Getting Ready!

I successfully took ALL of the toys out of the boys room and put them all into mine! BIG MESS!!! THEN.......based upon another blog author's idea (homeschooler), went through them and sorted into "Educational" and "Not Educational". Then...I took it one step further and tossed quite a few things out of the "Not" pile! YAY!! I returned the "Not" pile to the boys room and arraged the toys in a manner to which they SHOULD be able to see how the toys should be put away! We are in the middle of a room-redo and I have BIG plans for how things should look and work in the end......I know...I know.....I'm dealing with 2 boys under the age of 5! There's never going to be a clean room....I should just stop trying, but....I can always DREAM!!!!

Anyway...one of the homeschool blogs I follow suggests putting trays onto a bookshelf that the kids can pick activities from on a daily basis, rotating the "Activities" out from time to time. I hope to do this, and have the "Educational" toys in 2 totes awaiting the shelf that my hubby will probably not have the time to build us any time soon as he and his father are currently up to their eyeballs in a Kitchen Cabinet job that needs to be done by 12/1. We can wait!!! :o)

I've also been looking for ideas for what I need to start working on with Creston. I just found this site...http://www.getreadyforschool.com/and will be going over it more closely. Just looked at it.....has good ideas for what a child should know, but they want you to purchase their program to teach your child the basics in a 10day program format. I think I can do that myself, so we won't be ordering anything..... I want to make sure that Creston knows all of the things that he needs to know before starting school next fall (If that is the route we take!).

According to the site, he should know how to:
Dress Himself
Draw Shapes
Hold a Pencil Correctly
Jump, Hop, & Skip
Tie His Shoelaces
Know His Numbers/Be Able to Count to at Least 20
Write His Name/know ABC's
Cut Neatly with Scisors
Know the basic Colors

Hopefully, I'll be able to find some good worksheets and more ideas to teach him these things! I'll keep looking!!! I'll post good links/sites as I find them!!

Plans for Starting Home-School!!!

This will be my first post for our Home-School blog! Creston is currently (almost) 4 3/4 years old. He is probably old enough (if we tested him) to go ahead and start Kindergarten this year, but according to the State rules and regulations, he just isn't old enough yet ~he'll be 5 in January. He's such a smart little booger already. He catches on so fast and picks a lot of things up just by watching a couple of times. He could probably run a Fire Truck if left alone with it after watching his Daddy so much!

Since Creston will NOT be attending school this school year (2009-2010), Mark and I decided that we would attempt to "Home-School" him until it's his time to start school next fall. I plan to start the Home-Schooling the day after Labor Day! That is when ALL schools should start!!! :o)

We will be doing a combination this year of Pre-School/Kindergarten curriculum. There are many basic things that Creston already knows, and several that he does not...(once Mackie came along, I stopped trying to make him memorize the 50 states and colors and stopped trying to teach him how to write and spell.....Bad mommy, huh??) If all goes well, and if he seems to be doing well in this Home-School setting, then we will definately have a hard decision to make NEXT fall when it really is his time to start public school.

There are many factors involved when parents choose to Home-School. These decisions are not made lightly, but often-times the parents of those being Home-Schooled are criticized for their "Harmful" decisions to keep their kids out of the Public School System ~ the harmful effects of teaching a child when you are not qualified to do so and also the harm that it does to keep their children away from socializing with other children. I would like to report to everyone that I am married to a man who was a School Teacher for 9 years (up until 2 years ago when he pursued his dream job of working full-time for the Fire Service). He is FULLY capable of over-seeing our Home-School lessons and has enough patience (when necessary) to work with the toughest of learners!! I have full faith in myself and my husband to teach our oldest son and also our youngest son what they will need to know to pass any tests given them and to succeed in life later on! :o)


This is a decision that we have prayed about and that I have agonized over. We have already received negative responses to our decision to try this out this next year and he's not even eligible to start school yet!! It's probably going to be an interesting journey, but one that we are willing to make. Please pray with us that we are able to teach our son what he will need to know and that we too will learn many important lessons along the way. This journey may end next fall, but if not, then I will be right here, blogging Crestons progress for all to see!!

I'm excited! Keep us in your prayers!!!