It's driving me CRAZY!

The school year is coming close to an end :) New curricula has started arriving and we'll soon be moving into the 'next year'.

However, I need to address some issues :(  My bookshelf drives me INSANE! Our family desk is overrun with paper.  Although I use my binder all the time, I still have issues with too many loose papers.  I don't have the right type of system yet. I'm closer than I was :) but not there yet.

I'm going to be searching for a solution. If anyone has a similar blogpost, I'd love to see it!

We don't have a school room. We use the dining area, we eat in the kitchen. I have 1 shelf, and really no room for another.  And we need to tackle this. It drives dh and I crazy!

A Fringe Benefit of Homeschooling

My second youngest is now 12!

I brought her and her 2 sisters plus 7 of her friends to her the pool today, and treated them to Dairy Queen afterward.

Two will be sleeping over, currently they are running around in the sunshine, YES, we finally have some sunshine! There is still mountains of snow, but it's beautiful out.

Tracking or grading the kids work.

 Whether we have to report to the gov't with grades or not, I feel it is important to track what we are doing.

I use a large number of ebooks for our curriculum. The amount of paper can be deceiving as to how far we are progressing, so I like to have a chart handy. I like to know where we have to go, and where we've been. I don't grade everything. Religious studies, history, science for dd7 is simply being checked off.  Math, spelling, LA IS being graded as it gives me perspective on what she is retaining, where we need work.

Spring is coming!!!

I cleaned up our front yard planters yesterday. Along the house there is minimal snow, so I took off the winter decor I had still on them.  The earth in those planters is thawed, I'll soon be able to put flowers in! I'm so excited to see new life breathed into our yard after a long winter.

Won't that be a sight? 3 to 4 feet of snow and planters over flowing with blooms?

Preparing for spring got me thinking.

Finding more inventive uses for my binder!

I've been happily binding away. Binding math, binding workbooks, binding books, binding ... just about everything.

A couple days ago, Angela from Satorismiles posted about receiving her proclick binder. Nice slick machine :) A little envious here. I'm happy with my comb binder, and really, they work about the same.

She asked what people were binding over at the Well Trained Mind forums. There were some great ideas shared!
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Yes! I found it!

Today, I decided that dd7 should have a timeline too. I was inspired by one I'd seen either on a blog or homeschool store.  I modified it and created a version that works for me.

I created it as an 11x17 :)  I can't print that size at home, so I had it done by Staples. I requested it printed double sided and on cardstock. It will be durable for the pasting, coloring and writing.

I also found the binders I was looking for!

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Starting to find a rhythm

I'll admit openly that homemaking is NOT my forte. I am not adept for many things domestic, it doesn't come naturally. Yet, for the last 14 years, I've been a stay at home mom. Even one, or maybe 100 steps further, I've been the breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth diapering stay at home mom of 4. And recently, we've added homeschooling. Who'd have thought?
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