This past week has been extremly hectic and chaotic. My inlaws were here for a visit. D/S's birthday was last Wednesday and really I have just been hanging on to my sanity by my fingernails. I had been religiously using my Homeschool Tracker to track assignments (by the way, I love this thing. It is a Godsend!), attendance, etc.. and I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and realized that even though I had been giving d/s assignments and he had been completing them, I had not entered anything on my tracker for over a week. Luckily I found all of the work he had done and entered it all so I am now caught up, but I also realized I did not have a clue what d/s was going to work on today. So I sat down to work on it and came up with my plan for today. I know that since I only withdrew d/s from school on April 11th, that I should probably cut myself a little slack and relax a bit, but we've established a good little routine and it's tough but d/s is really trying to exert some self discipline, so I don't want to give him a license to get away with murder, if you know what I mean. I guess what I am saying is I feel a little overwhelmed. It's not just the homeschool stuff, its just everything. Compounded by the fact that I need to find some decent curriculum for Kindergarten and Grade 2 that will inspire my children to take an active interest in it, so that homeschool doesn't become a battleground. I have looked over many websites and really tried to actively shop around, but it all seems so intangible. I just can't seem to wrap my brain around any of it. I thought that perhaps if I could find a hoomeschool bookfair or something where I could see it in person, it would make life so much easier, but I cannot find any in the Central Indiana/Illinois area to attend. I have several workbooks here that d/s really dislikes. Especially Abeka math. He does very well with computer based Math programs and is making good progress with multiplication. But let's face it, if you want to be a good writer, then you really need to write. If anyone knows of any book fairs in this area or has any suggestions, I would certainly welcome them. Also, I want to say how much I appreciate all of you. You all are kind of like my own personal support group. Thanks for all your help.
Do you have any homeschooling friends that live near you? Are you part of a group of some kind? If so, ask them to see what they use. I know there's a conference in Indianapolis, but it may be over already. We will be having one in Columbus, Ohio in June. I know that's a ways for you, but if you're interested, here's the web site for info: www.cheohome.org I know what you're saying about wanting to get your hands on the books. I'm the same way! Also, check out the local library. Ours has many of the curriculum that I can borrow. You wouldn't believe how many books everyone else loves I've borowed from the library and found that they would NOTwork for me!!!
There are currics that are at my christian books store, I tend to go there to play with the books, I actually sit on the floor and thumb through them to see what they are REALLY like, cause web sites only show you the exciting stuff.... that is how I chose what to get for ds9 next year. If you have a barns and nobles or something go check out some of thier books too, it helps to touch the stuff.... some places also offer 30 trials so you can check it hands on and send it back if you dont want it... I think AOP offers 90 days return !
I have no idea where these are in relation to you but.... some of the fairs a have already passed so...you could track them for next year. Illinois www.apachecentralillinois.org www.iche.org www.homeeducatorsconference.org Indiana www.fwahs.org www.inhomeeducators.org www.mche.net www.swihe.org HTH
my nearest is in Sacramento, turns out hubby has to go out of town for work that weekend , so kinda stops that one... Deena when are some conferences in Wa?
There are two that just got over I believe. I'll have to check closer and see..... WHO (Washington Homeschool Org.) is June 15&16 in Puyallup...... Here's a website to check a couple of things out: http://www.washhomeschool.org/ Jordan and Jared Hulcey, sons of Jessica Hulcey (the author of KONOS) will be there this year! Plus some other good people.
Yeah, the co-author of KONOS!!!! Mrs. Jessica Hulcy. Did I mention that we are hosting her in Sept? Whoop! lol
when we pulled ds in 3rd grade, he was very anti school, anti reading, generally anti, LOL. He especially hated workbooks. What we did in the begining was I would read a book to him, and he would write a sentence about it and draw a picture. We read about all kinds of things, factual stuff and legends.myhts of other cultures. Anything he was interested in to get him to cooperate. After a while, we started doing more structured stuff, when he was more cooperative, and it gave me a chance to find things bit by bit......maybe you could do something similar. It gets heaps easier to choose curriculum resources as you go, you kind of get a feel for what works for you & yours. edited to add: it would give you time to go to the fairs and that sort of thing too.
I told my sis I may show up for it! depends, cause my hubby has a business trip the week before, and my ladies retreat is the weekend after so it would be a quick trip up, and back, with a little gathering of my parents articles in between and signing anything I need to,
I really can't express how much I appreciate all of you and your sage advice. It was funny that someone mentioned a book fair on Memorial Day weekend in Wisconsin. I think we'll be in the Dells that week, so it is not out of the question for me to drive an hour to the fair. I always tell people that our steps are ordered and there is no such thing as a coincidence. It would appear that I have a very important appointment with someone or something for the last week of May. It seems I am going there for a reason, whether I no why I'm there or not.
Wow, AussieMum, That's what I did with my anti-everything 2nd grader! Because of what happened there, he hated school, reading and about everything else, so I did a lot of reading and encouraging the first few months! Now he's in highschool, and we're still homeschooling, and he doesn't hate school! And I'm pretty sure he likes his teachers!
Deena that's so cool...I begin to think we're kindred spirits...like in Anne of green Gables! It's great to know that there's a happy ending to the story. ds is in 5th grade now, and is so much better, he's like a different child, but we still have a long way to go!
