Stop Think Plan

It's time once again to re-evaluate our plans. Next week is week 24(or 30 however you would like to figure) for our homeschool, we are loving our new schedule this year. 8 weeks of school and 2 week break all year long. This is fantastic I wish we would of started this a few years ago!

So every 8 weeks I go threw and pick out certain topics for Unit Studies and Lapbooks that I want to try to cover. Last 8 weeks was the first time that I had separated the kids, there was a few bumps but nothing that couldn't be worked out. Kyle had requested to do studies without Lexi and Zac. He wanted to learn different things. I have to admit I was already feeling this but after he requested I couldn't say no. This worked pretty good this 8 weeks. I learned that he is super slow at anything computer related without me. He's just not comfy on it at this time, I know it will come. However he got aggravated with himself, so with that said we will be staying away from anything that needed a computer to help him.

That meant that Lexi and Zac was together. At first I thought I could be Super Woman and do 3 unit studies/lapbooks at a time - meaning each child on a different study.......... NO..... lol my dreams went crash and burn, right away!! So again nothing I couldn't handle. So we added Lexi and Zac together and I just combine what I had planned. Ofcouse I have many left over that will go into this next 8 weeks because I over planned the last time.

This 8 weeks I have finally narrowed my Unit that we always do together down to one thing. I normally choose 3 topics to cover during our 8 week period together. Because we don't do a "science" curriculum its normally related to something in that area. So this 8 weeks I am doing a huge study on Geology and incorporating mini studies on Earthquakes, Volcano's and Tsunami's. So instead of my normal bounce around we will stay on a "mother" topic so to say and branch off a little on the others!

Kyle will learn about the following this 8 weeks:
Detectives LB/US
Where the Buffalo Begin LB/US
Pirates LB/US
That's all I have planned right now, I have several others in the thinking stage!

Zac & Lexi will learn about the following this 8 weeks:
Aesop's Fables LB/NB
Johnny Appleseed LB
Months of the Year LB
Growing Veg Soup LB
Caps for Sale LB
Stone Soup LB
The Grouchy Ladybug LB

I am not finished with this plan yet, that's what I am working on for the next week or so. Thinking about interests that my kids have and items I already have that I could let them use. I like to plan ahead and print all needed supplies before I need them just so I know I am prepared and I can go as I am needed!

However in my life and with homeschooling I have found out that my time frame is not the one that matters. This 8 weeks Kyle showed me this several times. I was at first very upset that my plans wasn't being meet then I had to take a step back and ask myself... Why aren't they being meet? The reason was because I was trying to honor what my son asked, Let him work alone. I felt like if I stepped in it would hurt his progress and make him feel badly of himself, so I stepped aside, never did he know that the study which should of took him only a week to finish actually took him 3 weeks!! He didn't care of the time it was supposed to take, he cared that he read 7 books during the process and watched 3 really awesome movies and really dug deep into the subject!! Like I had NOT PLANNED. He really enjoyed his Lewis & Clark study, he could tell you almost anything about them at this point and I am so glad that I got taught a lesson in the process too! Mother's don't put to much pressure on YOUR plans for God and YOUR CHILDREN will lead you in the right plan!!!!!!