2016-2017 Homeschool Interviews

Hi Everyone!

I'm back today with our school interviews. I love these interviews so much! They make me smile.


Super Guy

My name is Super Guy
I am 11 Years old
The yummiest food to eat is Homemade Mac-n-Cheese
My favorite show to watch is My Little Pony
The best thing about school is learning lots.
The worst thing about school is not having a very long recess. 
The coolest person on Earth is Bruno Mars
I am really super good at Building LEGO's
My favorite color is Orange
The best place in the world to be is the Oregon coast
When i grow up i want to play soccer
I really really do not like to eat tomatoes
My best friend is Jack
When i was little i used to drink bottles
3 words that tell about me: active, creative, mischievous
This year i hope to learn Soccer

2016-2017 Homeschool Curriculum Picks

Hi Everyone!

Today i'm going to share with you our 2016-2017 homeschool curriculum picks!

Jelly Bean (Kindergarten):

K4/K5 Kindergarten Curriculum from Confessions of a Homeschooler
Math - Math-U-See, Primer level
History - Story of the World
Science - Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy 
Reading - I'm teaching her how to read with This Reading Mama's curriculum, along with All About Reading

Hobbies For Kids

Lately i've been racking my brain trying to think of some good and fun, and hopefully inexpensive, hobbies for my kids to get involved in.

Wondering why children should have a hobby?!

This is what theworkingparent.com has to say about children having hobbies:

Homeschooling In... {Utah}

Hi There!

I'm back today with another "Homeschooling In..." post.

Here is a list of all the other states I've already talk about.

• Idaho
• Alaska
• Oregon
• Washington
• Montana
• Arizona
• South Dakota
• New Mexico
• California
• Hawaii
• Nevada

Today i'll be sharing with you everything you need to know about homeschooling in Utah!!

Student Awards

Don't you like it when your hard work gets noticed?

"Great job on dinner tonight"

"Thanks for helping me organize my room"

"Wow, the house looks so clean"

I mean who wouldn't want to be recognized for doing a job well done?

So why shouldn't I want to recognize my children's hard work just because they are homeschooled?

That's why i created these super cute Student Awards

How To Name Your Homeschool {and why you should}

When i first started homeschooling my children, i didn't even think about having a name for our homeschool. But as our homeschooling continued it became clear we were going to need a name.

If you are just starting out with homeschooling and you are thinking about giving yourself a name, i'm here to give you some help with coming up with a good name.

And if you are just starting out and don't feel like you need a name, i'm here to help give you some reasons as to why you need one.


First let's start with the why...

How I Stocked Our Freezer for Only $200! {*Updated with shopping list and recipes included*}

*Updated with Shopping List and Recipes Below*
_______________________________________________
Hi Everyone!

As my due date is fast approaching (only 22 more days left!), the thought of menu planning, grocery shopping and cooking with a newborn (and 4 other kids) was really starting to worry me.

That's when i decided it would be a great idea to make a bunch of freezer meals, in an effort to alleviate some of the stress.

First i made a list of meals to make and then i wrote up a grocery list based on those meals. Next it was time to go grocery shopping and boy was i surprised when my total was only $200!

Here is how i was able to make 22 meals and 9 smoothie packs for only $200!

Homeschooling In... {Nevada}

Hi There!

I'm back today with another "Homeschooling In..." post.

Here is a list of all the other states I've already talk about.

• Idaho
• Alaska
• Oregon
• Washington
• Montana
• Arizona
• South Dakota
• New Mexico
• California
• Hawaii

Today i'll be sharing with you everything you need to know about homeschooling in Nevada!!

1. All children are required to be educated between the ages of 7 and 18 years old.

2. No set required amount of days.

3. Required subjects - English, math, science, and social studies.

4. Testing is not required.

5. Parent must file a written intent to homeschool with the superintendent of the school district.

6. Parent must also prepare an educational plan of instruction to be filed with notice of intent.

7. There are no special teacher qualifications.

Below are some great websites for homeschooling in Nevada:

1. http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/nv/  - HSLDA

2. http://nevadahomeschoolnetwork.com/ - Nevada Homeschool Network

3. http://www.nnhs.org/ - Northern Nevada Home Schools

Once you have decided to homeschool your child, and you have looked into all the laws/rules, what comes next is picking out what curriculum you are going to use. 

The best place to start with that is by checking out what curriculum other homeschoolers are using (and loving). In other words Google search "homeschooling blogs" and start reading what all the other homeschooling families out there use. You can also check out my homeschool curriculum picks.

Another place you could go is HomeSchoolReviews, they offer reviews on all the curriculum out there and those reviews are written by other homeschoolers. 

One very important thing to keep in mind, when picking out curriculum, is your child's learning style! 

After you have your curriculum all picked out, now you can start planning your school year. 

A lot of homeschoolers like to keep with the same school year outline as public schools (i.e. start at the end of August and go until the end of May). 

You can also do year round homeschooling (you can take a lot more breaks and even do a 4 day school week this way).

It's really up to you and what works best for your family.

Now all that's left to do is dive right on into it. 

The first year is going to be full of bumps. 

You'll make some mistakes, 

you'll have some rough days/weeks,

but *hopefully* you will learn from your mistakes and in the end it will all be worth it. 

Good luck with the journey ahead of you!!

****None of this is intended to be legal advice (i'm not a lawyer), it's purely informational. So make sure you check out your states laws beforehand.****

First Day of School Signs {Freebie}

Hi Everyone!

I know this post is late, seeing as for most people school started in August, but better late than never right?!

I just finished creating these first day of school signs

I've included sings for Preschool all the way to first day of College. I've also made them in 2 different colors (Red and Blue).

You can download it for free HERE

Enjoy!

Welcome To The World Baby #5 {Birth Story}

He is here and he is absolutely PERFECT!!!

Baby #5 made his arrival into the world almost 3 weeks ago now and i finally sitting down at the computer to share with you all his birth story (and what a story it is!).

Thursday, August 4th, I went to the doctor for my 38 week checkup. My doctor checked me and i was 3 cm dilated and about 50% effaced. So my doctor decided to strip my membranes in hopes to help labor along.

Immediately i was having strong contractions, but nothing consistent.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday i continued having strong contractions, but once again they were not consistent.

Monday afternoon (August 8th) i felt a bit of leaking, but wasn't 100% sure it was my water breaking because it didn't continually leak. It was just a few drips and then nothing.

Tuesday morning (August 9th) i decided to call my doctor, to just let her know about the small leaking just in case. They set me up an appointment that morning at 10:30 to check me out.

I get to the doctors office and they check me to see if my water did break, they took 2 tests. One was positive and the other was negative. So my doctor told me to go straight to the hospital as she wasn't sure if i was in labor or not and she wanted me to be seen by the doctor on call there.

My husband and I rushed to the hospital. They put me in an exam room to check me and see if my water did break, just like my doctor did. That test at the hospital came back negative.

The doctor there at the hospital was questioning me, do you really think your water broke? I told her i'm not sure. She decided to do an ultrasound to find out.

The ultrasound results were not good.

I had very little amniotic fluid.

That's when the doctor said we are going to have a baby today.

We are going to start you on Pitocin right away.

They put me into a labor room and started the Pitocin around 2:30 in the afternoon.

The contractions, caused by the Pitocin, were finally becoming so unbearable that by 6:00 i decided to get an epidural.

20 minutes after getting the epidural i was finally ready to push.

I started pushing, then the doctor told me to stop.

Something was wrong.

The baby had his cord wrapped tightly around his neck.

They had to cut it free.

Once he was free, i pushed some more and by 6:26 Baby #5 was born.

He was all gray/white and his face had some bruising, but he was finally here.

I was finally holding my baby in my arms.

That was one of the most scariest labor/delivery I've ever been through.

Here he is after getting all cleaned up, a few hours old.

Here he is getting his hearing tested at the hospital, 1 day old.

Here he is, one week old.

Here he is, 2 weeks old

He is doing great! He is an amazing little baby.

Life is good!

High School Survival Kit

Hi Everyone!

One of my nieces just graduated from 8th grade and is now headed on to High School!!

I couldn't be more proud of her, she is just an awesome kid!!

I thought it would be fun to make her a "kit" to help her survive her first year of high school.

Check it out...

Here is a list of everything i added to her High School Survival Kit:

• Hair Ties *Things that always disappear*
• Lip Balm *Things that always disappear*
• Cookies *You are a smart cookie*
• Chocolate *The Necessities*
• Journal *To look back on your journey*
• Locker kit *To stay organized*
• Locker magnets *To stay organized*
• Highlighters *To add color to your work*
• Pens *To add color to your work*

I really hope she enjoys it!

Our Reading Area

Hi Everyone!

We have kind of a smallish designated school room area, so for this upcoming school year I've decided to switch things up a bit.

Last school year we had everything in our school room (my desk, all our books, all our school supplies, etc.).

This year I've moved all our reading books into our living room and i'm making that our new reading area.

This will also be the area where we will gather in the mornings for a new thing we will be doing this year, Morning Basket Time.

Here is a little tour of our new reading area...

I like that we now have a separate area for reading and that it also free's up space in our school room.

Isn't this sitting area so cute?!

I plan to add a fabric covered seat to this fireplace, because we never use this fireplace so it would be great to add some extra seating.

Here is another bookshelf.

 We also have this shoe bench, that i plan to add a fabric covered seat to as well.

I am so excited for this change and i'm hopeful it will make our school year even that much better!

How I Stocked Our Freezer For Only $200

Hi Everyone!

As my due date is fast approaching (only 22 more days left!), the thought of menu planning, grocery shopping and cooking with a newborn (and 4 other kids) was really starting to worry me.

That's when i decided it would be a great idea to make a bunch of freezer meals, in an effort to alleviate some of the stress.

First i made a list of meals to make and then i wrote up a grocery list based on those meals. Next it was time to go grocery shopping and boy was i surprised when my total was only $200!

Here is how i was able to make 22 meals and 9 smoothie packs for only $200!

This is my list of Freezer meals *Note i pretty much made 2 of each meal*:

• Lasagna (2)
• Mac-n-cheese (2)
• Teriyaki Chicken (2)
• Cheesy Taco Bake (2)
• Chili (1)
• Pinto Beans (1)
• Tuscan Chicken Pasta (2)
• Beef Stew (2)
• Salsa Chicken (2)
• BBQ Pork (2)
• Shredded Chicken (2)
• Mississippi Roast (2)
• Lactation Smoothies (9)

This is what all those groceries looks like:

BBQ Pork - This one is super easy! It only requires 2 ingredients Pork and a jar of BBQ sauce. The pork that i bought has 2 large pieces in it, so i put one in each bag. Then poured BBQ sauce on it and sealed it up.

Salsa Chicken - Chicken Breasts, Salsa, Corn and Black Beans is all it takes for this delicious and easy meal. Put 3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts into a Ziploc bag, then pour in a jar of salsa. Next, add a can each of corn and black beans (both drained). Mix and freeze.

Shredded Chicken - Take 3-4 chicken breasts, a can of tomato sauce, lime juice, garlic powder and a sprinkle of oregano.

Teriyaki Chicken - Chicken, soy sauce, brown sugar and pineapple juice.

Mississippi Roast - Pot roast, brown gravy mix, ranch seasoning packet, pepperoncini peppers, and a stick of butter.

Mac-n-Cheese - Elbow pasta, cheese, milk, butter, flour, salt and pepper.

Lasagna - Lasagna noodles, ground beef, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.

Beef Stew - Beef stew meat, carrots, celery, potatoes, and beef stew seasoning.

Chili - Hubby makes this with beans, ground beef, and with several other spices.

Pinto Beans - Super simple! Pinto beans, water and salt to taste!

Cheesy Taco Bake - Ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, lime, garlic, cheese, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.

Tuscan Chicken Pasta - Chicken, bowtie pasta, Parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, cream cheese, and milk.

Lactation Smoothie Packs - Banana, frozen strawberries, quick oats, peanut butter, almond milk and flax seeds.

So that's it, here is my receipt from the grocery store. You can see my subtotal for all of the above meals is $194.18, with tax it came out to $205.83.

All this took me one day to complete! Now i can sit back and relax, knowing once the baby is here i don't have to worry about cooking/planning/shopping for awhile!! :)

House Hunting *Update*

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to give a quick update about our housing situation.

We decided to cancel our 30 day notice to vacate and go ahead with renewing our lease.

The rental market where we live is really hot right now, it was just becoming way too overly stressful for us.

I'm so relieved that we are not moving!!! *Thank you God!*

Now i can just focus on getting all our school stuff ready for the upcoming school year and on having this baby!!

Our Crazy Life

Hi Everyone!

So if you've been keeping up with my blog lately, you know life has been just super busy for us.

June was just a crazy ride for us.

First we were still dealing with all the kids Hand Foot Mouth Disease, we had 3 birthdays to celebrate, Father's Day, a community garage sale and then most recently our housing situation.

Honestly, i'm so worn out from it all.

Anyways i just wanted to let you all know i'm still here. If you don't see me update the blog that much it's because between looking for a house, packing, cleaning, and doctors appointments i'm running on empty most days.

I hope once we've found a new house and the baby is here, i'll be able to get back into blogging more regularly. *fingers crossed*

Until then, take care everyone!

House Hunting... again.

It’s been a week since I got the letter in the mail, the letter that totally took me by surprise. A letter stating that our lease is up at the end of the month.

A little backstory...

When we first signed our lease for the house we are in now, we drove all the way from Montana to Idaho with little to no sleep. Only to show up at the property management first thing in the morning to sign papers, with all 4 kids waiting in the car for us. So to be completely honest I didn’t really pay much attention to the lease end date. Totally my fault I know. I just assumed it was a year lease, but I guess I was wrong.

Not that if our lease ended in September it would have been that much better (you know, moving with a newborn baby), but at least we would have had more time to look for something.

Anyways back to the letter...

It stated that if we want to renew our lease, our monthly rent payment would be going up by an extra $50 a month. Or if we choose not to renew the lease and just go month to month it would be an extra $100 a month and then they have the option to also give us a 30 day notice to vacate (which wouldn’t look good to future landlords).

My husband and I had already been discussing that whenever our lease was up, we needed to look for something that was less money each month because this house is just too much, especially with a new baby on the way.

So we really didn’t have much of a choice other than to give the property management our 30 day notice to vacate and start looking for a house.

So now we have until July 31^st to be out of our current place and as of right now (July 6, 2016) we don’t have any other house lined up.

Right now it’s super scary and stressful, but I am trying to remain positive and have faith in God’s plan. 

Wish us luck!

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

Hi Everyone!

Last month Our Family was unfortunate enough to catch Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. If you have never experienced it, consider yourself lucky and pray you never do. This illness is one of the worst I've ever seen.

It started out on a Wednesday night (May 18th) with Boogie Man complaining of a sore throat.

Next he had these bumps on all his throat, and then by Friday morning (May 20th) the bumps started to spread to his hands and feet.

Along with the bumps came a high fever and itching.

Next, Baby Boy caught this illness. However, because he has eczema and super sensitive skin, his was a million times worse. He had bumps covering his whole entire body.

Jelly Bean came down with a super high fever of 103, yet she never did get the bumps (lucky her!).

Super Guy then eventually came down with it and had bumps on his throat, hands and feet.

It's so hard to watch your children be this sick and uncomfortable, and there isn't much you can do for them. It totally breaks your heart.

All i could do was give them Tylenol/Ibuprofen for the fever. Then i used Calamine lotion on Boogie Man & Super Guy's bumps to help relieve some of the itching.

For Baby Boy i made up a mixture of Coconut Oil and Lavender essential oil, then i rubbed that over his entire body.

Today is now June 13th and Boogie Man's bumps are healing, his skin is peeling off where the bumps were.

However, a horrible side effect of this illness is you can lose your fingernails and toenails, Boogie Man is about to lose at least one of his fingernails as of today. Who knows how many more he will lose.

Baby Boy's skin still hasn't fully healed up yet. His arms and legs look a little bit better, but not 100% yet. His skin on his toes is pealing off as well.

I pray Our Family never catches this illness ever again.

Pregnancy Update *30 Weeks*

Hi Everyone!

This pregnancy has been an up and down roller coaster ride, and I'm so happy that this ride is almost over.

Honestly this pregnancy was totally unexpected.

We didn't plan to get pregnant, in fact i spent the first several weeks in shock/denial.

I know i should always trust God's plan for us, but this to me felt like the timing was all wrong. We had just moved back to our home state, and hubby didn't really have any work lined up at all.

Then came the horrible guilt feeling.

Guilt for feeling ungrateful for the new life God had given us.

Then came the bleeding.

3 months of non-stop bleeding.

Then came more guilt, as i felt like my own ungratefulness caused the bleeding.

Finally the bleeding stopped and things started to get better.

Now i'm 30 weeks along in my pregnancy and i feel better about this pregnancy, about this life growing inside me.

I still feel guilty for my fist reaction to the pregnancy though. I wish i would have had a stronger faith in God and HIS plan. I'm working on that. 

As far as Baby goes, everything looks perfect with him. He is measuring right where he should be, his heart rate is perfect, and he is moving around a lot.

I passed my glucose test and i've gained about 10 pounds so far. Which isn't too bad, but i do wish that number was lower. My weight gain goal for this pregnancy was 15 pounds, so i'm really hoping to only gain 5 more pounds in the next 10 weeks. We'll see how that goes.