This is one of the main spines used in HOD Beyond (and in MFW Adventures) 

This is the devotional used in HOD Beyond

This is the Girl Read Aloud package for Storytime in HOD Beyond

And this isn't part of HOD Beyond, but it is one of  Memoria Press Recitation schedules  I really like this.  It has really helped me to remember to go over different things with my kids   Our recitation is  the first thing we do during school

(excuse the crinkled paper, the baby got ahold of it, LOL)

Those are a few of the resources we will be utilizing over the next few months.  I'm thankful that everything is planned out and that it is open and go and age appropriate  This season of life is busy and I want to enjoy this time with my little kids. My oldest 2 have already graduated high school and my next oldest is about to be a senior, so I know how fast the time goes.  the old saying about the days are long yet the years are short, it's so very true and I intend to make the most of this season of life for my family.

What about you?  Do you use a planned out curriculum or do you fly by the seat of your pants? 

Homeschool Plans for January through June and Counting my Blessings

So far this year I have mainly concentrated on phonics, reading, math, and nature studies with my newly turned 8 and 6 year olds. My daughter, Bella, who just recently turned 8 (the day after Thanksgiving) has shown signs of dyslexia. Since September though she has  finally begun to make progress and has gained an interest in learning to read and spell.   Praise God!!  Her 6 year old sister, Fifi, took ylo reading like a fish to water last year and she loves reading anything she can get her hands on. Funny how siblings can be so much alike and yet so different.
So I have been hemming and hawing on curriculum for the remainder of the year.  My youngest son tur 1 this month and while he is a sweet laid back fella, he is still only 1 and getting into everything. So I know I will do better with something already laid out for me. Not too much thinking to do on my part, just check off the boxes and call it good.

I went back and forth on whether to do Heart of Dakota Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory OR My Father's World Adventures.  I have all the books for both and I really love the weekly grid and spiral binding of My Father' World teacher manual, but i finally decided on HOD's Beyond.

My reasons for choosing it f0or now are:
1. Poetry study and copywork are already planned out for me on a weekly basis
2. The hands on stuff is simple and doable and planned out
3. The spelling list in the back
4. The readers schedule with questions
5. The different read aloud during story ime using the different genres and explaining the genres in age appropriate ways to the kids
6. The science is support enough that I can add to it without overwhelming myself or my girls
7. Bible and devotions

My only thing I plan to maybe do is try to create a weekly grid. I do enjoy on a daily basis seeing only what needs to be accomplished that day, but at the beginning of the week I also like to see what we are covering for the week at a glance

And instead of planning in a bunch of extra books and then feeling overwhelmed or guilty if it doesn' get done, I plan to utilize book basket. I can look at the weekly topics on Sunday evening and put any books we have on the topics and put a list of websites or YouTube videos or movies that pertain. And then if there is time during the week they can choose a book for us to read or for themselves to read/Look through. And if the week is busy and we didn't, well no guilt

November 21, 2017

It's been almost half a year since I've been on here.  :(  During that time I have at least thought about this blog and what it will mean to me. I want this blog to be a diary of sorts to my family and for me. To have certain aspects of our life and thoughts and doings all in one place.

Phonics From A to Z review

If you are teaching anyone in the age range of 4 to 9 to read, then this is a great book to have on hand.  This book is an indispensable  teaching tool/reference.  

It is chalk full of information.  There are suggestions and games to play to help your student understand the concept.  It really teaches you how to teach.  How to engage the child in learning and in helping you identify where there may be weaknesses.  Then helps you develop a plan to correct the weakness.

I've just recently discovered this little gem of a book, and while I wish I had found it many moons ago, I am thankful that I did find it.  I would definitely recommend this book for anyone teaching a young child to read.

Meal Plan for the week

Yesterday I took inventory of what was in my pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and garden (which is good, because I had more than I realized)

So what's in my pantry:

• self rising flour (3/4 of a bag)
• cornmeal (1/2 bag)
• sugar (1 4lb bag)
• brown sugar (1/2 box)
• small bag of powdered sugar
• cocoa
• 1 box tea bags
• 1/2 small bag of coffee
• 1 large jar of peanut butter
• 1/4 small jar of honey
• 1 bag of grits
• 1 small bag of rice
• 5 packs of dried beans ( 2 navy, 2 black eye peas, 1 pinto)
• 1 bottle salad dressing
• 3 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 3 cans cream of celery soup
• 2 large cans dark red kidney beans
• 4 small cans pork n beans
• 1 can spinach
• 2 jars Salsa
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 2 cans condensed milk
• 2 boxes Kraft Macaroni (my youngest daughter loves this and it's quick and easy to make, so win win!!!)
• 1 box elbow macaroni
• 1 pack soft shell tortillas
• half a bag of Fritos
• 3 regular cans of tomato sauce
• spices
• yeast
• 1/2 loaf of bread
• 3 jars of peaches we canned last year
• 4 jars of peach jelly we canned last year
• 3 jars of blackberry jelly we canned
• 4 jars of plum jelly we canned
• 2 apples
• 1 5lb bag of potatoes
• 5 tomatoes from my garden

What's in my refrigerator:

• 1/2 gallon milk
• small container heavy whipping cream
• 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2  large container of sour cream
• 4 sticks of butter
• a dozen eggs (the chickens give us at least 6 eggs daily)
• lettuce (from my garden)
• 2 bell peppers (from my garden)
• small bag of carrots
• string beans
• 1 gallon ziplock bag of blackberries (from my garden)
• 1 bowl of blueberries (from my garden)
• 1/2 pack of bacon
• 1 large container of yogurt
• 1 jar of pickles
• 1/2 container of mayonnaise
• mustard, ketchup, worstershire sauce, soy sauce, relish
• 1 head of cabbage
• 4 onions
• 3 squash (from my garden)
• 1 zucchini  (from my garden

What's in my freezer:

• 2 ham steaks
• 1 pack of center cut pork chops
• 2 pack of ground beef
• 1 pack cube steak
• 2 packs of round steak
• 1 whole chicken
• 1 pack stew meat
• 2 bags of butter beans
• 1 small bag of tater tots
• a bag of popsicles
• bag of strawberry & banana for smoothies
• 1/2 bag of semi sweet chocolates

My meal plan:

Tonight:  cook the whole chicken and have chicken-n-dumplins

Monday: Breakfast: eggs, grits, hashbrowns, fresh fruit

                Lunch:  peanut butter and jelly sandwich

                Supper: Mongolian beef, rice, and stir fry some veggies (cabbage, string beans, zucchini, carrots)

               Before Bed: put ingredients in slow cooker to make bread

Tuesday: Breakfast: cheese toast and fruit

               Lunch:   bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich

               Supper:  Chili and cornbread

Wednesday: Breakfast: eggs, grits, hashbrowns, fruit

                     Lunch:  cheese quesadilla w/ homemade peach ice cream

                     Supper: country fried steak n gravy, mashed potatoes, butter beans, biscuits

                   Before Bed: make dough for cinnamon rolls and soak black eye peas

Thursday: Breakfast: Cinnamon rolls and coffee

                 Lunch:  black eye peas, fried cornbread, bacon, and sliced tomato

                 Supper:  Garden Salad with homemade croutons

Friday:   Breakfast:  Fruit Smoothie

               Lunch:  Philly style steak n cheese sandwich or wrap (depends on if we have bread or made any) and homemade French fries

              Supper:  Fried Ham, spinach, macaroni and cheese, and home fries (potatoes sliced in circles and battered in cornmeal and fried)

               Before Bed:  put ingredients in bread machine for French bread

Saturday: Breakfast:  French toast with fruit

                 Lunch:   grab a Little Caesar"s Pizza while in town

                Supper:  Beef Stew and French bread

 Sunday:  Brunch:  egg salad sandwich or loaded baked potatoes

                 Supper:  bbq pork chops, baked beans, tater tot casserole, turnip greens, garlic bread

At least that's my plan haha!   I would love to hear what you think or what you would fix with those ingredients.  I'm always up for suggestions since sometimes life gets busy and it is easy to get stuck in a rut.  So what would you change up?

Blessings,

Kristi

My Heart is Full

The sweet slumber of an infant.  My little mister is such a calm, easy going fella.  Even when he awakes from his nap.  His eyes open and he looks for me.  I love watching him sleep, but I also love watching his face fill with joy when he opens his eyes and sees me.  I know how fleeting this stage is, how fleeting the whole 18 years are.  One minute they are helpless babes needing you for everything and the next they are spreading their wings and flying the nest.

A Little About Me

My name is Kristi.  My husband and I just celebrated our 23rd anniversary a week ago.  23 years!  What a ride it has been.  On our 2nd date he asked me to marry him and 14 weeks later we were married (and we weren't even planning to that day!  We met on our lunch break to pick up the marriage license and decided to just go ahead and do it right then.  Needless to say my mama was less than pleased!) 

Now here we are, 23 years later and more in love with each other today than we were then!  We have 6 beautiful children (3 boys and 3 girls, ranging in age from 22 down to 5 months) and we have 1 grandson and a son in law.

I have been a stay at home mama since my oldest was born 22 years ago, and a homeschooling mama since my now 22 year old was a 9 year old.  Sometimes things have been tough but I have never regretted my decision.