homeschool: the nitty gritty

I have been asked by several people lately about how I homeschool, what curriculum, etc. and so I thought I'd do a post about the details of our homeschool schedule.

If this ain't your thang...pass on by. No feelings hurt.

We "do school" formally four days a week, Tuesdays thru Friday. Mondays are Jeremiahs day off and we try to protect those days as much as possible. However, we typically will do any museum visits and field trips on Mondays.

On school days we start school usually around 9:30 am (or whenever Zoe goes down for her morning nap). I start off working one on one with Ella while the boys either spend 30 minutes on starfall or watch superwhy. Once Ella is going and set up with some of the work she can do independently, I switch gears to working with the boys. Because they are on different levels, I work one on one with each of them, then try to do an activity where I can include both of them. While I am working with one of them, the other will be sitting at the table with a puzzle, maze, or some kind of manipulative (I love these and these.)

Once the boys are "done" I move back to Ella.
I usually end up the day with either an art or science project...and include all 3 for this.

It is kind of like a dance where I am constantly switching partners, ha!

My goal everyday is to be done with school by lunchtime. Then in the afternoons we try to get some energy out! Most days we do this...with the exception of Thursday when I take Ella with me to Eli's therapy appointments and we do school in the afternoon.

As far as curriculum goes I am only using one formal curriculum, and that is Horizons for math. For everything else I use a combination of internet curriculum, printouts, and library resources.

I am a firm believer that all you need to homeschool is some motivation, a good planner, creativity and a library card. 



I am also a firm believer that learning should be as organic as possible and stem from everyday life experiences. A trip to the grocery store, a walk to the park, making dinner, or an afternoon of free play are wrought with lessons as long as I am intentional in bringing them up.

Ella's everyday subjects include math, reading, spelling, and writing. Weekly we cover science and art. I pick a science subject to cover each month and approach it as a unit, trying to incorporate it into the other subjects when possible. For example we studied the solar system for January and all our art projects were based on that, we used planets as math manipulatives, etc.



We also have an author, composer, and artist of the month that we study...by listening/looking/reading their work throughout that month. In addition we have a word of the week that introduces a new vocabulary word that relates to the science unit we are studying.





The boys are going through ABC school and studying a letter a week, as well as doing all our science and art lessons together. I am constantly amazed at how much they absorb just by being in the room with Ella as we cover other subjects.

Not every day goes as planned and January was filled with sick days. And having Zoe means that are days are never really predictable. However, that is the beauty of homeschooling...being able to adapt as needed.

I also have finally figured out a realistic but very necessary time to plan for all of this and I block off Sunday afternoons to do any planning/printing for the week. In addition I take 1/2 a day once a month to plan all the next months science lessons, order books, peruse pinterest for ideas, etc. I have learned that without proper preparation chaos reigns!

More to come later on our month studying the solar system...

memory monday

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

simple pleasures (of my week)

Warm spring days.

Watching my baby discover the grass for the first time.

A husband who thinks I'm actually beautiful in the morning.

My house starting to really feel like home.

Eli's random declaration of "God's not dead!" from the backseat of the van.

A date (tonight!) with my favorite guy thanks to the generosity of a new friend.

Ezra's "letter" to me...random letters that spell out what he wants them to.

Finding a Kroger right by me. (Sorry Harris Teeter...I just don't like you as much.)

Ella walking around the house with a book in her face because she can't stop reading these days.

Waking up with this song in my head.

___________________________________________________________________________

What have you been enjoying this week?

thursday thoughts

We've had several spring-like days in a row here and have been totally taking advantage of some area parks. Even Zoe got in on the action one day...

She loves the swing. Or at least the upright vantage point it allows her to keep an eye on the crazy happenings of her brothers and sister.

D is for donut.
It's "D" week for the boys ABC school and of course they picked out the white powdered sugar kind...

Oh. I despise white powdered sugar donuts.
But they loved them.

Speaking of school, we are almost finished with our unit for the month of January and it has gone great. I've got a post planned for next week with more details.

Jeremiah and I have been on a catch-up-on-all-the-movies-we-missed-kick (during the period when I couldn't seem to stay awake past 9pm to save my life). We have watched Warrior, Courageous, Mr Popper's Penquins (ok, that one was for the kids...), and Moneyball. I've enjoyed them all, with Warrior being my surprise favorite. Any good ones that I'm missing?

Happy Thursday!

Eli Cade: 18 months Update

A year and a half.

That sounds so...established.

And that's how it feels.
Eli has established a place within our family and within our hearts.
And we have established a place within his.

Little things I take for granted now...the way he easily scales a ladder or instigates a wrestling match with Ezra...speak volumes of the mountains he has climbed these last 18 months.

Physically he gets stronger and more confident in his abilities every week. Just this week he actually attempted to go across the monkey bars. That is huge, people. Huge. We go this week for his 6 month follow-up from his surgery. I can't believe it has been 6 months...but, I am oh so glad to be on this side of it.

We still go to speech and occupational therapy weekly and I am encouraged to see small but steady progress. We had to change therapists with the move and I'll admit I was nervous because we had built up a good relationship with the others...but, I shouldn't be (once again) surprised by God's provision. Our new therapists are awesome with Eli!

Starting more formal "school" with him has had its challenges...but I am learning how he learns, how to teach him, what his strengths are, what he needs extra work on...and have considerably reevaluated my goals for him in order for them to be challenging yet attainable. I kinda like preserving the last 10% of sanity that remains in me.

As more and more time has gone it has been fun to see the "real" Eli emerge...he is a quietly spunky kid with the gentlest spirit you will ever find.  If you ask him he says he wants to be a policeman when he grows up so that he can "take the bad guys to jail."

I can totally see that.
Sort of.

He loves his siblings and is my best entertainer for Zoe. He will do anything Ella asks of him (which she likes to abuse on a constant basis...) and consistently beats Ezra in their wrestling matches now. He loves riding his bike and playing in the sandbox. He loves movies. He still eats pretty much anything and everything...although he has the biggest sweet tooth and still loves spicy foods the best.

When I think back on all he has overcome in his short life I am overwhelmed by his bravery.
He is my hero.
And I'm so glad I get to be his mom.

Love you Eli Cade!

not me monday

i did not do an internal happy dance at finding an oatmeal cream cookie hiding in the pantry.

i did not eat said oatmeal cream cookie and call it breakfast.

i never neglect my eyebrows. and i don't have a threatening uni-brow in progress.

i never wear the same clothes 2 (or 3?) days in a row. gross.

and, of course, i never neglect the shaving of my legs.
therefore, i don't have legs that cling to my sheets.
or that sheets cling to.

i never forget that i am in a neighborhood setting now and not on the farm and should not do things like walk out the door in my pajamas. especially when it is after lunch.

and i always wear coordinated cutesy pajamas with bunnies and flowers and angels on them.
never old rangers t-shirts with bleach stained yoga paints that fit about 5 lbs ago.

(because i am always showered, dressed, and ready for the day by 7am.)

and i never put off going to the doctor for myself.
therefore, i didn't go to the doctor for strep throat but also to get this, this, and this looked at while i was there.

my dental hygiene is always top priority in my hygiene world.
so my children would never tell me that my breath was stinky.

(to be fair to myself...it was during a 3am bad dream duty call)
(and i did not tell complaining child "too bad, that's what you get when you call me out of my bed at 3am.")

oh no.
oh gosh.
not me.
not ever.

four is less than one

Ok, my math might be a titch off.

(Who's the teacher round here?)

I was, however, referring to having four kids. And the perspective I've gained since I had number one.

When I had Ella, I loved being a mom, love, love, loved it.
And yet I struggled.
Oh, how I struggled.

The introduction of mommy guilt and worry was a disaster to my system. Never again would I just worry about myself. My heart was now outside of my body. The middle of the night feedings were seemingly never going to end. Ever. I was positive I was going to walk around for the rest of my life in a sleepless coma. I would bounce between boredom and the weight of all the work.

Mothering wasn't supposed to be so hard.
What was I doing wrong?

And today, with four children...dare I say it? I almost feel I need to whisper it...

It feels easier than it felt with one.

Yes, I have more laundry and more people to cook for.
More spills that happen. And toys that need picking up.
More hearts to make sure are getting enough of my attention.
And the threat of a stomach bug is pretty much the end of the world.
(remember I said easier...not easy!)

But now...I worry, then move on.
I wake up to care for a baby in the middle of the night and I might sigh and maybe even cry from exhaustion, but I know it will pass. It really will pass.
I have helpers to throw diapers away.
I have helpers to make the baby smile.
I have helpers to put their own laundry away.
I don't care as much (ok, at all) that they have matching outfits on.
I've learned that my children are a reflection of me. But they are not me.
And a snot free nose is a bonus, not a necessity.

I'm broken in.
I'm not colliding against my former no-child self.

And I now know that mothering is hard.

And its not because I'm doing it wrong...
its because I'm (trying) to do it right.

_________________________________________________________________________________

On a side note:
I am in the middle of this book...

And I can't recommend it enough. For moms with any number of kids.

snapshot: these two

Thursday Thoughts

Poor Ezra was person #3 in our strep throat raffle this week.
And I do mean, poor Ezra.
He was pitiful.

However, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I somewhat enjoyed the more subdued Ezra. He was quieter, snugglier, and just overall...well, easier.


(silly boy was playing with zoe's paci...yes, i washed it.)

And that picture reminded me of another long ago picture during our great Ear Infection period...


(my oh my. how much he has grown. and how much better my photo quality is now!)

I am happy he is back to his happy and energetic (albeit harder) self now.

I am at the Kids Exchange Consignment Sale all day today. Good stuff for way cheap prices...it's a win/win all around. My goal for today is to get the girls summer clothes. Yes, I did write girls, as in plural. It would have been nice if Zoe could have just worn all of Ella's old ones...however, Zoe weighs more now than Ella did at a year old...so that isn't working out at all.

Why did I save all those tubs and tubs of Ella's old clothes? And cart them through three moves?

Yeesh.

I was up in my room yesterday folding laundry when I noticed something.
Or rather the lack of something.
Noise.
It was quiet.
It had been quiet for way too long.
Which usually spells t.r.o.u.b.l.e. around these parts
.
Instead of a thousand toothpicks spilled all over the floor (true story)...
I found this scene...

Oh, the power of new library books.
I will never underestimate them again.

We have a great new library less than 2 miles from our new house.
I love it so much I want to marry it.
(sorry...sometimes the middle schooler in me takes over)

Happy (and hopefully healthier) Thursday!

the containment

"Haha...look at me, I'm a baby..."

"Ok, I'm done..."

"Ok, I'm really done. This is my serious face..."



"Why are you just taking my picture and not helping me?..."




Oh, Ezra...sometimes I just like the thought of you, um...contained.

toppings

if ella, eli, and ezra are my...

ice cream,
whipped cream,
and chocolate syrup.

then this little girl is my...
cherry on the top.

i could just eat her up, i love her so.

new life, new look

i figure it was about time, eh.
(as we are miles and miles away from life on the farm these days...)

even though we are living life on less than an acre. we are living life to the full. to the brim. overflowing even.

and i am grateful.

after all, who wouldn't be...with these crazy people around me all the time...

when i leave the room for just a second

...i frequently come back to find scenes like this one:

She is such a typical 4th child and rarely gets anything but delighted when she is the subject of her siblings hilarity.

Thursday Thoughts

I spent pretty much the entire day in bed yesterday due to a lovely visit from the strep throat fairy. Its been a long time since I've been knocked down to my bed. The sad thing about sick days are that you can't enjoy them because you feel so...well, sick. Any other day I'd LOVE to be sequestered to my bed for a whole day.

I also missed the homecoming of homecomings.

I hear it was quite the party! Just look at this beautiful complete family picture...




Oh, my heart is full of gratitude to a faithful God.

Jeremiah took the kiddo's to the airport and skyped me from his phone so I could feel somewhat a part of it all. It brought back so many memories of our homecoming with Eli a mere 18 months ago.

Geesh, 18 months ago...

Where. Has. The. Time. Gone?

It's been a rainy gloomy week round here. The kids are showing it too. Just when I start to think that Ezra is really maturing...BAM. 18 steps backwards.

School is going well. Really well. I had forgotten how much fun it is to watch the lightbulbs turn on in my kids as they learn a new concept.

I really do have the best job in the world.

Happy Thursday!

zoe elizabeth: 5 Months

Oh. My. Goodness.
Let the fun begin.
I love all the stages of my children. Really I do.
But I love love love 5 months.

And I just know that Zoe is not going to disappoint.

She is so much fun right now.
And her wonder at the world around her is absolutely contagious...



She is 17lbs, as of last week, when she had a doctors appointment.
Chunky monkey with a side of thunder thighs.
Yes, please.

She is such a happy girl. And loud, oh my...the girl is loud. I call her my little teradactyl because she sounds like what I imagine a little teradactyl sounds like. Writing it out I realize how ridiculous this sounds and maybe I need to rethink this nickname for her.

Speaking of nicknames...all the kids call her zooble or zho-zho bear. And stinky booty on occasion.

It looks like her dark hair just might be sticking around as her "new" hair is coming in just as dark. How bout that?!

She is the queen of silly expressions...



She had her first cold which turned into her first ear infection last week. Poor thing is following in her siblings (and moms) footsteps and starting early on the whole ear infection thing.

The following two pictures are fuzzy. And her hands look oddly out of proportion to her body. However, they document the newest tricks of my Zoe: getting up on all fours and sitting up unassisted. And she totally freaked me out when I went to get her up from her nap yesterday and she was SITTING UP. Oh no...you had better believe I will be discouraging this activity. This momma is NOT ready for any mobility for at least a few more months.

We also have experimented some with bananas and letting her have tastes of whatever we are eating. Nothing on a consistent basis yet, as again, I am prolonging any extra steps in the whole feeding process as long as possible.

She is a drool monster and you can see two teeth on the bottom just waiting to make their appearance, but nothing popping through just yet.

After a really difficult period from Thanksgiving to Christmas...she is now sleeping great for me again. I really think it was all the change and transitions that were happening in our life that affected her. She typically goes down between 7-8pm every night and wakes up around 7am. She takes two 2 hours+ naps during the day and occasionally a catnap over dinnertime. 

She loves her siblings. 

And being outside. 

And has finally decided that she is going to commit to her paci.

She loves "rough housing" with her Daddy.

And being right in the middle of everything.

Happy five months sweet Zoe...
Oh, how you are loved!

B says Ahh

My wife has officially started our new schedule. Moving over the Holidays is not for the faint of heart and I am pretty sure it is not going to become one of the Hambrick Holiday traditions. Needless to say it has been crazy around this household for the last few months. At last the light has dawned! Its no longer at the end of the tunnel, but here! We are settled in, have plans to give Zoe a real nursery located outside of our closet, and are quickly learning the quickest routes to our favorite places in the area.

I love my new job. The best way to describe it is discovering what you were made for. I know it sounds like a line out of a pop song, or one of those fortune cookies at the closest Chinese buffet, but its the best way to describe things.

Along with the calming of our seas, is our new schedule. Jenn and I sat down at a local bookstore a few weeks ago and ran through our daily schedule. With four kids preparation is key to an orderly household and less grey hair. If I were completely honest with you, it took me about 2 days to process all our schedule entails; but I won't be honest and tell you I was right with my wife on this.

My wife is a pretty incredible person. I am living with the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman. She hates it when I brag on her, but I am the head of the house and sometimes get to act like it.

But I digress. School is a major priority in our lives right now. Ella is eager to learn and an excellent student and the boys of course have to be involved in whatever she is doing and getting attention for. So, to include them my wife has come up with a pretty cool system. Each week we focus on a new letter for the boys. What sound it makes, how to write it, finding things around the house that start with the letter...that kind of stuff.

As I was tucking Eli into bed last night I just asked "What does A say!" He answered "Ahh!" He got it. Now you have to understand that this is quite the achievement for this little guy. By the time he was two he was living in an orphange, moved to another orphanage, and exposed to at least two different dialects in Ethiopia. Needless to say Eli did not get the building blocks to learning these things as a baby.

I was proud. I was excited because I knew how hard it had been to teach him this simply concept. A says Ahh. I moved to B. In eagerness. B says Bah. We repeated it, sang a song, said it loud, quiet, upside down, inside out, shaken, still, pretty much every way it could be said. Then I just had him repeat it. Over and over and over. We were making progress. Then I asked him. "What does B say?" The moment of truth. Had it gotten in? Had I stumbled upon the right strategy to help him learn? He said "uhmmmm...r?"

What?! He had just said it! He had repeated it, giggled it, said it on his own 10 times not 3 seconds before! Needless to say I was frustrated. I quickly went back to what he knew. "What does A say?" "Ahh" he said. "What does B say?" "Uhmmm...Ahh?"

Adoption is a beautiful thing. Having children opened up a whole new world to me on how God loves us and calls us His children. Adoption made that come alive even more. Not only does he call us His children and love us like His own, but we were NOT His children! Eli didn't smell, act, look, or feel like my kids when we first brought Him home. We had to learn to love him. Grow to love him. Ask God for grace to love him as much as our own. I am positive he had the same reaction to us!

As I was teaching Eli last night, I quickly became frustrated. Why wasn't he grasping this? What had I gotten into? Then the conviction came.

Another world was opened to me. How many times has God been trying to teach me, His adopted child, to obey, learn, and grow in Him and I just don't get it. I struggle, check out ,and ignore His simple, loving instruction. But thankfully, He takes the long view of my shortfalls! He patiently renews His grace every morning. He persistently calls out to me. He quietly teaches me. Every day. Even when I am just not getting it.

So for Eli, his education may be a long, hard road; but I know that he can do it. And I have a great example in my heavenly father of how I should be teaching him. With great patience, diligence, and confidence.


"he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--" Ephesians 1:5


"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:6.

party like a rock star

I have an amazing family (all three sides of it!) ...and I am a roller coaster of emotions this week with all that is going on within them:

My father in law and several members of my Via family left for Haiti today. Jeremiah's dad is like a rock star down there and we love the work that he quietly and tirelessly does. You can read all about their trip here.

Never tire of doing what is right. 2 Thessalonians 3:13

My newest niece is FINALLY coming home from Uganda this Wednesday. You had better believe we are going to get our party on at the airport. If for some reason you don't know why we will be partying so hard you can click here to get caught up.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

not me monday

I do not have, um...issues with my new driveway. And garage.

So, of course, I have not backed into the rock wall that borders the driveway, oh, three or so times.

And I have not shut the garage door on the back of the van.

My kids don't have any issues either. And don't get their bikes wedged in between our two cars. Ever.

Of course not.

Not us.

How to Build a Swing Set in 7,842 Steps

Ok, so I'm not going to really list all 7,842 steps.

But putting together the backyard monstrosity known as our new swing set made my dining room chair remodel look like cake.

Not that I did much to actually help...other than feed the helpers. A pretty important job, mind you.

Here are the workers organizing the chaos, fresh as the morning dew...

Oh, about 4 (or so) hours in...

About 8 hours in and the inaugural slide...

And, finally...about 2 days later...the completed jungle of fun...

And with this 65 degree weather this weekend...it is sure to be played on and played on and played on...

brotherly motherly love

the boys were all dressed up for our christmas eve service a few weeks ago.
so, of course i had to take advantage and record their cuteness.
so many things about this picture make my heart smile.

eli put his arm around his brother on his own accord.
this is the face ezra gives me when i take a picture of him 99% of the time now.
and yes, i know they don't have shoes on and ezra is missing his socks.
my kids believe that socks are a punishment.
weirdo's.
weird but cute.

i love them.

2012: Crying Uncle

This past month I realized something for the very first time...

I really and truly and honestly can NOT do it all.

I know, I'm a slow learner.

The age old lie that women like to believe is that we are capable, we can do it, we just need to work harder, work smarter...blah, blah, blah.

Nope.

If I focus on this, this, and this....then this suffers. If I then pick up the slack on this....now this is suffering.

Now, I know I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me. However, I believe that means I can do all the things HE wants me to do through His strength. 

My job is to make sure my priorities are His priorities. Then he will equip me with everything I need to accomplish the things He wants me to.

The other non-priorities are just that...peripheral issues that I need to not allow consume my time so much. Or that I need to just give up control of.

When I hit my brick wall of reality this month I realized it was time to cry Uncle and honestly look at my priorities. Not my "in my head" priorities...by my true ones, shown by what I am actually spending my time on every single day.

And so, as I start this new year, my number one prayer, desire, and hope for 2012 is for my priorities to line up with His priorities and for my time and effort to reflect that.

Practically, this means a lot of things for me including (but certainly not limited to) giving Jeremiah control of certain household responsibilities, blogging and social networking less, intentionally cultivating new relationships, increasing my hospitality, organizing my days better...basically prioritizing my priorities.


So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 
1 Corinthians 10:31


But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3: 13-14

good morning, glory!

Photojournal: Christmas Recap

the cutest little elf you will ever see.
christmas morning at home.
cousin fun with our via family at lake gaston.
ella trying out her new roller blades.
and my crazy (cute) boys.