please help me to focus.. I'm thinking myself into confusion

[Evergreen Mama]

Hello Ladies!

My name is Davena and I live in Northern Arizona... sitting outside on my deck watching my littles play in the grass while the bigs are doing leggos inside. The weather is beautiful and the birds are chirping. I don't want to do anything but play!

About me:I have an incredible awesome wonderful hubby and a ds (7), and three dd (5,3,2).

I love teaching.

I looooooooove to be organized and find myself researching and organizing more than implementing.

I have been faulted for having high expectations for myself. (too high)

I tend to get stuck on one topic for a week or two because I get so excited about the different ways to teach it. Lapbooks, videos, fieldtrips, books from all angles, arts, songs, experiments etc.

Ponderings I have floating in my mind that I would love feedback/advice/thoughts etc.

I love the Lord and fear passing on a religion and not a heartfelt relationship/fear of God.

I did not grow up loving learning. I now LOVE to learn new things. I want to pass that on to my kiddos so they don't "waste" 25+ years of their lives just doing the next thing and not retaining... seeing how it all is relevant to life. To know how to share their opinions and articulate their thoughts in a humble yet confident manner.

I desire for my kids to be outside or reading or playing together before playing alone or infront of a computer or tv.

I cry at how inadequate I am and how much there is to parenting. I sometimes become paralyzed by it.

HOD confusions:

I think my son is totally ready for Beyond. My dd5 is doing the Reading Lesson and Early Math and is more at the Little Hearts stage of life (attention span... interest in school vs. play). Do I do both? Is that possible?

If so... do you do both storytimes? how do you facilitate both curriculums (history/devotions/sci. etc.) ? What do you suggest to have the other three doing while you are facilitating the subject with one?

If not... I just feel like my 5yo will be diong the motions. She glazes off at me. Still naps 2x a week or more. Asks questions totally unrelated to the topic being discussed. I just get frustrated and feel she is taking away from her brother's time. (when I have experimented with them doing things together).

Okay, I know this got really long but I am hopeful you can help me sort out my thoughts and have a plan of attack. I get so excited to do HOD. I finally feel like we have found one that fits our family. But when I think of doing more than one book... I then get confused.

Another thing about me... I struggle with finding the main point in the midst of all my thinkings. ... help!

Thanks again, D

[water2wine]

Welcome to the boards! You sound like you have many of the same things going on as about 90% of all homeschooling moms and maybe just moms in general. I want to just encourage you that if the chart puts you at two programs it is no big deal. I find running two HOD programs is much easier than making other one size fits all programs work. There are some great threads on here about running two programs here are a couple don't worry about what program it is as much as how people flip between the two programs. All the programs are designed similar so this is useful no matter which one you use. http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1395
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=542

Also on the organizational stuff you just found your answer. You can stop thinking about how to achieve it and just put it into work. HOD is very well organized and very easy to implement so I think you will be extremely happy. I know other moms will give you great tips here on how to use it as you want. I am combining two but not the same two as you will be. I do think they are all pretty similar to combine but I know there are moms using Beyond and Little Hearts will tell you their tips. I do know this though, it is very doable and you will love it.

[gracelikerain]

Hello & welcome!
I am new too & will be using LHTH with my 4 ds & preparing with my 7 & 10dd's. I can totally relate to so much of what you are saying! You might want to do a search on [b]schedules[/b] to see how some of the other ladies implement their days with 1 or 2 HOD programs. Hope that helps some! Relax more, stress less! That is what I'm trying!!

Blessings,

[MamaBear23Cubs]

Before my move I would teach my littles before my oldest. My oldest is now my sleeping beauty and doesn't become fully awake until after the school bus goes by while my younger two are up at the crack of dawn.
Once they were done and moved on to play in our fenced in back yard, I would starte doing lessons with my oldest. Only one or two and then it was lunch time. We eat and play some more and then when it was nap time I would work with my oldest while the younger two napped. At night I or hubby would read to everyone. THeir bedrooms were next to each other so either he or I would sit in the hallway and read. First a handful of pictures books and the last book would have been what I would have read for story time. We didn't do this everyngiht and still don't but I hope when we move back home we will have it everynight.
Right now life is just not going as planned so we are 'unschooling' with a little sit down work of the three R's. Once we are in our own home again I will go with my old schedule again.

[AmyB]

I just began today, and it couldn't have run any smoother running two programs. After last year, I decided that it is easier to teach them separately. This morning I started with my oldest (9) with Bigger and it took us not quite two hours to get through everything. After that I took a short 1/2 hour break and then started with my youngest. She is 6 and I will be doing Beyond with her over the next two years. Today was her lighter day and it took about 35 minutes. Tomorrow should take closer to 1 hr. 15 minutes or so. It does help to have your day laid out and then stick to that format each day. Start with Lang. Arts each day then math, science, etc. and stick to it each day so that they know how school will go. Also, older kids are able to read materials on their own and narrate back to you, so that frees up some time to fold laundry or whatever. Hope this helps, and you will find so much encouragement here. Will keep you on my mind and in my prayers.

[my3sons]

Hi Davena! I did Bigger... and LHFHG last year, and we had a great year! I did both of those Storytimes quite easily, and I know you'll find the 2 Storytimes with LHFHG and Beyond easy to do because LHFHG uses very short chapters and specific books, and Beyond lets you go at your own pace for Storytime.

I think we all have those thoughts that you've described so well in your post. There are days that I think this task of homeschooling my dc and raising them to grow up to be Godly men is too much for me too handle - but then I remind myself that God will not give me more than I can handle.

Running 2 HOD programs is not hard to do... trust me on this one. They are complete programs, very well balanced, and they do cover everything well that needs to be covered... but, they are also written by a homeschool mom of 4 boys, and she is using them NOW, so she understands the need for them to be time-conscious and doable. You'll see this "logical" attitude - yet heartfelt attention to what's most important - running through all of the HOD programs.

These are precious moments with our dc, and homeschooling gives us many memories to cherish. I know you will be able to do these 2 programs happily and successfully. You already have the most important tool for being a wonderful teacher for your dc... a heart full of love for them and for God!

Keep us posted on your HOD journey! I am confident it will be a fulfilling one!

In Christ,
Julie