Home Preschool Journal

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2013 is starting with a bang for our family.  It seems every year we've experienced big change of one kind or another, but this year may take the cake.  My husband's enlistment runs up in just a few weeks and we still have no certain plans for where we're going or what we're doing.  We know God has only good plans for us and we're trying our best to trust and remain stress-free!

One thing we do know for sure is we will be homeschooling.  Long term.  Baby Bird is not quite three years old, but this is a lifestyle we've prayed about, researched, and discerned is best for our family.

I'm a teacher by training and by choice which is proving to be both a help and a hindrance.  We've been blessed with some fantastic homeschooling mentors over the last several years - families who have opened their hearts, brains, and bookshelves for us to grill ponder.  I don't think we would feel nearly as confident or comfortable with this choice if it weren't for them (you!).  One challenge for me, given all those years of teacher "education," has been letting go.  I'm glad we're getting a bit of a head start on this... I'm gonna' need it.

It took a whole year for me to realize that it just. didn't. matter. how many letters of the alphabet our daughter knew.  She was ONE.  I didn't have to write it down, or report it to anyone, or worry that she wasn't meeting the benchmarks for her grade.  Yeah, I can be a little stubborn reluctant to change sometimes.

However, as Baby Bird gets closer to compulsory school age I realize we WILL need to keep records of some kind.  It's also nice to be able to look back and remember the funny things she's said or done... or share stories with our family who gets to see her for only short snippets on Skype.

I know from experience that if I write down a lesson plan or even the most general of goals for the week something undoubtedly changes.  I don't want a record of what I thought we'd do, I want a record of what we did.  I've also learned that the more blanks there are to fill in, the less likely I am to fill in any at all.

I've dug through the internet and perused our bookshelves and have yet to find a good way for us to keep records without getting either bogged down with lesson plans (dude, she's TWO) or putting it off till some future date when we can finally pull out all the scrapbooking toys supplies and make a baby book.

So.  I made my own.  And I thought I'd share.  Feel free to print as many as you'd like.  If you share online please be nice and include a link back to this page.  Thank you!

LINK TO GOOGLE DOC

This journal will (I hope!) be the happy medium between needing a record and my laziness desire for flexibility.

We plan to use one journal per calendar year with a goal of filling out one sheet per week.  We might get ambitious and do more, but I doubt it.  Even if we do only one per month it'll hit the high points.  The front page includes a spot for a 4"x6" photo or drawing.  The "Important Things to Share" pages we'll likely put at the front and use to list whatever curricula we choose for that year and major events such as moves.  When we hit the need for more detailed records we'll switch to lesson plans or whatever works for us at that time, but I think we'll use this setup for a few years at least.

It's formatted to print double-sided and either spiral bind or hole-punch for a 3-ring binder.  Apparently my husband can't handle sideways text next to horizontal text so there are two options for the individual journal pages...  A happy hubby makes a happy home :).

Here's hoping we've found the balance!  May this year bring you and your family abundant blessings and joy.

"The Princess and the Kiss: Three Gifts of Christmas" Book Review

 

I purchased this book because our nearly-three-year-old daughter has taken a sudden interest in princesses.  I'm a tomboy through and through so this is all new territory for me.  I was seeking a Christmas story that would interest our daughter and this one caught my eye.  A princess book I might actually be able to stomach AND it's about Christmas?  I figured we'd at least give it a try.

Oh my word.

McDaniels' watercolor illustrations are fresh and delightful but what impressed me most was the story.  Ms. Bishop artfully weaves a fairy tale worthy of any princess storybook... but one that hits home and ever so gently reminds us of Christ and His story during this time of rushing and selfishness that has become such a part of Christmas in the US.

My eyes filled with tears as the princess and her family shared a new (to them) way of celebrating Christmas.  Their gifts are limited, but chosen with care.  They all learn, together, that even the most precious of gifts becomes even more so when shared.

Merry Christmas.