Homeschool Journal | February 2017

In my life this month… 

cleaning, organizing, and rearranging the house and feeling more energy.

looking forward to celebrating Malachi's 12th birthday later this month.

In our homeschool this month…


we're reading The First Four Years and then we'll be on our last book - Farmer Boy.

Eliana is writing a report on elephants, and Malachi is writing a report on Ants for IEW. This takes us through the end of Lesson 12 and the end of Disc 3. Two more lessons to go.

I am working through Life of Fred Fractions with Malachi, and I remember what I love about Fred so much. We are on the final bridges and will start Decimal's and Percents this month. Malachi tested into Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra, so I am considering it for 7th grade along with Life of Fred Pre-Algebra. I like the idea of using Teaching Textbooks because it includes lectures, practice problems, and plenty of review, but it also grades it all, so I love the idea of doing both.


I'm using Eclectic Foundations Level B with Bo. So far he loves the McGuffey reader and the poetry, and doesn't seem to mind the grammar lessons, but I will for sure continue All About Reading for phonics lessons.

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

I'd love to take the kids to a nature trail and take them sledding again.

Kids are playing chess at the Y once a week. Malachi is also playing in the adult chess league on Wednesday night.

My favorite thing this month…

I have been on GAPS for one month, and I'm doing really well on it. My sugar cravings are gone, but I still have a Lily's chocolate bar (stevia sweetened, not GAPS legal) for a treat. The kids are doing it with me and I've noticed they seem more calm and focused. I feel more calm and focused!

What’s working for us…

our new school room! I have been moving bedrooms around so I can move school upstairs. I moved the little boys from the biggest bedroom in the house into Eliana's room which is perfect because they have a bigger closet and each have their own corner of the room now. I moved all of my school stuff into the living room so I could move Dylan into the office/library downstairs. Then I moved Eliana into Dylan's old room and I made the little boys old room a school room. I'm really loving all the changes! I especially love having my own space for school stuff and not having it scattered all through the house.

What's not working for us... 

the accumulation of books and tubs of curriculum, papers, folders, and binders from 12 years of homeschooling. I don't even know where or how to start organizing it all. I've taken most of my keeper books upstairs to the new school room, but have so much that I need to part with.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…

I'm trying to be honest with myself with regards to what I can and can't do right now and be okay with it.

Since I can't eat all the wonderful things I would want to cook with Farmer Boy, I am thinking about what I should do. Should I read it now and do what I can do? Or should I wait until summer or when I can do more with it?

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

Our 1 Second Everyday video for January 2017:



I have a hard time remembering to take a video everyday, and my shots aren't that creative, but I really love the app.

On my blog in case you missed it…

Currently | January 2017
Homeschool Mid-Year Update | Boaz
Homeschool Mid-Year Update | Malachi & Eliana
Homeschool Mid-Year Update | Dylan

6 comments

  1. I just ordered those two Life of Fred books last week. Glad to know they've been good for your family! :)

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  2. Ok, so first of all I adore the video! So amazing how all those little moments add up to so much beauty. How fun to capture them and to be able to save them. We love Fred so much too! I'm looking forward to you sharing more about Teaching Textbooks and how you utilize both of those together. We have used Fred since K, and I know we would mourn not continuing with it. I feel like it teachers far more than just math. SO good!

    I've been thinking a lot about how to shift things around too. I love having a dedicated school room, but practically I want to get nearer to the heart of the house and to get more light. The kitchen table didn't work for us because it meant the table held more books than food. I'm hammering that out in my mind. I too have a lot of sifting to do too. I'm hoping to for real tackle it all over the next few breaks and this summer. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  3. Thank you, Tara. ♥ I hope you can find a happy place. I think I have for the first time and I'm looking forward to not having to move every season just to have better light (since I'm above the tree line being upstairs), and I love that I can leave books out because no one will see when I do! :D I'm really looking forward to getting it all organized this spring and taking some pictures! It's one of the best things I have done for my homeschool (and sanity). I hope you can find that happy place too. ♥ Can't wait to talk more about TT, too! :)

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  4. I'm so happy that you are loving your rearrangement. I can relate to the accumulation of books and "stuff" that seem to clutter not only the house, but my heart. I struggle with knowing what I should purge vs. what I need to keep.

    I hope that you are staying warm! We are half way through winter :)

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  5. It has been cold with lots of snow, but a warm win blew in yesterday and we had 40 degree weather! It's supposed to get up to 46 today and feels like spring! haha

    I got books on the shelves in the school room and the desks cleared off - I have empty tubs in the hall to start organizing the piles. I'm feeling the need to really purge, so I'm going to try to apply the Marie Condo method and only keep what brings me joy. I was doing great with her book until I got to books, but it's time. :)

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  6. I loved reading your post and seeing your beautiful kiddos. Sounds like you guys are having fun and the switch-a-ru is always refreshing!!

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