The last couple weeks here have been fairly quiet for us. We've plugged along in our schooling to a degree, relaxing a bit as the weather has been unpredictable to allow freedom to play outside whenever weather allows (in other words, not snowing or too cold). But I'm not too concerned about not making as much progress as we should be, as I know that soon enough it will be hot enough that we won't want to go outside as much and we'll spend time inside, enjoying the air conditioning and having the time to pick up extra lessons.
The last couple weeks have also brought us some changes. We have been going back and forth on what to do for history and science, especially as we have the tax money in and set aside the amount I'm using for curriculum. One of the only things we did agree on so far is that I needed to order math and toner for the printer. We both agree that it is time to start digging into US history after doing so much world history before this year, and then picking up with US geography when we brought the kids back home in January.
The kids and I are all enjoying our foray into unit studies with lapbooking that we've done this year, doing short daily lessons on many topics and reading great books and exploring. We are next going to venture into creating a nature journal for each kid (including Preston!) when we get our gardens built so that I can buy the little plants for us to grow some produce this year. If I can save money on tomatoes, peppers, and other goodies that the girls enjoy as snacks daily (yes I have a couple who think bell peppers are better than candy) then it will be worth the effort and learning that we all will have to do. The man across the side street from us grows corn every year, so I may approach him about growing some extra of it and us planting some extra of our goodies that both families can share (and maybe ask him if he'd be willing to come over and give us lessons on growing things, as he is a retired farmer).
Last weekend we made the purchases of toner and math materials. Well, more specifically on Friday last week we ordered toner, then on Sunday we ordered part of our math. I was given a link to a site that sells generic high-yield toner for my printer for half or more off (just depends if you buy the single, 2 pack, or 4 pack). I've never used generic toner or printer ink before, so we opted to buy a single cartridge and see how it works. Today my toner arrived, and I love it already. I've only printed about 30 pages or so with it, but the quality is comparable, if not superior, to the actual Brother brand toner. By the time my low toner light comes on again from this cartridge, I'll decide if I like it enough to get the 4 pack. The single I bought cost $21 (compared to $59 for the Brother brand) and the 4 pack is $51, and they both get free shipping via FedEx Smart Post (this method it starts out on a FedEx truck but is then delivered to the local post office for them to deliver to you). I do believe I will only use this generic toner from www.meritline.com as long as I own this printer.
I also managed to get an unbelievable score for us. An online friend of mine got some fraction overlays for our math curriculum (we use Math-U-See) among a bunch of homeschool stuff she got, and sold me the overlays for $5 plus shipping costs. This set retails from the company at $33 brand new, plus separate shipping costs, and I got it for $9. That is a steal no matter how you slice it! That on top of all the teacher guides and DVDs that a friend of Scott's gave us last year is going to save us a bunch of money in the long run. I did have to buy the teacher guide for Delta level, which it is now on the way here from MUS along with a couple of student packs that I need for the two oldest so they can move up in math. Liddy is ready to move up to Gamma and Missa is on lesson 22 of Gamma now, I needed the math as soon as I could get it here. Kimmy and Jojo are working with me together on the concepts in Alpha and Beta, not using the teaching materials or student packs at all. I'm just teaching them place value and addition/subtraction then we'll move them into Gamma probably by fall (which will mean another purchase and delivery from MUS). Yes I just said that I'll likely have then doing multiplication this fall in grades 2 and 1. That is the beauty of home educating, we can move totally at their paces in every subject. I am rather excited at the delivery of our math materials this week, as I did get the new edition that lines up with Common Core so I can see what I think of it. I'm not one typically to use materials that line up with the public school standards, but since we have discovered that MUS is THE program I need to use because no other method will likely work with Missa and her learning differences I'm ok with that. I figure that if I really dislike the whole Common Core thing, I'll just sell the Delta guide and DVD and then find a used older copy of Delta.
Now, I am going to spend some time loving and snuggling on Preston as he snores in my lap. He's moving to one nap a day right now on his own, so I'm trying to ease that transition a bit by letting him snooze on me midday and then he catnaps in the late afternoon. I hope he adjusts soon and drops that late nap, it is affecting his overnight sleeping.
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