New and from TX

[marsha617]

I am new here. I have posted some but never formally introduced myself. I have 3 sons and another on the way in July. We are in our second year homeschooling.

 

I reside in Corpus Christi. Is anyone from here or in the surrounding areas? I would love to hear from you!

 

Blessings,

Marsha

[dalynnrmc]

Hi and welcome! I'm in Austin, also with three boys... and we hope to try for a GIRL next year. :) We've just finished our second year homeschooling, and began the move to a mostly classical approach during this past fall.

 

Glad to meet you! How old are your boys? Mine are 9, one who will be 5 in two weeks, and the youngest will be 4 in August.

[marsha617]

Hello. My boys are 7, 5, and 2. My fourth boy is due in July. I am wondering how homeschooling is going to go with a 2 year old and newborn! I am about to find out! I would say we are making a move toward classical teaching as well. We are using FLL, Veritas Press for history, & Saxon for math. As far as science goes I think I am going to buy Winterpromise Animal Worlds. What do you use for science?

 

When you do try for another child I do pray and hope you get the girl. We thought this baby was a girl for several different reasons but none of them proved true. It's all up to God. Nonetheless, we are very happy to have another boy. My little one will have a playmate of his own.

 

How do you like Austin? I lived in San Marcos for 5 years while I went to school. I loved it up there.

 

Blessings,

Marsha

[Beth in Central TX]

Hi Marsha,

 

I live near Waco, just north of dalynnrmc in Austin up I-35. I also have 3 boys: 11, 10, & 5.

 

For lower elementary science, I use Rod & Staff science. For upper elementary science, I use the Elementary Apologia series: http://www.jeanniefulbright.com/science.html

 

I really like the Elementary Apologia series; it is well-written and engaging. We've all learned a lot about astronomy, botany, and zoology, and we've had a lot of fun in the process.

[dalynnrmc]

Austin's alright. We're country folk and hoping to buy in the country next year, but will probably stay close to south Austin... only on 4 acres instead of measuring our land by square feet. LOL When they say "Keep Austin Weird," they definately have their own little culture that they're trying to preserve. :shock: We're looking at the generalized area between Manchaca and Kyle for purchasing next year.

 

 

UGH - you *had* to bring up the "S" word. Science has been haunting me this week! In the spring and fall we're involved in a local co-op for science. They've been using the city water department's curricula along with some physical science experiments... but it's not really enough.

 

We were trying to use Considering God's Creation, but it's too teacher-intensive for me. Someone posted a free curriculum last night that I'm going to look into, and if that doesn't fit our needs I'm liable to try and find Christian Kids Explore series. (We'll probably do biology first; we're lacking in botany and anatomy.)

 

Which curriculums are you considering now?

 

We're very classically eclectic, as I call it. DOn't use the same thing for any two subjects! I'm waiting on our Winter Promise history program to arrive! We've been using Mystery of History anyway, and someone here PMd me when they had the instructor guide and notebooking materials available and I'm SO EXCITED! All three of my boys are very visual-kinesthetic, and I think the guide will be just up my alley as far as organization goes. We tried Sonlight and it was too much, too fast, for us.

 

 

I'm curious as to how your homeschooling with a 2yo and a newborn will go as well! LOL You'll have to keep me updated! As for us, dh has agreed that we can begin trying to get pregnant after we (hopefully, supposedly) move next spring. :) YAY! We'll leave it up to the Lord, of course, but... it'd still really be nice to have a girl!! *pout*

[marsha617]

As far as science goes, I have a few curriculums I am looking at right now. Winterpromise Animal Worlds is what I will probably end up buying in the next couple of weeks. My oldest ds loves animals so I know he will enjoy the program. After AW we will have to move on to something else. It's been animals, animals, animals for two years now. This year we did the 106 Days of Creation. This was lots of fun. I was in my early pregnancy during the plant and astronomy portion so we didn't get into it as much as I would have hoped. I am tossing up the idea of studying plants for a month before we start AW. If we do, I will use Scienceworks Learning About Plants and other resources I have here at home.

 

So in the future I am looking at Easy Classical Science, Winterpromise Science, or Considering God's Creation. We will eventually use Galloping the Globe and CGC is incorporated in the study. I am thinking this will make scheduling easy. When we use GTG we will focus more on Five in a Row which also has science, to a lesser degree, but nonetheless. Our next focus needs to be on earth science and the human body.

 

I have looked at Winterpromise history curriculum and I think it looks interesting and fun. Which one will you be using?

 

Next school year ds5 will be going to a Christian classical private school. So I will have my oldest and the two little ones. This will help immensely.

 

I am starting to yawn now so I must be off now! Blessings!

 

Marsha

[marsha617]

Beth,

Thank you for your science suggestions. I will look into those. Apologia would come later. As for R & S, I am using it for reading and phonics. It is a great curriculum. Perhaps their science is just as good.

 

Thanks!:)

[dalynnrmc]

First, let me say that I think R&S is a fantastic all-around program, as is MFW.

 

With Winter Promise, we'll be using Quest for the Ancient World, when it arrives. ;) I found the IG and the notebooking materials, used, for a very nice price. We were already using MOH v1 and I'm all about scheduling; wanted something that helped in making it a literature-based curriculum, as well as some cut-and-paste and hands-on for ds9.

 

Here's the free science link someone posted the other day.

 

I've enjoyed chatting. :) Have a great night! I'll be camping this weekend; see you Monday!