Homeschool Journal | January 2017

In my life this month…

I set one goal for this year which is also my word of the year: healing.

In choosing my goal, I kept the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting principle in mind so that it is:
  • Specific: First, my body through nutrition - GAPS to heal and seal my gut and whole food supplements from Standard Process that feed my body...
  • Measurable: How will I know I've healed? I will have energy and feel good. I want to feel as good as I did when I was 18!
  • Attainable: I think this is attainable if I am diligent to care about myself and spend the money (real whole food supplements and real whole organic food is not cheap).
  • Realistic: I think this is realistic if I follow my nutrition protocols - even the feeling like I'm 18 again!
  • Timely: I want to give myself a 3 year time period for my body to heal itself. This may seem like a long time, but what's 3 years? Especially if I will feel great at the end! The Forbidden Doctor helped me see this. This year will simply be the first step to healing. 
My marriage needs healing, too. I had no idea when I married my husband that he was a minimalist. I didn't even know what a minimalist was 13 years ago. I am very practical about the stuff I bring into our home and generally only buy things that are useful, but we have too much stuff. I cannot write out the specifics of this goal yet, because my first healing goal is critical to this one - I need energy to clean and declutter, and I need his understanding.

In our homeschool this month…

We are reading These Happy Golden Years (aff) and doing the lessons in Prairie Primer.

We finished Lesson 8 in IEW Student Writing Intensive A (working in Unit 3). I have finished through Unit 4 in the Teaching Writing Structure and Style (TWSS) series.

We are plugging along and where we need to be in all our other subjects - except Science.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Eliana has a birthday this month. She will turn 10 so to celebrate double digits I am planning to take her to get her ears pierced.

My favorite thing this month…

Laura and Almanzo get married in These Happy Golden Years, so we are planning to make a wedding cake! I hope to teach the kids some cake decorating skills, too.

What’s not working for us…

Over planning - adding extra science to Prairie Primer has proved to be too much.

Math for Bo? He is half way through MUS Beta and while it's working, he's ready for a break (or something different?).

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…

I'm pondering curriculum choices for next year. It's a good thing I don't have the money to buy anything yet - I fall in love with one thing one day and something totally different the next, ha!

I thought about using Simply Charlotte Mason's Free Curriculum Guide to plan my year - I have several delightful living books in my cart right now, but then I am reminded of all the wonderful benefits of having something planned out for me with a boxed curriculum and start to doubt. I am more focused when my energy can go into implementing curriculum, rather than planning and scheduling it.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…


I took this photo for my most recent review, but I wanted to say how much I love this photo. Bo's beautiful long eye lashes, his warm pink cheeks from just waking up from a nap, his willing smile, and him all cozy on my bedroom chair all remind me of the two days he slept cuddled by my side with a fever. Both boys were sick in bed for two days with a mild flu - just a fever and body aches and no throwing up, thankfully. But, I miss him snuggling me all day!

On my blog in case you missed it…

MyWinter Bucket List | 52 Lists
Little Town on the Prairie | Prairie Primer
A Blogging Year in Review | 52 Lists
Currently | December 2016
Throwback Thursday | Blog Style
The Beginner's Bible | A Review

10 comments

  1. Your family and health has been on my heart and in my prayers. Love and blessings to you all. <3

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  2. I love your word of the year. Sounds like a great focus for your family. I love the picture of your son! Beautiful!! Visiting from iHomeschool Network – nice to meet you too!

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  3. I know what you mean about curriculum - I am the same way! I fall in love with one thing, buy it, it doesn't work, and repeat the process. I've been very good this year about using what we already have.

    My husband is NOT a minimalist. Quite the opposite, in fact, and it causes marital strife sometimes! I like to purge and donate frequently, and he likes to keep everything. I need to be more supportive of him, because he has his reasons.

    I have been slacking on science with my two little ones. It can be too much for me sometimes to try to do it all.

    I love your homeschool journal posts!

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  4. Yes, no money available is a GOOD thing when considering curriculum for the next year. I actually just bought a grammar curriculum last night after waiting half a school year to see if I really think we will use it. It is Fix It Grammar from IEW. I'm hopeful that this one curriculum can cover several things for us in one daily assignment(grammar and punctuation, copywork, vocabulary, handwriting). We shall see!
    Have a wonderful January!

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  5. Healing is an excellent word to focus on this year. I think we could all use it. I love your S.M.A.R.T. way of making those goals. I love that you are diligently working your way through Prairie Primer. I can totally see how adding science would be too much after doing just one book. Those guides really are packed with so much great stuff already. I will likely pick IEW SWI B up next year. I appreciate how clear the instruction is, but also having the ability to work through a unit and do something else for a time. I bet your kids have really benefited. I know mine have from just the short time we used it.

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  6. That picture sure is sweet. You have some great goals for this year (and the ones to come as you heal).

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  7. Stopping by from the Homeschool Mother's Journal linkup at iHomeschool Network. :)

    I can relate to your need to clean and declutter. We're downsizing soon and much of our stuff has got to go!

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  8. Thank you, Crystal - I so appreciate your prayers!

    Thanks for stopping by Betsy! I'm excited to get to know you through your blog.

    Megan, I've been following your journey and you are doing a great job sticking to what you have this year! I just saw you are back in the saddle with HOD, too! Looking forward to seeing how that goes for you all! Regarding your husband, it can be hard, but we have to try to meet in the middle somewhere so all can have peace. For me, it is having my own room/office but I think I need my own school room too, ha!

    Tara, I'm looking forward to seeing how you like SWI B! We will do a theme unit next year, but hope to do B as soon as Eliana is a few grades older - and then C in high school. I think we have all benefited! I can see changes in my writing already because I'm applying the dress ups, like I just did with because, ha!

    Desire, thank you - I'm very hopeful for the healing and changes to come.

    Thanks for stopping by, Emily! I'm excited to follow your journey as you downsize!

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  9. Tristan, I forgot to say that we will be using Fix It! Grammar too this coming year! I have it already printed and ready to go. I used it for a short time when I reviewed it, but now that we are doing IEW, I'm excited to use it! I think it will cover all that you think it will - in a fun way!

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  10. I am praying for your healing to come in the Father's perfect timing. May your husband be compassionate in the process.

    I understand about the curriculum choices. I think I've made my decision, as I've already shared, but I need to see it to make sure that I can truly implement it.

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