The Switcheroo

It was a week with a new milestone. The baby can now throw pillows off the sofa and spend at least 30 minutes climbing up down like it's a high mountain top.
Which begs to asks, why do you have throw pillows on the couch if they just end up all over the floor?
To which my answer is....exactly! It's great entertainment for the little ones and think of the motor skills he is developing.

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This week we did the ol' switcheroo. In technical terms that means I spent countless evenings looking at home school curriculum and decided to buy something new to replace what we were doing.

If you are new to homeschooling then this is a new concept. If you are a veteran, then you know what I am talking about. It's no big deal and in fact it is one of the many reasons TO HOME SCHOOL!

 Not every child learns the same and what worked great for one or two kids may not work for another.
I was finding that my younger set was not retaining enough history and were not engaged enough. My goal was to find something that took more time and required more participation from them.

Enter Trail Guide to Learning from Geography Matters. I actually had been looking for something and happened to see a review for this curriculum on Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.  I know this gal and value her opinion. She also spurred my interest in this book because I had never even heard of the Trail Guide Series.
I am not a fan of all-in-one curriculum (this does not have math) but I must say that so far it is A) More work for me and the kids but that is OK with me and B) getting the kids more active in their learning.

I also purchased Switched On Schoolhouse Spanish 1 and French 1 for my high schoolers. I also purchased the American Lit set for the two girls. So far I cannot say anything about it because I am computer illiterate and cannot seem to get it all installed on the computer. Devin is off this weekend and will install it.
I am really hoping the language is great because I am too cheap to buy Rosetta Stone since I have kids wanting different language lessons. We used Mango through the public library system and loved it but they have switched to another program that we do not like. I then got the Instant Immersion program but it is really silly and it doesn't focus on anything other than how to order a glass of wine if you travel to France.

I think this is an aspect of home education that outsiders do not quite understand. It is easy to picture kids sitting at desks all day while mom stands in front of the separate school room area lecturing. After all, most of us were educated in government schools and that is the only way we can imagine school. Home school is so much more and it allows freedom to change plans and schedules and books mid way through the year. It's not just all about the books either, it's about learning life skills and developing and nurturing lasting , meaningful relationships along the way.

Now, I am not saying every person should do what I am doing, and in fact my best friend doesn't home school, but we should always have the freedom to choose what is best for OUR CHILDREN.

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Aside from the switcheroo, I also did the ol' clean it up-eroo!

This is my very real, very cluttered bathroom closet. It's a pretty large closet and I am ashamed at how messy it STAYS!

Yesterday it was gutted and cleaned. (pat myself on the back) My goal is to keep it that way for a long time :-) Yes, I stock pile shampoo and toothpaste. Yes, that top shelf is nothing but drugs. My husband works in the medical field so we have a nice stash. You never know when you might need your finger sewn back on. True story. I am very careful with my rotary cutter now.

As for the rest of my weekend? I might just start a new animal softie. I started block #9 of 12 on my Birdie Stitches and I am so looking forward to those fried pickles!
What are your plans?

Here's to a groovy weekend for us all!

Let's not forget the phone dump (small, I know)!