Daily Schedule

Part of Turbo's OT treatment includes "Making A Plan". As I blogged before, Ms. Renee has a giant book binder that is filled with pages that has Velcro-ed pictures of different toys/activities available! Each session, Turbo is to look through the book and choose an activity to do or really to play on. It is referred to as "THE PLAN".

To implement the same kind of idea in our home, I tried various things and nothing worked:

1) Dry erase board - Turbo would erase the plan and draw on the board or Tank would try to eat it, and the plan would be lost anyways. (Scratch that idea)

2) Created a daily schedule on paper - too much paper, can't afford this plan to continue if the plan kept changing hourly for Turbo. (SCRATCH!)

3) Created a calendar for Turbo to look at - Really it was like telling him to read another language, he would look at me and walk away. (DOUBLE SCRATCH!)

4) POCKET CHART! YES! I used pocket charts all the time and I had one! Looking at it...Looking at it...Looking at it...YEP...GOT AN IDEA!!! (SCRATCH!!!!!! What was I thinking?)

Finally, I gave myself a good swift kick in the pants and a smack on the forehead - you know those types of DUH! moments!- and decided to do our "PLAN" the same way Ms. Renee does.

I made a WORD document and made a sequential order to our day. Looking back, I probably should have gone from left to right instead of top to bottom, but hey, I had a great plan - I didn't say it was brilliant!

Then I scoured the World Wide Web for images that fit our lives: Library, Grocery Story, Playgroups, Parks, School, Meal times, etc. I laminated everything, added Velcro to the back, and put a sticky Velcro strip on our fridge for Turbo to look through to make is plan and VOILA! My very own book of "THINGS TO DO"....but it is on the fridge instead...

Bookshelf

A couple of days ago, in my attempt to take back my house from my vacation to Prague, I moved the half bookshelf from the hall into the living room. Every home needs a bookshelf to house the books you have already read or house the books that you intend to read, but just have never gotten around to it. Or in our case, books that we think make us look like intelligent beings even though we never have, never will and have no intention of reading...kidding...sort of...

ANYWAYS, in my attempt to take back the house and to prepare our family for the first official year of homeschool - KINDERGARTEN - for Turbo, I decided that he needed to have an entire bookshelf dedicated to his school stuff. So, those piles of books are just gonna have to find a new home, but that, is a different day.

His school shelf is now lined with educational board games, puzzles, workbooks, crayons, markers, manipulatives, matching cards, magnets, math games, etc. You name it-it's there. We are on the mission of slowly (and if you know Turbo, a transition of slow is necessary so that he won't break down!) creating an new schedule that doesn't include TV, excessive snacks, and independent playtime. Coupled with a lot of reading time together (OH! there is our library basket of books near the shelf too).

So the past few days, this transition is proving itself to be a smooth road. Not only did the TV not come on, but it didn't ask to come on. A feat in itself since we have had RAIN, RAIN, and oh yeah, RAIN forever! He did want me to play with him a few times, and I did, but it was amazing to watch him, without being asked, to go over to the shelf and pull out any and all kinds of games, school stuff, workbooks and begin working on/with them! The PLUS!?!? HE EVEN PUT THEM AWAY WITHOUT BEING ASKED!!!! WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! Turbo has made my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, any of you out there in cyberspace land, if you have any games, school stuff, etc that needs a new home, I would be glad to take them off your hands! As this bookshelf is going to be needing to be restocked and rotated throughout the summer and the school year!

And to think, I got this bookshelf, battered and bruised from the GoodWill. Huh...never thought such a gem could become so treasured in our home.

Getting it in Gear...

So this weekend, I spent a lot of time thinking about my lil' Turbo and Tank. I know that I don't have a ton of time with them...I hear it all the time...but I am beginning to feel that never-ending pressure of this reality! AHHH!

It seems that I am so scatter-brained lately that I don't know if I am coming or going half the time. Usually I just check out and hope for the best! (Don't we all?) I just don't get it, I used to be a planner! A very good planner! Now, i just hang by the skin of my teeth and pray to God that we are all there by the end of the day.

So this weekend, I had a bit of alone time. My dear hubby was off making some extra money, and I decided to buckle down and figure things out.

First off: Food...I have been using e-mealz. www.e-mealz.com has been the best thing that I have found in a long, long time. It creates a menu and a grocery list for you each week. DONE...now just have to find time to get groceries.

Next: School. I have been so overwhelmed by what is out there that I get so excited about doing stuff that I forget what I have and move on the to next. Hence...scatter-brained. So, I made myself say: "For the next 4 weeks, I am going to do this." If it doesn't work, then I'll move on.
I have done this with:
-Planning.
-Lapbooks.
-Themes.
-Bible Time.
-Memory verse.

Each week I am going to plan the week (meals included). Each week will include a theme, that will also conclude with a lapbook at the end of the week that will compile what we learned. Each morning at breakfast and before bedtime, we will read a story or two, or three from the Bible. Finally, each week, I will introduce a memory verse, that also has a song to help with memory.

Some of you may have realized that I have an addictive personality...Heh...meaning, I get addicted to things very easily. One that I have found that is something that I really believe our family can get into is Letterboxing (www.letterboxing.org or www.atlasquest.com). However, I find that I get too excited about finding a box, that I end up neglecting important things. So, along with my planning the week, I will also plan 1 or 2 letterboxing adventures. And once we have found the letterbox, then that is it for the week, no more until the next week. Plus, it gets us out of this tiny apartment and into the fresh air.

I am really excited about this week and me getting on top of things. I am really getting tired of this trying to keep my head above water thing...WHEW!

When Life Gets In The Way...

I am wondering how you veteran homeschooling mamas do it! This week is going to be so hectic that I don't know if there is going to be any time for school! Monday was about the only time I can foresee actually having some sort of academia involved!

Since the morning time is the only time that we can do school, naps take precedent over school in the afternoon...mainly because of my sanity needs, we have short window of opportunity to get stuff done.

Now I understand that "school" happens all day and every day at different times and it will always look different. But I am treading water here!

Any words of encouragement out there? THANKS!

Countdown until official start date!

The count is on. Next Monday is the official start date!

You should see my notebook of ideas that I want to implement, but I tell ya, I am overwhelmed by where to start. I have given myself a goal. I have until the first part of September to get Turbo "ready" for Kindergarten. His birthday isn't until October 5th, so technically, he wouldn't start Kindergarten until 2011. If he isn't ready, then he isn't ready, and I'm good with that. But I think I need to find something to measure his progress by so I know that the things we are doing shows that he is making progress.

Here are some ideas:
Color month
Shape month
Letter of the week
Theme week that coincides with the Letter of the Week
Number of the day
Animal of the Month

That way we have something to tie his learning to whenever we are at the library, on a walk, etc.

If you have any thoughts or ideas, let me know! I am way open to anything at this point!

Week 1

Day 2:
Although today is not technically the second day of Homeschooling, it is definitely the second day of intentional thinking of Homeschooling.

I sat at the table with hubby reviewing the week and realized that I have a hectic schedule for staying at home. However, I need to be intentional about this! INTENSITY about making sure Turbo gets some sort of education from me this week.

Monday...what'll I do, what'll I do? I have a stack of workbooks that he loves to do together, maybe we'll tackle those in the morning while Tank sleeps. Then, if it is nice, we'll take a nature walk, all three of us, with Turbo's magnifying glass and see what we can find!