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!

I did a weird thing today...

I talked to someone else (gasp!) about educating my son. For some reason, just the simple thought of turning him over for two half-days a week at the local Waldorf school really kinda freaked me out. What? Pay someone else to teach him things that I won't be part of? I mean, I don't even set him in front of a television without being there with him to talk about what we see and hear. Call me overprotective (he is only 2 for crying out loud!) and controlling. No really, I am. And why shouldn't I be? That's another "philosophy of homeschooling" post for you. Not this one.

At any rate, I was freaked. I love the activities, the environment, even the subject matter taught in a Waldorf setting. I love the idea of getting some minimal exposure of my child to other kids his age. I love the idea of getting involved with a parents-of-preschoolers community. So where does my anxiety come from. I mentioned to the enrollment coordinator at Prairie Moon that it was weird considering education for my firstborn; sending him off to someone else for the caring and feeding of my spawn. She smiled and nodded. "Silly young mama," I'm sure she thought. "We do have a lot of homeschoolers who come here around 3rd grade, either because its just not working for the kids...or the parents," she casually explained to me when I told her of my plans for part-time schooling and aspirations to educate mine own at my home. How silly indeed, I must be.

Digress as I may, I still have a weird, uneasy feeling about sending Mcclellan off (not even until 2010!) to another school (and this one is even private!). I guess it comes down to me just not being ready (fine, I still have like, 10 months), and needing to do more research in when/where/if to put my kids for any outside-the-home education. There is a Montessori I still want to check in to, and I really need to explore Prairie Moon specifically to see if it will fit in with a Biblical worldview; if it would be edifying, supplemental, or just downright distracting. Oh, yes, I plan on spending days with these preschool classrooms to see if they are right for my kids.

How do public schooling parents do this? Yes, I know I am an overachiever and an idealist. But, seriously: How do parents plan to send their kids off to public schools. Judgments and arguments for or against public/private/homeschooling aside, I really do want to know. A discussion on our philosophy of homeschooling? Oh, you can bet there will be one of those eventually!

What's Up?

So, in another attempt to get myself blogging again, I'm going to be chattering about something of essential practicality in our family. Preschool. I have two kids, one 2-year old, and one 6-mo-old. Needless to say, we're always looking for things to do. Not just anything though. Edifying things. Educational things. Things that make us better people. Not just stuff to fill the time up and make the day go by.

We're aspiring homeschoolers, so this may help to explain some of this obsessiveness. I'm a planner and an organizer, which in many ways is very useful and helpful. And in others? Well sometimes its just a burden when I feel like I must blog just keep these plans and organizations well...planned and organized. Hence, this blog.

At preschoolbusyness, we're going to post weekly lessons plans. Fun, individual activities and ideas. Homeschooling preparedness. And any other education, play and schooling busyness we come across along the way. Oh, and don't be surprised to see lots of pictures of my adorable kids. Yeah; I mean, they are why I'm doing this in the first place!

On the sidebar, you will notice that my favorite preschooling, curriculum, homeschooling and play sites will magically appears. And they will probably change over time. And when my kids are out this super preschool phase? Then I guess you can look for another blog to come. For now, and at least for a few more years, we're busy about preschool. After all, formal education in our state doesn't become mandatory until age 7. So we have quite a few years of preschool busyness to go!

I'm going to tag each entry with the type of entry it is, the age that it applies to, and any specific topics/ideas the post addresses. I'm hoping this will help keep me organized too: "Where is something fun we can do with a 24-mo-old..." or "I want to do something related to frogs," and etcetera. I figure if I'm going to be obsessive about something, it might as well be about something that is mandatory in our family. Learning. Being busy about learning, and always learning.

Be busy!