Having a little one in the School Room

You would think after all these years that I’ve been homeschooling I would know all the tricks to getting little ones to behave  during school time.  Well I don’t.  (smile)

My last little one, Laffy Taffy, was an easy going child, he was happy to play by himself, close to us, but happily occupied with this toys.  I really enjoyed doing Tot School with him because for about 30 minutes everyday he would attentively and happily learn what ever I was teaching him and then be content to play until the rest of us were done.

Enter Marshmallow Taffy.  She is loud.  She is MOODY.  She is NOT content to play by herself and 30 minutes of my individualized time is NOT enough.  I’m not really sure how our next year will go with her in the school room.  She doesn’t understand that if Mama is talking (reading out loud) that she should be quiet, instead, hearing my voice makes her want to say, “mom. MOM! Mommy! Mom!!!! MOOOOOOOOMMY!”  Louder and louder, with more and more drama and energy.  You would think the poor thing is completely neglected.  That’s so far from the truth…but still, it does pose a problem.

So this is what I’m praying through.  Praying for wisdom in how to deal with her.  How to actually teach her to be quiet, or at least quieter during school time.  I can’t do all of school during nap time.  I would love to hear how you deal with difficult children during school time.  There might be nothing I can do…I might just have to  grin and bear it until she’s older and understands more.  I’m not sure.  It does teach all the other children patience.  It teaches us all how to be gracious and it also allows more of my ugly impatientness  to be dealt with.  Many little eyes watching Mama, what will she do?  How will she respond?

The Battle is the Lord’s,

Mrs. Taffy

2013/2014 Taffy Academy

During my blogging sabbatical, I spent a lot to time rearranging and reorganizing our school room.  Being as I lost two of my students, three actually when I take into account that Strawberry does most of her studies in her room… where it’s quiet, eh hem. I figured it was time for a good old rearrange!

The view looking right.

The view looking left.

I love it.  All the books make me happy.  I would still like to replace my plastic table with a conference table.  Our plastic table wiggles when somebody uses their eraser.  That’s kind of annoying.  Mr. Taffy is also on the look out for a cheap wall TV with a built in DVD player so I can show the kids education movies from time to time without them huddling around the lap top.

My Sonlight Books  and educational DVD’s.

Here’s the fall line up for the children starting with the oldest.

Strawberry Taffy-11th Grade

• Chemistry-Apologia
• Geometry-Teaching Textbooks
• English 3 (American Literature)-Excellence in Literature
• History-Constitution 101 & 102 (Hillsdale College)
• Graphic and Web Design- Team Tree House on-line program (She’s already started this because she’s VERY interested in it.)

I put links in the text if you are interested in learning more about each of her subjects.  I’ve also got an elective planned for her called:  Training in Biblical Womanhood.  I bought her several books that she is going to slowly read and journal her way through.

I found this awesome book holder at a garage sale.  This was on my list to find for our school room!

Blue-Raspberry Taffy- 5th Grade

• 5th Grade Math-Teaching Textbooks
• History-Sonlight Core D & E (combined American History)
• Latin- Song School Latin 2
• Science- Considering God’s Creation
• Language Arts: Sonlight Core D & E (Reading), Easy Grammar, All About Reading Level 4

Strawberry Taffy-3rd Grade

• 3rd Grade Math-Teaching Textbooks
• History-Sonlight Core D & E (American History)
• Latin-Song School Latin 2
• Science-Considering God’s Creation
• Language Arts: Sonlight Core D & E (reading), Easy Grammar & All about Spelling Level 4

You can see Blue-Raspberry and Bubble Gum are pretty much doing the same curriculum, I just have different expectations for each of them.  Bubble Gum read’s terrifically and won’t have any trouble with the reading, Blue-Raspberry reads terrifically too, he just doesn’t enjoy it as much.  (smile)

Laffy Taffy- 1st Grade

I did things differently with Laffy than I did with my other children.  I couldn’t stomach another round of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  It’s a great book, but it’s SO boring and I’ve been through it 5 times already…ugh.  So I used All About Reading PreReading with him.  Usually my children are reading by the end of Kindergarten, granted he just turned 5 toward the end of kindergarten but still, he’ll be starting 1st grade and he doesn’t know how to read yet.  Though he knows all the letter sounds and how to write them on demand.  This year we’ll put all the pieces together and he’ll be reading like a champ before I know it!

• Reading-All About Reading Level 1
• Spelling- All About Spelling Level 1
• Math-Miquon Math Starting in the Orange book and working our way through them all, I’m not sure how long it will take, might take a couple years, might only take 1.
• History/Literature/Science-Sonlight Core A or K depending on what you’re used too.  I primarily wanted a list of age appropriate reading material, to read to him and to have him start reading to me. 
• Handwriting-Just a work book I got from a friend.

I’m using workboxes for him this year so he can visually see how much he needs to do and consequently know when he’s almost done. 

I read on the Duggar’s Blog that during school hours the children aren’t allowed to talk about anything non-school related.  I am totally considering copying this amazing idea.  So much chatter and so many uninteresting questions and too much redundancy, it really makes me crazy sometimes!

The Tot School Area.

We are starting up August 5th, with a four day a week schedule so we can still enjoy the summer weather and meet our friends at the beach once a week.  Until we start up, I have a BIG issue I have to pray through.  I’ll share that next time.  Here’s a hint:

The Battle is the Lord’s,

Mrs. Taffy

Weekly Wrap-Up #??

It’s been so long since I’ve written one of these that I can’t even figure out what number I’m on.  Well, we are almost done with our 2012/2013 year and that’s all that REALLY matters!

We’ve been doing some interesting things this week…

I put our normal stuff on hold because I found this hidden on my laptop.  My oldest daughter is still VERY much interested in all-things-Irish, so finding this was fun.  Now her little sibs will have something interesting to tell her.

           

Their copy work has been a famous prayer written by St. Patrick and when they finished the tracing and copying portion, I had them highlight all the prepositions, because there were MANY! 

We’ve started our Sonlight History.  I’m not really on any schedule so to speak, but I am going in the order they suggest.  So far the kids LOVE it and during the reading time they are finding interesting things to do.

They took the big markable map and matched up the state pieces from another puzzle.  I didn’t instigate this, they just thought it looked like fun.  This map…for some reason, has become the delight of the school room and somebody is always looking at it or playing with it, or if you are Marshmallow Taffy, rolling up in it like a burrito.

Marshmallow was such a good girl this week.  This is the first week she hasn’t drove me crazy…she was actually content and quiet.  We discovered she can handle dot painting and she LOVED it!  She also discovered she can maneuver the plasma car with great pizazz!

Strawberry Taffy has had a very special week.  My sweet daughter was blessed with a trip to Florida, to see her very best friend. 

Her friend is a snow bird, so she’s only here in the summer and fall.  We don’t normally, or haven’t in the passed let her, or any of our other children do something like this.  When questioned about it by a friend, this is what I said,

I know…it just sort of happened.  I’m so beyond arguing about anything and so desperate to let my children know how much I love them.  Mr. Taffy and I both had peace about it.  Strawberry and Gracie have such a special relationship, it may be a once in a life time opportunity for her.  Gracie’s Dad flew down with her and is flying back up with her too.  I don’t think we would have been okay with it had she been all alone at the airports.  I’m so glad she’s getting a break and having some fun.  She is tireless in her help to me, always cheerful, willing to do anything I ask.  She works so hard at school.  She deserved a GREAT reward.  We even gave her spending money and I bought her some new (Goodwill) clothes too.  We lavished her.  She will not forget this.  She called me Monday night in tears…she NEVER cries.  She’s just not a crier like me…but wow was she having a hard time being away.  She was SO embarrassed to be crying.  She was just homesick.  So sweet.

Obviously I changed some names, but that is what I wrote, and this still pretty much sums up how I feel about it.  She comes home Friday evening.  We can’t wait!  I’ve missed her terribly. She keeps me company during the day.  We are both introverts so we know how to give each other space, but we also know how to be silly and yak, yak, yak and she makes me the BEST smoothies EVERY afternoon!

While she’s been gone we had an epic snowstorm!

School was cancelled for the older two and Mr. Taffy stayed home! Of course, our homeschool went on as usual but they got plenty of time to play out in that delightful white fluff!

I think we got at least a foot of snow.  And, believe it or not, we had our bedroom window open all night during the storm, it was pretty mild out and I KNOW I could smell spring on that back of that storm.  I can still smell it if I breathe deep enough.

Breathing Deeply,

Mrs. Taffy

2013/2014 Homeschool Proposal

It’s that time of year for me.  The time when I purpose to put my ideas and plans to paper, to create a proposal for our next homeschool year so we can take the money out of our tax return.  So without further ado, here it is. 

Strawberry Taffy (Non-PSEO Version)-11^th Grade

1. Language Arts

a. American Literature: A Survey Course - $27.00

b. We own all the books or can get them from the library.

2. Math

a. Teaching Textbooks: Geometry

3. Science

a. Apologia Chemistry

4. Foreign Language

a. Rosetta Stone: Irish 1 & 2 -$299.00

b. This will last for 2 years unless she really gets into it then we may have to purchase another year.

5. History

a. History 101: Hillsdale College

b. Constitution 101: Hillsdale College

6. Electives

a. Preparing to be a HelpMeet by Debi Pearl-$14.00

b. Joyfully at Home by Jasmine Baucham- $17.00

c. It’s (not that) Complicated by Botkin- $15.00

d. One Thousand Gifts by Ann VosKamp-$10.00

Blue-Raspberry Taffy-5th Grade

1. Language Arts

a. Daily Grams (Grammar)

b. *Sonlight Core 2 & 3 (Reading)

c. All About Spelling Level 4 & 5- $39.95+shipping level 4 (Spelling)

2. Math

a. Teaching Textbooks: Grade 5

3. Science

a. Considering God’s Creation

4. History

a. Sonlight Core 2 & 3

5. Geography

a. United States

b. Galloping the Globe

c. Sonlight

*A friend of mine has retired from homeschooling and she has graciously given me 4 years worth of Sonlight.  I am so blessed by her generosity, I have always wanted to try Sonlight but have never been able to spend the money.  I have buckets of books in our school room that I have to find a place for now…that’s a small inconvenience though!  Wow!

Bubble Gum Taffy (3rd Grade)

1. Language Arts

a. Daily Grams (Grammar)

b. Sonlight Core 2 & 3 (Reading)

c. All About Spelling Level 4 & 5 (See Blue-Raspberry)

d. Startwrite (Handwriting)

2. Math

a. Teaching Textbooks 3

3. Science

a. Considering God’s Creation

4. History

a. Sonlight Core 2 & 3

5. Geography

a. United States

b. Galloping the Globe

c. Sonlight Core 2 & 3

Laffy Taffy-1st Grade

1. Language Arts

a. All About Spelling Level 1 (Spelling)

b. All About Reading Level 1 & 2-$99.95 + shipping (Reading)

c. Startwrite (Writing)

2. Math

a. Haven’t totally decided what to use here, I have plenty in my school room to supplement him though.

3. Science

a.Considering God’s Creation

4. Geography

a. United States

5. Thinking Skills

a. Learning Resources Creative Color Cubes-$20.00

Marshmallow Taffy-Tot School

· Do-a-dot paints-$14.99

· Learning Resources Smart Snacks Alpha Pops-$14.99

· Magnatab Lowercase-$20.00

There you have it.  I have two graduating this year so I won’t be buying any more curriculum for them.  Only the items with prices next to them are things I need to buy.  I’m feeling pretty good about my proposal.  I was very committed to using what I already had and that has helped to keep expenses down.  I will also be adding several CLEP tests to my proposal and various expenses for the Teach them Diligently Conference that we are attending in Omaha, NE come May. EXCITING!!

Have you made a plan for the next school year?

The Battle is the Lord’s,

Mrs. Taffy

Weekly Wrap-up 15

In case you are wondering…many of these recipes can be found under my recipes tab.

Tot School~

Marshmallow, sweet Marshmallow.  Oh how I love you and your sweet little gooey face!  She’s been sick this week so she’s been sleeping through most of our morning school times. 

Kindergarten~

Laffy Taffy started his new math book, working with the geoboard. He really likes it so far, though gets a little frustrated because a couple of our rubber bands are little big, so they don’t make nice straight lines. 

I found this cute little book at the library, it’s full of simple pictures of things associated with Thanksgiving.  He did very well with this book!

Elementary School~

Bubble Gum  working on the beautiful copywork that I found on this site. 

4th Grade Math

Bubble Gum and Blue-Raspberry working on their Thanksgiving Lapbooks.  We are really enjoying this mellow low key unit.  I’ve been reading to them, from two different books, we are doing copy work, and the lapbooks.  Along with their math, they learning so much and have had such a nice time.  I’m so glad I’ve taken this break from the normal to do something  a little different!

Sorry I don’t have more pictures…I hurt my back on the treadmill and I had Marshmallow’s little cold, so I’ve been a little slow this week.  Joyful, but slow. 

How was your week?

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

Weekly Wrap-up Week 14

I just decided to keep this running theme of showcasing some of the different things we ate this week.  It really does help me in some strange way.  The pictures aren’t brilliant because I just took them with my phone, but I think they look pretty tasty still, even if my tortillas aren’t round, I am getting better at being consistent with their shape though.  (grin)

Okay, on to the children…

Tot School~

     

Coloring and Stamping.  She’s claimed this seat at the little table for her own.  All of Bubble Gum’s papers have little baby scribbles on them, at least it’s peaceful this way!

Watching an intense game of Chess.  She climbed up on the table all by herself and just sat down and watched like she knew what was going on.  It’s amazing watching her transition from being a baby to being an active member of the family, participating in things, expressing her opinion, wanting to be involved, clearly communicating.  She is approaching my favorite age (2) and I find myself delighting in her more every day!

Kindergarten~

A little Cowboy joined us one day…working on his Song School Latin Coloring Pages…

    

Matching up Lowercase and Capital Letters in his pocket chart and showing off his final page of this Linking Cubes book.  He finished it this week and was VERY pleased with himself.  I’ve had this book for years, since Banana Taffy was 4, love it!

2nd & 4th Grade~

     

Blue-Raspberry wrote a poem about the weather in his Write Shop book and illustrated it .  He did such a nice job that we thought it deserved a special piece of paper and his best cursive handwriting.  We made a copy of it and sent it to Grandma Judy.  Surprise Mom! 

Bubble Gum finished level 2 of All about Spelling.  So proud of her!!  We hung her certificate up in the school room so she can feel good about her accomplishment.

Okay, so this was really fun.  Erica provided the skeleton printable, I laminated the different bones and stuck magnets on the back, the kids worked on putting the bones in the correct places.  They really enjoyed this activity. 

Highschool~

This is my daily view of Strawberry Taffy.  She’s such a focused student.  She worked extra hard this week so she could take Friday off.  She’s about to finish her first history book and has finished her first logic book.  I’m giving her a break from both subjects until after Christmas break.  She’ll read the second history book then and start the second half of logic.  She’s taking the Plan test in a couple weeks to get ready for PSEO. She’s also studying to take the Biology CLEP.

She got inspired to make sugar cookies, she was so ambitious that she made a double batch including fall and Christmas cut-outs!  Yay Strawberry!

We had a big week for my high school seniors.  It started out with me making their official transcripts and getting a plan in place for their final semester of high school and their 4th semester of college.

My planning mess…

The all important file box that holds every important piece of paper for their education. 

Here they are, I actually got a picture of them this week.  Here we are waiting for an appointment with a Guidance Counselor at a University that they boys will (if they get accepted) be taking their final semester at.  This is the school that Banana will be able to get his Law Enforcement Degree from and it’s the school that has the science classes that Chocolate needs for his Mechanical Engineering Degree.  I had to take the two littlest ones with me, but they were very good and this was a very proactive and out-of-my-comfort zone thing to do!  lol  I’m experiencing a HUGE learning curve here.  Phew.  Good thing my sons are so patient with me. 

Another big thing week was the meeting regarding graduation.  They have to apply to graduate with the group that hosts their PSEO classes.  We went to a informational meeting and turned in applications.  We’ll find out next week if they get to graduate with their friends.  I hope they do, I’m so excited for them to have this experience!

I could say more, we had a pretty big week, but I have limited space left for photos on blogger, so I’ll stop now. 

Thanking God for the ability to homeschool and be involved in all these little details!

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy