Hour Seven. Need more coffee.

[BlsdMama]

It's my S.O.S. I've been up since 5AM working on scheduling, planning, etc. between my Tapestry, my binders, my library's online catalog, Amazon, Ebay, and the For Sale boards.

 

I'm making progress.

 

I'm wiped out. I'm going to take that shower now. I think I mustn't smell very good - the children are avoiding me. :iagree:

 

A shower, a cup of coffee...

 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....

 

Let it be said that Tapestry has gone WELL above and beyond my expectations. I bought Classic used for budget reasons and I am SO thrilled with my purchase at this point. 8 years of planning everything, scheduling everything, pulling resources together from the corners of the earth, and all this time (or at least for a few years of it) TOG was sitting there. I'm so glad I took the plunge.

[HappyGrace]

Glad to hear TOG looks good-I am in the same boat with all the planning everything on my own, looking forward to TOG in logic stage soon! I'm thinking it will be nice to have the full banquet of TOG and be able to choose from that rather than try to pull it all together from myself "from the far corners of the earth."

 

Keep on truckin' with the planning! Have fun! (I am jealous! :))

[ChemMommy]

Worked for almost 3 hours yesterday just getting the first two weeks of TOG 2 ordered and researched. I am SO tempted to just go with the stuff on the left page and forget the supplemental. And yet, I did most of the supplementals this year and loved them. Sigh! So many good books...so little time.

[MamaT]

I'm right there in the middle of it with you guys. I have 2 UG, 1 D, and 1 R and it is taking a LONG time. I'm getting there, though.:001_smile:

[mamato4girls]

I think I will be there with ya soon, going to place my order this evening.

[dani3boys]

I absolutely love planning out our TOG! Is there something wrong with me?

[Another Lynn]

I'm not using TOG, but can I join the planning sympathy party? I had a decent plan. Then I changed it and now I have a new decent plan.... but somehow I still do not feel settled. Maybe I haven't been clear enough with myself about what my true goals are? I want it challenging, but realistic. I want it to delight our minds, but still have a structure to it. I want it to be Ambleside, but on a 4-year rotation with "Diana Waring-esque" commentary on a yr1 that includes creation and ancients. I want to be told what to do, but I don't want to be told what I don't want to do, LOL! I want to do content subjects together, until I try to gather all my children at once and then I remember why I was attracted to separate curriculum packages for each one. :tongue_smilie:

 

So, I've planned it all out and now I wonder.... will I want to chuck it after the first week?

 

Thanks for listening! (Hope this isn't too much of a hi-jack or a thread killer!)

[swimmermom3]

I'm right there in the middle of it with you guys. I have 2 UG, 1 D, and 1 R and it is taking a LONG time. I'm getting there, though.:001_smile:

 

How can you???? I am planning for 1 D with some major tweaking and my eyes are crossed and they've been that way for days.:D Of course, if I'd get off the computer...

[swimmermom3]

I'm not using TOG, but can I join the planning sympathy party? I had a decent plan. Then I changed it and now I have a new decent plan.... but somehow I still do not feel settled. Maybe I haven't been clear enough with myself about what my true goals are? I want it challenging, but realistic. I want it to delight our minds, but still have a structure to it. I want it to be Ambleside, but on a 4-year rotation with "Diana Waring-esque" commentary on a yr1 that includes creation and ancients. I want to be told what to do, but I don't want to be told what I don't want to do, LOL! I want to do content subjects together, until I try to gather all my children at once and then I remember why I was attracted to separate curriculum packages for each one. :tongue_smilie:

 

So, I've planned it all out and now I wonder.... will I want to chuck it after the first week?

 

Thanks for listening! (Hope this isn't too much of a hi-jack or a thread killer!)

 

 

:lol::lol::lol::001_unsure::crying::crying::crying:

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I've been planning, too. I try to do my planning work at night since I work during the day and my evenings are spent at the barn. Five nights in a row of being on the computer until after midnight and then up for work at 6:30am. I have completed Physical science, Philosophy, Lit. Analysis and Poetry. Still working on MCTLA, math and history.

 

(I am actually enjoying myself and finding that I need to restrain my enthusiasm so I don't ruin some of the surprises for Dragonrider.) :)

[Melissa in CA]

My TOG planning is plugging right along! I truly think that the most time consuming aspect of it is hunting for books on our library's website. Sometimes a book is easily found by name, but oftentimes you have to use other search methods and then voila!...there is it. No consistency at all! :glare: Then, after various searches, if my library does not have it, I must shop for the very cheapest price, which is usually Amazon (either new or used).

 

I have Y2 Units 1 & 2 books all scheduled and ready to go though as well as the history questions for each week. Now I need to go through our Map Aids and print out our maps, look through the Evaluations disc and see if I want to use any of those, and print out the Lit and geography SAP sheets. I'm seriously thinking I would like one of those wall file sleeves with nine slots to place his work in each week. (Yeah, I can't think of the name of it, nor where it was I saw it online :confused: If anyone knows what I am talking about, and where to buy one, could you zap the info my way?)

 

Also, has anyone else found it hard to turn books away?? I have been TRYING to pare down on our history this year but all the books seem SO GOOD! I don't know how someone can skip any of them. :confused: I don't use the supplements unless a primary is something I don't like, or something we've already read, and still I think TOG is going to take a good two plus hours every day...that is including Lit/ Worldview/ and Fine Arts though, so I suppose that's not terribly out of line. :confused: My dh looked at the pile of books I already own for this year (about 2ft high) and said, "Can he actually read all that in one year?" I of course told him yes. Dh looked doubtful and dubious. I almost didn't have the heart to tell him that there are 5 more books coming from Amazon and 17 from the Library....and that they will only cover 18 weeks worth of school. :lol: TOG is definitely a whole books kinda education! ;):D

[Sarah CB]

I absolutely love planning out our TOG! Is there something wrong with me?

 

Me, too! I was actually jealous of the amount of time the OP was able to devote in one sitting. I'm hoping to sit down with my TOG next week and finish the planning process. I've spent a few hours already but I need to devote some thinking and time to Canadian correlations. I'm looking forward to it and can't wait to dig in :)

[Sarah CB]

I'm seriously thinking I would like one of those wall file sleeves with nine slots to place his work in each week. (Yeah, I can't think of the name of it, nor where it was I saw it online :confused: If anyone knows what I am talking about, and where to buy one, could you zap the info my way?)

 

 

 

I have no idea what they're called, but I have a picture of one on my blog. That's what I'm using to organize each unit. I am doing my planning on a unit by unit basis and I've organized everything into weekly chunks. Each child gets a file folder for each week with everything needed inside it. I have these weekly folders in the hanging file sleeve thing :) along with a folder for myself. I'm actuallly so happy with the idea that I've started planning science out in the same way and including the papers they need for science in the weekly folders.

 

I think any teacher supply store or homeschool store would carry the file holders - I got mine from http://www.cornerstonelearning.ca

[Melissa in CA]

. (Yeah, I can't think of the name of it, nor where it was I saw it online :confused: If anyone knows what I am talking about, and where to buy one, could you zap the info my way?)

 

 

Nevermind! I found the website. :D

[Melissa in CA]

I have no idea what they're called, but I have a picture of one on my blog. That's what I'm using to organize each unit. I am doing my planning on a unit by unit basis and I've organized everything into weekly chunks. Each child gets a file folder for each week with everything needed inside it. I have these weekly folders in the hanging file sleeve thing :) along with a folder for myself. I'm actuallly so happy with the idea that I've started planning science out in the same way and including the papers they need for science in the weekly folders.

 

I think any teacher supply store or homeschool store would carry the file holders - I got mine from http://www.cornerstonelearning.ca

 

Thanks Sarah! Do you find this easier to use than, say, a file box? I'm trying to decide what would be easier to use and work best.

[Sarah CB]

Thanks Sarah! Do you find this easier to use than, say, a file box? I'm trying to decide what would be easier to use and work best.

 

I had a file box for when we did year 1, but all I had in it was our maps. I think an expandable file box would work well, but I had issues with folders slipping down and underneath other folders in the file box.

 

I like the hanging files because everyone can see them and it's easy for them to get their own files.

[BlsdMama]

Me, too! I was actually jealous of the amount of time the OP was able to devote in one sitting. I'm hoping to sit down with my TOG next week and finish the planning process. I've spent a few hours already but I need to devote some thinking and time to Canadian correlations. I'm looking forward to it and can't wait to dig in :)

 

Don't be too jealous, lol. They watched Leap Frog twice that morning and then played outside a bit with the big kids. Then napped. Then they watched tv. We don't get to watch television during the day around here so it was a BIG treat. At the same time, Ana was babysitting... And I paid for my hours sitting in this itsy bitsy computer time with scrubbing the watermelon covered kitchen. :P Oh well.

 

I found every book at the library or found subs. Found the subs, compared them and their age groupings from Amazon and slid them into the LG, UG, or D stage in place of the original recommendations. Found the spines I didn't already have on the boards. They're on their way. I printed up all the reproducibles.

 

Went to 1/2 Price Books today and found several I needed/wanted the library didn't have. I need about four more books for the first unit. Then I can into the in depth scheduling.

 

The only thing left is duplicating the weekly charts and narrowing down activities with each big kid and doing it for Lower Grammar. I think I'm about done. Oh and I haven't looked at / figured out MapAids yet. Do I need to get transparencies?

[mama25angels]

Don't be too jealous, lol. They watched Leap Frog twice that morning and then played outside a bit with the big kids. Then napped. Then they watched tv. We don't get to watch television during the day around here so it was a BIG treat. At the same time, Ana was babysitting... And I paid for my hours sitting in this itsy bitsy computer time with scrubbing the watermelon covered kitchen. :P Oh well.

 

I found every book at the library or found subs. Found the subs, compared them and their age groupings from Amazon and slid them into the LG, UG, or D stage in place of the original recommendations. Found the spines I didn't already have on the boards. They're on their way. I printed up all the reproducibles.

 

Went to 1/2 Price Books today and found several I needed/wanted the library didn't have. I need about four more books for the first unit. Then I can into the in depth scheduling.

 

The only thing left is duplicating the weekly charts and narrowing down activities with each big kid and doing it for Lower Grammar. I think I'm about done. Oh and I haven't looked at / figured out MapAids yet. Do I need to get transparencies?

 

 

oh my goodness, now i'm jealous!!!! I can't believe you got all that done, i'm impressed!!! That's great work and you have little ones in the mix. I haven't even been able to figure out what curriculum i'm going to use yet :lol:

[HappyGrace]

I hear you on the videos! My dc have been watching a few the last couple days so I can plan-a rare treat for them! And so far I've only planned my co-op class, but I have it planned right down to copies/materials needed for each week-saves me tons of time during the year. I STILL haven't touched my planning for our home stuff yet! :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm impressed how much you've gotten done with such little ones! Mine are older so it's a little easier to find the time.

 

And yes, Melissa, I'm having a horrible time paring back on books too! :glare: I keep repeating-"quality, not quantity" but it's SO hard to pick and choose when they're all so great!

[leaird]

I wish I was only on hour seven of planning. I think it must be more like week seven by now. It really is so much work to get everything planned out and prepared for the new school year. I know if I don't do it our homeschooling will crash and burn shortly after school begins. We get very busy with co-ops, sports, scouts, etc... and I just do not have the time or energy to do it week by week during the school year. However, I would like to get outside to see the sunshine soon. Who's with me?