Things around here are changing but not everything. For instance, bed wetting. It is one of those things that people don't really talk about until you are desperate for advice and decide to bring it up. Then moms of other children who struggle with this dreaded bed wetting get a look of understanding in their eyes. It so encouraging for some reason to know this is normal. You can also Google it and see quickly that it is fairly common, especially in 4yr olds. Well this is the topic of my post quite simply because when I realized I hadn't posted in awhile and probably should, I was also waiting on the mail and praying that our newly purchased cloth diaper....ehm pull up is going to arrive TODAY! My Molly has been potty trained for two years now but bedtime comes and then morning and there is always a mess. We did pull ups for awhile. I hated the expense. I got a super undie, which is pretty amazing, a cloth pull up really. But that was six months ago and now it has gotten too small and it takes five minutes to get them off of her (that is only if I don't pass out from the ammonia first). So we are now moving forward to a cloth diaper that can be snapped together and pulled on like undies but in the morning when it is time to take a soppy mess off it simply snaps off and doesn't get stuck on her thighs. I am making my own inserts out of terry cloth (old towels) and flannel (scraps of material). After yet another massive leak this morning and a washer load full of soggy sheets, blankets and clothing I am so excited to check the mail this morning.

They are HERE! 

My baby girl

My baby girl is growing up. Every homeschool is unique and one way ours differs from others is that we have sent them all to Head Start. It began when my mother, Marmie, worked there and I had little ones one right after the other. It just seemed like a good choice. Elijah went for two full years and loved it. He thrived in that atmosphere so well that by the time he was ready for Kindergarten he had already learned nearly half the stuff we were going over. Josie went off and on for a few years. They both loved their time there, they had wonderful, loving teachers. A lot has changed though. Mom doesn't work there any longer and Elijah and Jo are both being homeschooled this year and I don't have any little babies needing lots of extra attention but... Molly grew up kissing one or the other goodbye and watching them go happily onto the little yellow school bus, visiting their class during the day and seeing all the wonderful creations they brought home. My wish was to keep Molly home. She's my baby and I really just thought we would just skip the whole Head Start thing with her. Mom isn't there any longer and I am settled into motherhood and homeschooling quite well. Molly had other thoughts on the matter. She kept asking last year when she would get to ride the "frog" bus to school like bubby and sissy. Those big blue eyes and her sweet persistence has her getting on the bus tomorrow morning. She is so excited and I know that it will be a wonderful year for her. I just can't believe how big my baby girl is.

Curriculum

Here is some of the curriculum I will be using this year. Much time has gone into picking curriculum that is tailored to Elijah and Josie and their individual learning styles and interests this year. I hope to make school a fun and relaxed experience. So here it is.

2nd Grade for Elijah

Horizons Math grade 2 workbooks only (no teacher's manual this year since we have a math teacher on board now)

Mango Math Tote grade 2

Hand Writing Without Tears Printing Power

 The Weather Book by Michael Oard through Answers in Genesis

Sonlight Core C World History Part 2 (loved, loved, loved Sonlight last year!)

Language Arts 3 Sonlight

Horizons LA

Elijah's reading level has improved so much this past year that I have opted to put together my own list of reading materials for him. I have chosen a few books that will really push him beyond his comfort reading level and several that will be easy reads but those will be used to enhance his understanding of the writing process and structure that he will be learning through Sonlight's Language Arts. This is my first attempt at putting my own thing together. I pulled books from what we already have so we will see how it goes. He is also reading the Happy Hollisters book set as his bedtime reading.

Pre K/ Kindergarten for Josie

Hand Writing Without Tears Get Set For School
I wouldn't trade in htw for any other penmanship course in the world. We have found it very fun, very successful. It is well thought out and even has much needed helps for reversals. I love that hwt teaches with so many different learning styles in mind and that it doesn't push too, hard too fast. Elijah is left handed and has really done well with it. Now as Josie begins I hope to see her improve by leaps and bounds.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

I have chosen this very different style reading program for that very reason, it is different. The lessons are written with much study of how a child's mind processes information. I did so much research to find what has worked for students who struggle and this comes highly recommended. I hope to post our success with this later but I am prepared for the opposite. My goal is to find what works not to make this work. We'll see.

A-Z lab books from homeschoolshare.com

These lab books are so cool! They really are the bulk of what Josie will be doing this year, cutting, coloring, pasting and creating. There is one lap book for each letter (a lap book is simple a file folder refolded to open as a display for all the fun crafts they did for the unit of study). I just know that this will be Josie's favorite part of homeschooling.

Living Math concepts from Cindy West

Mango Math Pre K

Explode the Code 1,2,&3

Rod and Staff work books

American Sign Language

I have been doing ASL alphabet with Josie for the past six months or so and it has been incredible to see how quickly she has been able to learn her alphabet. Josie has had unusual learning difficulties so we have been trying lots of  different ways to learn. It is so rewarding when you find something that finally works! 

We will do the following together.

Bible

A is for Adam, Answers in Genesis

The Answers Book for Kids 1-4, Answers in Genesis

I Can Crayon

Science Wizardry for KIDS

NaturExplorer Captivating Clouds

We will also do read alouds, history (see Elijah's Sonlight), any science together.

So there it is! That's most of it any way. We are very excited. Elijah and Josie have asked when we get to start. I think it helps that practically everyone else around us has already begun. We won't begin for another week though. Thanks for checking it out. 

I'm Back

It has been too long since my last post. This past year has been great. As I head into a new school year I am very excited. I will be trying to post at least once a week about our homeschooling experience. This year is new in many ways but a few of the changes must be mentioned. First, Joshua (otherwise known as daddy around here) has been hired at Bluegrass Middle of Hardin County Schools as a 7th grade math teacher. Secondly, Josie will be entering homeschooling as a kindergartner this time around! Thirdly, Molly Anne will be attending her one and only year of Head Start. I haven't given myself time to think of how much I will miss her for the few hours she is gone during the day. I know the only ones following this blog are family members for now (maybe we'll pick up a few friends along the way), I hope you guys enjoy peek into our homeschooling journey!

Big Changes

I have just been sitting here thinking about how this next school year is going to go. Elijah will be studying first grade materials. I'm going with a new curriculum this year and I'm so excited about it! It is tons of reading (history and literature) and of course the basics (reading, writing and arithmetic)plus science(real science for children)! It is going to require a lot more family time reading together. I love that.

The girls will also be home this next school year. Molly won't technically be schooling yet but I feel like she is going to want to work along with Josie on learning to write and recognized letters and numbers. I'm really excited about Josie's first year of homeschooling. It brings with it plenty of difficulties I'm sure. Josie is a completely different learning style than Elijah or Molly, she is so much like me. While this information should help me it actually causes me much confusion because I have never really pin pointed how I work! I'm going to be using an awesome writing system called Hand Writing Without Tears. I has all these wonderful hands on activities that touch on all the learning styles. I'm very curious to see how well it works for my girls.

Josh of course will still be schooling as well, getting closer to the end of that path. He is so amazing. I only hope that I will prove to be half as diligent as he is with my work. We are hoping that he will be able to work on both his teaching degree and masters at the same time this next year. If so, he will be completely done by the end of next summer! Two degrees and a masters, who would have thought?!

Meanwhile, I have applied and been accepted to Liberty University. I'm very excited! I won't begin taking courses till the fall and it will probably take many years to complete but by the time I'm done, my children will no longer need me as a teacher and I'll be able to apply my degree to a career of some sort. I really would love to be able to use the knowledge I gain from this in missions some how. Of course, only God knows how this will all work out. I'm happy to be on the journey though.

The bond between sisters

I actually took this picture at a stop sign. I could hardly believe my eyes when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw such a miraculous sight. I have often wondered if the two would ever become close. They are so polar opposites. Though I am sure this doesn't mean I won't hear those horrifying words "I hate you!" sore through the air between them, I am so thankful that the God has allowed me a glimpse of love between them (and with camera on hand!!!).

Every good and perfect gift is from above. -James 1:17

If you are looking for my cakes check out my other blog: www.cakesbybethany.blogspot.com