Journey to Excellence

Do you ever look back at your blog, to what you were posting about exactly one year ago? I did that today, just out of curiosity, and here is a re-post from that day. Experience vs. Live February 13, 2012 We had a snow day today. Last year we had over two feet of snow AT ONCE and were snowed in for two weeks. We. loved. it. This year, nary a flake. (Okay, a few flakes one day, but it was melted by mid-morning). Snow boots and gloves were on clearance last week, so I stocked up on some for both the little kids for the future. But with this mild winter, the chances of us using them were slim. Until yesterday. There was a possibility of some snow that was to come in overnight! It looked like Tulsa could get around 5 inches. At 5 a.m. this morning, there was snow on the ground, but not near what was predicted. I checked the school closings (because Eli still goes to public school) and EVERY SCHOOL IN OUR AREA WAS CLOSED ..... except for ours. So I laid in bed and tossed and turn...

A couple of weeks ago I posed the following question on both this blog and the Schoolhouse Review Crew Forum: Do you think it is important to have your child do a formal book report (of some kind) after reading a book? I received several responses, of which I really appreciated. There was a reason that I asked the question. Up until just a few weeks ago, my kids have been fairly reluctant readers. Yes, they read when they were told to, but they just did it because it was required. There was no spark, no interest, no joy. I am an avid reader and so desperately want my kids to be, as well! A couple of weeks ago I started requiring the kids (now ages 9 and 7) to read age-appropriate chapter books. I let them start out with graphic novels. Eli really seemed to enjoy them. And, Brynne moved on to read the first book of Diary of a Wimpy Kid . They liked what they were reading. I saw smiles and received no complaints when I told them it was time to read. Eli moved into the Capt...

President's Day is a week from today, and I have plans for us to do a unit study about Abraham Lincoln. Read-Aloud We will read  Abraham's Journey by Robert K., Jr., and Kathleen Basmadjian, a Schoolhouse Review Crew product that came at the perfect time! (be looking for an upcoming review.) Unit Study Our unit study materials will be from a free Abraham Lincoln download from SchoolExpress . Are you on their e-mail list to receive their free weekly newsletter that includes a different free download each week? If not, you should sign up. I always download them if I think we will use them in the future, because they cease being free after that one week (although the prices are still very reasonable, like a couple of dollars). Even if you don't purchase the download, there are always free worksheets available. Each day we will do a couple pages of reading and notebooking activities, and a couple of the puzzles provided at the end of the unit study (cr...

In our regular life this week… This has been just a quiet, uneventful week. And sometimes we just need one of those! We have had a good, easy-paced schedule, have been into our regular routines, and getting in lots of rest. I have gotten in some extra reading and have been really working on our eating habits, including the kids in discussions and planning. Yesterday we went shopping and bought lots of fruits (that the kids picked out) and I chose vegetables that I can add to their meals (some hidden). Last night was Kyndal's basketball Senior Night for cheerleading. Brynne and I went to the basketball game to see her and walk with her at half-time. I have not felt very good the last few days. I have been very tired and with no energy. I have no other symptoms except exhaustion, and I am a little short of breath. I am wondering if maybe I'm anemic. So I've been in bed all day today trying to rest up. In our homeschool this week… This was another great week ...

Last year Dawson and I used an Apologia Educational Ministries product for Biology. And it did not work for us. It was too textbook ... too wordy ... too clinical ... to, well, school!  I even posted about how ashamed I was that we didn't like the curriculum. I received encouragement from many other homeschoolers that I should try the products for my elementary school kiddos. I was sure I wouldn't like it. Then, when we were given the opportunity to review some of the texts from the Young Explorer Series from Apologia Educational Ministries , I decided to heed the wise counsel of those before me and requested Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day by Jeannie Fulbright. We received the hardback text and the Junior Zoology 1 Notebooking Journal  that accompanies and enhances the text. We decided to follow the suggested schedule set forth in the beginning of the notebooking journal, and did two days of assignments per week. This schedul...

I'd like to invite you back to 1986. There I sat, in my sophomore history class, probably reading a Danielle Steele book hidden behind my history book. My teacher, a darling man whose wife was my favorite teacher (English/Drama), was the worst history teacher ever. I learned absolutely nothing. He was a coach. And to coach, you had to be a teacher (at least in our small school district). So, he taught history, like lots of coaches do. The only thing I remember about that class was sitting at his desk inputting his grades for him. Fast forward to 1990. I sat in a college history course ... I think. I don't remember taking one, but I know I had to. I kind of remember being there. But I don't know what the class covered. No idea. History .... BORING! And then many years later I started homeschooling an 8th grade boy. And my eyes were opened to the wonders of the history of our country, and our world. So fascinating. I was hooked! I don't know if he got anything ...

With a definite need for us to be more active in these solitary months of winter, I reached out for an alternative for us for Physical Education. Meet our new teacher ... Billy Blanks, Jr. Three days a week I have been pulling up Billy Blanks, Jr., 10-12 minute hip hop exercise videos on Youtube and we have been getting our hip hop on! There are tons of routines and they are fun! Today we did a mix of 70's, 80's, and 90's dance moves. The videos really get our heart rates up, and we even sweat a little! And by the end the kids are saying, "I can't do it anymore! My legs!" I didn't know if the kids would be able to handle the fast-paced routines (or me, for that matter), but they actually catch on pretty quick and are doing a great job keeping up! If you are bored in your form of physical activity, I highly recommend this!