OUR 2021-2022 CURRICULUM CHOICES

 

This is my 10th year homeschooling.

That statement sounds so incredibly unreal and also amazing to me. 

I never thought I'd be a homeschooling mother.  But when the time came to put my oldest son into Pre-K and Kindergarten, everything within my soul told me "NO!"

There was a call to do something different, to spend more time with my child, to preserve his childhood, to be the one that was the main influence in his life, to be there learning alongside him.

In 2011, I began Pre-K with my oldest son and now here it is 2021 and I am teaching three grades. 

My oldest son is in public school since he lives with his Dad full time now but the rest of my children are homeschooled. 

This year I have a 4th grader, 2nd grader, a Kindergartener, and of course the twins who are our little distractions and also fun play buddies. 

This is my second year teaching three grades.  Last year was a big adjustment for me since I had never taught that many grades.  This year I am feeling more confident in teaching three grades but have struggled with having active little twins who are into everything and on the go non stop except for their nap in the afternoon.  

I am the type of person who likes structure, routine, and everything to go as I planned.  Of course, with teaching three grades and having two babies this really just isn't practical.  Yes, we can have a routine but for me to expect everything on my "to do" list to get done and to get done without any distractions is just unrealistic.  

I used to feel very confident in sharing my homeschooling journey, advice, and such but this last year or two left me feeling quite inadequate.  I spent much time comparing myself to other homeschooling mamas I follow on IG, wondering why I couldn't just be as good as them.  This of course if very damaging and not something that I should have done but it's easy to fall into that trap in the world of social media.

I recently spend a month off of IG and FB and did a lot of reflecting.  I also recently was talking about this on a post and sharing how difficult it's been to find a routine in homeschooling since having the twins and many of you were so encouraging and I can not express my thanks to your kind words. 

 I believe I am ready to let go of the extreme high expectations I have set for myself.  As well as letting go of the comparison and just finding joy again in my own journey; being confident that I am capable of teaching my children well and that the way I do things is what's best for us.

Homeschooling is such an amazing thing and I am grateful for it every day.  I want my children to remember their childhood as the most simply magical time.  I want them to remember the simple, mundane, every day things as beautiful and joyful.

Well all that said...here is our 2021-2022 curriculum choices:

4th Grade...

Math: Horizons Level 3

Language: Abeka Level 4

Spelling: Abeka Level 4

Cursive: Bob Jones Level 2 and 3

Reading:  My children read all throughout the day.

They read from their language reading books, our history and nature study books, 

as well as classical books/living books.  He just finished Peter Pan. 

Typing:  The Good And The Beautiful

Music: Liam will be starting guitar lessons soon.

Sports: Liam just finished up soccer for the fall season.

2nd Grade:

Math: Horizons Level 2

Language: Abeka Level 2

Spelling: Abeka Level 2

Cursive: The Good And The Beautiful Level 2 and Abeka Level 2

She wanted to begin cursive but also was enjoying the print workout she had, so she chose to work on both books at her own pace.

Reading:  Language reading books, Little House On The Prairie, our nature study and history books, and whatever else she is interested in reading. 

Typing: The Good And The Beautiful

Music:  Alanna will be starting violin lessons soon

Sports:  Alanna has a few things she'd like to try so we are looking into those for her. 

Sewing/Gardening:  I'm looking for an online sewing course for her so her and I can learn to sew together.  We also will be starting a garden together in the spring.

Kindergarten:

Math: Horizons Level K

Language: Master Books Basic Phonics and then onto Abeka either Level K or Level 1.

I also use Explode The Code

Handwriting: The Good And The Beautiful

Spelling: Right now we are working on sight word recognition and don't have weekly spelling lists yet.

Reading:  Bob Books, The Good And The Beautiful K5 books, and other easy readers.  

Music:  I will be teaching Jude piano so that I can learn with him.  I have wished I could play for some time, so I am going to try to teach myself as well as Jude. 

Sports:  Jude will be playing baseball again in the spring. 

 Together Subjects:

Our "together" subjects are all of our favorite things!  I love being able to have all the kids doing these subjects together and just adjusting what I need to for each grade.  Joined learning is so fun and makes homeschooling multiple grades much easier.  

History:  My Father's World American History

My Father's World World History (after completing American History)

We are on week 24/34 in American History.  I am assuming we'll finish this up in about three months.  Sometimes we take more than a week if we are really enjoying something.  Also, life happens and we take breaks etc. So we will probably finish up American History around the beginning of March and then begin World History with My Father's World.

Science:  The Good And The Beautiful Space

I bought this some time ago and we started it, but only got a few lessons in.  I'm planning on starting back at it this week though. 

Nature Study:  I am currently finishing up with Treehouse Schoolhouse's Autumn Nature Study and then will be going back to Exploring Nature With Children's Nature Study for the rest of the school year. 

Read Alouds:  We are currently reading David Livingston and The Hobbit.

We have read several other books this year and we will just continue to read through different missionary stories and Living Books.  We also read books for our history and nature study curriculums.  There are amazing books lists in our curriculums and I also have a huge list of great Living Books from Sally and Clay Clarksons homeschooling book Educating The Whole-Hearted Child.  I pick a new book once we finish one based on what I think my children would be most interested in at that time.  We are currently loving The Hobbit so much!  Our last read aloud was Summer Of The Monkeys which we all just loved!

Other:

Thanksgiving: We will be taking the week of Thanksgiving to study about the first Thanksgiving by just piecing together my own things. 

A Connected Christmas:  This is a curriculum I purchased from Treehouse Schoolhouse last year.  My children really enjoyed it and so we will be doing it again this year. 

 

Well that is our line up for the year.  We kind of homeschool year round so I don't really know when we will take our extended break in 2022 but I believe we should finish up our core subjects sometime in the middle of May.  I'll probably take a few weeks off a that point and begin up again in July.  

I am planning on doing another post soon on what our daily routine looks like on most days and how I'm combining teaching multiple grades. 

I hope you found this helpful.  If so, please feel free to share with another mama who is homeschooling or thinking of homeschooling. 

xo, 

Lauren 

PUMPKIN PATCH 2021

 October is my favorite month of the entire year probably.

I love the changing of the leaves, the smell of the cool autumn air, crisp mornings to sip on coffee as snuggle up in a blanket and I read, the crunching of leaves as we take family walks, apple picking, going to pumpkin patch, candles....

October just feels cozy.  

It's not too hot and it's not too cold. As Goldilocks likes to say "this one is just right."

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch.  My husband's parents have come with us almost every year.  It's a fun little family tradition. 

The girls really enjoyed it.  They are really becoming aware of what's going on around them.  They are so interested in animals, plants, noises and get so excited for new things.  They were really very into the pumpkins and wanted to point at and touch every one of them. 

Milla is walking so it was fun watching her get down and explore.  Mara enjoyed sitting next to the pumpkins.  Watching them try to figure out what they were was fun. 

It has been interesting, joyful, and sometimes hard as the seasons change and my children grow.  Their likes and dislikes shift.  My oldest son is out of the season of running around picking out a pumpkin.    He spent the time carrying around one of the girls and chatting with the adults.  Some times I wish I could keep all my children little forever but then at the same time I so enjoy the older ages and the change in relationship that happens.  

I was telling Liam and Alanna last night how much I love this age they are.  We can communicate so much differently, we enjoy the same oldie movies, taking hikes together, reading together, learning together, cooking together etc!  It's fun and special.  I really have loved every age and season for different reasons. 

Alanna discovered this really neat month on one of the pumpkins.  It was huge!  

Nathan's Dad found this really funny gourd.  It gave the kids all a good laugh as we were trying to grab a few family photos. 

Jude had a hard time finding the "perfect" pumpkin.  It needed to not have any dirt on it and also be small enough for him to carry but not too small.  After much searching, my father in law finally was able to find the perfect pumpkin for him.  He was very happy. 

Milla looks so much like my husband.  I love this picture of the two of them.  You can see so much of their similar features in the above picture....the chin :) 

I've really enjoyed using my nice Canon camera again.  I love the perspective it gives and the story it tells through the photos.  Alanna has been asking to learn how to use it so I'm teaching her how to use it on manual.  My husband took a few photos of me and the girls which I really love.  I just set up the settings and set it unto auto focus for him. 

My oldest son said something to make me laugh.  I liked this picture my husband captured of that moment. 

I love the enthusiasm and excitement these two have about finding their pumpkin.  Liam named his "Big Bertha."  

Once everyone had their pumpkins picked out, we headed up front to check out and take a hayride. 

It was one of the most beautiful evenings we have ever had for a pumpkin patch.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and we just really enjoyed our time.  Last year I was just a few weeks post-partum with the twins and still not very used to going out with two nursing newborns.  I panicked soon after getting to the pumpkin patch last year since it started to drizzle.  We ended up leaving just a few minutes after getting there.  Things have gotten easier as I've figured out my rhythm with having two babies and this year went much better :) 

I love my little family so much.

Well I guess some people would say I should say "big family", but I don't know...looking at this photo six kiddos doesn't seem like a lot. 

Either way I'm crazy about them all and am thankful for this special memory.

xo, 

Lauren  

APPLE PICKING 2021

 Near the middle of October, our family headed up to the mountains for our traditional Apple Picking Day.  It has been 12 years since we went to this orchard for the first time.  My oldest son was only two then.  We've gone every year but two years since then.  

It's always a really fun day.  I love the drive there, the view from the mountain, the smells, the excitement and simplicity of picking your own apples. 

Liam wanted to dress in his entire Harry Potter costume this year but I knew it would be muddy.  We were able to come to an agreement on him just wearing the glasses and brining his wand.  After we got there he was thankful I had made that decision because it was very muddy and he fell several times. 

We almost used the wagon for the girls, but we've always just used a carrier for our non-walkers.  I'm really glad we changed our minds last minute and strapped the girls into the ergos.  I had forgotten how big the hills are, how many rocks are on the paths, and how difficult pulling it around would be.  But once we got there and I got to thinking about it, I knew I wouldn't want to deal with that. 

Usually I let my little one down to sit and eat apples and just play.  However, the mud this year kept me from having Milla and Mara get down at all.  They enjoyed eating apples while being carried though. 

Jude fell so many times as he was reaching into apple trees, and ended the day totally covered in mud :) 

The kids were all worried the bags wouldn't be big enough to get enough apples.  But, they hold more than you think.  Alanna looked so beautiful in her new pink dress.  She always looks so grown up to me when she wears this. 

We didn't go last year when I was pregnant with the twins.  Everything was so weird with Covid, I wasn't sure how the experience would be so I opted out of going.  I was really glad to be back this year and allow the girls to enjoy their first time here. 

Looking back at all the photos over the years from the orchard is always so fun and slightly emotional.  Our family has grown significantly since that first time going.  And all my children just grow so quickly.  I love the ages my children are though.  I have enjoyed every age for different reasons.  They are like my little best friends now.  We enjoy so much of the same things and it's so fun doing things together!

My husband had my camera and was able to sneak in a few pictures of our oldest.  He usually ducks out of the photos but we were able to catch more of him than usual this day :) 

These four...I have so many memories of just these four.  The twins came so much later than Jude that these four will probably always feel like "before the twins and then after the twins."

The girls are such a deep part of our lives now.  We can not imagine life without them.  They are so fun and full of joy.  They are so incredibly loved.  The middle kids love playing with them and teaching them new things.  Everyone loved watching them enjoy their apples that day.

I didn't realize my husband had snapped this photo of Ruy and me as we were heading back to the store to get apple donuts.  He was teasing me about something. 

We always end our time at the orchard with apple donuts.  They are so good.  

The day was absolutely perfect.  The weather was amazing.  There weren't too many people there.  Everyone had a good time.  I'm thankful for another wonderful family trip to the orchard. 

xo,

Lauren