First Day of School

Here are a few pictures of our first day of home school this year:

As you can see, Chris did not want his picture taken.

Marly basically humored me. She did not like how her hair looked and really did not want me to take her picture.

In order to get their pictures, I had to agree to allow mine to be taken as well. We had a great first day and we are getting back into the swing of things. I was excited to begin and invite the kids along. We are focusing on Genealogy as part of our writing and literature curriculum. The kids were interested in how we are going to do that and were also excited about the biology books, microscope, slides, and other science tools we are using this year. Our website has more on what we are doing this year for home school.

Sam is staying with her Dad for most of the month of August. She also started her first day as a Junior in high school. This is the first year that I have not been part of her first day of school. She is sixteen and so old enough not to need me really, it is just the principle of it that is hard for me. I feel like I am being forced to let go of her about 2 years too soon. I was not prepared to have to let go of a 16 year old. I thought I would have until she was 18.

Working, Court, & Being a Homeschool Mom

Working
I started a job a couple weeks ago setting ads at night at Kohl's. It is easy and does not require working much with customers. I tried applying at other stores in our area, but since I cannot lift more than 25 lbs. I could not get hired. This position was the only one I could get at this time in the same city where I live. It is a little frustrating because I am making half of what I have made before as far as hourly wages go.

Court
I have not posted this information in my blog before, but I am currently in a custody dispute with my ex-husband over my oldest daughter Sam. It is ugly. It is costing us a fortune and I hate the whole process. Anyone who has ever gone to court or been divorced knows that the full truth never seems to come out in court. It is always a "he said" "she said" situation with a judge trying to determine who is telling the truth. It is even worse when the other party is completely dishonest and submitting lies to the court. I refuse to stoop to that level and so we are under constant attack. It is a difficult time for our family. Sam is staying with her dad because I have allowed her to choose until our next court date towards the end of August. She has decided she wants to go live with her dad and I am respecting her choice even though I know it is not what is best for her. She has her agency and at nearly 17 years old is old enough to make these choices. Please keep us in your prayers so that we can make it through this difficult time.

Homeschooling
Many have asked me when we are going to start homeschooling (did we ever stop?) or if I am putting the kids back in school because I am working now. I am definitely a homeschooler. LOL! I know most of my family and friends cannot understand it and I really cannot explain it other than we love it! I have felt "called" to homeschool my children. We have found a method of homeschooling and curriculum that is fun for both me and the kids. I love having my kids around (most days) and enjoy knowing exacting where they are in their education and where they are going.

We follow the schedule Sam has at high school so we start on August 6th. If she stays with her dad indefinitely we may change our schedule a little.

Spring is for Science!

While most of the country is still pretty cold, we have had 80 degree temperatures this week. We have taken advantage of this fantastic weather and been enjoying the great outdoors. The bikes are getting used frequently, the dog is ecstatic getting so many walks, and the windows are thrown open to receive the gentle breeze. I love this time of year and hope the desert heat stays away for quite a while. My Fibromyalgia pain decreases during this time as the cold leaves. My joints feel better already!

Marly's Project

Last year we started using the Square Foot Garden method. We were successful with our radishes and strawberries, but not our carrots or lettuce. We are starting again. Marly has chosen this as her project. She tenderly cares for the boxes we made last year and we are clearly another section for two more 4' x 4' boxes. She researched and found planting guides for our area and has created a plan for the planting seasons this year.

Chris's Project

Chris has been progressively working on learning about electricity. Last year he made a complete circuit and this year he has been building several types of circuits using an Electronics Snap Kit. We purchased a kit called Crystal Radio, but have been unable to get it to work well (I do not recommend this kit). His project of game programming and HTML is still ongoing.

Sam's Project

Our stake is preparing for a Pioneer Trek. Sam is making most of her own clothing for this event that will take place this summer. We are starting with her apron. She has been on a trek previously and is very sure about what she wants this time. I'm happy to see her geared up to be an experienced trekker!

Homeschooling 4 - 5 Kids

Adventures in Homeschooling! My sister-in-law, who also homeschools, is on mandatory bed rest for a few weeks. She is pregnant and there is a hole in the placenta. They lost a baby in August 2007 also. So, she is an at-risk pregnancy in a couple ways right now. I offered to take her kids for the next few weeks to homeschool along with my own. Sam was home because she had her wisdom teeth out (poor baby!) and she schooled right along with us, working on an online world history class and studying for her other classes.

It is easier than I though it would be. I feel comfortable enough in educating the kids that it was easy to find things for everyone to work on and they have a great time!

I used to stress myself out with complicated curriculum, both public online school and curriculum I purchased. Now I've worked to simplify our education by focusing on a good math program, classic reading materials, and the interests of the children in science, history, and PE. My children are becoming more focused on their own education and actually OWNING it, rather than doing it because they were told to. They chose their own reading materials from the classics list and from the racks at the local library. I have some unit studies and lapbooking materials for times when they just need a creative outlet to show what they are learning.

Here are what we are educating our children with right now:

• Teaching Textbooks - Awesome math program!
• Classics list #1 - Thomas Jefferson Education List
  
• Classics list #2 - 1,000 Good Books List (by grades)
  
• Old Testament Lapbook - (history)
  
• Book of Mormon Lapbook
  
• Discover the Scriptures - Book of Mormon & Life of Thomas S. Monson
  
• Science Kits - Electronics Snap Kit, Froguts, Astronomy for Kids, and the Science Channel.
• Kid's personal projects - Chris is working on a website and Gamemaker. Marly is working on knitting, cooking, and crocheting. Sam is sewing her clothes for an upcoming Pioneer Trek reenactment.