I'm excited - William is not :)

We will be joined this week by my neice, who still has a week before her public school starts. She's been saying she's bored so I thought it may be fun for her to see what William does all week and have a place to go before her school starts back.

I already have the majority of planning done thanks to the Full Year Notebook System that I bought. I sat down one day about a month ago with my book plan and information and planned out about 12 weeks. I could have gone further but I ran out of the plastic sheets I use to put the papers into the notebook. I'll probably stick with the 12 weeks at a time, though, and spend time planning every few months instead of weekly. However, I will be going through my Tivo and my website favorites for information related to the study topic at the time.

I don't date my notebook pages, I just follow along day by day, checking off as we go. It's a good way to realize where we're moving too fast and where we need to speed up.

The first week's plan is as follows:

Math - Still using the Rod and Staff grade 4 book I bought a few years ago at a homeschool book sale. We're still focusing on multiplication for right now.

English / Spelling - I have an Alpha Omega English work text I also got from the same book sale. We'll begin by writing research reports then moving into book reports. I'm not going to have him report on what the work text says, I'm going to let him write about what he wants. We'll continue to focus on sentence structure and punctuation at this point. Spelling will be done using word lists from Spelling for Pennies.

Science - We'll begin our chemistry co-op in September. Until then we'll be reading some biographies. We're starting with Isaac Newton and I also found a book at my local library called Famous Men of Science. I'm thinking I also need to find a book called Famous Women of Science :)

History - We'll be reading This Country of Ours, beginning with chapter 64 as per the Ambleside Online year 5 schedule. We'll also be reading Life of Lincoln by Henry Ketcham and First Across the Continent:Lewis and Clark. I'm going to supplement these readings with information from various websites. Here are some Lewis and Clark websites I found:

Discovering Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark Mapping the West
National Park Service - Lewis and Clark historical trail site

Geography - We're continuing our co-op with our homeschool group. It doesn't begin until September, so we'll be using Tenn's ideas and studying the country and culminate with the speech at the co-op class. September's topic is Scotland. We'll start with locating the country on a map and learning about the various cities. Some sites about Scotland:

Historic Scotland
A map of Scotland
World Atlas maps of Scotland and the UK

Literature - These will probably be our read alouds. We'll be reading King Arthur and His Knights and continuing with Age of Fable.

PE / Health - I'll be adding a health class this year using Time Life book I found at a used book store. It begins with the human body at conception, so we'll be including "the talk" into that lesson as well. PE will consist of karate twice a week and horseback riding once a week.

Other - I want to include some type of art appreciation into the curriculum, even if it's just a visit to a museum or finding a good coffee table book or calendar of various art prints. I purchased some classical music cassettes from CBD from their bargain bin. I plan to listen to those during lunch and other break times. We'll also listen to Lamb's Shakespeare on CD, read some poetry by Rudyard Kipling and go through a CD about public speaking off and on. I'm not sure how we'll fit these things into our schooling quite yet, though.

I have my Tivo wishlist set for keywords for Lincoln, Lewis and Clark, and Scotland. If anything interesting pops up on the schedule I'll be sure to post it as well.

William's riding lessons are going well. We had a morning class today and he did his first trail ride :) He was very happy at getting to ride somewhere other than the practice ring. The instructor said they may also be getting another student to join the class.

William will be going with my mother and neice to Cherokee, North Carolina, this weekend for a family reunion. It will be his first time gone without either me or his father. I figure it will be good practice for a possible stay with his Nana in Florida at some point.

Well, when next I post our 5th grade year will have begun. I hope everyone else had a great summer and that you'll have a great school year as well!

Here I am again, plugging my book Life Lessons :)

The wire bound book is still available at Cafe Press, but for those who don't mind an ebook copy I'd like to make an offer. The actual book at Cafe Press is $12.99. If you would like to purchase a copy in pdf format you can send $5.00 to my Paypal account. Include a valid email address and I'll send it out to you right away as an attachment or, if you would rather not accept attachments, I'll set it up on my family website server and send you a link where you can download a copy in pdf format. You can read the preface and the first 5 pages here in pdf format. These example pages are formatted differently than the finished book. You can also hear my interview from Homeschool Talk Radio here in the archives. Scroll down to the week of June 6 to find me :)

The email for my Paypal account is pineywoodsbooks@alltel.net.

I don't just have the book in my Cafe Press shop. I have created some Homeschool Field Trip T-Shirts, some tote bags, journals, and other things. The photographs used are my own.

For those of you not familiar with my book I'll include a little bit of history. I kept a journal of our first year of homeschooling - all the ups and downs and problems faced, along with the victories. This journal is the chronicle of our first year of homeschooling, along with current thoughts from the present as we ended our second full year and began our third. I hope that anyone who reads the book, whether a veteran homeschooler or a beginner, will get something out of our journey from that first year as we went from "trying it out" to committing to the lifestyle.

Mellie Helen at Golly Blog Howdy has posted about her temp jobs. I'm sure they were just regular temp jobs but being able to work around actors and the entertainment industry sounds exciting to this country girl :) I've also temped a few jobs here and there, one of which changed my life.

I got my first temp jobs almost just out of high school. I went to Manpower and Kelly services to take their secretarial tests. I was the only one who passed 100% on filing, which was pretty much putting names on a list in alphabetical order. I typed back then about 50 wpm, now I'm closer to 65wpm on a good day.

When my dh was in the military in Colorado I temped because I was expecting William during that time and I knew I couldn't get a full-time job while pregnant. I did a lot of secretarial stuff - answering phones, some catch up filing, stuff like that. I was at an insurance company for 2 days once and I had the following conversation with an employee:

Her: So, are you looking for something full-time?
Me: No, not right now. I'm expecting my baby in about 2 weeks.
Her: You're pregnant? I couldn't tell!

You most certainly COULD tell. I was wearing the only maternity dress I owned, which was also the nicest maternity item that I had. At home I just wore big T shirts and sweats. I guess she thought I was just fat? I enjoyed the 2 days there, though, everyone was really nice. They invited me on their walking breaks and to join them for lunch in their break room.

I was called from the temp agency to work again about a week after William was born and I turned them down, explaining I had just had my baby. The following week I got a card signed from everyone at the temp service. They were also really nice.

Upon returning to Georgia I had 2 jobs before losing one and going with another temp service. I worked in many places for this company. One was an architectural firm who built water towers. Yep, no fancy house blueprints here, just water towers and treatment plants. From that job I went to the detective division of a local police department. This was the job that changed my life. It was the entire reason I learned to use a computer at all. This is what happened.

I'd always done secretarial stuff, typing on typewriters, answering phones, but I had no clue how to use a computer. This was in 1996. The last time I used a computer it was my family's old Tandy with no hard drive and a 5 1/4" floppy drive back in the 80's. The job at the police department was very computer heavy. Even though I told them I didn't know the programs they still sent me there. I was the third person to go there, only because I knew how to type. The current girl was leaving for another job. I later found out she was going to marry her former boss, which is why she had to leave.

She showed me her report templates she'd put together using Word Perfect and the database program they used to keep track of aliases and other information on subjects. That was really cool and I picked it up fast. I found out they were accepting applications for the job full time so I applied. I tried to do everything I possibly could do to do the job right. I even arranged my schedule to do filing, reports, phone calls, etc. There was also an awful lot about the job that was depressing, however. I had to type up reports on investigations including child abuse, child neglect and endangerment and other police information. That was difficult for me to handle. I did get to sit in on a training session, though, where they showed how to make a footprint cast with plaster.

One day, though, things went from bad to worse. I was trying to type out a report, messed it up, and accidently ERASED the entire template. I freaked. I called the former employee and she came over and tried to fix it, but it was gone. I was so upset.

Within the next 2 days I came in to work and the first phone call I answered was from the police department's HR department. They said they no longer needed me and that I should report to the temp service again. I asked why they let me drive 50 miles to come into work just to let me go. They said I needed to speak to the temp service, it was under the police Lt.'s orders. I went right back to his office and demanded why he was letting me go with no word and why he didn't tell me that the previous day. I knew he didn't really want to face me. He just said they were about to hire someone full-time and no longer needed a temp. I knew they were sending over another temp, he was lying to my face. I knew it was because of my screw up.

I went out to my car and just cried. When I cranked up the car Carman's "Step of Faith" was playing on the radio. At this point I had been out of work for months and felt like I had no faith left. I was really hoping to get this job at the police department. I went to the temp service and they placed me right away in another job - sitting in a room filing - but I was still so upset I really didn't do my best at that job. Later on my mom told me about the cell phone company she was an agent for, so I applied with them, got the job, and stayed with them for 3 years.

But how did the job at the police department change my life? I swore I would not EVER make such a stupid mistake again. I got $200 from my parents as a birthday gift in 1997. I used that money to buy a computer running Windows 3.1. It had no modem and had maybe a 4mb hard drive. I didn't even know what the internet was. I got some type of word processing program and a book - Windows 3.1 for Dummies and a PC troubleshooting book - and I read them and played with the computer. I did our budget on the computer, I typed, I played games, I learned how to copy / paste, load programs, etc. The following year I purchased another computer running Windows 95 with a 14.4K modem, 8mb hard drive, and got dial up service. I'd previously been on the internet at the library and a few times at work and was hooked. I continued learning Word, Publisher, Excel, and any other program I could get my hands on. I also continued updating my computers until I now have a much faster computer with DSL service. I actually bought some extra memory for this computer the other day and actually installed it myself! I am now able to teach others how to use their computer the way that I learned.

And what about the police job? My dad met with one of the police officers at the Huddle House one night and he told him to tell me not to take getting let go personally. He said it wasn't about me - they were going through the motions on taking applications for the job anyway. See, the chief of police had his own secretary and she had a sister who needed a job. Guess who got the job?

But I can see now, on the other side, how getting that job led to another job which led to another and so on - and now I am able to work from home using my computer, talk to people around the world on the internet and share my fascinating life with everyone who wishes to read my blog :) All from being fired from a temp job :)

Can you homeschool when you work for pay? Yes, you can. However, it takes a lot of committment and flexibility.

When we removed William from a private school in 2003 I was working outside of the home. I was lucky enough to work for a family owned business. My brother has a public schooled daughter who stayed at the store on holidays and during the summer, so there should have been no problem with William coming to the store. However, when that child is a homeschooled child and the grandparents don't necessarily agree with homeschooling it can be difficult.

My dh works nights and at the time he was getting off work around 9am and would be home around 9:30 or 10am. I had to be at work by 9am, so basically the plan was for William to start on his work around 9:00am and finish it at home with his dad. That didn't work out. Why? Because I had a job to do and when I was helping customers or answering the phone I couldn't help William with his math or reading. I was criticized for the read-alouds we do of harder material. Even customers chimed in with their 2 cents on why he should be in school. When he went home with his dad they would play computer games and his dad would go to sleep and nothing would be done. Then when I brought my laptop for him to use during his time there my brother disconnected the router that made the laptop capable of connecting to the internet. All of this culminated in me quitting my job with my family and going solo. I had known for a while, though, that I needed to focus on my family and his education. I was being torn apart and it was impossible to homeschool him while fighting my family.

I was finally able to find a work from home job shortly before I quit my job with my family. I cannot say exactly what I do, but if you look at this board - wahm.com - you will find lots of job listings, forums, and lots more information. This board is totally free and I have no affiliation with them whatsoever except that I check in from time to time to get tips, advice and leads. All the jobs are legitimate! You really do get paid and the best part is you can work around your child's schedule! To me that was the best part about finding a job from home.

My mother's main argument against homeschooling was the ever present socialization, however whenever I had a park day or field trip planned she would leave the store and tell me that I had to stay and work. This caused a lot of contention between us as we were supposed to be partners in the store. Now I don't have to worry about working when something is scheduled or having a problem when William is sick. I've also been able to pick up some additional typing and other computer type work for local people in town. I'm able to bring William along with me and not feel guilty for anything.

Homeschooling already takes a committment and working from home takes a committment as well. You have to schedule yourself and keep to your schedule - which I'm not good at, BTW, but I'm getting better. There has to be a plan or it won't work out. Something will suffer - your work, your house, your homeschooling. If you can find a good balance it can be great.

My main problem with working an outside job was that they were all 8-5 type jobs. I am NOT a morning person. By arranging my own schedule I'm able to work in the evenings and even late at night and sleep late in the morning. All jobs work best if you can arrange them to fit you.

It also works out well that my dh works nights. That did take some getting used to, but if you and your spouse work in an industry that allows evening or night shifts then you don't have to worry about childcare while your children are young. I've read of many parents who work different shifts in nursing while homeschooling and caring for their children.

So what if you have an office job that is one of these 8-5 things and you would like to homeschool? Some families have supportive family members such as grandparents who will babysit. If not family, then sometimes other homeschooled families will take care of children while the parent is at work. The parent usually plans out the school day and the children does the work at the family member's or sitter's home. The sitter is not responsible for "making" the child do the work - that is still on the parents' shoulders. As stated earlier, working split shifts with your spouse can be the answer the childcare dilema. However, if you are a single parent, then finding someone to help you, whether family or a friend or a paid sitter, can be worth it.

I probably work 20-30 hours per week from home, but it doesn't seem like it because it's all broken up. I usually work 3 hours in the morning then another 2 in the afternoon. I work on weekends from about 8am - 2:30pm with a few breaks, then the rest of the day is mine. I usually take Monday off to recover from my busy weekend and have a family day. I have also changed my days off at times to coincide with my dh's days off so we can go on a family outing or complete a housecleaning project together. During the summer when we are not doing bookwork I plan a few field trips and play dates that would normally be scheduled for our homeschooling time. It's really become a lot of fun to be home.

I would like to mention one last thing about working and homeschooling. If you are financially able to work only part-time that could totally change your outlook on life. I consistently had headaches and upper back pain during the entire time I worked outside of the home and even when I worked for my parents. That consistent pain is now gone. I'm able to work 20-30 hours per week only because we don't have credit cards bills or new car payments hanging over our heads. We try to keep a savings account of over $1000 and budget for bills like propane and insurance that aren't paid monthly. We aren't perfect at it, but it's definitely given us peace in our family. Our ultimate goal is to be able to have funds to retire and live in a paid for house without having to be concerned about money. We aren't debt free - yet - but that is also our ultimate goal.

If you want to homeschool while working, I say put a plan in motion and go for it! But also consider finding a work at home job or a part-time job to take some of the stress off of you. Get some money in savings and pay off the credit cards. It will bring more peace and togetherness to your family.

The new Harry Potter book will be released at midnight tonight in many areas. We're leaving here at 6pm to head to the Barnes and Noble in Columbus, GA to attend their party, culminating in a midnight release of the book. We were planning to go to dinner and movie this afternoon as well but decided to eat at home and save the money and just go up for the festivities this evening. I'm bringing the camera so I can capture some of the fun. I'm sure some people will be dressed up and there are supposed to be owls and a magician and other fun things. I'll post some pictures sometime tomorrow or Sunday.

Your Career Type: Investigative

You are precise, scientific, and intellectual. Your talents lie in understanding and solving math and science problems. You would make an excellent: Architect - Biologist - Chemist Dentist - Electrical Technician - Mathematician Medical Technician - Meteorologist - Pharmacist Physician - Surveyor - Veterinarian The worst career options for your are enterprising careers, like lawyer or real estate agent.

Now, this is weird. Usually I come up as an accountant or other type of financial person. I don't know that I would be a good chemist and definitely NOT a mathematician or a doctor. Any of the medical jobs would not be me because I hate blood :)

However, I find the Investigative title intriguing. I always loved law shows, like Matlock, LA Law and the old Perry Masons. I loved it when the lawyers tripped up the witnesses and solved the cases. I also liked Lois Lane on Superman, tracking down the truth as an investigative reporter, and detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Kinsey Milhone and currently on TV, Monk. I'm also a major fan of CSI - the original please - although I couldn't do a job like that in a million years. Actually the lab job looks pretty intriguing. As I get older I find myself more and more interested in politics. I write letters to my representatives and letters to the editor of the paper and am more apt to speak out on things I don't agree with in public. I think that is a bit of investigative work as well.

I just find it weird that the quiz says "Investigative" and doesn't mention reporters or detectives or police officers.

I've been watching the news since the attacks in London. My prayers are with everyone in the UK and I hope the few UK readers I've had are OK as well as their families.

It also hit me last night while watching the late news - I was planning to go to London this summer to spend 6 weeks studying writing and literature through a college program. If I had been able to go, I would be there now. I mentioned it to my dh and he said he had already thought of that. Even though it was a big disappointment to me at the time when we couldn't get the money together, it's now a relief for him that I am here safe instead of across the ocean. But that makes me think of the people from my college that DID go and I wonder if they are OK?

I still want to visit London one day. Terrorists are not going to take away what I've wanted to do for so long.

I cannot believe that we only have one month before we start back with school! Aak! Where has summer gone? I have to finish planning. I have to clean. I have to get to the library and pay our fine and look at books!

We'll start back on August 1. I know that seems kind of early, but since we relax so much during the school year it helped to start early so we can be at least 3/4 finished with my plan by the end of May.

We're planning to attend the Barnes and Noble Harry Potter release party on July 15 at midnight. We'll spend a few hours out, eat dinner somewhere, then enjoy the festivities and ride home with a flashlight so we can begin book 6 :) The 16th is also my birthday, so it will be a mini family party for us. Then the following week I'm going to order an ice cream cake and spend some time with the rest of my family to celebrate my birthday. I've always wanted an ice cream cake for a party.

We really need to get cracking if we're going to finish Robinson Crusoe before we start on Harry Potter.

I took pictures during the 2nd lesson on Tuesday and will have them posted to my family homepage by tomorrow morning. The link to the family website is here and you can find a link on that page for the riding lessons. Photos will be there. Here is one photo of William and his training horse, September:





His second lesson went very well. The grooming went a bit faster this time though he's still unsure about cleaning the feet. The instructor doesn't take a "no" from him. If he says "no" she makes him do it. William and his classmate make a good team when it comes time to put on the bridle and saddle. Her horse wouldn't take the bit and they kept working together to get the bridle on. Finally the horse accepted the bit and I heard William say "Hurry and get it over his ears before he spits it out." He's having a good time with riding. His homework is to write out 5 goals he wants to accomplish with riding over the next few months. One goal is to go on a trail ride with his Granny.

Lesson 2 again consisted of learning how to control the horse. They rode around the corral cones again then weaved in and out of cones. After that they did a medium trot, not too fast but faster than they've been riding.

On the way home we had a deep discussion about deodarant, antiperspirant, what the products did and when should a person start using them. Another reminder that my baby is growing up. We went to Walmart to buy boots for him tonight for the class. He bought a size 9 1/2 mens!

We also had a discussion about Heaven and why when someone dies we tell the ones left behind that they'll see them again someday. While the people saying that usually mean it as a comfort to the loved ones, I know that deep down the loved ones would rather have that person still be down here with them, not up in Heaven. It's a hard discussion to have with an 11 year old but he can be pretty deep at times. I also believe he's starting to notice girls more and he's not finding them as gross as he used to. We had another discussion about dating and he asked me what it was like being married. I wonder sometimes where he gets these ideas for discussion, but I'm happy he feels comfortable talking to me about things he wonders about.

// posted by Admin @ 7/07/2005 01:41:00 AM