Thursday's Dinner and a Freak Out

I forgot to take a picture of dinner last night. It was a variation on the Chickpea Cutlets recipe from Veganomicon, oven fries, and fruit. I love the Chickpea cutlets because they are so fast and easy, and kids will usually eat them. You can make a bunch and freeze/reheat them as needed, too. I'm pretty sure you can google that one, or just go buy Veganomicon because it's such an awesome cookbook.

And now for the Freak Out, homeschool style.

I post on a couple messageboards, one of them being a cloth diaper sewing board. On the homeschool forum, mamas are constantly posting about their curriculum, or if they should buy this curriculum, or is that curriculum any good? I have discovered that some homeschooling families have curriculum for EVERYTHING. Handwriting? Curriculum. Grammar? Curriculum. Spelling? Curriculum. I'm not saying this is bad or wrong, but it sends me into a tizzy every time I read one of those threads.

Our curriculum? Singapore Math. And a phonics on tape program I found at a garage sale that no one has ever heard of. Oh and I pick and choose from the 4 Blocks program that I used to teach. We use the library a TON.

Uh. That's it.

I read a post about the merits of two different handwriting curriculums and spent the rest of the afternoon on a curriculum website debating on buying it. Thank goodness I didn't because I came to my senses later and realized we don't need that. But this is what I mean by Freak Out.

I even fired off a message to a close friend of mine who happens to homeschool her children to ask if she thought I was worrying too much. And to find out what THEY do because I really respect her as a mother and fellow homeschooler, and her kids are awesome.

It doesn't matter what she said they do, because honestly, every homeschooling family MUST find their own way, they MUST do what is right for their situation. But her main message was DON'T WORRY. Spending time with my children, doing cool things with them, reading to them...those things are more valuable than any curriculum.

And in the aftermath of my freak out, I agree. Perhaps because I taught in a charter school that didn't have an organized curriculum, I feel comfortable going it on my own. I have a curriculum writing background, I have access to the education standards in my state (everyone does, by the way). We are going to be okay, probably more than okay.

As with anything, going it without the support of a curriculum isn't for everyone. I have to embrace that at this moment, it's right for US. And I have to say, I'm quite happy that it is.

Freak out over. Phew.