Not Feeling It

Well, sadly, and as good a curriculum it really is, I think we're going to retire Little Hands to Heaven to a shelf. For now, anyway. I'm just not liking the set-up, or the content, or the activities, or something. Maybe its me. Maybe its Mcclellan. But its just not a very fun addition to our school time. This is the second (third?) time I've tried to introduce LHH to Mcclellan, probably because I just feel like since I spent all of $18 on it, I should use it. Maybe in another 6 mos?

Speaking of curriculums and dropping the $$ on them: next weekend is the MPE homeschooling conference. Its a big one, because it combines all the homeschoolers imaginable from Eastern KS and Western MO; those include Topeka, Lawrence, JoCo, KCK, KCMO and all surrounding small towns. Which sometimes have more HSers than the big towns. At any rate, its a big deal around here and we plan on going again this year. But this time, just to the curriculum fair.

Jennifer and I went last year for both days, attended workshops, observed the crazy thing that is families of 12, homeschooling in all their long-denim-skirted glory. It was fun, but at this stage in our homeschooling life, not something that I feel is absolutely necessary every year. At least not this year. Matt and the babies are going to join me for the fair, where we stroll up and down aisle by aisle, perusing programs and trying out educational "toys." I have a few specific things I'd like to check out and consider for this year, especially since Mcclellan has a little more of a personality and learning style. In any case, any curriculum or materials we do purchase, I really want to be sure we'll use. I've heard this is an all-too-common malaise that homeschoolers experience: buying everything that looks fabulous and then setting it on a shelf until 10th grade rolls around you realize you never even broke the seal on the box.

I'm really into art and literature, especially during this fun preschool season, so I think we might try to embrace unschooling for a while, just learning about what comes along. And with the impending move, we will have access to so many things that the children can learn from experience, not a curriculum. Wanna learn about mermaids? Done! How about steam engine boilers? No problem! The sun? Yep, we can study that too. I suppose, in that sense, we might be doing a little bit more a unit study format, but hey, we are a growing, evolving, never static, ever learning homeschooling family unit here.

Classical education? Yeeekes. May be a little too organized for me. Good thing we don't start that whole "formal education" thing until 7! Phew!