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flukygirl

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  1. YES!!! Their school was so strict about responsibility and homework that they had me trained to do certain things. I don't know anything else. How do you unschool a parent???
  2. How weird is it that I am an adult and hearing someone else give me permission to drop x, y and z makes it seem acceptable??? :huh:
  3. How crazy is this. I got a text this morning from another homeschooling mom I met a few weeks ago inviting us to meet at the playground today. I dropped everything and we went and played for 3 hours. I got some adult time and the kids are exhausted. I am SO thankful for everyone's posts. I am going to call it for the the month starting today. I think you all have made excellent points about us needing to adjust to being around each other all the time. I will find some books for us to read together and do some crafts and baking. That will allow me the time to look over the science and revise my plan for January. Not to mention get the house reorganized to start again. I think with my husband gone so much for school, I have felt I had to make it all work. I have created a stressed out and exhausted mom/teacher/wife that is no fun to be around. Time to take care of the family and myself for a few weeks so we can reset. I have to admit, that voice saying "No, no, no, you will get behind" is sitting there making my heart pound in my chest, doubting that decision. Then again, there are much more kind, gentle voices on here telling me it is okay. The voice of mine doesn't have the amount of experience that everyone on here has, so I plan to do my very best to ignore it!!! I would hug each of you individually if I could get to you. Thank you so much.
  4. Thank you everyone for the encouraging words. I think I just need to hear that it will be okay. That I am not failing them completely. Here is the curriculum I am using: DD – 10 Math: Saxon 6/5 Grammar: Easy Grammar 5 (My daughter LOVES this program. She had a very hard time with grammar before this year and now says it's her favorite subject) IEW – Fix It (extra grammar support / vocabulary) IEW – Writing Program (Haven’t started) IEW – Spelling History: SOTW1 Ancients – with reading list from Classical House of Learning (this includes reading, writing and dictation exercises) Science: Elemental Science – Biology (waiting for supporting books to arrive) Girl Scouts , going to start archery this weekend DS – 8 Math: Saxon 3 Grammar: Easy Grammar 2 Spelling: Spelling Connections Handwriting: Pentime Transitions History: SOTW1 Ancients – with reading list from Classical House of Learning (this includes reading, writing and dictation exercises) Science: Elemental Science – Biology (waiting for supporting books to arrive) Boy Scouts, fencing As for science: I started with Science Fusion. It was so full of problems for both kids online programs that I spent more time on the phone with tech support than actually teaching. Every other lesson didn't work and then it would take them a week or two to get back to me. I decided it wasn't worth it after a couple of months and called and asked for a refund. Then I tried to do the Creepy Crawlies book from WTM, but it didn't have enough structure for me as someone teaching science for the first time. I am actually SUPER excited about the Elemental Science. It is just taking longer than I had hoped to get the supporting books for Amazon. Worth the wait for the good prices I got I guess. I feel pretty lucky that science has really only been my curriculum struggle. Social: I haven't found a local group. I was thinking of finding some local homeschool classes for January to get the kids into just to meet some people. Maybe an art class or some other class that interests them individually. I try to let them have friends over every week, but during the holidays it is getting more challenging. Work: I am a graphic designer, so I am lucky to be able to work from home. I generally work 4 days a week from 2-5 or 6. We try to get most of our work done in the morning. I worry about what to do with them for that 3-4 hours, but they seem pretty good at reading, finishing up school work, chores and playing outside when weather permits. They are both pretty independent. It does lock us into a schedule though, which is challenging some days if we really want to get deeper into something. I would love to have more structured activities for them to do while i am working. Maybe I will wrap this week up and take off until January with just a lesson here and there to keep the math and grammar fresh. Maybe we could just have some fun...I like that idea. It would also give me time to really plan the science and writing without feeling pressured to implement it right away. Maybe I could CLEAN MY HOUSE!!!!
  5. My children, ds8 and dd10, went to a private Catholic school until this fall. Due to tuition increases and my husband starting an EMBA program, we had to make a shift and decided to give homeschooling a shot. I am to the point that I am in tears by the end of every day, I can't sleep and I am so worried I can't do this. My son seems okay some days, but then he just keeps asking to go back to his old school. My daughter seems to be enjoying the break from the drama and stress of the other school, but still has days she says she wishes she could go back. I feel like if one is having a good day, they other is unhappy and pushing back as much as he/she possibly can. I feel behind ALL - THE - TIME. I am on my 3rd Science program...which we can't start because the books haven't arrived. I haven't started the writing program yet because I haven't had a chance to sit down to learn how to use it. We seem to be on track with Math and Grammar...and mostly with history, spelling and handwriting. I read so many things about doing more...and then I see posts about doing less. Some days we get so much done. We laugh and enjoy each other, but they seem few and far between. I found myself yelling at them yesterday because they argued with me over every little thing we needed to get done. My daughter was crying, my son stopped talking to me for an hour. I have been up since 3 am and I can't even write this without crying. I want us to succeed at this, I want learning to be fun for them. I don't know how to make it that way. I don't know how to get all their schooling done in the day, have fun and still work (I have my own business from home). Sorry to be so whiney, but I am really in need of some support and have no idea what to do. Sleep would probably help (ha ha).
  6. Update: Hi everyone. I wanted to give an update to everyone who helped. I went back to my book, "The Well-Trained Mind" and started a science program from the suggestions in there. I decided the whole Science Fusion set up was not worth the stress. I called them last week and told them that while the content and customer service was great, the implementation of the program left little to be desired. I explained that the delays the online portion had caused were unacceptable and asked for a refund. I even told them I didn't expect a full refund because we had obviously used about 3 weeks of the material. They were nice and told me they would escalate the case. Well...I got a FULL refund yesterday and they told me to just keep the work texts. So, I want everyone to know that they do stand behind their product and did, indeed refund all of my money because we were not satisfied. Again, the problem as not with the content or even the customer service, but solely how the online portion worked. I am so excited...and now can move along on our little bouncy science journey! Thank you again for everyone who offered support and suggestions!
  7. Thanks for the feedback everyone. I am just sticking with using oblique relative to another line. Funny thing is...I opened my ds's book today and his is discussing oblique line segments too!!! What can you do??? ha ha!
  8. Cat, YES!!! That is exactly what she is asking. It has been rather entertaining because I posed the question to my teacher friends on FB and my husband. I have gotten answers both ways. You can see the dilemma. So if you have an oblique line (not horizontal or vertical) and then another oblique line that is parallel to it, she wants to know if they are parallel oblique lines? I see where she is confused. I like your answer that it is relationship to another line though. It is weird because you can have parallel horizontal and vertical lines...so I see why she is going that direction. There just isn't anything online that can explain it to her. So exciting to have her thinking this way!!!
  9. Today, we were studying types of lines. Earlier we learned that a line that is neither horizontal or vertical is called an oblique line. Now we are learning about parallel, perpendicular and oblique lines. D10 wants to know why oblique lines side by side (parallel) are no longer oblique. I can't find anything to explain it well at a 5th grade level....or really on any level. Can you have "Parallel Oblique" lines? Can anyone point me to a source that might be able to explain it well?
  10. It is hard not to put pressure on ourselves. I mean, I am trying something that seems EXTREMELY important and I get worried about fouling it up royally. It's like trying to pick a baby name all over again!! :laugh:Everyone here really seems encouraging though. So...off we go. We are going to just breathe this week as we move diligently through the boring stuff and have a rip-roaring time on Wednesday and Friday...not sure what will cause that rip-roaring time...but it will be something. Really...it will. My sons birthday is on Friday, so we are going to take the day off and have fun. Just because we can. Gotta love that! It is true that we use our time more efficiently. Plus, my kids went to a private school, so they have good study habits already. We fly through the day because they are so focused and then I wonder what we are missing. I think you are right...being a little worried helps us stay aware of what we are doing.
  11. Hi Wintermom, Both my kids are in piano and my 2nd grader plays soccer and is starting fencing next week. So for now, I am using that as music and physical education. We also go out and run/walk together twice a week. We do silly activities like lunges and pull ups and all sorts of things along the trails we hike, so again, that is what I am doing for now. My daughter is trying to find something she wants to try. I decided it would be neat if I could gear those activities toward their interests. Art...ironically is only happening sporadically...and that is my career, I design and illustrate. So for now, I am trying to get them to the museum or theatre once a month. I do think they are important...very important, but I am just trying to get then hang of the basics and then hope to expand from there. I like the ideas of writing down goals. I had read that somewhere before, but wasn't sure how to do it, but your example is really helpful. Thanks!
  12. Awesome, then I have writing down for my second grader. I have the SOTW activity book and I am picking and choosing some things from there to use. I could spend all week just doing history. There is SO much information and so many activities. I am able to get some books on CD I will have to see what they have available. I also have an audible account, it may be worth the money to keep it and see if they have more books. I like that idea! I haven't done anything with English from the Roots Up because I haven't figured out what to do with it. I have the book and the cards. What is Rummy Roots?? I will have to look into that. Thanks!
  13. I haven't looked into those. I think I am allergic to science now. Which is awful because our whole family loves it so much. I appreciate he suggestions and will check them out. Thank you.
  14. Really good question. I think I am going to look into that. I have spent more time trying to get it to work than we have spent on science.
  15. Thanks everyone. Sorry for the late response. Apparently, I somehow posted this twice. It doesn't show up in my content though!! You all make great points about chores, "me" time and it still being early in the year. I'm going to set the science aside and let the kids pick a book on the library. That alone will help my stress level. I also appreciate the reminders to have fun. I have a tendency to charge forward until we all collapse. Stratford, I like the idea of an orientation period! FloridaLisa, I have googled and I sent a request to a yahoo group because thats where they seem to share info, but I haven't heard back yet. I will just keep looking.
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