Which program are you using this year and when do you start?

[jensmom]

We are excited to begin our 2nd year of homeschooling and our 2nd level of HOD.

We finally completed the last 2 units of Beyond last week and will do some bridge work for the next couple of weeks. We will head to the beach in FL for our 2nd Annual "Not Going to Public School Week" on Aug 10th when our local school begins. So we will once again do Unit 1 "oceanfront". This year we will be using Bigger for 2nd grade.

I am so glad to read that several of you are using Bigger for 2nd grade. I have been having some reservations about the level of work required but am starting to have some peace with it and I think my dd will actually rise to the challenge. We just learned this past Friday that she needs glasses for reading so hopefully when those arrive we will see vast improvement in her reading consistency.

I will also get to meet Carrie and Julie this Friday at our homeschool expo and I am certain I will be able to put any residual anxiety to rest after talking with them, purchasing the remaining books for Bigger and getting to see the next levels up close and personal.

Judy
dd - 7 starting Bigger in 2 weeks

[Jen in Va]

We've been homeschooling for more years than I can remember...16? 17? I've lost track. My dd is a rising senior--hard to believe. Her coursework is all settled, just need to get a couple of months of lesson plans under my belt over the next couple of weeks.

My youngest is 6.5, and we will finish unit 7 of Beyond this week, although the official start date for school for both kids is August 10th. We're moving along and enjoying every minute of Beyond. Yesterday we did the Storytime assignment where the child has to listen for something important in the story--some object that figures prominently in the storyline. We're reading A Lion to Guard Us. I asked him before we started to listen for something, not someone, that is important in the story...something talked about a lot, then I said that I bet he already knew what it was. He leaned over to me and whispered, "The doorknocker." I told him that was right and what a good listener he was becoming. I just love HOD!

[MamaMary]

What a beautiful post to wake up too! I am so excited to see old friends. I've SOOOO missed you. I am also thrilled to see new sister hodies. I look forward to getting to know you. (Big Warm Smile)

Lynn, Congratulations on your decision to homeschool! We are starting our 12th year and LOVE it more now than ever before. I am actually graduating my oldest son at the end of this year. However, my baby is starting 1st grade and I have a 3rd and 6th grader too boot! I hope you have an AMAZING experience filled with lots of wonderful, warm memories.

Crystal, how exciting that you guys already started. I am sad that we will not finish Beyond and so I will live vicariously through your weekly check-in's! I missed (((you)))!

Amber I cracked up when you said, *doing the happy dance for you with a big pregnant belly*! I just ADORE you!!!!

Jeri, I am So sorry you had a tough year too. I do remember that we were able to share together as we traveled through last year. If we were in a room together your post made me want to run over and throw my arms around you. It's always such a blessing to find someone else in your life who had recently gone through many of the same things. The Lord is good that way.

8arrows, I am praying for you this morning that you would find your cup filled to OVERFLOWING with more of HIM and HIS amazing energy than ever before. I know this was my prayer just a few weeks ago. I believe the Lord makes us so that we can't exist apart from him, on purpose.

Tana- I am so sorry that you've also had a rough year. Imagine me standing next to you give you a great big squeeze! It is hard choosing between programs because we want our children to have the very best education ever! (said with an understanding, completely get that smile) One of the things I kept reading in my blog posts last year (that motivated me) that I loved about HOD was that there is no other one out there that has the christian content, biblical worldview, living books, simple but sweet projects, planned out for me in small bites. It's funny how I knew that in my head, but in my heart when I was tired and worn out I couldn't remember ANYTHING. Thank the Lord for blogging, LOL;-) I am so glad we are walking together *smooch*

Daisy, I've missed you! Are you still on FB? I just realized I've not seen you in awhile? Everything going good? You bring huge smiles to my face...., Mary Kay Smooch on your cheek!

Hi Gina- I LOVED your pictures from your vacation! Though I see you on FB, it's good to see you here;-)

Hi Jessica, Congratulations on your first year with HOD! What did you use prior? I look forward to getting to know you;-)

Sharon, how is it going since you already started?

Hi Kay, I missed you. How good it was to see your post

Hi Shelly- Congratuations! I am so jealous. We did half of Beyond and LOVED it! I can't wait to see your weekly updates.

Congratulations Judy!!! You finished your first program and you're getting ready to start a new one. I love your excitement

Jen- I loved your post!

Okay Girls, have a GREAT GREAT GREAT DAY!
Mary

[playschool]

We will be starting LHFHG with my younger dd and PHFHG with my two older children (age 9 and 11) the day after Labor Day. This will be our first year with HOD.

[water2wine]

Mary I just recently read your blog and was sad you were not with us wondering if life had swallowed you so I am so glad to see you here and deciding to come back. You have had a lot this last year and it is so easy to get swallowed. We had a tough year too but I have to say having HOD was our absolute lifesaver. It kept sanity and joy and we were able to do it no matter what happened and my kids flourished. That was our Bigger year so I pray for you that you will find nothing but joy with it. I am so thrilled to see you here again. Our time with them is short and these memories we make will last a lifetime. You are a great mom and no matter what you do I know it will be special but we have missed you!

So as for us we are doing Preparing, Beyond and we are going to get into the groove with Drawn into the Heart of Reading. I have just let DITHR fall to the side with life and I have to tell you I was really looking through it and I realized I would be hard pressed to find anything out there that comes close to it. It really is excellent and my kids need what it has to offer so this year I am going to put in the little bit of effort it takes to get going with it in the beginning and go for it. Luckily my children want to start a book club (their idea) before we get going with school so I am thinking that is prime time to get a feel for DITHR before we throw the actual programs into the mix. I am also thinking I need to copy the DITHR schedule and paste into the front of Preparing so I have it right there to intermix. And we may kind of leave it as a book club thing that we do in the afternoon. I am going to see how it goes with that but it sounds fun. Other than that we are going to resume with our chronological reading of the Bible and start our day out with that each day. And for my oldest I have added the books Carrie recommends for doing Preparing with an older child, Lightening Literature, some higher level Apologia science but other than that she will do Preparing with us. I am thinking this year I may have to actually follow a schedule (gulp!) other than the loose one I have in my head and basically follow. Key thought for me is this really is my full time ministry (job but I like ministry better:lol:) and I need to let things that distract me not have a place within the time I teach period. And I need to schedule in things like actually correcting LA and Math so it gets done consistently no matter what. Probably more than you wanted to know about me, hahahaha! We are excited about this year! I know it is going to be full of blessings! We're very excited about doing Preparing and Beyond and you will absolutely love Bigger!

So glad you are back Mary!

[creekmama]

Hi, Mary. We're new to HOD this year. We will start Little Hearts around the middle of August with my five-year-old son. My husband is a college professor, so we're just starting whenever his classes start. That way we're at least sort of on the same schedule!

[Sheila in OK]

Hi Mary!
I *know* you from some other boards, and I read your blog once in a while. Great to see you back here again!

After using Sonlight on/off the last few years, we have decided to take the plunge and try HOD this year. I will be using Bigger Hearts with 2 dc (11yo dd; 8yo ds). I'm also going to be trying DITHOR with both. This is going to be quite different from what we are used to doing, but I think it will be great!

It's going to be fun sharing the journey with so many others who are doing Bigger this year!

[my3sons]

Welcome back, Mary!!! I'm so glad you are feeling healthier and life is on a more even keel now for you. What a blessing Seth is doing well, and I understand all about over-stretching and over-doing to the point of crashing - been there, done that, not going back. I think you'll enjoy Bigger with your 3 honeys. This will be our 7th. year of homeschooling with HOD (and my 14th. year teaching if you count those ps years) - where DOES the time go?!? Anyway, Wyatt will be doing CTC, Riley finishing the second half of Beyond, and dare I say I'm entertaining the idea of starting Emmett in LHTH halfway through the year? He is sooo ready to learn, and I need help playing with him anyway. I'm thinking that one over yet. We'll start after Labor Day and do 5 day weeks so we finish by book fair season. Good to hear from you, hon'!!! Oh, and I got my hair hi-lighted after a long break from hi-lighting, and I feel like a NEW WOMAN! I think it shaved 10 years off me. Happy hi-lighting!

In Christ,
Julie

[Tree House Academy]

We started Beyond (with my 6 year old) and Bigger w/extensions (for my 10 year old) yesterday. We are already adoring our learning!!!!

[my2guys]

Hi Mary!

We will be starting the day after Labor Day (when hubby - ps teacher - goes back to school). Ben (5.5) is "official" now - he will be starting LHFHG for K. And Sam (3.5) will get his own program - he'll be starting LHTH.

[queenbeaz]

Well, this will be our first full year of HS (did about 1/2 yr. back in K & PK), and our first time with HOD. I'm ordering everything on Friday, so depending how long it takes to get here, we will start on August 10th or 17th, so I have some time to plan. I love to plan! We will be doing Bigger for 2nd and 4th grade (maybe w/ some extensions...we'll see) and DITHOR. I can't wait to get started!

[MamaMary]

Hello Everyone...., how EXCITING to see all the programs you gals are using! Julie you ALWAYS blow me away with your ability to handle so many and you do it beautifully!

Queenbeaz, Congratulations and welcome to your first FULL year of homeschooling! How exciting. Take lots of pictures this year. It will go so quickly. (said as I prepare for my first borns senior year, sniff, sniff) Try not to hurt the UPS guy when he delivers your boxes. Let him set them down and step away before you pounce! (teasing smile)

[SoaringEagle]

We'll be using Little Hearts for His Glory using grade 1 materials and starting the 2nd week of August.

[momakhomeschool]

I don't know if I've ever introduced myself here on the board although I do visit and read it daily. I am Karen. I have 3 dds (9, 6, and 8 mo) and a ds (turns 2 on Sat.) We are using Beyond. We worked through unit 18 last year. We started back on July 13 and are now in unit 21. We will be doing a 3 week on and 1 week off schedule this year. We plan to finish Beyond by November/December then will start with Bigger.

Mary, I m sooo glad you have decided to continue with HOD

Happy Homeschoolong to my fellow Hoodies

[j_croche]

Hi Mary,
It's great to see you. We had a tough year last year too. We are so glad to be back as well. We should be starting on Aug.10.
I put our plan in my siggy, so you'll see at the bottom of my post.
Blessings,
Jenni