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