“You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on.”
Ray Bradbury
Scheduling for our weird life…
For the last few weeks I have been busy preparing for our upcoming “school” year. I find it funny that everyone is getting ready to END the school year and I am preparing to start. Well, that is because I am weird.
Let me ‘splain.
Last year when we finally felt like we received confirmation for God that we were supposed to homeschool (yes I do feel like we were called) the boys were still a few months from being done with their school year in public school. I spent that time preparing for what would happen once they were out of public school. We let them finish out the year. As their summer began we started easing into math. I noticed that where the public schools were in math was not where I thought they should be. So we spent a portion of the summer just on math. Well, by the time July rolled around the boys were BORED. So we started with our other subjects. This year we have been very laid back. My goal was to get them out of the public school mindset. Since about February it has felt like we were just about done with 2nd and 4th grade. So we have been just doing a little bit of work here and there. We all feel like it is time to move on.
I am completely changing up our homeschool for this year. We will school four days a week through the summer taking weeks off here and there. We will also take a good deal of time off around Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is one of the joys of homeschool. We get to decide.
Curriculum is being changed too. This year will be much more rigorous for the boys. We needed the laid back year we have had this last year. DESPERATELY needed. Now it is time to charge ahead. Both of the boys have proven to be much more independent in their work than I expected. (Brodie does still require more supervision that Austin) We sat down and talked about what we wanted out of the year. Turns out they both want me to basically have an assignment sheet for the week and let them go. They also both requested that I grade more. I really have desire to keep grades at this age. But they do. If it helps them and motivates them…then that is what we will do. We are basically changing everything. Chase will join the ranks of my “in school” boys. Evan will do some motor skills work mostly to keep him occupied while others are working.
I have been asked about our curriculum so here is a list of what we will be using:
Austin (5th Grade) and Brodie (3rd Grade):
English, Spelling, Reading, Bible, Math, and Handwriting: Rod and Staff Curriculum
History: TruthQuest - Early American History: Exploration to 1800 (lots of reading aloud and discussions together with me)
Science: Apologia – Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the 5th day (done together with me, as well)
*a sidenote: I never set out to use basically one curriculum for all our subjects, but I was REALLY impressed with Rod and Staff the more research I did. We are excited to give it a try*
Chase (4) and Evan (1.5): I am still planning it out (we are using a combination of things)
There will still be lots of reading going on and lots of outdoors. We will begin our new year May 3rd and we are all really excited.
Imagine that….excited about learning.
He still gets me…
I don’t talk about my husband in a lot of detail on my blog. This is only because it is the way he likes it to be and I honor his wishes. However, every once in a while I feel the need to be mushy publicly. I can never stress how amazing he is. Is he perfect? No. Of course not, but he very well might be perfect for me.
It happens every so often when we are just going about our normal day….then pow it hits me.
I was editing pictures from our Easter weekend and every time I came across a picture of Jason my heart skipped a beat. He still gets me…
In which I ramble about lipstick…
I’m sorry…I am addicted to the vlog.
A link to the picture of me and my junior high friends.
Homeschool FAQ Part 2 (video)
Part 1 of the Homeschool FAQ can be found here.
Please forgive the amount of hair touching I do….habit.
Swallowed by my life..
My blog is still important, it is just last on my ever-growing list right now. We have been busy implementing a new schedule in our house that is taking time to do as well as a lot of effort on my part. I am not a naturally scheduled person and this has been a challenge. HOWEVER, the schedule is making life in my house a whole lot less chaotic and dicombobulated. We have yet to implement the new schedule 100%…we are running at a good 75% right now, but we are getting there. I would love to go into detail…but I am too tired right now. (the schedule is from Managers of Their Homes…great resource)
I have also been re-evaluating a lot of our “school” stuff. Some of our curriculum will be changing and we will start with new curriculum in May probably (we school year-round). Math will be staying the same (I am firm believer in Math Mammoth). It is amazing to see how far the boys have come. IT gives me hope that I am doing the right thing for them.
Back to the schedule. I am going to start scheduling blog posting time as well. It isn’t getting done here or the other places I blog. So…on the schedule it goes. However, husband, kids, house, and school come first. I know you all understand.
In the meantime…we are hanging in there.
I blame Steve Jobs…
My name is LaShawn and I am an iPhone addict.
Let’s start at the beginning. Last year my husband came into the possession of an old broken first generation iPhone. HE purchased the parts to fix it…sodered it back together. Viola!! It worked. I loved that iPhone.
I was one of those people who thought iPhone’s were really cool, but that they weren’t all that necessary. Then I got one.
Oh my!
So…this put back together iPhone died a slow and painful death. It started acting up, then with one final drop it stopped letting me make calls. OUr cell phone plan allows for an upgrade in July of this year. Basically that just means I would be able to get a really cheap iPhone then. I thought…I can live without my iPhone until then. I really didn’t want to pay full price for the phone.
It lasted 3 days…
photo by Andie Smith
Happy Love Day…
I spent yesterday (the day before Valentine’s day) photographing two of my favorite people along with one of my other favorite people, Andie Smith.
I have known Shana since I was four years old. We go way back. She is about as close to a sister as I could ever hope to have. When Shana told me that her and Brad were getting married and that she wanted ME to shoot the wedding I was so honored. She has been one of my biggest cheerleaders in the photography department. I have never shot a wedding and I can’t wait until we get to do it. Luckily for a greenhorn like me, Andie, graciously agreed to shoot the wedding with me. (She actually invited herself and I was so relieved that I didn’t argue)
I won’t tell you Brad and Shana’s story….yet. I am saving that for when I shoot their wedding. I will, however, say that their story is a powerful one that shows God’s grace and timing. Witnessing and documenting their love for each other was the perfect beginning to my Valentine’s Weekend.
I can not wait for April. Their wedding is going to be awesome!
I love love….
Coming up for air…
This year has not been kind to our family on the sickness front. While right now I have two little ones that have a cough and are a little run down…we seem to finally be coming out of the sickness fog. *knocking on wood while holding a four-leaf clover*
I have felt like I have been treading water ever since Christmas. One sickness followed by another….crying kids…messy kitchen…laundry to be done. I feel like I am finally able to breathe. Making small amounts progress every day.
It helps to have a face like this great you every morning.
TEN…
Last year I rambled on and on about what a fabulous young man Austin is. As I read over his birthday post from last year I realized all of that is still true today, but so much more.
He turned 10 years old yesterday. It is a hard thing for me to have to admit that my son is double digits. It sounds so silly. But, my time with him is slipping away. While I have so much I want to say about him and to him, I can’t now. My emotions are raw. I am on an emotional edge about all the things I still want to teach him and the things I still want to do with him. And time is ticking.
That’s all I can say about it. I can however show how he was able to spend his birthday. Instead of a present this year Jason and I got him tickets to the David Crowder Band concert on Saturday night. It was a great night with Austin and Brodie. Austin invited my friend Andie to come along and it was just perfect. Austin was in awe. It was his first concert and his favorite band.
Unfortunately, Evan got sick on Austin’s actual birthday. But it didn’t stop us from celebrating. I wanted to get a good picture of him on his birthday, but Austin tends to be a complete GOOF when he knows I am taking his picture.
He was reading on the couch…he is always reading…so I decided to snap a picture of him in his natural pose.
Then of course he realized what I was doing.
He wanted to make his own cupcakes…all alone…with no help. So he did. And they were great.
Happy Birthday Austin! You are the best kid a mom could ask for. I am blessed and proud to be your mom.
