"The Wheels on the Bus"…and a few homeschool freebies!

schoolbusThis morning my son was apparently thinking of the upcoming school year.  The public school bus comes right by our house very early each morning (we are several miles out of town, so some children need to be ready to leave at 7 a.m. or perhaps even earlier).  I tease my kids periodically, saying (as they are still having breakfast in their jammies), “Well, here’s the bus!  Ready to go?” 😉

Well, today my son made a sweet observation.  He said, “Mom, those kids who have to get up so early…they don’t get to see their parents for 7 whole hours every day!  That’s too bad.  I feel sorry for them.”  Yes, that’s just one of the great perks of homeschooling.  I love my kids, and homeschooling provides the closeness which allows me to know them well enough to  like them a whole lot as well. 🙂

I can’t say I’m quite ready to jump into school yet, but having this kind of outlook (and from a nine year old, at that!) sure helps.

Speaking of helps, here are a couple treasures I just learned about for the new school year:

  • You can find lots of “file folder” games, divided by grades, and for many subjects by clicking here.
  • Click here for an ABC Lap-n-Note lapbook for preschoolers (with scores of links for each letter of the alphabet) from Homeschool Share.
  • At this link, explore Christian preschool printables, from crafts and coloring pages to felt board stories, puzzles and Bible memory cards.
  • Click here for some lifesaving posts for homeschooling with preschoolers (I know this is a huge challenge for us…to keep our Kate engaged while the others are trying to get their studies done).
  • If you want to save money (who doesn’t?) go to the Homeschool Buyers Co-op by clicking the pink sidebar widget (just scroll down).  AND, if you join when you use this link (for free…and YOU get free Smart Points just for joining–spend ’em just like $$$), I get Smart Points toward our schooling materials too.  I found the absolute best price on Switched on Schoolhouse here.  Lots of freebies there too!  You’ll love it…guaranteed.

Homeschool Motivator

books1If you, as a homeschooling parent, have ever waivered in your dedication to the cause, this post should help you sense your need for commitment more than ever.  I’ll be honest, it steamed my veggies when I first read it, but then I thought, “You know, I have a concrete and confident answer for each of these ignorant attacks…I’m more on board now than ever!”

I didn’t bother with a post on this blog.  Many other folks effectively sliced and diced the falsehoods and misconceptions quite nicely.  But I wanted to turn it around and use it for good.  Go there, read it, and allow it to bolster your homeschooling philosophy/mission statement for the coming school year.

Happy summer!