2019/2020 Curriculum

    I think we finally found our groove, at least in what curriculum we use.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I went to the Called to Teach Homeschool Convention recently.  There were a couple things I have/had to order online, and there was one thing I already have.  That being said, I did come home with or order there at convention, much of this coming year's curriculum.

   The convention location was different, and it was a bit smaller than in the past.  But it all seemed to work out for us.  In the past, this particular convention has been held in Arlington at a huge convention center.  This year, due to construction, it was moved to Dallas at the Sheraton Hotel.  In part because of the cost of this venue, there were fewer vendors on site.  For instance, Apologia was not there.  I am not sure if it was due to cost or what their reasoning was for not attending, but they were missed.

   Though we are not using Apologia's science this year, we will use a planner through them.  My oldest has used the Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens, and it has really helped him keep track of his assignments.  I will likely have Porthos use one this year.   That being said, Porthos will be doing General Science 2 through Master Books.  The set includes books on Caves, Fossils, Geology, and Archaeology.

    Sticking with what we know, the boys will be using Teaching Textbooks for their math.  Since I had purchased Pre-Algebra last year, and hadn't yet used it, Porthos will be using that this year.  Aramis will be using TT's Math 6, which Porthos completed last year.  So there was no math purchase this year.

    Porthos discovered this year that he likes the format of AOP's LifePac for Language Arts.  I think he really likes the workbook style that LifePac offers.  We are going with that again this year for both him and Aramis.  I'm not sure yet what next year will hold, but for now, it's LifePac.

    Our favorite for history, bible, reading, art, and music, has and still is My Father's World.  This year we will be working with 1850 to Modern Times.  We started using MFW with Exploring Countries and Cultures.  I love the set up.  The Teacher Manual has every day, every week mapped out for you.  This is a circular curriculum, which basically means that when you have completed all five years, you can go back to the beginning and run through it again if you need. 
 
    A couple extra items this year are going to use:  Auto Upkeep through Christian Light Publications.  This is a basic automotive information and maintenance curricula.  For the hands-on bit, we will be going to a local mechanic for assistance.   There will also be a focus on cursive again, as we did not do that this past year.  At convention, I purchased New American Cursive through Memoria Press.  That's about it, I think.  I just finished a video overview of this, so you can see all the items mentioned above.  You can find it on YouTube, titled "2019 curriculum review", or click here:

Spring 2019

    It has been a hot minute since the last time I posted anything.  So much has happened, but I am going to focus on right now.  It's the middle of May, and every weekend is booked.  Graduation ceremony, homeschool convention, karate tournament, and karate belt test take up every Saturday.  Next month is nearly as busy.

    My 4th was the local homeschool graduation ceremony.  Yes, we went full Star Wars theme with it too.  Athos is my first graduate, and we are so excited for him.  Homeschoolers do things different for graduation then what you see in public school.  There were 13 students being promoted.  Each student had a display table highlighting their school years.  Each had a bio in the program that was read by the MC.  Each had a slide show of their lives, and some of the parents got up and gave a brief speech.  It was an amazing experience.

    The second Saturday I took Porthos and Aramis with me to the Called to Teach Homeschool Convention in Dallas.  It was in a different location than years' past, and had a lower attendance of vendors.  Apologia was not there.   My Father's World stopped coming a couple years ago.  So those are things I have/had to order online.  What did I buy?  You'll have to wait for the next post, which I promise won't be two years from now.  There were some good finds there though.  I did not attend any of the seminars, sticking only to shopping this time. 

    This Saturday is a karate tournament.  Porthos has decided that he wants to go to State this year, and so is competing in regional tournaments to hopefully earn enough points to be invited to State.  Although all three of the boys are in karate at this point, I have agreed to let tournaments be Porthos' thing.  He needed something that was just his. 

    Speaking of karate, Porthos and Aramis earned their final stripes on their current belts, and will be belt testing next Saturday.  It's a big belt test day, where multiple students will be testing.  The lower belts have only to do their sparring portion of the belt test now.  The higher belts may still have katas, combos (kicks and punches), and self-defense to demonstrate.  Porthos is blue belt, testing for green.  In December he can test for brown belt.  Then in two years he can test for black.  He really has done an amazing job, and excelled in karate.  Aramis is orange belt, testing for purple.  Although he is not naturally athletic, he has made great strides.  Athos can test in July, I think, for his purple belt.

 

    As crazy full as this month is, the past year + has been equally so.  There has been loss, stress, setbacks, and blessings.  Through it all, God has been with us every step of the way.  I know He will always carry us through whatever we face.

10 Things

I homeschool my children. Some things I wish people understood about this: 
1. We didn't rush in to this decision, but spent three years researching, discussing, and praying about it. 
2. Our boys are actually learning: math, spelling, handwriting, science, history, reading, writing, etc. 
3. This was OUR decision for OUR boys. I do not look down on you for putting your child/ren in public school. That is YOUR choice. This was ours. 
4. I do not think we are better than everyone else. I also don't think you are better than we are. I think we are all equal, and just have different paths as parents. That's ok.
5. My boys are NOT missing out on spending time with friends. They have plenty of opportunities each week to "socialize". Scouts, karate, Church, homeschool park days, etc. My oldest volunteers twice a week, every week at the local food pantry. He is learning about helping others, while engaging in conversations with people of many different ages (gasp, they aren't kids).
6. Ian went to PROM. With a girl. Who is in public school. (BTW, homeschoolers have prom too, and graduation ceremonies)
7. I DON'T believe the earth is flat. I DON'T believe God is like a genie in a bottle.
8. I am not teaching a classroom of 20 students. I am teaching my 3 sons. I know how they learn. I know where they excel and where they struggle.
9. My sons are NOT going to leave home not knowing the things they need to continue in life. They AREN'T going to be so socially inept that they won't be able to interact with society. They will learn what they need to know, and what they want to know. And it's none of your business, and it's not your problem. I may not have a college degree, but that doesn't mean that I am incapable of teaching my sons elementary through high school. I have passion. I am resourceful. I am capable. And damn it, I'm they're MOTHER, and I CAN DO IT.
10. Finally, I don't criticize you for your parenting and education choices. Please stop feeling the need to criticize mine.

When Satan attacks through family members

    As some of you know, when Hubby and I decided to homeschool our boys, we/I got a lot of opposition from family members.  I have tried over the past three years to explain that we aren't crazy, this wasn't a rash decision, and that we really are serious about our children's education.  Here's the deal:  I am a Christian.  I homeschool my children.  I do not believe that my sons have to be in public school in order for them to learn and have a social life.  I spent the first five years of their lives teaching them.  I taught them love.  I taught them how to walk, talk, dress themselves, feed them selves, and how to hold a cup.  I taught them manners, and how to interact with people.  I have taught them conflict resolution, and how to be a friend.  I taught them their letters, numbers, shapes, colors, etc.  What a car is, a building is, different animals, and so on.  Now I am teaching them multiplication, division, and the Pythagorean Theorem.  My children are learning how to build sentences, and how to combine sentences to make paragraphs.  They are learning about the constitution, geography, world history, US history, voting and the difference between gross and net pay.  They learn about science: Space, earth, biology, chemistry, human anatomy, plants, etc.  My children learn art, music, and greek and latin roots to words.  Porthos has decided that he wants to learn french this year, as well as take a cooking course.  He and Aramis are in a karate class that they attend 2-3 days a week.  Porthos just attended his first competition a few days ago.  All three boys participate in local theater, and the younger two attended drama camp for two weeks.  The oldest is in Boy Scouts.  We have weekly park days with other homeschoolers.  Church on Wednesday evenings.  Athos volunteers at the local food bank twice a week.  All three have participated in music performances with other homeschoolers.  Guess what?  THEY HAVE FRIENDS.

Sampling AOP's Monarch program

    We are half way through our 3rd year now.  Things are getting a bit better this time around.  Though we still have a ways to go.  In the past, it has been Porthos that I have struggled with finding the right curriculum for.  This year, Athos is falling behind in math, and that is, in part, my fault.  He has been using BJU Press for his math.  His preference.  He has reached a point where I am the one struggling to help him, as I didn't get that far with algebra myself.  So after a year and a half of trudging through this book, and making little progress, I found what may be a ray of sunshine.  A glimmer of hope.  A light at the end of this very long dark tunnel of math.  

    Recently, I stumbled upon a link to try Monarch online free for 30 days.  I also entered in the giveaway they are having.  I set it up for all three of my Musketeers to try during Christmas break.  Athos has used it a few times and really seems to like it.  Even the math.  This is fantastic!  I have tried so many avenues for him this year, trying to find one he would like that worked for him.  Porthos is using Teaching Textbooks, and really likes it.  He has been doing so well with it.  Better than I have ever seen with him.  Aramis has been using Life of Fred, with a supplement of Easy Peasy All-in-one homeschool.  

    Where Porthos likes the animation, interaction, and instant recognition of TT, Athos prefers the text book style and no-frills approach.  Monarch through Alpha Omega Publications offers that.  Plus, it's online and grades as he goes.  Monarch also offers language arts, science, bible, and history/geography.  

    Although I am hoping to continue with My Father's World and Apologia, I am excited to have Monarch as an option for our family.  Thank you Monarch for the opportunity to try out your curriculum before making a decision.  

A Follow-up and Survival kits for Children with Anxiety

    In August I talked about labels and my sons.  It has been 4 months since those first appointments, and there has been some progress and change.  We aren't completely where we want to be, but we are further away from where we were.  At this point, any progress is welcome.

    If you read my previous post, you know that Porthos has ADHD.  He has been put on Concerta, having a few dosage increases over the past four months.  I was worried there would be negative side effects, like mood change, loss of personality, anger or rage issues, etc.  Thankfully, there has been none of that.  He is entering puberty, so there is a bit more snippiness going on there, but I do not attribute that to the medication.  One of the behaviors he had before medication, was fidgety hands and feet.  He would tap on things all the time.  He would squirm in his seat a lot.  Both of those habits are either gone or significantly subdued now.
 
    Porthos is also taking a Karate class that he really seems to enjoy.  Class is in the evening, and starts about the time the Concerta wears off.  He is progressing well in the class and is so focused.  His instructors have commented numerous times how balanced and focused Porthos is.  I am so glad to have found this outlet for my son.

    Aramis has had a longer journey, and it is far from over.  It is taking quite a bit more effort to help him.  He is still taking Zoloft, and we are about at the max dose that has the potential to work for him.  Aramis spent three months in counseling, receiving cognitive behavioral therapy to help him with his anxiety.  Although he has made good progress, he still struggles.

    We have had some ups and downs the past two months.  He recently participated in a community theater with his brother, for a Christmas performance.  This was his second time on stage, and first time acting.  Aramis was so funny and really seemed to enjoy himself.  There were weekly rehearsals he had to attend, to which he handled with ease.   The downfall came days after the final performance.  We had spent the day in the city (an hour away) for his eye exam and some Christmas shopping.  We were out all day, and Aramis did great.   The next day was not so great.  The whole day he was close to tears and on the verge of an anxiety attack.   At that point, I joined a support group on Facebook for Parents of children with anxiety and depression.  There I got the idea for a survival pack.

I created two kits for Aramis.  One in a backpack that he can take with him anywhere, and one to keep at home.  The idea is, when he is feeling sad or anxious, he can find comfort measures easily.  Included in each kit:

• Composition book: writing in, drawing pictures, etc.
• Activity book or coloring book
• Small note pad: for writing emotions down as they happen
• Zipper pouch with crayons, pencils, erasers, and/or markers
• Flarp: because he likes how it feels and the sounds it makes is silly enough to make anyone laugh.
• Kleenex
• Hand Sanitizer: Right now he is going through a clean phase.  (at least I hope it's a phase)
• Socks/Gloves:  In his travel pack only.  Might put a hat in his home pack.
• Water bottle:  In his travel pack.  Hydration can help wonders.
• Healthy Snack:  I put granola bars and such in each pack.  Sometimes he is more emotional when he's hungry.  
• Stuffed animal
• Woobie:  This square of fabric is super soft, has texture on the reverse side, and ribbon tabs around the edge.  Being able to hold different manipulatives helps distract the mind from whatever is bothering him.  
• Slinky:  This was one of his choices.  Again, it's a manipulative.  Something to keep his hands busy, which distracts the mind.

These are the things we put in his kits.  You can make yours with whatever works for your child.  Already, I have seen him utilize both kits this past week.  Christmas with a big family gave the potential for Aramis to become overwhelmed.  We took the backpack with us, and it wasn't long before he opened it up and was pulling different items out and handling them.  He let me know when he was ready to go, and thankfully, that wasn't until well into the evening.  So, a success there.  He played, and had a good time.  Although there were a few times Aramis came to check in with me, and get an extra hug, it wasn't near as often as it has been in the past.

    We still have a ways to go with Aramis.  His will most likely be a long term issue.  Along the way, we will have to alter how we do things, but for now, I feel like we are headed in the right direction.

2016 Not-Back-to-School day

Today was the start of public school in my town.  On Facebook there were many posts with pictures of children and teens ready to head off to school after their requisite 3 months off.  Not wanting to feel left out, I had my boys line up in the living room so I could take their picture to share.  With it, they held a sign saying 1st day of NOT back to school 2016.  Complete with silly faces and pajamas.  Why?  Why not?  We aren't starting for two weeks anyway, and they'll most likely spend most days in their pajamas.  

 
That being said, I now have two weeks to get everything organized and ready for the new school year.  Ok, so let's face it... Athos is still trudging through Algebra 1 and Biology.  Not quite sure how we are going to handle this.  We could: 1. Continue with that until he finishes both.  2. Move on to this year's subjects: Geometry and Chemistry.  3. Double up.  Do both.  Hmmm....

In the mean time, I bet you are wondering what we are going to be using this year.  Some things remain the same, while others have changed.  Athos is switching over to "My Father's World: Ancient History and Literature" for Bible, History and Literature.  He is sticking with BJU Press for math, and Apologia for science.  Porthos and Aramis are both sticking with My Father's World again for Bible, History, and Science.  This year it is "Creation to the Greeks".  Porthos will also be using Teaching Textbooks for math.  Aramis is using Life of Fred for Math.  I am thinking about using Apologia's Writers in Residence for both of their language arts.