The Simple Woman’s Daybook

For Today August 20, 2011

Outside my Window….honestly I don’t know, have been hibernating inside all day. I am sure it is super buggy and hot, hot, hot outside and I don’t like it. Curtains are drawn closed to help keep the house cool. It gets depressing at times since it is a cave all summer.

I am thinking….about money and how God doesn’t want us to want it but how this world is all about it. Every time I turn around more money is needed for something and everything is getting more and more expensive.

I am thankful….for a teenage son that reads his bible completely on his own.

From the learning rooms…. our first week into the new school curriculum, I feel it was a good choice for this year.

In the kitchen…..tonight black beans, sausage, rice and corn bread. Made a big pot of spaghetti sauce for tomorrow night, since it will be long day.

I am wearing….dark blue capri pants and my favorite pink tee.

I am creating… two very special gifts. Can’t share until delivered.

I am going….to fix dinner shorty then go over and join my children to watch a movie.

I am wondering……how to tell the difference between God’s doing and our own doing. 

I am reading……school books, including bible verses on thankfulness. This is the first book in a series.

I am hoping and praying…..for a friend and her family. As they see a dr. on Tuesday.

I am looking forward to….our extra activities starting this week.

I am hearing….a The Pink Panther movie and my oldest practicing his guitar chords. He is working on playing the guitar for the worship team at church.

Around the house…. has been a quiet rest day. As this is the last week we have of no schedule.

I am pondering…..how can someone see themselves as a positive happy person but bring everyone down around them.

One of my favorite things…. hearing my husband and our children work on music together.

A few plans for the rest of the week….pick up a few more supplies for school, pick up my oldest son his new glasses.

Here is a picture I am sharing….My third son this day decided his ear was hurting so he taped an out of order sign on it. Then just for fun he played a joke on his Mimi and Papa he put his arm in a sling. (with him it is not hard to believe he would need the sling his is all boy and climbs everything he walks near)

To enjoy more daybook here is a link to The Simple Woman’s Daybooks. Thank Peggy for hosting.

Week in review

This week we started all the new curriculum. There has been a few complaints but I feel as we go along they will find they like it better and feel more accomplished, personally.

I was scared of the IEW writing curriculum, it just seemed so overwhelming to me especially since my weakness is writing. After finishing Unit I video and lesson it felts good. We are working on the grade 2-4 level, so that we don’t stress. As I look ahead in the Syllabus I get nervous. Remind myself one step at a time. On the video he says about having helps/reminders on the wall. So our dinning room is now colorful with signs, some that I made a head of time but baby girl wanted them hung.

They are not excited over bible as I am for them, I am hoping this changes as we get more into it. The biggest complaint was over the version of bible is different then their bibles.

We are all so so on the Lyrical Life science. They really want experiments. They loved the Considering God’s creation science. My guys love the cutting, pasting and coloring. I am going to do some science shopping, I may go to Apologia since they have labs with just about every lesson.

Have been shopping for my sons college class books he needs for the two dual enrollment courses he is starting on the 29th. Found all but one, and the one I can find; it is the price that is getting me. This week just isn’t a good week for it.

On Sunday my children’s orchestra begins with an UPBEAT kick off. 

Tuesday my three younger ones and myself start back to Kids Choir at our church. Love to see my children get enthusiastic about their activities.

I even took time to sew this week and was on a good roll until my thread ran out. And doesn’t it figure I have like 30 rolls and none the color I was using. So project on hold until…? online?humm I may have to see how much could it cost for thread?

Well off to shop more online and then to crochet a special blanket for a special baby boy coming into this world soon.

One more thing checked off

Last night I spent time preparing the new curriculum, we are already to start on Monday. I my guys are actually excited. My youngest is asking for her own wordly wise. She so wants to be doing all her brothers are doing.

She told me yesterday that she is glad we don’t take off summer.

Today was evaluation day and it went great! I have a teacher we knew in school do our evaluations. I love to hear his opinion and feed back, he is a teacher that truly loves his job.

 

All is well....

Today all came to a close with my son.
The retention cyst is normal says ENT and no surgery required. The eye glasses are ordered and should have them in 10-14 days.

Funny thing is I pull in to the lot to the Dr. and my daughter annouces that is where she went with her daddy to see Lisa, should have seen the receptions face drop. Then she reconized my daughter and knew right away who my husband was.

Turns out my husabnd has been doing work for them.

God is good, today was a great reminder of how he knows everything and takes care of us.

Catching up…

This evening I actually spent time reading blogs and visiting around the blog world. Was nice to see all the creativity and family updates. Found a couple of the blogs I had been following said goodbye to blogging. Which to be honest I had considered myself. But I like having my blog to go to and write about life and share the different craft projects.

One of those projects I am working on now and so dying to share it with you. But it is a very special gift and I don’t want it spoiled for my very special friend. So I will have to wait to share it.

Not sure how much time will be spent here this year on the blog, I am trying to dedicate time to teaching so we don’t fall behind. Our oldest is starting college courses in a couple of weeks which takes me out of the house on those days. Since we live so far from town I will be trying to plan my time appropriately. As my oldest is in class the rest of us will be taking nature trail walks and the other day grocery shopping.

I am trying to simplify my life this year and not be so stressed. I have even simplified our school this year. My children are growing so fast and my oldest is almost out of my home. My baby is almost 9. Where has the time gone????????

School and the new year plans

So this week we have spent time clearing and finishing up the old, planning and gathering the new.
I have decided to go in a different direction this year.  We are combining 3 different grades. I want to spend more time with my three younger ones learning to write properly.
So here is how this year is going to be looking.
BIBLE: This is a whole series from Train up a child publishing by Kaye Freeman. This will be done as a unit study. I am actually looking forward to these, since they actually address specific topics such as self-control, humility,responsibility and kindness.

LANGUAGE ARTS: I have had this sitting on the shelf for a couple of years, I hear it is a very good writing program. My youngest is finally old enough so that I can teach this as a unit with all of my children.

We are also turning more attention to comprehension and reading these are the guides we will be using. We just finished Milly Molly Mandy and my guys enjoyed it so much they are asking for more.



Of course my two younger ones will continue on with their Explode the Code series. I am even considering putting my other son in the Beyond the Code since I have seen such a benefit with their reading and spelling by using these.

Then we will continue on with Wordly Wise.


And then penmanship we have been using Italic then I found this wonder site that has many pintables for penmanship practice. (click on Proverbs Button to go visit to see all the many different copy works available)

SCIENCE: We are going to be using Lyrical Life Science. Then we will be keeping nature journal we will be spending time this fall going on nature trail walks twice a week. The North American Wildlife book has been an great addition to our nature journal identifications.

HISTORY: Taking a fun approach to memorizing the names of our states and capitals. This will go well with our state coloring book that also provides the states flower and motto’s, trees and flags. Then we will be doing a read out load from the BJU heritage studies. This is so we keep on moving forward from what we worked on this year.

MATH: we will be staying with Saxon and just keep moving forward at their individual grade levels.
 

What have you planned for you’re school year? Have you used any of this curriculum before, would like to hear your experience and thoughts.