Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Aaaand the Curriculum Search BEGINS!
Ahhh......it's that time.....Curriculum choosing for next year!!!!!!!!!
I had a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE revelation over the past couple of weeks! Once my kids got accepted into Meridian World School and I turned them down, I just *knew* what the next step for us was! Since then, I've been on FIRE! I have been consumed with reading, reading, reading....consumed with curriculum....consumed with used swap sites.....just consumed!! And I am LOVING it!
When I first took the big kids out of public school in January 2013, I really had no idea what I was doing. I sought out advice from a few different moms on curriculum and mod podged it together. It was wonderful. Then, the more I researched and the more moms I met, the more pressure of "doing it right" I felt. This was pressure I solely put on myself. I questioned if what I was doing was "enough". Therefore, I went ahead and purchased a more structured curriculum for this past fall. It just didn't work. I'm learning that every family dynamic along with every child is different. While there are SO MANY wonderful curriculum choices out there, we have to buckle down on one type/style and feel confident in that decision. I was reading Pioneer Woman's post on Five Different Homeschooling Styles (LOVE HER) and realized fully that we are more of an Eclectic type (SUPRISE!) sprinkled in with some Charlotte Mason and a splash of Unschooling all wrapped up in one! YES, it is possible. Each of the three kiddies have different personalities but share some similiar learning styles.
I am going back to more of the way we "did school" when I first started. I took out the First Language Lessons for The Well Trained Mind that I had last winter and the kids are loving it, wanting more. They LOVE Unit Studies and Lapbooks, SO DO I! They love learning about other cultures and the world which is why Five in a Row was such a hit....we're bringing it back! They are consumed with learning about the presidents so our Geography will be what I purchased and didn't use last year, Road Trip USA. I am purchasing a few of the Critical Thinking and Writing Workbooks from Timberdoodle from swap sites and Ebay (cheaper) and we are continuing on with Math U See for Christopher and Teaching Textbooks for Anna. I'm still deciding on History but I'm leaning towards Story of the World. I purchased Latin Primer and All About Spelling too already. I'm still on the hunt for Saxon Phonics, hopefully used because it's pricey too! We are going back to our Artist and Composer studies because my kids miss it (so they said). I'm still at the beginning stages of planning our school year as we wrap up this year over the next couple of months, but I feel SO much more knowledgeable and prepared this time. :)
This homeschooling thing is not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure, but when they are begging not to go back to public school and for me to homeschool what else can I do?! It has stretched me in ways you wouldn't believe, but it has also grown me in ways I didn't imagine something like this could. I'm excited to see where my heart leads us for next year! These three little people are my life!! I am a better person because of them and am thankful for the opportunity to spend every day with them!!
I had a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE revelation over the past couple of weeks! Once my kids got accepted into Meridian World School and I turned them down, I just *knew* what the next step for us was! Since then, I've been on FIRE! I have been consumed with reading, reading, reading....consumed with curriculum....consumed with used swap sites.....just consumed!! And I am LOVING it!
When I first took the big kids out of public school in January 2013, I really had no idea what I was doing. I sought out advice from a few different moms on curriculum and mod podged it together. It was wonderful. Then, the more I researched and the more moms I met, the more pressure of "doing it right" I felt. This was pressure I solely put on myself. I questioned if what I was doing was "enough". Therefore, I went ahead and purchased a more structured curriculum for this past fall. It just didn't work. I'm learning that every family dynamic along with every child is different. While there are SO MANY wonderful curriculum choices out there, we have to buckle down on one type/style and feel confident in that decision. I was reading Pioneer Woman's post on Five Different Homeschooling Styles (LOVE HER) and realized fully that we are more of an Eclectic type (SUPRISE!) sprinkled in with some Charlotte Mason and a splash of Unschooling all wrapped up in one! YES, it is possible. Each of the three kiddies have different personalities but share some similiar learning styles.
I am going back to more of the way we "did school" when I first started. I took out the First Language Lessons for The Well Trained Mind that I had last winter and the kids are loving it, wanting more. They LOVE Unit Studies and Lapbooks, SO DO I! They love learning about other cultures and the world which is why Five in a Row was such a hit....we're bringing it back! They are consumed with learning about the presidents so our Geography will be what I purchased and didn't use last year, Road Trip USA. I am purchasing a few of the Critical Thinking and Writing Workbooks from Timberdoodle from swap sites and Ebay (cheaper) and we are continuing on with Math U See for Christopher and Teaching Textbooks for Anna. I'm still deciding on History but I'm leaning towards Story of the World. I purchased Latin Primer and All About Spelling too already. I'm still on the hunt for Saxon Phonics, hopefully used because it's pricey too! We are going back to our Artist and Composer studies because my kids miss it (so they said). I'm still at the beginning stages of planning our school year as we wrap up this year over the next couple of months, but I feel SO much more knowledgeable and prepared this time. :)
This homeschooling thing is not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure, but when they are begging not to go back to public school and for me to homeschool what else can I do?! It has stretched me in ways you wouldn't believe, but it has also grown me in ways I didn't imagine something like this could. I'm excited to see where my heart leads us for next year! These three little people are my life!! I am a better person because of them and am thankful for the opportunity to spend every day with them!!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Perseverance
I hesitate "over sharing" and protect my words MUCH more than I have in the past. I've learned how people can use my words and thoughts to hurt ME. Therefore, during my last year of homeschooling, I've kept my struggles on the down low. I've done this to protect myself while I've walked through one of the toughest seasons of life. Our family has gone through lots of change, and while it seemed horrible at times, it has been one of the greatest things that could have happened.
I realized last night that one of my greatest gifts is my vulnerability. I give my heart 110%, I give everything my all, plus some. Holding back my feelings and struggles is NOT me. I started this blog over 6 years ago to share, not to hide.
So, as we approached our 1 year "Homeschool Anniversary"......here are some of my thoughts.....
Wow, WHAT did I sign up for?
This is the GREATEST thing I've ever done!
Sleeping in is great!
I need more sleep!!!!
Spending all day with the kids is awesome!
When are these kids going to bed??!!!
Ahhh.....no more "school clothes" budget!
I have to FEED them ALL DAY???!!!! Wow! My grocery budget doubled!
It has been a ROLLER COASTER of emotions for me, no doubt. We have our good days and we have our bad ones. Those good ones though, wow, those are what help me keep on keepin' on.
Last August when my mom got sick, things have become tough for us all, especially me. My plate is full and there are times I just want to give up! Hell, you want to know a secret??? I applied at two charter schools because I was so overwhelmed!!! I've been trying so many different things in our homeschool and have just been exhausted trying to find "our place" in the Homeschool World! But it hit me the other day, I already KNOW where our place is and it's totally different than my unschooling friends, my Christian homeschooling friends, my literature loving homeschooling friends, ALL of my homeschooling friends........as it SHOULD be.
We are all so different, but one thing we moms have in common, homeschooling or not, is that we want the very best for OUR children. My gut and my heart told me to homeschool, my husband finally came around to the idea two summers ago and the only thing that makes me question it at times is FEAR.
This shit is s-c-a-r-y!!!
Those adorable little people scare the hell out of me! They make me want to be the very best I can be for them and I get scared that I'm not enough. THAT is where the problem lies, THAT is where my struggle is. So, to help, I seek counsel from family and intimate friends, I seek encouragement from the moms that have been doing it for years and I move forward, one foot in front of the other.
This is no sprint baby, it's a FREAKING MARATHON!!!!!!
I took the big kids on a hike last week and while I was watching an listening to them (after I found out Sofia got into one of the schools and the big kids were #2 and #4 on the wait list) my heart ached at the thought of ever sending them back to school. I wanted to cry right there on the spot. I adore my little people and I know this is EXACTLY what I am supposed to be doing right now. Therefore, off to looking at curriculum for next year I go!! We, as a family will take it year by year. Adrianna begs me not to put her back in school, she wants to stay with me all the time! Christopher says he wants to stay home too but is fine either way, LOL. Sofia, well, she is staying with mama too! She will be the first Auditore not to go to Kindergarten and to be honest, I'm really happy about that!!!
When I told my mom how I felt, how afraid I was, she said so "Matter of Fact like"......."Since when do YOU give up on something because it's a challenge or difficult?" She seemed shocked that I was even considering throwing the towel in. I sat there with my coffee and thought to myself, "Yeah, when DO I quit when the going gets tough???? Tough is what I PUSH through, challenge is where I THRIVE". Life looks quite different for me now then it did 2 years ago, that's for sure....but I'll take it!! I am happy and fulfilled in ways I never have been before.......that's what it's all about!!!
I *ALWAYS* Persevere!
I realized last night that one of my greatest gifts is my vulnerability. I give my heart 110%, I give everything my all, plus some. Holding back my feelings and struggles is NOT me. I started this blog over 6 years ago to share, not to hide.
So, as we approached our 1 year "Homeschool Anniversary"......here are some of my thoughts.....
Wow, WHAT did I sign up for?
This is the GREATEST thing I've ever done!
Sleeping in is great!
I need more sleep!!!!
Spending all day with the kids is awesome!
When are these kids going to bed??!!!
Ahhh.....no more "school clothes" budget!
I have to FEED them ALL DAY???!!!! Wow! My grocery budget doubled!
It has been a ROLLER COASTER of emotions for me, no doubt. We have our good days and we have our bad ones. Those good ones though, wow, those are what help me keep on keepin' on.
Last August when my mom got sick, things have become tough for us all, especially me. My plate is full and there are times I just want to give up! Hell, you want to know a secret??? I applied at two charter schools because I was so overwhelmed!!! I've been trying so many different things in our homeschool and have just been exhausted trying to find "our place" in the Homeschool World! But it hit me the other day, I already KNOW where our place is and it's totally different than my unschooling friends, my Christian homeschooling friends, my literature loving homeschooling friends, ALL of my homeschooling friends........as it SHOULD be.
We are all so different, but one thing we moms have in common, homeschooling or not, is that we want the very best for OUR children. My gut and my heart told me to homeschool, my husband finally came around to the idea two summers ago and the only thing that makes me question it at times is FEAR.
This shit is s-c-a-r-y!!!
Those adorable little people scare the hell out of me! They make me want to be the very best I can be for them and I get scared that I'm not enough. THAT is where the problem lies, THAT is where my struggle is. So, to help, I seek counsel from family and intimate friends, I seek encouragement from the moms that have been doing it for years and I move forward, one foot in front of the other.
This is no sprint baby, it's a FREAKING MARATHON!!!!!!
I took the big kids on a hike last week and while I was watching an listening to them (after I found out Sofia got into one of the schools and the big kids were #2 and #4 on the wait list) my heart ached at the thought of ever sending them back to school. I wanted to cry right there on the spot. I adore my little people and I know this is EXACTLY what I am supposed to be doing right now. Therefore, off to looking at curriculum for next year I go!! We, as a family will take it year by year. Adrianna begs me not to put her back in school, she wants to stay with me all the time! Christopher says he wants to stay home too but is fine either way, LOL. Sofia, well, she is staying with mama too! She will be the first Auditore not to go to Kindergarten and to be honest, I'm really happy about that!!!
When I told my mom how I felt, how afraid I was, she said so "Matter of Fact like"......."Since when do YOU give up on something because it's a challenge or difficult?" She seemed shocked that I was even considering throwing the towel in. I sat there with my coffee and thought to myself, "Yeah, when DO I quit when the going gets tough???? Tough is what I PUSH through, challenge is where I THRIVE". Life looks quite different for me now then it did 2 years ago, that's for sure....but I'll take it!! I am happy and fulfilled in ways I never have been before.......that's what it's all about!!!
I *ALWAYS* Persevere!
Monday, March 17, 2014
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
While we aren't Irish, everyone knows the Italians and Irish love each other! :-) We eased into school with some fun activities,a little history about St.Patrick and our math and grammar. It was a GOOD day!
Spring is in the Air!
Some days I can smell it......I just KNOW the good weather will be here to stay, SOON!!! You're messing with my head Mother Nature, seriously!!!!!
Monday, March 10, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Menu Plan Monday
One of the positives about sitting in a hospital room all weekend, besides catching up on some reading, was that I got the menu done and pinned a bunch of recipes for my April Monthly Menu! I am excited about doing a monthly menu again! Mom's surgery is this week so I'm going to try to get some freezer cooking done for breakfasts and lunches too this week! We'll see how that goes, lol!
Have a GREAT week!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Gloomy days....
We had a cardiac scare with mom this weekend making it a little gloomy.....thank God it wasn't as serious as we thought. The stuff in the pics below, along with my hubby,sister, and support from family and friends via messages, got me through! Surgery is scheduled for Thursday.
Weather is dropping down to crazy cold, for us (22degrees!), it's rainy and gray....No better time to drink coffee and read one of the best books I've ever read!
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