Book learnin'

I always get the question, "What homeschool curriculum do you use?" and because the answer is not short, I decided to post here as an easy reference for inquiring minds. We do a blended classical style method.

Preschool: 

My goals during this time are obedience, knowing letters & their primary sounds, counting to 20, beginning catechism, playing (self-directed and with others), self help skills, doing chores, and sitting still for brief periods of time. Obedience is key & is probably the most important kindergarten-readiness skill, though often overlooked by parents. A defiant child, no matter how gifted, will bring his parent/teacher heartbreak and frustration. We use Sesame Street & Letter factory as fun ways to learn. We teach the right way to do simple chores as a way to serve our family. Our children start sitting in church services at age 4, which is great training for sitting still in school. Read to your child, and have older siblings read to them!

Kindergarten:

Math:            Saxon Math 1

Reading:        The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading (1st half)

Catechism:    Truth and Grace Memory Book 1

Bible:            Family devotion reading at dinner time, verse memorization

Grades 1-4:

Math:             Saxon Math 2, 3, 5/4 (1st half), 5/4 (2nd half), Kathy Troxel's Memory songs *
Reading:         The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading (2nd half), Library books**
Grammar:       First Language Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4
Writing:          Writing with Ease 1,  2, 3, 4
Handwriting:   Homemade or store bought worksheets for printing & Classically Cursive 1, 2, 3
Spelling:          Spelling Workout (A, B, C, D, E)
Vocabulary:    Vocabulary from Classical Roots 4 (4th grade)
History/Geog: Story of the World 1, 2, 3, 4. Family style (oldest child determines time period studied).
Catechism:     Truth and Grace Memory Book 1 (Founders Press)
Bible:             Family devotion reading at dinner time, verse memorization
Science:         Apologia
Latin:             Prima Latina

Grade 5:

Math:           Saxon Math 6/5
Reading:       Library books**
Grammar:     Following the Plan (Rod and Staff English 5)
Writing:        Writing with Skill Level 1 (Peace Hill Press)
Handwriting: Classically Cursive 4
Spelling:        Spelling Workout F, G
Vocabulary:   Vocabulary from Classical Roots 5
History:        Story of the World 1, 2, 3, 4. Family style (oldest child determines time period studied).
Geography:   Trail Guide to US Geography (We are studying US History this year.)
Catechism:   Truth and Grace Memory Book 2
Bible:           Family devotion reading at dinner time, verse memorization, personal reading
Science:       Apologia
Latin:           Prima Latina.***
Logic:          Building Thinking Skills 2, 3

Other learning opportunities:
church, bi-weekly homeschool co-op (mainly fun physical/social activities with some serious learning sneaked in), community choir, team sports, music lessons. We are not always in sports, or choir, or music lessons. For me, super busy=super stressed. I embrace the power and joy of nap time and recess. Every other Friday in our household is a free day, where we catch up on lessons if needed & catch up on chores (always needed).

I hope this helps!

* My oldest child followed this Math schedule. My second child took longer to do Math 3, so we are slowing down this advanced schedule for him, finishing it up during 4th grade, and moving on to 5/4 as time permits. The math memory songs have REALLY helped him & are a great resource for auditory learners! I have definitely learned my lesson that if a child doesn't get it, don't keep going as if a checklist is your lord & master; go back and repeat until the skill is mastered.
**I Google search reading lists to give me ideas for mandatory reading. Scholastic's website is great for finding books at your child's reading level.
***Yes, we are still doing Prima Latina. We started it in second grade with oldest child, who picked up the vocabulary quickly, but struggled with word endings. It became too overwhelming to me, became neglected, and we are attempting to restart it in 5th grade.

Monthly Meal Planning Ideas

I've always hated going grocery shopping. To be more specific, I've always hated putting on non-pajamas and leaving the house except in cases in which FUN is the main thing on the agenda. My kids, while normally well-behaved and not given to begging, become little green-eyed Gollums upon entering SuperWalmart, screaming, "my precious!" while passing marshmallow-laden cereals & the like. How can I avoid this trauma?
In studying (stalking from afar, while looking studious) families with LOTS of kids that manage to live on a budget I noticed A LOT of them grocery shop once a month. Due to the viewing of many a Psych/Mentalist/Sherlock episode, plus my own super sleuthing skills, I deduced that they must also make out a grocery list for the whole month & therefore, must also (gasp!) make out a menu for the whole month. There are services you can use for this, like E-meals, but I like control and I have picky eaters, so I spent the time listing out different meals I already know how to make & figuring out what works best for our schedule.
We eat something easy on Sundays, chicken on Mondays & Thursdays, beef on Tuesdays, Fridays is pizza or nuggets for kids (date night, sushi takeout, or appetizers for parents), seafood on Saturdays, and Wednesday is pork, leftovers, and occasionally cereal because of church.  Friday is also our dessert night, and having it designated helps keep the kids from begging all throughout the week, and helps the grown-ups become more disciplined with sweets. I have 2 monthly menus so far in the rotation & plan to do at least one more once winter arrives. I have shared my list below:


Chicken: Chicken Cordon Bleu(Sams), Poppyseed Chicken (Southern Living Weeknight Favorites) & Rice, Margarita Chicken & Mexican Rice, Italian Roasted Chicken, Chinese chicken (Sams), cold chicken salad (Nerrylee), grilled chicken salad, enchiladas, fettuccine Alfredo w/ grilled chicken & veggies, Chicken Piccata(Sams), Parmesan chicken, chicken & dumplings, Chicken Matzo ball soup, Chicken sausages on hotdog buns w/ sweet potato fries, chicken pot pie, chicken manicotti (Reed)
Beef: sloppy joes, beef stroganoff, spaghetti w/ meat sauce, meatloaf, hamburgers, country fried steak(Sams), tacos, enchiladas, taco salad (Penny), philly cheese steak sandwiches
Seafood: Crawfish & corn chowder, shrimp etouffee, fish tacos, salmon w/ dill sauce, Parmesan crusted fish w/ cheese grits(Grandma), talapia w/ pineapple salsa, shrimp kabobs, shrimp poboys, crab cakes (Sams)
Pork: tenderloin, ham, BBQ pork sandwiches, pulled pork w/ mashed potatoes& gravy, sausage gumbo w/ rice
Fun/Fast: Frozen pizzas, hotdogs, mac-n-cheese, appetizers,frozen lasagna, chicken nuggets, pancakes, quiche, egg rolls & lo mein, Sausage or chicken biscuits & scrambled eggs.
Winter or Vegetarian: Potato/cheese soup (SBTS Faculty Wives Cookbook-Mary Mohler), Singapore chicken stew (Sunset magazine), Tortilla soup, Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta Primavera.

You may notice that we eat quite a bit of prepared things from Sams, which work great for us on Sundays, or busy homeschooling days. Currently, most of Sam's boxed meals & roasts, will feed our family of five twice, some of them 3 or 4 meals. I try to stretch out meat by serving more veggies or sides. When I make roasted chicken, I usually cook 2, then de-bone and shred the leftovers for meals like enchiladas, pot pie, soups. I have one friend who cooks all her ground beef & chicken (to be shredded) on one day a month (grocery day), but I haven't been that disciplined yet. I make double or triple batches of spaghetti sauce & have a "soup day" in early winter where I cancel school & make 4 different triple batches of soup (one soup on each burner) that will provide 1 meal for 12 weeks in the "winter" (Louisiana winter only lasts about 3 days, but I try to indulge my inner northwesterner).  I like to add a new recipe every month or so, since you never know when you'll find a new favorite. Include regional foods from places you've lived (my list has lots of Louisiana & Seattle dishes), or have a missions night where you make couscous and pray for Morocco, or make curry chicken & pray for a missionary in India. Make food to go along with what your kids are studying in school.  Everyone's likes/dislikes vary: some love leftovers (my husband detests them), some of your Mississippi husbands may not tolerate a big salad or soup for dinner ("Where's the beef?!"), or maybe your scarf-wearing hipster family only eats meat a few times a week. Be flexible, but have a plan. I've made venison when we've been given some by hunters in our church. I've adjusted the menu when our boys have grown lettuce in their new garden, or when I've been given huge bunches of basil. I just vote a frozen meal to the end of the line, since I want to eat fresh basil fresh, and the frozen meal can wait. Hopefully my list will give you some new ideas, and you can add comments of your family favorites that I could try!

Court Trip Day 5- Order in the Court!!

Thursday night was the best night of sleep we had all week, just in time for court on Friday! I met Job downstairs after breakfast & took the short ride to court. The judge was a little late, and we were the last family called. It was nerve-wracking. While waiting, I read Psalms 103-105 and most of Hebrews, while simultaneously trying not to pass out, reaquainting myself with my good friend Imodium, and texting Dear Hubby about the joys of waiting & also a fellow waiting room occupant who looked almost exactly like Sylar (from the sadly cancelled NBC "Heroes"). Regrettably, Sylar did not speed up the clock, but after about 2 hours of waiting we PASSED court!!! This means that we are now officially their parents, and they are our children, and the adoption is irrevocable. #BEAUTIFUL We celebrated with lunch at Island Breeze, where I met a Show Hope sponsor (I had on my SH shirt), and enjoyed the BEST chips and salsa of my life. *The food was safe at all of the restaurants we ate at and we did not get sick. We went coffee shopping, visited a government orphanage, and spent the last afternoon with J4 & G5 before heading out for home. Kind of goes without saying, but it was hard to say goodbye, and hard when the airplane took off from Ethiopian soil. We are hoping to have our paperwork submitted to the US Embassy in 3-5 weeks (one Wednesday in May), and then it will take an additional 1-8 weeks to receive clearance to bring the kids home! You may notice that I'm not going to say much about our 32 hour trip home. Well, on the first flight I almost flung my (clean) spare underpants on unsuspecting passengers, when struggling to wrestle my pillow out of my carry-on from the overhead compartment. If this was the SAT's it would read: Pillow is to carry-on luggage as Woman who loves cheesecake is to control-top pantyhose. Necessary, but a very snug fit. The laughter that ensued over this event/non-event  was the highlight of our 32 hour journey. That and the ice. Imagine how sanctifying the next trip will be when we bring home our 2 new children:)

Court Trip Day 4

Thursday, April 19th: We met early morning for paperwork, rejoice that our fellow traveling family passed court with their daughter, and enjoy reading the bazillion Facebook comments of our Meetcha Day photos. We shopped for souvenirs in the Post Office district (my favorites are the traditional clothing, wood carved salad fork/spoon, and bead necklaces) and ate lunch at Sishu. They have an outdoor play area that is pretty spiffy that would be great to visit on our Embassy trip. The mushroom gouda burger was yummy & the fried banana crepes would have made N'Orleans proud! After being greeted at the Transition Home gate by the cutest boy in Ethiopia (J4), we visited all afternoon where I got my portion of squeezes from J4 & G5. We met with the psychologist, took pictures & distributed care packages for matched kids/families, and bonded some more over chalk, bubbles, smooches, and soccer. Did I mention that G5 cried for me when I left everyday? (Heartbreaking, but it means bonding is going well.) We enjoyed a traditional Ethiopian dinner at Habesha 2000, which was spicy but very good. The Ethiopian dancing and music was great and I was happy to join in the fun when they called on me to dance. Sadly, there is no video footage of the display of my "mad skillz" because I was 2 legit 2 quit (as the young people would have said back in my day), and since you, fair reader, weren't present, you can't dispute it!

Court Trip Day Three- Meeting Day!

Wednesday, April 18th: After Becky dreams of being chased by dogs in the Hunger Games because of the incessant howling/barking we heard all night, we head down for coffee!, breakfast, and MEETING THE KIDS!! It went beautifully. J4 greeted me with a hug, and called me "mom" right from the start. We played lots of soccer (he's really good!), he sung the alphabet, and told me he wants to be a pilot when he grows up. He is very active, but I was able to hold his attention for many short periods of time. He would give me good eye contact, especially when looking at pictures or playing soccer. He can name every animal in the book in English. His accent is perfect, and he sings like a dream. G5 is a chubby bundle of love! She came to me cautiously, but once she latched on she was VERY happy being held by me. She enjoyed looking at pictures of Daddy & siblings, blowing bubbles, and looking at books. She also gave good eye contact and let me feed her.  We went to Metro Pizza which was delish, and after the meeting time going so well, my appetite was back in force! We visited Abenezer and KVI orphanages and ate a relaxing dinner at the Guest House. I talked to my home team via Facetime for iPhone with no delay.

Court Trip Day 2

Tuesday, April 17: After riding in a row next to 4 babies for the last flight to Germany, I was feeling disgruntled that a cyanide pill was not included free with every plane ticket. While awake on the same flight, we note that there is a new European pony tail style (with the bottom banded also) that we feel certain will catch on in the US if we embrace it wholeheartedly. (Look for it soon in Glamor magazine!) After landing in Frankfort, we have no clue what time or day it is because there is a 7 hour time change, it is bright outside, 3 degrees (Celsius), and we realize that we have to take an even longer flight next. Becky orders water & I order the only coffee drink that I can understand since the menu is in German. It costs around $16. Starbucks is beginning to look pretty darn affordable right now. Imodium is starting to be consumed in bulk. On the flight to Addis, we have almost-Tiramisu,  Becky watches a movie about people being kidnapped, while I toss, turn & take more Imodium. Then we land in the Sudan. The capital city was very reddish brown (like Georgia clay) but we were only able to look out the windows. At different points of the journey Becky starts begging the pilot to land. Anywhere. She starts naming random countries she would rather be in than in our plane seat. We arrive in the capital city of Ethiopia around 9 pm (Addis time), which is exactly 24 hours after we took off from the capital of Louisiana. Finally in the city with my children, I am excited. We stand in a LONG line for visas, then customs, then luggage, then meet our driver/guide. The Yesabi Guest house (where we also stayed with our adoption in 2009) is lovely. We are told to be downstairs the next day at 9:30 am to meet the driver who will take us to meet the children. How you are supposed to rest after being hyped up with that amazing news, with dogs barking loudly, and club music pounding in your ears, I'm not sure!

Court Trip Day One

Monday, April 16th: Fly out of Louisiana. Becky & I leave combined 2 husbands & 7 children behind. There were tears. Pretty sure the kids' were mainly of joy that they were going to eat cereal, pizza, chicken nuggets, and pancakes all week since that is the sum of Daddy's culinary expertise. Flights were delayed. There was some panic that a domino effect would take place, causing us to miss all of our connecting flights. Houston was crazy stressful and we had to run & while Becky is athletic, I have a strict "no running unless being chased by someone with a knife" policy.  We were smelly, but made our flight on time.