Preschool at Home Series: {part 2} Free Resources

If you are just tuning in, start here to give you a little background on why we home{pre}school.

I'm structured. It's who I am and I knew that if I jumped into this preschool at home thing, I would need something to keep me sane. At the same time, I love flexibility and supplementing curriculum. So, let the curriculum ideas begin!
*All of our resources are free or of little cost...just how I like it!*

The Backbone

I have researched and researched and researched and I am so glad that I found Rusty and Rosy Learn with Me™

We use this excellent, computer based program as the core of our learning and haven't been the least bit disappointed. 

In a nutshell, and according to their website: "One of the unique and powerful features of Rusty and Rosy Learn with Me™ is that it is designed to create a customized learning path for your child. This means it tailors the lessons and activities based on your child’s individual instructional needs." Perfect!

Rusty and Rosy focuses on reading. My Buddy does 35 minutes every morning. This time covers a full reading, math and science lesson. If Rusty and Rosy is all we do all day, I feel a-okay.

We are in the UPSTART program. It's a free program available in Utah for students the year before they enter Kindergarten. The program is all done at our home and includes a super short pre and post test and completing Rusty and Rosy for a minimum 15 minutes per day 5 days per week. Easy peasy and the best program we have ever been involved in.

UPSTART is first come, first served so we already have 17 month old Buster on the waiting list! It's just that good.

For our religious studies and education, they just flow easily into our education. Buddy asks questions constantly in the form of "why did Heavenly Father make that like that?" We talk creation, love, respect, manners, scripture and everything else important to us every day. 
I do try to have a scripture to memorize every week. It's been amazing how much Buddy can remember. We have scripture study as a family and a weekly Family Home Evening with a formal lesson. 

The Supplements

We use Confessions of a Homeschooler's Letter of the Week curriculum for our preschool co-op. I like it for Ryker's age although the kiddos in our co-op are a little advanced for some of the activities. I use it as my springboard and supplement using my themed Pinterest preschool boards. Letter of the Week is very reasonably priced and has tons and tons of information! Post coming soon with all the co-op details and some freebies to organize one of your own. 

Pinterest oh pinterest. I seriously don't think I could live without it now. I like all the inspiration for other parts of my life but the vast stores of ideas and the easy organization for Buddy's preschool ideas is what really makes it the apple of my eye :) I'm all about organization on Pinterest. Gotta be able to find it to use it! When I find a neat idea, into my preschool boards it goes! I scour my boards frequently based on interests and/or our theme of the week and roll with it.

Lapbooks have become my new favorite way to learn. I must admit, for some reason, I shyed away from them at first. Perhaps I just didn't get it? Now I see the advantage of having a tangible record of what we've learned. Lapbooks also have a way of covering a subject in many different areas. Want to learn about dinosaurs while including scripture? There's a lapbook for that! I get many of our lapbooks from HomeschoolShare

Random workbooks seem to breed in our house. I have drawers full of them! I pull one out to encourage a certain subject. Buddy loves to color and write, so it's a win-win! My favorite place to buy them is the dollar store (Dollar Tree in our area). 

So, there you have it. I hope you can use these ideas in your home preschool or for supplementing the awesome education your children are receiving. 

I am in no way paid by Rusty and Rosy Learn with Me™. I just reeaallly like their program and what it has done for our family! Also, no compensation from any other resources listed, they're just my fav.

Practical Tips to Make Being an At-Home Mom the Best Job Ever! {Let Go}

This week, my Buddy turned 5! 5 long years since I became a mom!
My life as a student and happy employee came to an abrupt halt the minute he entered my life. Enter: adjusting to being a stay-at-home mom round #1. It was shocking, scary and downright overwhelming. I should preface by saying I suffered from post-partum depression for quite some time, but the transition is just...rough.

Now, I am at adjusting to being a stay-at-home mom round #2. After working part-time for 3 years, 2 of which at a company I adore, I was thrown into (and also blessed) with the opportunity to be at home. It hasn't all been roses and I have hard days still. I am so happy to be able to share this time with my guys, but to be honest, it is a huge adjustment!

My only sister also made the leap at the same time. After being a single mom for 3 years, working 2 jobs and having only 2 days off per month, she was married to a wonderful man, moved 2 hours away and became a SAHM to 3. She felt (and still feels) that the brakes had been hit...hard.

After a late-night sister phone call about how to cope with this new life, I knew I needed to share what we are learning together because really, being Mom can be the best job ever!

Watch for future tips. I separated the tips to avoid a huge post!

Tip 1 

Let Go!

Wherever you were before your leap into being a stay-at-home mom, you life before was no doubt dramatically different. There isn't much that compares with this gig and so it seems completely foreign and frankly, scary! One of the biggest challenges I have had is leaving the workplace.

My sister and I left our jobs, that we enjoyed. Our jobs weren't fulfilling only because of the money or the time away from our kiddos. It left us something that we could measure and be proud of. We were good at those jobs! The diapers? They pile up and give you no credit at all! Don't even get me started on the tantrums...

Being Mom isn't a thankless job, but if you are comparing job incentives to rewards of being there for your children, well, apples to oranges my friend! I am a firm believer that comparison will rob you of joy, even if you're comparing your current self to your past self!

Real life example:
I still contribute to my past company here and there. The last few weeks have brought no less than 3 phone calls that consist of "we reaalllyyy want you to come back to work in XYZ position!" My point is- it is so incredibly hard to turn offers like this down. I have contemplated, talked to my husband, talked to God and contemplated some more. How can I say no? But, I have and I will. I have to let go of what was. It is not so much that I don't want to return, but my place is here.

It's hard to explain feeling so torn when life is so great that you have the opportunity to be home. Don't feel guilty that you may want pieces (and sometimes the whole cake) back of your past working life.

Inspiration to let go:
A quote I cling to when the pull gets too much:'

"No other success can compensate for failure in the home"

- David O. McKay

Did you hear that? The home is where we are needed and the most rewarding work is done! Your job, outside activities, your blogging...they are meaningless if there is failure in our homes.

Cinnamon over at Knights and Maidens has a great post that has inspired me time and again. She says regarding the first SAHMs she knew "They weren’t looking for a way out, a part time job or a hobby. Their family was their mission field and their whole heart went into them." Wow! Read the whole post here.

So, my friend, let go of what was. Yes, there are trade offs. Yes, there were good things before...but it's amazing what you'll find when you look at your life right now.

Stay tuned for the next tip: set goals. Boy, do we all need them.

10 Oatmeal Treats

Next week brings a whirlwind of birthday celebrations for our Buddy who is turning 5. In true motherly fashion, I am whipping up a cake to celebrate. I turned right to my Pinterest board and chose my go-to cake. It's really too good (and simple) not to share! I figured, while I was at it, I would share my top 10 oatmeal treat recipes because, really, shouldn't they be considered healthy? Enjoy!

1. Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting from For the Love of Cooking delicious and easy!
2. Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Muffins from Yellow Bliss Road  so yummy and packed full of veggies.
3. Soft Apple Oatmeal Cookies from Chew Out Loud yummm...apples never tasted so good.
4. Apricot Oatmeal Bars from Six Sisters' Stuff it's on my "to make" list and it's healthy!
5.Almond and Coconut Granola from The Kitchn hubby requests this every.single.day!
6. No Bake Biscoff Cookies from Chef in Training ooohhh, so good and the easiest cookies you'll ever make.
7. Slow Cooker Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal from DelightfulE Made this looks too easy and too good
8. Oatmeal Cookies from The Prudent Homemaker Brandy never disappoints
9. Apple Crumble from Homeschooling Mom 4 Two I love a good crumble, but it HAS to include oatmeal.
10. Fat Free Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie from Happy Herbivore seriously like a cookie in a cup!

Preschool at Home Series: {part 1} Why?

We home{pre}schoolers are an anomaly in my area. The conversations I encounter usually go a little like this:

Loving, caring neighbors: "So, what preschool does your Buddy go to?"
Me: "Oh, ermmm...we home preschool...that doesn't mean I look down on you for sending your son to school, but ummm...it's best for our family." (I should probably just refer them to this awesome post from Growing Home)
Neighbor: "Oh...my child is so social and/or won't learn from me, but good for you!"
Me (trying to articulate about 1 million thoughts in just one sentence): "Oh, Buddy is social for sure (have you met this kid?!) He really does learn from me."

Cue: awkward end to the conversation.

So, today friends, I share with you the top reasons we homepreschool. If your children attend preschool, you are still their main teacher and hopefully you can gain some insight and tips from my list as well.

In no particular order, although the last reason is the real kicker:

Fun
Remember those field trips you loooved in school? I basically get to re-live those experiences anytime I want while teaching my son all about the big world around him. I think this makes me a classifiable nerd, but I am so okay with it!
My favorite moments are those when I get to see him learn and have fun. I cherish those times and relish them like a shameless addict.

Flexibility
The schedule that we follow is loose, but it allows for life to happen with school scheduled around our family time and activities.
Our curriculum is also very flexible and we can focus on one subject for as long as we like. My tongue is twisted in knots trying to pronounce the names of the dinosaurs we have been learning about for a few weeks!
Speaking of interests, have you ever noticed how much education can be included in everyday activities? Our conversations in the car or while we are out and about turn into huge learning activities. Nothing makes me happier than to hear my Buddy ask "Mom, why does...XYZ." This is especially fun when I don't know the answer and we research more. It's happening every.single.day and I attribute it to the spontaneity that is homepreschooling.

Control (yes, I said it!)
While touring our closest preschools last year, I kept thinking "Buddy already knows the concepts that they are teaching".
Let me back up, I am not raising a savant...he isn't a genius and it is definitely not due to me or my teaching. He's just...a quick child. Little brother is changing the tides on that one though, that boy is so stubborn!
Anyways, I wanted control over the content of his schooling. I know that right now we are working heavily on rhyming, because I noted last week that the concept hadn't stuck. His learning is tailored to his needs.

Cost
The costs in our area are not extreme, but I am about as frugal as they come and like to DIY. When I see something I could do myself (with help of course), I jump right in!

Conviction
This point alone is why I started homepreschooling. When God began planting the seeds of homeschool in me through people both in real life and through blogging, I listened. It went a little like this: "He's stubborn and so am I, this cannot work!" "Ummm...my time is my time God." "I can't do this!" "I really don't want to!" "Are you sure this is what's best?" Sound familiar?
This is my internal dialogue about most hard things (did I mention this journey isn't all rainbows and fairytales?) With the decision to homepreschool I let go of my worries and listened, really listened to where my Heavenly Father wanted me to be.

Boy am I am glad I listened.

What about you? What has your choice been for preschool and why?

  Stay tuned for my next post of this series: what curriculum and resources do we use? You should all know up front, I am not THAT creative (just take a look at my Pinterest boards!)

Also coming soon:
How do you fit it all in? Scheduling ideas
So, what about next year? Committing to homeschooling.
The elephant in the room- what about your preschooler's social life?
Encouragement for the stressed preschool mom