Head Spinning

Head spinning- definition: A condition caused by reviewing too much homeschool curriculum over the course of a day, week, month or lifetime.

Arg! I am in the process of changing my first grade Math and Language curriculums because they are mind numbingly boring and the repetition may throw Lily and I over the edge.
But blessedly, I think I may have found a suitable alternative. The operative word being "may".
Picking curriculum is an interesting process. You read hundreds (if you're lucky) reviews on different books, programs etc., you spend countless hours trying to find samples of said books online. If you're lucky you will find some samples on Amazon or CBD. If you're really, really lucky you'll find said book at the library. This happens about a quarter of the time. If you can wait and don't need the program immediately, you may be able to find the book at the annual homeschool convention in your state. But if you need it NOW you gather everyone's opinions on message boards, say a quick prayer and fork over your money HOPING it will be what you want. Sometimes you can return it. Sometimes not. Sometimes you don't know it's not what you want til you've been using it for 6 months. Thankfully, you can usually sell it to someone else on some homeschool board or other or a used curriculum sale in your city (if you can find one). At least I am hoping this is true!!!
That is why I have decided to mostly use Kingfisher, Usborne or DK children's encyclopedias on different topics (like natural sciences, periods of history etc.) as my spines and then check out as many living books as possible on the subject from the library. They learn so much this way! They narrate back to me what we have read ( I write it down until they can), draw or color a picture of their favorite parts, label and color a map of the geographical area the story took place in (for history) and put it all in that subject's notebook. This process is detailed in Charlotte Mason books and classical education books, such as The Well Trained Mind and Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum.
If only I could do that with Math and Language, Spelling etc.! You DO need texts for some things. And this is where my struggle has been this week.
On another homeschool note, I am so excited that we are going to start Nature Journals this month. We are going to take Nature walks once or twice a week and draw/label different things we see (signs of Spring, insects, leaves, birds, trees, flowers etc.) and then look them up and learn more about them in our field guides or at the library. Lily never stops drawing in general so I think she will really like this. I hope so.

My struggles will no doubt continue because I am such a stinkin' perfectionist! But I just keep reminding myself that there is no perfect curriculum and as Rick tells me often when I visit, "You can't be perfect all the time!" It's amazing how many times I say that to myself lately!

Now time to go empty the trash, do the dishes and some laundry. That sounds like lots of fun, doesn't it?