Thank You From One Happy Mom

[INmomof2]

Hi, everyone!

I am new to this forum and to Heart of Dakota. I made the decision to go with HOD Bigger this school year for my daughter, 9 yrs old, and my son, 8 years old, to use together. I have been looking it over and I am so excited that I just wanted to post on here.

I have been looking and looking for the perfect curriculum for my kiddos for the past two years, trying multiple things and dealing each year with tears, boredom, and burn-out from ALL of us. It's been so tough to put together what I wanted on my own and I was just so thrilled to find Heart of Dakota. I have been looking through the teacher's manual and it is everything I've been wanting, all in ONE place. I cannot believe I've finally found something that I'm so happy with and seems to fit us a T.

We start our new school year on the 10th of August and I can't wait! I know my children are going to be so excited also. It will be fun watching them grow and develop, and most of all it will be nice to just reach for my ONE teacher's manual, open it to the correct page, and go. It's also so nice to see projects that call for only items I already have here at home. No last minute running from store to store, desperately trying to find what I need. And the reading books that are available to buy here on this website--I'm just so happy not to be combing the libraries in my area and putting books on hold, hoping they will all be available at the time that I need them. Now I can just buy the books that I need. They're all lined up nicely, just ready to be opened up at the exact right time. No more stress for Mom.

When I made my purchase for Bigger, I waited anxiously for it to arrive. All the while I kept wondering, Did I make the right decision? Will it really be as good as it looked on the website? Will I just be disappointed again, like with so many other curricula, finding myself having to tweak and add and take away? Then it arrived. I opened up the manual, looked and looked, turning page after page, and there was such a peace in my heart; a feeling that I had finally come home. Perfect. In Every Way. I have tears rolling down my cheeks as I write this because I am just so thankful to have found this. No more working myself half to death trying to piece together a curriculum that will both educate and be fun for my little ones. No more mid-year burn-out and the doubts that begin to creep in, causing me to wonder if I'm doing the right thing. No more frustration because I'm having to tweak one more time to make it fit my family and our lifestyle. Just a wonderful sense of peace.

This is the first year I can recall that I am just itching to get going with school. I can't wait to see the excited faces and happy grins of my children as we do a project or read a story together, or work on "fun" math concepts. I am truly looking forward to this year, and I KNOW, without a doubt, this is where we're meant to be right now.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[mjlamarche]

thank you for this encouraging post!

[rodandmegs]

This is exactly how I feel. We have had an amazing first four days...like we never have before!

[Nealewill]

I have been looking and looking for the perfect curriculum for my kiddos for the past two years, trying multiple things and dealing each year with tears, boredom, and burn-out from ALL of us. It's been so tough to put together what I wanted on my own and I was just so thrilled to find Heart of Dakota. I have been looking through the teacher's manual and it is everything I've been wanting, all in ONE place. I cannot believe I've finally found something that I'm so happy with and seems to fit us a T.

This is exactly how I felt when I first started HOD. My challenge was finding something that lined up with what I was looking for as well. I did eclectic in the beginning but tried a different boxed curriculum for the first time 3 years ago. That was when I found that box curriculum WAS for me . That company's curriculum just wasn't I found HOD the following year and I have never looked back. Before finding HOD, I was always window shopping at products. I still like to look around at times and see what is out there but honestly, it always bring me back to HOD and reminds me of why I love it so much. My kids also LOVE it! Before HOD, I always got the dreaded sighs when it was time to start our days or complaining from the busy work. No busywork here! It is such a good fit. Ironically, before doing things CM style, I didn't really have a good understanding of CM nor a very positive perspective regarding this style of education . But now that I used it and seen that my kids learn WAY more this way, I have changed my tune!!!! (This is just me - many of my friends have older kids and they were very classical with their families. This highly influenced my initial thinking and goals.) I even have a friend who has used classical with her kids from the start but switched last year to HOD with her oldest. She and her dd loved it! This year both of her kids will be using HOD. She is pumped and excited to have found it. Her first year, she also did her own LA. This year, both kids will be using HOD for everything except for math. I really value this individual's spirit about teaching and her commitment to education. I was shocked at the rave reviews she had of her dd's year (only because she was very pro classical as well) and was very pleasantly surprised that she wanted to use it again as she already had an education path picked out for her kids but she changed it to HOD.

I just love this company! I am so thankful that God put it on Carrie's heart to write this program! I am thankful for Julie's work in helping her sister and her encouragement through out the boards. I am thankful for Mike in allowing and pushing his wife to pursue this passion. I am sure he had to give a lot up himself so that Carrie could do this. I know for a fact that my kids homeschooling lives would not be nearly as rich and enjoyable nor nearly as focused on the Lord if Carrie had not written these guides. I am thankful every day we do school for the time, effort and sacrifice that went into each guide. I also can't thank them enough! Neither can my kids LOL. They are glad that HOD has reigned me in and that there is balance to their days and lots of fun included! I am thankful for the targeted skills taught in each level and that this program has encouraged my kids to WANT to learn. You can say that about a lot of programs. But with HOD, I can say that freely. I just love it!

[INmomof2]

You're welcome, mjlamarche! So glad it was an encouragement.

rodandmegs-I'm even more at peace hearing how wonderful your days have been so far with Bigger! I am loving it so much, and even more so as I continue to look through the manual and the books. I stopped by your blog and LOVED what you've done with organizing the different subjects.

Nealewill-Thank you so much for your post. It describes the way I feel too. I am very much a box curriculum kind of girl, too, but was driving myself to tears shopping and looking around frantically for one that wouldn't elicit the sighs that you mentioned. I completely understand, because that is where I was at. My two kiddos still groan when I mention that it's almost time to go back to school. I am keeping HOD a surprise and I can't wait to see their faces when they realize school can actually be fun. I totally get the frustration of busy work. It seems like there is a lot of that in some of the curriculum that I was using, and my kids grew to dread school. That's why I am so thankful to find HOD. It is such a breath of fresh air. The thorough, yet completely doable Teacher's Manual, the interesting history and science books and projects that can be completed in a short amount of time, the absolutely wonderful, engaging reading books.....I just could not ask for a better program, and I can't begin to express my gratitude for it.

I am planning on getting out the camera this school year and recording ALL of our fun times, beginning with Day One. I expect great things, and I'm actually looking forward to this year. Every other school year I've opened up the curriculum that I've finally decided to try out and almost immediately found things that just wasn't going to work for our homeschool style, or one of my kiddos learning level, and then there would be that all too familiar sinking feeling. I can honestly say that has not been the case with Bigger. I am still looking and everything I see just makes me that much more eager to start. I keep seeing stuff in the manual and find myself smiling and nodding, and thinking again, "Yes, yes! That's exactly what I've been looking for!" Or I'll think, "They are so going to love that..(insert book, experiment, craft, etc). I am just so blown away by all I'm seeing, and I'm sure I will be posting even more once we actually get started!