Box Day!

What is box day? Box day is the day that the BIG box full of the year's curriculum arrives at my door. Yesterday was that day! One of the greatest joys in a homeschool mom's year is box day. Maybe it seems silly, maybe it makes us sound a little geeky but it causes joy for so many reasons! I love seeing posts on Facebook with pictures of the boxes of new curriculum. It makes me excited for my friends and impatient for my own packages.

The first thing you notice when you open that box of books in the smell. Nothing beats that new book smell. (Kind of like new car smell, but better.) The new book smell evokes memories of books read and loved - pleasant and relaxing memories. Memories of great joy. There is nothing like starting a new book.

Next you hold the books and flip through them. Looking at all of the new curricula makes you excited for the year ahead. You see all the wonderful things you will teach and learn alongside your children. The beautiful pictures, the amazing stories, the opportunities all excite you.

Box day is the beginning of the new year. The books arrive and I immediately get started planning for the year. I had about half of our curriculum entered into my planner. I got started on our new books as soon as they arrived and I finished it off today. We are ready to start school - we have our books, our supplies, and a plan! Now we just have to wait for the end of theatre camp!

Plans for the Year

I love to see what everyone has planned for the new school year! It is so much fun to look at how many different curricula combinations are out there, but it is also nice to see that some families are doing similar things to us. Even though I know that I have made good choices for our family and for each child's needs, it is validating to see that someone else feels the same way. That said, for those who want to know, this is what we will be doing starting on August 4!

Aidan: 4th Grade

Rod and Staff English 4
Spelling Plus (4th and 5th Grade Lists) with Dictation and Homophones
IEW: Following Narnia
McGuffey's Eclectic Readers
Latina Christiana II
Memoria Press' Greek Alphabet Book
SM Primary Mathematics, Standards Edition 5B, 6A, and maybe 6B

*We will also continue typing and cursive practice.

Lilly: 1st Grade
All About Spelling 1
McGuffey's Eclectic Readers
Bob Books
Explode the Code
Song School Latin
SM Primary Mathematics, Standards Edition 1A and 1B
Life of Fred

Together:
Finish our study of the world's biomes (learn all about that here.)
RS4K Astronomy PreLevel 1
RS4K Biology PreLevel 1/Level 1
Story of the World Volume 4
Memoria Press Geography 1

I plan to be more purposeful with bedtime reading time this year. We have always just let the kids pick from the 100s of books we have in the house and we usually end up reading the same book for weeks! This month it has been Food Hates You Too, which is a great little book of silly poems - but reading it over and over gets old!

Bedtime reading is going to be a part of "school." My husband is on board with reading more classic literature to the kids at bedtime so I have made a list of books I want to finish this year.

I really had no idea where to start! I have lists of good literature for kids, some is broken down by age and others by subject. I have a house full of wonderful literature, I just could not narrow it down to a manageable number for a year of school! My solution was to look at what various companies suggest for each grade. I love everything I have tried from Memoria Press, so I looked there first. I pulled a couple books from the 1st grade list and a couple from the 4th grade list. Some I just knew I wanted to be sure we got to this year. We have already started The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe because good literature just can't wait until the first day of school!

Literature Selections:
Beatrix Potter's Tales of Peter Rabbit and Friends
The Courage of Sara Noble
Charlotte's Web
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Little House on the Prairie
Farmer Boy
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair

If we finish all of these selections, I have a list ready for next year too!

What are some of your favorite literature selections for elementary aged kids?

Playing Catch Up: Homeschooling Through Illness and Hospitalizations

In April, I had what was supposed to be minor outpatient surgery. I had my gall bladder removed. Due to complications, I had full open surgery instead of laparoscopic surgery. After a night at home I was back in the hospital for the rest of the week due to a biliary leak. I was useless as a homemaker, dance teacher, or a homeschooler for a couple of months. Our house was a wreck, we only finished the very basics of school work, and I got behind on everything!

I have spent the last month playing catch-up. Slowly, our house looks like a home and not a disaster area. We are working through the school work we did not finish, and I am doing a little paperwork every day.

Summer school has been light. We are reading through A Child's History of the World a little each day. We read a few science books, do some activities to support what we are learning, and then we do field trips. We have spent more time at the zoo this month than we did all year, and I love it! We have also been reading some good literature out loud.

For the most part, we are just having fun. We do about 2 hours of read alouds 4 or 5 days a week. We have also spent plenty of time at Mema and Papa's new pool!

Riding the timber wolf after a long swim.

We have two weeks before we start our regular school year, we will keep having fun and see what we get done. We may spend the first month of the new year finishing up work from last year. But that is one of the great things about homeschooling, we could just take that time off. I spent my energy being mom not teacher. The kids did not miss anything while they spent a week with my parents and no one had to worry about getting them to and from school. We all focused on time together and helping the kids not be stressed about how sick I was.

We are almost back to normal around here - well as normal as we every were!

Home Ec - It's Not Just for Girls

The school I attended did not offer home ec, many schools have cut this all important class from their budgets and schedules to focus on testing. These skills are just as important as reading, writing, and arithmetic; maybe even more so! This is an important focus of our home school and our home life.

My son is almost 9. He can make biscuits, pancakes, cookies, brownies, mac and cheese, muffins, Ramen Noodles, a can of soup, chicken nuggets, a PBJ sandwich, and much more. He can sweep, mop, wash dishes and scrub a toilet. Today, he learned to hand and machine sew. 

Why are these skills important? Why does my son need to learn to cook and sew? I know there are families that don't find these skill important for their boys to learn, but there are many wonderful benefits to teaching life skills to boys and girls.

I am encouraging entrepreneurship in my children. They want to earn money. We don't give allowances, but our kids have managed to earn and save enough money to purchase a few things that they really wanted. By teaching my son to sew, he can make new things to sell. He is very careful and meticulous when making things, as he improves, he will be able to create high quality items.

At some point, he may live on his own. If he can sew, he can reattach buttons, fix a hem, or hem a pair of pants to fit properly. Doing these small things can be a money saver for any family.

We eat fairly healthy. When he goes to college or moves into an apartment, I want him to be able to continue eating well. I don't want him to rely on fast food. It drains on financial and physical health.

I think that it is important for a young man to be able to help with the household chores, including cooking when he gets married. Even if he marries a woman who wants to be a stay at home mom, - who wants to raise kids and keep house and maybe even homeschool. There are times when a husband needs to be able to cook. People get sick. If his new wife gets sick, he needs to be able to care for her and any children they may have. After the birth of a child he will need to be able to help. 

Plus, it is just plain fun to cook together! The kids are growing up watching Jonathan and I cook together. We watch cooking shows and try new recipes out all the time. We harvest food from the garden and experiment with it. I love sharing the kitchen with my husband! I am so blessed by my husband's willingness and ability to help in the kitchen and with the house work. I want a future daughter-in-law to have that same blessing.

This goes both ways too. Lilly is learning all the household chores, she also works in the garden, and will learn to mow when she is old enough. I love to mow, I find it relaxing. It is also another great way that my kids can earn money as they get older. I don't want my kids to be reliant on an employer. If they choose to get a job, I want it to be that - a choice. 

Life skills that were traditionally taught in home ec are not passed on to all kids by there parents, with the loss of that class in school there are kids who will have to learn all of these skills the hard way once they are on their own. I want my kids to be prepared for any path they choose - college, self-employment, managing a home, or finding and keeping a job. 

Ask Me

Prior to beginning this homeschool journey I did a lot of research. I wanted to be sure I did it right (I have come to learn that there is no right, what works for one child may not work for another and that is the beauty of home education.) I came across lists of questions that homeschoolers are asked, things that concern the general public about homeschoolers, things they think will cause the children pain and distress later in life. I know many homeschoolers who have been asked:

Can you do that?

Are you qualified to teach?

How do you get your child to listen to you all day?

How do they learn to stand in line, raise their hand, take turns, share, sit at a desk all day, etc?

How can they pass the state tests?

How will they meet boys/girls?

What about prom, football games?

What about college?

And the big one: What about socialization?

I have been homeschooling for 4 years and I have never been asked any of these questions! Come on, ask me! I spent a full year researching homeschooling before we began, I continued all through our first year. I read every book I could get my hands on. I joined a fabulous support group, I have attended 3 conventions and a parent practicum; I am ready to answer you!

I don’t know why I don’t get asked these questions. I have been asked “why?” But my answer is usually the short version, “It works better with our hectic schedule.” People usually leave it at that. On the occasion that someone has more questions, I love to talk about homeschooling.

Homeschooling our kids has been the best parenting decision my husband and I have made. This has been confirmed to us over and over again through many events and “aha” moments over the last 4 years. I want to share my joy! So ask me!

Can you do that?

Yes, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states! And yes, I am capable. I enjoy teaching. I have been teaching my kids in some way since the day they were born.

How are you qualified to teach?

I successfully finished a masters degree. Yes, it was in theatre, but I am confident in my ability to teach elementary school subjects like math and science. Besides, I don’t have to know everything. There is so much wonderful curriculum to choose from. School teachers have books they teach out of, that is what I do, too.

How do you get your child to listen to you all day?

Discipline. They listen as well as they always have. School is just a part of our lives, there is not much division. We eat breakfast, we do some school work, we eat lunch, we finish our schoolwork, then we play. Sometimes we just read, but we read from history and science books as well as picture books and novels.

How do they learn to stand in line, raise their hand, take turns, share, sit at a desk all day, etc?

We go to the grocery store, they stand in line with me there. Raising your hand does not take years of practice to learn. They take turns with each other all day.  They share with each other. Why should my 6 and 8 year olds be trained to sit at a desk all day? That is not the life I want for them as adults. Mom and dad don’t work at desks all day, my kids don’t see that as normal. It is also not developmentally appropriate for young children to sit all day. Both of my kids are kinesthetic learners (as are many young children, especially boys!) - they recall more if they are moving or doing something with their hands. We have done handstands during history, cartwheels during science, and rolled across the floor during math! I often read to my daughter while she cleans her room.

How can they pass the state tests?

They don’t have to. They are not public school students. They do not have to pass anyone’s tests. I decide when they have met the requirements to complete a grade.

How will they meet boys/girls?

They are 6 and 8. They have friends in our support group, at church, and at their extracurricular activities. When they are old enough to date and they are interested, they will find kids their age through these same activities. I am not concerned; again, they are just 6 and 8.

What about prom, football games?

Homeschool groups have proms and other activities for teens. In our area, there are homeschool sports teams. They have ample opportunities to see friends play sports; but honestly, they would rather watch a musical (just like mom and dad.)

What about college?

Homeschool students are admitted to college all the time. Some colleges even search out homeschool students. I know a handful who are headed off to college this fall.

What about socialization?

My kids have an amazing relationship with their family. The kids are best friends. They play together all the time. They are not subject to peer pressure, they are unique and I love that they don’t feel the need to hide who they are.

They spend time with people of all ages. Only in school are you forced to remain in an environment with people of your own age in a situation you may not like or feel safe in. As adults, if we dislike a work environment we can quit and find a new job. We make friends based on interests, and we are in situations with people of all ages allowing us to learn from those who are more experienced. Kids in school are not allowed this freedom. My kids have a lot of friends, all these friendships have been created through activities. They have common interests, not common ages.

They live life with their parents. They learn to socialize by example. Their example is from grown adults, interacting in a mature manner (most of the time) not from their peers who are also learning how to socialize.

Be confident in your choice to homeschool, be prepared to answer any question someone asks and maybe you won’t ever be asked! My mom always prepares for rain because then, it won’t rain. I guess the same is true of homeschooling. Prepare to answer anyone's questions, and no one will ask you.

What's for lunch? The Most Stressful Meal of the Day!

Everyone is awake, breakfast is eaten and the mess is cleaned up. The school books come out and everyone works hard. Focus is great! Things are being learned! Everyone is happy. Then it happens, someone says the words that end all productivity - "I'm hungry, what's for lunch?"

You try to keep going. "Let's just finish math, then we will get lunch."

Your attempt fails. "I'm too hungry!"

Your brain starts to race. "What will we eat? I don't want to cook lunch AND dinner! We just finished breakfast. Think of all those dishes that will have to be washed! I wanna go back to bed!"

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day; lunch can be the most stressful for a homeschool mom! Don't panic. Mealtime is only as stressful as you make it. Here are some helpful hints for a stress less lunchtime.

First things first, you know your kids will have to eat lunch. Plan for it. I try to keep a variety of quick and easy lunch options around. Many of them my kids can get for themselves. I try to keep as many healthy options around as possible, and we round out the less healthy meals with fruits or veggies. These staples save me stress at lunch.

frozen chicken nuggets
PBJ
pepperoni and salami
canned soup
Ramen Noodles
boxed pastas (mac n cheese, shells and cheddar, etc)
sardines
planned-overs (strategically planned leftovers)
ready to eat fruits and veggies
cheese
frozen pizza crusts (I make these and roll them out to the size of my stone, and freeze)

My kids can make their own PBJ and chicken nuggets, they can fix a plate of pepperoni, cheese and fruit, and my oldest (8) can make mac n cheese, Ramen, and a can of soup. On days when I am tired or we are very busy, these options allow my two older kids to get their own lunch, and many times get lunch for the toddler as well. When there is cooking I am in the room to supervise, but I can continue lessons with one child while the other cooks, or we can do a read-a-loud.

My second big secret is the use of divided lunch trays! It may seem silly, but it makes thinking about lunch optional. I can talk about math, history, science, or grammar and fill lunch plates and know that we will have a variety of food groups in our lunch. It has also taught my kids to fill their plates with a variety of foods. Each section must hold something different - meat or protein, fruit, veggie, pasta, bread. My 6 year old will fix herself a lunch that looks like this: the large section will have pepperoni and cheese or sardines. One smaller section will have strawberries and the other will have carrots.

Third, what are these planned overs? We have many meals where I purposely cook more than we will eat and then turn the leftovers into a quick lunch. Cook a whole chicken, turn the leftovers into chicken salad or chicken and dumplings, or just a cold chicken sandwich. Leftover tacos become a taco salad. A casserole will get us through 2-3 days of lunches. These can be quick and easy lunches!

Fourth is the one thing that makes our days run the smoothest! I cook lunch and dinner at the same time. I may cook chicken and dumplings for lunch. While that is cooking I fill the slow cooker with a roast and veggies, chicken and BBQ sauce, or dump a premade freezer meal in to start (or get one out to thaw and cook in my Rock Crok 30 minutes before we eat). Other days I prep a casserole or lasagna that just needs to go in the oven right before dinner. Once lunch is over, we clean up from prepping both meals and then go on with our day. When I do two meals at one time, we have a better day.

Finally, turn lunch into a class. Lunchtime is home ec. You can teach so many valuable skills during lunch preparation. Basic cooking and food preparation skills, health and nutrition, cleaning, and team work. This lapbook/unit study from Knowledge Box has some great introductory information. Currclick.com also has several nutrition studies that you can download. Everything your kids do is a learning opportunity. Use them to make your day easier. Check out the options like this lapbook on homeschoolshare.com as well.

Don't let lunch derail a productive school day. The kids have to eat, find ways to make it a stress less meal.