Here I sit, catalogs surrounding me. I usually do my Holy-day shopping before Thanksgiving, so all the catalogs that come rolling in between then and the first of the year, get stacked neatly in a basket. Well, maybe neatly is a little deceptive… The scrunched up mess… Well, I did try to make it neat! …anyway… First of all, I need to go through the basket and toss the older catalogs. Yes, throw them away! Sometimes it makes me feel better to let the children have at’m for a few hours first, then toss what’s left. I make something hot to drink & set out some snacks for me and the littl’ns. I tend to get caught up in this and forget to eat… I make sure I have a notebook & good pen with me, I’m partial to my new pink notebook right now. I start at the top of the pile and start making lists. I write the name of the catalog and the phone number or web address at the top and make the list of things I’d like to get. This is a wish list, so I list everything I think I’d like to get. I put down the page number, item number, and abbreviated description of the item, the price, and in parenthesis I put how many I’d like to get.
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For an idea of how I've put together my Schedule, Routine & Tools for Homeschooling, click here.
At the same time, I keep another list of questions I have. I often think of a friend who uses something I’d like to look at, or ask them about. Sometimes I even think of someone who might be helped by something I run across so I’d like to suggest she look it up. I've found my friends are very grateful for my pointing out a specific thing that makes me think of them. Often it’s exactly what they need, or looking at that item took leads them to something that helps them. I also list questions I’d like to look up online, or ask a more seasoned homeschool mom about. Believe it or not, just looking at everything objectively & making a wish list, window shopping if you will, helps revitalize me. It helps me to refocus for the next semester of our homeschool. I often don’t buy one thing, or maybe just a few items, but I feel better about what I already have & am a bit more focused. Who isn't refreshed by a day of window shopping, especially in the comfort of a nice warm recliner, with sweet music & the sounds of your children in the background?

If you are still on the homeschooling road, you now need to understand a little about each teaching approach. Usually, when you first start homeschooling, mom gets two questions: 
  1. What about socialization?
  2. What curriculum will you use?

A wise friend, my homeschooling mentor, told me to answer:
  • #1- We aren't socialists. (The USA is a Constitutional Republic. Not Democracy & Not Socialist.)
  • #2- Just throw around some of the names of various curricula and you'll look so smart & have them so confused they will let you alone.

She was basically right.  Most people don't have a clue what curriculum is being used in the local government institution, much less what all is available for homeschoolers.  There is even more available now than ever before. The possibilities are overwhelming.  Even as a “seasoned” homeschool mom, I often find myself bogged down with all the choices. I reevaluate our homeschool regularly, “What do I need to do differently with this or that child?” “What fun thing am I not getting done?”  “What unnecessary activities are stealing time we could be spending on better things?”

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The first thing you MUST remember is; curriculum is a tool and you are not a slave to it!  Before going much further I strongly suggest you read through Ruth Beechick's books.  No matter what approach or curriculum you decide to use, you will find her books indispensable.