Merry Christmas!

9:15 AM Liz 0 Comments

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

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Box Day & how to organize that new curriculum !

12:54 PM Liz 0 Comments

I hear little Monkey screeching from the other room. "It's here .....It's here; mom there is a package here." I know exactly what this package is , and even I am a little excited. OK, who am I kidding? I AM SO EXCITED! So, we thank the UPS man and scurry into the house. Monkey went to grab the scissor , and by this point even my husband has come into the room to see what all the excitement is about.
DRUM ROLL .....................
It's a new car...... kidding ,kidding....It's our My Father's World First Grade Curriculum! We decided to go with the Deluxe Package. Right now it is 10% off and free shipping! If you have been hesitating please don't wait . I have been pricing for months and this is the best deal for the curriculum new. You can find it here http://www.mfwbooks.com/products/6/First-Grade-Learning-God-s-Story/.

The Deluxe Package includes the following:
Teacher's Manual Student Materials (purchase one per additional student) Include: Student Sheets Student Workbook Bible Notebook My Big Book of 5-Minute Devotions Bible Reader Unifix Cubes Clock Horizontal Addition and Subtraction Flashcard Set The Complete Book of Math (purchase one per additional student) Wooden Pattern Blocks Pattern Animals: Puzzles for Pattern Blocks Things Outdoors Science with Water Science with Plants .
Honey for a Child's Heart Drawing with Children Enjoying Art Together Peter and the Wolf (CD) - See more at: http://www.mfwbooks.com/products/6/First-Grade-Learning-God-s-Story/#Package_Contents
Such a great value that I could not fit it all in one shot!

Now , I was feeling a little overwhelmed; so I organized the curriculum to be even more user friendly.
I put tabs for each week in the teachers manual. That way I could easily flip to what week we are on.



The Student Sheets I put in a three ring binder with tabs  for each week. The tabs I got are folder style that way if I had an extra papers or lesson sheets I create I can stick them in for that week. I found them on amazon and you will need four sets: http://www.amazon.com/Avery-Two-Pocket-Insertable-Dividers-11907/dp/B00006IBYA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1450642998&sr=8-7&keywords=folder+tabs

Honey For A Child's heart is a great book ! It spans from birth to High School. So, I tabbed the book for the age level we are currently at.

Remember the five drawer work cart ? I got it at Michaels- http://www.michaels.com/recollections-5-drawer-cube/10311357.html#start=4  Well, I divided out each subject for Monkey. Also, I placed a basket on top to hold all of the math manipulatives ( cubes, ones, tens, and hundred cups) and basic supplies that he will need daily ( crayons, pencils, colored pencils, scissors, glue stick etc..)

I hope that this has given you some good ideas if you feel overwhelmed when taking the curriculum out of the box. I would also love to see your great idea's as well. Please comment below with what has or has not worked for you.

-Elizabeth


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Homeschool Haters Gonna Hate, Hate, Hate….and what WE are called to do.

10:19 AM Liz 0 Comments

With the news getting out that my family has chosen to homeschool we have had people giving us a mix of emotions. Happy, supportive, inquisitive, and also down right hateful. While speaking to my Grandmother yesterday and answering a slew of questions I became defensive about the subject. The more she questioned the more I started getting short, sassy, and upset. Then the BIG one.. Do you think you can handle this? Yes, I got down right u-g-l-y with the sweetest old lady on the planet. After I hung up the phone I felt terrible. I was lost… why was I getting so upset, so defensive?  When I am lost I pray.  I felt that God was calling me to re-examine our families “why” on homeschooling. 
1.We are homeschooling first and foremost because we want               to point our son back to God in everything that we do.
2. We want to draw close as a family with God at the center.             3. We want a slower pace of life.
        4. Our son was literally crying out in frustration at a school                   that was no longer challenging him , but wanting to punish               him for his boredom.

          After reflecting on our “why” I am at peace . Am I qualified? Can I handle this? The real answer is I don’t know.  What I do know is that with God at my side anything is possible.  In God’s  eyes I am enough. I have a seat as his table. I don’t need to prove that I belong there! So getting u-g-l-y , or defensive about the choice we are making makes me no better than the haters.

So, what is God calling me to do instead? He wants  me to:
           1.   Love him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength-                    Mark 12:29

           2.   Love my neighbor as myself-Mark 12:30

           3.    Be Patience- Proverbs 15:1

           4.   Be the light -1 John 1:7

While I was worried about the haters I was the one that got u-g-l-y. I’m the one that needed to check myself and kneel to my God. I am so thankful to have  relationship with God and to be able to ask for forgiveness.


I better get going….. I have a phone call to make!  I need to ask the sweetest old lady in the whole world to forgive me too.

-Elizabeth




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Organized Homeschool Room

4:01 PM Liz 0 Comments

I’d like to show you the nitty gritty of how I keep my school area organized and looking halfway like a normal space and not an explosion. (Let's see how long it last.) I have the luxury of having a separate room for school. One of the perks of having an only child in a three bedroom home.
We were on a budget when putting the room together. We  wanted a desk for both me and little Monkey, but we wanted some bookshelves too. So, after looking I found this amazing desk with bookshelves built in! Best part... we picked it up second hand for about $100!





It even came with this really cool side table with storage !!


Here is little Monkey's desk. I had my husband cut down the legs so we could re- purpose a piece that we had around the house. I picked up the five drawer storage cart at Micheals. You can find it here http://www.michaels.com/recollections-5-drawer-cube/10311357.html?productsource=PDPZ1.



On to what I call our command center. I picked up the huge cork board at Office Max.
Thanks to some other great homeschooler blogs  Mama Jenn, Confessions of a homeschooler, and Homeschool Creations I created this in no time! See the following links to recreate.

Calendar Board: http://www.mamajenn.com/MamaJenn/CalendarTime.html
My Address: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2010/04/calendar-time-2.html
The rest of the board can be found here: http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2014/04/our-calendar-and-morning-board-routine/




I hope you've enjoyed the school room tour and I hope you'll come away with some great ideas on how to use your space.  




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