Getting geared up for next month!!

[homefire]

Just got my planner printed out and bound, ordered my new TM (Beyond for my 2nd grader) and am dusting off LHFHG for my kindergartner. Now I'm making a list and itemizing by week of what I need to do before Aug. For some reason I'm not that excited and gung-ho this year so I'm hoping that listing everything out will help me not feel quite so overwhelmed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm blessed and SOOO thankful to be hs my 3 but I sort of feel like the winter blues carried over to summer and I'm just feeling 'blah'. Maybe a nice stroll through Staples will cheer me up and get me going

[RecumbentHeart]

You sound super organized. I was just thinking that I need to read tomorrow's Beyond plans so I'll know what I need. Obviously I'm not super organized.

[amysconfections]

I felt the same way starting this year. But after getting into it my spirits lifted. Just pray about it all. Dive in slowly. As in, do a few 3day weeks to get a slow start. The excitement will come back. Maybe take a weekend to go to a homeschool conference or watch some online.

[my3sons]

I really love this good advice...

I felt the same way starting this year. But after getting into it my spirits lifted. Just pray about it all. Dive in slowly. As in, do a few 3day weeks to get a slow start. The excitement will come back. Maybe take a weekend to go to a homeschool conference or watch some online.

What good thoughts here! You may want to do some sort of fun kickoff to your homeschooling year too. Maybe ice cream at Dairy Queen? Shop for school supplies together and get hot cocoa at the bookstore? Wrap new school supplies like gifts and do a treasure hunt with them? Or maybe YOU need some R & R time - date with dh? Supper with friends? I met my dh for a rare afternoon hour alone together yesterday at a restaurant, and my spirit was so lifted. We only had an hour and didn't eat, but we did sit outside and talk and enjoy the sunshine for a bit. It was a slice of heaven for a moment, and I can go on that awhile. Little things really can make big differences! Hope something here helps, but know here we are cheering you on!

In Christ,
Julie

[homefire]

Thank you ladies, what sound advice.

Amy- I think I will start with 3 days or so for a few weeks, why not? I did look over my notes from our state convention back in March and it did help to remind me why we're doing this. We are homeschooling to disciple our children in the ways of the Lord and to nurture a relationship with them more than for academic achievement (that is important though) and that helped take some pressure off.

RecumbantHeart- Not to fear, I'm not nearly as organized as I seem to be. I just have A LOT to do. This summer a small remodeling job took on a life of its own and my home is still in an uproar. I don't even know where some of LHFHG is at the moment.

Julie- Last year for the first day I made up gift bags with new supplies and made homemade poptarts for breakfast. Not the best brain food but a ton of fun. I had forgotten about that, thanks for the reminder. I think when my TM gets here I'll see if I can get away for an afternoon and get a few weeks worked out. Something else I'm going to try to do this year is hire a babysitter for a few hours one afternoon a week. I am an introvert and need the solitude to recharge. DH understands this and doesn't mind if I take an evening to myself here and there but the time with him is so precious I hate to give up that time as well. We'll see what the Lord has in store for us!

Thanks again for the advice!

Sharon

[MrsKnapp]

Sharon,
I am starting LHFHG this year as well. It will be our first year homeschooling and I am (mostly) excited! If you wouldn't mind, how do you start to plan out your year and what types of things do you schedule in besides the outline that Carrie provides?

Also, and perhaps more important, how did you decide to use AIG instead of the options that HoD recommends? I am not sure what to use because I had my heart set on either Apologia or AIG before I found HoD. Now, I don't want to go off the grid too much with the LHFHG because I know it's all intertwined. Or at least, that's what I'm led to believe!

I'd love your help with that since you've been there, don't that. Thank you!

[RecumbentHeart]

MrsKnapp, for what is worth, the science activities and lessons at that level are not remotely time consuming. I wouldn't for a moment concern myself with any either/or thoughts. You can enjoy the full connectedness of LHFHG and still have time to enjoy other reading and activities with your children.

[homefire]

Mrs. Knapp, we will be using AIG's Answers for Kids which is more of an apologetics program than an science one. We will be using it only a few times a week as a family and it won't be replacing anything. I agree with R.H. in that LHFHG is not demanding on the parent and the Bible, history, and science are so interconnected that I wouldn't completely replace any of them. As far as anything else goes I'm also giving a separate art program a try once or twice a week (not replacing the crafts in the guide) as well as a character/devotional study with my oldest dd once a week. We are also a part of a co-op that will need some prep.

As far as planning goes, I start with a list of things I want to do, prioritize them (Bible and the 3r's are at the top) and start plugging them in days on a calendar. Are they daily? weekly? monthly? as time allows? Am I over-committing? Are our days too busy or not busy enough? After I have that hammered out I look through any manuals and guides, print of and copy as much as I can and stick it all in folders. I have learned that I do best with actually looking ahead in detail about a week or so. Any more than that and I get obsessive and spend way more effort than is needed and usually on things that don't get used! I do find though that having all the printables ready makes things go much smoother. I use a different math program and we were stalled for two weeks one time before I could get to the library and make some copies we needed!

For your first year I would encourage you to take some time in the beginning and find a groove that works for you and you family. If things are going smoothly after the first few months and you want to add in more THEN look at other things. There are so many wonderful resources out there its hard not to try to pack it all in.

Hope this answers your questions and I sure you'll have a great year with LHFHG!

Sharon

[my3sons]

...Last year for the first day I made up gift bags with new supplies and made homemade poptarts for breakfast. Not the best brain food but a ton of fun...

Sharon - how fun! I am 40 yo, and I STILL love poptarts! The gift bags were a fun idea too! Your kiddos are so blessed to have such a loving mama.

...I think when my TM gets here I'll see if I can get away for an afternoon and get a few weeks worked out. Something else I'm going to try to do this year is hire a babysitter for a few hours one afternoon a week. I am an introvert and need the solitude to recharge. DH understands this and doesn't mind if I take an evening to myself here and there but the time with him is so precious I hate to give up that time as well...

We did this too, and it has been a life saver! We have a homeschooled gal that is 21 yo come to our house 2 afternoons a week from 1-5 PM. I work one of the afternoons alongside my ds Wyatt training him for his job, and the other afternoon I run errands like a crazy gal! I get all of our groceries, do my doctor's visits/haircuts/appts., etc. all on that one afternoon a week. My dh travels so much that I was literally taking the dc to everything and going nuts. Once in a great while, I finish my errands a little early, and then I call up my dh to meet me somewhere if he's in town for a half an hour or so, and we talk, talk, talk (and usually enjoy some coffee or other special treat together). I just thought I'd share this, as if you finish early, you could maybe meet dh for a short little something special too.

Great ideas homefire! I think I can see your batteries charging as we speak! Here's to a great year!

In Christ,
Julie

[MrsKnapp]

Recumbant Heart and Sharon,
Thank you so much for your thoughts! I copied and pasted some of them in my email to look at again once I get my box. I appreciate hearing from seasoned HSers.