Try, Try Again

Here it is March 6, 2014, and school (homeschooling that is) is halfway over. I am sure I wouldn't call our first year a failure - yet, NO - not a failure, but a learning experience, a work in progress.

I don't know about you, but I think I have changed curriculums at least 3 times. I had a mishmash of curriculum from the homeschool curriculum sale, Ebay, etc. I started using the books, decided I didn't like them, tried something else, decided I didn't like them, and finally I picked up what I originally started with, and maybe not really liking it, but going to stick with it for the rest of the year. Probably more to say that I actually did it. The bad part, is that it is March, and I am only 1/3of the way through history and science. Science I do actually like, Apologia - wish I stuck with it from the beginning. I just thought it was a little over my little 6 year old's head, but .... onward march we go with it. I am in search of a new program for next year, something that is a little more structured. Being new to this, I really need to follow a schedule, or will go off in tangents that really don't end up anywhere. See, I am a book fanatic, and believe becoming what I know a lot of you are too (yes, I read your blogs) curriculum junkies. :) So, I see something, especially through the homeschool sales on FB, or on Ebay, and I just buy. I need to stop because I probably won't use most of it as I haven't quite decided on what to do for next year.

I have decided that I like the Charlotte Mason/Classical approach and many have said My Father's World which is a combination of both. I was hoping to find one program that would work best for both, unfortunately with my daughter going into 1st and my son going into 4th - it really isn't going to work until the following year with many of them the "all-in-one curriculums" I have been looking at. I am sure I can tweak it to fit, but this year I feel most of what I am teaching is over her head, I really want to be at her level next year. It is hard to keep her focused and engaged, and again, just like all of us, we really want to instill the "love" of learning and not just the "learning".

Another issue this year has posed is the eyeballs from people you see from "the school", or from family members. and them all inquisitively asking, "How is it going? - Do you like it?" At first, I would hesitate for a minute and just smile and say yes, trying to find our groove that is all. I guess it was really too early to answer that questions. Well, truth be told, I have not found our groove yet. I know my kids like being homeschooled, and YES - I do like it. We are having our struggles, trying to find that "groove", but overall, yes, I like it. Now to just get my kids to "love" to learn is the next part.

God be with all you new homeschooling moms out there. They say it does get easier. I guess we can say it does, or doesn't after the years go by, but for now - keep on keeping on moms.

Peace Out YO

Freebies

I love books. I could build a house out of all the books I have. The bad part is that I don't really have the time to read them all, but I continue to buy them. I figured that one day my kids will be grown, and I will be bored, and it is then that I can read all the books I have accumulated throughout the years.

I, however, love FREE books. I don't feel so guilty, and my husband won't get mad at me for spending money on something that I have tons already that I haven't yet read. So it makes for a peaceful house, and I get my book fix.

So I have to share. I come across these all too often. I just hope my kindle can store all of them :)

All About Jesus - get it free here

Who was Jesus? What did he say? What did he do? This book is all about Jesus. It puts together the story of Jesus’ life and message told by the people who knew him best–his disciples and friends–as recorded in the four Gospels of the Bible. Although the words were written over 2000 years ago, his message of peace, hope, love, and forgiveness still resonates with people of all races, nationalities, educational, and economic backgrounds. Some like what he said, while others disagree, but almost everyone finds him compelling. The story of Jesus comes to us from four different authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, written over a period of nearly seventy years. The message and uniqueness of Jesus remain the same, but each author tells the story from his perspective and for his purpose. Some writers wrote more; others wrote less. But what if we could read it as one single story from beginning to end? This book does just that by combining the four reports of Jesus’ life into a single chronological story, using the easy-to-read text of the NIRV Bible. Take a new look at Jesus– his life, his miracles, and his teachings–and to come to your own conclusions about the carpenter from Nazareth.
This book was produced in collaboration with Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society).


How about a free Prayer Journal to go along with that:  Moms Mustard Seeds

One more thing. I love Bible Based Homeschooling. It has a wealth of great resources, and most of them - you guessed it - FREE. 

You can get all 3 of these books (PDF format) for free. Offer ends today - so act fast

Free eBooks

So that is the end of my free stuff offers for today. I hope you take advantage and enjoy. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Psalms 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2Worship the Lordwith gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

3Know that the Lordis God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

5For the Lordis good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Peace Out Yo!!! Which reminds me, the final season of Breaking Bad is now out. I cannot wait to watch it. 

ART

Teach Art at Home

I also found a great way to teach art at home. I am no way artsy in any way, shape, or form. I can follow instructions, patterns, I can do needlepoint where everything is laid out for me and then follow instructions, but to actually create something - HUH - really total joke and many laughs later. Did you see my tree I did a couple of posts ago. You get what I mean. But my kids seem to love to draw and I have yet to really incorporate into their homeschooling routine. But today, I came across this site that had some simple, great ideas to incorporate a little bit of art into other parts of the curriculum. So of course I want to share.

Ideas for Teaching Art at Home
by Karine Bauch

Think you can't do it? Here are some ideas to help you teach art at home:

1. DRAW FROM LIFE OR PHOTOS: Encourage your students to draw from reality as often as possible. This will build drawing abilities more than anything! Get photos from the Internet, magazine and books. Grab items from around the house to draw.
2. FOLLOW THE STUDENT’S INTEREST: If your child loves cars, trains or horses, supply him with photos of these and encourage him to draw his favorites.
3. KEEP SUPPLIES HANDY: Most children get inspired to draw by just seeing new art supplies and paper readily available. 

Other resources for Art lessons

Real Art Lessons

Capture the joy of painting and creating things of beauty with your own gorgeous oil painting. An oil painting that you create following this step by step technique, and once learned, can be repeated over and over again so you'll enjoy a lifetime of artistic freedom in creating many more masterpieces.

Learn to Draw People

Learn to draw people step by step - proportion is the key

ABC You Can Draw

As a professional illustrator and teacher, I was hired by a university to rescue two classes of Graphic Design students who were due to complete their diplomas, but they could not draw well.

Using the proven step by step workshops I had written and trialed over many years I took these students from rough amateurs to skilled practitioners of technical and commercial drawing.

Donna Young Drawing Lessons

What happens from the eyes through the brain to the hands? Drawing lessons are supposed make the budding artist become aware of how to translate the 3-D images that the eyes see into a draw-able 2-D image to fit somewhat proportionally onto the drawing surface. There are a couple of teachable methods that artists have used for centuries. One is the grid method and another is called sighting. Let's not forget that most of the time, there is no method; people just draw.

Most all of home schooling mom's have heard of Donna Young, and if you have not, well get on over to her page. She has so much more than just art. It is a homeschooler's go to page. The drawing lesson plans she has is just 1 fraction of what her page consists of. Check it out. 

Well there are some fun freebies and a few not so free drawing things that might point you in the right direction if your like me and have not a bone in body that shouts ART

Please out Yo. Have a blessed day

I love free stuff, especially when it comes to schooling. These printables help us to get off the beaten path for a day or 2 to do something different and fun. My main goal is to get my kids to love to learn, which is hard to do as they have already been in the school system and have learned to HATE it. But I am determined to change that.

  Free Bible Timeline

Another good site that would go with the Noah's Ark printables I gave you the other day. This is great for older kids to engage in.

Free printable Noah's Ark Writing Prompts

Free Thanksgiving Bible Study

More Free copy work, Worksheets, and One Great Book

I love the internet, and I love finding great deals to use while schooling, and I love good deals, especially on books. I have downloaded so many free books and some "cheap" books that I think I have enough to last my lifetime. But I had to download this one, as this one will be a good one to read to my kids during our bible time in the morning (or if in the middle of the day they have some of those questions). I just hate saying, well honey, I don't know. I am excited on this one and will incorporate it into my bible time today. I will let you know how it goes.

Jake did the C.S. Lewis Copywork. I don't think he fully understood them, but he got the copy part down pat.

I haven't used the Bible Worksheets yet, but we are only in Genesis. But actually, that might be a good time to start. Ok then, I just talked myself into it :)

Free C.S. Lewis Copywork

Free Bible Worksheets

Did Adam Have a Bellybutton?

And here is one more book. This sounds very interesting. I would love to know some of these answers: 

Did Adam have a belly button? and so much more. Only for $2.51 at Amazon. 

From Amazon:

Among the greatest topics of conversation – and obstacles for spiritual seekers – are those “hard-to-answer” questions relating to the Bible. Things like:*Where did Cain get his wife?*
*How did Noah fit all the animals into the ark?*
*Why can’t the Bible and evolution agree?*
*Where was the Garden of Eden?*
*Do women have one more rib than men?*

And yes, if Adam and Eve really existed as Genesis tells us, and they had no parents…did they have bellybuttons?

Actually, it’s a good question, and one that deserves discussion, for people all over the world today are searching for the answers to life’s questions. We wonder about our origins, purpose, and destiny.Now, thanks to the efforts of Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis, over 100 questions people have about the Bible have been answered in this book. The brief-but-insightful questions are followed on each page by a concise answer taken straight from a plain reading of the Bible. This unique format make the perfect gift for a friend grappling with questions we assumed didn’t have answers!

Have a blessed day everyone. Peace Out Yo**

**And just so people know, I got this from Breaking Bad Yo. I would have used B…., but I didn't think that one would be appropriate, so Yo it is - and for the ones who have not seen that show - OH MY GOSH!!!! YO - love it.  I am in the fifth season after just 3 months, so go watch it B….. - oops, I mean Yo 

Almost Freeby

Simply Christian:  Why Christianity Makes Sense - Kindle edition - On sale now for $2.99

Sounds like a great book. I can't wait to read it. If it is half as good as C.S. Lewis' books, I know I will enjoy it.

Thank you Bible Based Homeschooling for sharing. Bible Based Homeschooling on a budget. Check it out.

Simply Christian. Get it at Amazon for $2.99 today. 

Peace out. Have a blessed day

Homeschooling

Well I don't have a lot of time on my hands, but these were some things I wanted to share with you. Some pertaining to homeschooling and some not.

1.  I found this website. I love this idea for your first grader. I might have shared this with you my last post, but I don't remember, if so, here it is again. Little mini-office printables. Love it

http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2013/10/first-grade-mini-office-printables/

2.  Math aids. I was looking for a number line for my daughter and this is what I came across. So much more to it than just number lines. http://www.math-aids.com

3.  Free Book from Amazon - Kindle edition - Women Under Stress - Who isn't under stress

4.   More Math Stuff:  Fun Math Games For School Or Homeschool Education - Printable Board Games, Card Games And Game Sheets For Children. Educational Games Ready For The Classroom Or Home. Makes Math Fun And Easy. Kids, Teachers And Parents All Love These Fun Math Games.

I hope some of this stuff is helpful. More to come. 

Over and out - or should I say - Peace Out Yo

What a Week

Just to let you all know, today I am feeling better. I have been sick as a dog for 2-1/2 days with runny nose, sore throat, and cough, in which no medicine likes to come near actually controlling any of those nasty symptoms. So I have had to back down on a couple of commitments because I have overcommitted myself in a way that makes me feel crazy. I am sure this is just God's way of slowing me down and saying "take a breather" you fool.

But today, with my brain fogged up from decongestants, antihistamines, cough suppressants, I pulled myself together long enough to coach my son's soccer team. This, just so you know, was the first time ever I sat on the other side of the line. I usually read my book while practice is going on or talking with friends while my son plays the game (I do pay attention for the most part so don't judge me). Making matters worse with my brain being in a fog, and I not good with names, had to try and guess who everyone was throughout the entire game. I still didn't learn all their names by the end. But no one kicked me off the field, so I guess I wasn't totally incompetent. I just felt very disheveled as a coach. I am sure there may have been a few uttering under their breaths by certain parents (and maybe even the other's team coaches),  who actually pay very close attention, but to them I say, loosen up. They are 9, they are here to have fun, and if you haven't noticed, I am not their usual coach. So there!!!! Like I said, I left there alive and in one piece, so no harm done.

I have really been trying to engage my kids in fun conversation. I mean I used to talk to them often while they were in "school", but I never knew what was really going on so our conversations where just the usual, "how was your day", "did you learn anything", blah, blah, blah.  Of course, then I got busy cooking dinner, laundry, baths, reading to them, etc. so really not much talkative interaction of really what was going on in their brains. So lately, since I sometimes think of really random stuff and random times, I kind of just say them out loud and see where the conversations goes.

For instance, I just randomly asked, as I am sure we have all heard this question asked, (I am not sure if anyone really came up with the answer, but I know I never did) but, I asked "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" My daughter thought very carefully about this and said, "the egg". I replied but you need the chicken to hatch the egg. She of course thought even harder on this subject and then replied, well then, "of course, the chicken came first". I then stated that we need the chicken first to lay the egg. So who came first? The look on her face was priceless. I wish I could have taken a picture, because she was in deep, deep thought. And then all of a sudden, from the other room, from my son (who I never feel pays attention to anything), says, "God created the animals, mom, so he created the chicken first, and then they laid the eggs which brought more chickens." WHAT?????  All I could say is WOW. I now know the answer. Ok. I had a blond moment, for years, but the clarity of the situation is now sinking in, and this was brought to me by my 9-year-old son.  I know I would definitely fail in the TV show "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" - NO, NO I am not, I am not even smarter than a 3rd grader!!!!

I also learned that my son loves art. He loves to draw. We were doing our LLATL, which I think is a very laid back, easy, sort of program, but good for a kid who doesn't love this stuff, to look in an encyclopedia (OK. today people. I obviously know what an encyclopedia is, my mom has them all - and then the 30 years of updates that followed), but how do you explain this to someone in the year 2013. Well son, now we have wikipedia. By the way - I HATE wikipedia. All I want is something simple. For instance, my son had to look up a tulip and write a sentence full of adjectives and draw a picture.  Simple, right? It took me at least 20 minutes to find a simple, 9-year-old mind set, link on the subject. Oh my word. Show a darn picture with a very descriptive example of a tulip. Nope, I got "The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, of which ca 75 ^[1] wild species are currently accepted and which belongs to the family Liliaceae." (from wikipedia) I don't even understand this stuff. How am I suppose to explain this to my 9-year-year son. And mind you, many were just as confusing. We just want a description like, a long plant, various in color, 6 petals in all, .... again ...blah, blah, blah. 

Well finally I found something that he could go by, and he drew the picture, with a sentence description. These are the pictures: 

[Sorry needed to remove the pic - it had my son's name on it. Total bad!!!!]

Well these were the colored pictures I had him do afterward. Actually the pencil drawings he did were just as good if not better, but I was trying to keep him busy and to use color so this is what he came up with. The camo one was an additional one that was not needed for school work.

I don't know about your, but for a 9-year-old, I think they are pretty darn good. And how did I not know that my kid loved art. I knew he didn't like music. I mean, he hated it. He got booted out of class every week when he had it in school. We once had to read about a kid and his violin and he wouldn't do it just because it had something to do with music. So for some reason, I thought art was not something he would like either. Oh how wrong I was. And I am so glad to know this, as it gives me so many other opportunities to help him in homeschool. I almost felt a couple of bricks falling off my shoulder when I learned this aspect. Again, he is 9 - how did I not know this. Boy I have a lot to learn - about my kids. That is kinda of depressing knowing I know so little about them, but then again, I am now in a position to finally figure all this stuff out. :) I can't stop smiling when I think about this and the opportunities I now have in order to use this strength and love for art in his schooling.

I, however, do not have an art bone in my body. So this will be a struggle for me. I tried, and this is what I came up with:

Ok. Please don't laugh. I love trees - for some strange reason. So I thought I could draw one. HA. Sad I know. But I had fun. So my kids definitely did not get the art gene from me.

Well more to come on this expedition of using art in homeschooling. Any advise would be great. I did find a great site for my 1st grader that I love and will share here:

http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2013/10/first-grade-mini-office-printables/

This is great. Check it out. I have printed up stuff for our use that just was plain and boring, but this is an all in one FREE printable using a little bit more imagination (again, something I lack). Thank you so much Homeschool Creations for sharing.

Thanks for reading my ranting and raving really about nothing - but I find my kids interesting and I am loving every minute of homeschooling them.

Peace Out - YO

Chicken

Lately, I have been feeling like I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. All I can say is that I can handle stress pretty well. A little better anyway than I would have handled it less than a year ago. I kind of go with the flow. I do what I can and pretty much ...... say "oh well" to what I cannot do. I obviously tend not to commit to many things that I know I might not make it to and add it to the list of things I just want to do, and then if I don't end up going, well it really doesn't hurt anyone - except my kids if it was something I said we might be doing, they, however, have tried to use the "you promised" on me, but then I remind them that no, no I said "we might". I learned the importance of making promises to my kids or just stating that I will try to make it. Big difference, but they do try to use that on me, luckily, I remember what I do promise and what I say I might do!!!!. Even if I have to post it on a post-it note to remind myself. 

Homeschooling really has been such a joy - but I have to say that I am more busy in the run around sense, than I was before in public school. Maybe because my family who is not extremely supportive of my decision to homeschool, I feel like I have to prove to them that yes, they are involved in this, and they are involved in that, so YES, they are being socialized!!!!!!!! Really, what does it mean to be socialized. 

To me, it consists of nothing good. They have to be socialized with other kids so they can learn how to deal with bullying, or how to deal with a teacher they don't like, or eat food that they can't stand. I have had to deal with all these situations, and you know what I learned from them. That if they are bullied, you are not allowed to stand up for yourself. My daughter did this - with advise that I gave her on how to handle this certain bully - and she got in trouble. Did these people not see the bullying the other person had done for the past 1-1/2 years to my daughter, and then when I tell her to stand up for herself (and in a nice way - just matter of fact) she gets in trouble. Of course when I explained the whole situation to the school, school bus drivers, etc. they stated that nothing was on file. Well, I am not a tattle tail. I am not one to start something if I can resolve it outside of the realm of getting everyone involved. But you would think that after 1-1/2 years of being bullied in a close knit space that someone (bus drivers to be exact) should really know what is going on. But as long as my daughter wasn't making a fuss, everything went well. As soon as she stood up for herself, she was the one that got a hand lashing and had to stay after school and lost her spot on the school bus to be watched closely. OH MY GOSH. Really!!!!!!!. So am I to call and complain every time someone looks at my kid cross eyed? 

All I can say - thank the Lord that I don't have to deal with that anymore. I pray that I will be able to continue to homeschool for as long as I see fit, and as long as my kids are interested. 

School doesn't teach social skills, they teach us how to be deal with bullies (my daughter and son have a bully in each other - they are learning that skill), they don't get to learn how to make farting noises with their arms  - really, do we want our kids to do this, we don't have to learn that we are dumb if we do not measure up to the "status quo" which - sorry I tried to find a percentage of school aged kids who actually fit in the status quo and actually it is not that easy to find. 

And besides, Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it"

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Did we have classrooms way back when. NO!!!!! Most of the learning was done in the home.

Someone once told me when I was questioning about testing and really what I should be teaching etc, she said "do you remember things you learned in school?" - I am sure we can all answer that question with a BIG FAT NOOOOO. Sure we know how to read, we now how to do our math - which I think is very important, but the rest of it - no. We really don't remember until it struck us as interesting. So I think we should let our children lead us. If they are interested, they will learn. If they have not interest, you can spend hours, days, months on the subject and you know what? - they won't remember anything. I am fully heading towards an unschooling/schooling approach. Ok, kind of contradictory, but kids need to know the basics, what is 2+2, what is the sound of B, how to read, to comprehend, but these can be taught in more ways than one and certainly there is one way that will fit into your child's way of learning. Of course at first it is touch and go, which is where I am now, but I have learned so much in just this last month that I am so amazed.

Secondly, and I think most importantly, let God lead you. He knows even more than you do. Give up the reins for a while, and just go with it. I still haven't got quite there yet, but everyday I get a little closer.

P.S. I have found teaching someone to read not the easiest of things. To me it is kind of teaching someone how to ride a bike. We all know how to do it, but how do you really explain the mechanics behind it. I started off with Hooked on Phonics and that just didn't seem to click with my daughter, so than I tried this. Something in her clicked with this program. It might be worth a shot if your in the same boat.

Reading made easy. This is amazing. I have tried way too many things, but my daughter really picked this up. When your done fiddling around with curriculums, and want to try something else, try this. Really it works.

Peace out - YO

Homeschooling

I am still a little ambivalent about homeschooling. I really do enjoy it, I love spending the time with my kids, but I am afraid I am the only one. At least one time a day, either my son or my daughter ends up crying. I have heard one homeschool mom say if someone is crying, whatever your doing is not working and change it. Unfortunately I am so new to homeschooling I have no idea how to change it. I am not seasoned enough to know what my kids need, nor am that creative to come up with new and exciting ways to teach them that I tend to lean more on the books and the laid out plans. I love the order and the check lists.

I have been, however,  really looking into the "unschooling" approach. I don't think I will go full throttle in that direction as again, I am so new to this that I don't feel comfortable nor competent enough to approach the homeschooling this way, but with my kids being more hands on, this might be the way to go.

I do have to say though, there are numerous, and numerous, I mean hundreds (if not thousands) of resources on the web. I have listed a few of my favorites. Some are free, some cost a minimal fee, but all worth it.

Khan Academy:  Love this one. Sometimes it just takes a different perspective on things to get through to the kids.

All In One Homeschooling:   - this one is really great as it has all levels, all subjects, and every day planning laid out for you. A little old school, but my mom knows how to read

First School Preschool activities and crafts:   - this one is great for alphabet printouts and craft ideas.

Knowledge Quest -  Homeschooling ABCs - a resource for new homeschool moms (or dads). Great first step. Learn all the ins and outs of homeschooling. Great resource.

Word Play and Learning Fun - this is a great resource for word play and learning fun. Worksheets, activities.

Printable Reading Games and Phonics - this is printable reading games and phonics worksheets. Card games, domino games, bingo, and board games. Learning games are great in my book.

The above websites are more to supplement an already in place curriculum, extra help for those in need or just for fun, something to do differently from the every day stuff. The All In One Homeschooling is however a full curriculum that you can follow - and the best thing is - it is FREE!!!!!!. There are parts of this I follow. For instance, I do the bible curriculum and I started doing the science curriculum as I did not like the one I bought.

It is trial and error when you first start homeschooling, but the good thing is, if it isn't working, change it. You don't have to be stuck in a rut with one curriculum that isn't working. I bought the BJU Language arts curriculum - hated it. My kids just aren't into school that much and there were just too many facets to it, it was making my head spin. For others though, this would be great and I know a lot of people who use it and love it. I turned to Learning Language Arts through Literature and it is more laid back, easier, and for my child that just isn't interested in reading, I didn't want a huge comprehensive program. LLATL seems to be working though and a better fit for us.

Since my kids were in school before, and hated it, I really need to desensitize them to this atmosphere. I unfortunately have to take what school has provided them and exchange that for a love for learning, which I am not finding easy. But, it is a slow process, and I am determined to instill at least a little bit of love and interest for learning new things by the end of the year. That is really my goal - not so much the reading history, science, and how many buses could you fit inside a school if the school was a football field long..... etc.

I do have to say that there is a lot of information out there, and a lot of curriculum to pick from. I would be happy with 2-3 to choose from, and it gets very overwhelming when there are 100s of them, but I guess one is more apt to find a program or system that fits into one's own child's learning style.

More to come as the school year goes on, but did want to share some resources that I have tried and used and found informative and helpful.

Happy schooling. Peace out - YO

What to Do??

So I just informed everyone that I am planning on homeschooling my wonderful, very rambunctious, overly active 1st and 3rd grader. I have bought all books needed for my 1st grader and still working on Language Arts for my son. All I can say, I am totally confused.

WTF is language arts? I know this should be an easy thing to grasp, but it really has a lot of parts - spelling, reading, vocabulary, grammar, phonics, etc. Some books combine some elements, some have a book for each one. What about something that has it ALL in there. I have done some more research and found that there are a few out there that combine all elements into one - and way cheaper. So now what do I do. Purchase that on top of what I already purchased.

This issue has really confused the living daylights out of me and I feel really STUPID.

On top of all that, I am looking at the 1st grade curriculum - and boy, I do not think she is ready. They wanted to hold her back in kindergarten if she was to stay in school, but I figured that I would just kind of start with 1st grade and see how she does. I think I really need to re-figure that one out as I think her reading, spelling, etc. is still at kindergarten level. So now to rethink, reevaluate, and spend more. My husband is going to love me. Sorry dear (in advance), I love you.

Remember - SMILE

Peace out