update on my little homeschool

[MamaBear23Cubs]

I have had some more craziness in our life right now. I am now offically home and this was our offical first week for everything. My children learned a lot over the past 6 months even if we didn't work out of our school books every day. Now it's time to bust butt and get back into the gear of things.
My littles are just doing this and that. We have gone thru Little Hands once and how I wanted to do it wasn't working out. I am going over a second time but not doing everything. They know their basics so I am really just doing the bible over again. We are working thru Earlybird Singapore Math 1A for both and 100 Easy Lessons for both. They both do handwriting and this is the only part that is a struggle for my 3 year old. So that's was I am doing with my Littles.
With my 8 year old I have acutally doubled up on lessons so we can finish by the time my husband comes home from deployment next year. It has helped that she really is enjoying reading the books. Drawn Into The Heart of Reading just isn't our thing and she is reading pathway readers. We still read the books that I bought to go with DITHOR because she does like them. She just really likes the reader and workbook style.
I really wasn't sure about doubling up but it has seem to make her a better student. I guess just reading a bit here and there just wasn't doing it for her. She is just enjoying school since we have been back. If all goes well, knock on wood, we will be done with Bigger in January. Then we will have a break and start up again in March and hope to be done by November because we move again.

[water2wine]

Wow! You have got a great plan it seems. I just can't imagine the sacrifice your family makes. You sound like a wonderful organizer. I guess you would have to be. I am glad you are in your groove and things are going well. Thanks for sharing your plan. I sometimes find with my little one she likes to do extra math. I figure if she really wants it and it does not stress her why not. Eventually I know she will hit a place where one lesson will be enough.

I am glad you got things worked out now so it works for you guys. It's funny how we all use the same thing very different ways. All I can say is thank God for the flexibility in HOD. I so needed that and was not able to find it any way else. Enjoy your new plan!

[MamaBear23Cubs]

ha me organized. I am the most unorganized person. My hubby is way more organized than me. I have gotten better though since my younger two are getting older. If you was to come over during the day, you'd find books, papers, pens, pencils, crayons, guides and a dirty kitchen and mounds of laundry lying around. Okay so a bit of a streatching in the messiness but it's like a disater area. Hubby always calls before he come home so I know to start the mad dash pick up and start dinner. Right now I do have a loadi n the dishwasher to start and laundry that will take a day or two to do. I just unpacked hubby's clothes and they have that storage smell to them. I did put all our schooling material away. I have ** days until I have to act organzied. Another reason to bust butt not sure how much schooling will getdone on RR but I would like to do at least one subject a day during that time.

[inHistiming]

MamaBear23Cubs

If you was to come over during the day, you'd find books, papers, pens, pencils, crayons, guides and a dirty kitchen and mounds of laundry lying around.

This sounds like any homeschool I've ever been in! All those things are signs of a healthy homeschool...your kids are busy learning, coloring, writing, reading,...you're busy teaching...and you're all busy living life and eating and dirtying clothes. It's hard to get to it all and 'finish'. It's a constant work in progress. You'll find new ways to work on things...and some of the 'mess' will decrease. Feel good about your progress....you're doing better than you think!

[Rebecca]

InHistiming,
Bless you for saying that.
Rebecca

[holyhart]

This sounds like any homeschool I've ever been in! All those things are signs of a healthy homeschool...your kids are busy learning, coloring, writing, reading,...you're busy teaching...and you're all busy living life and eating and dirtying clothes. It's hard to get to it all and 'finish'. It's a constant work in progress. You'll find new ways to work on things...and some of the 'mess' will decrease. Feel good about your progress....you're doing better than you think!

Can't tell you how much of an encouragement that was to me!!! I really needed to hear that as just being mom and hs'ing, and nursing a new baby, I just can NOT seem to keep the house as clean as I used to be...and I've started to feel like a failure of a wife/mom/teacher/homemaker. So THANK YOU for those words!

[inHistiming]

Oh, I'm glad I could encourage you! It is easy to begin to feel like a failure. The season your in now is tough...it does get better as the kids get older....then when you have more littles it can get tough again....although, I think it's tough at any age in certain areas! We're always hardest on ourselves, it seems. You have to remember you are also doing this alone while hubby is away...that makes a difference too. So glad I could help you to feel a bit better.

[mom2fiveboysnc]

You may not feel organized but you do sound organized. You have a plan, your kids are doing hsing regularly, and like you said they are learning. Don't be like me when my hubby was deployed for 9 months and I had all 5 and the youngest was only 6 months old. People from my church asked if I needed help, family asked if I needed help, and every time I said NO. I didn't want them to come to my house to see the "mounds of laundry and dirty dishes". Eventually, it just about drove me crazy and I had to ask for help or go completely nutty. I only wish I had earlier. I don't know if you have friends, a church family, and relatives close by but make use of them! I wasn't homeschooling then but it was during summer vacation for us and there were days I thought I was nuts! I nursed all mine too so the baby couldn't be gone for too long but I started getting out of the house and away from the kids for small amounts of time. Or they would go places with someone and give me a chance to clean up. My Sunday School class even made us some dinners. Two guys from church made sure my van had the oil changed, tires rotated, and tune-ups regularly. Don't feel you have to do it all alone. Don't worry about "busting your butts" but just do what you can everyday. I'll be praying for you and your family. Just enjoy your little ones and don't fret about everything else.