Homeschool sites I love!

I clearly am not good at updating a blog...but I did want to share some of my favorite homeschool sites that I use for planning, teaching and printables! We currently are using a mix of all different programs for curriculum. I like the way things are going this year, but will be changing things up again next year. So here are a few of my favs! If you have any, please share and I'll add into my list!

Pinterest, seriously, who doesn't love Pinterest? Here's my page also, lots of homeschool things there!

Teachers Pay Teachers - I only use the free worksheets, but so many great things!

Homeschoolshare - I LOVE all the lapbooks there! So much fun for the kids to build a lapbook to help reinforce what we are learning!

Tot Schooling  - they have LOTS of great printables for the littles! I print these out for K and it keeps her busy while I do school with R and D.

Hubbard's Cupboard - Sight word books galore!  

1+1+1=1 - has lots of great printables listed by theme!

Easy Peasy Homeschool - is a free homeschool curriculum. Although I don't just use this, I do pull from here! 

Education.com - also has a lot of free worksheets

First week of Kindergarten

Our first week of Kindergarten went well!! The girls had so much fun! We studied weather this week and they loved making a lapbook with all their science words!  We also studied the letters "I" and "u". They caught on so quick! I can't wait for next week! 

First day!

Checking the grass for dew!

Working hard on her lapbook

Curriculum 2014-15

Curriculum choices for 2014-15 Kindergarten school year

Math: Singapore EarlyBird K

Reading/phonics: A Beka K5

Science: Singapore EarlyBird Science

Social Studies: Beginning Geography

We will also do "specials" such as music and art. Nothing too formal though. 

I've been visiting the Dollar Tree frequently for flash cards and supplemental workbooks. Here's my recent Dollar Tree haul:

I've also hit up the Target Dollar Spot and found awesome flash cards, dry erase manuscript boards and a math workbooks. Here's everything I got there: 

We are so excited to start school! I've started working on our lesson plans. We are doing a 5 week on, 1 week off type schedule.  I'm also aiming for a 4 day school week. We will leave Fridays for an work we didn't get to during the week and as our free day! We plan on starting school the end of August. 

24.

Rylan went back for surgery 24 today. She is having some scopes of her airway and esophagus done. 

We have always taken the family to be there for her support system. We all go back into the pre-op waiting area and wait with her. The girls are so good and always quiet. 

Today, the nurse would not let us go back with her. Only Adam could go. I know typically this is the "rule" but it's never been enforced. Occasionally you will get a nurse who won't let you back immediately, which is fine. But this nurse was saying absolutely not. 

Adam continued to complain and finally she let us back to say our goodbyes. It was awful not being allowed to be with her. So thankful I got to see her before she went back in!! 

The princess right before.

The doctors said everything looked great! They were both surprised!! Last time her ENT doc cauterized her fistula, in hopes it would heal together. Today when he looked, it did just that!! He said he didn't think this would even work for her. A true miracle! Her esophagus is still small, but will work for her. She just needs to learn to eat (chew everything very well). She can handle liquids, so soon will we start trying puréed foods and see how she does. We go back in a month again to see how everything looks. 

Overall, a good visit! She woke happy, and immediately asked for drinks! :-)  We stopped on the way home and bought Rio 2 for her, which she's been dying to see! 

The 2 year update

I'm not sure where to start...so here's the biggest update....we had a baby!!! 

We are now a family of 5! Kadyn was born 09/19/13. She's a few days shy of 10 months and busier than ever!! She is all over the place, into everything. She fits so perfect into our family though! 

Rylan has been through a lot in 2 years. She was diagnosed with a laryngeal cleft, which has been revised. She also has stricture in her esophagus. GI has been working hard to open that in the OR with dilations. We were going every 2 weeks til December 2013, then took a break. They did not work at all. We went back to the OR June 2014 and it was open!! Doctors have no reasoning! Go figure!

She still has her trach. No idea when that will come out. She still has her gtube. She has been drinking by mouth, but not enough yet. 

Rylan also started talking! She no longer uses PECS and still occasionally will sign things us.  Once she got her tonsils and adenoids out (June 2013), she's been non stop!!

Dakota's growing into an awesome little girl. She is funny and smart. She loves her sisters so much and is a little mommy to both if them! 

Of course so much more has happened over 2 years, but those were the biggest in our lives! 

Homeschooling

I know I haven't updated in forever, but wanted to briefly talk about our decision to homeschool. I'll post another life update soon!

So in our school district, the twins wouldn't be able to start kindergarten until 2015-16 school year. They are so anxious to start school, and super smart, so we decided to start them a year early, at home! 

Our major reasons being:

* Rylan's medical needs: she's so complex! I don't trust anyone with her. They is just so much to her, even though developmentally she is on par, there's just... A lot! 

* Rylan's packed schedule: currently she sees over 10 specialists. Plus she has many surgeries. We would miss a big chunk of school due to that alone!

* Dakota & Rylan are geniuses: they are so smart. It's ridiculous. They definitely need a challenge or else they are bored! 

* The district: at this point I'm not confident in the district. We've been using therapies through them for almost 2 years. We love her therapists!! But I'm just not confident the district as a whole will be good for the girls at this point. 

So those are our major reasons!! I'm so excited to start! We've started buying our curriculum (I'll also write another post about this). The girls see their books coming in and want to start! I love how excited they are to start!! 

Picture Communication

I've been working hard the last few weeks on Rylan's pictures exchange communication system (PECS).  Traditionally, they are in a binder and Rylan would take the picture of the item she wants and then give it to either Adam, myself, the grandparents, or the nurse.  We made it a bit simplier for her and made boards that go with rooms.  For the kitchen, she has a board on the fridge with all her food/eating pictures.  In the family room, we have various activities.  She does so well with this! She LOVES asking for things and being a demanding 2 year old! She will even throw a fit if you don't do what she says! Such a blessing!!!