Curriculum woes!

So we're about half way through the school year and we are BORED! This Horizons curriculum in NOT good for us. Austin is frustrated and bored. I'm even tired of doing the same thing over and over. He's doing really great with his reading and writing, but I feel like it's torture for him to sit down and do it. I was thinking I was a horrible teacher and it was time for him to go to school. The Lord has really been dealing with me about it today. It's not me. It's not Austin. This curriculum is just not a good fit for him. He loves science and wants to know "Why?" all the time. I forgot how boys are more science based. (Brett loves to argue with me about that but I'm sorry; I believe it's true!) I didn't get him science this year because I figured we could just explore it on our own. Yesterday he wanted to talk about the planets and I was kind of brushed him off. I feel terrible! He also loves to do draw and sometimes just wants to draw all day. Today he literally has colored most of the day. He made a book about pumpkins. :)

The Horizons lessons have 3-6 pages of phonics work everyday. The math seems all over the place. Each lesson has four sections of different things for them to do. I get him focused on addition and then the next section is time. I don't remember ever learning about four different math things a day. I thought this year it would be best for us to focus on reading and math but I'm learning he needs something different. I guess that's how it work with homeschooling though! Brett and I have been looking at My Father's World for next year. It has lots of science in it so I'm really leaning toward it right now. I think he will love it!

I still think homeschooling will work best for us. If we stay in the house, the public school they would attend is not in the best area of town. :( If we put them in private school, it would probably be $20,000  a year! I know from my public school experience that it's hard to be a Christian and be in that setting. I lost my way. I know if I give him a strong Christ based home life he would probably make it, but do I take that chance? Especially with boys. I feel like they try harder to fit in. I worry that Austin lacks some things that kids learn in school, like how to sit quietly, how not to interrupt adults, how to be still for 5 SECONDS!!! I need to work on those things at home. It's easy to forget how he needs to learn those things. Then we get in public and I feel like people are annoyed by him! Any thoughts on teaching those things, homeschool mamas?

Repost from Facebook

I posted this on Facebook, but I wanted to post here too:

I was listening to David Jeremiah on the way to the gym tonight and he told this story. It was originally told by Dale Hays. It's kind of gross, but a good illustration.

I heard a Haitian pastor illustrate to his congregation the need for total commitment to Christ. His parable: A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted very badly to buy it,but because he was poor, he couldn't afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: He would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door.

After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.

The Haitian pastor's conclusion: "If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ's habitation."

Disney and Homeschool. Do I ever blog about anything else?!

I'm really awful about updating my blog! I never feel like I have anything interesting to say!

We've been back from Disney for almost 3 weeks now. I'm already planning our next trip! I love being there so much! My goal is to stay at every resort on site. I know that is totally ridiculous, and it probably won't actually happen, but it could! So far I've stayed at 4. I've been 5 times but the 4th time we stayed on grounds but not in a Disney resort. I never want to stay in a non-Disney resort again!

I've been trying to talk Brett into getting a job at Walt Disney World since we've been back. He said he thinks we would get tired of it if we were there everyday. I don't think I could ever get tired of being there! I'll be a good wife though and not nag him about it! :)

School is going great! Austin is almost finished with his first Phonics book and reader. He's doing really well with reading and writing. He likes Math but I feel like he's not really learning anything. Yesterday we were behind a school bus with the number 12 on it and he said, "Mom, what number is one two?" I feel like he should know what a "12" is! We look at the calendar everyday and he also counts a lot with his math lesson. He is really good at counting and this time last year he was still skipping 16 and only counted to 20. I'm not  a huge fan of the curriculum we picked this year. We're looking into Sonlight and My Father's World for next year. Sonlight is expensive but they do have a payment plan. My friend Breanna told me that My Father's World is good and a little less expensive. Brett is working on a spreadsheet with all of the curriculums broken down by price!

Better go start school!