Simplifying

  It took a couple years for this to happen and homeschool co-op responsibilities, pet-sitting, older kid requirements, younger kids needing to read, and my husband's self-employment stress caused the fissure that sent my world into near collapse.   There are so many things I cannot pitch.  Darn it, the kids do need to know how to count, read and be able to construct a somewhat legible sentence.  Over and over I would ask myself, "What can you ditch?"  I would fantasize about my yurt more and more.  I'll live in that.  It won't require cleaning.  However, since the husband wasn't on board, I kept muddling through- going from "all from scratch dinners" to eyeballing those boxed dinners that would have reverberated in my mother's ear the second the box hit my cart, and she's four hours away.

  Then, I kept on trying to read EVERYTHING Sonlight had to offer.  We can't give up the books! What if they only learn about the Revolutionary War through a textbook!? I might as well send them to public school.  I would end the day with aching feet and wonder how many night-time reads I could add in to get through our booklist.

 NO MORE.   Because I was gifted three, older Sonlight Instructor Guides- ALL for American History-  As the rule follower I am- I ended up trying to read almost every book.   Why I thought Sonlight had to be the staple in my homeschool?  It's an easy thing to idolize.  I am now giving away all three.  I'll keep my books, and I'll pick and choose my favorites to read to the younger kids, but my POOR boys.  They were the guinea pigs.  They had to sit through some BORING, DRY read alouds.

  I'm switching to just Story of the World.  And, just like that- I'll actually get through every time period before my eldest graduates, even though he has done THREE YEARS of American History. (Hangs head in shame).

     I opened Story of the World and fell in love with it.  I had owned the Ancient History one, but didn't love it- I peeked at the Early America and fell in love.  I love her approach.  I love that literature is still woven in with corresponding activities (something we were lacking.)  Hopefully, I can figure out a way for them to learn Math and Reading by osmosis. :)