Exciting Year!

2009-2010 is going to be an exciting year - personally, professionally, academically, spiritually.

Personally

I've joined Weight Watchers and have lost 19.4 pounds so far! Though I have a journey ahead of me, I look forward to each step I take, knowing that I am striving for a goal. My weigh in is on Wednesday mornings, and that time is set aside for ME. I have an amazing leader, Halyna, and an amazing support group. I want to run a good race.

Professionally

Dave is unemployed but still looking. He will find a job, a good job, a job Yahweh has created for him, one that will allow him to support his family and use his talents.

Our billing company is also going through the fire right now, but we, too, will prevail. We are praying for new accounts so that we can let one of our bigger, more stressful accounts go.

Academically

Decisions have finally been made. It should be a fun year. Aside from what I am sharing here, I plan to take time out to do a Thanksgiving study and a Christmas study as well as various child-led units. We always like to do something with the Iditarod, so I imagine this year will be no exception. Here is the plan:

Caleb

Bigger Hearts for His Glory

Bigger Extension Pack

Apologia Astronomy

Drawn into the Heart of Reading

Horizons 4

CLE Language Arts 4

Millie

Animals and Their Worlds

Reading Made Easy

Horizons 1

Lots of drawing/painting/crafty stuff

Since Dave does not currently have a job, the kids won't be able to take dance this year. :( (I haven't broken that news to them yet, and I don't think it will go over well.) We are eligible for a Y discount (already filled out the paperwork), so if we can somehow swing that, the kids will be able to be involved with their (free) homeschool PE class on Wednesday and Friday. Also, we can receive discounted sports classes, and I was thinking of signing them up for Tae Kwon Do. Again, this is if we can swing it financially. Right now we can't do anything, but we WILL. SOON.

In addition to all of this, we have proudly enrolled the kids at The Rock Academy. There will be lots and lots of field trips this year to attend. I can hardly wait!!!! :)

Spiritually

Not sure how to elaborate on this one other than we are listening and obeying and anticipating in all areas, yielding our hearts to His. I expect great change this year.

A New Plan

I can't believe another year is over. We don't stop our schooling. Instead, we choose to school year-round. Many in our circle of friends ask why we do this, and it's simple, really: It works for our lifestyle. We are very relaxed in our approach to life, and that flows over into our schooling. We take a week off in September to go to the beach with my family, and we take a lot of time off in the winter when the weather is quite glorious. Because Florida summers are so miserably hot, we choose to stay in and school through the summer. The inside air is much nicer than the outside heat and humidity in the summer months. So, that's what we do. We school year-round and take time off during unconventional times. We take advantage of low-travel periods to fly. When others are traveling (spring break, fall break, etc.), we stay home. We're homeschoolers. We can do that.

I've been working toward putting together a new curriculum plan. Caleb will be in "4th" and Millie in "1st". At this time, I'm leaning toward going back to WinterPromise and using the workbox system to accomplish more. We'll be doing American History no matter what we use. I haven't decided whether to use American Story I or All-American or something else entirely, but there is time to work that out. Here is what else we'll be doing (so far that I've decided) --

Both kids:

WinterPromise Animal Worlds (science)

WinterPromise American History

Caleb:

Horizons 4 math

WP Language Arts 4

WP Rock Around the Earth (Geology, per C's request)

Latin/Spanish?

Art?
Dance: 2-3 classes at Dance Depot

Guitar lessons resumed?

Millie:

WP Phonics

WP L/A Readers

Dance: 1-2 classes at Dance Depot

There are some other things I want to blog about, but that's probably enough for now. I hope I can keep this blog up. My track record isn't the best with blogging, but I'm really going to try. :-)