#24 - Preplan Homeschool Schedule for a Month (and stick to it)

This quick post is LONG overdue, but the task is done! I began this feat on July 28th and planned our schedule through September 6th. (a little longer than a month because of two trips on the calendar)

After the homeschool conference this summer, we decided to incorporate KONOS unit studies into our curriculum. They're character based and very activity driven, all meant to supplement the current reading, writing and arithmetic programs that are already in place. 

The kids have loved it! We are just now finishing up the first 12-week character study on Attentiveness. We've covered everything from the five senses to Helen Keller and Alexander Graham Bell to predators and prey (they certainly need to be attentive!) to pioneers to Native Americans. 

Back to the task at hand: during one of our trips to my in-law's cabin in July, I spent a chunk of time planning a month of our school schedule and activities. I requested books from the library online, made lists of supplies needed, it all seemed like a great idea at the time.

But as far as the "stick to it" part of my goal, I decided not to get stuck on fulfilling that piece. One of the best things about homeschooling is the flexibility. And having everything written down (albeit in pencil) didn't allow for much flexibility for my Type A personality. We got off track by week 2 and a small piece of me died inside. Not to mention that not doing my weekly planning every Sunday got me completely out of the habit and it took me until just recently to get back INTO the habit. (the same thing happened when I meal planned our menu for a month - I haven't been in a good routine of meal planning since!)

As you can see, I pick my own categories for "lunchroom" and "playground" since I bought a traditional teacher's planning book. 

We were at the cabin again this past weekend and I planned the next two weeks of our schedule. I think that's about as far in advance as I'm comfortable with for now. Things come up that throw us off and I need to work on my spontaneity, not my organization. People get sick, we go on impromptu field trips to the pumpkin patch or Phoenix Children's Museum, we learn that the neighbors have "fall break" and our doorbell starts ringing at 8am with requests for Ryan to play football at the park...I'd much rather he get exercise with his friends instead of checking off his school to-do list. There's plenty of time to practice his spelling words...next week.

That's the beauty of not being accountable to anyone except myself. We can switch things up whenever we want! So #24 is crossed off my 101 in 1001 list, but I honestly don't know that I liked the results. But it's done, regardless!

Paleo/Clean Eating Recipes I Tried This Summer

Paleo Breakfast Cookies - A+. Seriously. The mix-ins I used were 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 cup chopped walnuts. They. Were. Delicious. Adding the oats took it from a Paleo recipe to a Clean Eating recipe, but everyone in my family loved them! This yielded 20 cookies for us and was a perfect treat. Mike was shocked at how good they were, but asked that I omit the raisins next time and add mini chocolate chips. Men!

Paleo Blueberry Bars - A-. I used frozen blueberries instead of the recommended blackberries and next time I'll leave out the shredded coconut because it was too stringy. But my, oh my! I only used 1/4 cup almond milk and it was plenty moist...too moist to even cut into bars. I had to eat it with a spoon...this tasted like blueberry banana bread pudding. It was almost a little TOO sweet for me, but that might be because I haven't had sugar in several days.

Raw Cookie Dough Bites - A+. Whether you're gluten free, dairy free, or if the idea of a special diet or anything raw freaks you out, these are delicious. They are not Paleo, as they have oats in them, but they're clean enough for me. Throw a few things in the food processor, scoop them out and enjoy!

GF Fruit Tart with Honey Vanilla Custard for 4th of July - B. The custard tasted good, but the process was annoyingly painful. The constant babysitting of the pot on the stove is more than my little A.D.D. brain wants to handle.

Raw Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars - A+. I made the mistake of making these with my broken wrist and they were ridiculously hard to stir one-handed. I was all excited to make these today, but realized that we're out of protein powder. And now I'm sad...

Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Bars - A+. Again. Ryan has mastered this No-Bake Cookie recipe, but I'm always disappointed at how melty and messy they are. These bars are so much better! They taste just as good without the mess of the melting.

Creamy Ham and Sweet Potato Soup - Everyone ate this soup, even Mike who is not a fan of sweet potatoes. He said he'd rather not eat it again, but the kids all voted it a thumbs up.

Raw Cookie Dough Bites

This delicious recipe was originally found here. It is quick and easy to throw together and a great no-bake after school treat option for your kids! They kind of remind me of the No Bake Energy Bites I posted last year, but even less mess to make because the food processor does all of the work. If you have raw nuts, make these. If you only have peanut/almond butter, make the No Bake Energy Bites.

• 2/3 cup raw almonds
• 2/3 cup raw walnuts
• 2/3 cup raw oat flakes (or old fashioned oats, if you're not concerned with being raw)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips

In a food processor, pulse almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to a fine powder. Add agave and vanilla and pulse to combine. Add the chocolate just until combined. 

Use a small cookie scoop or roll into balls using a Tbsp to measure. Place onto a wax-paper-lined plate.

Yields 20 Cookie Dough Bites.