Memories and Current Events

 I have been looking back at old pictures and videos. I have been looking back to a time when my day revolved around teaching our 1-3 year olds how to count, learn phonics, read words, and spending days out at parks and having fun. Life was busy but it was fun. I loved every minute of it.

I had forgotten how much we did as we got busy with life and preschools and therapies and activities. I am looking forward to moving, when life can feel simple again and we can get back to working like we use to. I sure do miss those days and can not wait until we can get back to that style of learning/teaching.  (we would start now but due to us moving soon all my things are in storage except what we need for right now)

We are still doing school work, but as I said, life has been busy and most my school learning tools are in storage so I do not have as many things to post. One new thing we are doing is making an art collection. The kids are drawing at least once per week and at the end of the month they are picking their favorite picture and we are putting it into a clear sleeve inside a portfolio so we can look back on it later. I can hardly wait to see how their art skill grows over the years. 

For Earth Day we did a little craft/writing project that we found on Teachers Pay Teachers. I loved everything about it. They had to work on their cutting skills, coloring skills, and writing skills.  

I will help the Earth by recycling.

I will help the Earth by picking up garbage and recycling. 

I will help the Earth by planting trees.

Changes all Around

 If I had to choose which curriculum was my favorite, I would say Abeka hands down. I love the teachers, I love the spiral approach to the curriculum, I love everything about it. Last year, our kids really loved it. The start of this year, they really loved it. Sadly, at this point they are not loving it. The material is going too fast for them to keep up. They need more hands on work. They need more one on one. Because of that, we have been watching the Abeka videos for classes like Bible, Phonics, Combination Practice, and Activity Time (which includes things like History, Science, Health/Safety/Manners, Music, and Art). When it comes to the workbooks that go with the classes, only one of our children is still doing them. For our other kids they are all doing different work until we start our new curriculum in August. 

One of our kids is using the ACE PACE curriculum, another is doing Schoolaid Math and English , and Pathway Reading. one is finishing up the Abeka books, and our other two are working on various worksheets based on their level that covers everything from science, history, math, reading comprehension, and phonics. 

I am looking forward to when we start our new curriculum and everyone doing the same curriculum rather than all different.  

Part of our school days starting in the fall will incorporate a lot of class learning mixed with learning how to play games with one another (things like Connect Four, Guess Who, and other simple games they can learn to play so they will be able to eventually play on their own with each other), life skills - learning how to set a table, sew on their own buttons, cooking, and other things like that. 

Life is going to be changing in a big way for our family soon. We are working to finish fixing up our house so we can sell and leave the urban life. We will be buying land and starting our own homestead. Our dream is to have enough land that our kids who can not live fully independently will be able to have their own little tiny house on our property, if they want to, when they grow up. They will still come to the main house for meals (for safety) but they will have their own fridge, sink, bathroom, bedroom, and small living room where they can enjoy time on their own when they want and can learn how to take care of their own place.  

Two of our girls just turned 21 and while they are not ready at this point to live in their own tiny house, one day they might be, and we want to make sure we can do that for them. 

learning how to clean a sink using a non toxic cleaner and put into an easy to squeeze spray bottle

We were surprised by some spring snow! 

A couple weeks later it was short sleeve weather

so we took to a park to work on gross motor skills and just have some fun

learning to wash dishes

these two beautiful ladies just celebrated their 21st birthday!