Monday, April 30, 2007

Calling all Homeschooling Moms!!!

Image credit: Scholastic.com

I NEED HELP PEOPLE
!!! I don't know where to go, who to talk to or even what to do when it comes to Homeschooling, all I know is that if I do have to homeschool I want to have a christian curriculum and that is about all I know, hence my stress! So if you have any tips or are currently homeschooling your children, I would LOVE some info or advice please....pretty please with a cherry on top???


The move is coming soon and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed, there just seems to be so much to do and plan, it's truly stressful. The biggest thing for me right now is Jasmine's school, not until we have base housing do we know which school she is able to attend, and as things stand right now there is a very strong possibility that I will be homeschooling her.


Cool Slideshows

This weekend was wonderful, we had warm temperatures and took advantage of it to the fullest. I think we were only in the house to sleep and eat and oh, use the bathroom of course LOL
Other than that we were outside in the pool, tanning, grilling and just having a ball...I'm nice and brown and I feel wonderful :)

I also got to sit outside in our swing and read my Fannie Flagg book "Can't wait to get to Heaven"....IT IS HILARIOUS. I can't believe I had never read this author before, who by the way wrote the very well known and wonderful "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe"......she's so funny and the book really captivates you from the first page. Here is a little blurb just so you can see how funny it is:

As predicted, around ten AM, just as Norma had finished applying her special Merle Norman facial mask for dry sensitive skin, the phone rang for the fourth time that morning. "Norma, if Adam and Eve were the only two people on earth, then where did Cain and Abel meet their wives?"
"Oh, I don't know, Aunt Elner....at Club Med? Don't ask me. I don't even know why the chicken crossed the road."
"You don't? Well I do!" said Aunt Elner. "Do you want me to tell you?"
Norma gave up and sat down. "sure," she said. "I'm just dying to know."
"To show the possum it can be done."
"Aunt Elner, where do you hear these silly things?"
"From Bud and Jay. Did you know that another name for the potato bug is the Jerusalem grasshopper?"
"No."
"Did you know there are forty-seven trillion cells in the human body?"
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, that was the correct answer yesterday. It won somebody and electric knife."
Norma had just put the phone down and was headed to the bathroom when the phone rang again.
"Hey, Normal, you just wonder who had the time to count all those cells, don't you?"


LOL I swear this book is just too funny, I am loving it and I'm definitely picking up any Fannie Flagg books I find from this day on. You have GOT to read them. (Anabela, let me know if you like the book)

Saturday morning I gave the house a good cleaning, actually Curt and the kids helped too, so now we have a spotless house. Here's the thing though, why is it that kids associate cleaning with someone coming over???

Jasmine's best friend came over for the afternoon, and yes while I did make sure she had her bedroom clean, the rest of the house cleaning is done because it's what I do everyday, especially on the weekends when Curt is home and can keep the kids busy, I get a LOT more done.

Anyway, I was cleaning the house and asked Jasmine to help with some stuff to which she quickly says....well, this is how it went:

Jasmine: Why are you cleaning mommy?

Me: Because it needs to be done Jasmine.

Jasmine: But why, is someone coming over?

Me: Yes your friend is coming this afternoon but that is not the reason I'm cleaning....

Jasmine: Oh, is someone else coming over?

Seriously, come on, if anyone hears this they're going to think that we live in a pigsty which only gets cleaned out if someone decides to come by.

It's like the day she stayed home sick and saw me cleaning (this cleaning thing just really confuses her lol) and she asked why I was doing it and I told her that it's what I do everyday...she replied with "really??? Oh I thought you just did your blog" LOL

If you're interested in seeing what I'm cooking this week, just head on over to my food blog where I posted my menu.

BTW we watched "Night at the Museum" yesterday and it was brilliant...we all watched together as a family and loved it.

Alright I'm headed out, I have a 4 year old that believes the couches pillows look better laying all over the living room floor...what is with kids and couches??? At least once a day you can find them diving off the couch onto a pile of pillows.....it does look fun but the mommy in me cringes everytime.

Have a great day everyone, God Bless,

16 comments:

Eden said...

Hey Sandra! I was homeschooled K5-12th grade and my mom used A Beka Book. It's a great Christian curriculm. It's excellent.

http://www.abeka.com/

If you are interested, I can give you my mom's email and some of the other ladies that I know that have strictly homeschooled their children.

Steve and I are planning to homeschool as well. Of course, we have a while before we start. lol

Have a great day!

Hugs,
Eden

Amelia Antwiler said...

We often have couch cushion wrestling contests around here. It's just a normal thing. I'm beginning to think that the cushions start it.

I couldn't tell if your plea for information was really what you wanted - so If I'm not being helpful, please say so.

We use ABeka for our core curriculum. It is not perfect. I used it exclusively for the last 2 years - but am branching out this year because they are reading intensive and work book intensive.

So we're using ABeka for Phonics & Math & Language

We're going to use "Considering God's Creation", "Adventure's in My Father's World" from My Father's World and some "Galloping the Globe", too. I've found some nifty things from Rod & Staff about community... I think that's pretty much our curriculum for the next year starting in the summer, most likely.

How old are your kids? I found your blog through another link.
Good luck with your Homeschool search!!

Anonymous said...

I've been homeschooling Emme for 2 years and I am VERY eclectic! I use bits and pieces from all over.

If you want an entire Christian curriculum, look into http://www.sonlight.com/ -- it is supposed to be really good.

Also look at the books at

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find/479756577?Ntk=keywords&Ntt=christian+liberty+press&action=Search&N=0&Ne=0&event=ESRCN&nav_search=1&cms=1

(The link is for Christian Liberty Press at www.christianbook.com)

Hope this helps!

Sherry

Barb said...

OK, THAT'S the pool you blew up. That makes just a little more sense. :-)

That's it. After reading that excerpt, I'm finding that one last Fannie Flagg book I haven't read. Isn't she just hysterical? I swear, I laugh out loud when there's no one in the house but me when I'm reading her books. I vividly remember laying around the pool at our favorite family RV park one summer, reading Daisy Fay and the Traveling Man, when I realized people were staring at me because I was laughing so hard.

I know diddly squat about home schooling but there are a lot of people out here who can help you. Why are you thinking you're going to have to home school her?

Jennifer said...

Hey Sandra, I clicked on this blog looking for you MPM. :) Feel free to email me at jmdeaton(at)yahoo(dot) com. I have some homeschooling info I'll be glad to share with you!
Have a blessed day.

Beckyb said...

Sandra - I am still here everyday (well, almost) but I just don't post very often but if you remember me - I'd love to give you suggestions for homeschooling - we have homeschooled all of our kids years of school - so far - and I have an elem. ed. degree - so just email me or leave a note on my blog if you want more info - I still have your email. Sonlight is a great Christian curriculum as well - lays out everyday for you and is built around GOOD literature!! I LOVE My Father's World as well - we use this one!
Becky

Michelle said...

I've no experience with homeschooling so good luck if you go that route!

Glad to hear you had such a nice day out!

Joe and Kayla just watched Night at the museum while I was out at the commissary!

Amber said...

I have been reading your blog for sometime and finally decided to comment on your homeschooling situation. I will be starting my 4 year old this fall. I have been doing a lot of research through other blogs also and have found out wonderful things about Sonlight. I am going to a convention this Saturday to actually look at the curriculum hands on. Anyways, it is supposed to be good because the lesson plans are all laid out for you and you don't have to worry about getting that all together at the last minute. Also, a plus is you can do school 4 or 5 days a week. Very neat, I think. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Kelli said...

Email me and I'll send you my number- or email me yours. I can go over what we've done :) Happy to help!

Robin Green said...

I can offer info about A Beka, Bob Jones, and Sonlight--we also used Math-U-See for one year. I'm an Air Force wife, too--if I haven't mentioned that somewhere before. I loved this post--just full of stuff. My kids ask the same thing when I clean house--and I do it every week. We loved Night at the Museum--the kids are wanting to buy it.

Irene said...

There is nothing like a swing and a good book and splashing in the pool on a weekend. After all, why should we be doing fancy and important sounding things all the time?
As my children grow up and I grow up,I appreciate more the time we spend together doing silly little things.(Beautiful, fun photos, there, by the way!)
Good luck with your home ed.I can see you have some suggestions for some good resources. I think I'd start with prioritizing what's important for me that I'd like my kid to know that outside education cannot or won't offer. Then plan accordingly.
Be happy!

Momma Roar said...

Just thought I'd drop a quick note of support for the Weaver curriculum. I've just finished Interlock (preschool or kdg curric) with my soon to be 5 year old son. We plan to start vol 1 of Weaver in Fall for kdg. There are 5 volumes total. This is a unit study curric that uses God's Holy Word as it base. Blessings to you!

Toni said...

Hello!
We're wrapping up our 3rd year of homeschooling. There is so much Christian curricula out there and all will not be the right fit for your family. Two things that helped me;
1) Lisa Whelchel's So You're Thinking About Homeschooling. This is an EXCELLENT overview of all things homeschooling. You'll read about 15 very different families and you're sure to identify with at least one (ie. military, single parent, working mom, SAHM, grandparent as teacher, etc.) You'll also get a thorough overview of different kinds of curricula, homeschool philosophies, learning styles, etc. Most importantly, you'll come away with a sense of how VERY UNIQUE one homeschool is from the next and how that's absolutely fine. It's a very easy (and often humorous) read. Your library should have it or be able to get it through interlibrary loan.
2)Come pick the brains of the very experienced moms over at The Homeschooler's Curriculum Swap. The forums are great. The combined wisdom and experience is priceless.
http://theswap.com/dcforum/dcboard.cgi
Blessings,
~Toni~

david santos said...

Thanks for you work. You are Master.

Courtney said...

I didn't know you were thinking about homeschooling. I did it with Alli this year & I'm considering again this year. She has done so well with it! While Matt was deployed he was getting word that after he got home we'd have to go to Texas for awhile for him to patrol the border. Then next NC for something else. The next week a different place. ( You know military & this is just National Guard!) Anyway, I hated starting her then moving her around so much. So I just took a leap & started her with it & couldn't be happier with how things are coming along.

Melonie said...

I've been very impressed with the materials and support from Sonlight. I didn't use them personally with my daughter, but my former step-daughter's mother used them with her and I saw her making great progress. The other upside is that her mom wasn't "into" creating her own more eclectic curriculum like I am; she needed and wanted something that was more pre-planned. We were all very happy with the entire program; if I were to go with a full-fledged "boxed" curriculum, I would not hesitate to use Sonlight. That said, they are *not* cheap. But you do get what you pay for...from what I saw, it was a quality education, great booklists, and a well-thought out program. I don't say that lightly either, as I am much more of the "no one curriculum can suit all my needs" type person. That's the only thing I've seen that even comes close!

Feel free to pop by my new homeschooling blog (homeschooldirt.blogspot.com) and ask questions if'n ya like. And thanks for the oatmeal recipe...sounds tasty!