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Hello Again!

Wouldn't it be nice if I could update this blog more than once a year? Ha! Well we have been busy and I forget passwords to things all the time, so ...

Anyway, wanted to update a little bit about our homeschooling journey. Last year we did Five In a Row and loved it. It was a little more teacher prep than I preferred, but well worth it. Anthony and I still have conversations about things we learned last year using that curriculum.

This year, after learning of our newest addition to be added to our family in February, I wanted to switch to a curriculum that was still literature based, but more "put together" if you will. So we went with Heart of Dakota.

There are some wonderful things about this curriculum so far. Of course the emphasis of books, and the gentle approach are what I love most about it. I also love that I can open my teacher's guide 20 minutes or so ahead of time, and be ready for the morning with very little prep.

The theology is a little moralistic (like so much children's Bible lessons are) but it's ok because I enjoy explaining the "why we do" behind the "what we do". Keeps me on my toes. A lot of the time I just forget their Bible lesson and do my own.

Anthony really enjoys this curriculum. He loves the subject matter, and finds the books really interesting. We read a biography of William Henry Harrison that he wouldn't let me stop reading until it was finished. I love that he is really engaged in the material. I also love that I have been catching him reading big books by himself. He has been reading Winnie the Pooh (late at night when he is supposed to be asleep, but hey I'll take it) and tells me about it almost every morning. He also gets The WSJ Sports Newspaper in the mail every week and devours it as soon as it comes. Anthony is also very interested in circuitry, which is something I never knew anything about before. I couldn't even tell you how a light switch worked before 3 months ago. hahaha.

I tried doing the preschool curriculum with the younger boys, but it just wasn't a good fit so I scrapped it. They do these little coloring/workbooks that they love and I just work with them individually throughout the day. Luke doing really great with Explode the Code workbooks! He is on #2 now and is working on blending consonants. He read most of "Green Eggs and Ham" last week and was really proud of himself. I love that he is loving learning. More than anything, he loves to be outside in the fresh air. He would live outside if he could. I am thankful for our backyard because there are many days now that we just can't get to the park.  

One thing I have learned about myself this year? Boxed curriculum makes things easier, but is really really difficult for my personality. I just don't fit in a box. It's not even that I don't fit in one, I actually really really hate boxes. haha. I find myself rewriting this great curriculum because I can't really handle being told how to do things. Not sure if this is a heart issue or not, but it's true. In some ways I love not having to think too much especially because we are really busy preparing for the baby, etc. But in other ways I hate that I am not the one preparing or piecing together these things.

So, I am trying to find easy and inexpensive ways to bring other things in that I want them to learn. Art, music, different cultures, customs and languages. I feel like everything is so dry right now. Maybe I just need to be patient and keep plugging along but maybe I should just follow my gut.

We will see!

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