School year 2010-2011 plan

So, I realized last week just how quickly the 2010-2011 school year is approaching. I honestly can't believe that summer is almost over! I guess, maybe if I wasn't homeschooling, the glass could still be half full, seeing as how there is still 1 more whole month remaining. But, seeing as how I do homeschool, then it's something more like this: "aahh! There's only 1 month left! I'm not ready! Nothing's prepared! AAAHHH!" (picture me pulling my hair out while screaming that.) One month is not long to prepare for an entire school year, really. But, I was going camping last weekend for my daughter's birthday present (that's what she wanted most), and decided I would hold off on the hair pulling for one more week. Lo and behold, though, while I was preparing for our camping trip, God filled my brain with a plan! I had to stop packing, and start writing! So, I wrote it down, and set it aside to begin preparations this week. Well, I'm not getting as much done this week as I had hoped because I have been sick since we got home from the trip. I started feeling cruddy while we were camping, but keep getting worse this week. But, that's beside the point! I will have to post later about the fun trip we had! It was awesome. So, on with the details of my plan for this school year!

First, an idea occurred to me recently. My mom got married in April and moved out of my house, leaving me with a spare room again. Originally I considered turning her room in to a school room. But, the more I started looking around and considering things, I decided it would be better to move me in to her old room, and turn my room in to the school room. My room is big, bigger than the living room, I think! Lol. I have my computer desk, sewing desk (a desk I converted in to a sewing table), a couple book shelves, etc in here. So, I would move just a few things in to there, and can bring all the school stuff in here. I gave Faith an old small computer desk I have (I found somebody left it on the curb once) when my mom gave me hers (it was bigger than mine), and my mom and her husband might give me an old school desk they have at their house, which I can use for Trinity. Perfect! They have a hard time working at the kitchen table together because they get distracted by trying to be teacher to each other. Lol. It's great that they want to help each other, but not when they don't learn their own lessons! Lol. Okay, so I'm not trying to set this up as a public school style in my home. Just changing things around to see what works the best for them.

Next, here is the plan that God gave me for teaching them. I don't have money for new curriculum this year (there are a few I would like to try, and I will get what I need when the ability arises), but God is still meeting our needs. So, using mostly just stuff I have on hand already, here's what I've got:
Faith's plan
*A Beka Science 6th grade
*Bob Jones History 6th grade (both given to me from my friend Joy)
*Saxon Math 54 (trying to help her get caught up now that her comprehension of math has improved)
   Since Faith loves reading and writing and wants to write books, this will be an area of  
   concentration. I searched for Literature based curriculum, and found Total Language Plus which 
   very much appeals to me by its description. (If anybody has info to share about them, or where to
   get study guides for cheap, let me know!)
*In the area of concentration:
writing, the English Language, spelling, grammar, literature, essay writing, narration & oration.
We will use some of the project areas in the Keepers At Home book for this too, which includes poetry, literature, storytelling, typing, writing.

Trinity
*5 in a Row (also given to me by Joy)
*A Beka K5 curriculum (last year acquired almost the whole thing; I think it will be skipped through pretty quickly because Trinity is already doing some reading and writing)
*Saxon K Math
*Animal Science videos & other educational videos
*Little Keepers At Home specific for Trinity & her school:
Little Readers, ABC's (which she pretty much already knows, but I want make sure she does know all the sounds), Coloring, Jesus Loves Me, Puzzles, Bible Memory & Bible Reading (which we will be doing Bible together, just that the Little Keepers At Home books has them on her level too)

Together
*Bible (including, but not limited too: Bible Man training manual, Gigi Devotional Bible, Mother-Daughter devotional book, KAH Bible projects, etc)
*Maidens of Virtue
*Keepers At Home
*4-H
*Music Unit Study: history of music; famous composers, song writers, musicians; styles of music; music in worship; types of instruments; music in healing; music in the Bible; Christian hymns; Austria & Germany & their composers; visit any and all possible free music festivals and events; visit any museums on music (I do know that we have the Country & Western music museum and the Banjo museum, so there might be more); learn to play an instrument (we can get instructional books and videos); rent books and videos on music; anything else I can think of (both of my girls love music [and me too] and so that is what made me decide to do this. I want to a few years ago, and didn't. Besides, God made music, it is good for us and kids who learn music do better in everything else).

Last night, I came up with a daily schedule that I hope I can follow. I've been trying to get our lives organized, our house, everything. Trying to make God even more the center of our lives than He has been, so I find this schedule very important. I'm going to work diligently at sticking to it. I'm going to allow minimal deterrence from it and minimal interruption. I find these spiritual things that God is leading me and my family in to be far more important than anything else. I could go on with so many thoughts here, but I will just get to the schedule! I don't have specific subjects for school laid out here because I'm terrible about following that. So, I'm trying to give myself a more realistic goal. Especially since I'm already drastically changing so much in our lives, I'll just take it one step at a time (which fortunately, is how God is leading me).

6am - wake up (this will take work for me) (I also list here our specific morning routines, including breakfast & clean up after)
8am - start school - start with prayer & Bible
try to finish school by 12pm (Fridays is PE)
Noon-  lunch
12:30ish- clean up after lunch (girls help); afterwards, app. 30 minutes play/free time (backyard if weather permits)
1pm/1:30ish- finish any school work needing finishd, -OR- work on 4-H & Keepers projects until app 3pm
3pm- chores, errands (library, grocery store, etc) (can do sewing projects in the afternoon too)
4 or 5pm- (2nd Tues of month: 4pm 4-H) start dinner (girls either finish chores &/or help with dinner)
6/6:30 pm- finish eating, clean up after dinner (girls help) 
7pm- yard work (if any, depending on weather & season), family time: Bible/devotional time;  warm weather: play outside: bikes, park, chalk, pool, etc; cold weather: game time, movies, video games, tv time, etc.
8-9pm- girls baths/showers
9pm- girls in bed (mommy time: Bible/devotional; computer (not more than 30 min - 1hr), shower, etc.)
10pm- mom in bed (not later than 11pm)

This is going to take some work to get to bed and get up so early, but I'm going to start early, like, now, to try and implement this and start a new habit. Wish me luck! But, if I can do it, it will make the rest of the day go better! I've just always been a night person, and have struggled with getting to be before midnight and getting up early. I'm going to be implementing the use of a timer through this, too!