Homeschool this week!

In my life this week…
I had 2 great weeks of sticking to routine/ schedule and fell off a little this week. I will do better next week! In January we rented a storage unit so we could "stage" our home by storing unused crap possessions to make our home look unlived in nice. We didn't even get our home market-ready until the first week in May, but luckily we sold it in 10 days and moved into our current home July 12. Well, it was finally time to unload the storage unit. I enjoyed my false sense of unpacking accomplishment that preceded all this new stuff being added to the mix. My husband suggested just burning the stuff since most of it we've lived without just fine. Also this week, we began our Thursday morning co-op. We were having what felt like our first day of school while many other kids in the area were too. Luckily today I found the box that had been in storage and contained the boys' back-packs.
In our homeschool this week…
We enjoyed discussing the Great Lakes, Pocahontas, and the Pilgrims. We also did some work outside on one of the nicer days. Jason is now doing Physical Science labs at co-op; yippee!
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Keeping our workbox subjects in the same order has been a great thing; easier for me to prepare and more predictable for the boys.
My favorite thing this week was…
Working to unpack boxes for several hours this morning and not starting school until late. The boys did great and I was happy to be able to take advantage of a rare productive moment for me. Maybe this is my way of pretending Irene isn't barrelling towards us.
Questions/thoughts I have…
Will I ever be able to stop threatening a return to public schools? Will the boys buckle down and stop complaining?
I’m grateful for…
Getting in the co-op. Hearing that other mothers and women feel overwhelmed, too.
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Saw this on a bumper sticker: "If we outlaw guns, can we use swords instead?"

In my life this week…
Week 2 of homeschool year 2. I am a rule follower. If I read something in a book/ magazine that I am "supposed" to do, I feel guilty/wrong if I don't do it. When I signed up to homeschool, I read all the recommendations from the state of NC. While our state is pretty lax about what we "have" to do, they still suggest doing homeschooling first thing in the morning because that's "when students learn best." Well, I am saying that doesn't work for us. By starting school at 10 or 10:15, I have nearly an hour each for cleaning and exercising in the morning. I start school without those hanging over my head and the most important things already checked off my "To Do" list. My kids can do morning chores and still have free time, and since none of us are morning people, we do better school work. Yay! I must learn to embrace what works for  us! But it's so hard to do...
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In our homeschool this week…
We are getting into our routine. We are enjoying history but it is mainly an overview now and paced so quickly that we aren't learning a ton of facts. I think that's okay for now.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Not many. We stay home a lot : (. We did tour the colossal church where our co-op meets (beginning next week). We also went to the dentist : (.

My favorite thing this week was…
Joel answering a personal question with one word: "me." The question, in an attempt to get them to personalize, said, "Answer this question using 'I' or 'me'." He chose "me," but didn't answer the question! We laughed and laughed about this one.

Questions/thoughts I have…
Every single day I have the thought that my youngest would do better in public school. He loves people, attention, and is frequently bored. He insists that going back to public school would ruin his life. Am I doing the right thing? Our relationship has not been good this week. I am constantly frustrated and so is he.

I’m reading…
Cooking Light magazine trying to meal plan for next week, and Galloway's marathon training program. Also reading the last part of Jeremiah.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Would this happen in America?

Japanese Return Millions Found in Quake Rubble

abcnews.go.com

The earthquake and tsunami that walloped Japan left much of its coastline ravaged, but left one thing intact: the Japanese reputation for honesty. In the five months since the disaster struck, people have turned in thousands of wallets found in the debris, containing $48 million in cash. They have a...

Our curriculum for the 2011-2012 school year

My 8th grade boy:

MathUSee Algebra I  http://www.mathusee.com/

Getting Started with Spanish (from Amazon)

Exploring Creation with Physical Science 2nd ed. http://www.apologia.com/

He will get to do most of the labs with our Thursday morning co-op : )

Spelling Workout Level H (Amazon)

Words on the Vine (root words) from Amazon

THINGS WE ARE DOING TOGETHER

Bible Study Guide for all ages. Comes with timeline and maps, as well as a fun worksheet to do with each lesson: http://www.biblestudyguide.com/

Notgrass "America the Beautiful." I'd love to become an honorary member of this family. They publish homeschool curriculum as a family business. I was very excited to find this at the SE Homeschool Convention. It does have a text book, but it's not boring; it includes tons of photos and is a conversational read. There are 10 novels that work in conjunction with topics from the text. It also comes with a book containing source documents including songs, journal entries, newspaper articles, etc. to read in conjunction with the text. Additionally, it comes with a separate time line book and map work, all coordinated with the daily lessons. There is an answer key but no instructor guide is needed; the book is divided into 150 lessons with the assignments listed at the end. My 8th grader has to complete them all while I select certain ones for my 4th grader to complete. I read most of the lesson aloud to my 4th grader, which makes sure I know the material too, and I can stop and discuss with him to make sure he understands. Oh, it also has an age appropriate workbook with a review sheet on each lesson. This is the bulk of our curriculum this year and I am very excited about it!

http://www.notgrass.com/index.php

WRITING WORKSHOP

Writing Workshop Activity Kits
 I used these when I was teaching in the 90s. They are all published in the mid-1980s and I tracked them all down on Amazon. They are divised to be mini-lessons, so they will be perfect to do in conjunction with our writing workshop, which we plan to do at least 2x per week.

 My 4th grade boy:

http://www.apologia.com/

Handwriting Without Tears Level 4  http://www.hwtears.com/hwt

First Language Lessons Level 4 (from Amazon)

MathUSee Delta (http://www.mathusee.com/)

Spelling Workout Level D

I am also doing some vocabulary units with him, some SuperStar Speech, and eventually typing. Both boys get a Logic exercise once a week as well.

Our School Room

WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL ROOM!!!

We moved into this house less than a month ago, and still have some unpacking/ decorating to go. I still have work to do in the school room, but here's where we are at this point.

Our desks pushed together, my plan book, our journals, and the boys chore cards

My 8th graders Workboxes (history supplements in magazine holders on sides). Both boys typically have 8 boxes.

I use the straight up Workbox system that Sue Patrick recommends for my youngest

IKEA organizers for my supplies

laminated wall maps from Costco, computer and desk, bookshelves to the left

We have nearly all of the books we own on this bookshelf wall; this shelf (with the globe on top) is dedicated to homeschool

Time line and wall maps for our Bible study

Across the hall is the dining room, where we will also be working. Large tables shouldn't just be reserved for Thanksgiving!!

The first day of school

We began what will be our first full year of homeschooling today! (The boys went to public school for over a month last year). I felt pretty prepared, but again I worry our days aren't taking long enough.

Things I'm doing to make this year easier:
*purchasing curriculum that has most of the planning done
*letting them write in workbooks instead of making copies (the $ I might be able to make in reselling them simply isn't worth the extra time, ink, and paper it takes)
*writing out their assignments for the week on one card on Sunday so I don't have to add to it each day (they have the entire week's assignements written out for each subject; technically they could work ahead)
*eventually aiming to have a 4-day week with only the "S" subjects on the 5th day: spelling,science, Spanish (Jason)
*doing more subjects together so less for me to at least attempt to learn

Joel working in the sunny school room at his desk

Since  most of Joel's workboxes are "Work with Mom" Jason will probably end up doing much of his work at the dining room table, which is right across the hall from our school room, to have some quiet