Same curriculum, different kids

I know I've realized this before (and probably wrote it before) but just because one curriculum works for one child doesn't mean it will work for the next child.  Or maybe it will work but not in the same way.  Maybe I liked one curriculum for one child because he was more independent and he would read through each lesson and then do the exercises and occasionally ask for help.  But when a different child uses that same curriculum, she has a different learning style and wants me to actually teach the lesson or go over it with her.  That's great but when I have to go through the curriculum, suddenly I don't like that curriculum as much.  It's not as teacher-friendly.  And then I'm searching on-line, asking friends, looking for something else that will both our styles better.

It's not that I get bored or am wanting to find the best one - it's that each year is different with different learning styles.  I'm even a different teacher, depending on the child.  Brendan prefers to figure things out on his own with little input from me - but he does need a schedule and he does need to know what I expect him to do every day because he won't do extra.

Tori learns best if someone explains it to her or if she can manipulate objects to see the answer.  She will quickly put up road blocks if she feels something is too difficult so I have to be patient and not get frustrated.  This is not a strong suit of mine but I am working on it.

Rachel and Owen are a whole new ball game.  They are more of a "class" and I have to make sure they're both learning things and not just copying each other.  They're also very competitive with each other and I have to be careful of that, too.  One will try to finish faster but then be sloppier or make a silly mistake.

Sometimes I feel like I'm just looking for the easy way out when I keep trying different curriculums.  It helps to realize there is a reason behind what I'm feeling and it's more than a whim.  I have to learn to trust my instincts more with my kids - that's one of the benefits of homeschooling.  Who knows these kids and how they learn better than me?  Another benefit - I can pray for wisdom.  I don't always think about it but I know God cares about our homeschooling and their education.  That should be the first thing I do before I open a curriculum catalog or attend a homeschool convention.  It's somewhat discouraging that Brendan is in 8th grade and I'm still figuring this out.

Still figuring out what homeschooling looks like for us

I said before that I've been reading through old posts.  The ones that I've been most interested in have been the ones about our homeschooling days.  It's been interesting to read about what I liked doing and what worked and what was frustrating.  I often look at our curriculum (especially in November, February and May) and wonder what I should do differently next year.  I want our learning experience to not be boring or frustrating and if the curriculum can help with that, I'm all for trying new things.

One website that seemed really interesting is called Easy Peasy homeschool.  A homeschool mom decided to create her own curriculum for her kids using free on-line resources and then wrote out each assignment.  Everything is included and you just need a few basic supplies, besides a computer with internet and a printer.  I decided to try it after Christmas break with Rachel and Owen.  I didn't want to stop our language arts or math but we weren't doing a structured science or history course so I started with that.  It's been good and I'm very impressed with the website but I don't know that it's one I want to use next year.  I don't like having to have a laptop in front of me all the time when we're doing school.  I like turning pages, not scrolling.  I did start having all the kids practice their math facts on XtraMath, a web site that is used with her curriculum.  I've realized I need to utilize technology more but I don't want to rely on it entirely.

Another question that came up for me when I was looking at this website was the idea of our Pioneers co-op.  The curriculum on this website was for 180 days.  If we do Pioneers, we meet about 27 days during the school year so we would either have to go longer in the summer to finish this curriculum or double up on some days or not do Pioneers.  There have also been some classes that have been difficult for Brendan and Tori at Pioneers for various reasons.  I started contemplating what it would like if we didn't do Pioneers.

We started school this Monday after Christmas break and everything went great.  Honestly, it was such a good day of learning.  Tuesday was the same.  Then Tuesday night we found out that Pioneers was canceled and I was relieved and thought, yup, maybe I need to rethink being a part of a co-op.  Then today dragged on.  We did our normal school work and then took the afternoon off.  Instead of feeling like a break, it felt like a prison.  I know part of that is because we've already been off for 2 1/2 weeks.  But I think the co-op is good for us - it gets us around people, gives us a day off from our normal routine, and I think it's good for the kids to figure out what other teacher's expectations.

So, after reading through past blogs and trying out a few different things the past couple days, I am getting ideas about next year.  I want to look for a structured science book for Rachel and Owen.  We are definitely planning to do Pioneers again.  And I want to look for ways to incorporate technology more.

Now to set some goals for my kids for this year . . .

Looking back

This past week, I read through all my old posts on here.  It was such a great experience!  I had written so many funny stories about the kids that I had forgotten about.  I loved looking back at the old pictures.    I hadn't realized before how much I would treasure my previous posts.  I'm disappointed that I haven't kept up with this the last few years.  I found a website that would create a book with all my posts for just $90.  This becomes a journal of our life that I can share with our kids.  It was good for me to look back and remember how I felt at different times of our homeschooling journey and different things I was going through.

Josh and I celebrated our 17th anniversary yesterday.  We had the kids with us this year so we didn't have any big plans.  Because they're getting older, we were going to leave them at home while we went out for dinner and a movie.  A big snowstorm was coming our way and I started to wonder if maybe we should go out earlier in the day.  There were also some things I wanted to get at the store.  And the movie I wanted to see was only playing at 9 pm.  So, we changed our plans a bit and went out for lunch and then got a few groceries, wandered through the used bookstore and came home.  We ordered pizza for supper and then I made Rice Krispy houses (using a mold) and let the kids decorate that with candy.

At one point, I started thinking about how it wasn't really a typical way to spend an anniversary.  But you know what?  I loved it.  Because it was relaxed and we were all home safe and these 4 kids have brought so much joy and happiness to our marriage.  I thought about what life was like for us 17 years ago and I'm so happy to be where I am right now.

And I am also planning our next kid-free weekend.  :)  But that will have to wait until after basketball season.

Christmas memories

Last year, my family gathered at my house for Christmas instead of my parents.  Unfortunately, the stomach virus decided to visit with us and many of us were affected by it at some point, which really put a damper on the whole thing.  One thing we kept saying was that we were so glad we were at my house (4 bathrooms) instead of my parents (one bathroom) because there were 13 of us needing one and sometimes it was quite urgent.

This year we gathered at my parents house (still one bathroom) and we lost power because of an ice storm.  Thankfully, they had a generator that was able to keep the well going for water, the furnace running for heat, and the fridge running, along with a few lights and outlets for charging.  *side note* - it's not easy to explain to a 6 year old that we don't have power so he can't watch a movie while he's staring at the ceiling light that's on.  When you have to pick between being able to flush a toilet or watch a movie, toilet wins every time. If we would have lost power at my house, we would not have been comfortable at all.  No generator would mean no water and only a fireplace for heat.

At one point, my brother said, "I'd rather be without power than be sick again!"  And while I agreed, I did wonder if there was an option c.

We came home on Monday afternoon and spent some time putting things away and then did a little shopping.  Tuesday was spent cleaning and really getting things put away because my parents and my sister and her family were going to come on Wednesday for dinner.  On Christmas day, we opened gifts, had breakfast and then did a little last-minute cleaning before family arrived.  It was a very relaxing afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed the time together.

Today, I looked around and realized that my "after-Christmas" chores have been done.  When you have family Christmas early and then invite people over, things tend to get put away.  I've actually started cleaning out our storage area and am ready to organize and purge.  And we still have more than a week off!

Back to School!

I was really dreading it this year.  I kept going back and forth about what curriculum I wanted to use - and I think subconsciously I may have been thinking, "if I don't pick a curriculum, we can't start school!"  But then one day I finally made a decision and ordered our books.  (And then I second-guessed that decision and thought about returning some but finally decided to stick with the first decision.)

Our school area was a mess.  Books and binders from this year and last year scattered all over.  Last week, I was finally motivated to organize it.

I was on call this week for jury duty.  Monday I had to report in.  No starting school early for us!

But then something strange happened.  I came home Monday at 11 (not needed for the jury that day) and had lunch and then decided  to start math with all the kids.  Some of our books hadn't even been opened from the shrink wrap yet.  But we got all our supplies ready and I did a lesson with each of them.  And it just felt good.

We've done a math lesson every day this week and we're getting in the groove.  The school area is completely ready for this year, all our books are unwrapped and we're all beginning to settle into a new routine, with a little bit of summer on the side.  I don't know why I thought it would be so much harder this year.  I'm exactly where I want to be.

The livin' is easy

Oh, it's summertime.  The sun has been shining, the pool is open, the water is clear and we are loving it.  Our days start out slower, evenings last longer and most afternoons have been spent in the pool.  What else could I ask for?

Okay, one thing.  Two weeks ago, the kids stayed with Josh's parents for a couple days.  I met a friend for lunch, ran a couple errands and then came home and went swimming.  By myself.  Heaven.  I laid on a floatie and started at the blue sky and felt the warm sun and just floated.  Bliss.  No one splashing or interrupting my daydreaming.  I think that needs to happen every once in awhile.  I could just *be*.  Maybe I can convince the kids to give me an hour by myself before they come out to swim.

Every once in awhile, we've had a rainy day.  A perfect opportunity to clean the house, catch up on laundry and plan some meals.

Yup, there is no doubt about it.  I'm spoiled.

Exercise, weight loss and food

Most of the time I'm okay with how I look.  There are always areas that could use improvement but for the most part, I'm happy with how things are.  In January, I started to get a little unhappy with some areas.  There were some things that were gradually increasing in size and number and I didn't like it.  My first response was to eat more junk because I felt bummed.  That was not helpful.  My second response was to find a blog with a 90-day fitness challenge and commit to doing that.  Much more helpful.  I started and was faithfully doing the work-outs every day.  Around day 21, my lower back was really sore.  I tried to stretch it out better and kept on doing the work-outs.  I also had not lowered any numbers.  I decided to give up pop and see if that helped those pesky numbers go down.

On day 29, my back pain was much worse, the numbers had not moved and I was missing pop.  I decided to stop the exercises until I wasn't in pain.  After a few days of that, I was drinking pop again.  The numbers started moving but it was in the wrong direction.  The back pain was not any better after a week of not exercising.

I went to a chiropractor and discovered my spine goes left towards the bottom and that apparently messes up a lot of things down there.  I was told it'd be best to not exercise for awhile so I started using a calorie-counter app called my fitness pal.  My goal was to leave enough calories at the end of the day so I could still have a pop and popcorn.  That afternoon I had a strange sensation - it was hunger!  I realized I hadn't felt that in awhile.  After a week of staying within my goal (except for two days of going over), my numbers are finally moving in the right direction.  It's good to see progress and I am excited to think about what will happen when I can start working out again!

Schooling update

It's March!  Yesterday, Rachel was so excited that March 1 was the next day.  She was fully expecting it to be spring when she woke up and was ready to wear her t-shirts and skirts. Needless to say, she was disappointed when I explained the weather wouldn't warm up for awhile.  I know how she feels - my winter wardrobe is very old news right about now and we are done with winter around here!  I'm not sure if winter is done with us though.

Our school year is going well for the most part.  I have not been consistent with Rachel and Owen at all.  Not a big deal - it's just kindergarten.  And they're in good shape for first grade.  We've worked on reading some and done a bit with math.  They can write their letters and numbers.  Owen is fascinated with maps so we gave him a globe for his birthday and he loves to sit in the recliner with that and find things and ask lots of questions.  I'd like to get a more consistent with them so we can finish the year strong.  I think I know what curriculum I want to use with them next year and might order some things early and start now.

Tori is on her 3rd math program for the year.  I tried a new one at the beginning of the year and after 2 weeks, we were both crying when it was math time.  :)  So I switched back to Christian Light and things were going fairly well.  She would still get some things wrong once in awhile that made me wonder if she was really understanding what to do.  After talking with a friend, I borrowed a Math-U-See dvd and watched a few lessons with Tori.  I had used this in 1st grade with her and Brendan but felt like they relied on the manipulatives too much.  Turns out, the manipulatives really helped it all make sense to Tori.  I love having the dvd to watch and the worksheets have just enough practice problems.  Not too much and not too little.  Goldilocks is happy.  :)  And I am fairly sure we will continue to use it for the rest of her schooling.

Brendan switched to Math-U-See also.  I had been using a couple different pre-algebra books but I would pick and choose what topic we worked on and sometimes he would seem to catch on but then miss it the next day.  I borrowed the Pre-Algebra dvd from the same friend and loved that Brendan could hear someone else explaining what to do and then I can help him with examples if I need to.  Again, the practice problems are just the right length.  In the textbooks I had been using, there would be 80 problems!  Even assigning the odds seemed excessive.  Another feature I love about the Pre-Algebra Math-U-See is the honors problems.  These incorporate higher-level thinking skills with logic problems and involve multiple steps.  I am fairly sure Brendan will continue to use this program for the rest of his schooling also.

I think we're finally on the right track for math.  Now to figure out grammar . . .

Saying good-bye to 2012

The year 2012 was an eventful year for us but you would never know it from my pictures or blogs.  Maybe I was living "in the moment" and didn't take the time to capture much on film or maybe I was overwhelmed with the moments or maybe it was a combination of both.  I am hoping to do better in 2013 but before we get to resolutions, lets talk about things that were accomplished. 

A NEW HOUSE!!!  We finally have a beautiful new house.  I still can't believe it's ours.  It fits us so very well and it's everything I wanted and more.  We hosted my dad's family Christmas and we had 36 people here and it was great!  Yes, it was crowded at times - mostly in the kitchen - but the kids had a great time playing and the adults had a great time visiting and we are already planning on hosting it next year and hopefully more will be able to come. 

Training for a marathon!  I can't say I have ran a marathon - but I did train for one and I am proud of that.  I ran 20 miles! 

Homeschooling!  I now have 4 students - a 7th grader, a 5th grader, and 2 kindergartners.  Teaching kindergartners is not my specialty - I'd much rather teach pre-algebra.  Most days they have lots of play with a short reading lesson and I'm okay with that.  Sometimes Brendan and Tori are the "teachers" and do worksheet pages with them.  And on Wednesdays, they get to go to our homeschool co-op and enjoy some truly talented teachers, Mrs. Fannin and Mrs. McGee.  They do art projects and unit studies and all the things that I think sound fabulous but never get around to doing. 

Tori takes art, music, Latin, creative writing, science, and U.S. Geography at Pioneers.  I teach math, grammar and spelling here and then help her with work from Pioneers.  Brendan takes creative writing, science, history, art and workshop at Pioneers and I teach him pre-algebra and grammar here.  It is a good balance for us - we're only gone one day a week but the kids get a chance to learn from other teachers and it helps lessen my responsibilities.  And the teachers at Pioneers do a great job and have a passion for their subject.  We all love our day at Pioneers and also love being able to get up late the next day.  This year I am working in the accounting office instead of in the classrooms and I absolutely love it.  I love working in an office setting and keeping track of money coming in and going out. {And yes, I did use the word love a lot in that paragraph.  Feel free to leave me a comment with other words I could use.  :)}

Brendan played baseball this year and is now playing basketball for the homeschool team.  He isn't sure which one is his favorite.  It seems to be whatever one he's currently playing.  Tori started taking jazz and tap this year and decided to take a year off from horseback riding.  Rachel started ballet this year and seems to really enjoy that.  Owen thought about flag football but didn't like playing in the games - he'd rather play in the yard with Josh and Brendan.  Maybe in a year or two he'll be ready.  He's still drumming and sounds great.  He seems to be getting more into music, too.  He's always the one asking me to turn up the volume in the van and asking the names of songs. 

The first month of teaching all 4 kids was a little rough.  It was hard to not think about how much easier it would be or how much I could get done if all were in school.  But after we got into the swing of things and we all adjusted our expectations, I found that I still really enjoy having them home and being in charge of their learning.  This is definitely what God has called us to do.  And until He lets me know otherwise, we'll keep on doing it. 

I didn't intend to write a Christmas letter but there you go.  You're welcome.  And now that you have this rosy version of our perfect life, next time I'll write about a real day. 

My dream house

We first saw the listing for this house in March.  And we were like, "yeah, right.  That is so out of our league."  We actually weren't even looking yet and hadn't gotten our house on the market but our realtor was still sending us info about houses that would consider a land contract.  Our plan b (or plan c, depending on the day) was to rent our old house and buy a house on a land contract if we couldn't sell our house.  This was something we had been thinking about for two years since the last time we tried to sell our house so our realtor kept us in the loop for land contract possibilities.  This one, however, was a bit out of our price range.  So we scoffed at the listing and said we wouldn't want it even if we could afford it because it needed to be redecorated and had lots of pink on the inside.  Yes, I realize that I was grasping at straws, looking for negatives. 

Fast forward about 6 weeks - we have a full offer on our house after the 3rd showing.  It was crazy fast.  Our realtor hadn't even put the updated pictures on the website - and I worked hard at getting those pictures!  But that is not something you complain about when you have a full price offer after only being on the market for 10 days.  We started calling banks to get pre-approved and looking at houses.  There was some questions about getting financing because of some previous rental properties we had purchased so we decided to look at this house in case a land contract was still our only option, although we still didn't think we could afford it. 

We walked through it and loved the floor plan.  Loved the space.  Didn't love the pink.  Didn't know if we'd love a master bedroom on the 2nd floor.  But overall, loved the house.  Which made it really hard when we looked at other houses that were priced a little lower.  There was always something wrong with those houses - needed too much work (we had done enough projects already, thank you very much), driveway was too steep or too small, yard was too small, subdivision was too closed in, rooms felt small.  It was hard to complain about those houses because they were all bigger than our current house but we had this feeling that we didn't want to be doing this again in 5 years - we wanted it to be permanent this time.  We didn't want to settle for okay. We wanted to find something that felt like home.    

Then, we found out the sellers lowered the price on this house.  And we got financing.  And we crunched some numbers.  And thought, maybe, it would work.  We negotiated and agreed on a price.  The inspection went well.  The timing was just about perfect - we had to be out of our house by July 1 - the sellers were already out of this house but needed to move a few things yet.  They graciously agreed to let us move in if we didn't mind their things being here for a couple days.  And before I knew it, I was living in my dream house. 

My kids have friends over now and it doesn't feel like they're taking over the house.  It's not so big that we lose each other - we're still mostly together in the kitchen or family room in the evenings.  But it's big enough to have family and friends over and not feel like we're sitting on top of each other.  It has everything on my list that I was looking for and then some.  I even like having a master bedroom on the 2nd floor.  It's perfect.