The Perfect Homeschool Planner

Ahh... The perfect homeschool planner.  Thick, beautiful pages, plenty of space for each subject, the understanding that homeschool is fluid...does it even exist?!

In short...no.

Never fear!  I have found a few that come pretty close!

First up is The Well Planned Day

I used this planner last year, And it was pretty awesome!  The monthly calendar was immediately followed by the weekly planning pages, which gave ample space to write in your children's daily schedules.  It says it has room for up to 4 homeschool students.  I used it with two.

It also had shopping lists with perforated edges, daily attendance tracking,  monthly planning for up to 4 students, house cleaning schedules and so much more!!  It also took a beating.  I don't know about you, but I don't baby my planners, I use them!  So this planner's tough pages took a beating! 

The only downside for me was the "core subjects" were already written in, and I had to cover them up.  Hardly a major complaint.  All in all, I loved this planner, And would absolutely use it again!

Next up is the Bloom Undated Academic Planner in Marble ♡

This isn't a homeschool planner.  This is a teacher planner, but it has some serious homeschool upsides!!  First I'd like to point out the fact that it is un-dated!  How great is that as a homeschool parent?  We all know that sometimes M-F isn't our jam at all, this allows you to schedule a way that fits your family!

Now there are things about this planner that aren't super necessary.  Like the student parent contact list.  However, I guarantee by the time we get rolling this school year, I will have a use for these pages!  There are many pages to track grades, and just like the Well Planned Day planner, the weeks follow directly behind the monthly spread.  

So far, I am absolutely loving this planner!  I will do an updated post at the end of the school year to see how this planner holds up!

Do you have a favorite planner for homeschool?  Leave a comment and we can start a discussion!

Homeschool

My last post here was July 23rd, 2013! Where does the time go?  Its insane that  so much time has passed since then, and BOY how life has changed!  The last time I checked in, my babies were just that!  Babies!  And we were talking about more.  Well...we still have just two munchkins! And they're nearly EIGHT! 

We are also into our second year of homeschool ( Second Grade!!!) after two years at public school.  It has absolutely been the best decision hands down we have ever made as a family.  

We also moved to Idaho a few months ago and we are so incredibly happy here!!

I am happy to be back to writing and sharing my world with well...the world!  If you're into homeschool, mom life, and happiness...well then welcome home.

Is This Thing Still On?

Hello...

Anyone...

I know its been OVER 4 years since I've been here, but I really want to come back!  How about an update until I regroup, shall we?

Lets start with holy crap...my girls are almost SEVEN... S E V E N!!!  They are also in first grade!  WHAAAAAA?!!!  We started homeschooling this year after two years in public school, and so far its the best decision I have ever made.  

Lets see what else....We spent three years living in a fifth wheel.  It was a good time, but I'm glad were back home.  

Oh!  We also vlogged over on Momma Hen Vlogs for the past 4 years.  So many good times over there!!!  

My hubby and I will be celebrating 9 years of marriage in December!  That's super exciting for us!  I love this man SO. FREAKIN.  MUCH.

I have also found a love for essential oils and all things natural!  I have been blessed beyond measure by my doTERRA Family  I was even able to go to a VIP weekend a few months ago with my team..So freakin cool, y'all!!! 

I guess that will do it for the updates for now!!  I am thinking I will have a blog post up every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for now!  If there is anything in particular you want to know, shoot me a comment below and I'll be sure to get back to ya!

C Sections and VBAC's

It seems as though there are a lot of strong opinions on all three things (DUH) but mainly having a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarian).  It seems like a lot of moms who opt to try for a VBAC feel "robbed" of natural birth, or feel like
"less of a woman" or that they "have failed".  I feel none of these.  Let me take you back a bit.  When my midwife told me I was carrying twins,  my first thought wasn't how their birth would affect me.  I was terrified about
preterm birth.  All my research in my 9 months of pregnancy was about saying calm, not overdoing it, and how to not go into preterm labor.  Not how my babies would come into the world.  My motto was "whatever keeps them
in, and gets them out safely, that's what I'm going to do" .  At my 34 week ultrasound, we found out that both babies were STILL breech.  My doctor (who was amazing and VERY open minded) said I could labor and birth naturally,
but that both babies would probably still be breech, and that I may still need a c section after one baby was born, I was too scared.  I wanted to schedule a c section because I considered it a safer option (after A LOT of research)
for me, and for my babies.  That was it.  it was all about safety.  And let me tell you now, after carrying my twins with no medical problems, no preterm labor, no complications of any kind to full term at 38weeks and 2 days,
the last thing I felt was that I was less of a woman, a failure, or any other thing.  I was proud of my body.  Proud of the fact that I had kept two babies safe and sound until it was their time to come.

Pride.  And I happily walked into the operating room, as big as a house, with a smile on my face because I did it.  My c section was in no way a failure, and in fact was a pretty awesome experience.  They allowed my mom and my
husband in there with me, and I was able to snuggle a little with my babies before I went to recovery, and they went with Daddy and Mimi for about an hour before we were reunited.  I was anxious to get back, but I never
felt deprived.  Maybe it was because my priorities were a little different then.  I never gave a second thought to breastfeeding, I thought it would just happen naturally, and honestly, I never even researched it.  I planned on
nursing and pumping.  I feel like my hubby and my mom had a special bonding time together, and that they may not get that kind of bonding time with them for a while, especially since I was breastfeeding.  Plus I was able to
quietly reflect on what had just taken place, and was able to really remember it.  I am thankful for it.

Once I got to my room I was able to hold and nurse the girls and everything was beautiful.  I was nauseous, but amazing.  I opted for no "calming cocktail" and was wide awake and complete coherent during the surgery. 
In fact, I never thought of it as "my surgery"  only as my girls birthday.  After I left recovery, they never left my side (apart from getting a bath) No nursery, nothing.  Two perfectly healthy baby girls.  I did it.  An accomplishment
and definitely not a failure!

As for my next baby, I do want to try a VBAC.  Not because c sections are bad, I had an amazing experience with mine, but just because I can.  I would love a waterbirth.  I will try.  And if it ends in a c section, then oh well!
I wont be heartbroken.  Whatever is best for baby and me, that's what matters the most. 

Obsessed

I have already talked about this, but seriously, Pinterest is my new love.  I dont care what anyone thinks, I love it, everything about it and I wish I had been paying better attention to it for the past 2 years!!  Follow me if ya want to be updated all the time with humor, quotes, and anything else you can possibly think of!

www.pinterest.com/mom2twins11

this is a short post tonight as I am dead tired and have a sink full of dishes to be done.  Good night all!!  bedroom update coming soon!

Weekly Project To Do List

So each week I make a list of the projects (chores really) that I need to complete that week.  I figured I would share this weeks to do list with you.  

Disclaimer:: I get most of my projects from my obsession interest with Pinterest.

1.  Life Binder --This is my first priority this week.  I have all of the girls stuff neatly organized in a folder (one girl on each side) and that's great, but this is even more amazing.  I need to do one that has each member of the family in one binder so we all have our birth certificates and other important papers and records all together.  

2. Girls Room Re-Do--  I had to move all the fun stuff out of the girls room when we moved them to their big girl bed.  The would play until they dropped, leaving their room a disaster every single night.  I have been integrating their things back into their room and they are doing much better.  So This week I'm moving everything back in, and I welcome the extra space in the house!

3. Finish Our Room Re-Do--  We got a king size mattress and box springs for FREE from a good friend of ours (SCORE!) and it gave me a chance to redo our bedroom!  So I took some before pictures and I will do a full post on the room redo, im almost done, just some more organization and it will be a whole new room!

4. Begin Plans for Girls 3rd Birthday--  Its coming up in 5 months and this will be their first real party.  We were in Missouri for their birth, 1st and 2nd birthdays so this year we will be able to celebrate with all our family and all their friends!!  So Im crazy excited to start planning!

Thats my projects for this week.  And as for tonight, im beat.  good night!

Feather River Fish Hatchery

We live in a town with so many free things to do and explore.  But you know how it is, you drive by it everyday, you never thing to stop as you see it everyday.  We are trying to take our kids to see all the beauty in our town (which is now more like a city unfortunately) that we got to experience as kids.  

Today we took them to a Diner for breakfast, and then to the Fish Hatchery.  We have a huge Salmon run and a Salmon Festival in September every year when hundreds of thousands of Salmon make their way from the Pacific ocean all the way back to our City.  It really is amazing!!  So we took the girls on the tour, and there were quite a few salmon there, which seems abnormal for this time of year, but we took advantage of it!!  No one else was there and we had free reign of the whole place. 

It was an awesome time and a great 1.2 mile walk!!