A New Year with Changes - ROOTS YEAR

Totally excited over here... it's a couple days til the next year and I am sitting pretty.   

This year has been one of those years that you look back and say wow... didn't feel like we did all that but apparently we have (have you checked out the FB feature "a year in review"???  If not you should- here is our 2013 Year of Review by FB)!   We are FINALLY back to NWOhio and learning to adjusting to our new and permanent environment.  Having spent so many years on the go it's nice to know this upcoming year will be the year of roots! 

Now that I have named it I have decided to list a few of the things I am looking forward to during the ROOTS YEAR... Please note, I am not calling them resolutions because that implies that I have to do something and change something and honestly I just want to add to the greatness we already have.

1.) Building our family up together... most of you know this but we have a LARGE family and it's really easy for a large family to get busy in multiple directions~ and before you know it everyone is spider webbing apart not together.  So focusing on building strong family togetherness is a top priority.   I am a practical gal so what does that actually mean for me??? Family dinners (grab some family and eat), taking the time to call people and chat with them (does anyone ever do this anymore??), family outings (grab those nieces/nephews/grand kids/whomever and DO something- picnic, park, zoos-ANYTHING), crafts (with kids as crafty as mine we should be filling everyone with thoughtful crafts inspired by loved ones- who doesn't love a surprise gift just b/c we were thinking about you?), and much more.  I never want to take away this feeling that I am only a few miles away from loved ones and there is NO REASON we are not using this opportunity to it's fullest!  PS watch out, we might just stop by your house soon!

Family Togetherness

2.)  Making my husband a priority... I am writing these off the top of my head so really this should be my number 1!  I am going to take time this root year and really be with him.   Ever feel like you and your spouse are room mates living in the same force field? We have this family sync thing down- cooking together, folding laundry, one gets plates while one sets table- those things are great BUT I am talking about one on one.   After living so far away we have really figured out how to be together always as a family and not ever really do one on one things as a couple... Well this year I am going to expand on our greatness and figure this out.  So what does that mean for this practical gal?  It means bowling (because you can't go bowling and NOT laugh), it means couple dates with friends, it means dinner together, it means walks, it means cleaning the garage with my hubby (his very favorite thing to do and my very least favorite thing!), it means movies (ok scratch that- we DO NOT like the same movies and normally those dates end in a bit of disaster- we'll conquer that one in 2015), it means just doing things with us and making US a priority.  We love our kids but we firmly believe that we have to be good to make them good!~  So bring on the US!

We have to be good to make our family good!

3.) ME... this one is really hard for me.  Believe it or not my day revolves around them from morning til night and that is great BUT it will eventually lead to burn out.  It will lead to a grouchy, stressed, unbalanced Mommy and NO ONE wants that - most of all mommy.  So this year I am going to figure that out!~   I am going to balance some Me into it all.   I don't know exactly how that works but I am thinking along the lines of really valuing myself and that God has a really big purpose for me and it has to start with me.  God will CONTINUE TO guide me to greatness if I just ask him too and take a step.  I have some ideas brewing on this one but nothing I am ready to release to the world but honestly I think this one might end up being big on the list of roots!  I do know some of the things that are smaller scaled... like - friend outings with no kids (imagine!), reading books with no guilt (its ok to take time out and read! The dishes will get done- no stress), crafting and doing some things I want to do (a craft without a kid purpose).  Me - being the best me God created!

A strong me will make for a great US!

4.)  One on one.. I touched on this with my husband a bit but really putting a priority on building up individual relationships.  I am thinking of my one on ones with my kids but this is a bit across the board too.  Valuing people and individuals makes a really big impact on the "whole".  Taking time out to really be with each of my kids separately and really getting to connect with them will make a HUGE impact on our family as a whole.  Date days with separate kids, cooking in the kitchen together, playing games just the two of us, and other simple but meaningful connections have to be a priority.  I have said it once and I will say it again... they are only "children" for such a small amount of time... then they become big and that is ok but ENJOY the child because it'll be gone soon.  

Creating connections together!

This is my start for now.  I am thinking of more things like school, housework, and all those great things but I really believe if I can focus on these four above things the rest will happen.  It goes back to the reason we moved home- value in relationships!  It's time to let our roots ground us!

Until next time, 

Tara J.

2013-2014 Curriculum Choices

Well, it's been a while... Ok, understatement of the year!  And yes, I know, its literally been a year!  I am not proud of this fact but honestly, it's truth.  I haven't committed to blogging regularly as I initially planned (I know YOU realize this but its taking me some time to get there- what can I say, sometimes, I am just plain slow).

Moving on...

Anyone who knows me well knows I have great passions for education.  Enough that I have committed to make sure I am super involved in my own children's education... this time of year really brings out the nerd in me.  When everyone else is super excited about summer and enjoys all it has to offer, I am knee deep into books, catalogs, reviews, other blogger sites and books about books!   And, I LOVE it.  I mean nothing makes me more happy then searching/finding & planning out what we will be doing the next year.  So because that makes me the most happy and because well.. I am the one typing I am starting with curriculum!~

2013-2014 Curriculum Choices

And writing it all down helps me plan for tomorrows trip to the homeschool store (and YES, there are homeschool stores AND most have HUGE used saving sections- I know- I too was shocked when I heard this). So here it goes....

So it's official, Red is entering kindergarten.  I am a bit weepy about this, him being the baby and all but I am getting over that and moving on to scheduling & planning what his year will look like.... SO......

What I know:

Math- using K12 Math +  (the reasons are long but the short answer is b/c I have tried other math programs and honestly I have yet to find one I like as much as this.  They are colorful and easy to complete and have a good price). 

Handwriting - HWOT (for newbies this is Handwriting Without Tears).  I have used this with the girls and its a great program- it is also something I don't exactly teach.  Each child get the workbook and completes it at his or her own pace.  Usually at the pace of a page a day. When they have completed them (usually about 3 months into the year- we continue to do daily journal - handwriting is one of the top must be down every day).

Phonics-  This was a hard one for me.  But, I have decided on K12's phonicsworks program.  The main reason is well I used it to teach 2 other kids to read and it doesn't make sense to start a new program for this one and we already own it.  We will see how this goes.  If this doesn't work then I will look into another option.  We have done a few lessons already and he is doing great with it!

Everything else:  After looking a lot on this I have decided to use MFW K (newbies this is My Father's World Kindergarten)- sort of a unit study, it includes tons of subjects while learning lot of various things.  Now before you praise the program and get all super excited about it please don't.  I am not using the program in entirely.  Actually, I am using just a small part of it.  I will use the individual units and pick and choose the lessons.  Ok, nerd claim here- I actually have already planned the entire year and which lessons we will be doing.  For you out there not familiar with MFW.  Here is an example: Unit 1 is sun.  The kids have learned that, Jesus is the light of the world.  We have done a lot of talking about the sun and we have done a lot of discussion on Jesus lighting our paths.  There are art projects, science experiments, and lots of reading recommendations.

Wrap up for Red:  I really believe kindergarten is about playing, learning, and being read to A LOT.  My goal is to make sure he has a book read to him everyday (and trust me this isn't really a goal as much as one of his own demands)  and it must be on my lap and that we include him in everything we older ones are learning because he is small but his mind is really mighty!  He LOVES books, he has his own library card and uses it as much as I use mine.   I have yet to teach him something because he is the baby and has already heard me teach everything before.  Ohhh, and he is cocky so he knows EVERYTHING.

Red's Goals for this year:
1. Patience with all of us
2. Learn to love to learn 
3. Being a boy doesn't mean to be mean... it means you are to protect and learn to lead your own family one day.

Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Now for the girls:  I normally wouldn't combine two kiddos but there similar and it's getting late.

Math:  K12's Math +  (someday I will write about what we have used and why I am not working on using it again.  I also have gotten the Mathtacular DVD's.  I think this will be a nice change for them to watch someone else teaching math and it has lots of fun games we can learn. 

Handwriting: HWOT (cursive) then journals.  A page a day .. you can choose or I will choose.  I really just want them to write.  I don't grade I just read and hope they will find a love for writing.

Grammar:  We will not talk about this- I am super frustrated on this one....

Art: Now for this one I am super excited.. I know, I skipped art up to the top of the list but I am excited!  I am using Mike's Imagination station 12 dvd set.  We are just going to have super fun being inspired to do all kinds of art.  Drawings, cartoons, sculpting, painting... and so much more!  Won't lie, we have actually already watched a few of these and are even more excited about it then we were just talking about getting it. We will do some art appreciation studies but that will be less formal.

Music: this is an area I haven't spent a lot of time... We have a great composer workbook that we have not used yet and honestly I need to find something that excites me as much as the art set does.  Will continue to look for this. I do plan on everyone continuing piano lessons and believe the girls will be venturing out to learn new instruments in addition to the piano. 

Science/History/Bible/Dictation/Spelling/Reading/Vocabulary/Poetry/Art:  So this has me as excited as the art!  We will be using Bigger from HOD (newbies that is Hearts of Dakota).  The girls will be doing a lot of this together... We have yet to do a study of America... and bigger does history of America through bibliography readings.  They also connect the science and bible to what is being taught in the history.  We will be doing readings together and then MM (Momma Mea) will be doing extensions that the program has to give it more depth for her age.  The bible is a character trait studies from Proverbs.. Can't wait to get into that!   MM will be doing dictation with a bit of Spelling Power thrown in.  BG (Baby Girl) will be doing spelling and emerging readers (also offered as an extra with this specific program).  She will be taking another year to strengthen her reading skills and really learn to love to read.  The ONLY way to do that is to READ.  This means lots of trips to the library and constant couch sitting.  Were we will be reading to each other all year long.  She is a cuddle bug so this really is her favorite thing to do.  Both girls will be doing vocabulary and poetry studies each week (also in this curriculum). MM is also doing DITHOR (newbies- this is a tough one... Drawn Into the Heart of Reading).  This is a HOD program for reading that you use with any reading you are doing.  It has you really map out and workout whatever story your reading.  We will see how it goes. 

Wrap up for girls: The state says we need to teach Ohio history (well do tons of field trips for this), fire safety (we will do a unit on all kinds of emergency skills such as 9-1-1 and fire safety), health (I am still looking into this- we have in the past covered this with science but I am thinking this year i'll just grab individual on your own workbooks for this).  Physical education is also required and I know whatever we end up doing karate, gymnastics, or dance we will get lots of this.  I also would like to introduce Spanish but we will see.  There are lots of field trip we are going to be doing (that is one of my future post - a list of field trips for the year we would like to do for the year).

MM goals for the year:
1. Improvement in communication skills oral and written
2. Reading is an adventure (not a page number)
3. Finding her a niche in something she falls in love with

BG goals for the year:
1.  A love for reading
2. Taking her vision of mission work and making it happen
3. Regulating her health to control her body

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear the LORD and shun evil." ~ Proverbs 3:5-7

So this is a wrap up of curriculum choices for the upcoming year.  Another blog I would like to write is why, how, and when we school.  Inquiring minds always want to know! I need a whole blog post or two, to cover all of that.  In short (very short), we are relaxed Christ centered family that chooses to learn together daily.  We don't do schedules but we do do routines, experiments, messes, and exploring...  I recently bought a plaque that explains it all - "We didn't know we were learning, we just thought we were having fun".  Until next time,
     Remember- making a mess with your kids is as much fun as jumping in mud puddles.