Thank you, OhElizabeth! I'm adding those to my list and plan on looking into everything today. I'm excited! I agree so much a lot that you said. I was going to post another thread asking for more resources, fun games, supplements, etc.. but I didn't know what to call this new type of style I want to try. Is it "relaxed homeschooling?" Anywho... If anyone has any more suggestions I'm making a list of things to look into today and I would appreciate anything you've got! Unit studies, math games, writing prompts.. ANYTHING!

Thank you for this. I'll be looking into these! I'm basically starting from scratch and looking around at what to purchase for next year.

Thank you to everyone for the advice... and knowing that there are others feeling this way makes me feel SO much better. Such a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I can't tell you how many times this board has been there for me. Thanks everyone! I feel so encouraged and I am definitely going forward with a totally new attitude/outlook. I had a talk with dd yesterday about the changes I want to make.. and the vision I have for her education and she seemed really excited. Funny, she always moans and groans when it's time for independent reading and yesterday after our talk, she checked about 9 books from the library and read half of the first one last night. I've been praying for God to show me how to help our struggling homeschool.. and I feel like this is the answer. It just feels right. So thank you again!

Love the task cards! Oh my goodness, thank you! Plink, thank you. My thoughts exactly. :/ Funny, I have always called myself a curriculum junkie and today I am imagining a school year with little to no formal curriculum. I do feel like I am already breathing easier and feeling excitement in regards to our homeschooling for the first time in a long time. Hopefully trying it out in the spring and summer months will let us know if this is a step in the right direction. I do feel this style is more fitting to our personality types/learning styles. Thank you, ladies.

Thank you for the tips. Jean, that sounds a lot like what I am visualizing. We school year round and I have thought of just ditching what we don't like and using the last few months of 3rd grade to try out learning on our own. Library books, videos, projects, etc. Ditching our current plan and seeing how it goes before I commit to it next year. ETA: I have always loved the idea of mapping out our year (pretty general, just topics to cover per subject) and then using library books, youtube/videos, projects, experiments on our own to learn about them without really needing to purchase curriculum. But I have never had the confidence to do that on my own and always wanted some hand holding via curriculum. Now I'm just started to wonder if our curriculum has been hindering instead of helping, kwim?

Every year, about this time, I get the urge to totally ditch our way of homeschooling and do something else for the following year-something we will ENJOY. I usually spend a few months looking at new ideas/curriculum, and while I might end up trying one or two new things, for the most part I order the same stuff. And I don't know why because I do NOT enjoy it and dd could be having a much more fun, exciting, education. We never finish our curriculum.. we don't even come CLOSE in some subjects. School feels like a chore and there is no actual interest in anything we are learning about. It's just check it off and move along. We do enjoy special projects that sometimes go with History or Science but the actual lessons or reading from the books just bore us for the most part. We use SOTW and the reading seems to be hard for dd to follow (often unable to answer most of the questions at the end-which I have posted about before). I usually try to just plow through, check it off, get it done.. but this leads to burnout fairly quickly. So I'm asking for help. At this point, I feel like a homeschooling failure. She's never had a problem passing our yearly assessments-but I am just done with schooling this way. I dread opening up our books but then I feel stress and anxiety over being so far behind my plan for the year. Also, this isn't something that only happens at the end of the year when everyone is tired-I mean I'm energized at the start of the year but these negative feelings kick in not even a month into our year. I feel like I stick with the curriculum we're using because I'm scared to try anything new-but at this point I realize it is NOT working. I have no idea where to start with these big changes but I do know: -I like Horizons Math and plan on continuing with that. -I plan on using SOTW as an outline of our year, but not following it by the book every week. I want to pick and choose what we learn about and make more time for unit studies, projects, crafts, field trips, etc. I would like to find some good unit studies but I want to keep with TWTM chronological study/rotation of history. Other than that I am open to any and all suggestions. We haven't included music or art in our lessons in forever because it became just another subject to GET THROUGH in our day. Same with the Latin I ordered this year. :( Dd is 9YO and still talks about the Pirates unit study I created for her in Kindergarten. She loved it. I'm really feeling like Unit Studies may be our thing. A project type learning. She is very hands on and loves all the fun extras that I never made time for before because I was too overwhelmed/struggling with burn out. I just fear I will end up ordering the same old same promising myself I will "do better and try harder" and then end up in the same boat like years previous. I want to see my little girl love learning! There are so many wonderful opportunities that come with homeschooling and I feel like I'm not taking advantage of them. I want to break this cycle of constant burnout and being a slave to curriculum before Ds starts school or its too late to give Dd the kind of education she deserves. I've been feeling very scatterbrained, so hopefully this makes sense... I need help :( So.. do you have any tips, ideas, advice, btdt?

Sorry for the rant :blush: I've had a nap and dh is getting me taco bell. I feel much better.

The goal for today: Keep everyone alive. That is all. Rough week around here.. Dog recovering from spay, ds has double ear infection & RSV, Dd and I are both feel bad today, Dh has managed to sleep most of the last 3 days :cursing: and perhaps the worst of all... I'm PMSing. I require taco bell before my mood will change for the better.

Always first thing in the morning. For the majority of my weight loss I have weighed in the same day (Friday) as soon as I wake up. Now that the weight is coming off more slowly I weigh in every few days (or like I am now) weighing in every morning. Helps keep me accountable when the scale isn't moving like it used to.

Today IS going to be productive. :) Clean up the house Vacuum Animal care Dd shower/Ds bath B/L/D School- Math, IR, RA, History, English, Spelling, Writing Thaw hamburger meat for dinner Dishes Laundry Reading/Quiet time later Warmer weather is coming tomorrow :hurray: I want the house to be clean so we can enjoy being outside guilt free.. and also I always need the house to be clean when the windows are open. It just feels so good :p

Thank you, Tammy!

Morning! B/L/D Shower School- Math, RA & IR, English, Writing, Spelling, Science 1 on 1 w/Ds Pick up around house 1-2 loads laundry Vacuum Clean litter box Run to library ​Straighten hair Church tonight Read some of my book My uncle begins chemo today for incurable cancer. It's fast fast growing and he is also getting scans to see where else it has spread. The outcome will determine whether he will continue with chemo to try to get another year or refuse it and possibly have 3 months. So if you're the praying kind... I would appreciate some prayers for him. I'm just sick over the whole situation. He is one of the best men I know and it's just heartbreaking.

Melissa :grouphug: Hope today is much better for you.

I think it was hands down one of the best episodes ever! :hurray:

Lately I've been having trouble posting to the boards.. B/L/D Pick up house Laundry for dh Kids baths School- RA, History and/or Science, Math, Spelling Reading time (for me) ​Will do at bedtime Might shovel driveway. Might take a bath. Will do when dh wakes up. Might go to the library. Will do tomorrow A lot of mights. lol.

I can't freaking wait. lol I'm counting down the days.

Dh brought home Valentines Day goodies for us on Friday. Then last night he took me for a walk around the mall, some antique shops, and dinner at the lodge we were married in. He did good! We never usually do anything.. but I kind of hinted I wanted something this year. It feels good to be spoiled :) I could get used to this ;) As for today.. its snowing like crazy.. we took naps.. and now I'm looking forward to The Walking Dead.

Dad stopped in to visit which kind of changed our plans. We will try to make it to the library for homeschool club next Friday. Breakfast- Done Lunch- Done School- Math, IR, Spelling, & Writing- Done Quick clean up-Done Vacuum downstairs-Done Laundry 1-2 loads- Done Still to do: History, Science notebook, and Read Aloud Litter box & vacuum upstairs Figure out dinner Run to the library Rent movie with dh tonight :)

Today needs to be productive. :) B/L/D School-We need to have a full day. Writing, Spelling, English, Math, Science, IR (&really try for RA time) Pick up Laundry Litter/Vacuum Have Dh put Nya's new tags on Straighten my hair Take my girl to the vet Swing by pet store on the way home to get her a little something :) Hopefully then I will come home, relax, and read. It's freezing here so all I want to do is sit on the couch with a blanket and some hot tea & read. Speaking of which... I think I'll take my coffee and do that right now.. before dh gets home and the kids wake up. (Finished my book this morning.. The Martian by Andy Weir was AMAZING!) Also, I don't have to shovel snow today. :hurray: ​ ​

Awesome! Happy Birthday Amy! I barely remember typing my post earlier lol I'm surprised it makes any sense. Since I've had my coffee I have planned some fun for Dd's birthday.. Order pizza for lunch (if they will deliver in the snow storm), make cupcakes (No cupcakes.. out of sugar & vanilla) & snow ice cream. The goal is to finish school asap, enjoy birthday fun, relax the rest of the evening.

Just woke up and I am exhausted. My sick ds must have woke me up 10-12x last night. No excuses.. I have to get going today. B/L/D Pick up house-downstairs & upstairs Vacuum Clean litter box School w/dd- I'll add subjects as we got but priority right now is Math, RA, History or Science​ (Voice went out while reading SOTW.. so RA not likely.) Make time to relax & read 1-2x laundry Shower Maybe: Shovel driveway again. I'll definitely be editing this as I go. Oh, and today is my Dd's birthday. :) So we need to do something today to make it special.

Technical difficulties... Prayers, Jean.

I enjoyed learning all the medical stuff in college but did NOT enjoy clinicals. So healthcare is out for me. I am not a people person. I've recently been really wanting to work with animals. Vet's office, animal hospital, animal shelter.. I think I would enjoy that. That, or a novelist. Like I said, not a people person.

Amen!! I'm calling it quits! :p The driveway is totally covered again and its still snowing. Ive got a sick baby on the couch. Throwing in the towel!

Oops sorry I dont know why my posts aren't posting right.. I said "Oooooo that sounds fun! I'm a HUGE Potterhead!" :thumbup: