Almost time to start

So, I am getting ready for the homeschool. I have the Calvert School Curriculum and I must say I am excited. My oldest is begging to start school but I told her that we will wait until after Labor Day, InshaALLAH. I think we will have Islamic/Arabic school year round but the secular curriculum will follow the Ontario designated school year.
I definitely feel elated after getting that heavy whiteboard hung.
My arms hurt after all the stud finding and drilling. I must say, it really gives that classroom feel.

I still have more to do but it's a start. I think I will expand beyond the curtain and put up a bulletin board/display area on the hallway wall and make that a play area for the little ones. Zellers is open 24 hours Friday through Sunday so I am sure we will be stopping by there to grab a couple of backpacks for them (not that they have anywhere to go but backpacks are great fun).
One thing we are doing is taking the disciplined approach, meaning wake up, get dressed properly (proper Islamic school dress), and start class with Fatihah.
The only concern I have about all this is that we will be starting right before Ramadan. AlhamduLillah for Ramadan. Hopefully, the routine will be easy to follow and I will exercise much patience, InshaALLAH while I am fasting. I did manage to find some Ramadan activity books for them to color and I think we can make some type of decorations for the classroom. I need to really brainstorm or check the internet for inspiration. Read More...

8th grade

Free Online Dating

ha ha. That was fun. It's been a loooooooong time. Read More...

Friends are family

So I talked to my friend about the whole doll issue and we are straight. Turns out I was being too sensitive and need to lighten up. Well, with her. There are some others who don't even come close to supporting me but I will let them be.
This past weekend, we snagged a mega saucer for the baby from EBay for twelve bucks. I was happy about that since it retails for at least $80 CAN.
So we decided to go with a curriculum after all. I looked at Calvert School and they have an excellent program. The lesson samples are explicit and complete. I realize the time it would take to put together something like this and I see the value in it. Of course, I bought mine used from good old EBay. The one that I bought did not include the math so I still need to hunt for that. I don't know, maybe Calvert, maybe Saxon for math. Of course, I have heard good things about these guys too. Sigh. So many choices. What ensures a program is the right one for you? Reputation is one thing but I think we are in need of a homeschool co-op in the area so that I can pick the brains of the members. I found links to two Muslim homeschool support groups that were dead. Yay. I wonder if any exist around here anymore....
I also found http://www.teacherstorehouse.com which gives free shipping for orders over $75.
I took a quick detour into a thrift shop this weekend and scored big. I got these and plenty of other stuff. We saw a man selling used office and classroom furniture so we picked up a HUGE whiteboard and two partitions for $85 including delivery (down the street) to our house. Now we have to figure out how to safely mount it. I scored some other things too but my camera battery is not so strong so those will have to wait until next time, InshaALLAH.
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Curriculum at this age?

So, I'm wondering which curriculum I should be using for my daughter. I mean, she's three and a half and I don't want to rush and spend hundreds of dollars if I don't have to. Actually, I am quite content to wing it for the moment, especially when I find things like this: http://www.eduref.org/index.shtml. There are many lesson plans available online so I am rather happy to go through them and devise my own plan based on these. On the other hand, AlhamduLILLAH I have everything I need to start teaching Arabic, InshaALLAH. I have lots of books that we purchased over the last few years with worksheets and vocabulary with lessons from kindergarten through high school.
Also, I want to make sure they have a well-rounded education so I need to scour the Internet for arts and crafts ideas as well as incorporate storytelling into the agenda. I have some excellent Arabic books with stories of the Prophets for that but I need to translate them for the kids. That means I have to get to work with my trusty Hans Wehr Dictionary .
Speaking of arts and crafts, I discovered the Waldorf doll recently and attempted to make something similar using items that I had on hand . I think she's not so bad although I got a little negative criticism from a friend and that hit a sour note with me. She said, "sheesh, what a scary doll", nothing positive, no affirming the hard work I put into crafting something with my own hand for my daughter. It took me about three weeks altogether and I was quite proud of her. I didn't sew eyes because I thought it Islamically inappropriate. Sigh, some people are always on a negative trip. Simmy was a great help - she gave me the body pattern. If I do it again, I will make it totally in the tradition of Waldorf, including following directions for the head and stuffing.
I've also joined the ranks of knitters on http://www.ravelry.com to showcase my knitting and meet other knitters. I hope to find some Muslim knitters out there but so far I haven't been fortunate. I first started knitting after becoming intrigued with a sister who was knitting at a conference. I wanted to knit before this because of my dad's mother who crocheted many a project in her time (and still does even though she's in her late eighties). Read More...