Homeschool Year 07-08:) Ideas, Ramblings Thoughts, Comments, Questions...;)

Hi Everyone:)
I am back from Durham NC-got home late last night and just finished unpacking and getting the kids ready to go with "dad" for the weekend while I work work work:)
I am so hardcore "homeschool planning" right now, it's kind of funny:) I have a copy writing account that is collecting dust, a cake to bake and decorate for a friend, and several doubles in my current schedule....All I can think about, however, is homeschooling.
Last month we lost our homeschool group of five years. I had started it, it was my baby, but I trusted the wrong person with my livelihood and they acted in a completely immature, unprofessional and conniving fashion and ruined something that had been really really good for a LONG time. At first I was devastated-mostly because of the time and effort invested over five years, and the fact that people would hurt children on purpose with selfish actions. Within a day, though, doors had opened for new opportunities, and by the fourth or fifth day, I couldn't believe the quality of our new life! Had I known that losing my group would lead to such freedom, such creativity, such plain "NON STRESS", I would have spent my time more wisely over the last few years. I would have invested MORE into our own lessons and life, and less into the lives of people who were pretty obviously using me. From this realization, I have bursted back into my over excited homeschool mom costume and it's like we are just getting a fresh new start!:) I am so happy, and my kids are thriving-totally thriving!
I am deep into planning for this year, efforts to get organized-like searching for a planning form or a new idea, have led me to great new sites and many new ideas!!! My challenge, of course, is to focus on a few great ones and not get lost in the masses:)
We have "notebooked" in the past, "lapbooked" as well. I like the notebooking better, but I haven't explored it very closely and haven't had a huge chance to actually see how it could work for us. My kids are varied ages and levels, and the creative aspect of the process can easily distract me from the whole picture of notebooking. I am so curious to learn how this approach of schooling has worked for their family...I'd love opinions from others who may be reading this:) I joined a few notebooking and form share yahoo groups for support, ideas and motivation:)
I have also re-discovered the Core Knowledge site. This site, along with the book series, was our first homeschool approach. The site offered little but a "What Your ~ Should Know" outline for each grade, with promises of a great future of added lessonplans. I hadn't been back in years, and today realized the the promises were kept! The lessonplan section is quite awesome! I saved each of my children's grade levels (save the whole link) to my desktop in their personal file for future referance.
I am having such a blast surfing the net for personal homeschool quest-I had gotten away from being excited about new HS ideas for awhile...Life happens;)
Another cool site that I stumbled upon last night is http://www.awesomelibrary.org/ .This site calls for more exploration and I can't wait to settle in and do just that. There seems to be TONS here for use:)
I have some rambling thoughts about homeschooling...Do most HS Moms constantly explore new options and ideas? Is it better the find something the works and stick with it for awhile, or is it ok to have changes during the year/s? I started out with a unit studies approach when my kids were preschoolers...Themes were based on the Core Knowledge scopes. Our first unit was on Rain forests...I got a little carried away;) As I added more children to the school day, I found a need for more structure and discovered The Well Trained Mind, which quickly became my homeschool bible. I still use curriculum ans theory gleaned from that incredible book, and with that, we have settled into a comfort zone for the last years. This year finds us more settled then in recent years, and with children that get their basic studies done rather independently. I feel that we now own more of our time, and that our personal interests and skills can really start to bloom within our homeschool lifestyle.
I have met many homeschool moms, all very different, but most enjoy searching out and discovering new "stuff". I have personally seen moms so wrapped up in the pretty "stuff" that they can barely dig themselves out from the UPS boxes long enough to do lessons:) I have seen moms change their philosophies and styles overnight for months at a time, and the "learning" seemed to drop off while mom researched and planned...I have hit that plateau as well-which is what has kept me so close to our basic plan for so long. I want to shake it up, but not too much:)
As a homeschool parent, do you embrace many changes or do you try to maintain a more settled and structured, constant approach? What has been your new discovery for this year-what will you drop, add or try? How are you implementing this into your lifestyle? Do your children help you decide what you want to do, use, try, as you plan for a new year? I am curious as to how others approach new years, new ideas....
Off to get ready for work and hopefully surf a little longer:)

Work, Work, Work...:)

This weekend the kids are away, which only means one thing for me-WORK! I try to work as much as possible when they are not here, needing a sitter, etc. It's good deal though, I usually end up working several doubles, enjoying the time to joke and goof with co-workers and management, as well as make good money. This weekend was especially good because the money was good even though business was slow. (damn BBQ Bash in Bel Air!) I got to do new things and make more cash and get involved more, which is always good:)
I have so much to do. It's insane how overwhelmed being a single homeschooling mom of four can get...I HAVE the money to pay the bills, I just never know what day of the month it is, so I forget to MAIL the bills!
I have to run....Wish I could sit and write, but more work awaits...!

Heat, Chinese Food, Homeschooling and etc...

We are back from the beach-a full five days of temperatures of 105+, and 97% humidity!!! It was fun though, the kids got to spend time with their grandparents, and also got to swim A LOT!:) They spent most days at the community pool at my folks place, and on Wednesday we ventured into the insane heat with a trip to the ocean. The heat index on the shores of Fenwick Island State Park was 115!!!! My children and I are not much on sunbathing-my legs have not seen the sun in probably 8 years-and although we slathered on serious sunblock, we all got too much sun. I was under two umbrellas, with a shirt over my legs, and I still got crisp on my legs. My daughter and middle son look like lobster faces and are already peeling. It was FUN though:)
Vacations always bring out the kid in me. Last year, two months after major surgery on my neck, I decided to play tag at the lazy river in our hotel in Va Beach. My insane competitive edge kicked in as my oldest son, Jordan, almost caught up with me. I looked up and saw a small hole cut into the giant rock formation in the center of the circular river, and in one movement, jumped up and THROUGH it!!!! It was only about a foot wide and high, and I took all the skin off of my thighs!!! Then, in effort to get away from my daughter, Skye, I dove into the water and pounded my head onto a rock wall....It was fun though....Memorable to say the least.
This vacation had us visiting one of my favorite places on earth-Ocean City Maryland. There are rides there that I have gotten on since I was 10 years old-so that's.....31 years ago!!!!!!!! Yikes!!!!:) My favorite ride, The Himalaya, plays loud music and loops you round and round while the operator yells "Do you wanna go reeeeeaaaal fast????" and everyone screams....Amazing how the operator has sounded exactly the same for over 30 years!!! I got on with my two oldest kids a few times, screamed like a 12 year old and had a BLAST:) Nothing makes you feel young like screaming on a ride:) I also got into the ocean, which I haven't done in years. I was way out, over my head to avoid getting pelted by the gravel in the breaking waves. I talked my daughter into joining me, then we decided to try to ride in on a wave...We got TRAMPLED, tristed, turned over and thrown onto the beach!!! I was lying in the sand in my bikini creaming for my eight year old to help me up out of the pit of sand that surrounded me when I got hit again and again by gravel filled waves! I was yelling and laughing so hard I couldn't get up and ended up with about three pounds of sand in my suit. That was IT for me, and I spent the rest of the day trying to get sand out of my ears.
The kids did math the whole time we were there. My mom watched as I wrangled kids in and out of the shower and into clean clothes, sitting them down in various parts of her house with their Singapore math workbooks. My daughter threw her daily math fit, acting helpless, while I ran back and forth between showers, bathrooms, and mathbooks, and just shook her head at my patience. "They would have been in school YESTERDAY" she said over and over. I just laughed and continued my running back and forth.
We have been working on Math all summer, with the older two also working on vocabulary while the younger two continuing with phonics and reading. It is making me nuts though, just trying to get those few subjects done each day-the neighborhood kids are outside riding MY kids bkes and skateboards up and down our driveway and pounding on the door every 10 minutes. I cannot WAIT for public school to start back up...Of course, we may very well take off the month of September:) I need a few weeks of peace to get my head-and lessonplans-together.
I am working doubles all weekend...Gotta run:)

Goin' to the Beach..(or, No Computer for four days!)

We are headed to the beach today to play and visit with family:) It IS raining, but who cares, I just need a change of scenery! My mind is warped on curriculum planning and my recent account. I AM taking the account file with me, and there is a box of schoolbooks next to me as I write, all packed and ready to go (those lucky kids! LOL) (my clothes and stuff, however, are nowhere NEAR ready to go!!! Talk about obsession!)
Awesome weekend with David visiting-AWESOME! He is simply SO fantasic there are no real words:) It just gets better and better and better:) We had so much fun-he is SO my very best friend, it's probably sickening to all who meet and see us. We laugh NON-stop, are beyond close, and the affection he shows to me is simply adorable. He is a definite KEEPER, LOL!:) He is headed to Chicago this week while I am in Delaware....Too many miles...! The kids and I go to visit him for several days in 2 weeks-I can't wait!
I really need to stop "exercising my word skills" and get into the shower and pack-I told the kids we would leave before 11...And I am not dress or otherwise...THE SUN JUST CAME OUT!!!!!!!!!!! GO SUN!!! Ok, headed to the beach for real!!! He He He He!!!
No computer for several days....No HS Tracker, no Facebook baby, no blogging....I will live though!

Have to Write....

It's 2:33 am and I decided that I HAVE to write, no matter the time. I think about writing all the time, but then I always get into something else....!
Basically, lots is going on...I had some big windows close, but as a great friend pointed out, some pretty big ones were sure to open...And they did, and are, and will;) Things change so fast...It's amazing, how fast. Things that were so important to me a month ago are simply mere memories-life just moves that fast-there is almost no time for reflection!!!
We head to the beach on Monday, after a weekend with David visiting. The kids are so excited about BOTH prospects:) They are NUTS NUTS NUTS about David, and really can't wait to go to the beach, and to see their grandparents, who we rarely see. It will feel AWESOME to reconnect with the power of the Sea-I need her energies!!! I am looking forward to it, even thought we ARE taking school books:)
After that, I have to work on a new account that I have suddenly had land in my lap. I have to think about restarting my small-very small-biz....And, I have decided to continue college in the Spring, taking classes in web graphics and design, hoping to pull together and upgrade my self taught skills:)
I am excited about a brand new homeschool year, a brand new year at UUFHC-where I will be teaching K-1:), I am excited about new changes at work, and changes to be made to our home, and our new curricum...(I am a self proclaimed curriculum queen) I am just excited...And, to top it off, DAVID is coming up today!!!!
Which is why I need to go to bed!!! NOW!

Fall Curriculum!

I am so excited!!!! We have settled into some awesome programs and books in the last year and have just discovered some new as well:) I am well planned and excited to begin!! This is what we will be using: :)

Older Kids-ages 10 and 12

ScienceWorks-Chemistry
Read and Understand Science
Young Scientist

Math-U-See
Singapore Math

Grammer Usage and Mechanics
Spelling Workout
The Traits of Writing
Mastering Vocabulary
Vocabulary Grade 5 TCP

World Geography-EvanMoor.com (Africa)
Map Skills MCP

Spotlight on America Rev War, The Constitution, Elections.

Art Packs

Advantage Reading


Younger Kids ages 6 and 8

ScienceWorks-Space
Reading Comp-Science
Young Scientist

Math-U-See
Singapore Math

MCP Plaid Phonics B and C
Spelling Workout

World Geography-EvanMoor.com (Africa)
Map Skills MCP

Spotlight on America Rev War, The Constitution, Elections.

Art Packs


We are also considering Cub Scouts, Gymnastics, Basketball, and private Art Lessons...

Individual Projects this year, so far, include Skye learning oil painting, and Dakota designing a comicbook based on the antics of our three crazy parakeets.:)

Too Excited!!!!!