Preparing - Two weeks In

[Tiffini]

Hi, everyone! I want to give an update on our first two weeks of using Preparing Hearts. We used Bigger Hearts last year and absolutely loved it! So, I was excited to begin this school year with Preparing. I was a little nervous about the Independent boxes for my twins (9) and also a little sad about not doing those subjects with them. But, can I just say - that I LOVE it!!!!! And they love it, too! They love feeling older and more responsible. And they love going off and doing their own little thing and then showing it to me later. My oldest dd (11) is really enjoying the Extension reading again this year and it provides her with what she needs as well. I love having them doing more work independently. It is a good thing all around.

Some things I love about Preparing Hearts:
The biblical focus. I have loved focusing on Creation and The Flood in such an indepth way. I love that it makes history come alive. My younger dd said the other day that it was the first time she's felt like she was there during the flood instead of just reading a Bible story. I felt the same way. They have all been so challenged to realize and really think about the biblical "Bible stories" as true history and it's having a big impact. I do not think this curriculum could be woven together any more perfectly. Each resource just builds on each other and makes this beautiful story. I am enjoying it so much and am spending a lot of time thinking about things that I haven't thought that much about. It is very encouraging and rewarding.

More Independent Work: See above.

History Box: The kids look forward so much to seeing what they are going to draw today. And the drawings have meaning and purpose. The copywork has meaning and purpose.

History Project: Divided up into three days with each task being very manageable for time. That's my way to do projects!

Robert Louis Stevenson: "I have to go to bed by day" Nuff said!

Did I mention Independent Science Experiments??

Guided Written Narrations: perfect instruction for my twins. Small amounts and with everything I need to teach it to them.

One of my favorite features is the 4 Day Schedule! I love having the 5th day to do our own thing. I am finally using those resources that have been sitting on my shelf for years because I have TIME to use them! On our fifth day, we are doing Math, LA, Piano, Read Aloud, God's World News, Answers in Genesis Beginnings (which ties in so beautifully with the History study right now - is anything better than giving our kids answers for their faith? I love how God just does that and ties things in that I wasn't even planning on.) We are doing artist study and composer study. The twins are finally using their I Can Do All Things art curriculum that I've had forever. My oldest is doing Apologia Zoology I which she is really enjoying. What a great end to our week. I love having that fifth day and still feeling that we've covered a ton in the 4 days of HOD. It is a wonderful thing.

Now, I will say that we've had a few attitude issues. In general, my kids really do well with school and enjoy it, but I don't have those kids that BEG to do more school and that's okay. They are learning so much with HOD and learning it in a very enjoyable and thorough way. Sometimes, when I read posts of other kids who can't get enough of school, I feel like I must be doing something wrong. But, that is not the case. School is work. Kids are human. Humans are sinful. Thus, they don't want to work, but rather to be lazy. I can't relate to that personally, but I'm trying to be more understanding with the kids... Yesterday, however, my youngest came up to me and whispered in my ear after doing her timeline piece, "I love school!" And when my son realized today that he wouldn't be doing his History Box since it is our 5th day, he was very disappointed about not doing his Draw and Write Through History. Music to my ears...

Wow, this has gotten long. This is what happens when I don't post regularly.

Carrie, be encouraged. Your work is bearing much fruit that will last for eternity. Carry on in the strength and in the rest that Jesus promises. I'm praying for you!

Tiffini in IN
Using Preparing with:
DD 11 - Preparing with Extensions
TWINS 9 - Preparing as Written

[Kathleen]

Tiffini,

I'm right there with you...2 weeks into Preparing and thinking it's wonderful! Wonderfully written and planned, wonderfully fun, wonderfully do-able... It's bearing eternal fruit in hearts at our house, too. What more could I ask for?? Praise the Lord for HOD's help in accomplishing what's REALLY important every day at our house.

Looking forward to the weeks to come...
Kathleen

BTW, my kids sound a lot like yours. They really enjoy school most of the time. (Especially being read to and the activities. ) But, one of the things we really like about HOD is that besides accomplishing everything I want it to, it's done by lunch time. (As long as we start when we're supposed to.) My kids like school, and really like it when it's done.

[water2wine]

Tiffini Thank for sharing this! It's so encouraging. We can't wait to start Preparing! It just sounds wonderful. So glad your kids are loving it and that it is blessing your family!

[DHT1999]

I'm so glad you love it! I do, too! We just finished Week 3 of Preparing. This is our first year with HOD. We are sticking with HOD as long as Carrie writes the guides. We are having the best school year yet. Thanks for sharing

[juliekay]

But, one of the things we really like about HOD is that besides accomplishing everything I want it to, it's done by lunch time. (As long as we start when we're supposed to.)

Wow! Do you start really early? We have finished our first week of Preparing and I am THRILLED to my tippy toes with the whole thing, but I am not done by lunch time! However, I can see that by perhaps by the end of this next week we'll be moving a little faster, but still I don't think we'll make the lunch time hour. I am definitely OK with it and I should add that my youngest (turned 8 in July) has never written this much in his little life! Frankly, I expected more flack but he's been a champ! I attribute this to Carrie's ability to blend the hands-on/audio/art in order to balance out the written work.

AND now that I think about it IF I were just schooling 1 child in Preparing - sure we'd be done by lunch! It's just all those other kids that get in the way!

I too LOVE having a 5th day!

Thanks for sharing everyone! It has been an encouragement to me too!

[my3sons]

That's awesome, Tiffini! I felt the same way last year doing PHFHG. I'm excited to begin CTC - thanks for sharing!

In Christ,
Julie

[Tiffini]

I'm with you, JulieKay! I do not finish by noon either. This year, I have made a conscious decision to be willing to let things go longer and deeper and let go of my rushed feeling. I realize that not everyone has this luxury, and I don't have it myself on a lot of days. But the days I have the time, I let it go longer - and the rewards have been great. Even on the days that I keep things clipping along, we don't finish by lunch, although we can be close at times with only DITHOR or piano left after lunch. HOD is great at being realistic with the amount of time we have in our days for school, unlike many popular curriculae. I appreciate that because it does leave us time when we choose to go deeper. And when we don't have time, no guilt involved.

[Kathleen]

But, one of the things we really like about HOD is that besides accomplishing everything I want it to, it's done by lunch time. (As long as we start when we're supposed to.)

Wow! Do you start really early? We have finished our first week of Preparing and I am THRILLED to my tippy toes with the whole thing, but I am not done by lunch time! However, I can see that by perhaps by the end of this next week we'll be moving a little faster, but still I don't think we'll make the lunch time hour. I am definitely OK with it and I should add that my youngest (turned 8 in July) has never written this much in his little life! Frankly, I expected more flack but he's been a champ! I attribute this to Carrie's ability to blend the hands-on/audio/art in order to balance out the written work.

AND now that I think about it IF I were just schooling 1 child in Preparing - sure we'd be done by lunch! It's just all those other kids that get in the way!

I too LOVE having a 5th day!

Thanks for sharing everyone! It has been an encouragement to me too!

Grant does start early. He starts piano and violin at 7 am. (Now, those are extra - not HOD - of course.) We start Preparing at 8:30 - and we've been able to finish by 1:00. A few days we've come close to wrapping up by 12:30. So, we do lunch "late" by some standards I'm sure, but it works for us. He doesn't have a break to play in there, but he has the whole afternoon free. Two days of the week we have to be finished by 1 so that we can go to Grandma's house for violin lessons and to our homeschool group that gets together for field trips or play. We decided it would work best to keep our school schedule consistent and get it all done in the morning.

The independent work in Preparing does balance out nicely with me doing LHFHG with the little 2, too.

Kathleen

[Carrie]

Tiffani,

I'm so glad to hear your update! It's wonderful to hear how you're settling in and about your favorite parts of Preparing Hearts. We thoroughly enjoyed many of those same things last year when we did Preparing Hearts! We pray that you will continue to draw ever closer to the Lord as you go through the guide.

Thanks for taking the time to share so thoroughly! It gives other moms who are exploring Preparing Hearts a great peek into the guide and that is so helpful!

Blessings,
Carrie