Our Workbox System

I have always wanted to use Sue Patick’s Workbox System for our homeschool, but we just didn't have the room for the cute little cart with pretty bins that I really want and especially not for a shelf with plastic shoe boxes. I decided to put it off for a while, but last year, I decided to take another look. I needed an easier way to organize our school day and allow my girls to see what was next. After searching the web high and low for how others use the system, I decided that the file folder system would be our best bet.

Before I begin, I just want to note that my girls will be in 2^nd and 7^th grade this 2013/2014 school year. When I implemented the system last year, the 2012/2013 school year, they were 1^st and 6^th. You will be seeing pictures with 1^st and 6^th grade work.

Youngest child.

Oldest child.

Putting It All Together

I gathered my supplies and set to work.

Ø  2 file folder boxes, one for each child (I chose the skinny boxes with handled lids.)

Ø  2 packs of dime size Velcro dots

Ø  A pack of card stock

Ø  A pack (or 2) of file folders, one for each subject, per child

Ø  My laminator and pouches

Ø  Workbox activity cards, free from Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations

Ø  Grid for front of workbox (I just measured and drew my own.)

After laminating my workbox activity cards and grid, I decided which of the cards I was going to use. I placed the fluffy side of the Velcro dots to those. I placed the hook side of the Velcro dots to the grid and to the outside of the file folders and put the file folders inside the box. I used clear packing tape to stick the grid to the front of the box. I’m sure you can use another way if that one doesn't work for you.

.

How We Use It

I try, at the very least, to pull all of my girls’ work sheets from their books and place them in large 3-ring binders. I also *try* to plan a week ahead, more if I’m feeling good, and I stick everything in my file folder box in folders labeled Monday-Thursday. We have co-op on Fridays, so we don’t have school at home on those days. This blog post has inspired me to plan at least half of our year out.

Whether you are a night-before planner, a year-ahead planner, or somewhere in between, the point of this system is the same. It can be done either way.

Both of my girls have their Abeka charts and other useful charts/papers in a 3-ring binder that stays in the back of their workbox. This just makes for easy access all the way around.

My youngest has a Calendar Notebook in a 3-ring binder. It’s basically her old Morning Board, broken down, and turned into a notebook. This has a Velcro dot on the front since it’s too big for a folder. We have lots of goodies in here. She has a printable calendar for each month so that she can trace the month name and the days of the week at the beginning of the month, and she traces each day, well, day-by-day. We have  a little clock velcroed in, so she can practice time. We also have a Spanish word of the week page. We use We ChooseVirtue, paired with the Child Training Bible, and the new Virtue Training Bible. I stick her virtue of the week in here as well. We have a laminated/Velcro-dotted “The weather outside is…”page, a weather graph for each month, a “Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday” page, a laminated thermometer page to fill in temperature, and skip counting pages (we work on one until it’s mastered). All of these are either laminated themselves and glued to cardstock or they are placed in protective sheets, which we write on with a dry erase marker. Here, here, and here are where I got our free Calendar Notebook printables from.

So after all that background information…. Each folder gets an activity card velcroed to the outside of it, like “math”, “writing”, “history”, “exercise”, etc. Some of them may have a “Mom’s Help” also velcroed to them. Some things, like the calendar notebook, writing, reading, or math review days, they can do alone. When we are learning new things, review harder things, or need to work on a subject together, I put the “Mom’s Help” on the folder. The night before, I place their necessities inside the folder, like a worksheet, their reading book, a spelling list to review, a review game, Wrap-ups, or a note that says what they should grab: a puzzle, a game, etc. If I want something specifically done, I will stick a post-it note to it, “Read pages 61-65, then discuss with mom.” I do this for my oldest daughter. I usually keep a running post-it note. She crosses off as she does the work. When it’s full, I trash it and start another one.

After they have finished a folder, they remove the activity card from their folder and place it on the grid on the front. My youngest loves doing this. She can visually see what she has left to do. She would always ask, “How much more do we have to do?” Now she checks her folders to see what needs to be done. She is so much more apt to do school work now!! My oldest doesn't really need to have the activity cards and grids, but she’s like her momma. We love to be organized and have a spot for everything.

This is our Workbox System in a nutshell. I hope I have covered everything. If I wasn't clear, or you simply have some questions, please feel free to ask! I’ll help the best that I can. :)

Summer Run-down

So here we are again. SUMMERTIME!! Woo hoo!! It never ceases to amaze me at how fast it gets here or how fast it leaves. School is finished. Co-op is finished. Time for a break right?

Nah!! Apparently because I don't think I have enough to do already, I started going back to college this past March, part-time, for my Nursing degree. I am a bit skeptical about what I will be able to accomplish. More than anything, I do not want it to affect our family dynamics. I decided to go back to better our family, but there is going to be a VERY fine line. I'm praying I don't cross it.

If there are blogs and articles about stay-at-home moms who homeschool (and direct a co-op), I haven't found them yet. I'm working on putting together a reasonable schedule of homeschooling, homeschool planning, co-op planning, house keeping, dinners, and quality time with my husband and kids. Shew... That just seems like a lot, but with God's help, I will get it done!

We all know how well I have done at keeping up with blogging, but I want to record my journey for those who do this after me. Hopefully I will be good at it this time.

I am taking 2 classes this summer, Chemistry (yuck) and Human Development. Human Development is online. It's a very in depth class though. I am trying to set aside time at night to read and do homework. Chemistry, on the other hand, is on campus. I still have homework and studying to do, but with the lectures, it's easier to tell what the teacher expects from me. Chem class is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 pm to 3:45 pm. That's a lot of Chemistry!

Because I am away from the house those 2 days, I have been working on our summer calendar. We usually "fly by the seat of our pants" in the summer, but this year, I am trying to be very intentionally about making it a great summer for the kids, even though mom is gone 2 days and needs to study. So far so good. Here's our "bucket list" for the Summer. Most of these are quite do-able. There are a few that may not get put on the calendar but only because they a little out of budget or driving range.

1. Camp out back- We have a nice privacy-fenced yard on the outskirts of town. We can still see the stars fairly well. My mom and dad bought us a REALLY nice 8 person tent for Christmas, along with really nice sleeping bags. We're excited to get to use it!
2. S'mores
3. Amusement Park- I am happy to say that we've already crossed this off our list! We went to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania on May 31st. It was a really fun 2 day weekend together.
4. DC Zoo with Dad- With my girls' dad, that is. We went last year on a field trip, but my husband was working. We want to go back with him.
5. Family Game Nights- These are going to get scheduled in over the next week. It seems simple, but I really need to be intentional. It gives us something to look forward to also.
6. The Beach- We are only a 45 minute drive from the beach, but last year we only went once. We usually buy a beach tag and go surf fishing, but for some reason, that didn't happen last year. Again, I will be penciling these days in. I need to know they are coming
7. Picnic by the river
8. Color together
9. Tie Dye
10. Pedicures
11. Lemonade stand
12. Homemade facials
13. See a water fall- We have several very nice ones about a 2-3 hours drive. It would make for a nice day trip.
14. Set up a booth at our local festival- My daughter makes all-things-duct tape, and I "upcycle" jeans/shorts/mini skirts into modest skirts.
15. Ride horses as a family- I'm not sure if this will happen. We'll see how the budget goes, and if anyone in our area does this.
16. Star Gazing- Out in the country.
17. Movie at the Park- Our city does these through the summer. Everyone brings blankets or chairs and gets to watch a movie on a really big screen.
18. $1.00 Movies- We will most likely not hit all of these, but a theater near us offers $1.00 children's movies during the day. They are older movies but some we haven't seen.
19. Family Breakfast- We did these a lot when I was growing up. The families got together. Each brought food to contribute to the cooking, and the women cooked a big breakfast for everyone. I enjoyed them as a kid.
20. Bible Reading Challenge- I want to set goals or us all to read together and see how much of the Bible we can get through.
21. Skiing- This one will probably not be happening. It is way out of budget, and way out of season for around here. It's fun to dream though. You never know what can happen!
22. Make cookies together
23. Night time fishing on the River Walk
24. Ice Cream Nights- Grab some ice cream and go eat it by the river or maybe sit a people watch. Just some time to be with each other and talk.
25. Pool Days- Of course! Summer isn't complete without them! My mom and my grandmother have pools, so we can take our pick!
26. Catch Lightening Bugs
27. Silly String Fight
28. Sew Together
29. Cook Together
30. Play in the Rain

So that's what we have planned for this summer. How about your family? What are your summer plans for 2013?

Dare I say it???

I'm afraid to utter the words.... but I'm too excited not to tell you, in hopes that it may help someone else as much as it's helped me!! I think I have FINALLY found a cleaning routine that is working for me!

I am a homeschooling mom. I am the director of our local co-op that meets every Friday during the school year. I babysit a soon-to-be one year old. I have to make dinner, do laundry, wash the dishes, clean the house. We don't live in filth by any means, but sometimes it would be one a couple several months that I wouldn't get around to dusting, or it would be too long between bathroom cleaning and vacuuming. It was discouraging and extremely frustrating. We would either have school or clean the house, but certainly not both, not ever. Then I would spend an entire day doing what I like to call "crisis cleaning." You know the one, the one where either you're about to have a nervous breakdown because you can't stand the way the house looks any longer or someone calls and says that want to come over? Flylady calls it CHAOS or Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. I'd spend hours cleaning the house top to bottom, swearing that this was the last time that I would ever let it go so long. Yeah, right...

I can't tell you how many cleaning schedules I have written, blogs I have poured over, sites I have signed up for. I still could not make it all work together. There was NEVER enough time in the day. I tried Flylady. I loved it. In theory, it looks wonderful. I just personally could never make it stick. I was at the end of my rope, ready to pull out my hair in frustration!!

Cue Pinterest and the pin "15-20 minutes to a Clean House: How to have a {fake} immaculate house." I was totally skeptical. Right, 15 minutes Monday-Friday, and I don't have to do any crisis cleaning before company comes? AND I can fake an immaculate house? Nah, not happening!

..........But I was WRONG!!! I am now going into week 4 of a new cleaning routine, and I am so happy with what is getting accomplished. Now, mind you, it isn't a spring cleaning, but it's company ready all of the time. I can now have someone knock on the door and allow them inside rather than go hide until they're gone! We have actually had several surprise visits, and I was so proud to open the door to them!!!

I did have to rearrange it a little to fit my family, but here's what mine looks like:
Monday-Clean Kitchen-This includes wiping down counters, wiping our microwave, sweeping, quick spray-and-mop, etc.
Tuesday-Dust House-This is done with a swiffer, occasionally with pledge. I personally dust from top to bottom, meaning door molding and vents to heat ducts and baseboard, but you can do what you're comfortable with. It only takes a couple of minutes on each room. You are not spending a bunch of time. Just start at one side of the room and quickly work your way around, dusting surfaces.
Wednesday-Clean hall bathroom. This includes spray and wipe off counters, cleaning the toilet, spray and wipe the tub, and I spray and wipe the floor by hand.
Thursday-Clean half bath and laundry room. Same thing as the hall bathroom, minus the tub. I sweep the laundry room floor and make sure things are put away.
Friday-Vacuum the whole house. Run the vacuum all over and behind things. I pull out baskets and tables and quickly run the vacuum around. We have a few carpeted rooms and a few hard wood, so I use 2 different vacuums. One is a regular vacuum, the other is the smaller $25 vacuum from Walmart for non-carpeted floors.

Almost everything takes 15-20 minutes, but I never spend more than 30. Our house has 3 bedrooms and is 1300 square feet. Everyone can spare 30 minutes a day to have a clean house. It really does work, plus you get the weekends off! :) I can honestly say, this is very doable in my crazy world.

There are a few other tips that I have learned that really help as well:
1. Do one load of laundry from START to FINISH every day, unless of course you don't happen to have any that day. I don't do this every day yet, but I'm working on it!
2. Make sure dishes are done in the evening before you go to bed. It is so nice to wake up to a clean sink! I don't do this every day either. Some nights I call it quits early, because it's been a long day.
3. Put things where they belong! I have a habit of laying something down to put away later, and then forget to it. Do it when you remember. Don't wait. It really doesn't take that long.
4. Give the kids (and yourself/husband) a 15 minute night time clean up. Before the kids go to bed, set the timer and have them put away anything that doesn't belong in the living room, kitchen, den, their rooms in it's *proper* place. *Read:: Do not have them pick up their toys from the living room and drop them on their bedroom floor.* This instills good habits for them and for you.

There are 3 things I am still working on that will be a big help as well.
1. Go to bed earlier. This will help with #2.
2. Get up earlier than the kids. This gives you time to get things done for yourself. Get ready, go for a run, read your Bible, have an uninterrupted cup of coffee, check your emails, etc.
3. Meal planning, meal planning, meal planning. I want to do this desperately, but I just haven't gotten there yet. I am going to set a 2 week schedule. It will be SO nice to look at the menu the night before and be able to know what we are having the following night!
Ten Habits for a Well-Run Home was also a helpful read.

The goal here is baby steps. You can't jump in and do all of it. Take one thing at a time and get into a routine, then add another. It will be worth your while. I promise!! I feel so much better about the house. I can't promise that there won't be toys strewn all over the place, but I guarantee I won't have to tell any surprise visitors that the bathroom is out of order, lol!

So come on over! I'm ready for ya!!

Curriculum Clean-Out: See the Light Art DVD Giveaway!

Jolanthe, over at Homeschool Creations, is hosting the Curriculum Clean-Out Giveaway! Yay!!

I love this time of year, going through old curriculum, seeing what will work for next year and what won't, and getting packages with your new curriculum in the mail.

I am giving away 2 (YES 2!) brand new, unopened copies of See the Light: Drawing Children to HIM, Volume 1. This dvd contains lessons 1-4, Tools of the Trade, It All Starts With a Line, Contours & Composition, Draw What You See, and 2 bonus lessons, Chalk-It-Easy and Chalk Art Lesson.

To enter, leave a comment telling us one piece of advice that you would give to new homeschoolers. If you are new to homeschooling, tell us what your excited about for your first year.

For an additional entry Follow Me, and leave me a comment telling me you did.

Please enter only if you are in the continental US.

There will be 2 winners in this giveaway. Deadline is August 4th.

If you want to join in on the fun or see what other curriculum is up for grabs, visit Jolanthe here!

This giveaway is now closed.


Congrats to to #6 and #21! I will be emailing you shortly. :)

HUGE Back 2 School Giveaway!!

Hurry! It's almost over! Enter for your chance to win over $700 worth of homeschool curriculum. There is only 1 winner!!! :)

Reading Eggs Review

Just recently, we were blessed enough to be able to review Reading Eggs. Reading Eggs is an online, learn to read program. It has been designed for ages 3-7. They also have a program for ages 7-13 called Reading Eggspress. The program is able to take non-readers and have them reading on a first grade level.

Ladybug got to be the lucky one to do the fun stuff! She is 5, and we had been working on reading in Kindergarten this past school year. I thought Reading Eggs would be a great to addition to reinforce what we were already doing.

She does not enjoy learning to read the way her older sister, Butterfly, did, but she does LOVE to play video games. Video Game Brain is something Ladybug inherited from her father, so when the opportunity to review Reading Eggs came up, I was thrilled. I was still a little skeptical, but she took to the game right away.

When you sign up with Reading Eggs, you are able to choose whether or not you'd like to start as a beginner or take a placement test. We opted to take a placement test, but Ladybug quickly decided she needed to start from the beginning to "crack all of the eggs." After choosing how you'd like to start, children are taken to a map. The spots on the map are lessons that teach a phonetic sound, special sounds, or combination.

In each lesson, students are given about 10 different games to play (more or less) to teach and reinforce the sounds that are being taught.

She did get a little bored at some of these, and I found a few to be a little repetitive, lesson after lesson. She was not discouraged, however, and wanted to finish so she could get her reward at the end. At the end of each lesson, the children get to watch a new egg crack open. Inside each egg are very funny mix-matched creatures, like a cat/octopus, a dog/frog/dophin, or a tiger/turtle. Ladybug loved watching what new creature she had unlocked. She even had Butterfly curious as to what was about to hatch.

They are also rewarded with golden eggs. With their golden eggs, they are able to go to the store and buy creatures, clothes, and furniture for their house.

Lady bug has stepped back from playing, but I really think the only reason is that she had forgotten about it during a week that we were very busy and away from home. I'm going to remind her and encourage her to keep at it. I think it's definitely helping to reinforce what we've been doing and helping to teach her additional things we haven't covered yet!

Head on over to Reading Eggs and try it out for free for 14 days!!

~Mandy

*We were given a three-month subscription for review purposes only. No other compensation was received and opinions are our own. :)

Random musings...

The year is coming to a close for some people, but I have decided this year to try schooling through the summer. We aren't going to go everyday, but we do need the extra days. I started a homeschool co-op for the 2011/2012 school year, and it has been great. Our schooling was set back a little though because of it. I don't think this school year will be like that, but there was a lot of fine tuning that needed to be done the first year. I eventually want to get to a point that our summer schooling consists of a lot of nature walks, science projects, and bird watching with a little review of math and language, but this year, we need to play catch-up.
I've seen a lot of areas in our schooling and on the homefront that need some work, and most of that consists of me. One of the main problems is that I am not a very good steward of my time, and isn't something I'm proud of. If God thought it was important enough to add it in the Bible, then I need to make it important in my life. I know it's an area that I really struggle with, and I really think that if I can get control of it, I wouldn't be so stressed out through the year. I plan on spending a lot of time working on me this summer!
We haven't set any summer plans as a family, but my husband and I are going to sit down with the girls soon and make a list of things we'd all like to do or try this summer. They don't have to all be amusement park huge. They are going to consist of things like camp out in a tent in the back yard, try horseback riding together, things like that. I'm really looking forward to making this with the girls and hearing what ideas they come up with!
I am already thinking about next school year and next co-op year. I am an organizer and a planner, so I think it's just one of those things I can't help. I am going to try to at least make it until the end of June until I start working on the next school year, but I'm sure I won't make it that far! Sigh...  A girl can hope though, can't she? ;)