Officially a Teenager, But Always My Baby

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Just like that, I’m the mom of a teenager.  Moms of littles, believe me when I say all the clichés like ‘don’t sweat the little stuff’, ‘it’s only a season’, & ‘you’re going to miss this’.  It’s all true.  Every single word every seasoned mom has muttered to me about enjoying my children while they’re young; I now believe it all. 
I couldn’t be more excited-nervous for this season of life.  I will graciously accept all prayers for my sanity, my wrinkles, and really for this girl to be guided by God in all that she does.  Here’s to 13!

Dear Sweet Fashionista,

This is your extremely young mother writing to you. haha! I say that because today you became a teenager, and I just might be having a few personal issues with what that means for me.
Stereotypically young moms have toddlers; there can even be young moms with elementary-age kids.  But the moms of teenagers?  They usually aren’t classified into any certain category, and end up being just another mom.
From the moment I laid my eyes on you though, I have felt like anything but ‘just another mom’.
You have challenged me so very much.  Thank you for that, it’s been good for me.  Without our struggles, we won’t  now our strength, ya know?
You may have been only a year old when we met, but I myself was just a kid!  I was barely 18, working my way through school to become a nurse, and had high hopes of eventually becoming a doctor and curing Alzheimer’s.  I was a  success seeking dreamer.  I was a do-er.  I know you may not believe this, but THIS mom stuff I’m doing now, THIS is my dream I never knew of.
My vison of what success looks like has changed.
You and your father transformed me, and forced me to grow up.  I thought I wanted to, but so many times I
still wanted to just be a kid, and not have to be so responsible.  I didn’t have a choice with you though.  I had to grow up, and I had to grow up fast.
Had you not forced me to grow up, I may never have known all that I could become.  So thank you for that too.
You changed me from a day-dreaming teenage girl into a MOM; a real true mother.  THAT is my success.  There is no greater gift that I’ve ever been given than to raise up children for God’s glory, to live and walk in His ways.
It all started with you, sweet girl.
Sweetie, you make my heart squeal with delight.
Here are 13 Fun Facts about you:
1.     You’ve been momma’s helper and daddy’s princess from day one.
2.     You are full of creativity.
3.    You are what I like to call a low-maintenance fashionista.  You don’t fuss terribly over your outfits, but you do style yourself well, and it comes easy to you.
4.    For as long as I’ve been cooking in this house you have been right by my side, always offering to crack the eggs, stir the batter, set the table, & help with whatever needs done.  You love cooking shows and get inspired by them.
5.    You have a giant heart for children, and love nurturing and playing with little ones.
6.      You are full of compassion.
7.      You and I sit on the deck sipping up gallons of sun tea together all summer long.
8.  From the time you could speak you wanted to be a veterinarian, but for the past two years you’ve talked a lot
about your passion for photography.    It makes sense to me; Ever since you were a little girl you have been carrying a camera around, or asking to borrow mine to take pictures.  You’ve gotten so many creative snapshots, some that we’ve even framed and purchased by others.
9.   You love the outdoors just like your dad does.  You’re athletic and strong.  You love anything with wheels: bikes,
skateboards, roller skates, etc.
10.  Any night we can work in a family movie night is your favorite night of the week.
11.  You drag blankets all over the house.  You have more than one on your bed, and keep blankets stashed around everywhere.  This drives me crazy, but it makes you cozy and uniquely you.
12.  Your favorite fruit is the pear.  Do you remember the Christmas we bought like 100 pears and ate them within weeks?  I still can’t believe we finished them all!
13.  Your favorite dessert is brownies with caramel.  Guess what we’re having tomorrow night to celebrate your amazing 13 years on this Earth? BROWNIES!
My dear girl, no matter what it is you want to be or what you do in life, I KNOW that with your drive and heart, you will do it, and do it well.
Your dad and I are so proud of the wonderful way that you are growing up.   We are so crazy blessed to be your
parents!
Love,
Momma
PS.  Today you may officially be a teenager, but it’s important that you know you will ALWAYS be my baby!  I’ve got your back through all the highs and lows that these teen years will bring you. 

Sweet Girly Scarecrow Make-up for Halloween

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Can you believe October is coming to an end already?  I swear it was just September like a week ago! Now we’re already being jolted straight into the busy holiday season (which I’m totally looking forward to)!

Fridays are what we call Fun Friday in our Homeschool.  We focus primarily on Reading, Math, and Art/Crafts.  It’s also my day to get caught up on the Social Media posting that I do for local businesses, and plan out our next week of schooling.  We don’t do this every Friday, because sometimes we’ve had other busy days within our week and we really need the catch up, but this week, we’ve all worked hard, so we’re celebrating!

Halloween is tomorrow, and in typical busy-mom style, I still don’t know if we’re going out trick-or-treating, staying home to hand out treats, or skipping it all together.  I have such conflicting, but passive, thoughts on the whole Halloween thing. But we do know this-  We will spend the night together as a family, and it will be another opportunity to make memories with our kiddos.

Today my oldest and I decided to try out a Scarecrow make-up pin that I saw HERE

(Sadly I cannot find a source for the original pin, so if this is you, let me know, I’d love to give you a shout out & see what other looks you’ve came up with).
Check out our little YouTube video:
Would you rather see that in print form?  Here it is:
We used just 5 cosmetics that I bet you even have at home:
Blush– Damp for cheeks, dry for eyes
Gold Eye Shadow*- Damp for the nose
Black Eye Liner: For the patchwork
Mascara: For some extra eye poppin’
Lip Balm: For some girly shine
*Another light color would work as well if you don’t have gold.
For clothing we pulled out a plaid shirt and bib overalls from her closet.
They were both found on clearance at Wal-Mart for just $3 each!

Fair Trade: Coffee and Accessories

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Although my husband doesn’t like coffee, and I assure you I did not know this before I married him, he buys it for me anyways.  In marriage there is commitment AND compromise, folks.
Over the last 11 years that I’ve been buying coffee (since I can’t just drink my parents’ for free any more) I’ve bought it from just about everywhere you can imagine.  I’ve also bought it in several different brands, forms, and flavors.  This time around I decided to try out the Fair Trade coffee from our church.
There are so many reasons to LOVE this coffee.
1. I can get it easily.  Which is a plus, because I do NOT like to be out of coffee! I’m not addicted or anything, I just appreciate a hot cup of Joe in the morning, and sometimes even in the evening.  In the afternoon I like it over ice.
2. It’s Fair Trade, which according to Google means “trade in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries.”
3. It’s organic.  I have a terrible time with non-organic coffee giving me headaches when I drink it in bulk, which I pretty much always do.
4. It comes in Decaf and Regular.  Occasionally I like to have choices.
5. It’s delicious!  Truly, the flavor of this coffee is THE BOMB!
I’ve bought so many Fair Trade items from food, to apparel, to Christmas decorations, and always feel good knowing our money is going somewhere worthy and benefiting people who have worked well to earn it.
I did away with my coffee pots (yes I had multiples) a few years ago in an effort to clean up the counters.  I use a French Press from Ikea that washes up well and stores nicely in a cupboard.
If you’re looking for a challenge this week try one of these:
Watch Where You’re Spending Your Money.
1. Are the purchases you’re making necessary?
2. Are they fairly benefiting both you and the person/company that you’re buying them from?
Clean up Your Counters
Unless you’ve got some mad skills or super powers, I’m sure there is SOMETHING you can do to clean up your counters a bit.  I used to even put the toaster away in the pantry when we weren’t using it daily (now we don’t own one).  Clean Counters=Calm & Order.  It’s pure delight to walk into a kitchen with clean counters. 
Sip Coffee and Relax
If you’re in a season where you want a challenge, but the thought of actually taking on one more thing stresses you out to the max, then THIS is the challenge for you! 
Just take time to sip some coffee (OR TEA!) and relax.
 
*Note: If you are looking for a way to add some Fair Trade accessories to your wardrobe (like the scarf and earrings I’m wearing in the picture) check out Trades of Hope. There you will find beautiful scarves, jewelry, handbags and more!  All Fair Trade, All Beautiful!

A Tripod Setup For YouTube and Periscope For Under $35!

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.This post contains affiliate links.

A camera tripod has been on my Amazon wish list basically ever since I bought my fancy camera back in December of 2014.  I’ve been worried about getting a cheap one and it tipping and breaking my camera.

I finally orderd one and was so happy when the UPS man delivered it!

Yay for making decisions!  Yay for packages delivered on time! 
Yay for new gadgets!
I went with an inexpensive Amazon Basics tripod and also ordered a cell phone adapter, so I could use my phone on the tripod as well (for YouTube videos).
After I got the cell phone adapter I quickly realized it’s the same as the top of a selfie stick, which I have a couple of, so I really didn’t need to purchase another one.  oops!
So if you already have a selfie stick, just twist the top portion off (the part that holds the cell phone) and twist it onto the tripod’s removable base part (or whatever that piece called).
What I love about this tripod:

·   It is super lightweight, 3lbs.

·   Its height is adjustable from 20 inches all the way to 60 inches, which is just perfect for what I need it for.

 ·
It has two built-in levels in different positions, so you can get a nice straight shot.

·
Once you have the little mounting plate screwed into the bottom of your camera (or selfie adapter) you can take the camera off quickly, snap a few shots, and snap it right back into the tripod.

·    It comes with a quality carrying case.  Oh & it also has a nice handle on the tripod!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Sweet Girl

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Sweet Girl,
Tonight I am going to put you to bed as a 2 year old.  When you wake up (I’m guessing at about 3:30am, and again at 6:30am), you will officially be a 3 year old.  Man, just when you got the hang of admitting you were 2, and not 15 when people asked, you’ve got another age to remember!
This birthday stuff doesn’t mean much to you, other than you want everyone to sing to you.  But hey, that’s nothing new.  Who doesn’t like being serenaded, am I right?
You are a firecracker.  Over the past 3 years, your dad has worn out the term “she broke the mold”.

You really did, baby girl.  You are SO different than your brother and sister, and that’s okay!   We celebrate that about you!
You are so much more independent than your older siblings were at your age.  I attribute that to you knowing
they are there for you, and trusting that you can always fall back on them. You feel secure.

Being your momma is pure joy.
I so admire you and appreciate your high energy and spunk.

Your favorite color is purple; I’m sure because you and your daddy are BIG Minnesota Vikings fans.

You love raisins in every form.  When you eat a bowl of raisin bran, you pick out the raisins with your tiny little fingers,
drink the milk, and hand me a bowl of soggy bran flakes. every.single.time.
You ask for applesauce about a hundred or so times a week.   You prefer applesauce pouches, or a bowl of applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.  I like it that way too.
I joke that SUGAR is your Love Language.  If it is, your grandpa Phil has got to be your favorite, because he has spoiled you with cupcakes and Tropical Sno every Thursday through the summer.
When I asked you what you wanted to be when you grow up, you replied “A Grown-up with healthy bones!”  It was cute, but I quickly began to tear up, thinking of your sweet little heart and how hard it has to work to keep up because of your heart defect.  I am so thankful for each day we get with you, and I have no doubt you will have healthy bones and live to be 100!
 You tell total strangers that you are going to go to Heaven when you die.  You are excited to meet Jesus.  For the past two weeks you’ve been excitedly asking “Is Jesus coming soon?”  I’ll be honest, that freaks me out, but I am SO glad that you know Jesus and have a passion to meet Him!  I think the world of your curiosity and through you I have finally understood the term “faith like a child”.  You believe with all your heart and that is truly beautiful.
Everyone raves about your blonde curls.  I am still learning how to brush your beautiful hair and style.  I’m sorry.  When you are older and look back at your childhood pictures, just know that I tried, okay?  You insist on wearing a bow, but often pull it out when we get in the van.
Your big brother loves to read to you, and you LOVE being read to.  You want to “do school” like the big kids and
have really began to sit well at the table and soak up so much information that we’re talking about.  I am certainly you’ll be ready for some official preschool lessons very soon!
Your big sister has a blast dressing you up in elaborate layers and accessorizing your outfits.  She is The Fashionista, and she’s training you well!  She loves putting pretty things in your hair, and even putting lip balm on your lips!  You have her wrapped around your finger!  You love when you get to hang out in her room and play with her girly Legos.
I am proud of the spunky girl that you are, because you remind me so much of ME!  You stand up for yourself, you pave your own path, and you are fierce!  You light up a room with your charm and bright blue eyes. YOU are happy, you are healthy, you are loved.
You’ve got it all, girl.
Love,
Momma

Home Art: Creating a Paint Shirt!

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We’ve been taking on quite a few art projects this year, since switching to Home Art Studio.  We are LOVING it!  The kids love it because they’re actually getting to do more art, and I love it because the materials are so easy to follow and it mostly uses things we already have at home.
As a result of these super fun projects happening almost on the daily, we needed to be sure everyone was equipped with a paint shirt!
My son graduated to needing a bigger paint shirt than Ikea has to offer (which means his little sister just got his old paint smock and has been joining us at the table- to paint with water).
For this project we used:
  • Puffy Paint from Ikea (MÅLA)
  • Dad’s old t-shirt
  • How to Draw Cars and Trucks and Other Vehicles Book by Dover Books
  • A washable marker to trace the outline.
Tips:
*Line your table with newspaper.
*Slide a piece of cardboard in the shirt, so the paint doesn’t bleed through.
If you aren’t an Amazon Addict like me and have TONS of boxes around at all times, just use a cereal box or some cardstock.
*Design what you want the shirt to look like, and draw that on with a marker first. 
Include the kids, practice patience, and HAVE FUN!!!
—————————————————————————————–
We absolutely LOVE the “How to Draw” series by Dover Books and own at least a dozen of their how-to books.  Their coloring books are fabulous too!  Best of all they are usually under $5- So they make a perfect gift, and are super affordable to add to your home library!
Here is my affiliate link to the one we used for this project.  You can read all about my affiliate links through my disclosure tab- but it’s basically this:  Amazon pays me a percentage of each sale that is made through clicking my links.  I use that money towards homeschooling my children, running this blog, and hosting giveaways.  I would never EVER post a link to a product I don’t believe in- Promise!

Let Your Heart Wander

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Hello!
Do you ever feel like you’re strictly doing only what you have to do, just to get by?
I’ve been in that mode for a few weeks now.  I’ve been having a hard time saying “no” to the things I’m not super passionate about, because I’ve had the mentality of “yeah, I can squeeze it in”  or “that sounds ‘kind of’ fun”.  Along with
that, when I have said “no” people have been having a hard time hearing and accepting it.
Ordinarily I am a reliable person.  I do all that I can at home, & still show up to put in 110% at whatever I’ve signed up to do.
Now don’t get me wrong here.  I like that people can count on me.  The problem is, I’m also drowning in my have-to-do list (which is different than a typical ‘to-do list’).  I’m not kidding you- every square on my calendar is filled in, for as far as thee I can see!
I’m not getting any time to just let my heart, mind, and even my feet wander.
So this weekend we were supposed to go to a family reunion 3 hours away.  I love my extended family and miss them something terrible, but I had just hit a breaking point and couldn’t do it.  I went to bed thinking we were going, but I woke up with a change of heart (and the girls and I had that silly lingering cough, so I sort of felt justified.  But really we need a family day more than anything, and I needed to not feel guilty about that).
What my heart REALLY wants is to just wander and be unhurried.
So that’s what we did Saturday.  We slept in until 8am and then Mr. Awesome and I cooked a great big breakfast together.  It had been SO long since we had cooked a meal together.  I had really missed it, even though I occasionally whined that he was in my way or spraying water all over the place while he rinsed the dishes (that I believe can go straight into the dishwasher without rinsing, but that’s okay).  We sat down as a family to eat and we actually had time to listen to the kids tell stories, talk about conversations they had with their friends, and heard great big belly laughs from each of them at different times.
We took care of several errands, delivered hand-me-down clothes to a friend, returned plumbing pieces to the hardware store, took a van load of things to our favorite 2nd hand store to donate, and best of all we FINALLY delivered that wedding gift that had been sitting here for 3 months since we missed a wedding back in July.  Now these were “to-do” things, but we didn’t have to do them on anyone’s time but ours.  We didn’t have to show up at a certain time. which hasn’t happened for us in a very long time.
After that, we just wandered.
When we were headed to look for a new blog planner at Staples (which I didn’t find- so any and all suggestions are welcome!) we decided to take a detour and take the family mini-golfing.
MINI-GOLFING, People!
Do you know how fun that is?  It’s insanely fun.  Especially with a group of kids as fun as mine and a husband who is a great big goofball!  That makes me laugh the whole time.
Our mini-golf coupons were expired, but we took a chance and they let us use them anyway (Shout out
and THANK YOU to North Iowa Golf).  The course was quiet, and we got to take our sweet time.  And believe me, with three kids, one of them being a two year old carrying her own club, we really did take.our.time.
I left my phone in the van, which was a good thing; because when I got back I realized I would’ve had 7
interruptions while we were out enjoying family time.  They were all things that could wait, but if I had my phone on me, I would’ve felt obligated to respond back or take phone calls that didn’t have to happen right then.
What I’m saying is:
1.      Are you giving a gentle “no” in areas that you just can’t passionately serve right now?
2.      Are you taking time to let your heart, mind, and feet wander?
And when I say serve, I want you to know you can serve in absolutely any way, and this will look different for each of us.  Maybe you serve through babysitting for a friend, making meals, sitting on a committee, helping organize  an event, etc. 
I personally cannot serve by babysitting your kids right now, but I can be of service by making a meal.  Maybe you’re the other way around right now.  That’s okay!
The Answer Key would look like this:  1. YES 2. YES.
If you can’t answer both questions with a firm YES, then I encourage you to take a look at this next week, and see what changes you can make so that you can serve passionately.

My Heart Today: The Orphans

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Photo Courtesy of  Courtney Lorenz Photography.
My family and I drove home from church today in our Town and Country van.  We bought it new, had it custom-fit for our family, and delivered to the same dealership where we had bought our last minivan, just a couple years before that.
When we got home the kids got their top of the line Razor scooters out and rode around our driveway in front of our 3 stall garage.
I was a little worried about our youngest getting stains or scuffs on her new jeans since I just took the tags off of them this morning.
They’re kind of tight, but I don’t want to mess with returning them, so I think she’ll wear them for a few weeks and we’ll pass them on to someone else.  We aren’t hard-pressed for clothing right now.
My husband took off his pressed button-up collared shirt and changed into an American Eagle sweatshirt and stood on the plush carpeted floor for our living room with his nearly new Nike tennis shoes.
From there he turned on our 50 inch LED TV, that we also bought brand new, and sat down to watch some football.
I came out to start typing some thoughts that were on my mind after the sermon this morning, and our oldest daughter is now happily doing a craft at the kitchen island.
Soon I’m going to join her and we are going to decorate our pumpkins we picked up on a fun family outing to a pumpkin patch yesterday.
Our middle son has a friend over and they’re playing with Legos.  I cringe at the thought of how many hundreds of dollars worth of Legos we have floating around this 10-year-old house that we designed ourselves.  What a difference it would make if even HALF that money was put towards feeding the hungry.
My point here is this:  Gosh our life is good and while ordinary, or common, it really really quite luxurious.  And I’m pretty sure we’re considered middle class.  There are people that have it even “better” than we do in terms of material items.
Now I promise you it hasn’t always been this good; we have had struggles in our marriage, in a custody battle, in finances, etc.
But those struggles I’m telling you about, even though they were tough to endure, and seemed nearly impossible at the time were just that, ‘for a time’.
“First Word Problems” is how I’d hashtag all that stuff. 
I am heartsick for orphans.  I have had sympathizing tears streaming down my face all morning wondering how on earth I can help these children in need.  I’ve prayed for these children for years, but now I want to use my own two hands to care for them.
I can prove that I can fiercely love a child I didn’t birth, because I’ve been doing it since our oldest was just a year old (through step-parent adoption, and Christ’s Love).  I even fiercely love her birth momma and pray for her on the regular, but that situation is tougher than I can articulate through a blog post (maybe someday).
Never mind the fact that I know in my heart I love all children I meet, even the random children that play with my kids at the park for an afternoon, or the neighbor kids who stay for supper, or the kiddos who play video games in our basement.
Lord, I KNOW my heart is aching for these children who need homes, for a way to serve the poor, care for the weak and needy.
But HOW?!  How God, do I do that without giving up too much of my cushy life? How do I get my family on board?  Where is the community of people you talk about in the Bible?  Because I’m going to need their support to do
this.
Why aren’t we ALL adopting?  How do my husband and I agree to take on the tough stuff like this, when I feel like we’ve already endured so much of the tough stuff and now it’s “our turn” to just enjoy life while it is good?
Or maybe it’s time I do give up some of this cushy life. Maybe it’s time I quit pinning all the things I want in a new home on my Pinterest board and shift my focus to your sweet orphans.
Lord, can you send me some pins that teach me how to do that?  I wish YOU, Lord, coud e-mail me a link to a blog post that describes my heart, and shows me a step-by-step outline of what comes next?  Because God, if you don’t send it through my e-mail, there is a strong chance I may totally miss it.  You see I’m fired up right now, but I know my wandering heart, it’s going to be checking Facebook and trying a new cookie recipe from the internet in less than a couple hours from now.  I’m going to get a Gap or Children’s Place e-mail with a coupon code and fully take advantage of that-  But what I WANT to do, is live for you.  I want to care for your children, but my e-mail hasn’t shown up yet telling me how to do this.
On a day by day basis I am so focused on materialistic and earthly things.  I’m so sick of it.  I’m ready to live a deeper life that is beyond ME and all about YOU.
Show me how.

2015-2016 Curriculum Choices! 7th Grade, 2nd Grade, and Pre-Pre-School

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2015-2016 Curriculum Choices!

The Fashionista- 7th Grade 
My oldest daughter has dyslexia, which we see as such a blessing.  It means she is so much more inventive
than the rest of us; she has an eye for art, and is a lover of all things that take any amount of creativity.  Dyslexia
is not a curse, it is not a lack of intelligence.  Dyslexia is a language processing disorder that I have studied for 4 years.  I never thought it’d be something I’m so fluent in, but God has all sorts of surprises for us, doesn’t he?  The Fashionista is the ‘Stop and Smell the Roses’ kind of person.  She points out beauty for the rest of us to see, and appreciates landscapes, design, and like her momma, loves FOOD.
She needs directions explained clearly, but then can run off and do her own thing. Most kids are this way though, aren’t they?
For her we are using:
Math
Teaching Textbooks Level 7.
We have used Teaching Textbooks for a few years now and really REALLY
enjoy it.  I can’t wait until my middle child can graduate to it (they begin at level 3).  This is a computer based program with an optional workbook.  For her, she prefers to use the workbook, and only uses the CD-ROM instruction when she really needs it.  Buying just the workbook is considerably cheaper, so we did that last year. But this year she is getting
into more difficult operations, so we bought the CD to go with it.  Luckily Teaching Textbooks has an incredible resale
value, better than any other homeschool materials I’ve ever seen.  The good in that is when it’s time to sell,
but buying used for a good price is next to impossible.
Language Arts
This year we are trying something totally different, and so far it has proven to be worth the switch.  These books are really inexpensive, and super thorough.  I am so bummed I didn’t find these and start using them years ago!
We’re using Climbing to Good English Level 6.  We chose level 6 over 7, because it focused more on composition, which is an area we needed to work on.
 Pathway Readers StepBy Step
Step By Step Workbook
Working with Words Level 6, for vocabulary.
These were written for Amish Parochial Schools, and are very thorough.   Be sure to get the teacher’s manuals for easy grading, and helpful teaching tips!  I don’t normally think the teacher manuals are necessary, but these really are.
The pages are distraction free, which is more beneficial for
my middle child, but still great for everyone.
I bought the full set of Pathway Readers on Amazon
 
Spelling
All About Spelling level 4 (almost level 5).  I’m not rushing this, as I am not as concerned
which level she is at, as I am more concerned that it is clicking and sticking.
I purchased every level of AAS, so I can effortlessly move
the kids onto the next level whenever they are ready, or go back and review
when we need to.  I also did this because
our kiddos have such an age gap between them that I wanted to be sure we had
the right books when they needed them.  This
program is not cheap, but I think a good spelling program is fundamental.   I did purchase two levels first, and then
bought the rest; so don’t feel like you need to do it all at once.
 Ps.  This program is highly recommended for
children with dyslexia.
Science
For Science we are continuing on using Curriculum from Apologia,
because their books are laid out so nicely.
The workbooks are incredibly educational, but still fun.  We also purchase the Audio CD, which I transfer
as MP3 files to my phone; this helps save my voice.
According to Iowa law, for the type if instruction we chose,
I am required to teach Science.  But even
if we weren’t required to, we’d still do science, and we would still use this
very same curriculum.  This year we are
going through Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day — Young Explorers Series.  We may also get to Zoology 2 yet this year, since we find ourselves doing more lessons than suggested, since it is so fun!
We are also members of the Minnesota Zoo, and the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Both of these places are
well worth their memberships!  I can post
more about each of these later if anyone is interested.
Social Studies is
another required subject.  We have a
hodgepodge of Geography/Social studies materials, games, and apps, because we
haven’t found one complete program that I feel covers it all in a way the kids
will retain.
We have lots of free reading books that fit this category,
we have workbooks, and we are using Confessions of a Homeschooler’s Road TripUSA again.  I printed out her PDF’s,
hole-punched them, and made each of us our own binders (teacher and two
students).  It took a ton of ink, and SO
much time, but I needed the paper form to follow along with it.  Many people use just the PDFs on their computers
and that works well for them too.  Do what
works for you.
Keyboarding
Keyboarding, to me, is a necessary skill.  I know all the phones and tablets have
speech-to-text capabilities, but I still think formal training in keyboarding
is a good idea.  We use Handwriting
without Tears’ program called Keyboarding without Tears.  They only go to level 5, but it’s a great
program even as review for older kids.

There are FREE keyboarding web-sites, and we’ve used many of them.  I even linked one or two of them on my homeschool resources tab at the top of this page.  I still believe those are good, Keyboarding without tears is just better.  So if you have the funds and are able to, check into Keyboarding Without Tears.  It’s about $10/student.

We have several other materials that we use, like Daily Oral
Language books, Unit Studies on specific topics, Hands on Learning, Specific
Homeschool field trips/days to local (and not so local) places, etc.  Homeschooling is really just a way of life
for us.  We take each opportunity and say
“how can we learn from this” (not really, but you get it).
The Ball Player- 2nd Grade
This guy is a ball of ENERGY.  He’s on turbo mode almost every minute of
every day.  He does not enjoy things that
take precision or long amounts of time to complete, as he gets bored
easily.  For him we focus on short blocks
of time, and doing things that really interest him.  He’s the one that keeps this family moving
along and getting to places on time.  We’re
grateful for his energy and enthusiasm, most of the time. J
Math:
Singapore.  We’ve tried it all with this
kiddo, and we keep going back to Singapore.
Singapore is confusing to me, but he gets it, so that’s what we’re
sticking with until he is able to fully move on to Teaching Textbooks.  He already enjoys doing the TT for fun.
 Language Arts: We’re also doing the same
program with him as we are with The Fashionista.
He’s using:
Pathway Readers First Steps $7.00
First Steps workbook $2.55- Again, these books are SO inexpensive, but their quality and content are great.
Climbing to Good English Level 1 $5.20 (we could’ve gone to level
2, but wanted a little review first after summer break).
 We’re also still
going through the First Langauge Lessons Level 2 book, because the stuff in
there is SO good!  If we hadn’t found the
Pathway Readers and C2GE we would still be using the FLL full time, so don’t
count it out- it’s a great program!
Spelling: Allabout Spelling Level 2.  There are also
apps with this program that are helpful, even if you aren’t’ using AAS.
Keyboarding:
Keyboarding without Tears.  We started
this with him because it wasn’t much more expensive to add it to our
Handwriting without Tears book order.  I’m
so glad we tried it!  We discovered what
a great program it was, and chose to do it for the other kids as well. .
Handwriting: We’re
using Handwriting without Tears (you already guessed that, huh?).  I’ve read lots of blogs, and heard from other
moms and teachers that say only do handwriting until they can form nice clear
letters, then stop because it’s not necessary any more.  I’m not sure that I agree, so even though he
does have legible penmanship, we are still continuing on with the
handwriting.  He will finish up his
second grade book soon and then move on to the cursive, which he has wanted to
try.  His sister has shown him how to
write in cursive, and he’s pretty sure it’s the language Spy Kids use, so he’s
all over it! Ha!
Subjects We Do Together:
Art:
We’re trying something new in this area also. We’re using
Home Art Studio!  Erica, from Confessions of a
Homeschooler recommended it through Instagram, and I happened to see it was on
sale through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op.
Again because of the age gap of the kids, I bought all the levels.  It was actually much cheaper to do this than buy them individually.  And now I won’t need to buy it again each
year, because we’ll already own it.  It’s
a DVD with instruction that also includes PDF lesson plans, material lists,
etc.  Home Art Studio combines art with
other subjects too, such as social studies, science, that sort of thing.
Thankful Journals:
Maybe you remember from past years or previous posts, but I have
the kids keep a “Thankful Journal”.  It’s
a place they just write down what they are thankful for.  For one child she could do this all day long,
for another child, it’s just short of torture.
The Fashionista is doing this in a planner book this year, to be sure
she covers all of her days.  The Ball
Player is still keeping his in a spiral notebook. The baby (she needs a new
name soon!) and I are also using notebooks to document our joys.   I think she’s very thankful circles and
scribbles, because she writes those each day!
Sometimes I assign how many things to write, or give them prompts
like all things ‘red’ or ‘in nature’.
Other times we put on some soft music and set a timer.  Most of the time they just do their own thing
with it, and it’s really cool!
Social Studies:
We do the Road Trip USA all together, but they each have
their own workbooks and what I expect of them is different depending on their
skill level and abilities.  It’s recommended for K-4th, so for my oldest this is just a starting point and we add more research, reading, and writing into her studies.
Science:
I explained this earlier, but the materials we use for this
are the Zoology 1 Textbook, Audio Book, Notebooking Journal, and JuniorNotebooking Journal.  The Notebooking
Journals aren’t required and neither is the audio book, but they are working
well for us.   Yes it’s way more
expensive to add the extras, but a good education is ever so important!
The Baby- pre-pre-preschool.
2 yrs.
She’s learning alongside of the big kids by listening,
taking “notes”, and just being with us.  We’re
focusing on letter sounds, colors, shapes, kindness and character with
her.  Whenever it’s safe or feasible she
joins in on experiments and art classes.
The amount of information she is picking up is really incredible!
Homeschooling with a baby/toddler is challenging, but not as
challenging as you’d think. My advice is give the little ones attention first,
get them set with something to do, then quickly get to the big kids.
I feel like I need to
put a disclaimer here, because each time I post our curriculum choices I get a
few messages in my inbox that I’d rather not have to deal with.  So here it goes:
I’m not anti-public
school, or saying only homeschooling is the only right thing to do.  We are taking it each half year at a time doing
what we feel God is telling us is best for each child individually, not as a
whole family.  One year that meant we
homeschooled one child and the other was in public school.  Sure I got plenty of questions and judgement
from people (even strangers!) thinking I must care more about my HS child, or
be playing favorites.  But I just let
that ridiculousness roll out, just as quickly as it comes in. 
I watched a cute video on Facebook where a little girl is
saying “You just worry ‘bout you.  You
just worry ‘bout you-self”.  I think of
that sweet little voice so often when it comes to homeschooling.  We’ll do what works for us, you do what works
for you, and if we can encourage each other along the way that’s awesome.  And if we can’t, let’s not get in each
other’s way.

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