My Educational Goals

I posted the other day about The Mother's Educational Course, and have been busy gathering my resources and setting my goals/plans ever since. So, this morning I actually posted my goals/plans with their yahoo group and wanted to repost them here. I'll add hyperlinks and stuff later, but I at least wanted to put up my thoughts in both places in case anyone else was looking for some encouragement or a buddy to study a long with. As a side note, I don't want anyone to feel overwhelmed by my plans... if you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty intense person when it comes to me and I don't expect others to be quite so masochistic (for instance, a marathon and Ironman triathlon are on my short list of goals fitness-wise, and my hope for you is just that you'll attempt a 5k or sprint triathlon, see... I'm realistic :-D). As for all that I have planned "educationally." you have to understand that I'm using this as a way to keep my brain busy cheaply. I REALLY wanted to do a Master's program, but couldn't find $10,000 laying around, so this is great for me and I love the focus on Divinity, I think that will make a big difference for me and my family in a way that yet another piece of paper with my name on it never will (not that I won't be going after more of those, it just isn't in the plans at the moment).
As for time, well, that is always and interesting question isn't it? I like to study/learn before my children wake up, while they're awake, while they're napping or having quiet time (if I don't have to nap myself and sometimes I get to do both), and after they go to bed. We don't watch tv, so that frees up a lot of time... with kids in bed by 7:30 that leaves some good daylight and waking hours for both my husband and I to read/research before retiring. Plus, I have to admit, the added pregnancy insomnia helps me get in a lot of extra reading! These timeframes are also what I use for exercise.... I really like this quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson: Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. I spend time teaching and being with my children, but I think it's also good for them to have the chance to see me actively doing what I'm asking of them. Anyway! Without further ado, here's how I'm going to finish out 2011 and if one or more things on my list sound like something that you'd like to do, by all means join me!:
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"I figure writing things out is a good method to figuring out how I want to go
about accomplishing my goals/plans. Accountability is a good thing :-).

I spent this week collecting my resources and settling out what I need to do, so
here it goes. With just a focus on the main "core" of study:

Divinity:
-I will read at least one verse from the Book of Mormon everyday.
-I will study for Gospel Doctrine using the New Testament, my student guide
(well, the teachers guide is what's available online, so I use that), The Life
and Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles (which was sitting on my shelf,
which is a bonus!), and Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families (which I
purchased from Seagull book Mon or Tues and just got last night, so excited!)
-I will prepare for Relief Society each week either from Gospel Principles,
Ensign, etc.
-I will read the Ensign each month cover to cover (the church has it available
to download as a book on the iPad, it's fantastic, I highly recommend it and
love that I don't have more magazines accumulating).
-I will read and memorize at least one hymn/primary song a month.
-I will read Jesus the Christ.
-I will read To The Rescue (that also came in my Seagull order).
-I will study once a week from Preach my Gospel.
-I will read whatever article is mentioned in the section on Thomas S Monson for
the month.
-And I will record my thoughts and feelings during these readings in my journal.

Education:
-I will read an article from the Education and Literacy section under provident
living each month.
-I will read an article from The Parents Review each month.
-I will read Charlotte Mason Vol 3.
-I will read Teach ye Diligently (I'm REALLY excited about this one after
reading the reviews on goodreads and can't wait for it to get here!)
-I will read Arm the Children (which I've wanted to read for some time, I've
heard it is wonderful and what's not to love about the title? Definitely
applicable, can't wait for that to get here too!)

Music/Art
-I will learn to play the Mandolin (waiting for my beginners book to get here...
the poor mandolin has been traipsing the world with us for 10 years, so glad to
get a kick to learn it, which I'm hoping will inspire my husband to learn it
too. He bought it before we were married but hasn't taken the time to learn
it... my kids are fascinated by it too. Here's to starting a new family
tradition! Hopefully the husbands guitar skills will rub off on me along the
way too.)
-I will set up a practice schedule each day to practice even 10 minutes.
-I will play for our family talent show at the end of the year.
-I will improve my piano playing as well.

Langauge (Japanese)
-I will learn the alphabet, numbers 1-100, and 50 nouns.
-I will learn 1 song.
-I will read 2 books in the Book of Mormon.

and I will work towards:
-reading 5 books in the Book of Mormon.
-knowing 150 nouns, 50 verbs & conjugates, 25 adjectives, 25 phrases and numbers
1-1 million.
-knowing 6 songs
-and reading 1 Liahona

and then to:
-reading the whole Book of Mormon
-reading 3 Liahonas
-knowing 12 sonds
-reciting the Articles of Faith
-and practicing with a native speaker (or my perfectionist husband and other
returned missionaries from Japan.)

In order to fulfill my language goals I will continue using
http://hiraganamama.wordpress.com/ who I found and have been dependent on since
the beginning of the year when I first set out to teach myself and my children
Japanese. I'll also be using alphabet and other children's books that my
husband sent back from Japan when he was working there last year.
I also ordered my own Japanese Book of Mormon, a family hymnal, and a copy of
Gospel Principles to use in my studies, and I will continue to use our
children's songbook that we've had since my oldest was a baby (I'm slow, but we
know about 3 songs from memory).

I know there's a lot set out before me, but I do believe that as we strive and
continue to go forward that our ability to handle hard things and to improve and
increase in learning gets magnified. I'm excited for this opportunity to focus
my thoughts and honestly the biggest blessing is being able to structure and
fulfill things that I've already wanted to do! So, thank you for mapping things
out so my brain didn't have to, and now armed with almost all my resources I'm
reading to go forward!