I'm so ready for summer break and so are my kids. I feel more so when the temps are in the 80's. Today you'd think that waking up to the 30's would put me back into school gear, but it really doesn't. My husband warned me not to take a spring break because he knew that we'd all feel this way, but did we listen? Noooooo. Just a few more weeks. Just a few more weeks. I think I can. I think I can.
Well our book work can be done more quickly than this, but it should be done in 3 weeks. We did start earlier than other schools in the area and did half days last summer. I start counting school in June with baseball and softball as PE.
This homeschool mom is a little strange, because I love new curriculum and paper and planners and school supplies. I could get lost in the school supply aisle in August! Actually, I've heard that this is a common weakness of homeschool moms. I am not alone! This year, as most other years, the curriculum that I use is on sale right now. YAY! So, I ordered our curriculum last week and I got my first shipment yesterday. I am so excited about that and I am ready to start planning for next year and I haven't even finished this year.
I use the Homeschool Helper app on my iPad to keep attendance and grades, but I like to start with a paper planner. This year, I have moved so much around because I like to plan way ahead and then we ended up with doctor's appointments, unexpected travel, and braces which require a whole day off of school for the 1 1/2 hour travel each direction. Thankfully there are historical sites and museums we can do for field trips those days. Soooo, I found this planner that is perfect for me. It is the Term planner "class schedule" at donnayoung.org and I'm so glad I found it!
I was so against printable planners because of the ink they use compared to the price of a good planner. I really like the Well Planned Day planner from Home Educating Family Association, but I'm really not organized enough to use it. By the end of the year I paper-clipped all the stuff between the weekly planning pages and skipped it all. There are inspiring things and menu planning things and grocery shopping lists to tear out. I thought it was great, but I don't utilize everything. I want to do something that I will use. This year, I'm only printing what I know I will use. All I will need is a little cheap planner from Walmart to make notes in and acclimate myself to what day it is.
There are plenty of other planning pages on DonnaYoung. SchoolhouseTeachers.com also has printable planners, but I believe you have to have a membership to use them. I have a lot of organizing things pinned on Pinterest as well. So there are many ways to plan and organized. I would like to think I'm finally settling on one, but time will tell.
