Homeschool year 2014-2015

Here's the learning line-up this year for

Cliffs of Insanity Day Academy and St. Jenn's School for exceptional teens  :D

I am homeschooling my last two kids.  At one time, I was homeschooling 5....life is looking real different these days!

Amie 7th grade:

Math   Aleks Math online                     Bible  Apologia's World View Series, we are finishing "Who is God?"

Language Arts    Grammar Rod & Staff 4   Literature & Composition:  Outside class with Biola Star they are using: IEW writing

**Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Seminar Workbook      **The Bronze Bow -Elizabeth Speare  **various book report books

-Institute for Excellence in Writing

**King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by R.L. Green    ** King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table Student Guide

Science:  **Oak Meadow Science 6  and  **Quick Reads level E by Modern Curriculum Press

History  Veritas Press online History- 1850 to Present      Geography/social studies/History: online Minecraft class, reading Around the World in 80 days

P.E.  Swimming laps 3 days a week and daily 1 mile walk/runs

Art:  private art lessons                      Music:  private voice lessons

Demi-Sky High School 9th grade

Math  Aleks Math

Bible  Apologia's World View Series, we are finishing "Who is God?"

Language Arts

Grammar Rod & Staff 4

Literature & composition outside class with Biola Star  using:

*Fundamentals of Literature Student Text,  -Bob Jones University Press       *Brief Wadsworth Handbook 7th edition

*Vocabulary from Classical Roots A    *The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy   *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

*The Hobbit by J.R. R. Tolkien           *The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens      *Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

History

*a combination of Oak Meadow World History (using Glencoe Text book) and My Father's World 

*Minecraft online class (geography, social studies, history) using Around the World in 80 days

Science

Outside class with Biola Star using Abeka Lab Manual,  Abeka Biology

Latin:  First Form Latin -Memoria Press   -DVD's & books      Art: private art lessons

Music: private piano lessons

 Josie 11th grade at performing arts charter school

- after-schooling with First Start French -Memoria Press and  driver's ed with Automobile Club

Meg sophomore at a community college

she works several horse care jobs, at Barnes & Nobles part time and is in the police explorer's program, beside full time college classes.

Brighton Park {sponsor luv}

~Sponsored content

Here's a shout-out to returning sponsor {Brighton Park}, which has a new look!  I must be a blog-geek, because I notice new designs right away...

Brighton Park is all about inspired living for homemakers and homeschoolers.  Katie has a little bit of everything going on at her blog, and it is all pretty inspiring.  She was recently featured on parenting.com and Hobby Farm Magazine.

Katie is a homemaker, yoga teacher, homeschooler, mom to a special needs child, vegan, artful - she is an interesting person and this all spills out onto her blog.  You can read about homesteading, cooking, crafting with your kids, homeschooling and other interesting things she has going on.

Click on over for a good read, and thank you, Katie for being a sponsor this month :)

In which I discover I am a perfectionist...stop laughing...now...

I've mentioned before that I love research.  I love the hunt.  The hunt for the best art materials, the best History/ Phonics / Math curriculum, the best way to make a smoothie.  I love the hunt, but I get lost in the execution.  I like to call it "being a creative person", or "my inner Bridget Jones" Sky calls it "scattered".  One day, my BFF called it "Perfectionist avoidance".

I had my doubts.
I don't live in the same zip code with the word "Perfectionist"...
I'm more familiar with the term "make do".  But, I deferred to Gracefulmom's analysis, since she is more educated than I.  And, she doesn't ramble.  You lose some credibility when you tend to ramble on...

Hello?

Back to my story- So, Gracefulmom put forth the idea that we (we are both very alike in many ways, hence the BFF part) tend to plan/dream up really spectacular ideas and then sensing that we will not follow through in a spectacular way, we give up and avoid/procrastinate.  She could be onto something, but again, the perfectionist label was a hard sell.

I'm kind of in that place again, wanting to make some changes to our homeschool life- getting more of a rhythm/order to our day, adding back in more crafts, and dare I say it out loud?  ..adding in some baking with the kids, and healthier snacks.  I've done some research, read a few books, looked at a few websites..and then stalled.  The holidays, having company, my messy house.  Yes, it has all stalled.

I stumbled onto this blog post today,

Two Mamas

...Imagine for a moment Two Mamas on their way to Waldorf Homeschooling Land. One Mama rolls up her sleeves, plans the trip, and gets going. The other Mama wants everything to be PERFECT first...

go over to A Little Garden Flower bog to read the rest of a really enlightening parable, even if you are not into Waldorf homeschooling, or any homeschooling, I think this could apply to many of us.

So, how do you get unstuck?  Any inspirational advice from moving to planning to doing?  Or is your house as messy as mine is right now, and you just want to commiserate?  
Spill, I'm listening :) 

Trying- my beginning steps

watercolor snowflakes

I shared in this post *Trying about wanting to implement new teaching techniques into our homeschooling, specifically, Waldorf art and rhythm/ritual.  My struggle is in finding time to

• 1st- research what I am wanting to learn about

• 2nd- find materials/ methods that would be a good fit for us, or figure out how to adapt them. 
• 3rd- find time to gather materials 
• 4th -Implement 

I had several interested comments, so I am going to blog about the steps I am taking as I explore Waldorf homeschooling.

First, I went to my go-to place for homeschooling advice- The WTM boards.  I posted a question about Waldorf rhythm for older kids and about Waldorf art more specifically.  Several wonderful replies pointed me to inspiring blogs, a few websites, and a book or two to order.

I ordered "Painting with Children" by B. Muller - on strong recommendation, and then
"Beyond the Rainbow Bridge" - a book I had considered purchasing a few years ago, but decided not to because my children are older...I wish I had ordered this before- it was very helpful. 

I really like how Amazon shows you books others have ordered after purchasing the book you are looking at, and how they have lists people make of different book interests.  There were several books I am planning on ordering, Seven times the Sun- is one I wanted, but was out of stock.
Heaven on Earth, and Making a Family Home were also recommended, I was going to wait and see if I got them as gifts- my birthday is coming up...but now I don't think I can wait that long, so I will probably order them myself :)

The trail of research led me to the Bearth Institute- a very faceted site that I still haven't fully explored.  They offer grade curriculum e-books, something I got overly excited about at first- because I always am tempted with the idea/hope that one curriculum purchase will answer all of my needs...after reading some threads on the WTM boards though, I realized that while the Waldorf homeschool curriculum style might have been fun for K and 1st- we are at a point where I want something that moves along faster and is a bit more rigorous.  So, back to adding in art and rhythm to our day... :)

The Bearth Institute does have helpful articles on Waldorf, podcasts, videos and e-books.  I ordered their e-book titled Waldorf Rhythm and stages: from preschool to grade 8.  They also sell small blocks of their homeschool curriculum, I am seriously thinking of ordering the Grade 4 Geography Block to play with. 

The blog Our Little Nature Nest- is a treasure trove detailing the learning days of homeschooling Waldorf.  I found this post- Our lessons this week-measuring time really helpful for seeing what Waldorf lessons look like.  I really liked this learning block- this is what has tempted me to try a lesson block on for size.

The blog, Hawaiian dreaming- has a great list of Waldorf links- this blogger pointed me to the one above...

So far, beyond all the research- I began planning for crafts and baking we could do during the Christmas break.  I'm trying to tap back into my creative side.  The next 2 weeks will find us crafting and baking muffins and such.  

Our first craft was painting snowflakes to make a garland with.  Our next craft is going to be melting crayons in a mold to give as a gift.  I am finding great/imaginative craft ideas at Waldorf homeschool blogs.  

I will be ordering paint and craft supplies too- I just want to take my time with the order, it's not going to be small..yikes!