New Things in the New Year

A new year is nearly upon us! And with the new year there will be some changes at our house in the way that we are homeschooling. Up to now, Miss M has been steadily working through Calvert's First Grade. She started in August 2011 when she was only four and will be finishing up the math in January and the rest in February 2013. We took some long breaks in there, but now that she's a smart-as-a-whip 6-year-old, much of the material is too easy for her. The child is a naturally excellent reader and speller. I love, love, love Calvert and have fond memories of it from when I myself was a homeschool student, but I'm not convinced that it is the right curriculum for our family or for Miss M's learning style. So the first change for us will be to drop Calvert and take up My Father's World for 2nd grade. Or...a 2nd/3rd grade combo to be exact so we'll be working at an appropriate level for Miss M.

I really like the idea of a curriculum that incorporates a Biblical worldview into the various subjects as well as tying together the various disciplines into a central theme. Plus, I've heard wonderful things about Singapore Math, so I'm looking forward to giving that a go. In addition to all that, we're going to start learning a foreign language. Tagalog! The kids are half filipino, after all, and their grandparents still speak Tagalog at home and with Hubby, so it seems appropriate that they learn it first. Needless to say, he's quite excited by the prospect as well!

Another exciting change for us is that I've been chosen to join the review team at Mosaic Reviews! I've never done anything like this before and I'm anxious to jump in and give it a whirl! I really can't tell you what to expect since I hardly know myself, but I'm certain it'll be an adventure and I look forward to sharing it with my readers! They say they're still looking for reviewers, so if you're interested, go read about how you can join the team too!

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No More Quiet Time

I have always thought it sounded trite to speak of “falling in love with Jesus.” But trite or not, isn’t that what I want for my children? To learn to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). With that in mind, and having run across this blog post on Pinterest several months ago, I created a morning devotion basket for the kids and I to use. You see, up till now, I would typically find time to read the Bible and pray away from my children. Away from distraction, away from the demands of dust and dirty dishes, and away from the 437 questions a four-year-old asks every day. Then I realized I was doing them a major disservice by disallowing them to see me in the Word regularly. If I want them to love the Lord God, then I must show them how I love the Lord my God! Our new routine is to wake up in the morning, prepare a simple breakfast — usually cold cereal for the kids, toast and tea for me — and sit d...

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Homeschool Sanity Saver: Meal Planning for a MONTH

Last year while on my blogging hiatus, I did something crazy. I planned meals out an entire month or more in advance! And it was heavenly. I give a lot of myself during a typical school day. My energies are consumed with many, many details. Did this child read today? Did she understand math? How many minutes did that lesson take? Do I need to supplement this topic? How long until they need a break? Did we cover everything? Is that spelled correctly? What is 7x12? How are we doing for time? Did I take my vitamins? Do we need to be anywhere today? And on and on. By the time our lessons are over, I am frequently suffering from decision fatigue. I just cannot make choices about what we will eat for supper. I will literally stand in front of the fridge or cupboard staring at ingredients for 15 minutes, then give up and order Jimmy John's. To relive myself of this burden, I have discovered that having a meal plan in place is essential. I have enough physical energy t...

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