I found this book to truly be a Titus 2 mentor book.  Ms. Carmen offers up lots of wisdom and advice in how to really know your children.  She is a homeschooling mother of seven and also the author of Soundbites from Heaven:  What God Wants Us to Hear When We Talk To Our Kids.


You can see the complete table of contents here.  To purchase your own copy for just $13 go here.

Don't forget to check out what my fellow crewmates thought of How To Have A HEART For Your Kids.  


**Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.  The opinions here are my honest and true evaluation!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - Week 2

In my life this week…

our first earthquake experience and Hurricane Irene!  We felt our first little shake of the earthquake this week.  It was a strange feeling that we all weren't sure we even felt until looked at each other and said "did you feel that?".

We began to get rain and wind starting around 1:00am Saturday morning and it didn't let up until about 2:00am Sunday morning so all day long was rainy and windy.  We lost power for most of the day but it came back on just in time for supper.  :)  We were blessed with very minimal damage - a couple of trees down, shingles blown off, and a window to the garage blown out but we were all safe.  Thank you Lord!!

In our homeschool this week...

In school, we added in a few more subjects this week.  Monday we start part of our regular fall routine schedule adding back in full dance classes.  After Labor day we add back soccer and Classical Conversations Foundations and Essentials.  So, it is already indicating fall time to me.

Challenge A - getting our feel for this still.  The requirement in geography was to draw free hand without looking the US with all the states, capitals, rivers, lakes, mountains, etc.  Our personal goal is to just accomplish the states and we're still working on that one!


Bible
MFW Bible readings - we read from our Bible this week.  We discussed the different languages of the world and the fact that God made us all and all will bow to Him one day.



Math
all review at this point - everyone is doing well and loving the ease



Geography
Learning the states and capitals, the equator, continents and oceans and drawing them all.



Grammar
I had to ditch Primary Language Lessons and Intermediate Language Lesson this week.  It just wasn't a good fit for our family.  I have ordered Rod and Staff's Beginning Wisely for Sarah and Stephen will just work from CC Essentials and Our Mother Tongue.



Classical Conversations
Cycle 3 - Week 2 (although we haven't started back yet - the kids were BEGGING to begin so we did ;)



History
Columbus - reading Pedro's Journal



Science
no science this week as we waited for our Apologia Anatomy Notebooking Journals to arrive and they came in today!!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Dance schedules start back in the afternoons with Monday, Thursday, and Friday practices.

My favorite thing this week was…

the fall like temps and seeing the excitement of my younger kids first hurricane experience.  Living only a few hours from the NC coast I have experienced many with the last one of real impact for us being Floyd but Jonathan was little during that one.

Questions/thoughts I have…

I'm still pondering how to fit everything in!!!!! I'm also planning to join rubymoms (a yahoo group of homemakers that I've been a part of for 10 years now!) in starting The Holiday Grand Plan this week with my own tweaks.  I've done the plan in the past but it has been a few years.  Here is my Christmas notebook.

We're reading…

Me
The Core (again!)
Read Alouds:  The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Pedro's Journal


Jonathan
The Magician's Nephew



Stephen
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
The Skippack School



Sarah
The Courage of Sarah Noble (and she loves the fact that she has a brother named Stephen too :)


Our week in pictures.....

Riding out the storm :)

No more Bradford Pear Trees for me - they are just too weak.  At least the one that we take our annual spring picture by is still standing!

playing US state/capital bingo

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - First Week of School!

In my life this week…

Our first week of school!  The first day went awesome!  We eased back into our subjects and had a blast.

In our homeschool this week...

Challenge A of Classical Conversations began on Tuesday for Jonathan.  The class day went very well and we were all anxious as to what the week would entail at home.  Wednesday took a very long time with lots of wasted time but was necessary so that he could see that he doesn't have time to mess around!  He's in 8th grade and needs to focus more if he wants to finish in a timely manner.  By the end of the week, I was one proud mama of my 8th grader!  He settled, focused, and dug in head first and even finished a few things early!  Woot!  Go Jonathan!!


Stephen and Sarah are finishing up much earlier than Jonathan but we still haven't added in all their subjects yet.  My plan was to focus on Jonathan this week at least!  They are both doing well.


Bible
We are reading in MFW - God Speaks Numanggang

Math
all review at this point

Geography
Learning the states and capitals, the equator, continents and oceans and drawing them all.

Grammar
is/are
nouns

Classical Conversations
Cycle 3 - Week 1

History
Columbus

Science
MFW - week 1 right now but we will be adding in Apologia's Anatomy in a few weeks.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

This week we have a field trip to the local community college where we will get to see some Cherokee Indians in action.  A great way to kick off our studies!

My favorite thing this week was…

Seeing my son realize that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him!  At first, it was - "there's no way I can do that" - and by the end of the week he had done it all!

Questions/thoughts I have…

I'm still pondering how to fit everything in!!!!!

We're reading…

Me
How To Have A HEART For Your Kids
The Core (again!)
Simply Organized
Read Alouds:  The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Incans, Aztecs, and Mayans


Jonathan
The Magician's Nephew


Stephen
The First Thanksgiving
The Courage of Sarah Noble


Sarah
The First Thanksgiving

Our week in pictures.....

Sarah -Reading and Math

Stephen - geography

Jonathan - Math

I'm joining TOS Crew Blog Hop!  You don't have to be a part of the crew to join.  Time to read some great blogs - a fun way to spend a rainy Saturday!


For more on the guidelines visit one of the host blogs - Glimpse of Our Life, Our Homeschool Studio, and Our Village is a Little Different.


Have fun reading!

My Homeschool Swap!

The door bell rang and there it was....just like Christmas - my homeschool swap!  Thank you Traci!!  The kids have already tried to swipe my bubble gum and lemon heads!  I guess I'll share :)  I can't wait to start reading the Above Rubies magazine.  We must think alike because we both sent the same binder clips to each other!!  You can never have too many of those!

1. pretty folders
2. Above Rubies magazine
3. post it tabs in blue and yellow - I love these :)
4. pencils
5. brad fasteners
6. binder clips
7. magnetic clips
8. electronic fragrance diffuser with hot apple pie scent
9. double bubble and lemon heads
10. pencil grips
11. magnetic memo list pad
12. hair barrettes
13. hair bands

Again, thank you Traci and The Homeschool Post for setting this up!  Another swap should be starting in September.

First Day Of School 2011/2012!

 

And everything went so well.  We had an "ease back into school" day so things went very smooth.  We continued our tradition from last year and had our first day in pj's and added in a coffee break!  Fun times!

Jonathan - 8th grade - UNBELIEVABLE!!

Stephen - 5th grade

Sarah - 3rd grade

Cheers!

Our 2011/2012 Curriculum

Our Homeschool 2011-2012 Curriculum

Our 2011-2012 curriculum choices are based on several factors.  1) We are a part of Classical Conversations group so several of our curriculum choices reflect this decision.  2) My desire is for our family to study subjects together whenever we can.

8th Grade Curriculum Choices

Jonathan will be participating in our local Classical Conversation's group - Challenge A. 

• Teaching Textbooks Pre Algebra
• Latin's Not So Tough – 3 and 4
• Geography – world
• Biology 100 + Series
• IEW Bible Based Lessons
• It Couldn't Just Happen
• Don’t Check Your Brains At The Door
• Literature
• The Door In The Wall
• The Secret Garden
• Number the Stars
• Amos Fortune, Free Man
• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
• The Bronze Bow
• The Magician's Nephew

5th Grade Curriculum

• Grammar - Intermediate Language Lessons, CC Essentials
• Math 6/5
• Latin - Latin For Children A, Classical Coversations 
• Writing - IEW US History Lesson

Reading - Sonlight 3 Advanced Readers

• Vostaas:  White Buffalo's Story
• A Lion To Guard Us
• Pocahontas and the Strangers
• The Thanksgiving Story
• The Courage of Sarah Noble
• The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
• The Skippack School
• The Matchlock Gun
• Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia
• Meet George Washington
• Phoebe the Spy
• George Washington:  Young Leader
• The Cabin Faced West
• Meet Thomas Jefferson
• Sarah Whitcher's Story
• Noya Nuki
• Robert Fulton:  bay Craftsman
• Sarah, Plain and Tall
• Stone Fox

3rd Grade Curriculum

Sarah will be participating in Classical Conversations Foundations program.

• Grammar - Primary Language Lessons
• Math - Saxon 3
• Latin - Latin For Children A, Classical Coversations
• Writing - copy work CC memory work
• Reading - Sonlight 3 Regular Readers
• Pocahontas and the Strangers
• Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims
• The Thanksgiving Story
• The Courage of Sarah Noble
• The Skippack School
• The Matchlock Gun
• Meet George Washington
• Phoebe the Spy
• Om-kas-toe
• Sarah Whitcher's Story
• Robert Fulton:  bay Craftsman
• Sarah, Plain and Tall

Family Resources

• Bible - Who Is God
• History/Science - My Father's World ECC, Classical Conversations
• Read Alouds - Sonlight Core 3/D
• Walk the World's Rim
• The Sign of the Beaver
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond
• Johnny Tremain
• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
• Justin Morgan Had a Horse
• Calico Bush
• The Journeyman
• Swift Rivers
• Spelling - Spelling Power
• Memory Work - Classical Conversations and My Father's World ECC

Our School Room - 2011/2012

Here is our room - In this section is where we meet as a family.  We update the calendar, do our pledges, bible study and My Father’s World family studies at this table.  This is also where I work one on one with each child.  I sit in front of the book shelf so my teacher manuals and other items that I need are located there.  All of the children’s reading books for the year are there too.

In the left corner is where I keep extra printer paper, expo markers, rulers, extra pens and pencils, etc.   It is also planning central for me!

another angle - the calendar has actually been updated now :)  We started back today!

the book shelf close up

beside the bookshelf - These are my grab and go bags for Classical Conversations Days.  

This is the kids section.  Each child has 2 shelves to hold their workbooks.  Above their shelves is our Classical Conversations memory work board that holds a week’s worth of information.  The desk is the computer area and where some independent work is done.

this is my all time favorite school supply product :)) - purchased on sale at Aldi for $9.99 several years ago!

This is what our table looked liked during the summer months of preparations :)

This is a fun jeopardy game I put together to help aid in our memory work using a pocket chart.  And there you have our school room!

In my life this week….

Our final week of summer draws to an end.  Time to implement all the plans and schedules starting Monday.  We will start slow next week to ease back into routine.

My favorite thing this week was…

Attending our homeschool group kick off party - it was a skating party and the air conditioner was broke but the kids had so much fun and enjoyed chatting with old and new friends.

Places I’m going…

Back to Homeschool!  Jonathan starts Challenge A!

Things I’m working on…

Just getting back into routine!


Books I’m reading…

My Bible 
How To Have A HEART For Your Kids (review coming soon)

A quote, a video, a link or pic to share…

A photo glimpse into my week..........

I celebrated my birthday this week and this was my favorite present!  

A snugglie bear complete with a bow!  

Share your week and check out what other homeschoolers are up to this summer by visiting The Homeschool Chick.

Today's Treasure

Inspired by Stef at Educating Layton, I decided to turn our currently unused white board into an inspiration board.  This board has been used for chores and menus in the past but for the past few months it has been blank.  This is much better!

The kids already approve and are having a blast seeing if they know the verse or not.