Our 2013-2014 Curriculum Choices

I am a wanderer.  I love a curriculum, but then I wander because I see a great review of something else.  I always come back to my first curriculum love--Heart of Dakota.  It seems to be the only curriculum that satisfies my educational goals and teaching style   We have used 4 of their guides. Something new and enticing comes out every year to tempt me, but my heart belongs to HOD.  I need to just surrender and stop my wandering eyes.  So here are my official choices this year.  I will not be doing all of these things every day!


Disclosure:  This post contains some affiliate links.

Together
History/Science/Bible Heart of Dakota Creation to Christ.  I love that HOD uses living books for history.  My kids have learned so much through our read aloud times--even though CTC suggests having the student read the books independently, I will be reading them aloud.  Buddy is not ready to read at that level and Pickles is more of an auditory learner.  Besides, I enjoy our relaxing times reading together.  Science this year utilizes Apologia's Zoology 3: Land Animals of the 6th Day.  I already own this, so now I will finally be using it!  I also really like the cementing of information through notebooking.

Amanda Bennett Unit Studies  Throughout the year, we take occasional breaks from the norm and do unit studies.  I have found Amanda's studies to fit the bill for what we need.

I also often supplement what we are doing with offerings from Currclick. They have everything under the sun!


Bible Grapevine Studies  Use discount code AUGBLOG for 20% off any non-sale item!
Worldview  Apologia's Who is My Neighbor?--love, love, love this series!

Art and Music  We will be taking co-op classes to meet these requirements.

Pickles 5/6 grade
Math  She asked to go back to Horizons this year.  We'll see how it goes.  This has been our hardest area to find a suitable fit.

Grammar  Winston Grammar

Reading/Lit.  BJU Reading 6  Pickles is not a big reader so I decided to go the textbook route here.  I read aloud a lot, but she needs smaller chunks with comprehension checks.  This will be my first time using a textbook!

Writing  We are planning on signing up for an online class with Bravewriter, Partnership Writing

Thinking Skills  Critical Thinking Company Building Thinking Skills 2  She is finishing this up from last year, it's a big book!

Word Study  Critical Thinking Company Word Roots A1

Geography  Trail Guide to World Geography(finishing) and then Trail Guide to U.S. Geography

P.E.. Pickles takes tap and jazz dance and gymnastics,  she is also on a very aerobic worship team

Buddy 3rd grade

Math  He will finish out Math U See Gamma and move on to Delta

Grammar Winston Grammar

Reading--our main focus this year.  All About Reading Level 2, hoping to move on the 3 when it is available, lots of reading together

Writing  Bravewriter Jot it Down, Partnership Writing

Thinking Skills  Critical Thinking Co. Building Thinking Skills 1, finishing up from last year

P.E.  gymnastics, tap dance

Running out of the Wilderness

I've been in the wilderness for the past few months. Not literally, but in my heart and mind.  I was spiritually hungry, thirsty and tired.  I felt physically weak.  At first, it was not such a great place to be, but in the end, it has been a blessing.

It started right after I got home from the 2:1 Conference.   I was high with excitement and encouraged.  I was ready to take on the social media and blogging world.  Then I settled into my normal life and started questioning myself.  I felt completely inadequate as a wife, mother, homeschooler, blogger, friend and Christian.  Had I been wrong about feeling God's calling to blog? Essentially, I gave up.  Of course, this was not the objective of the conference!  It was Satan attacking me with lies in every area of my life.  He was trying to drive me into my weakness, which is the depression that I've struggled with since I was a teen.  I'm not sure why it happened at this time, but I do believe I needed to go to this barren wilderness to find my purpose.  I was driven to desire God more and that is a good thing!!!

A few weeks ago, my pastor, Brady Boyd, hit the nail on the head during his message on the Sermon on the Mount.  He had a great quote, "God loves you to much to give you a platform before He privately confirms our identity."  That was it!  I was meant to go to 2:1.  God wanted me there, but He was equipping me.  He never meant for me to come home and be a superstar blogger the Monday after the conference.  He put very specific people in my life that weekend to nurture my journey, not to discourage it.  I have spent much time in prayer, meditation on His Word and counsel from other godly women.  I was able to really reflect on my purpose during a Christian family camp earlier this summer and even through the children I have been working with at church.  It's been a difficult, but amazing time of growth for me.

I am running out of this barren wilderness into the lush, vibrant life that I know He has for me. I feel that God has prepared me to send me out to be a voice and an influence.  I hope that you will join me on this journey and be blessed.

2:1 Conference

I've been a little slow in writing my follow up post.  I have had so much to think about and a lot going on in my personal life the past few weeks.

I attended  2:1  for encouragement and that is exactly what I got.  It was a necessary experience for me.  I did leave with a few more questions than answers, but that was a good thing.  The questions have really helped me to reflect on and pray about who I want to be as a homeschool mom and a blogger.

As a homeschooler, I want to completely trust the Lord to help me with His kids that He has given me for a short time.

As a blogger, I want to encourage and reach out.  I want my blogging to be a ministry to other women who are walking where I have walked or am currently walking in both my homeschooling and personal faith journey.

Highlight quotes from the conference:

"We are called to actually die, not faint for His glory."  Rachel Carman

"Don't leave home without God's Word.  Show your kids what you value." Rachel Carman

"We're not playing Monopoly, we all have our own game."  Stef Layton

"God, You are enough!  Always."  Stef Layton

"No "to do" list will fix everything."  Rebecca Keliher

"Relationships with God and people is the only importance."  Rebecca Keliher

"Who am I trying to reach?  My ideal reader is ME."  Amy Roberts

"God is perfect and can make up for your imperfections."  Deb Chitwood

"Be a blogger of your word."  Toni Anderson

"God calls us, then He equips us."  Zan Tyler

There were so many more nuggets of wisdom.  I am praying that I will be able to attend next year in Chicago!!!  I hope you are able to go too!  You will laugh, you will cry, you will leave encouraged.  You will also leave with new friends like GiGi, Alyce, Wendy, Jenny, Jeanette, Jimmie, Connie, Rebecca, Jamie and Stacey.

You will also make connections with wonderful sponsors like HEDUA, Teach Them Diligently, Samaritan's Purse, Bright Ideas Press, Apologia, Grapevine Studies, Shatterpoint Entertainment,  Your Story Hour, Heidi St. John, HSLDA, Lexercise, Classical Conversations and Compass Classroom  

 Watch the video below to see what you'll be blessed with if you attend.

F is for Fidgets

I have kids that can't sit still during read aloud time.   They insist on doing somersaults across the room, jumping on the couch, touching each other and being distracted in general.  I know that some kids are just wired this way and can still absorb information.  I'm okay with that.  I am the one with a problem focusing when they are doing all these things while I try to read.  My solution has become fidgets.  My kids are now better able to sit in one location and still be "busy" while I read.  I check for listening and comprehension often through narration and questions so I know that they aren't distracted.

Here are a few of the items that we keep in our fidget basket.

Relaxing items--scalp massager, body brush(leftover from brush therapy), bendy wire and who can resist Troll hair!

Zoomorph connecting animals

Zome Tools

Squishy Toys--we love the mice in the cheese!

Keeping hands busy with Unifix cubes, tangle toy, marbles, magic worm, hacky sack, wire puzzle

Etch a Sketch, Mars Mud and Thinking Putty

C is for Compassion International

Help a Child

I began sponsoring a child with Compassion when I was in high school.  His name was Jose and he was from the Dominican Republic.  I enjoyed getting letters from him and I kept his picture on my dresser.  Now, my family sponsors two children from Guatemala.  We chose Guatemala because that is Buddy's birth country.  We sponsor a girl named Maria and a boy named Nelson.  We have really cherished our letters from both children and we pray for them often.  They are an extension of our family and we are glad that we can bless them and pray that our sponsorship is able to pull them from poverty and bring them into a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

We recently had an opportunity to tour the Compassion headquarters here in Colorado Springs.  There are 900 people that work there!  They work with 26 countries around the world, making life better for families in poverty and more importantly, introducing them to Christ.  It was a great learning experience.  Our tour guides were super informative and kind.  We walked through areas that depicted a typical home in Africa, the children hauled their water containers and ended up at the trash dump.  We learned that many families(usually the children) dig through the dump to obtain items to make everyday household items we take for granted--pillows, blankets, window coverings, toys, dishes, etc.  Next we moved back to the home with the water containers to show how a family that has a sponsor, can now have a water filter so that they can have fresh water.  Next we entered a model of a typical Child Development Center.  The children are able to go to this safe place to learn God's word, sing, play with friends, learn personal care, create and be educated.  Pickles and Buddy were able to make some cards for kids that do not yet have sponsors so that they too can receive something at Christmas.  Letters are so important to these kids!

                                       Toys made of trash


Another opportunity we had was to learn about about a young man named Ben.  He gave a short talk about being a sponsored child at our church's presentation of The Thorn.  Ben lived in a village in Kenya, that was literally a trash dump.  The people there have little hope and think of themselves as no more than trash.  He was able to go to school and become a Christian due being sponsored by someone in Austin, TX when he was a boy.  He is now living in Colorado and going to college!  What a great testimony to the work of Compassion.  As Ben said, he was once a "packet".  These kids are real and our sponsorship makes a real impact on the rest of their lives!  You can see Ben's story here.

Please consider becoming a sponsor to make the difference in a child's life and to further the kingdom of God. 

Do you run?  Consider joining Team Compassion

USA Today article--how Compassion's mission is working

Did you know that Compassion has a homeschool curriculum on their website?  Awesome stuff!  Go check it out! 
Homeschool curriculum

If you are currently a sponsor, and don't know what to do for your child check out these letter writing ideas:
Letter Writing FAQS
Pinterest Board

For your kids
Play Quest for Compassion online game to learn about poverty

Explorer magazine --read online
Pickle's friend Elise is featured as the Compassionate kid this month! Please check out her partnership with Compassion here--Kids Like John  Pickles has been able to participate in fundraising for this amazing cause!

Follow Compassion on Facebook and Twitter!  Read their blog