Poems & Storytime are the best!!

[Mercy]

We are about halfway through Beyond and enjoying it so much!! My daughter happens to be in the older age range for this guide, but it is working great because we are using Rod & Staff English, dictation and math at her level. I wasn't sure when we first began if Beyond could ever outshine Little Hearts. I have to say...they are BOTH amazing! I have done a few of the upper guides, so I already know how much I loved those and look forward to them with my younger group.

My favorite part (which surprises me!) is the Poems!! My daughter copies them nicely on lined paper then glues them on nice cardstock and uses the *expensive* pencils to draw a picture to go with the poem. I put them in page protectors in a floppy folder and she has so much fun showing everyone who visits her beautiful work!! Such great fun!

My daughter and I have been waking early and having tea while we work through her school. These quiet moments have been such a joy to both of us. Our favorite time together is storytime! We are just finishing up A Cricket in Times Square. What a great story. We have laughed out loud so many many times reading Sai Fong's parts. And Tucker mouse is hilarious too! We cried while reading the Sarah Witcher story. I read this book when my oldest was around this age and probably cried then too! The fathers faith is so stirring!

I just had to share the fun we have been having. I tell everyone I know about HOD! I don't know how many people I have converted, but I just can't help but share all of these beautiful memories I feel so blessed to be able to have.

Mercy

[Carrie]

Mercy,

I am so glad that you are enjoying your trip through Beyond. My fourth little guy is just starting it, and we are enjoying it too! Thanks so much for taking time to share. Your post blessed my heart, and I know it will encourage many readers!

Blessings,
Carrie

[hsftheart]

Mercy,
I was so happy to read your post as we are going to be starting BLHFHG soon. It will be our first year of hs and my dd is 8 and ds is 6. I am really looking forward to storytime and poetry too. Just wondering, do you wake her early in the morning or is she an early riser? How long does it take you to get through everything with her?

I have been collecting my hs goodies in a corner of my bedroom for about a month now. I am so excited about HOD and everyone on this board.

Thanks so much.
hsftheart

[Mercy]

hsftheart,

I love everything we have done so far with Heart of Dakota & I am positive you will have a great time in Beyond too!! To answer your questions, none of my children wake too early. She isn't usually one to be too cranky though when you wake her. This is especially true if she can have some tea time or cocoa. I have found starting early with all of my children to be the key for HOD. When we do not wake & start right away, the kids seem more distractable & the day tends to be drawn out so much longer. My best days are when my Beyond girl wakes with me, and right as we are done with our together time, my Little Hearts boy wakes and is ready! Those days go perfectly. They all seem so much more attentive when they first wake up and frankly, so am I! I get weary of doing school after awhile too. lol So, to answer your question, it all varies...if we wake early & she is attentive, it could be an hour and a half. Other days...drag on. However, it is usually because *I* am distracted that day & not sitting to make sure things are getting done.

As much as I love the way this morning tea has worked for us, our schedule will be changing soon, because my husband is starting a new job. He will have odd hours, wed-sat 9am-7pm working four days per week. This is going to change everything! We are hoping to have breakfast & bible together as a family in the mornings, which means...no more sleeping in time for certain children & I am going to have to go full force right after breakfast with everyone. Not to mention, the four day week that will make us squeeze everything in. We will see how this works!

You might want to check out the schedules section to get some other ideas. I am constantly changing my schedule. Not as much as when I was in toddler & baby stages, but it changes during the different seasons.

Everyone here has been so helpful. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you need!

May God bless you on your new journey,
Mercy