The Homeschool Planner!

So, I must admit...

in my 3 previous years of homeschooling a planner has been non-existent.

Well, kinda.

The first year I purchased a well-known homeschool planner and before my first week I filled the entire thing out-in ink people!

That worked so well when I threw out half our curriculum in the first week.

The second year I purchased another one...and never filled it in at all.  Maybe I was scared after the previous year, but the big part was that it just didn't fit 'us'.  

Last year...flying by the seat of my pants!

This year?

I found a planner I can customize and use the way I need it to work!

Alicia @ Investing Love

has created a printable, cheap, perfect planner!

I am not receiving anything for telling you this, I am just honestly thrilled about it!

I'll be honest, I was somewhat anti-planner due to previously mentioned fails, but...I watched Alicia's video because of her washi tape.

You heard me right. She had the loveliest, cutest washi tape I'd ever laid my officesupplylove eyes upon and so, I watched her video to find out where it was from.  And I found a planner I could not only live with, but love!

{I totally went out and bought the same exact washi tape too of course, no shame in copycatting here}

I give you: The Homeschool Planner

Rather than having it bound {one of my things I hate about premade planners} or a three ring binder, I use the ARC system from Staples.   It is basically a punch that you push onto the little circle tabs.  This allows me to have a flat lying planner but the ability to pull pages in and out as needed.  I'll be honest, at this point I am unsure whether it was worth the money.  While the pages do stay in place, ones that get moved a lot wear out quickly and will not 'attach' correctly to the discs.The front page and back are laminated.

because of my obsession with the washi tape, I went with the green and pink theme in my planner, enhancing Alicia's cost efficient and beautifully simple design {thank you Alicia for not making it cost me $60 in ink!}.  I used Martha Stewart Adhesive Tabs rather than dividers.

Each tab is placed at the beginning of each month, which I started with the Goals Sheet.

Each Goals sheet is followed by the Monthly Calendar pages, where I will write out which unit we're on for the particular weeks.

The monthly calendar is followed by the weekly lesson planning sheets, which I have yet to fill in.

 *Since I DESPISE writing in pencil, and we all know how it went for me last time in ink, I will be filling out each weekly sheet in ink...only on the Sunday prior to that week!*

I ended each month with the Books We Read page.  This is something I've always wanted to keep better track of and never have!  yay!

  

 I also have a tab at the top for my Notes pages.

I also printed out Daily Schedule pages for each kid but didn't snap a picture of that.

I didn't print out any record keeping sheets or attendance sheets Alicia has available because I don't use those.

We fortunately have lax homeschool laws in Oregon so I'm not required to record all that.  She also has Quarterly sheets and other things in her download available that I didn't print.  But I love that if I change my mind I can print them out and slide them in wherever. Go support fellow homeschoolin' mama Alicia and get this awesome planner for $7!!!  

Curriculum 2014-2015

Well, it's almost that time of year again!

I am excited to get back into routine and have some cooler, beautiful Oregon Autumn weather.

I have most of our school year figured out, but I have yet to sit down and write it out, that's what August is for ;)

We will be starting school the week following Labor day.

Last year was the first year I can honestly say we all loved the curriculum we used so we will be sticking with it again this year.

Trail Guide To Learning

this year we will be in year 2, Paths of Settlement.

The curriculum for this year is geared for 4th-6th grade, and I only have 1 kid that actually fits in that range.

BUT, I will just have my 3rd grader do most of the 4th grade work, but not all, and I purchased the middle school supplement for my 8th grader.   My first grader will just do what he wants and finds interesting {i.e. the nature studies}.

For math this year my 2 oldest kids will be trying out Teaching Textbooks.  We have never used this before but I am thrilled to have them learning on the computer without my involvement. 

*cough*  

the third grader will be sticking with Rod & Staff math for now.

The only part of the Trail Guide series I didn't love last year was the spelling, so all kids will be trying out the Phonetic Zoo by IEW.

In addition, each kid will do a daily grammar page from Evan Moore and we will be adding in some 'extras' here and there along the way with art and science.

the 3rd grader will continue doing some Explode the Code along with my 1st grader.

The 1st grader found some Star Wars workbooks at Fred Meyer and begged for them, and well, since I wasn't sure what I was doing for him yet anyways I just bought those.  I'm sure they're not the *best* I could be using, but he's excited about them and I take school pretty light the first years anyhow. 

Happy Planning!

I'm joining the
blog hop

Book Recommendations for Mamas!

First off,

I read Last Child In The Woods last month.

While this book was a little tedious to read because of the statistical info and psychology stuff, the point of it was something EVERY parent needs to hear.

The author explains how much of today's culture has pushed kids into a 'nature-deficit disorder' psyche, and why it needs to change.

It was great information, some of which I had never thought of and some which I had.

I highly recommend.

The other mama book I recommend is Surprised by Motherhood.

Lisa-Jo Baker does not tell you how to be a better mom, how to discipline, etc, etc.

It is NOT a parenting and/or self-help book.  It is basically Lisa-Jo's biography and how she became a parent after yrs of not wanting to be.

It is honest and beautiful.

I teared up on a few occasions and laughed out loud at others.

Happy Reading!

summer flowers...

summer flowers.  

one of life's simple pleasures that bring me so much joy...

He's 13...

someone pinch me.

he's 13!

 {playing with the lighter-typical}

As America celebrates so does my Aiden.

They have a lot in common.

Fiercely independent, brave, determined and with an inner strength I admire so much.

We had chosen the name Aiden not knowing , of course, that he would arrive on the 4th of July wailing and strong.

Aiden means little fire.

{covering his face from the camera-typical}

How fitting.

He has been a firecracker from the get-go.

He is a hard worker and amazingly wise beyond his years.

He keeps me on my toes and on my knees I always say.

I know that his strong nature will help him do amazing things one day.

He spent the afternoon on the Rogue River with his dad in a tahiti.

He had tacos & ice cream cake .

He got a scope for his gun

{he was very excited about this though I thought it the most boring gift ever}

I am so blessed to be his mom.

Happy Birthday A.

Happy Birthday these United States Of America.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things {kids edition}...

The kids just watched Sound Of Music recently, so I am inspired to share some favorite things of late.

1} The Squire and the Scroll

this is such a wonderful story.  It had Biblical principles told through an engaging story of adventure.  

2}Avonlea

I watched it as a child, we have already watched it as a family a few yrs ago and want to watch again.   It is based on a book by the same author as Anne Of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery, and aired on the Disney channel originally put out by Sullivan Entertainment.  All my kids have loved it.

3} Oh My gosh, I LOVE these clothes at Little Sky.  Granted, I can't actually AFFORD any of them, but it's fun!

and my fav:

4} Usborne Sticker books

my kids absolutely love these high quality sticker books.  My only complaint is that they are not reusable, but they have so many fun titles that are educational and beautifully done. 

5}watermelon spritzers!

the kids loved these last yr with our own tweaks, but here is a recipe similar...

tasty kitchen

{Picture from her site as well}

with temps over 100 here the last few days and continuing, I will be making these tomorrow :)

Hope your summer is wonderful! 

Why I Used To Want To Kick King David In The %$#@ {and how God is working in me}

Once upon a time there was girl who loved to be good.

She obeyed her mom, respected her teachers, attempted to be kind to her class mates, etc.

She loved Jesus early on and because she went to church and prayed and read her Bible she was 'good'.

Okay, okay, I'm sure you know that the 'she' is me.

And I really did {& do} love Jesus.

I wanted to share my faith, which is good.

I started a prayer circle before school each morning, which was good.

I encouraged people to come to youth group and church, which was -you got it- good.

I didn't disagree that I was sinful, I knew it.

But my sin simply wasn't as bad as most people.

I followed the rules!

I wasn't drinking/having sex/speeding {fill in the blank}

Fast forward into my 20s.

I'll just say it, I despised King David.

Ya, ya, his Psalms were pretty and his story pretty cool.

BUT!!!

The guy was nasty!

He watched some chick bathing!

He had sex with her!

And killed her husband!

And, let's not forget that the guy had multiple wives! 

He danced naked in the street!

and had a daughter raped by his son and did nothing!

he sucked as a father!

He was a womanizing, disgusting human being.

I didn't doubt God, when He called David a man after His own heart.  But believe that I would have told God just what good lil me thought had I been right there.

I remember a sermon I heard as a young mom when the pastor talked about how much he admired King David, how much he couldn't wait to meet him in Heaven.

I remember thinking, ~oh, I'd like to meet him alright.  And kick him right in the, um, well, where it counts.~

 {except of course in my mind I actually said the naughty version}

I recognized myself cringing whenever he came up, in church or in my own readings.

And I went on a quest, if you will, to see why this jerk was called a man after God's heart.

I read through the Kings, Samuel, and Psalms.  I did Beth Moore's study on David.

I sought to understand how this sinful man could be a standard Christians strove toward in their own walks.

What I came to learn was a lot more about me then David.

I learned how to say, "search me oh God and show me my own sin."

I learned that when I was telling people about Jesus as a teenager I was generally obnoxious.

That when I called aside Christian friends to confront their sins, many times I did it with harshness & without love.

That when I argued with teachers teaching evolution {repeatedly}, I was more concerned with being right than I was with being loving.

I came to learn...that my own heart was pretty filthy.

I could do all the right things, but the sin in my heart was just as black as David's.

My sins may not have been as obvious, or even as bad by worldly standards.

But I was claiming to live by God's standards.

And guess what?

In God's eyes we ALL fall short.

whether by murder, or lust, or self-righteousness,  or lying, or  gossip, or sex outside marriage, or drug use, or ,or ,or.

My good deeds are as filthy rags!

And more so, they mean NOTHING without love.

"1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,^a but have not love, I gain nothing."

~1st Corinthians 13~

See, David and I were opposites.

Somehow, His heart knew the Lord intimately and loved God with passion.

He had a longing, an unquenched thirst for God that I lack.

But outwardly, he was pretty screwed up.

Outwardly I was doing all the 'right' things, the 'good' things.

Inwardly, I was loving God, yes, but not really perusing a deeper relationship with Him or recognizing my desperate need for His grace and redemption.

My heart was full of unrepentance and self-righteousness.

I won't lie, I still struggle a little.

I won't say that David is my favorite guy in the Bible, or even in the old testament.

But these days if I were to meet David, I would shake the guy's hand.

And tell him I'm just a sinner like Him longing to know our God more.

                           

1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalms 63- by David!

*photos by me of the bald eagle we saw on the beach!*

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm back!

yay!!!

somehow, blogger had kicked me out of here, I even started a new blog though I never actually wrote there.  

Today, after months of having given up, I tried again.

Blogger let me in!  So, I now have access to my blog and will start posting again soon.