Homeschool Expenses

I have decided to keep track of our homeschool expenses on this blog.  Homeschooling, at least for someone without more enthusiasm and less self control than normal, is not an inexpensive endeavor. For the month of October, the boys wanted to do some fun things for science so we decided to do a mini study of blood and skeletons.  Blood typing kits (for 6), culture kits, and biology coloring books (all from Rainbow Resource Center - www.rainbowresource.com) ran $92.01 with shipping.  I may also try to keep track by subject matter, just to see .....

Total for October to date: Science $92.01

I will be backtracking to account for expenses to date on homeschooling.  Purchased from Rod and Staff books (www.RodandStaffBooks.com) Bible History set "Creation to Canaan" which includes pupil textbook, tests, pupil workbook and teacher's edition workbook @ cost of $36.95 including shipping. This set was purchased in September and we have not yet used.  I plan on using this with both boys in conjunction with our studies on the ancient world.  We will start this unit after we have finished our studies on Lewis & Clark and Westward expansion.

Total for September to date: Religion $36.95
Total to date: $128.96

Homeschooling and the Diet Continues, Dukan Diet Day 141

Goodness, it seems that I am always trying to do too much and never get it all done.

I am homeschooling our 5th and 7th grade boys for the first time this year. Previously, they have attended private school, first in Virginia and after our move, here in Minnesota. First five weeks of homeschooling are complete, and so far, not too bad. I'm still in the phase of feeling like I'm not covering all of the bases and my poor children are being subjected to assessment after assessment. I'm stunned at the large gaps in their education as we had felt that their schools were doing better than adequate - so much for the $$$ we have spent on their education. I think we have filled in most of the gaps now, grammar will be a continuing subject, and hopefully we can now move onto more fun in education. I truly want the boys to wake up each day, chomping at the bit, ready to dive into learning. Today, as a follow up to our visit to the Minnesota State Fair, the boys will be doing butter sculptures.

The two older boys (grades 9 and 11) are still attending a local private school, so scheduling is fairly hectic and not as free as I think would be ideal with homeschooling. 9th grader participating in two sports (swimming and cross country) at the same time, so still lots of driving time.

On the diet front, still on the Dukan Diet, Day 141. I have lost 40 pounds so far and have been maintaining a normal BMI for over a month. I still hope to lose more weight but have hit another plateau. It seems that bodies really do have weight memories as I plateau at weights that I maintained for sometime before ballooning to my next level. I'm looking forward to the day when I hit the weight that I maintained for years and years (prior to the death of my mother over 5 years ago) before I started packing on the pounds. I'm not trying to get skinny, just trying to get my body to a healthy weight for my bone structure. I'm loving the extra energy I now have and feel that I can now do things I haven't done in years. Enjoyed a lovely bike ride through the fall colors with two of the boys the other day - hadn't been on a bike in over 20 years and would not have done before the weight loss as didn't trust my balance.

Still working on decluttering our lives and restoring simplicity and balance. I'm now sorting through my yarn and have come up with a big box to donate. I'm also putting the yarn I'm planning on keeping into project baggies - yarn plus intended pattern. Most of my yarn was purchased with a definite project in mind, but over time, I can't always remember what that project was, or the intended recipient has grown, or I no longer want to knit that project. So, I now have lots of yarn without any project. I've been loving the ability to search for patterns on Ravelry based on yarn type and amount. There are an amazing number of free patterns, or patterns in books that I already own that fit my needs. I can now slip down to the basement when I need a new knitting project and sort through my project bags. I'm hoping this organizing will cut down on my yarn shopping and let me reduce my yarn stash to a more reasonable amount. Warning about Ravelry - so many beautiful projects that I want to knit, need to knit, must knit, that I have purchased some (oops more than some yarn) for projects that I have found while searching for projects for yarn needing to be sorted. Ugh! Enthusiasm I know not when to stop! :)