School Time!

Preparing to Homeschool knowing nothing about it has proven to be alot of work! I started looking at curriculum MONTHS ago and have been constantly narrowing it down and making changes. In the end, I decided not to use an actual curriculum for kindergarten (except for Math) and use other materials instead. I have researched expectations for what children need to know at the end of kindergarten and first grade in the schools here and will be monitoring our progressed based on this information. I have sample tests to give them periodically just for the purpose of knowing where they are and determining if we are on track. The boys do not currently have the skills that a graduated kindergartener does, but we have worked on things over the years and when I look at the kindergarten curriculum I'm concerned that the majority of it will be too easy. However.... I could possibly be overestimating them in chosing 1st grade material. So.... for nearly everything I chose first grade material (after reviewing it myself) and Kindergarten for things they haven't done much with. I hope that was the right choice. I can catch them up with online material if there is a kindergarten topic they are unfamiliar with rather than buying a whole book for a couple concepts. We will see how it goes! Since it's first grade material I won't be concerned if we can't get through it all and need to spend more time on individual items they need to know first. Here is a list of the material I plan to use.... Some of the books makes more sense for them to each have their own book. But there are other books (in the interest of saving money and saving some for Kylie later) I will use page protectors so they can use dry erase and trade worksheets. We'll see how this goes.... Daily Reading Comprehension: There is a short story they can read themselves with questions about the story to follow. Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons: We are allready up to lesson 70 in this book but after joining the pool we slacked off :) We'll finish that up for starters... Spectrum Sight Words: This focuses on using and writing simple words from Frys sight word list. We will be working on the list for reading and spelling throughout the year and this workbook will provide some activities to go along with it. Spectrum Language Arts: Basic activities about punctuation, capitalization, etc. Grammer and Punctuation: More of the same but this is Grade 1 and will be more advanced. Beginning Geography: Simple worksheets on maps, directions, etc to give them some very basic knowledge Bastien Piano and Theory: For music I will teach them piano. I do not know how this will go since I haven't played in years. But I know enough about music to get them started. They like music and instruments and this will be a good way to get them some introduced to some very basic musical knowledge that could help them in the future. They are very excited about this. Daily Science: One simple science lesson a day. Information to read and questions to answer and discuss and some activities. We will also do a simple experiment once a week that I will find online. Crafts (Jaden especially loves these!) The Complete Book of Starter Spanish (grade preschool - 1). Initially I got one to start grade one, but it required alot more reading and writing than the boys are ready for. This one is extreemly simple but teaches them very basic information and provides activities. Pronunciation will be courtesy of Google Translate :) My point in this is that Spanish is one of the languages that could be very beneficial for them to know in the future but since they can't read and write English proficiently I thought I would get them started on some simple basics this way. The book looks pretty fun. Singapore Math: Math was hard for me to decide on. I want to be sure they know all they are required to. I reaped the benefits of in depth research by a good friend and went with this option. There are activities to do, a text book, work book, and practice sheet book. I went with grade one and after looking at it I think they will do well. The year is broken into 2 sets of books. I only go the first set and we may or may not get to the second, though I will plan on working towards that. Math Made Easy: I really like the work in this book but it is 1st grade level and they may not be ready for some of it at the first part of the year. It also might prove to be too much with all their other math work. I'll start them off with it and if it goes well we will use it regularly. If not, we may do it here and there towards the end of the year. Brain Quest: An activity book that covers many subjects briefly. I'll use this primarily when they have down time and I'm working with their brother, or when we need something to do. Scholastic Success with 1st grade: This book is similar to and will serve the same purpose as the Brain Quest book. We will practice using the computer. We will do a daily Bible lesson of some sort There will be a writing assignment every day There will be a variety of other activities through the year to learn about the calendar (and associated items), holidays, basic historical information, learning about continents and oceans, telling time, money, measuring, etc. I'm considering using a "Draw Write Now" book because I think Jaden would love it. But I haven't decided yet. I think that's it. I don't know if I'll get into it and find we don't really have enough to do or if I'll find out it's way too much. We will adjust as needed. Each day we will do Bible, Reading, Comprehension, Writing, Math, Calendar info, review sight words, and science. Mon, Tues, and Wed we will do Spanish (each of those days, including Fri) and do Language Arts, Grammer and Sight Words (one per day) as well as Geography on Wed. On Friday we will make sure we are caught up in all subjects and do our craft and experiment. Piano will Be Mondays. On Thursdays I have the opportunity to go to a Bible Study while they boys go to a homeschool class at the church where they will learn some basic random things (it will count as school time legally - though in kindergarten in NC that does not matter) and we will have a lighter load of work at home that day. I got Kylie a huge preschool book. She can easily participate in Bible time, Science Experiment, and Craft time. I may include her in Spanish as well. The idea for her will be that these things are available should she want to do them and be included but if she wants to run off and play she can do that too! I'm hoping to find this works well. I have the first 4 weeks planned with worksheets pulled and after one week I will plan the next week at the end so there will always be 4 weeks planned at a time. I've put together all the notebooks we need and printed out some things we will be referring to. It's crazy but it's coming together!

Chicago Trip

Jared was number one in sales second quarter and met all the qualifiers so he won a trip to Chicago! My parents came and watched the kids for the weekend and dropped us off at the airport Friday morning. We arrived around 10am and took the subway/train into town. It took a while and was.... a very interesting experience :) We were free all afternoon and had deep dish pizza. We didn't really like it that much. :) We stayed at the Westin and it was very nice. That evening the company went on a boat dinner cruise on Lake Michigan. Sat morning there was a breakfast where they were also given a bluetooth speaker (I don't know much about these). Then we were free the rest of the time. Chicago is a really cool city. We did alot of walking. We did some shopping and walked along the river that runs through the city. We went to Navy Pier, took a water taxi, took a boat cruise in the afternoon, tried a Chicago Dog (which I was surprised to like) and had lunch. That evening we had dinner and though we planned to go to the ferris wheel and see the fireworks our legs were TOO TIRED (we are old). So we had dinner and then went to the top of the John Hancock building. Sunday we had breakfast and then left. They give you money to spend on things you need there or to do whatever you want with. The airport was insane and the airline was not handling things well. In the end they offered money to get booted off to the next flight. At least one of us had to get back because my dad was travelling the next day and needed to get home so I went ahead and got on the plane. But Jared volunteered and got a first class ticket on the next flight, money for food, and a $400 voucher for the future so that was totally worth it. Here are some pictures!

Swimming Lessons

Until this year the boys were terrified of water. They know NOTHING about swimming but since they showed interest we got them swimming lessons and joined the pool for the summer. The boys did really well and learned some basic skills that we can work with them on before they move on to the next class. They were very nervous sometimes but did what their teacher said. One day was boat safety day and they wore a life jacket, went in a little boat and got dumped out. On the last day they got to go on the experienced swimmers big waterslide (because a lifeguard was there to catch them). Overall they had a good time and it was a good experience - though they still couldn't save themselves in the water :) They now have a good foundation. During lessons I took Kylie to the little pool for several reasons - for one thing, I did not want to be a distraction to the boys, I didn't want them to look to me if they were neverous, it was HOT, and Kylie would be bored. I could peek in on them though from time to time from the pool Kylie and I were in so we got to see alot of what they did from there. Today, however, was the last of their 8 lessons and Kylie and I hung out and took pictures of them.... Jaden on the waterslide... Jackson on the waterslide....

Swimming Lessons

If you want to go swimming in Washington you can - but you have to look for it and it's probably going to be inside or in a lake. I do not see the point in this :) (at least from a having fun standpoint) Plus it's quite often cold so we just never really went swimming. Everyone needs to learn to swim though so we would have given the kids lessons at some point. Here, however, there are swimming pools all over the place and little kids swim all the time. We knew they needed lessons as soon as possible but we weren't really sure how to make that happen. I eneded up figuring out how to get lessons at the YMCA and for only 30 more dollars we could also be members of the pool there for a couple months - totally worth it. They have a regular pool and a wading pool that has a splash park built in. The kids LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Swimming lessons began today. Kylie and I dropped the boys off and then went to the wade pool. I did not know how it was going to go. However, I did have to put them in the youngest class available where the parents do not go in. They were way bigger and older than everyone else in their class but it's really the one they need to take. The teacher obviously thought it was odd how old they were (and they look older). They had to wear these little floatie backpacks - which I'm quite certain would not hold the boys up and looked quite ridiculous on them :) Hopefully they gain some confidence and get better in the water. We may get them the next set of lessons after that or else wait till the first of next summer. Kylie will start next summer. They had fun though. Here are a few pictures. I was really far away so they wouldn't see me...

New Bed

Finally we have everything to get Kylie in her big bed. And it is BIG.
It is full size and parts of her crib are the headboard and footboard.
She is SO excited!!! We have to move some pictures around, get a
bedskirt, and then we will get her a nicer blanket in the fall. (the
boys always toss theirs to the floor - we will see what she does :) ).
We got a rail at a yards ale but it doesn't really work with this
setup. We didn't use a box spring though and just used slats so it
really isn't very high. We put her crib mattress on the floor next to
her for now in case she falls.
I'll post more pictures when I finish getting her room together. For
now in just wondering when she will get up in the morning and am just
a little sad - no more cribs in this house.

Tooth number two!

Summer Fun at the Pool!