It's that time of year. We're in the countdown to wrapping up the 2011-2012 school year (9 math lessons, 4 pages of handwriting, 10 history lessons, etc.), which for me always means one thing: I am already looking at and dreaming about curriculum options for next year. I'm pretty sure that pouring over catalogs and websites and wishing that somehow we could do it all is a sure sign that I love homeschooling!

I haven't purchased anything yet so nothing is completely set in stone, but since it's helpful and inspiring and interesting to me to see what others are considering, I figure I'll share the plans that are rolling around in my head in case it's also helpful to you!

1. Bible

We have many wonderful children's Bibles and I love them all. But we've used and reused them quite a bit-- and we also come up short-handed (more kids than Bibles!) when I tell everyone to sit down first thing to do some personal Bible reading. I'm planning on buying the Old Testament and New Testament Story Bibles for Older Children by Anne DeVries for Gabriel to use, while I'll have Bronwyn continue reading out of Arthur Maxwell's 10-volume Bible Story set (which is what I read as a child) and Jackson continue reading out of The Early Reader's Bible (which is what both Gabriel and then Bronwyn started with). For family devotions, we love Mary Batchelor's The Children's Bible in 365 Stories.

2. Math

Math was probably the simplest decision for me this year. The math we used this past year proved to be a great fit for each child (and for me as the teacher), so that's what we're sticking with. Gabriel and Bronwyn will use Teaching Textbooks, grades 5 and 4, and Jackson and Aubrey will use Bob Jones, grades 2 and K5.

3. Early Reading/Phonics 

I've never used a phonics curriculum so I don't plan on using one with Aubrey either. This isn't because I'm against phonics programs, but simply because the "method" for teaching children to read that I first tried has worked exceptionally well for my kids so far. I guess I figure that as long as it's working and I am excited about it, we won't change anything. The foundation of the method I use is laid out in Ruth Beechick's A Home Start In Reading. Just like with the other children, I will begin Aubrey with that method and then add in Explode The Code's primer series, Get Ready for The Code, Get Set for The Code and Go for The Code, as a supplement. The A Beka readers that were passed on to me from my mom round out our reading program and are great at getting beginners reading "books" very quickly, making for some proud moments that I absolutely look forward to with each child!

I had been thinking up until about a week ago that I would continue with Explode The Code for Jackson, too (he is finishing up Book 4 right now), but reading "clicked" just in the past several days and immediately upon that happening, his excitement about these workbooks is diminishing. Now that he's starting to really and truly grasp reading, he is also feeling the repetition of the program (which is, I think, a positive for children who are not yet reading independently, but does potentially get boring for the child who is getting established in reading).

4. Handwriting

Back when Gabriel was in 1st grade and Bronwyn was in K, I started using Getty-Dubay's Italic Handwriting series. It isn't the way I first learned to write, so at the time I wasn't sure how I felt about it. As we've progressed through the program, though, I can see how perhaps it is a great way to teach penmanship for two reasons: 1. it flows into cursive more naturally, and 2. it seems more practical in a world that uses a hybrid of printing & cursive in adulthood. I have children in all different books in the series-- A, C, E, and F-- and am very pleased with my children's handwriting, which is I guess a good test of a handwriting curriculum.

This year I'm going to try a copywork series by Sandi Queen for Gabriel, Bronwyn, and Jackson. I've never seen it before so I have no idea how we'll like it, but I do love the descriptions-- and the cover art is enough to make it appealing to try!

We've not done formal grammar yet, but now that Gabriel is well established in a love for writing, I want to add in more study of the mechanics. This boy of mine writes and writes and writes-- I can see him becoming a well-written man someday if I can guide him without squashing his passion for it. With that in mind, I'm going to be using A Beka's Language 3, but we won't go overboard with it. I'll probably use it 2x/week at most and I'll continue to let his "free" writing (he loves to write books*-- he's on the 4th book in a series he's currently writing!) be just that: free. I may also include Bronwyn in this, though I haven't decided for sure.

*I keep our cupboard well stocked with blank white bound books from Bare Books. Homeschoolers do get the school/business shipping rate, too, which I think is awesome!

5. History

This fall we're going to put our Beautiful Feet Early American History study on hold in order to join with some other students in a study about the Titanic/1912/the Progressive Era/etc. I'm already having lots of fun finding resources, including a 1912 Paris fashion coloring book for Bronwyn, literature that was published at that time for reading, documentaries for watching, and museums for visiting (please, can we take a field trip or two, honey?), and I can't wait to dive in! All the kids will be involved in this since unit/family study/learning together is one of my very favorite things about homeschooling.

6. Science

To go along with our Titanic inspired study, I'm leaning toward getting Apologia's Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. My kids are fascinated by sea life and exploration, and I think they would really enjoy this.

We'll also continue with nature journaling (inspired by Keeping a Nature Journal). Last fall I purchased each of the three older children nice spiral bound sketchbooks that they are systematically adding to a bit at a time. These journals have drawings, poems, pressed leaves and flowers, etc. in them. Currently, the emphasis has been drawing birds, which is what Gabriel has been learning on Fridays in his art class and then comes home and teaches the others.

7. Art

Although I'm no artist (ha!), I do love art and my children love art, so if we have time we'll do a small study of famous pieces of art and artists using Usborne's The Children's Book of Art as our spring board. This is less essential since art is included at Friday School, which means that if the other elements of homeschooling are taking up all our time, we can shelve the idea for another time/year if need be.

8. Physical Education

No textbooks here! We cover health, hygiene, etc. in daily life with reminders ("Flush the toilet AND wash your hands, please!"), discussion, doctor's visits, treating sickness, talking about Aubrey's heart, caring for younger siblings, and more.

Exercise and activity looks like a lot of outdoor play, gym class at Friday School, basketball & baseball with church/community leagues for the boys, and ballet for the girls (Aubrey is already pretty determined that she wants to do ballet and not basketball, T-ball, gymnastics, or any other thing an older sibling might suggest). Bronwyn has started running with me now that I'm running again and Gabriel has started running with Daniel. Hopefully we'll be able to keep it up since they both love it.

And that's it in a nutshell. Again, pretty much nothing is set in stone and there's still more exploring to do, but I'm excited about the planning and dreaming! And I always take recommendations if you know of something that you think, after reading this, that I'll love! :)

Elliot's nearing 4 weeks old now. It's funny; with every baby, I am amazed by how quickly the weeks fly by and yet I am simultaneously awed by the strange fact that 4 weeks ago I didn't know who my baby was. How has he not always been part of our lives? How did we ever feel like a family without him?

So quickly and instantaneously are our hearts enraptured with this newest member! It speaks tremendously to me of God's great heart toward us and I find myself so humbled by what a wonderful Father He is.

Six kiddos is... busy.

And I love it. I really and truly do. Sure, I want to pull my hair out at times. And yes, I've collapsed into bed more than one night in the past 4 weeks and cried because I'm not sure I'm actually cut out for all this.

This has been our first real week here at home of Finding Our New Normal and that means we're still a long way from finding anything even remotely resembling a predictable rhythm, but we sure are doing our best! I'm trying my hardest to just laugh off those moments when Elliot is crying unendingly, Claire is screaming after her latest injury, Aubrey is hounding me with a million and two questions, Jackson is needing help with math, Bronwyn is singing at the top of her lungs, and Gabriel is drumming with pencils on the dining room table instead of practicing handwriting.

(And, no, I didn't come up with all that for dramatic effect-- that was an actual scene around here just yesterday!)

Because for all those moments, there are also the ones when we're circled around the table and my heart is overwhelmed by the amazing goodness that surrounds me. There are the moments when I am rocking and whispering Elliot to sleep, and Gabriel is making lunch, and Bronwyn is reading to Claire, and Jackson and Aubrey are giggling together over their latest Magna Doodle sketch, and I think to myself that I am the luckiest woman in the world. There are the moments when I tuck them into bed and it doesn't matter that Elliot is fussing or that Claire fell off the stool while brushing her teeth or that Jackson took too long getting into pajamas or even that Bronwyn and Gabriel argued over who should use the bathroom first-- because I get to be here for even those moments and that in and of itself is such a gift.

I love it.

(And, yes, if you think you've read a couple times now about Elliot crying/fussing, it's because my sweet little man does just that an awful lot. We love him tons and tons, but he is apparently having difficulty adjusting to us!)

I even love it when the stress of the moment starts to cave in on me and I feel like I will be crushed by my own inadequacies because it's in those very moments as I'm realizing [again] just how unfaithful I am that I realize afresh just how sufficient and faithful He is. God grants me repentance, gives me perspective, produces within me peace and joy and love, and reassures me that He is the One performing a good work.

And, ohmy, have I mentioned yet just how much I love this baby of mine?

I do!

And I hold him so much.

So much, I tell you.

I want to memorize each day and every detail. I hate that I will forget. I breathe in and breathe out gift after gift after gift-- sadly enough, without even noticing most of the time.

I don't want to take any of it, any of them, for granted. Not ever. My life is overflowing!