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Cheryl
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| Posted: Aug 31 2007 at 6:26pm | IP Logged
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Have you ever planned out the beginning of your school year using a mix of CHC and FIAR, for instance. Then you get an email from Sonlight reminding you that you can try out one of their cores for free for 30 days. Then you wonder if maybe you should have gone with that, so that you'd have the year all planned out. Then you tell your dh your thoughts and he tells you that maybe you should. Maybe you made a mistake and you should have gone with Sonlight because you've been attracted to them for so long. Do you ever have thoughts like these???? And if you do, do they happen just before Labor Day?
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Aug 31 2007 at 6:37pm | IP Logged
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Every year, or month for that matter!  Only this year, I ordered Sonlight only to think I should have stuck with CHC.Last year it was the other way around. But now I am convinced that I am truly an unschooler, so everything is up for discussion.
No advice, just empathy!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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LLMom
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| Posted: Aug 31 2007 at 6:55pm | IP Logged
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Maybe its normal. We have only been schooling 3 weeks and I wish that I would have stuck with Seton another year. It helped the last two years so much to have someone else do things. I was so excited about planning our new year and the fun things we could do but life has a way of giving you things different than you want.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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Carole N.
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Yes, yes, and yes. There are so many choice out there. When I first started, we were so limited and we used Seton. Then CHC and OLDG. I did not know about Waldorf, very little about Montessori,never heard of Charlotte Mason. How my horizons have expanded!
The beauty of the process is that what you are choosing is their education and most of the programs are pretty good. But the important thing to remember is that you are choosing curriculum (I love that word and I love choosing curriculum), and it has nothing to do with saving their souls. I just learned that fact recently.
So yes, I can emphasize with what you are going through and I can also tell you that it will probably happen repeatedly throughout your homeschooling process. 
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Carole ... in Wales
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mary
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i have been using sonlight for 5 years and i still have those feelings when i read the winter promise catalog, when i read about elizabeth's beautiful waldorf plans or meredith's montessori lessons or theresa's unschooling nature approach or the mater amabilis website, etc etc etc etc.
while it's good to have choices, sometimes it's so hard to choose! i'll bet what you have planned is terrific.
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Aug 31 2007 at 8:52pm | IP Logged
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Yes, Cheryl! There are so many wonderful choices out there, aren't there?  I would not jump ship just yet, though. You've put thought and effort into your current plan, and haven't even had a chance to try it out yet! Around here, I tend to be happier if once I have a plan pretty much laid out, I quit looking around! Because if I keep looking (like I am now -- because "school" doesn't start until Monday), then so much else sounds wonderful and I want to include it all.  If I keep my end goals in mind and tweak only *after* things aren't running smoothly, then we do better.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Meredith
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Oh Cheryl, I'm right there with you!! This is literally the FIRST year where I've truly felt we are on the right track, and it's seven years and counting! You'll do great Cheryl, go with your gut 
And you are so sweet mary to compliment my Montessori plans, thank you!!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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lapazfarm
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Cheryl, those Sonlight catalogs are enough to tempt even a die-hard do-it-yourselfer like me!
But Janette is right. You have thought this through and unless things are totally crashing and burning around there, stick with it awhile and see how it goes. You really can't go wrong with CHC and FIAR.
You just have beginning of the school year jitters. I get them too and I think many of us do.
Hugs to you!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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mariB
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Hey! I got the same email! I had those thoughts for a few minutes and then reminded myself how following plans make me crazy then I clicked the delete button. I do love their book lists though. I have purchased from them as they have wonderful items.
I'm not so sure it matters so much what you use as long as you use it and you and the children like it. I love the CHC things too. I love catholic book companies! I always like to pick things that fit each child. So things seem to change a little bit each year. Makes for a happier learning environment.
I bet if we took a poll here, most of the ladies would say they have second guessed what items they have chosen for the school year. And, I bet everyone here is doing a great job including you!!!
Blessings,
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marib-Mother to 22ds,21ds,18ds,15dd,11dd and wife to an amazing man for 23 years
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amyable
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Does the big box from Right Start Math due to arrive at my house, when I was SURE we would be Math-U-See advocates forever tell you anything?
Yes, I am guilty of this too. Too often, I give in.
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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Cheryl
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Ladies, you are funny, and very helpful. I think I'm pretty comfortable with my plans except for the history, geography and read-alouds. That is where the big unknowns lie for me, and where all the wonderful (sometimes overwhelming) choices come in.
My friend and I are doing FIAR together once a week. We've chosen 9 books to row until Thanksgiving. I've planned read-alouds to go along with the first two weeks. Then there's a big ??? until I plan again. That big scary unknown.  There are so many great books we could read and so little time! I think last night I felt like it would be great to have someone else make the decisions for me.
We haven't even started yet, so I'm going to stick with my plans and try to take this planning a week at a time.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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TracyQ
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Cheryl,
It sounds like you're going to have a WONDERFUL year this year!!! I'm not sure what I'm doing with history yet with Sarah (I know generally, but still have to plan it all out). But everything else for once in 13 years, I'm pretty comfortable and at peace with!
Make it a GREAT school year all!
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Second Guessing
