Wednesday, August 29, 2012

My Daybook :: August 29, 2012

Outside my window...
I see cloudy skies and no rain which is just not fair.
I have watered our yard more this year than any other year I can remember.
We bought 4 Mum plants 2 are in the ground and we have 2 more left to plant.
I always have bought them in the past, which cost us money each fall.
Since I’m a city girl and farming and gardens were not the norm, I never even knew you could plant them in the ground.
It will be nice to enjoy them each year and not buy new plants each fall.
They start out small as you can see, but I was told they will grow very big by next year.





I am thinking...
about all the contractions I have been not having and how I am making great progress.
I am 2cm, 50% effaced, -1 station and very soft, I could stay this way till next Tuesday but I sure hope not. It would be nice to not feel anything and just have a baby (lol)! I know things won't stay this way too much longer. This is the biggest I have ever been while expecting, but this is also our only boy! Speaking of boys we are still trying to decide on a little boys name I sure hope we have one before he gets here.

I am thankful...
for my husband who has been with me through so much in life. I am also thankful for God's Grace and love, I have grown so close to the Lord in the past few months. He has tought me to lean on him instead of myself which has been some work. It really is amazing how much you can hear the Lord if you can learn to block other things out.
Last, I am thankful this week for 1 week of school done!! It feels so good to say that!!
 
Learning all the time...
we have 1 week of school done this year and it feels great!! We have done lots of reading, math, history and even 2 science experiments. Our girls love the new curriculum they are using and so do mom and dad. The first day was a little hard trying to figure out how to use everything and juggling 5 kids all egger to learn.
 When we start back to school in September we will be adding Music, Art, State-by-State Study, and Along the Alphabet Path, praying it all goes well! Notice we are not in our school uniforms I wonder why not.
 

 
 
From the kitchen...
Lots of Vegetables from the Farmers market, I wish I would have started this months ago.

I am creating...
plans for Music, Art, State-by-State Study, and Along the Alphabet Path. I hope to have everything set up by the middle of September when we need to start.

I am working on...
packing my bags for the hospital since I will be away for 2-3 days.
 

I am going...
to our first home school outing Thursday I think, all depends on how I feel. We will be going to Mass and then were having a pizza/potluck picnic. It will be so nice to old friends that we have not seen in several months. We have a very large group with close to 83 families so when we get together it is a ton of fun. Last time I looked we had 196 people attending this Thursday and only 36 families signed up!

 I am praying...
For a safe delivery and fast recovery!
 

I am listening...
to my 2 yr old and 3 yr old playing next to me as I type. We are in our 2nd week of school and things seem to be going great.

Around the house...lots of cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning! I am nesting like a crazy women getting ready for our new little guy. We have the car seat ready and all the baby clothes washed and put away. Hubby and I co-sleep so we did not need to set a crib up yet which is great because we are not adding on to our home till March of next year:)
Oh, and we also will be expecting puppies around the same time I'm due!
 
One of my favorite things...
at this time of year would be all the fresh vegetables and fruit we are able to grow and buy. I eat almost all raw fruits and veggies now and I feel so great! My husband has also changed the way he eats, and we have always eaten well. Almost all organic, no soda ect... but he took it one notch higher and added lots of trace minerals and raw foods. He has dropped I think it is 15 lbs, and I have not gained any in the last 2 weeks so yes it does matter what you eat.
 
This week's plans...
  • Doctors appt was Monday
  • School work on Tuesday
  • Maybe a bible study (if we can get away, hard to do with 7 little one's)
  • Mass and picnic with our home school group
  • Lots of rest and last minute packing before the baby is here

A picture to share...

Here I am st 39 weeks and ready to have our baby!

Monday, August 27, 2012

{2012-2013 School Year Calendar}


I'm still working on a daily Schedule for our family, but I did finish our school calendar. This may change as we need it to but I have left lots of room for flexibility. It really is amazing how much a Schedule can change with each baby, each year I find we have to change things up just a little.

 We will have a 36 week plan with 180 days of learning
In our state we need to have 875 hours of class work per school year.
I figure 4.5- 5 hours a day 5 days a week will not be a problem since learning is part of everyday life.
Our school days are Monday -Thursday, Fridays off (we spend this day with our home school group classes), Saturday School and Sunday off.
3 weeks on and 1 week off of school.
August 20th First day of School- This was a day of fun in the Morning and getting used to all our new books in the afternoon. More of a back to school fun day for our family, which we all needed!
August 20th - September 1st (2 weeks of school)
September 3rd - 8th 1 week off of school
September 10th- September 29th (3 weeks of school)
October 1st - October 6th 1 week off of school
October 8th - October 27th (3 weeks of school)
October 29th - November 3rd 1 week off of school
November 5th -November 17th (2 weeks of school)
November 19th - November 24th 1 week off of school
November 26th - December 15th (3 weeks of school)
December 17th - January 5th  3 weeks off of school

January 7th - January 26th (3 weeks of school)

January 28th - February 2nd 1 week off of school

February 4th - February 23rd (3 weeks of school)

February 25th - March 2nd 1 week off of school

March 4th - March 23rd (3 weeks of school)

March 25th - March 30th 1 week off of school

April 1st - April 20th (3 weeks of school)

April 22nd - April 27th 1 week off of school

April 29th - May 18th (3 weeks of school)

May 20th - May 25th 1 week off of school

May 27th - June15th (3 weeks of school)

June 17th - June 22nd 1 week off of school

June 24th - July 13th (3 weeks of school)

July 15th - July 20th 1 week off of school

July 22nd - August 3rd (2 weeks of school)

We of course will take off for sick days when needed and Holidays like 4th of July. We will use the Weeks we have off for makeup days. This is what will work for our family this year; I am looking forward to school year round. Hope all of you have a great start to your school year home schooling or not:)

Friday, August 24, 2012

{This Moment} Very Happy Girls

Our day before school outing.
 
{this moment} - A single photo, capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. To see more visit Soule Mama.


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

School Curriculum :: 2012- 2013 Part 2

I had to put my Curriculum plans for this year into 2 posts since my first post was just way to long.
This post will have our curriculum choices for our youngest 4 girls, along with our family work plans.


.:Juliana 6 years old 1st grade:.
.:Core B this is through Sonlight:.
This Core includes:
History and all the books for History
Geography
Biblical Studies
Read-Alouds with Mom or Dad
Grade 1 Readers w/Language Arts
Language Art
.:We will add:.
Math
Science
Phonics
Extra Religion
Handwriting
ASL
Election Studies
Music
Art
Gym
Here is what we will cover in each subject.

.:Intro to World History & Geography:.Creation through the fall of Rome
Archaeologists Dig For Clues
A Child's History of the World
From Akebu to Zapotec
George Muller
The Great Wall of China
Missionary Stories with the Millers
People of the World
Timeline Figures B
Tut's Mummy Lost & Found
The Usborne Book of World History
The Usborne Time Traveler
The Greek News
Houses and Homes

.:Biblical Studies:.
Goal
Lots of Scripture reading and Memory work
Learn basic biblical doctrines
Nurture a passion for the Lord
Explore the evidence of our faith and develop a strong discipline in prayer
Bring my daughter closer to our Creator
Awanas
.:Books used:.
Holy Bible
Leading Little Ones to God
Sing the Word: A New Commandment
Religion 1 for Young Catholics
Jesus and I
Coloring Book about Angels

.:Read-Alouds:.
It Could Always Be Worse
Owls in the Family
The Case of the Gasping Garbage
Homer Price
.:Grade 1 Readers:.
I can read it! Book 1,2,3
Little Bear



.:Language Arts:.
.:Creative Expressions:.
Phonics 1 for Young Catholics Part 1
Handwriting Without Tears 1

.:Math:.
Horizons Math 1
Work with Flashcards and watch Mathtacular DVD's for fun with little sisters
.:Science:.

And we will attend weekly our home school group for science classes
Electric Circuits is the topic this year
This unit provides a safe, active, and engaging introduction to electricity and electric circuits. The activities spark creativity as students invent their own electrical gadgets, using inexpensive and readily available materials, such as plastic film canisters and holiday lights. The unit opens as students investigate an array of clever electrical devices, first exploring their functions, then learning how their circuits work. The contributions of famous inventors, as well as child inventors, are highlighted.

Students keep an "Inventor's Journal," recording the development of their electrical knowledge, schematic diagrams, and design ideas. Electrical safety is emphasized throughout the unit. Students explore simple and series circuits; learn about short circuits, and investigate the role of batteries, resistance, conductors and insulators. They invent their own switch design and learn how to draw schematic diagrams. In Part II, they build and compare series and parallel circuits, and pair up to create their own electrical inventions. The unit culminates in an Electric Inventions Festival.

.:Latin/Spanish:.
Still looking?

.:Election Studies:.
Different things TBD
.:Music:.
.:Vox Angelica Choir :.
HFH (our home school group) -
A fun-filled class covering the basics of choir -- including music history, theory, song styles and note-reading.
Study of great Composers
Violin lessons

.:Art:.HFH (our home school group) the description
With an emphasis on drawing, students will keep a sketchbook of their own work and observations. Outdoor landscapes, indoor still life drawing, and “on location” church art will be among the subjects studied. Mature students will investigate a few famous artists and discover ways to discuss and critique their work, along with sharing discussions about our own class work.

.:Gym:.
HFH (our home school group) the description
team sports, fitness, and calisthenics. Good
sportsmanship will be emphasized, fostered, and demanded.
So gym is really all about fun and fitness:)


.:Hannah 5 years old Kindergarten  grade:.
She will be listening to her older sisters in Core B
History and all the books for History
Geography
Biblical Studies
Read-Alouds with Mom or Dad
Grade K Readers w/Language Arts
Language Art
.:We will add:.
Math
Science
Phonics
Extra Religion
Handwriting
ASL
Election Studies
Music
Art
Gym
Here is what we will cover in each subject.

.:Intro to World History & Geography:.Creation through the fall of Rome
Archaeologists Dig For Clues
A Child's History of the World
From Akebu to Zapotec
George Muller
The Great Wall of China
Missionary Stories with the Millers
People of the World
Timeline Figures B
Tut's Mummy Lost & Found
The Usborne Book of World History
The Usborne Time Traveler
The Greek News
Houses and Homes

.:Biblical Studies:.
Goal
Lots of Scripture reading and Memory work
Learn basic biblical doctrines
Nurture a passion for the Lord
Explore the evidence of our faith and develop a strong discipline in prayer
Bring my daughter closer to our Creator
Awanas
.:Books used:.
Holy Bible
Leading Little Ones to God
Sing the Word: A New Commandment
Lots of coloring books

.:Read-Alouds:.
It Could Always Be Worse
Owls in the Family
The Case of the Gasping Garbage
Homer Price
.:Grade K Readers:.
Fun Tales
Language Arts K Instructor's Guide
Language and Thinking for Young Children
My First Picture Dictionary
Alphabet Sounds Bingo
Go A to Z!
And lot of reading book the list is really long!


.:Language Arts:.
.:Creative Expressions:.
Handwriting Without Tears K
.:Math:.
Horizons Math K
Work with Flashcards and watch Mathtacular DVD's for fun with little sisters
.:Science:.

.:Latin/Spanish:.
Still looking?
Hannah will be working on ASL
.:Election Studies:.
Different things TBD
.:Music:. Study of great Composers
Violin lessons

.:Art:.
Junior Saints
HFH (our home school group)
A preschool class with activities including crafts, games, books, and music
 .: Madelyn 3 years old:.
Pre-School
Seton Pre School Kit includes
Early Literacy for Young Catholics
God's Rules for Me
New Catholic Picture Bible
Pre-K Coloring 5 Book Set
Pre-K Religion for Young Catholics
Adventures with Books - $4.00
Counting with Numbers - $4.00
Do It Carefully - $4.00
Triangular Crayons - 24 pack
Lots of hands on fun all year:)
.:Family Fun:.
An Introduction to the Classics - The Vox Music Masters Collection (Including The Story of Bach, The Story Of Handel, The Story of Beethoven, The Story of Mozart, and more...
Composers Lap Book
Various Books by
Opal Wheeler
(Copied from Shower of Roses) Her list was the same as mine:)
Lapbooks
State-by-State Study (thank you Jessica)

Homemaking & Hospitality:
Little Women Hospitality Program - Year 1 with Student Companion
(Copied from Shower of Roses) What great ideas!
And much more!!
Now I know that some of these may not happen but these are our goals! I am happy to have a plan for the year and I hope our girls will enjoy everything:)



School Curriculum :: 2012- 2013 Part 1


I have had most of our plans for some time now I just have had no time to type it up. We have decided this year to go through Sonlight since it just had everything we were looking for in a complete Christian Home school Curriculum. We were looking for a strong literature based program that was Christ centered and also had lots of reading and also variety. I wanted to be very involved in my girls reading and learning and not just a mom on the side lines grading papers and answering questions. Ever have those years were you try to remember just what your children learned, well I do. Workbooks are great for something's but I can slip away very easily. So, this year it looks like it will be Sonlight with a little Christian Liberty Press, and a little Seton Books.

My planning is done for me with Sonlight and so I won't have to spend too much time making plans on Sunday for the next week which I love. With soon to be 8 children I want to spend more time with my family and less time alone coming up with all the extras that normally we need to do to prepare for a week's worth of educating. All the great books have been selected so I don't have to do all the searching anymore which is great! We will have to take some time of course looking over each book to make sure it does fit our family. I figure if we come across a book we don't agree with we can put it aside, or take the time to go over what we believe and why we feel this book is wrong. We think it is better finding these things out at home with the family than finding out from someone else.

They say at Sonlight "your family is guaranteed to love learning together". I pray that this happens for our family this year and years to come.

We are the ones that will have to mold and shape our children for the future and what we teach them is what they will carry with them the rest of their lives. Today more than ever we must take a stand for what is correct even if that means losing friends and maybe even more. I know when I stand before God I will have to answer for everything I have done while I was given time on earth.

One of the things we can do is teach our children and give them the best we can, so that's what we hope to do this year with lots of love, great books, and one on one time together.  

Okay here is our list of books by Grade level for the 2012-2013 School year!

Almost all books we will be using for this year can be bought anywhere we just bought everything through Sonlight, Christian Liberty, Seton Books. Amazon would be another great place to buy from, I will put the links up to either Sonlight or Amazon so you can look at the books.

I will be breaking this post into 2 or 3 parts.



.: Kate 13 years old 8th grade :.
.: Core 100 this is through Sonlight :.
This Core includes:
History and all the books for History
Cover Current Events
Biblical Studies
American Literature
Creative Expressions
Language Arts
.: We will add :.
Math
Science
Extra Religion
Vocabulary
Spelling
Computer/Typing
Latin
Election Studies
Music Choir
Art
Gym

Here is what we will cover in each subject.

.: American History in Depth :.
Cameron Townsend
The Boy's War
The Cross& the Switchblade
Dragon's Gate
Farewell to Manzanar
Freedom Walkers
The Great Little Madison
The Landing of the Pilgrims
Moonshiner's Son
The Panama Canal
Sacajawea
Sequoyah & the Cherokee Alphabet
Shh! We're writing the Constitution
Slopes of War
Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold
World War II
The Yanks are coming

.: Current Events :.
3 small oral reports each week of a event taken somewhere in the world
We will be doing an election study the first quarter

.: Biblical Studies :.
Goal
Lots of Scripture reading
 Lessons in how to study interpret and apply the Holy Bible to everyday living
Explore the evidence of our faith and develop a strong discipline in prayer
Bring my daughter closer to our Creator

.:Books used:.
Holy Bible
Awana Classes/Bible Studies

.:American Literature:.
Amos Fortune, Free Man
Bonanza Girl
Bound for Oregon
Indian Captive: The story of Mary Jemison

.:Language Arts:.
.:Creative Expressions:.
Vocabulary done with reading
Book reports

.:Math:.

.:Computer/Typing:.
Reports typed on the computer
Timeline data for history on the computer
We really don't do much in the way of computer learning except for simple things that won't change.
How to use a spread sheet

.:Latin/Spanish:.
Still looking?

.:Election Studies:.
Different things TBD

.:Music Choir:.
.:Schola Cantorum:.
HFH (our home school group) this course will teach students how to pray, in song, in Latin and English
Study of great Composers
Violin lessons

.:Art:.
HFH (our home school group) the description
With an emphasis on drawing, students will keep a sketchbook of their own work and observations. Outdoor landscapes, indoor still life drawing, and “on location” church art will be among the subjects studied. Mature students will investigate a few famous artists and discover ways to discuss and critique their work, along with sharing discussions about our own class work.

.:Gym:.
HFH (our home school group) the description 
 team sports, fitness, and calisthenics. Good
sportsmanship will be emphasized, fostered, and demanded.
So gym is really all about fun and fitness:)




.:Grace 11 yearss old 6th grade:.
.:Core G this is throughSonlight:.
This Core includes:


History and all the books for History
Geography
Cover Current Events
Biblical Studies
Read-Alouds with Mom or Dad
Readers
Creative Expressions
Language Arts
.:We will add:.
Math
Science
Extra Religion
Vocabulary
Spelling
Handwriting
Grammar
Computer/Typing
Latin
Election Studies
Music
Art
Gym
Here is what we will cover in each subject. 
                                       .:World History:.
Year 1 of 2
Creation through the 1600's

.: Current Events:.


1 small oral reports each week of a event taken somewhere in the world
We will be doing an election study the first quarter
.:Biblical Studies:.
Goal
Lots of Scripture reading and Memory work
Lessons in how to study interpret and apply the Holy Bible to everyday living
Explore the evidence of our faith and develop a strong discipline in prayer
Bring my daughter closer to our Creator
.:Books used:.
Holy Bible
Bible History by Schuster
Awana Classes/Bible Studies

.:Read-Alouds:.
The Hidden Treasure of Glaston

.:Readers:.
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
.:Language Arts:.
.:Creative Expressions:.
Vocabulary done with reading
Book reports

.:Math:.
Work with Flashcards and watch Mathtacular DVD's for fun with little sisters

.:Science:.

.:Computer/Typing:.
Reports typed on the computer
Timeline data for history on the computer
We really don't do much in the way of computer learning except for simple things that won't change.
How to use a spread sheet

.:Latin/Spanish:.
Still looking?

 .:Election Studies:.
Different things TBD

.:Music:.
Study of great Composers
Violin lessons


.:Art:.
HFH (our home school group) the description
With an emphasis on drawing, students will keep a sketchbook of their own work and observations. Outdoor landscapes, indoor still life drawing, and “on location” church art will be among the subjects studied. Mature students will investigate a few famous artists and discover ways to discuss and critique their work, along with sharing discussions about our own class work.

.:Gym:.
HFH (our home school group) the description
team sports, fitness, and calisthenics. Good
sportsmanship will be emphasized, fostered, and demanded.
So gym is really all about fun and fitness:)


.:Victoria 9 years old 3rd grade:.
.:Core B this is through Sonlight:.
This Core includes:
Core B Instructor's Guide and Core B Tips - CD
History and all the books for History
Geography
Biblical Studies
Read-Alouds with Mom or Dad
Grade 3 Readers w/Language Arts
Language Art
.:We will add:.
Math
Science
Phonics
Extra Religion
Extra Spelling
Handwriting
ASL
Election Studies
Music
Art
Gym
Here is what we will cover in each subject.

.:Intro to World History & Geography:.
Creation through the fall of Rome
Archaeologists Dig For Clues
A Child's History of the World
From Akebu to Zapotec
George Muller
The Great Wall of China
Missionary Stories with the Millers
People of the World
Timeline Figures B
Tut's Mummy Lost & Found
The Usborne Book of World History
The Usborne Time Traveler
The Greek News
Houses and Homes

.:Biblical Studies:.
Goal
Lots of Scripture reading and Memory work
Learn basic biblical doctrines
Nurture a passion for the Lord
Explore the evidence of our faith and develop a strong discipline in prayer
Bring my daughter closer to our Creator

.:Books used:.
Holy Bible
Leading Little Ones to God
Sing the Word: A New Commandment - CD

.:Read-Alouds:.
It Could Always Be Worse
Owls in the Family
The Case of the Gasping Garbage

.:Grade 3 Readers:.

.:Language Arts:.
.:Creative Expressions:.
Grammar done with our Core
*Language 3 if needed

.:Math:.
Work with Flashcards and watch Mathtacular DVD's for fun with little sisters

.:Science:.
Science B Instructor's Guide
Science Activities, Vol. 1
Why Do People Eat?
What Makes You Ill?
The Usborne World Of Animals
The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks
Space
See How It's Made
Science Supplies Kit B
Pasteur's Fight Against Microbes
Night Animals
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body

.:Latin/Spanish:.
Still looking?

.:Election Studies:.
Different things TBD

.:Music:.
.:Vox Angelica Choir :.
HFH (our home school group) -
A fun-filled class covering the basics of choir -- including music history, theory, song styles and note-reading.
Study of great Composers
Violin lessons


.:Art:.
HFH (our home school group) the description
With an emphasis on drawing, students will keep a sketchbook of their own work and observations. Outdoor landscapes, indoor still life drawing, and “on location” church art will be among the subjects studied. Mature students will investigate a few famous artists and discover ways to discuss and critique their work, along with sharing discussions about our own class work.


.:Gym:.
HFH (our home school group) the description
team sports, fitness, and calisthenics. Good
sportsmanship will be emphasized, fostered, and demanded.
So gym is really all about fun and fitness:)

My next post will be part 2 which will include
Julia's 1st grade
Hannah K
Madeyln Pre-k
Family Work