Next Year's Curriculum!!

I think I got more excited than the kids.  Which is saying a lot as the kids are still jumping up and down, two weeks after getting the first box.  

Andrew (he's be 7) will be starting first, Eva is starting Kindergarten and Grace will be starting worksheets to learn the basics and make sure she knows them.  We use the Abeka program.  We all love it.  It's also easier to organize for me, and the kids' already have my organization system down.  I'll share that when I take care of getting everything ready to go. 

You might think I'm crazy for ordering so soon (ordered in March), but there are some advantages.  We like to start in July.. Just a bit at first once the weather gets so hot the kids can't play outside in the afternoons... That leaves us free to do 4 day weeks and take longer breaks here and there without being stressed about being done before my oldest comes in June.   This year we are pushing a little, because I didn't want to take too many books with us on our vacation so I wanted to get done. We took handwriting with us, which was only done a few days anyway.  Another advantage, because so many Christian schools use Abeka, by ordering during the normal school year, we beat the order of those schools and therefor any back order problems.

We found most of our books used on Ebay, so those came a few weeks ago.  There are many teachers manuals I wouldn't have ordered new, and the flash cards, but the set so was so complete I decided we could use them after all.  We just had to get some of the consumables from Abeka and we're ready to go!   My pre budget (just books) was $600.  Abeka does throw some discounts in there, so that would have come down to around $550.  We spent $250 on ebay then $100 from Abeka on the consumables.  Which is an AWESOME discount-especially for barely used books. 

So here's my stash!!  From the back left we have all my books-teacher planning and keys.  Then Addition and subtraction flash cards.  The readers for the year, Arithmetic.  In the front we have the 'extras' science, social studies.  Then the cursive books,  the blue is Andrew's while the red is Eva's. 

Andrew's cursive

The 'extras"  Health, Safety and Manners, Discovering God's World, My America and My World, Aesop's Fables, Community Helpers

Phonics!! 

Arithmetic

The readers.  This should prove interesting. Andrew is really excited: "You mean I get the read THICK books??"  Made my heart melt, we have our struggles but that saying with the look in his eyes, I know he loves school. 

My stack of books.  I doubt I will use them all, but I may stand corrected. 

The flash cards.  I hadn't planned on buying these, I figured we could just get sets at Dollar Tree or make our own if needed, but these were in the set from Ebay and Andrew is already enjoying them.

So that's our curriculum haul.  I will still need some organizational things and a Bible curriculum.  But we will delve in after we get home from vacation.  Grace's will be printed off, I have all the worksheets together, just have to print and organize.  

Have a good week!!

~Tabitha

Vacation!!!

I think we're utterly crazy. Utterly and completely crazy.  

14 days.  5000ish miles. 4 kids. 3 adults.  

We went to visit and meet my husband's family in Florida.  We hate flying, so we drove-plus it was cheaper.  

Gotta love the ocean! 

I'm honestly surprised we didn't go crazy. Honestly, I am.  

My handsome husband had to drive the entire time because of how car seats were situated, it's the only place his tall self could fit.  My mother in law was in the passenger seat, and therefore deemed the navigator.  I was in the back with the kids... Partly because I'm short and could fit in the space, partly because Hannah is a momma's girl.  

Most people when you think of driving cross-country you think of pulling a camper behind or driving/renting an RV.  Both options were considered, but it was too expensive.  It would have taken our entire budget just for the rental.  

We left in the rain, proceeded to drive half the route in the rain-so the pictures, not so great.  My husband found some crazy roads to drive us on.  We much prefer back roads, the scenery is better (and there's more bushes to hide behind given the inevitable 'I GOTTA PEE!!!!' from the back seat.)  Plus we find little gems along the route.   There will forever be a running joke of 'at least it's not Pine Lick Road!!!!' though... you see, we were traveling between Glasgow, Kentucky and Gainesboro, Tennessee.  The GPS said 'take a left turn onto Pine Lick Road'... by the time we realized this was very much a BAD IDEA, there was no way to turn around.  This was one of those mountain roads that only locals travel.  Barely wide enough for the van, with a river twisting and turning.  Absolutely beautiful-but even the baby was holding the sides of her car seat.  Would we do it again? I'm sure.  Would we have done it without the GPS telling us to turn there? NO WAY.  But roads like that are what makes things fun!  

The kids were more than happy when we finally made it to grandpa's house.  We swam (well, the kids did there, it was cold according to grandma and grandpa... 70 degrees lol).  We sight saw, we went to the beach where the kids collected shells.  We went to the alligator farm.  Most of all we visited with family.   

We also went down to Miami and visited even more family.  It was so great to finally meet all these people I've been hearing about and talking to via email and we had a blast.   I had talked to an aunt and told her it would be Andrew's birthday while we were on the road.  I also said how much it would be appreciated if we could do a cake or something.  I got way more than I expected and it made my heart melt.  The family loved my kids and I with no questions, no reservations.  I can't tell you how good that felt.  

The trip home was pretty uneventful.  We drove up the west coast then pretty much straight west until we got to Texas, then straight north.  Very unlike our usual driving pattern-which is zig zagging.  But at that point, we wanted to get home.  


Oh!! Total cost of a 14 day vacation for 7 days(now, keep in mind we did stay with family in Florida or had family help with hotel cost). We also ate breakfast at most of the hotels, but the rest was eating out.  One meal we did full meals, one meal we got the kids meals (because new toys distract!) and the adults sandwiches.  $2600.  I think that's a win.  And that also includes the touristy things that cost money done in Florida. 

It was great fun, and we are hoping to go back soon! 

Have a great week! 

~Tabitha

Wallet

My wallet is falling apart.. Literally, just falling apart-it's only 10 years old, I wouldn't know WHY it's falling apart. 

So I went in search of a pattern I could use and found this gem from Modest Maven blog.  

This is a super simple pattern.  It took me 30 minutes with help from Hannah and Grace-and interrupted twice for diapers.  Now, I did mix up my inner and my outer...so just make sure you mark clearly when you cut and you'll be fine.  

Last time the kids and I were at Walmart I checked the scrap fabric bin that had a lot of quilt quarter bundles in it. :D So I got this pack.  I was thinking little shoes for Hannah, but I'll have plenty for those still.  I just got my circle cutter from GVS and the mat, too.  I LOVE THEM. lol 

Here's all my pieces cut-two inner, two outer, one tab, two strips for card pockets.  Have I mentioned how much I LOVE that circle cutter-IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER!! 

So the tab, inside out, turn right side out and top stitch, leaving one end raw

Sew the inner-make sure you get the inner..instead of the outer like I did.  You are basically just sewing the two corners, leaving the top side and three inches for turning later at the bottom.

Sewn, now put it aside.

Because I had so much helpful help from Hannah bugs I couldn't use the iron... so I just pinned. This is the pockets.  Fold back four inches.

Both of these pictures are making the pockets.. I got a card from my wallet and used it as a guide. If you are ironing, make sure not to iron the card-they are plastic and we all know what plastic does with heat. 

The sewn pockets.

Attaching the pockets to the liner... See... I knew something didn't look right... but it didn't click that I had mixed up my inner and my outer until I got further along....by which time I had already trimmed everything else to fit

 .

Center the raw side of your tab, pointing in (you'll be turning this inside out in a bit), again the raw side of the liner and sew, also sew on the outside half the liner, leaving the top edge raw, turn right side out. 

Now you are going to put the right side out main part of the wallet,  INTO the inside out big pocket and sew along the raw edge, then turn right side out through that three inch hole we left earlier. 

Everything right side out,  Here is where I realized I screwed up. Tuck the pocket in and top stitch.   

That doesn't look THAT BAD, does it?  I added a snap and voila! I'm done.   A new wallet in less than 30 minutes for less than $5.  Not to shabby! 


After a few weeks of using it...  You need the stabilizer in the original pattern.  Trust me.  Get the stabilizer. ;) 
Have a great week!!

~Tabitha