Relocating
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: February 11, 2011
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Going so fast….
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: March 22, 2010
School seems to be flying past us this year. I was pretty surprised at all that we’ve covered already, that I forgot.
About 3 weeks ago we started a study on the medieval period, middle ages, castles. To get a good grasp of the era, we delved into the crusades and the dark ages. Very interesting.
When I was planning out the order of study, it was difficult to decide how much time to spend on certan things. My rough outline is proving very helpful. That is part of the beauty of homeschooling-spending as much time or just a little time on various aspects of any topic.
My big push this year has been grammar and composition and math. (Please pardon the poor grammar and comp.today) As Christians, it is vital that our children are able to communicate clearly and well.
Its a rotten shame that many homeschoolers forget the SCHOOL part of it. Belive me, I would love to “ditch” school and just have fun, but in the end, I would only be cheating my children. I’ve come to realize in a larger sense, that homeschooling is part of our lifestyle, much of our activites are planned around school being completed each day.
When it is all said and done, I can honestly say that I have done my best, and I hope that each of my children will say that too.
Hit for history help
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: February 16, 2010
- In: lesson plans | renaissance | social | unit study | US History
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Hello world!
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: January 7, 2010
Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!
New School Year 2009-2010
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: September 18, 2009
- In: ACE | alphaomega | dragonfly | firefly | lapbooks | lightningbug | mathusee | singapore
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Hard to believe that we are already into our school year. I am glad that during the months of summer I kept a running log of educational stuff we did. However, I am sorry that we took a break. It has put us behind academically. But this is our year to catch up. That is the big goal…bring math and english up to par, or close to it, without driving us all nutty.
Our first unit on lightning bugs was a success. Very interesting yet mysterious creatures, that you gotta love!
Tomorrow, yes school on a Saturday, we wrap up our brief dragonfly unit.
For history we jumped into the Constitution. You could easily spend the entire school year on it. Lest I bore my children with it, we are devoting just a few weeks to it. They will have, at the very least, an understanding of what it is, and why it is so important to us, to our country.
All summer we explored math curriculum and so far we are still undecided. Though I wish it wasn’t, money is a factor. Plus we don’t want to end up in the same spot next year–starting new math curriculi. We’ve looked into Math U See
Singapore Math, and The Teaching Textbooks . This in addition to considering A.C.E , Alpha Omega, and Landmark (which we have been using, but unhappy with the methodology used). I’ve learned we need something that is mastery based rather than circular. Suggestions for or against any of the above will be taken under advicement. On the math u see site, they have a helpful drill page. They like doing the work on the computer. I’ve also wondered if Quarter Mile Math would be a good choice, at least to get everyone up to speed.
Anticipation or Dread?
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: August 12, 2009
- In: anticpate | dread | fear | happy | homeschool | joyful | lapbooks | learing styles | memories | quitting | Staples | unit study
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Are you looking forward to the new school year? There is a comical ad on television for “back to school”. Which features a father with two children,in the background you hear “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” being sung. The children are just pouty faced and the dad…well..he is full of glee…he pushes the cart kicking up his heels, with a big grin on his face. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ZgH4AtdUY Get the picture…most parents simply cannot wait for school to begin after summer break. Their children get on their nerves, the children are bored, the children…. notice it is all about the children. (But that is for another post)
My question is, do you share the “staples dad’s glee?” Let me rephrase that, are you full of glee at the start of a new school year because you can get your rugrat kids out of your hair, or is it the thought of a fresh start that brings a smile to your face?
Are you dreading the new school year because of past struggles, problems, or you hate homeschooling your children but are too ashamed or embarrassed to admit it to anyone? Maybe you can’t even admit it to yourself.
To be perfectly honest, I have had years that I dreaded a new school DAY, forget the whole cotton-picking year! One day at a time was too much for me. I share your pain.
I dreaded school days, months, and yes, even years, because I KNEW everyday was going to be a battle. A battle to get up, to finish chores, to fix, eat and clean up a simple breakfast, to settle into our lessons, to quietly …. Do you get the idea? I KNOW the struggles. Like I said, I have been homeschooling a LONG time…we began in 1990…19 yrs ago….makes me sound and feel quite old…but I have the experience. Did I mention that I dreaded the paperwork, planning, and pretending it was all joy?
Yes dear homeschool moms and dads, I know the pain of beginning a new homeschool year.
You can’t count on all your fingers and toes the times I wanted to quit…and that is just in a weeks time! Ok, maybe that is an exageration, but it is not easy, and I did want to give up.
Notice I said I. What held me back? It wasn’t what, it was Who? The LORD held me back. He reminded me that He was the One who led us to homeschool, and that anything short of that would be living in disobedience to Him. Talk about a nudge! I’ve seen alot of folks choose disobedience, and the result is not pretty. Enough fear of God and His chastening had been instilled in me that I didn’t have the guts to risk quitting.
The change for me, from dread to anticipation, came gradually. As we continued to battle out everyday and I wanted to pull my hair out, and scream, and cry, and feel like a failure, and fret that my children would hate me, and … I started to cry out to God for help. I’d reached the end of my rope.
Another big prod from God: my friend and I have sons nearly the same age, both struggling academically, and one week she threw her hands up, literally, and told me she’d given up on J. Now I wonder what sort of expression met her eyes when she looked at me again. In my heart, I just felt so bad for her son. The LORD brought to mind all the times I wanted to quit and hadn’t, not outwardly anyway, with my oldest son in particular. That day was a turning point for our homeschool, for me as a mother. I repented before the LORD, but spoke not a word to anyone else. The transformation in my son, and his attitude towards school, gradually changed for the better. It was amazing, and reminded me of how many articles I’d read when my children were infants stating that a moms emotional state could affect her baby. I believe our attitude affects our children. They feel our disappointmet, frustration…even if we are hiding it, or think we are. This is evident by the turn about in my son.
Graduation was another poke. It reminded me, clearly, that homeschooling is only a season of my life. One day, if the LORD tarries, my last child will graduate, and homeschooling will be done, forever. (Unless my children make good on their promise to bring my grands home for me to school) God was saying to me WAKE UP..ok He was shouting at me. W A K E U P!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reality hit me….life is fleeting! My days having my children at home are numbered.
This ended up making me sad, and I sat around crying about the fact that I only had this many years of homeschooling left. Really. It almost crippled me, thinking about what it will be like to wake up and not have my children here, and to not have to homeschool.
Exactly when I stopped dreading school and began to anticipate it with happy thoughts, is unclear. I can’t point to the calendar and say on this day, month and year, it all changed. It was a process. It required me to forget the day before if it was a rough one, and rejoice that God’s tender mercies are new every morning. And if His could be new everyday, then surely I could start each school day fresh. We could begin again. Believe me we had to BEGIN AGAIN lots of times.
My children still have times when they make me want to pull my hair out, or scream, or quit…but OVERALL, those times are fewer and farther between as the weeks turn into months.
Though I don’t look forward to the time when homeschooling ends for us, forever, I anticipate each day and each school year as a new start, as a chance for us to redo our mistakes and move forward.
I want my children to look back and Praise God for being homeschooled, and have happy memories of many hours spent with their mother, who lovingly, and joyfully schooled them.
My answer to the title “Anticipation or Dread?” is Anticipation.
What is yours?
Lapbooking
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: August 6, 2009
- In: homeschool | lapbook | notebooking | unit study
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I’ve mentioned quite often that we are doing lapbooks. These have been such a challenge and blessing. Those lapbooks featured in the slideshows were our first concentrated efforts. The units of study were enjoyed by all.
I will put up a resource list soon. It was compiled as we went along. Be advised that not all the links on these lists (not yet added) may not work. During our studies, several were there one day, and gone the next. Thus it is with the online realm. Eh?
Over the next few days I will upload photos, along with the links.
We truly love lapbooks, and I regret that I didn’t learn about them sooner.
Homeschooled:Oops for the "School" part
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: July 7, 2009
About 10 days ago we met with our local school district to present our portfolios for their evaluation. This is in addition to having already been evaluated by a certified teacher, both requirements, among other things, of PA homeschooling law. Pennsylvania and New York have more requirements than any other states-more reporting, more regulations, more demands, to meet.
People ask us why we go through all that when we are certainly eligible to file a religious exemption, which would alleviate reports altogether. On the surface, that sounds very appealing. Even more so when it is time for me to write our letters of intent, affidavits, and objectives for each child. No more paperwork, no oversight by any officials, seems ideal doesn’t it? Or does it?
I used to think it would be awesome to have free reign, to avoid the pressure and apprehensions of evaluations, to never again tell anyone what we planned to do, to etc You get the picture.
This was one of my homeschooling dreams. That was until a preacher made this statement: “Some people who come to Bible Institute are homeschooled. But the trouble is that someone left off the school part.” WHAT!?
I thought ALL homeschoolers were accelerated learners with above average test scores, outperforming their peers by several grade levels. That is what I thougth the rule was. What did this preacher mean they “left off the school part”?
Our evaluator always comments on how much work we do. I thought that is what you are supposed to do.
Our evaulator commented on the fact that all my children’s lessons are corrected. I thought that’s what your supposed to do too. What’s wrong with me? Am I missing something????
How can any homeschool Mother leave off the schooling part? How can she do that with a clear conscience?
What about her responsibility? What about her children’s future? Even those occupations which seem to require very little education, still require the ability to read and do basic mathematics. And what about her grandchildren?
If we fail to educate, “book learnin”, with our children, how on earth will they be equiped to teach their children?
Moms, if you are slacking in the school part of homeschool, I beg of you, don’t. Don’t give less than your best. You can’t expect your children to do their best, if you don’t set the tone. Mom, you must look at the big picture.
We have no idea what our children will become, where the LORD will lead them in this life, and it is our calling as homeschool mothers to prepare them to the best of our ability to succeed. If your child is reasonable smart, ok, average, or even below average, he/she can learn to read, weigh out choices, make decisions, balance a checkbook…. It isn’t our goal to train up brain surgeons or nuclear physicists, which are much needed, but our goal should be to rear our children to succeed in the daily grind of life and family.
The next time you want to skip the school part, think of the least successful person you have ever met, those people who in life are utter failures, and let these examples guide your choices.
Our school district is shocked, in a good way, that my children WRITE IN CURSIVE! I thought all children were taught cursive. Not so~! WRITING is fast becoming a dying art. People spend all their time typing and texting with attrocious spelling and lack of punctuation–even poor punctuation is better than none.
How will future generation read their Bible and further the gospel if we as homeschool moms fail to teach our children skills essential to life–book learning and life skills.
Winding down the year
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: May 28, 2009
I feel doomed to always be behind in school. We start early, and have such high hopes for a promising year that will go along without a hitch, but LIFE happens. Then we end up losing a day here and there, before long I am wondering how we’ll ever catch up. Far more schooling goes on than I am able to log. Here in PA you must document daily and present 180 days of logged lessons. It is insane, but keeps me in check on those good days you want to take off to play or rest.
We are in fairly good shape. Still need to wrap up a few things and then focus on the stuff we are lagging with.
Hope to get my act together to post more often and share what we are doing, not only in words, but photos and links as well.
New Unit–Bridges
Posted by: myhusbandsruby on: April 7, 2009
- In: bridges | castle | homeschool | PA | railroad | renaissance
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We have embarqed on a new unit about bridges. Being a girl, I didn’t think they’d be very interesting, and that we’d just force ourselves to do it. I’m not even sure why I chose it considering my previous statement. However, I am very glad I did. Thus far we have learned so much, many things that I wondered about bridges my entire life, and now I know how they do it. I’ll post links to the internet sources we have used when we finish the study. The list is growing almost daily.
One project, ok, it is actually more than one, is to build a model bridge. One will be of toothpicks, and another of pasta. Also I want them to try to build one from natural things about our property. Definately taking photos! One of our next studies will be either castles/renaissance or railroads. Or just simple maps. The school year is winding down. I wish we had more complete days in. PA require 180 logged days, and that means full days of all the subjects, no absent days. If you get sick and miss a week, you have to add that to your calendar and do it. As much as it is annoying, it serves teh greater good and keeps parents on track. It is far to easy to SAY you homeschool, but not do the schooling part. I’ve witnessed that firsthand, and strive to go the opposite way. Though my children do not accel, we do our best.
