Planning....

I learned many years ago...that I pretty much don't do anything I really want to do, unless I plan to do it....in writing.  And I've learned just in the last few years that I thrive in a well organized environment.  Everything needs  a home, and typically a label too.

Here is an exception to the label rule.  I found this fabulous shelf thingie at a local antique mall.  It was on sale...even better.  This organizes our "specials".  From top to bottom, missionary story, read aloud, geography, art, history and nature study.  (on the very top is a basket full of smooth stones and jar.  When I'm reading aloud I will pull out one stone for each boy.  If they are quiet the whole time I'm reading, all stones go in the jar, if they interrupt, a stone goes back in the basket.  Once the jar is full...they get a reward.  Which varies.  This time it's each boy gets to pick out a 10 dollar lego set.  This is a very simple system that works for us...I tried tickets they earn or lose, and stocking a store that costs a varying amount of tickets...this was too complicated!)

We do geography every day, although some days we spend more time than others, we listen to the missionary audio story twice a week (last year it was daily---this year we will cover 4 missionaries, last year it was 8!  Needed to be a little less ambitious this year), read aloud is daily, Winnie the pooh though is just once per week---we facetime our friends in Romania and I read aloud to my little boys and her little ones...so fun!----Art is once a week, History is once a week, and Nature study once per week.

Isn't this cute!?  It's my two dollar homeschool planner!  So much simpler than last year.  Last year I had a three-ring binder with detailed daily plans that I filled out at the beginning of each unit.  This year I knew I wanted to have written plans (since I don't' do anything without them!) but I wanted it to be simplified.  So it'll be easier to explain by showing you inside....

This is my read aloud tab...  I took each one of my read-alouds I plan to read to the kids this year and wrote out each chapter with a square to check off.  On later pages I realized it would be nice to put in each column the amount of chapters to be read each week.  In addition to these two books we are going to read Black Beauty (which will take two units--so 8 weeks), The Snow Queen by Anderson, The Wind in the Willows, Bridge to Teribithia, and Star of Light.  I'm so excited to read these stories!

This is how simple my history plans are.  We are using Mystery of History this year for History.  Typically I read through the lessons in each week, and just share the highlights with the boys.  They aren't going to remember the bulk of what I read anyways.  And then the highlights we interact with by putting an entry in their books of knowledge.  Which are basically small scrapbooks that the boys write facts, paste pictures or draw pictures from what they learned.  I'll share some photos from these little books in a moment.

Our geography plans were a little more in-depth, so I put them together in Word and printed and taped them into the notebook.  We are using Memoria Press's geography curriculum which is wonderful.  There is a teacher text that I read to the boys and a student workbook.  It divides out most of the world into individual countries, some areas into regions.  The text teaches highlights about the country and the workbook gives a blank map for the student to fill in. We have a variety of other blank maps so that each boy can color in the country we are learning about.

Here is an example of our nature study plans.  We have a great guide for nature study each week, and so I base our plans on that book.

I divided the year out into eight 4 week units.  For each unit, we have a hymn and a fun song we sing each morning during "morning time". Before we sing our hymn, we start every school day by singing the Doxology, standing around the table with hands raised to God.  Thank you Sarah Mackenzie for this idea!  Honestly, the boys sometimes lift their hands while standing in their seats, they spin, they go get a drink of water, etc.  This is certainly not perfect or idyllic.  But nothing is, is it?

I just recently added a tab to my planner for a monthly calendar to keep track of our off weeks and also the schedule of our co-ops.  We are starting Summit academy this year and really excited about it!  My oldest two boys will take math, science, art and guitar there on Wednesdays.  My younger boys will take math and science experiments, and my 5th grader will also take a literature class and drawing.  I'm so excited about this having this opportunity.  And I can't believe that my 16 year has his drivers license now and will drive him and his brother to and from their co-ops!  (they will continue in Veritas Classical school on Tuesdays in addition to Summit on Wednesdays)

Here are some pages from the boys small "books of knowledge"...These books are literally like 6 by 6 inches.  The boys write their facts in no certain order.  I'm excited for them to have these little scrapbooks of sorts at the end of the year and to be reminded of all the neat things we will have learned this year.

For our missionary biography, each boy has a blank book that they write in after we listen to each chapter.

This is my main storage area for our homeschool books.  Each child has their own shelf.  The little under shelf storage cubbies are a big help!  The very bottom cubby holds our math u see blocks, as well as some other necessities we use each day.  We switched to Math U See this year and it is SO wonderful!  Math is no longer dreaded by either my student or me!

Miss Ellie teaching us a thing or to :) :) :)

Last but not least...let's talk about planning for relationships!  Here is our dear friend Miss Ellie.  We go way way back.  We used to live in the same neighborhood so seeing her was so easy.  Now it takes planning.  We talked about it last night and came up with a recurring monthly date to get together.  If we want to see each other....and we most certainly do....planning is essential.  I'm so glad we came up with one! 

On our planning for relationships agenda...hoping to get a regular game night set with grandparents and a monthly open house for church family :)

An important note to add...while I've found planning to be so important to do all that God has called me to do...I have also learned I have to hold them loosely.  After all...

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Proverbs 16:9

PS:  We had no plans to get a puppy.  But oopsy Daisy!  It happened.  My sister's dog had puppies, and after much pressure from many sides, I caved in and said yes.  The first couple of months were rough.  But I wish I would have known it's just like having a baby.  The first few months are really hard, but it gets definitely easier.  We are really enjoying our Daisy.  She is a perfect addition to the family!

PSS:  In the car with the boys the other day they told me that when they were out with dad going to a Falcons game that they passed by the spot where their dad proposed to me.  And they told me he told them that I said "No way!"  LOL  Then Jacob said "Mommy I'm so glad you didn't say no way because you and daddy are good mommies and daddies"....  And then he said, "When I grow up I want to be a daddy just like daddy...Nice".  Sweet boy :)