Life with more changes

I mentioned in my previous post about my meal planning.  Well me being me, open for change and all, decided to look more into the Paleolithic diet, you know the "caveman diet".  Basically, I may be about to go back to eating meat, but grass fed, organic free range variety.

This past week I have used the family as guinea pigs trying out some Paleo recipes.  My husband has been about 95% all this week strictly Paleo.  The kids have been more like 60%.  Mostly because it's sort of expensive and more importantly it is truly all new to me.  My planning was off.  I keep buying more fresh veggies and fruits.  So far I've been at least twice to the market replenishing our produce supplies!  First world problem, eh?

I know it's been more than a minute since I've posted anything here, which goes into my post's title.  Change!  I've been working again.  I'm working for an awesome company and the perks are sort of even better than how awesome the job has been.  However, I've had to work full time, and now I'm finally working my part time hours.  Good for me and good for my family!

I'm still homeschooling my son, who after three weeks of me working full time fell a little behind in some of his assignments.  Momma's focus is back, so that's already been addressed.

My daughter is killing it at FGCU!  Nuff said about that.

The hubby is putting up with the new diet and after a week, I see a slight difference in his waistline, so HOORAY for that!

Now for more changes.  Looks like the hubby may be getting back on the road for work.  I know we'll stay in Naples while Arianna is attending FGCU for the first year, which is until next May.  After May, she'll be either continuing at FGCU, but in a dorm otherwise she'll be away at one of the colleges she's applying to.  Changes!

How do I feel about being a sometimes full time, sometimes part time stay at home mom, working from home sometimes part time and sometimes full time, and homeschooling, and being a decent wife?  Excited.  Scared.  Overwhelmed most times.  But I have been meditating and working on my craft, which leads me to more good changes!

So, this last full moon in October, Friday to be exact was life changing for me.  I was out and about with the hubby Friday night.  I very much felt the power of the moon.  And I'm not talking metaphorically!  I mean I literally felt the power.  Electricity coursed through me.  I felt almost drunk on it!  But unlike feeling tipsy or drunk, I was aware and cognizant.  I made good use of the energy Friday night.  I can't wait to see the changes that will come from my working!!!

I always felt a special affinity to the fall months.  Probably because of school, I always felt this time of year represents major change.

Curriculum Planning Part Two

I'm pretty much finished with my homeschooling plans for the 2013/2014 school year.  We officially start on August 5th.  My son is hoping the date never approaches, but he'll be ready to start whether he wants to or not.  Gosh, this phase he's in is exhausting at times.  Thirteen.  If I ask him what he would like to do, I can never get an answer, if I make suggestions, he doesn't like anything.  Yuck, these are not the most fun times around here.  Hopefully this phase will fizzle sooner rather than later :-).

Any who... Here's the plan for 2013/2014 for my eighth grader.

Geometry - FLVA (Connections Academy)

Yes, we're actually doing a virtual course.  I'm nervous but I think this may be a good fit for my us.

Physical Science - Classically designed, by yours truly.

I borrowed heavily from The Well Trained Mind when I created the lesson plans for this course.  I used the experiments from Real Science For Kids - Physics for Middle School, but instead of using their text book, I'm supplementing with ck-12.org's Physical Science for Middle School.  This year my son will continue to focus on experimentation.  He'll log his experiments and results.  I've tied inventors, specifically of African descent, to study also.  

Language Arts - Writing With Skill 1, Analytical Grammar (Season 3), Classical Roots Vocabulary

This year we've stepped away from Writing Strands.  I prefer the approach of WWS over Writing Strands.  Both speak to the student directly, but WWS gives more guidance to the instructor/mentor.  Analytical Grammar has served us well, which is why we're continuing on to the final season this year.  Ditto for the Vocabulary text as well.

History - Classically designed, by me again. (Late Renaissance-Early modern period)

I have had the luxury, and yes it has been a luxury, of using lesson plans from classicalhouseoflearning.com.  I am ever so grateful to this woman, who put together a top notch curriculum for FREE!  However, this year the author is changing things up so I will not benefit from her time-freeing lesson plans.  So I went through the work of creating my own, again using The Well Trained Mind as my guide.  Since it is classically designed I included rich literature to read this year.  I don't know if we'll get all the way through, but we're going to try.  Here's the list with ISBN for my own use:

1. Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, abridged.  0060188707

2. John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress. 

3. Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe. 9781602707030

4. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Other Poems. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/151/151-h/151-h.htm

5. Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. 9781577658191

6. Robert Browning, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin,” in My Last Duchess and Other Poems. 0679428127 

7. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 0448405601 

8. Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.  0789434288

9. Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”. 0385074077

10. Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. 0679601791

11. Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. 0192832506

12. Mary Shelley. Frankenstein. 9781847490230

13. Herman Melville.  Moby Dick. 1593080182

14. Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island. 0895772620

15. Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the Sherlock Holmes stories. 0766607674

16. Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express.  0553030000

17. Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind. 1419827391 film

Poetry

1. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Song of Hiawatha”. 0895773376

2. Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” and other poems. 0030725356

3. E. E. Cummings, collected poems. 0802130720

4. Langston Hughes, The Dream Keeper and Other Poems or The Block: Poems. 0679426310

Resources:

Story of the World, Volume 3:  Early Modern Times From Elizabeth the First to the Forty-Niners

The Dorling Kindersley History of the World

National Geographic Almanac of World History

History:  The Definitive Visual Guide

Timelines of World History, published by Dorling Kindersley 

Online primary sources: the Internet Modern History Sourcebook at www.fordham.edu./halsall/mod/modsbook.html.

Battle, Eyewitness books, Dorling Kindersley, by Richard Holmes, 9780756650278

North American Indian written by David Murdoch, Eyewitness book 0679961690

Pirate, Eyewitness books, Dorling Kindersley, by Richard Platt, 9780756607135

The First Americans, from the series “A history of US ; bk 1”, by Joy Hakim, 0195077466 or 0195095065

Making thirteen colonies, from the series “A history of US; bk 2”, by Joy Hakim, 0195077482 or 0195095073

From colonies to country, from the series “A history of US; bk 3”, by Joy Hakim, 0195077504 or 0195095081

The new nation, from the series “A history of US; bk 4”, by Joy Hakim, 019509509x

Encyclopedia of Native American tribes, Carl Waldman, 0816062749

Samuel Eaton’s day: a day in the life of a Pilgrim boy, by Kate Waters 0590463128 or 059046311X

Sarah Morton’s day a day in the life of a Pilgrim girl, by Kate Waters 0590426354

Tapenum’s day: a Wampanoag Indian boy in pilgrim times by Kate Waters. 0590202375

The boy’s war: Confederate and Union soldiers talk about the Civil War, by Jim Murphy. 0899198937

Tell them we remember: the story of the Holocaust, Susan D. Bachrach.  0316692646

Buried in ice, by Owen Beattie and John Geiger 0590438484

Lincoln: a photobiography, by Russell Freedman. 0899193803

Wilbur & Orville Wright by Theodore Rowland-Entwistle 086307927X

The life and death of Adolf Hitler, by James Cross Giblin 0395903718

Liberty for all?, “A history of US; bk 5”, by Joy Hakim 0195095103

War, terrible war “A history of US; bk 6”, by Joy Hakim 0195095111

Reconstruction and reform, “A history of US; bk 7”, by Joy Hakim 019509512x

An age of extremes, “A history of US; bk 8”, by Joy Hakim 0195095138

War, peace, and all that jazz, “A history of US; bk 9”, by Joy Hakim 0195095146

All the people, “A history of US; bk 10”, by Joy Hakim 0195095154

Florida, by Ann Heinrichs 0756503094

A nation challenged: a visual history of 9/11 and its aftermath, 0935112766

Air raid – Pearl Harbor!: the story of December 7, 1941, Theodore Taylor, 0152164219

Girls think of everything, Catherine Thimmesh, 0395937442

Yeah, I know, these are healthy list.  But remember, we're not using a text book to study history.  I've broken down the topics to study.  I've tied the first half to Story of the World.  I haven't purchased version 4 yet, so that's the only reason I haven't completed the list.

Topics to Explore:

1. The Mayflower – SOTW Ch.6

2. Early American settlements – SOTW Ch.3

3. Russia under Peter the Great and his successors – SOTW Ch.17

4. Prussia in the eighteenth century –SOTW Ch.14

5. The agricultural revolution – SOTW Ch.16

6. Native American cultures - Multiple Chapters

7. British in India – SOTW Ch.11

8. The French Revolution – SOTW Ch.25

9. British-French conflict in Canada – SOTW Ch.21

10. The American Revolution – SOTW Ch.22

11. The Napoleonic Wars – SOTW Ch.29

12. The industrial revolution – SOTW Ch.27

13. Simon Bolivar’s fight for independence in South America – SOTW Ch. 34-35

14. The siege of the Alamo - SOTW Ch.42 

15. The California gold rush – SOTW Ch.42

16. The Lewis and Clark expedition – SOTW Ch.32

17. The U.S. acquisition of North American territories

18. Australia’s beginnings as a penal colony. – SOTW Ch.24

19. Africa under European control - 

20. The Crimean War

21. The Victorian era

22. The War between the States (Civil War)

23. Exploration in the American West

24. Euro-American conflict with the Native American tribes

25. The Boxer Rebellion

26. The World War I

27. The Russian Revolution

28. The Soviet Union

29. The Great Depression

30. The New Deal

31. World War II

32. Nazi Germany/Hitler

33. Apartheid/South African segregation

34. China under Mao

35. The Korean War

36. The civil-rights movement

37. The Vietnam War

Electives & Foreign Language - Critical Thinking and Rosetta Stone Spanish

The Critical Thinking course is being delivered by FLVS.  We're continuing with Level 1 Spanish and finally completing this year.  If my son chooses to continue with learning Spanish, then 9th grade will start with Spanish Level 2, but we'll see.  After we get past our Winter break, I'll introduce another elective, but I think we have enough to keep busy for now.

Curriculum Planning Time

It's that time of year again.  Curriculum planning time!

It is truly one of my favorite things about homeschooling.  I love the planning portion.  So, without further ado, here's what we're planning for the 2013/2014 semester for Rodney, my rising eighth grader.

I started by printing my Curriculum Planner worksheet.  I like writing things down, in pencil, to get some of the curriculum choices fleshed out.

After I list the details on the Curriculum Planner, I begin to build lesson plans, which is where I am with my planning currently.  I am working on creating lesson plans for Physical Science.  The resources I'm using are ck-12.org's Middle School Physical Science, experiments from Real Science 4 Kids Physics, library books and encyclopedias.  Since we follow a classical homeschool philosophy I'll tie in biographies for various individuals that fit, to some degree, the time frame in  history we're studying and who have made significant contributions to any and all things in the physical science world.  I'm really excited about Rodney's experiments.  He's hands-on with most things, so I know he'll find this part of science enjoyable.  Once the experiments are completed, that's when I've planned the writing portion.  Summaries, reports and biographies will be a half of Physics this year.  Oh, and of course lab reports.

I am thinking of changing things with math this year.  I am still on the fence about continuing with Teaching Textbooks, this time Geometry.  I appreciate the built in "tutor" aspect of TT, however, I question how well Rodney would do on some of the problems if I gave him a Saxon math text book.  I have Barron's E-Z Geometry and Khan Academy as a "tutor" so it is possible to avoid spending $184 for TT Geometry.  Yes, money is another factor.  It's really pricey, so I'm hoping I can trade my TT Algebra I with someone for TT Geometry, all version 2.  I've been checking out vegsource.com, so I'll see.  Right now, I still have some time to waver.

Next up is history.  I feel I'm pretty covered for the most part.  For the last two years I relied heavily on the lesson plans I got for free from classicalhouseoflearning.com. However, for the age/point in history we're at this year, the author is doing something different and so far has only posted 5 lessons.  I think I will take a more literal approach toward history using the book The Well Trained Mind.  Basically, I will need to review the book lists mentioned and assign the appropriate titles to wherever we are timeline wise in the Story of The World v.3 book.  It's more planning on my end, but I think I'll manage.  I can always get help at the library.

Literature and history are combined, however, writing will be done differently this year.  I've had Rodney using Writing Strands since we began homeschooling.  I feel Writing With Skill may be more meaty.  I think Writing Strands is great, however I'm concerned at the pace.  I need more focused, compact writing skills taught so come 10th or 11th grade, my son is ready for PSAT, SAT, ACT etc. writing portion.

Rosetta Stone, Spanish, will be completed this year.

Art history and music for half the year.  This is where field trips will come in handy and give us a break, while being educational.  I plan for us to visit art museums within the area.

Physical education requirements will be satisfied with soccer this fall.

I'm thinking about purchasing the Art of Argument.  I've been thinking about this curriculum for two years, but maybe this year I'll do more than think.  Last year I bought a workbook from the Critical Thinking series and Rodney and I both found the whole book confusing as heck.  And yes I had the teacher's manual.  I abandoned it within the first quarter.  We used brain teasers and free worksheets online.  Believe me, that was enough some mornings!

Electives.  I like to spend the first half of the school year on the subjects mentioned above, and the second half we then incorporate elective subjects.  I find its a welcome break from the rigorous study and it becomes something to look forward to.  I know I'll throw in a middle school level health course.  Outside of that, I will listen to Rodney on what he would like to study as an elective.

Wow, I have a lot of lesson planning to do.  Did I mention I plan on working part time again, from home.  I will definitely have a full plate, however, I would not have things any other way.

Oops, one more thing... Geography.  I plan to tie in with history, however we'll be using MapTrek, however more often than we did last year.

I'm writing. Again.

Wow, I haven't posted anything since September?  I mean I was aware I wasn't blogging, but wow, September?  Really?

There has been loads of good things and not-so-great things that have transpired.

We're about to take a much deserved spring break and then wrap up the school "year" by May.  Currently Ari is studying for SAT's and Rodney is giving Algebra 1 the business.  The kids are finishing up other subjects and are ready to move on to something else (just after that well deserved break I just mentioned).

I am back to being a full time wife, mom and teacher.  It became painfully obvious the kids needed my full attention during the day when it comes to their schoolwork.  Also, I didn't realize to the extent of how much I do around here!  Taking 25 hours of productive time really screwed some things up.

The really, really exciting change is that I'm hoping  we can relocate back to Florida in the near future.  I have nothing against NC, it's just that I am a Florida girl at heart.  Hopefully we'll know sooner, than later when we can embark on yet another journey to a new community.

I have grown substantially with regards to divination and previously unknown gifts.  I'm not overly into labels, actually, I sort of despise being labeled in general.  I just know I can now "hear" spirits.  I receive relevant and sometimes startling real, messages in my dreams.  I use tarot cards and have discovered my talent of interpretation of the messages I receive.  I have basically allowed my intuition to flourish.  I trust it completely.  I trust my guides completely.  I have allowed this "otherness" to integrate within and around me so that there's now a completeness that I've never felt.  I know my mind.  I know my heart.  I know who I am.

I have definitely experienced some challenges over this non-blogging time period.  I have been actively and intentionally allowing myself to feel what I'm feeling and attempt to stay true to myself while going through whatever the challenge was at that time.  This is hard work because it is very easy to block out all of the hard earned progress of learning to handle challenges life can through your way when the crap really hits the fan.  Fear can be a b**ch!  I'm grateful I am "awake" and "present" enough to even feel, good or bad.  Although I'd be lying if I didn't say I want more of the good!

I promise not to wait so long between posts.  I enjoy blogging, but with any and everything, sometimes a girl just needs a break!

Progress?

Last week, with the holiday and all, I didn't want to have our regular "school" so I made a creative fiction writing workshop for the kiddos.  They loved it.  Ken and I got a kick out of what the kids wrote.  I knew my daughter had a gift when it comes to writing, but my son is a natural.  I love his simplistic, clean style of writing.  He delivers just the right wording to make his point.  I'm truly impressed.  I think my husband was taken aback with how dark my son could get in his writings.  You see, I didn't ask them to write typical age appropriate responses to prompts.  I chose things like, write from a villains point of view.  I had the them do plenty of background on who and what type of villain they would create.  Like I said, they ate it up.

This week wasn't so challenging because the kids were happy to get back on their normal "school" schedule. Unfortunately I'm not quite as together.  I started working a part time, work from home, job.  I have discovered that I much rather enjoy working as a stay at home wife, homeschooler and of course mom-in-chief.  Or as I also refer to myself, home manager.  My duties have been seriously put on the back burner because of the training for the part time gig.  I'm so over it at this point.  However, we've purchased a second car and I have to make good on the difference of the car note, so it is what it is at the moment.

I truly hope my hubby will reconsider moving a little further north of where we are now so we could save more on gas and maybe I could drop this whole part time job thing.  We'll see, I have my ways... wink, wink!

Back to School Next Week

I'm getting excited about starting our homeschooling back up next week.  Since I obsessively plan just about everything anyway, building a curriculum, scheduling and organizing has kept me in a great mood these past few weeks.

I posted our preliminary ideas for my daughter's 11th grade and my son's 7th grade school year, but here's what I've made a final decision about.


Logic:  

Math:  

Spelling:

Vocabulary:  

Grammar:  

Writing:  

History:  
 http://www.classicalhouseoflearning.com/logic-stage-literature.html#MiddleAges

Science:  

Foreign Language:  
http://www.rosettastone.com/homeschool-spanish/level-1

Art Appreciation:     
We'll integrate Art Appreciation using suggestions from The Well Trained Mind and using the Activities provided with Classical House of Learning lesson plans.

P.E./Sports:  Soccer in the Fall and Basketball in the Winter.

*********************************************************************************
Here's the plan for the 11th grade:

Rhetoric:  Writing exercises using the Presidential election.

Precalculus:  

Vocabulary:  


Writing:  


History:    
And hopefully, The History of the Renaissance World  also by Susan W. Bauer
The following list may seem more than ambitious for some, maybe less for others.  One important note is that we're taking more than an average school year to get through the list.  Some of the following may become impossible and therefore get abandoned, while I'll have my daughter skip others if necessary.  The best thing is SHE's excited to read through the following classics!

Augustine, Confessions
Augustine, City of God
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Beowulf
Dante, The Inferno
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Patience, Pearl
The Canterbury Tales
The Faerie Queen
Don Quixote
Gulliver's Travels
Edmund Burke, "On American Taxation"
The Declaration of Independence
Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist
The Constitution of the United States
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
John Keats, "Ode to a Nightingales" and other poems
Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist
Edgar Allan Poe, "The Fall of the House of Usher" and other stories
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter


Science:     

Also using

Fundamentals of Biology http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/7-01sc-fundamentals-of-biology-fall-2011/.

Foreign Language:    Rosetta Stone Japanese Level 2

Sports:  Volleyball

So much for consistency!

It's been months since I've posted.  Holidays have come and gone.  We're starting the last half of the school semester.  Oh, and we have officially lived in NC for 1 full year!

Reflection time... 

I can not help to feel so grateful and happy about all that has changed in 2011 for my family.  Yeah, the obvious the hubby maintained stable employment.  Trust, we're ALL grateful for this.  Also, the little milestones are just as worthy.  For instance, Ari learned to drive and got her learner's permit!  Rodney became a soccer star!  My sweetie pie husband made HUGE leaps in his work/family balance!  Of course, last but not least, I figured out a way to be a non-traditional, traditional, secular, spiritual, stay-at-home wife, homeschooler, writer, blogger, scraper (scrapbooker), Star Wars Old Republic gamer, vegetarian, bff, and all while being unapologetically Mika!

Back to Homeschool Update

We are in week 2 and all things considered, it's been going well.  I have successfully implemented the classical approach to our homeschool curriculum and I'm quite proud of myself.  I invested months in researching the best approach to learning for each of my two sweeties.  I was nervous and concerned at first that I may have made a mistake or something equally cataclysmic, but the kids have actually expressed to me that they love how we do things now.  My heart swelled at that.

Some changes did occur however.  Rodney isn't going to work on Latin, at least in our current format.  We'll come back to it next month.  Arianna is excelling in our current Latin program.  Neither of the kids have started using Rosetta Stone for Japanese (Ari) and Spanish (Rodney) yet.  Mostly because 300 dollars wasn't an option for foreign language software.  I had some pressing issues (aka bills) that topped the list.  I can happily report that the kids will still use Rosetta Stone, just not until next month.  I am sort of grateful we didn't start it yet.  I think they needed time to get the flow of handling their core courses first.  They're doing a lot more reading than they did last year.  So far no complaints from them, which I'm also grateful for. 

I just have one final thought I wanted to express, and that is my utter gratefulness to be in the position to homeschool my children.  My husband was and sometimes still is worried that the kids education will somehow be short changed because of our decision to opt of public school.  I have found that giving him updates and reminding the kids to keep him in the loop on what they're learning helps a lot with calming his worries.  As time moves on, he has seen the changes we were hoping to make within our children by homeschooling.  They actually want to learn new things and will study on their own to get answers.  Again, I'm grateful and I truly feel this is what is best for our family.

Obsessive Planner can't read the calendar properly & other fun stuff

I was under absolute certainty that Labor Day was this coming Monday.  While riding with my husband and his work colleague I realized, after they corrected me of course, that I was both so excited and terrified about starting our official full home school year that I got my weeks mixed up.  I have been on a tear prepping and shopping for school supplies/curricula.  Well, now I feel a little relieved, but bummed because all of my lessons start on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day.  Oh well, we get another week to chill.  I'll have to find a way to make it extra special.  I also toyed with idea of doing review the entire week so both of my lovelies are totally up to date.  I'm still thinking on that one.  I would need to throw some last minute lesson plans together...

In my haste mentioned earlier I did find our necessary library books.  I was fortunate to score the first few weeks of books for Ari and the first week for Rodney.  I think Amazon loves me by now.  My local home school consignment store probably has me down as a regular.  I'm part of several home school groups, and even found secular home school forums and blogs to lurk (not all homeschoolers are ultra Conservative Bible pushers or run of mill Christians either).  I'm feeling so official!

Now on to domestic issues!  I purchased a Swiffer Wet Vac.  I want to say how it's the best thing ever, or at least better than a mop.  However, I have determined your floor should be thoroughly swept before using the Swiffer Wet Vac.  Otherwise it sort of pushes the dirt/dust bunny around.  I made the decision to buy one after having both a manufacture and Target coupon.  Oh yes, love my Target. :-)

I am getting more into fall decorating mode.  Last year it wasn't an option to decorate because we were not in our own home yet.  However this year, I think I'll splurge more than ever.  I already have my eye on a few things I saw at Pottery Barn.  I get my ideas there and then shop elsewhere for a much cheaper price.  Frugality is my middle name!

Oh gosh, almost forgot to mention the kids had their very first soccer practice.  Rodney did well and Ari tried.  Ari trying is a big deal.  She isn't exactly in love with playing soccer.  She told me she can get over it and just play, just give her time.