I got an email back.

Thank you so much Joshin. I will definitely be ruminating on that binder idea - and of course tweaking and deciding what works for me and what doesn't. Thank you Lewelma, I wouldn't say that I want to emulate any one person's organization system exactly. But it's less about organizing STUFF (I rock at organizing physical objects!) as it is organizing... my mind? maybe. Your post on what you do is incredibly helpful. Teaching myself how to be a teacher - check. Organizing for the week - check. See right now, I don't even do that! I don't even organize before we start the morning of. (I used to be a little better, but I couldn't seem to find what worked or stick with any one system be it evening before, morning of, Sunday evening, ya know? Something was missing or maybe I just got lazy.) Our day would run so much smoother if I knew which subjects we are working on for the day, even. As it is, it's just a mish-mash of whatever I feel like for the day. I've tried setting up a rotating schedule, but something always seems to throw us off. Math is mostly non-negotiable, but not always. The rest is, like I said - it depends on what I feel like for that day. I need to get the rest of school under control before I can even imagine doing a literature study, for example. I have Teaching the Classics and have started teaching myself, but haven't gone anywhere with it. As far as activities and crafts go - that is my forte - IF I have the stuff here to do it when the mood strikes or book says to do it. I have a lot of stuff, just not usually the specific stuff needed for a given activity. Not that we do a ton of them, but I'd like to do SOME of them. I'm a scrapbooker, DIYer, woodworker, etc. at heart. :) What I hate - having to be out of the house at a set time each day or week, etc. Therefore - we don't do many outside activities. We have weekly park day, then bi-weekly(ish) informal science/social studies co-op. Thank you for the writing link. I will learn about writing, and also learn about what you did to learned about writing, so I can maybe transfer some of that "how to" into whatever I may need it for. I didn't click on your science link today... I have it saved - I've read through it a couple times now. This IS one thing that I do hope to emulate, eventually. :D I did teach the very basics of the scientific method at our science co-op last week. Our question - do lemons sink, or float? Like I said, very basic - but it's a step in the right direction, I hope - and a step up from watching The Magic School Bus or Beakman. Anyway. Thanks again! I think that as I teach myself to be a better teacher, the rest will start to fall in to place. Once I find that "sweet spot" of learning, teaching, having fun, and feeling like I accomplished what I set out to accomplish for the day, then the rest may start to fall in to place a lot easier. So that is probably my main focus on what I am looking for with this thread - Information for me to figure out What kind of teacher I am, or want to be. I am NOT a natural teacher, at all. That I do know. Ie: I don't even like to bake or cook with my kids when I'm "working" I want to be left alone. I do it, but it does not come naturally to me to include them, kwim? Some people are great natural teacher/kid people, and I want to be like them when I grow up. :laugh:

I have no idea. :D We move so much that I can't get a sense of what is "normal" for one area before we're off to a new one. Hopefully we stay around here for the next 5-6 years. Maybe I'll be able to answer this question in about 3 or 4 years. :)

Right now...SSL! With the DVD, I get to sit back and be a "discipula", too. :laugh:

No where near done. I am usually done by December, for the most part, with one a few odds and ends to pick up (stocking stuff). This year, I am not even close to done - having the kids around 24/7 has cramped my style! LOL I really should be on Amazon right now, instead of TWTM. Actually a friend of mine is watching the kids this Sunday afternoon so DH and I can go out and finish up our shopping.

Ha! I forgot to change my smart aleck title before I hit post. For those who missed it it was "Who am I? And other pressing questions about life..." With the awesome thread going on about organizing one's life and having time to "do it all" AND have free time, I've been thinking about how that translates in my life and areas that I need to gain control of. Since this is the Education forum these are the areas that I hope to conquer in this realm. I know I've asked some of this a little bit before in a different way, but I'm still spinning so it hasn't "clicked" yet - and I can't seem to search my old threads, so that's not much help either. :glare: 1)Planning, 1a) Organizing, 2) Schooling, 2a) Teaching. I've had these somewhat disjointed questions and thoughts swirling around in my head for quite some time now. I will try to put them in to words. I'm hoping in the process of trying to do that, the questions will actually become clear to me! It is possible that they belong in separate posts, but I'm trying to simplify my "resources" here and have them all centrally located. 1) Planning. Specifically Lesson Planning and Organizing. Do you have any links from long ago where some wonderful WTM soul took the time to spell out step by step what that looks like. Or is anybody interested in typing something up? Barney - style. Pretend I'm in Pre-K and need actual step-by-step instructions. Here is an example of how it goes for me now: Step One: Open the book. Step two: Look in the book. Step three: Get overwhelmed and close the book. Step Four: Let's watch Beakman's World for science class today. :D 1a) Part 2 of Planning: Organizing. Supplies for activities (ie: Science, SOTW, etc.) Do you just add what is needed to weekly errands? Plan one monthly "school supplies" shopping trip? Buy it all at one time at the beginning of the year? Have you tried different methods and hit on one that works best for you? 2) Schooling. All I know about school, I learned AT school. As in brick & mortar school. I'd really like to get away from "school at home" and more toward "homeschool". I'm not very good at being "fun Mom" on consistent basis, especially with my glaring lack in being able to lesson plan! Perhaps if I had the plans, I could implement them easier. Day 1-3) Math book, Day 4) Fun Math games to reinforce book work (I WISH I was this organized) Anyway, I'm not saying that it all has to be fun and games all the time, but since being on these boards I've seen people mention several times how they don't do "school at home", they homeschool. If you are one of these homeschoolers - what does that look like in your house? How are you less like school and more like _________________? (Fill in the blank) 2a) Teaching. I've seen passing mention of "the old days on WTM" when discussions were about teaching. How to be a teacher, how to find and recognize your child's strengths and expand on those while still trying to shore up the weak areas, etc. Again, any ancient links would be appreciated. I'm sorry if some of those questions are a little fuzzy. Like I said, they've been swirling and I've been trying to distill them a little better, but this is the best I've got at this time. Any and all help is appreciated. In addition to answers, I want Links, lots and lots of links! I know someone out there has the answers to all of these questions hoarded into their subscribed threads list. I just know it! :coolgleamA: Anyway, if you got this far - Thanks for looking!

I just sent them an email. I'll update if/when I hear back from them.

I would be careful of this. This is how youngers grow up thinking everything is "owed" to them. I have a younger sister - 31- who STILL believes that my brother and I should "give in" to her. She is perfectly capable of thinking of others first...until it comes to her siblings. I've also seen this in other families, too. See above. My DD has a tendency to "give in" to her little brother. Sometimes I do interfere and I put a stop to THAT, and make him be the 'giver', too. He is not owed anything just because he was born later. Love This!! I am going to use it. :)

I LOVE this idea. Baby steps and accountability, all rolled in to one! Please link the new thread here so I can click through to it so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

"Well, I know that I'm lovable and all, but I'm already MARRIED so, Back Off." Does he even know your husband?

:coolgleamA: I love animal tricks. They are so much smarter than we give them credit for.

:crying: How awful. :(

:( That sucks. ETA: I giggled at your kids, though.

I'm reading the Happiness Project right now - well, I was when I was going to physical therapy almost daily...since then it's been sitting, waiting for me to read it. I really like the monthly bite approach.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Praying!

Well, that was the absolute worst thing for her to do if she wanted it to not stink. Every time she washed the oils off, it went into hyper oil production mode. So that made it stink. I miss my ferrets sometimes, but they are higher maintenance (than our current cats) and I do not miss that.

I voted in the spirit of my 6 year old DS - he loves red. :)

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Kwickimom and Rivendell.

What "Windows" things do you want to run?

Do you have a link for the flow chart?

:grouphug: I hope you find a solution that allows you to bring her home. I totally understand the frustration with PS. I was frustrated with PS from DD's first day of first grade (K was ok) on. I pulled her in 4th and NOW I'm paying for waiting that long by remediating phonics/reading and actual learning/work skills. She was spoon fed "how to pass the tests" for so long that it is an uphill battle. I get so frustrated with myself that I didn't think to homeschool sooner as I've always been a SAHW/M.

I'm still dream designing my "perfect house" in my head. We move on average once/year, so having lived in so many different places I know many things that I DON'T want, and many things that I do want. I still haven't decided on the "perfect location" for my "perfect house", either.

Letting go means letting go. Either you want to teach it (your way) or you don't want to teach it and you have to let it go. I learned this lesson, not with schooling so much, but life in general. Cooking, housework, etc. Either I wanted it done MY way, so I had to do it, or I wanted it done period (by someone else - DH), so MY standards didn't matter. Once I removed myself(ishness) from the equation and realized that I'm NOT the Queen of everything, and my way isn't the ONLY way, it was much easier to accept his help, happily and without "correcting" him. ETA: How I equate this to school help is I let him take on the things that I aim for exposure in, and not mastery. Science, History, etc. Right now he barely has time to sleep or eat so he isn't doing anything, but when I DID hand over science to him, I handed him the book and said "Have fun." He and the kids went to a Buffet restaurant and learned about classification at the buffet tables. LOL So NOT how I would have done it, but it wasn't up to me, so I just let. it. go.