Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Life

Just when you think things couldn't get any worse....

THEY DO

God give me strength to get through the next 4 days, cause I really really really really need it.

Until Next Time,
T

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Why We Homeschool

If someone would have asked me 8 years ago if I was planning on homschooling my children. I would have told them they were out of their minds.

While I was pregnant with Avery I would joke about homeschooling my child. For the simple fact I couldn't even bear the idea of one day my sweet baby who I hadn't even met yet would be leaving me.

That was 8 years ago...

Today and 3 kids later things have changed.

I started toying with the idea shortly after Chloe was released from the Hospital after her first almost 2 week long stay for RSV.

Both Avery and Bella were in preschool and were always sick and now my baby who is already fighting for her life. Didn't need to worry about getting the germs the big kids were bringing home.

When Chloe was 3 weeks old. We were informed that even a simple cold could cause serious complications.

At that time our biggest fear was open heart surgery on a newborn. I had no idea that our stuffy noses could cause heart failure. In turn if meds couldn't help counter act her heart failing that would lead to a heart transplant.

After a very sickly first year, along with weekly weigh ins and monthly meetings with Chloe's AMAZING Heart Doctor... Dr. Stamm.

Our minds were made up...

We were told that if we could make it to year 2 without any major heart problems Chloe's VSD ( Ventricular Septal Defect )would require repair at age 2.

Avery would be mid way through his school year. With that in the back of our minds we didn't want to worry about who would be around and able to take him to school if I was at home caring for a baby who just had open heart surgery.

Knowing that if I were home with Chloe caring for her there was no reason why I wouldn't be able to teach my son.

Then started the quest for the perfect homeshool curriculum. Sonlight was one of the first I found and after looking at what seems like thousands, but more like a hundred different ones. We went with Sonlight!

We are almost 2 full years into Homeschool and I couldn't be any more happy with the choice that our family has made. I get to spend my days with my children watching and helping them learn and grow.

After 2 very long years of prayer Miss Chloe walked into Dr. Stamm's office and was given a clean bill of health. While her heart defects remain they have gotten smaller. She doesn't have to go back to see him until she is 4. While the worry is gone for the most part, the memory still remains of what could have happened.

With all that being said I want to THANK YOU all for everything! The prayers over the years and the positive encouragement during our journey of life and parenthood and everything in between. We couldn't have done it without you!

Hugs and Loves,
Taylor

Clearing up Confusion

Dear Family and Friends,


Good Morning and Welcome to Blankets Bears and Binkies!

I'm sure a few of you are here for the first time due to my mass email that was sent out telling you to click on this link and read what I have written about homeschool and our family.

It was made known a few weeks ago that most of you feel as though you are out of the loop. I Taylor and Mr. Montana ( Scott ) have decided that Homeschooling is what is best for our family. No this doesn't mean we will be doing it forever nor does it mean that we wont. I take everyday day by day followed by taking it year by year.

For you wonderful blog followers that I have. If there are any of you out there. Bear with me while I walk you all family, friends, and blog junkies through a day in the life at our house.

Before I get to that I would like to say that please weather you are family, friends or bloggers if you ever and I mean EVER have a question about what we do before jumping to all sorts of crazy out of this world conclusions PLEASE just ask me.

Welcome to a day at A.I.C Academy!

A typical day here starts at 7am. Avery, Bella and Chloe are given 2 hours before we start our school day. This two hours is for waking up, eating breakfast, morning chores and getting ready for the day. At 8:45 they are given their 15 minute call until school starts. At this point teeth are brushed and hair is combed. All of this should and will be done by 9am.

Monday - Thursday School Day

9am - Morning Prayer lead by either Avery or Bella. Chloe followers their prayer with one of her own. We bless our school day each and everyday.

9:05am - Calendar

9:10am - Bible
Thanks to Sonlight my children are reading one of the most amazing books I have ever owned. Leading little ones to God. At the end of the lesson we are given a bible verse to look up and read that corresponds with the lesson.

9:45 am - Memory Verse
Over the course of 6 weeks Avery and Bella are learning Psalms 1: 1-6
at the end of the 6 weeks they get to pick and help cook that night. After dinner both of the kiddo's get to recite what they have learned.

10 am - Copywork (handwriting)

10:30am - Reading ( Avery reads to us ) and Phonics

11am - Spelling ( Spelling Tests are on Thursday, if there are any missed words they write them each 4 times and then I retest them on those words on Friday )

11:15 am - Math
Avery is working on Horizons 3rd grade and Bella is working on Horizons K
(Math Tests are given every 10 lessons for Avery)

Noon - Lunch time
During lunch I read aloud to the kids while they eat. At the moment we are reading Charlotts Web.

After the kids are done with Lunch Avery has free time until 1 while I get the Chloe down for a nap.

1pm - History

1:45pm - Creative writing

2pm - Local News - Avery and Bella get to pick a story from the local news they want to tell us about. Then they write a small paper and either draw a picture or we will print a picture from that story. The last thing they wrote and told us about was the Volcano in Ice Land. It's been an on going story they have been working on for the last few weeks.

2:30pm - Clean up from our school day. If there is any unfinished school work that hasn't been finished from the day ie. Copywork, handwriting or reading this is when it is done.

Our School day is always done by 3pm. If we have had a good school day, no tears, fighting to get work finished and things like that. They tend to go out to play or the Wii can be played for a while.

Friday School Day


Before Noon the day is the same


1pm - Science

2pm - Art


We have found that saving Science and Art for Fridays works best.

A.I.C Academy is in session year round. This allows for us to take days off here and there or for times when we have family in town and they get to take a week off to visit!

Both Avery and Bella are testing at grade level and above in many subjects. At times when they have struggled with something it has been addressed and taken care of. I feel they are blessed for this reason. Where they struggle they are given more one on one time to help overcome the struggle. Where they excel they are able to work at higher grade level. All of this wouldn't be possible if they were in either public or private school.

Both Scott and Myself have taken the required classes and courses to be able to homeschool our children in the state of Washington.

Scott and I feel very lucky to be able to home teach our children. Along with that we are very thankful to have found such a WONDERFUL curriculum to use. If it wasn't for Sonlight I'm not sure where we would be or what our children would be doing.

I consider myself lucky and thank God each and everyday for giving me the strength to teach my children at home. He has given our family so much in the last years and continues to show us that we have made the right choice for our family.

For this season in my life I'm a stay at home, homeschooling mama. Do I know what next year will bring? I don't, but I do know that God will let us know what he wants us to do!


I will continue to do weekly blog updates on our homeschooling journey. This way NON of you will be left in the dark and left to question what and how we do things around here.

As always I'm an email or phone call away to answer any questions you might have about OUR choice to homeschool OUR children.

Please feel free to check out the Sonlight curriculum we use at http://www.sonlight.com/
Also you can check out Washington Homeschool Organization at http://washhomeschool.org
and read over the Washington homeschool laws at http://washhomschool.org/homeschooling/law.html

I hope this blog finds everyone happy, healthy and well.

Hugs, loves, Blessings and Best Wishes!
Scott, Taylor, Avery, Bella, and Chloe

PS. All questions can be sent to either my main email or at AIC.Academy@yahoo.com