It's been a long time...

Sorry about that. Been crazy around here. DH is home from his 15 month deployment and we are now trying to sell our house as we move in a couple of weeks to our new duty station. We are not having much luck in selling our home. The market here seems to be pretty dead. Hopefully it will pick up soon, really, really soon!

The kids started back to school 2 weeks ago. It's going pretty good so far. I think they may even be enjoying it. DD is still using Connect the Thoughts. Well, for History and Science anyway. DS is using Lifepacs for World History and Principles, Theories and Precepts of Biology, and Life of Fred Advanced Algebra (which is AWESOME btw). I have a good grammar book for each of them and then writing books as well. I don't have them in front of me to tell you the titles but maybe I'll update with them later. We also have other courses on the side that are Mom lead. DS will start French (again) once we get settled.

We spent the summer enjoying having DH home again. We bought a camper to live in while we are moving. We were hoping we would already be living it by now but... We didn't go on a summer vacation but we are going to vacation on our way to our new place. We are going to stop in St. Louis, MO for about a week, I think. DH is planning it and he is getting excited.

It will be so hard to leave here. We have really grown to love it here. We have good friends, and the kids have their activities here that they love and... We will find good things and friends there too.

Well, I think you are pretty well updated for now. I'll try to post what we are doing as we travel but I make no promises. :o)

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My organization I mentioned in the previous post seems be going well. I'm still using the form I got from "The Homeschool Mom" and it's working for us for now.

The kids seem be doing really good right now with school. DD is still hating math but it's getting better and I think the "MathMammoth" is helping her to firm up her foundations where they are a little weak.

We are still LOVING Connect the Thoughts and the courses the kids are taking. I will say that sometimes they seem a little weird but it is working for us and the kids are happy. YEA!

Yesterday was Inauguration day. I posted about our experiencing it over on my other blog so you can go there to read about it... Musings By Mommy.

Have a great rest of the week!

Homeschool Organization

I need some! I'm working on it. I've been wanting to do a better job of keep track of the kids progress and so over the holidays I spent a lot time thinking about how to do this. Then I spent some time looking for forms already made up that I can use but I've had a hard time finding just what I want.

I could just make something myself and I probably will but for now, I only have text edit on my computer so I'm trying to make due. Yesterday, I just used a notepad but wouldn't you know it... it only had two sheets left and I used them both! So, I found a form at "The Homeschool Mom" it's not perfect but I'm just marking out what a don't need and adding what I do. It's working for us for now. We just needed some accountability.

I was just reading DS's assignment in his Human Rights course (A Connect the Thoughts course) and what I read is AWESOME and I feel like everyone should take this course. I told him that I just may do it right along side him. It was very interesting and thought provoking. I know I've said this before, but if you looking for something different you really should check out Connect the Thoughts!

It's been awhile...

I just don't post here regularly enough. We are still here and homeschooling. We took most the month of December off because DH was home on leave. We had a wonderful time him. I love that about homeschooling... we can be available for these occasions. We needed the time together... the kids needed to be free to be with Dad and I did too. DH has been gone for 8 months now and we have 5 to 6 left. These 15 month deployments are stupid and too hard on the soldiers and their families. I'm glad that are doing away with them!

Anyway, we started back to "school" today and it went really well. We are still using "Connect the Thoughts" and it's going well. I started implementing it a little different today and I think it went really well. We really like it.

DD is struggling some with Math. We've had a hard time finding a curriculum that fits her but we are now trying Mammoth Math. Today was her first day with it and I think she liked it. She did well with the review today and didn't complain a bit. I'm really proud of her.

DS is doing great with his Geometry. Way better than I ever did! His writing is awesome! He blows me away. He's been teasing me with his writing. The way the curriculum is set up he only has to write so many words and he so he starts stories, sometimes in the middle, and gets me hooked but always leaves me wondering what happens next! It's driving me crazy but I think he looks at it like a challenge and loves it. He writes some great stuff.

Well, that's what is going on with us and our homeschooling adventure. You can catch on our other stuff at Musings By Mommy.

Connect the Thoughts is still going good for us. They are moving a long in it and doing well I think. They both really enjoy the creative writing and I'm glad. Now they are both writing all the time and writing well. I'm proud of them.

Just wanted to add a quick update. If you are looking for something different... take a look at Connect the Thoughts. It just might be for you.

Connect the Thoughts...

This curriculum is really going well for us. DS even told me he was enjoying the creative writing course! DD does it with out any complaints and they seem to be moving through it well.

The only problem we seem to have is that sometimes it acts as though you are in a regular classroom setting which is hard for us. We've had to make some trips to the library to do some "observing" but it works out okay. Well, sometimes, this week, DS needed to do some "observing" so we planned a trip to the library and I asked DD if she needed to do it too for her lessons. She said no but I asked her to look ahead a little but she didn't and said she did so now she is needing to do it too but we don't have the time to go to the library so....

Anyway, over all we are really enjoying it and I think we can recommend it to you all out in cyberspace. They have free sample lessons you can look at to see if it is for you and your family before you buy so you have nothing to lose. hehe I sound like a commercial!!

Going well....

The Connect the Thoughts is going pretty well. We are well into the introductory courses and the kids are learning lots. I can't wait to be finished with it but I'm glad we have them to get us used to these courses and they way they work. Maybe if other curriculum did this we might would have stuck with them but I'm glad we found CTT.

Connect the Thoughts...

Well, so far so good. We are enjoying the curriculum. We are just on the second intro course but we are enjoying it. It's the Information Right or Wrong. I like that they are learning how to discern between fact and opinion. We had fun yesterday with it. We watched the "Daily Show" to look for opinions and had to, of course, pause it every few seconds to write down an opinion. DD, who hates the show, came in just minute ago and said, "Okay, it's time to watch the "Daily Show" to look for falsehoods this time. It should be an easy show to find those too!" I'm sure we'll be pausing every few seconds again.

I can't wait to get past these early courses so we can get into the meaty ones. I'm really looking forward to it. If you haven't checked out "Connect The Thoughts" yet please do.

Well, I've got to get back to work. Have a wonderful day!

How we're doing....

Well, we are going through different curriculum again. We still haven't found the perfect one for us yet. Well.... we may have now but we are already doing different curriculum from when we first started out... We don't like TRISMS and the Oak Meadow we purchased was too easy so... We've moved on...

We are now trying to Connect the Thoughts. It is very interesting. We've only started the introductory courses but even they seem a good fit and I like how it explains everything so well and how it builds. I'll let you know how it goes. You can check it out at Connect The Thoughts.

For DD we have been using a neat little book I found online (probably through homeschool radio) called "Grammar Land". She is really enjoying it and getting a lot out of it. It's really pretty cute and it builds as well which I seem to like.

DD was struggling with her times tables so we are using Memorize in Minutes: Times Tables and she is really improving.

For DS we are still loving Teaching Textbooks Geometry. He's doing really well with it and I'm very pleased.

So... I guess you are sort of updated... it will have to do anyway, because the darlings are calling for lunch to be prepared so.... off I go.

Have a glorious day!

UPDATE

I don't even know where to begin. We have already had to take off 2 weeks, as DH came home on emergency leave when his stepmother passed away. We were out of pocket and then you know, it was just a good chance for the kids to spend time with their dad. He's back in Afghanistan now (6 months down and 9 more to go) and we are trying to get back to work.

Things are still going pretty good. DD has decided that she wants to be a Marine Biologist. That, of course, could change any minute but until it does we will be studying the ocean. Right now, it's dolphins. She is enjoying it.

DS and I are going to have to work a little closer for a while. I'm not sure he is totally getting the lay out TRISMS down. He's doing okay but just okay and I want him to be doing GREAT! So, I've got to spend sometime this weekend planning and doing some reading myself.

Now, I just need to learn how to split my time between them better. UGH!! They are 5 years apart and so that often makes it hard but we will figure it all out. I just want them to have fun learning. That's my goal this year that we learn that learning can be and IS FUN!!

Love it!

DD is having a blast with her school this year. Yes, I know we are only a week into it but so far so good. I'm even finding her doing some "learning" without knowing it. She thinks it's just a game or is just goofing off.

Oak Meadow is... hmm how shall I say it... laid back? Not quite but it will work. There are lots of games for her to incorporate into her learning and she loves reading out loud to me each day. She's still not fond of her math but it's not as overwhelming and she is doing it well.

We are having wonderful time with this curriculum. She is thoroughly enjoying the art and music part of it. She so looks forward to it.

Don't get me wrong. Last night when I said that we would be getting back to our school work today, she said, "Oh, I was hoping you'd forget!"

But then this morning without even knowing she started her lessons right away. I had some cards with words on them sitting on the table and while I was preparing breakfast, she said, "I think I'll make some sentences with these cards." It is so fun to see learning happening so naturally.

DS on the other hand is so much more independent. Maybe even a little too much so. I think he is enjoying it though. Of course he would never say that. He is actually doing 2 lessons in his Geometry today! We've had a little skirmish today but it's not really anything. I just worry that he might not be doing quite enough each day. The lay out of TRISMS is so different and like I said he's so independent about it. I need to trust him and just let it happen and then at the end of the first unit (2 weeks) if he's not done he'll have learned a lesson in time management. Mom probably just needs to relax and give him a good chance. It's so hard!!! Hmmm.... sounds like Mom is maybe a control freak..... shhhhh don't tell anyone!

Starting again.... or A New Year

Oh, I have been trying to get on here all week to tell you about our first day of school and just have not had the time. So now I guess I'll tell you about the first few days of school.

DD is using Oak Meadow 4 this year and is enjoying it so far. I think some of it may be a little too easy for her but it's review for now I guess. I'm thinking right now that if it continues as is that I will have to start supplementing, but we'll see how it goes. She is having fun and that is really good. We are needing some fun in our learning again.

DS is just getting started with DAW from TRISIMS. He just keeps saying it's school but I think he likes how independent he can be with it. Once he gets used to it's format and finds his favorite research sites I think he will enjoy it more. He has also started his French. It's not exactly what I had expected but it will work. I think he is just wanting to learn it so he doesn't care what it's like.

So, this is our first few days in our new year of learning. I like that better, learning, instead of school. School just has such bad connotations for my kids so it's much better this way. I'm hoping any way.

Catching up...

Well dear friends,

I'm sorry that I have been so neglectful. We've been rather busy and lazy all at once. Let's see if I can get you all caught up on us.

Well, the last post was about soldiers in need. We got that taken care of. My family stepped right up to the bat and purchased them around 20 mattress pads and they were all very appreciative.

Let's see... what next.... well, DS was involved in our local theater this summer and was in a play for the Writer's Conference here and then he also was part of the informance they had at the end of their summer classes. He will continue with this in fall on the weekends. He really enjoys this. He will also be picking up guitar lessons in a couple of weeks at the Community School of the Arts at our local college. He is excited about it as well. He has been teaching himself and is getting really pretty good. He sounds a lot like the radio and some times I have hard time telling the difference! Of course we have continued on with his Archery and will continue to do so. He actually won one of his shoots this summer against several adults. He got a really nice trophy.

DD has had a very lazy summer. She has watched more than her share of TV and so I am weaning her off now. She will continue with her Dance this fall. She is very excited about it as she is in the intermediate class now. She is also going to participate in our Community Youth Choir at the Community School of the Arts as well.

As far as what curriculum will we are using this fall.... For my Freshman (UGH!!!!) DS we will be using TRISMS Discovering the Ancient World, Teaching Texbooks Geometry, High School Physical Science at home, and Power Glide French. He should be good and busy. Believe it or not he complained that last year was not hard enough or structured enough and that he didn't think he did enough. So he'll have a full year this year.

DD will using the Oak Meadow 4th grade Syllabus. She is pretty excited about using it although she doesn't want to start yet.

We will be starting next Monday, Aug 11. I was really wanting to wait a bit longer but I want to take off when DH comes home on leave and then I want to be totally finished for the year when he comes home for good. So to get our 180 days in this is what we have to do.

Well, I think that you are now up to date on this homeschooling family. I'll try to do better but I think you have heard that before right?

Soldiers in Need

I have a little request of all you dear cyber friends out there. My husband is again deployed, this time to Afghanistan.

Several soldiers, including my own, are having trouble sleeping because of the mattresses being hard as rocks and then some. They are so bad that many of them are trying to get a cot instead. I'm sure some of you think they are complaining over nothing but in the last 4 days my dh has gotten 10 hours of sleep while working 12 hours shifts. I'm sure that there are many soldiers worse off but I can help those that I know. I know that whatever I do for any of them will be passed on to others later as most soldiers are very good a paying it forward.

My request to you are donations for us to purchase 11 mattress pads for his section. They are $20 a piece so I'd like to raise $220. We'll take care of the postage. Please if you would like donate comment here and I will send you information on how to do so. Thank you so much for you help.

The end of another week...

This week we tried a new to us Homeschool group. It was nice. Poor DS still didn't really have anyone but I think he still enjoyed it. We planted flowers and DD loved that!! We met some really nice people and they seemed a little more like us as far as our style of education goes and even in other areas as well. Less conservative than a lot that I've met and in case you've not picked up on that yet, I'm not very conservative.

DS helped in the basement again and I think he really enjoys that kind of thing ~ working with his hands. He also worked hard on our yard work which I greatly appreciate. He has really been stepping up around here and I'm very proud of him.

DD worked in the garden with me and she did a great job. She had lots of other stuff to do this week too. BUSY! She will be singing a solo soon at church and she is very excited. Her dance recital in around a month away and she is very excited about that as well.

Well, that's pretty much it here for now. I just wanted to post a quick update. Have a beautiful weekend!

Feeling better...

Well, I'm feeling a little better. DS is pleased that I've been trying so hard to find something for him. We still haven't found much but I think just that fact that I'm trying helped him.

We had Gym and Swim yesterday and I think he had a lot of fun. It was the FIRST time that he actually said he had FUN when I asked him. I think he is opening up a little to other homeschoolers now. He's funny in that he worries that some homeschoolers are kind of weird (please don't be offended) and so I think he often distances himself but he seems to really be trying more and I'm so glad. He will be much happier this way.

Mom is trying more too. I had some of the same feelings myself but I'm also very shy so I have to really make myself reach out to people but I have definitely been trying. I have to say that some of the first homeschoolers we met did kind of turn us off because they did seem... hmm... not really sure how to put it weird is really the only word I think of for now. Sorry. But they aren't really, I mean really we are ALL weird in our way. I have a friend who is often talking about how weird homeschool families are and at first I was kind of with her but now we have been one for 3 years and you know, they really aren't any different from anyone else. They, we are friendly and kind and very inclusive. My friend has been kind of making me feel insulted lately and I'm not really sure what to do about it.

Oh well... DS is feeling a little better. I did find us a group that we are going to try next week that I hope they enjoy. There is only one child in it my son's age but... we'll see. DD is very excited about it. She loves getting together with others plus they will be planting flowers so she will be even more excited.

This week was kind of laid back because I was busy researching but next week are back at it hard.

Have a wonderful weekend dear cyber and homeschooling friends.

Feeling so frustrated

DS wants more oh, I don't know, interaction? I just don't know what to do. That I know of there aren't any groups in our area just for high schoolers. He wants to be with his age more and well, we just don't know many older homeschoolers. He'll be starting high school in the fall. He loves the homeschooling but misses some of the classroom environment, learning with others. I'm not really sure what to do. I've thought sending out an email to see if anyone else is interested in a high school homeschool group but then I'd kind of be starting it and I'm not really sure I have that kind of time. I've spent the last few days online trying to find other high schoolers locally but they seem to not be where I can find them easily.

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel helpless. I really don't want DS to go back to school but I'm not going to stop him if it's what he really wants. I really don't think it's what he wants, he's just feeling lonely. Poor guy.

I did find out a little about some local drama classes. We will sign up for the summer playhouse for starters and hopefully he will have a ball. Then someone told me that they have a Saturday Youth Workshop during the school year that we will try to get into also. I'm really hoping this will make him happy and then my worries will be over but until then.... I'll keep trying to find all I can.

Again... all ideas, suggestions and encouragements are welcome!

Good morning.

So much to say but not sure how to say it all. DS loves drama but that I know of there is nothing for homeschoolers in this area. I've posted a question about it at our local email group so maybe there is something available I just don't know about yet.

DS is wanting more interaction with kids his age. Not sure what to do there either. We already are really active in our church youth group where he meets with them twice on Sundays and on Wednesday nights and the we also do gym and swim once a week. Not sure how we could fit in more but I'm willing to try. Just again, not sure what is out there for him. When I mention things like the bowling group he's not interested. So.... HELP!!!

IDEAS WELCOME!!!