Here we go homeschool!

Well, I did it. I lept in head over heels with high school homeschool. So far, it's been good. Of course, we are only just over half way through week 2. Hopefully I'll be able to say the same thing on week 32.
Curriculum was totally new to me this year. My 4, 3 and 1 year old don't' require any obviously. But this is high school. This stuff counts. (In a "you have to complete this or don't get your diploma kind of way.") It all really counts no matter what you're doing. Even the non-school time counts. Is there really non-school time anyway? Life is school. My children are learning every day. They're gaining knowledge from books and experiences but they're also learning habits, character, morals, ways of thinking and more from the environment around them each and every day.
Wyatt is using Rosetta Stone this year for Spanish. They call their way of teaching "immersion." You are immersed in the language so thoroughly that you can't help but learn it. Life is the same. What you are immersed in, you learn. I'm thankful to have all of my children home with me so that I can, in the best way I know how, teach them God's word, kindness to others, respect, honesty, and hard work along with all the book knowledge.
So here's what we're using this year:
Math: Saxon Algebra. Math isn't my strongest subject (right, Dad?) so Saxon is perfect for me and for Wyatt. It repeats/reviews problems from lesson to lesson to make sure you're actually getting it. Plus, there is a companion CD set that has the availability to take you step by step through each problem (yes, really, each problem in the book) in case you're just not getting it.
English: Rod and Staff English, "The Fallacy Detective", "Eats Shoots and Leaves", and tons of readers (ones like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Pilgrims Progress, The Mark Twain Reader, Death of a Salesman and Gulliver's Travels)
Spanish: Rosetta Stone, as mentioned above.
Bible: Rod and Staff 9th grade Bible, Morning and Evening, Matthew Henry's Complete Bible Commentary
Music Study: Beethoven and other composers. I know that these books are somewhat juvenile for Wyatt in the reading level but all of it is totally new to him (he's never studied any kind of music- let alone classical) and it works well as an elective.
Health: Yeah, I know. Who knew? Apparently California has a new requirement for graduation that requires 1 year of Health starting with students who graduate in 2014 or after. That would be us. I didn't find that out until about a week ago. I ordered this health book by Susan Boe. I like that it's sciency (is that a word?) yet upholds Biblical values.

I did buy the 9th grade Reader from Rod and Staff also.

When things get tough or I feel overwhelmed, I remember that instead of saying, "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!" all I have to say is "I know He can!"