Gearing up for School

It seems like this summer has flown by and now it's time for The Princess to start 1st grade already! I can't believe it! We are now entering our 2nd year in the adventure of homeschooling and I'm looking forward to it.

At least, I am now that I'm getting organized. I was starting to feel a little stressed, but last night I sat down and got everything all decided and ordered. And then I slept well (at least until two little stinkers climbed in my bed this morning:).

Thanks to the state of Arkansas, I was able to get everything mapped out for the year. I say "thanks to Arkansas" because of the paperwork I had to fill out for the school district to declare my intent to homeschool. It wasn't extensive or anything like that, and it actually helped me get in gear to put my plans on paper and get them clarified in my mind. It's always good to have a clear mind, right?!

So for 1st grade we will be studying:

Phonics and Reading (Horizons)
Handwriting (Italics)
Math (Math-U-See)
Literature (reading aloud various children's classics)
Science (Singapore)
Geography (Galoping the Globe)
History (different unit studies, beginning with American)
Art (various books on various artists, plus projects)
Music (introduction to composers, plus beginning piano lessons)

I am sure we may make some adjustments along the way and there will also be fun unit studies, too, but this will be my blueprint for the year. I am also starting some K5 level workbooks with Mr. B even though he's only 4 and he is SO excited~it's really cute!

If you homeschool, I'd love to hear about your plans as well. A while back I had printed off a post by a fellow blogger who is also a homeschooling mom that really helped me with my planning. It's definitely worth the read and you can check it out here. (Thanks, Heidi!)

Now I just need to get those desks painted....

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

my blessed life

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