Plans for next year.... our morning work!!

We are getting ready to begin our new school year the first full week in August, which means only one more full week off : (. I have finalized curriculum choices and how we will apply workboxes, but I will post that later. I wanted to share the alphabetical order (A-I) that I will use to help us remember the parts of our morning work, which we do together, as well as some of the resources we will be using. (My oldest will be in 10th, and my younger in 6th. I can't believe I am teaching 6th grade again; I taught 6th for 4 years in public schools before having my first son)!

So here it is, A-I of our morning homeschool group time:

A= attendance. I keep forgetting to take attendance, and then have to go back and figure out which days we held school to finalize my records. I am marking my state-required chart as we go this year! (She types hopefully).

B= Bible. We are going to start the Bible Road Trip free online curriculum (http://bibleroadtrip.org/). We will begin with Year One, Week One, the dialectic level. This is a 3-year curriculum, complete with free printables. It is short and sweet. We will also memorize a Bible verse each week. I am using this form to plan and keep track of what we will memorize: http://www.mamaslearningcorner.com/memorize-scripture-record/
I also will use the Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory system:  http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/
 I've already printed out all the information from this site and set up our index card system. Additionally, I got this book for free for my Kindle (it is currently $3):

http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Verses-Everyone-Should-ebook/dp/B004HIM2X4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374798884&sr=1-1&keywords=100+bible+verses+everyone+should+know+by+heart
This has been a terrific read and I can't recommend it enough. It has suggested verses (100 of course) at the end, which I will use when we run out of ones I've already picked as being relevant to us. 

C= Current Events- maybe CNN Student News or Channel One News. I haven't used CNN, and it's been awhile since we've done Channel One, but I think we need to do more current events. We also may just look at some online headlines and discuss them. Links to the news programs mentioned:  http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/
http://www.channelone.com/

D= Drawing. We will do a quick draw each morning. I got this Kindle book when it was free:
http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Collection-Pages-Collections-ebook/dp/B00C7RPT2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374799218&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+draw+1-12

We will do one drawing from this (me on the white board and the boys in a blank book), or draw something related to what we are studying (a free-style, on your own drawing). I also got this book that correlates with our history curriculum, which we will do as the topics come up in their studies: http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Write-Through-History-Renaissance/dp/097785972X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374799296&sr=1-1&keywords=draw+and+write+through+history


E= Encouragement. We will sometimes just discuss how things are going in our homeschool, or read the day's devotional from Jesus Calling.

F= Five-minute writing. (Can you tell I'm trying to get more right-brained activities into our school day?) I will pick a random topic from this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Things-Journal-Francisco-Writers-Grotto/dp/1452105448/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374799599&sr=8-1&keywords=642+things+to+write+about
We will each write about the topic and then share. 

G=Geography and Grammar. I really enjoyed teaching geography when I taught in public schools, and I think my boys need more of it. I will use resources I used in the classroom, as well as follow this curriculum:
http://www.home-school-curriculum.com/product/trail-guide-to-world-geography

I also downloaded the notebooking resources that go along with it, and purchased the purple classroom atlas. We are doing the middle level (it includes 3 levels). 

For grammar, I am using Easy Grammar for both boys (each at their own level). I will have the boys complete it on their own, and then check it and give feedback immediately. 

H= History Novels. I like when we are all together, reading. The boys will read from the novel they are currently assigned (I use novels that correspond to their history), and I will read whatever I want!! Yippee! Maybe I'll actually read some of those Kindle books!! 

I= Independent Work. This is when the boys finish our group time and begin their boxes. Morning work should only take 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Since we start at 10 AM, they should be able to finish a few boxes before taking their lunch break at noon. 

I dream, and plan, big. I hope I can maintain this schedule, which came about after some soul-searching about what was really important to me in our homeschool. 

Yay! I have taken a photo every day for the past 6 months! Don't you want a new obsession creative outlet too??? If so, visit:
http://fatmumslim.com.au/

Here's March's list:

New thoughts on cleaning...

Clearly, attempting to blog everyday in October, 2012 burned me out a little! Also, I know only a handful of people actually read this blog, so I appreciate the importance of an audience in terms of providing motivation. (Mom, of course you alone are worth it!)

I am here in 2013, still struggling with fatigue and motivation. 

I really liked my cleaning schedule, but realized I wasn't sticking to it. Then, I had more decisions as I had to decide:
*do I try to do yesterday's work and today's to catch up? But I'm soooooo tired.....
*can I put this off until next week?
*does this matter?

I learned future me is a very unreliable sort. She  never seems to pick up the slack despite my high expectations of her. So, now I am doing something I call, "Chunk cleaning." I'm sure variations of this exist elsewhere on the Internet, but I have come up with this on my own.

First, I listed all the basic things that MUST get done each week. I broke it down a lot (for example, not just "vacuum upstairs" but "vacuum master bedroom" "vacuum hallway" etc.)  For dusting, I also listed each room separately. I listed each bathroom, but the vacuuming/ mopping of each bathroom separately. So, I broke all the chores down. I also listed each load of laundry.  I typed up this list and printed it out. Now, when I have a few minutes, I do whatever I feel like doing on the list, or what is most needed. Then, I cross it off. No more trying to buck the rules I've set (bathrooms don't have to be cleaned on only Monday)! Some of the chores only take 5 minutes, some 15 or more. On Saturday, I will have to do whatever is left. This provides some motivation... I like a lazy weekend! 

I'm on week 3 and thus far I like this new system. 

And one more thing.... I did the spring cleaning thing today of washing my mattress pad, vacuuming the mattress, and using a dust-mite spray (and then vacuuming again). To vacuum my mattress thoroughly, I just put the entire vacuum on the mattress, set the vacuum roller brush to its highest setting, and stood on top of the mattress and vacuumed it just like a floor! I've always struggle to use the tiny attachment on the hose; this was so much easier and more effective.

LAST DAY!!!

I am so glad I am not a professional blogger because this has been hard!! 

For this last day, I am making some commitments for things I know I need to do to simplify my life, but haven't done yet.

Here goes:
1. I know from my organization projects that I need nothing. I have enough soap, toiletries, envelopes, flour, tea, batteries, post-its, pens, pencils, glue, etc. to last me probably the rest of my life. It is a bit embarrassing. I am going to think long and hard before I purchase ANYTHING. I was in Wal-Mart the other day and was temporarily tempted by some of their fall items. Then I told myself, "Leave it here!!" I have too much stuff. No more is coming in. 

2. When my newspaper subscription runs out in December, I am not renewing. I rarely read it. It piles up and makes me feel guilty. My oldest son and husband love reading the comics, so they get that one section out and leave the rest on the living room floor, and not in a neat pile. I have found out that they can pick their favorite comics and have them delivered to their inbox for a very low monthly fee.

3. I am letting most of my magazine subscriptions expire. I love magazines, but in this season of my life I simply don't have time or energy to read them. I think I will  keep: Taste of Home, Cooking Light, Real Simple, Women's Day, and All You. I may keep Self for exercise motivation. The rest will not be renewed. I should probably go ahead and cancel the rest now, but I am not ready yet. Baby steps! I know even this list is probably more than most people get! I consider this one of my hobbies : ). I love getting a magazine in the mail, and having a stack of unread magazines next to my bed. 

Things I will continue doing:
*putting things away where they belong
*buying Kindle versions of books instead of hard copies
*trying to embrace "good enough" and letting perfection go

I know that the things I have shared are things that have worked for me and may not be applicable to anyone else's life, but hopefully you found at least one thing that might work for you, or been inspired to look for ways to simplify your own life. Thanks for reading!

Simplify Life # 30

I think the best thing I've done to simplify my life is to allow myself to spend the time and money to get my home organized. I have diligently followed the Home Organization 101 Challenge (http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/).I now feel like I can trust my home. I know where things are and where to put them away.

Also, I used to feel labeling things wasn't necessary. Now, I use my label maker all the time, even if it's obvious what is on that particular shelf or in that particular container. I realize this serves three purposes: 
a. can see at a glance what I have since items are grouped together in one place by label
b. I am accountable when I put things away now; I put things away where they belong because of the visual reminder of the label (especially helpful in my lazy susan!)
c. My family can find things, too. 

I am a cheapskate and it has been hard to spend money on plastic organizers, but it is so worth it and it's what I asked for for Christmas this year! 

Simplify Life #29

This one is short and to the point: I unsubscribed from most e-mail newsletters and blogs. Now, my inbox is far less saturated than it used to be. It took about an hour for me to unsubscribe to all of them, but it has been worth it. I also try to be careful when ordering from a new site to make sure to uncheck the box that says I want to get their newsletter! I still have a few favorite sites and blogs that I continue to get e-mails from, but I am quick to unsubscribe to things that pile up or that I am not excited to read. E-mail has become a necessary burden. I try to not have it be another thing adding stress. 

This is from fatmumslim.com and summarizes what I've tried to do:

Simplify Life #28

I keep three baskets on the back staircase leading upstairs: one for shoes, one for dirty kitchen linens, and one for sports shoes/ supplies. We don't have a mudroom, so we need places to store shoes upon entering from our garage. The baskets help with that, and also, since my laundry room is upstairs, I have a place to put the washcloths and towels I use. I also have a small shoe organizer, plus this idea from Pinterest (one of my favorites): 


Hang a set of coat hooks near floor level to use for shoes!
Life is simplified: I have a place for shoes (instead of tripping over them) and a place for sports shoes, and also a way to transport dirty kitchen linens upstairs.