Our First Day Of School Fall 2011

Today started with everyone waking up late, mom feeling yucky do to a cold or allergies (not sure which just not fun), and no breakfast cereal in the house.  Do to allergies cereal is mostly what the kids eat for breakfast is cereal I make other things but they don't always eat it.  Anyway then it took 2 hours to get dressed and chores done because we didn't want to do them.  (Nothing new around here.)  I went to the store after my husband got off work at 9 am so I could get cereal and stickers we needed to decorate the school boxes.  I got back by 10 but they were still finishing chores.  Finally at 10:30 we had scripture and prayer (we skipped a morning song just to get they day going)  the were to excited about the school boxes to actually listen at scripture time but we made it through.
Here are them decorating their pencil/marker/crayon/everything boxes

Everyone had fun decorating their boxes.  The preschoolers have one box to share and they did decorate it but it was later and I failed to get a picture.
After school boxes we got Phonics done/reading, then math, and handwriting.  In that time we also had lunch. Do to slow starts and schedule changes (swim lessons then swim lessons canceled do to rain) we skipped spelling and first language lessons)
But we did lots of art projects.  Everyone got three blank pages to create.  Next I printed off some color, cut, and paste school houses.  They created them how they wanted then they each wrote in their journals about their school: what they would name it, what they would learn, etc.  They had a ton of fun.  Even with a rough start we had a great first day.

These are their schools.
After school for a snack (which I made during lunch) Fruity Pebble Treats.

Here is Mr. Man because we couldn't forget about him although I never had the camera ready when he was doing school things.

And that was our first day of homeschool this school year!  Tomorrow I go with my mom and my girls to the American girl school for the opening of two new dolls.  I have never done anything like this but it sounds so fun!

Our Curriculum

Our Curriculum took me all year to research and figure out what to do for this year.  But I am very excited with what I finally picked.

For Science:

Exploring Creation With Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the 5th day by Apologia

The Kids are really excited about this one because they love animals.  We will be reading it at home but doing the activities to go with it at a small co-op (one other family besides us).  They are really excited that their friends will be doing this with them.

For History:  Story of the World Vol. 2

We have used this vol.  before for my oldest but only the second half.  Since we did vol. 1 last year we decided to do all of vol. 2 this year.  The activities we do for this we also do with our homeschooling friends.  The kids love this history and so do I.  I hope to post some of the fun activities we will be doing this year.

Language Arts: We are using First Language Lessons and Writing with Ease.

We are starting in volume one on both but I think Rosebud will move through them quickly however this is were she struggles the most so that is why I am starting at the basics.
We are also using explode the code.  I love this books and they help my children greatly.  This is the one Bumblebee will be starting with this year but PorkChop will start on 3 this year because last year he did 1 and 2.  Rosebud is finishing 4 1/2 and starting 5. These are based more on skill level than grade level and you can go though them as fast or slow as you like.



Hooked on Phonics is something Bumblebee and PorkChop are using.  We started a little bit last year but they forgot most of that this year.  I got a good deal on the set PreK through 2nd grade so we will be using them.  If you go to buy Hooked on Phonics google it (or swagbucks search) and you can usually get a coupon code to use on their website and get a better deal than any where else I have found.

This is what I am using to Teach Bumblebee to read.  Porkchop might be using some of it too but for now mostly just Bumblebee.  I also found a free handwriting printable sheets on Donna Youngs website that she made to go with this book.  That is part of what she will be using for handwriting.
http://donnayoung.org/penmanship/manuscript-practice.htm







We also have lots of readers around and chapter books and other books that my kids read from.  Some that were printed out, some from resale stores, and some we bought.  I have a few reading books I have got along the way too but that is something I kind of let them pick though out the year.  I will be reading Charlotte's Web during school.  My husband is ready Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief at night before bed.  I will update later as our books change but I think my husband is
going though the whole Percy Jackson series but I am not sure yet.














Spelling: All About Spelling
We are starting with level 1 because in public school my kids missed some of the basics I have a feeling they will be on level 2 by christmas so I am not worried.  Bumblebee will probably not start this until next year we are focusing on reading this year.  Although yesterday I found out they have a All about reading Program come out.  I wish I new because I would love to try that.  I am sure it will be good.  Oh well I have a 3 1/2 year old who I might be able to try that on in a few years.







Math: This is where everyone is a little different.
Rosebud
She started this last year and did not finish we are also working on multiplication.  Math is something Rosebud has to go very slowly through to take it all in but she is getting better and faster we might change books but at least to start the year we are sticking to this one and going to be more consistent with it.









PorkChop:
Singapore Math is what he will be using this year.  I am starting him with 1b because there is somethings in it I think he missed in his curriculum last year but by christmas he will be on to 2a.  I use the Textbook and the Workbook.










Bumblebee:
She is using the Kindergarten Math.  I think she might because able to do 1st grade math but she has a hard time know how to writing the numbers and I want to give her a good base before moving on.










P.E., Music, and Art are things I kinda do on my own but I am trying to find something more to do for those. I want to get my kids into music lessons but the budget just has not allowed for it.  But maybe someday.  I will write about my preschool curriculum and what I am doing with them next time.  Sorry this was so long.  No one is paying me to write about this books they are all books I researched and talked with other homeschool families about.  If you click on the amazon link and buy that product I will get paid but really I was only using them for pictures.  Because my camera is hiding.  I will also talk about our scripture study and calendar time on another post.

Say Goodbye to Summer!

Most years I hate saying goodbye to summer but this year I think I am ready to say goodbye.  Why you ask? Well it has been a summer full of craziness and people getting sick.  In June my mom found out she had breast Cancer. My Uncle came to visit and that was nice.  Mr. Man started seeing a new allergist at Children's Medical Center.  She is my hero now because my son who never slept during the night and was always broke out with Eczema got clear and beautiful skin.  We tried new meds., wet wraps, daily baths, meds to help him sleep when too broken out to sleep, and the wonder drug (not a drug at all) canola oil!  He is broke out now and not sure what is going on but I think it is something outside allergen related.    My sister and her family came to visit that was great!  I had around 8 kids or more at my house most days but it was fun!  Plus we spent a lot of time at my mom's house and played canasta (a family favorite). Then my mom had her surgery for breast cancer which went really well.  My father in law came to visit but was about 5 days late so kids got very upset.  Then the day he was suppose to leave he got really sick and had to go to the er.  He had appendicitis.  A week and half later he finally got to go home.  The kids had a fun fishing trip with him though. Then my mom had radiation which went well and hopefully doesn't have to have chemo.  That was our eventful summer besides the Texas summer heat of over 100 degrees most days since June (one of our hottest summers ever).  We have stayed in doors alot.  That and major allergies and summer colds which we have been fighting for a month.   We are all ready to get back to normal life and a little less events happening.  We plan to start school at our house on Monday.  We had a pajama party today even the extra kids I watch came in pajamas.  We had popcorn and m&ms (dumdum suckers for Mr. Man) and watched movies on netflix all day.  Mostly because the summer cold finally took its hold on me and for sum reason if I can't breath I don't function.  Tomorrow we go to a baptism for a great friend of ours and a church pool party so that will be a great end to our summer.  I actually am excited to get school going although a little scared as this is my first year to homeschool kindergarten and be the soul person to teach my child to read.  I will talk more about school in my next post but for now Goodbye Summer we will see you again next year!!!!!!!!!!!!

Homeschooling

Ok so I am away behind in my blog sorry I am going to be better about that this year as we homeschool.  I want to keep us as a way to remember what we do this year. So I thought I would start by posting what we will be doing this year for schooling.  My tots, Mr. Man, Miss M (my niece I watch) and another little girl I watch will be doing tot trays along with Letter of the Week from another blog.  This is the link to the tot trays http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TraysforTots.html  I love this idea and can't wait to get started with my little ones.  Letter of the week come from this link  http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2010/07/letter-of-week-curriculum.html  Bumblebee will also be doing letter of the week with the little ones.  She is a September baby so she would not be in kinder this year in public school but at home we are doing a little preschool and kinder with her.  I will also be doing a shape, color, and number of the week as well so help everyone learn those as well.  So that is what the tots are doing for tot school or preschool or whatever you choose to call it.  I will post more about what they are doing each week in another post.  Bumblebee beside doing what the tots will be doing will also be doing Get Ready for the Code from Explode the Code.  Also a bunch of worksheets I have been get from old preschool books we had around the house and from online.  I plan to work on reading with her slowly because she is one that has to do things when she is ready you can't get her to do anything until she decides to do it.  She will be included in alot of the things the big kids are doing as well.  Plus lots of story time and math games.
        Porkchop and Rosebud will both be doing Explode the Code Porkchop will start on book one but might move quickly or might be right no speed not sure yet.  Rosebud will start on book 4 and we will see how it goes.  For reading books a got I Wonder which is a first grade level reading book and Doors to Discovery which is a 3rd grade level reading book both are complied by Ruth K. Hobbs Christains Light Education.  Rosebud is also doing Wordly Wise for vocabulary words.  For spelling we are mostly using http://www.spellingcity.com/  My kids learn their words best when playing games with them.  I am getting most of my word list from http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/index.html  the have spelling list you can print for each grade level and fun holiday word list also it is great.  I get all kinds of worksheet from this site including calendars.  Some words I do get from misspelling in my kids writing as well.  They will also be using Handwriting without Tears.  This worked really well Rosebud last year and improved her handwriting so she will be moving on to cursive this year.  Porkchop will be doing the print one.  They will also be doing journal writing.  For history this year will be doing Story of the World volume 1.  I know we are kind of doing them backwards but it just kinda worked out that way with the co-op we are in.  I love story of the world so it doesn't matter to me if we do them out of order just that we learn from them.  We will also be reading things like the Little House books and trying out the cookbook also for history and maybe so of the American Girls also.  We really like studying different time periods and what it was like to live during that time.  We will be making lapbooks and things to go with this.  For science will are doing God's Creation Series.  I got the book Our Father's World and Exploring God's  Creation  I am going to both books this year with the two or three older kids.  For scripture study we are using Discovery the book of Mormon.  Yes I am lds or Mormon for anyone who didn't know.  Here is the link for the scripture study site but they also have bible ones for anyone who wants  it http://www.bookofmormondiscovery.com/bookofmormon.html  We will also be doing flannel board story's from the book of Mormon and the bible.  I put magnets on the back and use a dry erase board instead of a flannel board but that is what works best for us.  They will also be doing some reading on scriptures for kids which is a great site I love http://scriptures4kids.com/  So that is most of what we are doing beside crafts and art, cooking, baking, running, playing, and co-op well and anything else we just feel like adding in. (I am not getting any money from the sites I posted I just really like all of these sites.)

Well life has been crazy with spring in full spring the kids have a case of the I don't want toos. Anyone else have that problem. It seems like school and chores are out and tv, games, and outside play are in. I am ok with some of that but not all day plus with all the rain it seems more like tv and computer than outside play. I am ok with learning games and video's that help you learn like those the Leap Frog makes we love those. Anyway, I just want them to get excited. Today we went to the library to get a fresh batch of books to see if we could find something more pruductive to do. We got lots of great books and I read to them during lunch it was such a nice lunch. Now we are doing chores and hopefully we will get to go to the park after dinner. I am hoping the rain holds out. I am trying to find something that will help my kids stay focused for the next few weeks until summer is here although we plan to still have some school work going on and chores for sure but hopefully still have a great time.