Saturday, August 25, 2012

Test of Fire

As our nation prepares for the coming election it would be very easy to become complacent and tune out all of the commercials, sound bites, news stories, and yard signs. It would be easy to just let the moment come and go, choosing not to get involved in what is shaping up to be one of the nastiest elections in history. I encourage you to rethink those tendencies. I encourage you to register to vote, and then to make an intentional effort to express that right by actually voting. We have heard often in recent years that 'this election will be the most important one in history', and this time it really is. What will America become? YOU have the power to effect the outcome.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Falling In Love Again... With Heart of Dakota

Some parents have started worrying about how much school supplies will cost this year or wondering how many pairs of jeans will fit their children after a summer of shorts and t-shirts. Others have started worrying about teacher selection or bus drivers. But here, the biggest decisions we make are what curricula (after all you have to do more than one, right?) we will be using and how that will be provided. And I'm so happy I have that choice! As you may know, choosing from the plethora of curriculum choices available to homeschoolers today can be a daunting task. Just when you think you've settled on the perfect thing, you see something else that looks appealing. You listen to friends talk about what they like and what they didn't, and despite your best efforts to be practical and impartial you can't help but let that influence you. Especially when they discover some new, awesome thing! But I think I've found just what we need for Laura. And the more I plan using it, the more excited I become. We'll be using Heart of Dakota's Bigger Hearts For His Glory this year for most of our subjects. This is new for me because I always feel like I need to 'fix' things to make them work better for us. After all, that's what I did in the classroom and for my employees. Why wouldn't I do it for my kids? But this year I am content to just follow much of what Carrie Austin has written. Because it is just that good. We'll be doing a variety of math options as this is a subject Laura needs to regain the excitement that waned shortly after we moved from counting to actual addition. And Laura has moved beyond the suggested Grammar program so we'll be doing the next step in that as well. Adding in Apologia Science to compliment the program Carrie provides is a given, too. But that's because she loves science. However, that's it. Really. We are just going to do HOD and enjoy it. And I can't wait!