Branson's Butterfly Palace {Homeschool Field Trip}

We took a break on Tuesday to go to the Butterfly Palace in Branson with some homeschool friends!  It was great fun...although it got a little warm in the rain forest.  LOL.  :)  The girls had a great time and I think us Moms did too.  It was nice to chat and let the kids play.  

Checking In....

Wow!  What a strange tide that has turned in my house.  It has been almost 2 weeks of being thrown into a strange transition period.  I'm not sure how everything just kind of became a "fruit basket upset" but it has.  It's been a while since I blogged anything interesting, so I thought for the sake of Check In...I thought I would, well, check in.  I'm not going to go through the motions of a Homeschool Mother's Journal, but, I think I will give you all an idea of some of the inner workings of our house.

1.  No.  The adoption profile isn't done.  I still haven't even started!  Why?  I can't put my finger on it.  I'm just not "there" for some reason.  With both Kayley and Maggie I felt this strong push to get my ducks in a row...but...for whatever reason, I'm not feeling the push behind me.  Yet.  Several of my friends are expecting...one friend just got an adoption placement.  I even went to a babyshower a few weekends ago.  While I feel that it is "time"...I'm just not feeling a sense of urgency.  And, I think that is ok.

2.  I have bitten off more than I can chew.  I've backed off of a few of my commitments so I can make more time to focus on my family, homeschooling, and church.  I will sorely miss book reviewing.  I do have a few still out-standing, but I haven't taken on anything new.  Whew.  That feels good.  I was also supposed to be a subject/content writer for Molly (Econobusters.com).  I can't.  I just don't have time.  I am still an independent consultant/product reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Mag and I will also still be writing for Latter-day Homeschooling.

3.  I've decided to completely change our curriculum.  Kayley is smart.  Wicked smart.  I am doing her an injustice with the curriculum we are using.  So much of it just become "busy work" for her.  Instead of using a traditional textbook-type curriculum for 2nd grade we will be using Living Books.  (OH! I am SOOO excited).  Following a Charlotte Mason style we will be using Sonlight.  Learning history and geography through Literature.  Hello!  This is the way I wish I had learned in school!  I administered a few assessments to her to see where she was.  No wonder the poor girl was bored.  She tested at a 2nd grade reading level and 3rd grade in math!   We are looking at Teaching Textbooks (3rd grade) for Math, or maybe Singapore.  We need something more challenging.  She has asked to learn cursive so I am searching for ideas there as well.  All of these changes become overwhelming and quite time-consuming.

4.  Maggie has been sick.  Again.  She gets this recurring mystery fever every 6 weeks or so.  She is crabby for 2 or 3 days, runs a high fever...and then --it's gone.  Nobody seems to know why.

5.  The weather has been awful.  I'm thinking we need to invest in a storm shelter.  My heart can't take the stress and strain of freaking out about tornados.  Last night was another sleepless night as I lay awake watching the radar and listening to Southwest Missouri Skywarn net on the police scanner.  Every so often the weather radio would go nuts and shave another 6 years off my life.  I think my stress-hormones are exceptionally high today.  And I am SOOOO tired!

6.  There are piles.  EVERYWHERE.  I am gathering clothes, shoes and toys to be consigned in our spring Rhea Lana sale.  I'm gathering books, books and more books for our new curriculum (this took hours and hours of shopping by the way).  I'm also gathering out-dated curriculum to re-sell at our used curriculum fair.  Oh, there are piles of laundry that needs to be done.  Piles of furniture I want to refinish.  Piles of papers that need to be filed.  Somehow I have started drowning in piles and no matter what I do, instead of the piles going away, they just keep getting moved from one place to another.

7.  I'm teaching primary sharing time all month.  Don't get me wrong, I love teaching...  even teaching kids is ok.  lol.  But, I'm all Type A.  A serious perfectionist and I spend ALL week stressing about my lesson.  Thankfully I just need to teach this Sunday and then I get 1 month as a floater, then a month of conducting before I teach again.  Whew!

8.  My diet is going...nowhere.  Oh. Wait I said I wasn't going to diet.  Well, I joined WW about 2 months ago...I've lost, maybe 5 pounds?  Not much.  Because the eating right/exercising bit seems to take a lower priority.  Higher priorities right now include: sleep (which is why I can't drag myself out of bed early enough to get it done), homeschool, chores, rearranging my piles, sleep, keeping my kids from beating on each other, and sleep.  

There are not enough hours in the day.  Seriously?  Where does the time go?  I blink and the day is OVER.  I would love to kick back and read a book, but if I stop moving for even 5 minutes I start getting awfully sleepy. 

Well.  That is it.  Where we are today.  How are YOU doing today??

Homeschool Mothers Journal

In my life this week:
It has been a crazy week.  We have had 2 series of severe storms roll through our area.  I have spent 2 sleepless nights keeping vigil over the radar, Skywarn chatter, listening to the weather radio, and watching "tornado TV."  I'm not sure why but I am completely terrified of tornadoes.  I have seen their devastation.  I have seen houses wiped completely off their foundation.  Living only 1 hour from Joplin keeps tornado safety in the forefront of my mind...it can happen here.   I've noticed that so many of my neighbors and acquaintances have such a complacent attitude about the tornadoes in our area.  In fact, one night last year, while I was nervously watching radar I had one friend respond to my Facebook status saying, "you'll get used it (tornado season)...I'm shopping at Target."  One night last season too, I was sitting at Olive Garden with a group of girlfriends when the weather got angry and within minutes the sirens were blaring.  Literally...people kept eating as though NOTHING was going on.  I could see out the windows, the rain was actually blowing sideways.  I, personally was ready to run and duck for cover in the walk-in freezer...but my friends laughed at me.   Perhaps I am panicking unnecessarily...but...the blase' reaction from people who live in this area is unreal sometimes.  Of course, not everybody is like this, but I've encountered it a lot.  Today, storms are bearing down on some of my friends to the East of me and I pray that they are taking the weather seriously and that they will be ok.

In other news, our new chore chart has been going great, our schedule has really helped us to have more time to do fun things and our school days have been going ok too.  My husband has been working tremendously long hours and we are all missing him terribly but somehow even though the days are awfully long, the weeks fly by so quickly.

In our homeschool this week:
We have been really enjoying learning about the Iditarod, sled dogs, Alaska, and the Great Serum Run of 1925.  I blogged about that HERE.  Kayley is learning 2 column addition with carrying, and 2 column subtraction.  She loves math. We have a new hanging workbox system that has been working nicely...it has really opened up some more space for us to keep more organized.   I know it is time to start working a bit more with Maggie, but I haven't figured out how to make that happen.

Places we are going/People we are seeing/Stuff we are doing
So much to do, so little time.  This is my month to teach sharing time in Primary, and I admit that I am really, really nervous.  I have been preparing for 2 weeks...and I'm still not sure what I'm going to do on Sunday!  Don't even ask about the Sunday's after that or I might have to get a bag to breathe in.

My husband is supposed to be planning the party for the Elders Quorum next Friday night...so, that means that I have been busy helping with this project as well.

What's working/not working:
We've been doing a really fun book for a short morning devotional called "God & Me"  Its for ages 5-7.  We are loving these short stories with questions.   Along those lines...I've decided that our Language Arts program just isn't working for us anymore.  Kayley is just too smart for most of it that it ends up being dreaded busy-work.  I think it is time for a change...  I'm not sure what we might change to, but I'm searching.

I'm reading:


100 Days of Weight Loss by Linda Spangle.  I have been blogging my 100 Day weight loss journey over on a new website called:   Fattery Will Get You Nowhere.  Stop by if you are interested in seeing how I'm doing. This book focuses on the MIND of weight loss...not the diet.  It has been really eye-opening to get behind the "why" of eating.

Something Sharable:

Can you believe how patient and cooperative our cats are?  Me neither.  They put up with some serious shenanigans from my kiddos.  And they are usually purring.

Homeschool Mothers Journal

It's been a while since I have taken the time to write a Homeschool Mother's Journal.  I have been falling behind in personal blogging in favor of getting reviews done.  I'm going to be cutting back on some of my regular book reviews just to free up some extra blogging time.  :)

In my life this week…this has been a busy week.  I am SO darn disorganized right now that it feels like a daily struggle to just get through each day.  There are just piles of STUFF everywhere.  I'm trying to declutter but it seems that while you are actually cleaning...you are making bigger messes.  Of course, while my attention is turned to MY big mess, my kiddos are making huge messes of their own.  It has been challenging to get in front of the disaster...I'm still behind it.  I'm getting there.  


This week I set up a new chore plan, a new schedule and I rearranged our school room.  We'll be changing the way we do business in the hopes that we can stay more organized.  When things are a little closer to being done I plan to post some pictures.

In our homeschool this week…we've done nothing.  Yup.  Nothing.  We are taking Spring Break early while I work on Spring cleaning.  We have been reading.  Right now our read-aloud is the Jr version of The Call of The Wild.  We are also heavily reading our scriptures and doing a mini Family Home Evening 2 or 3 times a week.

What’s working/not working for us…we are ready for a change.  When we first started our homeschooling adventure back in Kindergarten, I was so paranoid of making mistakes that I bought K-in-the-box.  I don't regret it.  At all.  But, now, midway through 1st grade we are ready for a change.  I think we are ready to branch out a little more and move away from some formal curriculum and try new things.  I have been spending a lot of time reading reviews, researching and pondering what to do next.  I cringe when I realize that 2nd grade is right around the corner.  Granted, Kayley is only 5...and I can do what I want.  So, we don't 'have' to move up yet if we don't want to.  Which is good...because it'll take me months to decide what to do next anyway.  I love homeschooling in that it gives our family the choice.

We've also been working really hard at staying home.  We have done pretty good at saving money, I'm pleased with our efforts...but...we are so BORED!  I mentioned to my hubby that we need a swingset or something.  Our yard is so boring that there is nothing for Kayley to do outside but dig holes.  Mud holes.  Messy mud holes.  Come mowing season somebody is going to drive their lawnmower down into a hole and get stuck!  I vote swingset.  Maybe swimming pool for the summer?  Water table?  

Things I’m working on…our adoption profile.  I am SO far behind with getting this up and running.  I'm not sure why I am procrastinating this so bad.  We don't have enough money saved up yet anyway, so even if we were approved and were placed, we couldn't pay.  So, it feels like there is no hurry.

I also want to consign some of the girls clothes in our local Rhea Lana sale.  I've never tried this before and I'm wondering if it might not be too overwhelming, or if I'd make enough money to make it worth my time? I miss ebaying...I used to make such good money on there.  (wistful sigh).

My 2012 goals.  I know, I know, I need to do a check-in for February.  I'm writing it on my calendar right now. 

I’m reading…The Guardian Duke and When the Soul Mends for Book Reviews.  The Call of the Wild is our current read-aloud.  I know, its hard to believe, but I actually just finished reading Ender's Game for the first time.  Science-fiction is not my thing, but I did enjoy it!  There's a movie coming out you know...with Harrison Ford!  I thought I'd read the book since they always say the books are better than the movies.  :)  Quiet Moments for Homeschool Moms & Dads is a little daily devotional (love it!) and Be Centsable = how to cut your household budget in half.

 A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

 To see what everyone else is up to, 

check out the Homeschool Mothers Link up 

over at The Homeschool Chick.

Homeschool Mothers Journal

 

In my life this week:

Fearlessly Feminine Challenge has begun this week!  I'm so excited to wear skirts again for a whole week (maybe more!).  Thank goodness the Orkin man is also coming back this week to examine his spider traps.  (I'm pleased to share that I haven't seen ANY more spiders since his initial visit!)  I have a fun review for a product called Time 4 Learning coming up on Wednesday...  Other than that, we will be doing our regular school things...  Oh, I have a full "menu plan" for this week too.  I am trying to eat a little healthier and I really want to feed my kiddo's some healthier options as well.  I hope this goes over good!  Kayley is speaking in primary on Sunday, so we will have fun working on her talk as well. 

In our homeschool this week:

We will doing all of our regular stuff.  I have a pretty good routine down now and things seem to be moving along decently.  Kayley's caterpillar is growing at an alarming rate.  It is hard to believe that my just-turned-5 year old is reading so proficiently.

Places we're going...people we're seeing...

I'm excited that we are gearing up for a trip to see family in UT.  We will be taking Maggie & Kayley to the Salt Lake Temple for our sealing and we will get an opportunity to spend time on Temple Square.  During this trip we will also get to see Kayley's birthmom for the first time since placement 5 years ago!  I am nervous but tremendously excited!

What I'm reading...what I'm watching...

I'm cooking...

Some new things this week!  Trying to make our days a little healthier.  I'm going to try my hand at making "breakfast cookies."  I'm open to a good, healthy recipe if anyone has one!

Picture to share:

Kayley and our favorite babysitter doing their schoolwork together in the kitchen.  Ah!  Aren't they cute?

Homeschool Mothers Journal

In my life this week...

It looks like we will finally, finally, finalize Maggie's adoption.  There has been so much crazy hoop jumping!  Such a long process!  Argh!  

In our homeschool this week…

We had a great 1st week of school last week!  I think that taking the whole month of July off was a good break, but both girls were SO bored by the end of it that all they did was pick on each other all the time.  Kayley was excited to start back and it was nice to get back into a routine.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

I found a new activity for my pre-preschooler.  Playing with rice...  A little messy but she played with it for about 20 minutes!  That's a long time for my toddler!  

I am inspired by…

All of the other homeschooling Mom's I have been meeting on the TOS Crew, LDS Parenting, and Latter-day Homeschooling!  Everybody is so amazing!

What’s working/not working for us…  Math-U-See.  There, I said it.  MUS is one of the most popular math programs out there.  I can tell that it is a great program...but it isn't working for us as well as we would like.  I think that we find the manipulatives more distracting than helpful at the moment.  I am taking some advice from other homeschool Mom's and just "playing" with the blocks for a few days to get the newness out of them before moving on.  We did that for a couple of days last week...and we will be moving on with it this week.  Fingers Crossed!  Otherwise, I'll be back out shopping for another Math program...

Things I'm working on... 

Getting set up for our 2nd annual Fearlessly Feminine Challenge!  I am moving Homeschool Mothers Journal to another day (I haven't decided which yet) to create Fearlessly Feminine Friday leading up to our 1 week challenge starting September 11th.  Watch for it!!

I am also gathering together some curriculum to sell, books to sell and some clothing to sell.  Need to make some extra $ so I can buy some more curriculum, books, and clothes.  LOL! 

 

I’m reading…

Both books are about Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Dr. Richard Louv who strongly believes that children need to play outside in order to be healthy and happy kids.  (I believe it!) 

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Kayley drew this picture for me.  The way she described it.  

Kayley:  (On the right) "That one is Daddy!:  (On the left) "That one is me!"  (In the middle) "That's You" 

Me:  "Where is Maggie?  And why am I unhappy??"

Kayley:  "Oh, Mag is at a babysitter...and you are just so happy you are crying..."

Say What?!  LOL! 

Homeschool Mothers Journal

 

In my life this week....

I am working on all the last minute preparations to start school on Monday.  Kayley is bored and she has been ready to begin the school year for a couple of weeks now.  Especially Math.  She is anxious to see what the Math-U-See manipulatives are all about.  Maggie even toddles over to her workbox chanting Schoo...schoo...schoo...  

I have been consistently plugging along this week in my Bible in 90 Days Challenge.  I am happy to report that I am not behind, I have been staying right on schedule.  Today is Day 20 and I am in 1 Samuel.  It was tough plowing through all those rules and I'll admit that more than once I wondered what kind of cruel and arbitrary God we worship.  I have shrugged off more than one story as a potential urban legend and several passages have generated interesting conversations with my spouse and friends.  Like, are the 10 commandments part of the Law of Moses?  If so, why do we follow them?  I thought the Law of Moses went away after we were provided a savior.  Not that the 10 commandments aren't good to follow...it's just interesting how we pick and choose which rules and laws to follow depending on culture and time.  

Kayley's birthday was this week.  I can't believe she is 5!  Where does the time go?  We missed Workbox Wednesday due to excessive celebrating.  LOL!  Kayley also had Zoo School this week.

In our homeschool this week…

Nadda.  Nothing.  Poof!  We are starting on Monday though.  

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We are finishing up our busy week on Saturday.  I am really glad to get some of this busy-ness out of the way.  I have Primary meeting today.  Tomorrow is our Chapel clean-up day, a baby shower, and a birthday party for one of Kayley's friends.  Oh!  I still have to finish our newsletter for primary, create our agenda and mail box goodies.

Things I'm working on...

Yes!  There is more!  In addition to writing for LDS Parenting, I have been given an opportunity to write for another website too!  I will be sharing more about that in a couple of weeks, but it is keeping me busy.  My writing juices have been rusty and I need some oil, but I'm getting there! 

I’m reading…

 I'm watching...

What else is up?

Coming Soon!  September will bring:

Swinging on Small Hinges

2nd Annual Fearlessly Feminine Challenge
Are you going to participate this year?

Get ready!  Only 6 weeks away! 

September 11 - 17

The Homeschool Mothers Journal - Summer Edition link up

In my life this week…

This has been a busy, busy, week...I think I mentioned in an earlier posting some of the activities we had coming up!  Tonight, dinner with the missionaries, tomorrow - Kayley's birthday party!  We have Zoo school this week, My birthday, Kayley's birthday.  So, so so much stuff to do!

 

In our homeschool this week…

We have been on again, off again, in our summer school work.  I was so excited to purchase several of Amanda Bennett's Download N' Go units over the last few days!  She is having a BIG sale, a LOT of units for only 5 dollars!  So far I've picked up:  Horses, Dogs, Baseball, Africa, Oceans, Seashells, Christmas, Government, Winter, Autumn, Trains and ROBOTS!  If you are at all interested in lapbooking or unit studies check out her website here:  

Click here to visit Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett.

My favorite thing this week was…

watching my little girls help me with laundry.  I was moving clothes from the washer to the dryer and like magnets there they are...eager to help.  I would pull the clothing out and hand it to Kayley, who would hand it to Maggie, who would put it in the dryer.  My throat grew thick with tears when I looked at my precious girls.  Sometimes they drive me crazy...but this morning they made my heart swell.  Such sweet girls!

Things I’m working on…

I need to get organized!  I spent 10 years in the military and used to be really organized.  Maintaining spreadsheets, updating things, deadlines - it all used to be no problem.  It's just been a while!  I'm out of practice and factoring in 2 little people - it all ends up being a little bit different.

I'm excited to be getting started with The Old Schoolhouse homeschool crew!  I attended my first ever "webinar" this week to receive some training and there are already 2 products in my lineup to review!  We'll be reviewing Before Five in a Row and Apologia: How to have a H.E.A.R.T. 

I’m reading…

2 of my favorite authors!  I have NO doubt that they will be as horribly romantic as all the others!  I really do love horribly romantic books, don't you?

I also just finished watching:

It was SOOOO good!  If you are a Little House fan you will enjoy this.  It starts at the end of "These Happy Golden Years" and takes through "On The Way Home."  (Except the actor who plays Almonzo is totally not cute... boo!)

I think that about sums it up for this week!  We are starting 'school' on Aug 1st!  I am really, really, really ready to get back into a routine...I'm already tired of summer!
  

Click the linky-doo to see what everyone else is up to this week!

The Homeschool Mothers Journal - Link up

As I've gotten to know so many Homeschool Moms I am so excited to be invited to participate in blog link-ups!  This one is an opportunity provided by The Homeschool Chick (Her button is in my left side bar) called The Homeschool Mothers Journal.  It is a chance for me to journal our week.  We can journal what we accomplished last week...and what is coming up this week!  To learn more about it, or participate, click the button at the top of this post!

In my life this week…

 

In our homeschool this week…we didn't get much done by way of actual school work... We have been enjoying working on projects, playing in the yard and swimming pool and running around town! 

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…Butterfly festival tomorrow!  Oh!  And my Gymbucks are ready to use!  I need to get down to Gymboree stat!  The new Winnie the Pooh movie is out today too.

My favorite thing this week was…finishing up Kayley's dresser!  It looks so pretty!  Fresh coat of white paint and the knobs are now glittery pink!  Anxious to get her room finished enough to move her back in so I can begin working on a new "play room."  Currently Baby Jail is overflowing into my living room.  I would like to move the toys elsewhere.

I’m reading…a lot!  I do book reviews for several different people.  Right now I just finished Jillian Harts newest "Calico Bride", and "Billy Graham in Quotes" by Franklin Graham.  Lined up I have Patty Smith Hall's "Hearts in Flight" and Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge's "Never the Bride."  Book reviews will be coming on all of them!  Oh!  and I can't forget that I am participating in the Bible in 90 Days Challenge...I am in Exodus!

Things I'm working on...Getting our new school year ready to go.  We need to get back on a schedule!  My kiddos are getting bored!  Working on several book reviews and blog postings.  Planning Kayley's birthday party!  So much to do, so little time!