The Blessings Pour Out

Riding Towards Success...Swiftly!

2012-02-09T20:15:00.002-05:00

Some reviews are easier to write than others. This is one of the easiest reviews I will write this year because I can tell you that the product has already had an incredible impact on my kids. I am smiling as I type this when I think about how Ladybug and Cowboy's confidence levels, in relation to their recollection of math facts, has increased by quite a lot over the past month they have been using a fun math facts game called Math Rider.

Math Rider is an intelligent math facts game. This means that the program adjusts the problem set based upon your child's performance so that problems that are missed are reviewed more frequently until they are mastered. This is just what I do when I drill my children using the old-fashioned flash card method. Cards they respond to quickly and correctly are put into the "got it" pile, while cards for facts they take too long to give an answer for or answer incorrectly are put into a "do it again" pile. We then proceed through the "do it again" pile until all of the cards are in the "got it" pile. Not a whole lot of bells and whistles using that method, but it works...eventually. However, the kids (and their mother) aren't always enthusiastic about "drilling" with the flash cards.

free flashcards from classhelper.org

We've tried various methods of encouraging math facts practice in our homeschool. I have several of those Leapfrog Turbo Twist games, Addition and Subtraction War cards, Addition and Subtraction Bingo, and books of drill sheets, not to mention the other online or downloadable computer facts drilling methods we've tried, both free or purchased...While each of the aforementioned methods might work when used, it is the fact that you have to get the kids to want to use them that is the problem. Games are fine now and then, but not for every day. Pencil and paper drill give me nightmares (Bubba had a very bad experience with them in public school). Flashcards are fine, but time intensive for me, and kind of, ahem, boring.

Enter Math Rider. Easily our favorite math product of the year!! Ladybug and Cowboy can't get enough of it. They ask me (on their own) if they can play it for a while. It seems to have escaped their notice that it is actually work! I love it.

Here's is what Math Rider is all about:

It's an intelligent math game that adjusts to your child's accuracy and speed.
While it is intended for ages 6-12, older students can certainly use it as a periodic skill sharpener and younger students who are able to type using the number pad and who recognize the numbers in the problems can use it.

The basis of the game is that you have to undertake a quest which requires you to ride your horse, Shadow, across the Mathlands, solving problems (which are obstacles the horse jumps) as you go. I like the fact that the storyline is noble, and has the riders undertaking their quest for the greater good (not just for the purposes of competing or fighting or anything else that is somewhat random).
There is a progress map so your child can see how far they have gotten and how far they have to go to achieve their goal.

Progress points are given for accuracy and speed, so different riders will make progress at different rates even if they are completing the same number of rides per day.
Each run within a quest has thirty problems...this seemed like a lot the first time the kids did it, but they got used to it quickly. It does not bother them at all now.
At the end of a quest, rewards are given that reflect the level of mastery of the rider...there are 16 potential quests and rewards...improvement is rewarded, as well as mastery.
There are four operations (+ - x / ) for which you can drill 0-12 math facts at three different levels (easy, medium, advanced), plus a master level you have to earn.
You can have your students do practice runs that do not impact the statistics associated with their account...these runs can be on any operation and you can choose the number of problems in each run as well as the testing range or even working with a specific number set!

Parents and students can see individual progress charts showing which numbers and problems have been mastered...at the end of each individual run within a quest, riders see a graph showing which problems were answered correctly, which ones were correct but answered slowly, and which ones were wrong...my kids really liked this.
Math Rider is available for both Windows and Mac.
Normally, the cost for Math Rider is $47. Until February 15th, however, you can purchase it for $37...that's a savings of $10! But wait, there's more!! Log onto Facebook and "Like" Fun Math Games: Math Rider to immediately get a code for an additional $5 off the price. Yippee!!
Math Rider is good for up to 8 riders in your household and may be loaded on up to three computers. This makes it ideal for homeschool use, and very economical.
Math Rider also automatically checks for updates to the game (there has been one during our trial of the game) and downloads them for no additional cost.

Check out this video about Math Rider. Once you check it out, sign up

for the free seven day trial to see if you like it as much as we do.

What we thought about Math Rider:

Mom: I love, love, love it. I never have to argue with the kids about doing their math drills anymore. I am loving seeing Ladybug's (age 8) speed and accuracy improve. We did oral drills in the car the other day and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly she'd jump in with a correct answer. Cowboy's (age 6) knowledge base is growing, though his speed (limited by his ability to remember where the number keys are) is still slower than hers.
Cowboy: I like the horse and I like doing quests because I am a cowboy and a knight. Math is fun! It is not hard at all.
Mom: The kids are much more likely to bring math into a conversation now. Their added confidence in their math facts has affected their interest in exploring other more complex facets of math. This makes sense since knowing basic facts is one of the essential building blocks of math success. Once you have the solid foundation of knowing your math facts it is very simple to start adding more bricks on top of that. I am glad we tested this product. I plan to purchase it when our trial is over.
Mom: I added "Math Rider Drills" to their weekly checklist and finishing enough drills to complete a quest is usually one of the first things they do. Then they still want to do more...I have had to kick them off of the computer (doing math) to go play for a while. I love it!!
Mom: I particularly appreciate the fact that when the kids type in a wrong answer, the horse simply snorts quietly and stops at the jump while the computer repeats the problem, showing and stating what the correct answer is...then play resumes without any fuss. I also appreciate that the music is pleasant instead of loud and obnoxious like on so many games today.
Ladybug: I like Math Rider a lot. I love horses and Shadow is a nice horse. I like the castles and the scenery in the game. I do not think the game is too hard and I do think other kids would like it. I think I am learning to know more math by playing the game. It is a lot of fun!!
Mom: This game utilizes the four learning modalities: auditory and visual skills (spoken and written math facts...plus you can have your kids repeat the problems they miss to add more), as well as tactile and kinesthetic (typing...and bouncing up and down in your seat when your horse jumps if you are Cowboy). It has a creative storyline that engages the learner's interest.
Dad: I appreciate that it is a math drill game that doesn't muddy up the waters of what its purpose is with a lot of nonsense that distracts the kids from what they are supposed to be learning. I also appreciate that the quests are noble, since that is a quality we want to instill in our kids. Instead of the conflict of fighting or characters aimlessly doing something for foolish reasons, the idea is that the riders are using their math skills to help someone. The premise of this game fits in with life lessons we are trying to teach our kids.

--To see what other Crew members thought about Math Rider, check out the TOS Crew blog.

--You can also see other reviews at the Math Rider website.

--Check out answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Math Rider.

--Not sure if Math Rider is for you? Sign up for a seven day free trial of the full version. The practice mode stays enabled even after your trial is over!!

--Ready to go for a ride? Buy Math Rider now, but don't forget to "like" Fun Math Game: Math Rider on Facebook first for a $5 off coupon! The low price of $37 only lasts until February 15th, so don't wait too long...

Blessings,

Disclaimer: We received a trial subscription of Math Rider for the purposes of offering our honest opinion here on our blog. No other compensation was offered to us. If you have questions about this product, feel free to comment or contact me.

Star Struck

2012-02-09T01:26:00.001-05:00

The Classical Astronomy Celestial Almanack

A Visual Representation of the Sky

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? ― Psalm 8: 3-4

Did you ever wonder why February has only 28 days, while all the other months have 30 or 31 days? Did you ever ponder who came up with the idea of having a leap year anyway? Did you know that the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper are not constellations? Do you wonder what they are instead? Did you ever consider why the sky is so clear and the stars are easier to view during the winter months? Have you looked out your window lately and wish you knew what those extra bright lights you and your kids are seeing in the sky near the moon are called? What church event is on the same day as Groundhog Day? And what is classical astronomy anyway? Does it differ from modern astronomy?

We wondered all of these things and more. Thanks to the February 2012 issue of the Celestial Almanack by Jay Ryan and Fourth Day Press, we now have those answers and so much more. The 21 page monthly newsletter costs just $3 from CurrClick and is well worth the money. There is much useful and fascinating information packed into the well-designed and colorful pages. The drawings of the constellations and celestial figures are clear and easy to follow. I LOVED them...absolutely. Designed like a classic Farmer's Almanack, including some flowery speech, artful fonts, and old-fashioned clip art, the February 2012 Volume 1, Number 2 Celestial Almanack delivers all you need for a study of the stars in the month of February.

February's issue includes: an astronomical calendar, Signs of the Seasons (with many pictures) explaining celestial events, detailed drawings of the daytime and nighttime skies in February, instructions on how to find various constellations, information about their backgrounds, and fun facts about the stars in each one, as well as explanations about the types of stars and other celestial elements in the visible sky, point values for different activities (using a one-star, two-star, etc. scale based on difficulty), phases of the moon, Dance of the Planets (more specific information on the planets and their movement), with appropriate scriptural references scattered throughout. Whew! That's a lot packed into 21 pages!!

Geared toward the upper ages (middle school and up...much of the information is very deep), the Almanack is still readable enough to be enjoyed by interested parties of all ages. I think this resource is ideal for families who have a desire to learn more about astronomy, but don't want to be tied down by a huge content load or expense. You could choose a month to do a unit study on the stars and buy the Celestial Almanack for only that month. It's also perfect for a self-motivated learner who is expressing new interest in astronomy. Furthermore, if you are using a curriculum that covers astronomy briefly, you could make that chapter study much deeper by purchasing the Almanack for that month and finding the highlighted constellations after reading the fascinating information.

The February issue we we blessed to try out gave detailed information about how our calendar was developed which our kids of all ages thought was extremely interesting. Hubby joined us the night we read through that portion of the Almanack and was quite enthusiastic about the layout and content of the publication. He plans for us to buy more issues in the future. Since the position of the stars and our planet in relation to them is constantly changing, the necessity of a monthly purchase (as opposed to a one-time investment) makes complete sense. By getting the Celestial Almanack, you will know your information is always timely and up to date!

Last week was unseasonably warm here (we had daytime temperatures up to the low 70s!), so conditions were ideal for star gazing. We read a bit about some of the easy to find constellations and then took black construction paper and white crayons outside so the kids could draw what they were able to observe. Then after identifying Orion (and Orion's belt), Cassiopeia, Taurus, the Big Dipper, the Pleiades, Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, Rigel, Venus, Jupiter, Sirius, Canis Major, and possibly Gemini, we headed in to label our drawings and warm up.

I have one of those rotating star charts that allows you to turn it to the correct month so you can see which constellations should be visible from your location, and while it is very helpful if you know what you are looking for, it has the limitation of only telling you the simple location of the stars and not the fascinating background information behind the stars' make up and place in history the way the Celestial Almanack does. In fact, reading the Almanack is kind of like having a star-smart friend standing next to you, pointing out all of the best stuff in the night sky.

I believe that the Celestial Almanack would complement any study of the stars, or perhaps could even become an interested family's monthly magazine subscription and a catalyst to making some happy family star gazing memories...I have always wished I was one of those people who could gaze heavenward and identify many of the constellations and other astronomical elements, but I have been somewhat limited to Orion, the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia. With the help of the Celestial Almanack, I think our family has a chance at becoming astronomically literate in an entertaining and quite interesting way.

All in all, I'd give the Celestial Almanack four out of four stars!! (and so would the rest of our family).

Here are some upcoming exciting celestial events mentioned in the February issue of the Almanack:

Jupiter-Venus Conjunction on March 15th (once every 24 years)
Annular Solar Eclipse May 20th (once every 18 years)
Transit of Venus over the Sun on June 5th(last one until 2117!)

In the future, we might check out the complete Classical Astronomy curriculum by Mr. Ryan called Signs and Seasons. You can see a sample of it on the website. There is also a workbook to go with it.

To purchase The Celestial Almanack for February for just $3, go to CurrClick
To see what other Crew members had to say about The Celestial Almanack, check out the Crew Blog.
Read Mr. Ryan's statement of faith.

Here are the answers to the questions at the beginning of this review: February is 28 days because both Julius and Augustus Caesar took a day from it to make the months named after them (July and August) longer (to show their greatness). Julius Caesar decreed the inclusion of an intercalculated day into the calendar to maintain proper arrival of the seasons (essential for agriculture). The Big and Little Dipper are actually asterisms. They are part of larger constellations (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor). There is less water vapor in the air during the winter months, so the skies are clearer. Venus and Jupiter are the two bright lights you see lining up with the moon in February. They are drawing closer together throughout February and will be very close in March. The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord commemorates Jesus' presentation at the Temple as recorded in Luke 2:22-40 and occurs on the same day as Groundhog Day. Classical Astronomy is traditional study and appreciation of the observable sky as opposed to modern astronomy which brings in lots of theoretical conclusions about unseen celestial events and objects.

Blessings,

Disclaimer: Our family received a download of the February Celestial Almanack in exchange for this review. This review expresses our opinions about this product and reflects our experiences and thoughts about it accurately and honestly. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment.

January's Project of the Month--Crochet a Dishcloth

2012-02-06T23:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it! I learned how to crochet a dishcloth.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I want to develop a new skill or do something I've never done before every month in 2012. I'd never crocheted before this month and I am happy to say that I now feel confident enough about my skills that I think I can teach the girls how to crochet over the next few months. I won't go so far as to say that I can make anything impressive like an afghan, but I do well enough to competently make what I want to make which is dishcloths.

Honestly, I've always looked at crocheting as being difficult. If you look at it being done by someone else and you have never even held crochet hooks before, it looks fairly complex. Especially if you are watching someone who has been doing it for a while and is FAST. I have had various people say they would teach me sometime over the years, but that never happened (probably because I never pushed the issue since I thought I would be all thumbs at it and wanted to avoid looking silly).

Well, last month when I was Christmas shopping I was wandering down the craft aisle looking for supplies to put in the girls' Christmas gifts (sewing baskets), and I happened to see a set of crochet hooks for sale. I don't know what made me toss them into my shopping cart (maybe it was the four skeins of yarn a friend gave me a few months ago?), but I did it.

Fast forward to after Christmas and the kids have been outside playing, climbing trees and tramping through the "enchanted forest." Cowboy runs in crying because he's caught his favorite scarf (from Lady L.) on a branch and a portion of it unraveled. Aha! I say. I have a crochet hook. Maybe I can fix it...I manage to figure out enough by trial and error to passably repair the scarf, Cowboy is grateful and very happy, and I am intrigued. Maybe crocheting is not so hard after all...

A few days later I came up with my "project of the month" plan, and I decided it was time to just do it...let's learn to crochet! Well, I tried figuring it out using an excellent book my mom loaned me, but alas, the abbreviations and terms made no sense to me because I was starting at ground zero...absolutely no experience at all. I've never even watched someone crochet regularly! I needed to come up with another way to learn, but my friend who crochets and my mom were busy, not to mention, it was usually late at night when I had extra time on my hands, so I thought, "Why not see what the internet has to offer?"

Wouldn't you know that YouTube has loads of free videos on how to crochet? It turns out that a video was exactly what I needed (though Mom helped me one evening to fix my hand position...thanks, Mom!).

Here are a few of my favorites:

Mikey is my favorite teacher. It is a little bit different having a guy as a crochet teacher (at least my kids thought so...they all came up at one time or another and said, "A boy?????"...even Boo thought it was funny!!). I think since Mikey is a guy, he doesn't assume you know everything, so he explains it all. I read once that women do better with learning to shoot in boot camp than guys because they don't have preconceived notions about knowing what to do and they are more willing to listen and take all advice. Maybe this is a similar thing...but sort of in reverse, and backwards, well, maybe you get what I mean.

Another basic lesson with Mikey. I don't know how much the two lessons differ, so I am posting both.

I wound up figuring this out on my own (we played around with making necklaces and bracelets out of these for a few days by adding beads to the chains), but this video is a good one.

This lady is very deliberately slow which is good when you are just starting. I would also start and stop the video while I practiced. I especially liked how she had the names of the stitches written on a white board for you to see...something about the written words plus the talking helped me, not to mention the fact that she shows what all those abbreviations mean in the crochet patterns!

Once you have the basics, I found that this video demonstrates five important stitches very effectively.

Here is one more version of four important stitches.

Here are a few websites with printed instructions and/or patterns:
Basic stitches
Picture Tutorial: How to Crochet
Basic Crochet Patterns and Charts
Dish and Washcloth Mania
Knitterly Stuff Basic Washcloth
Crochet n'Crafts Dishcloth
Peaches n' Cream Free Kitchen Patterns
The Good Life Spa Cloth Pattern

Well, here is how my first attempts turned out:

I used the yarn I had available and played around with the stitches until I felt fairly confident (that took about a week). Along the way, I wound up making about a dozen bracelets and necklaces for the kids, a few bookmarks, two "blankets" for small dollies, and a doll apron, hat, and shawl.

Finally I buckled down for the long haul and made this while watching a show one evening...

I mailed it to my grandmother since she likes to wash her dishes every morning to help make her hands feel better (the warm water soothes her RA). She was pleased as punch and actually said she'd never had a washcloth of this type before. I couldn't believe it...I thought these were a classic! I am glad I was able to introduce her to the best kind of washcloth in the world. Nubby, yet soft. Durable, yet pretty.

After a few more blue washcloths (which I am mailing to the grandmas), I finally went to Walmart and picked up some green and white cotton yarn (the type usually used for making washcloths). Green is the color I use in my kitchen (sage green), and white, of course, goes with anything. I also picked up a few of the darning-type needles for tucking in the ends of the yarn. I'd been using the small crochet hook, and that is harder.

I think this washcloth turned out pretty well...I decided to keep this one. ;-) It took me the length of the movie "A Mile in His Shoes" to do from start to finish. Not too bad! Watching Mikey's video repeatedly helped me figure out the hand position that works for me and is most conducive to speeding things up and increasing my efficiency.

While I crocheted, Ladybug worked on her own project-of-the-next-few-months...an apron for herself. She got her sewing basket for Christmas and has been practicing sewing buttons and making doll pillows.

To make the apron, she gathered scraps from my sewing basket, found a small apron to use as a template, and laid out the cloth in a way that was pleasing to her. She is going to sew the pieces together, then we will cut out a pattern, trim the cloth, and she will sew the edges and trim the apron. She is doing a fantastic job!!

Firefly wants in on the fun, too, so she plans to break out the Build-a-Bear kit her Bubba bought her for Christmas the next time we have a sewing day. It's going to be so wonderful sewing with my two little ladies...and to think, this is just the beginning. *grin*

Next month, I plan to organize our home library. We will be sorting the books into genres and topics, labeling their spines, putting them into labeled baskets or on designated shelves, and perhaps even cataloging what we have. I have been wanting to do this for a loooooong time. The kids are very excited about this and both Ladybug and Tex have offered to be the official "librarians." Check back next month to see how my next monthly challenge goes!

Blessings,

Measuring Success God's Way

2012-02-06T11:56:00.034-05:00

Rather than tell you specifically how our family evaluates the progress of each of our individual children (as every family may be and should be different, as guided by the Lord), I thought that sharing examples of scriptures that have guided us would better illustrate our ultimate goals as parents and home educators: to raise children who walk with the Lord, who seek His will for their lives, and are guided by the eternal truths shown to us in His word, the Bible.

Each child is an individual, crafted by the Lord's hand to fulfill a special purpose. It is up to us, as parents, to train and teach them, to the best of our abilities, in how to discover that purpose and follow God's leading. Every road may be just a little bit different, or a lot, and the flexibility to assist each child along their unique path is one of the greatest blessings of homeschooling.

In our hearts, we find that we feel our children are successful in our home education program if their hearts are eager to learn about Jesus, if they are willingly under our authority (at younger ages, as this prepares them to be under God's authority as they mature), and if they are exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, along with other virtues such as diligence, perseverance, wisdom, obedience, respect, responsibility, generosity, attentivenes, orderliness, and humility. Each child will have his or her own strengths and grow at different rates. The overall intention is to do our best to help them do their best so they can experience God's best in their lives.

Below you will find some of the verses that guide us in how we measure success in our homeschool. I pray they will bless you as they have blessed us.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1-4

"Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other...yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-12

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

2010

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3: 14-17

2011

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." Psalm 127: 3-5

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children..." Deuteronomy 4:9

"But from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children--with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts." Psalm 103: 17-18

"Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and your mother'--which is the first commandment with a promise--'so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life upon the earth.'" Ephesians 6: 1-3

"Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise." Proverbs 19:20

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ..." 2 Peter 3:18a

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise." Psalm 111:10

"A wise heart shall acquire knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks instruction." Proverbs 18:15

"Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:3-5

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:2-3

"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord our God is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I command you today shall be on your hearts. You shall teach them diligently to your children. You shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall tie them as symbols on your hands, and bind them on your foreheads. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

Proverbs 4:10-13

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

"Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land. The generation of the upright will be blessed." Psalm 112:1-2

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

By wisdom a house is built,

and through understanding it is established;

through knowledge its rooms are filled

with rare and beautiful treasures.Proverbs 24:3-4

"Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 1:2-8

"Hear my son your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck." Proverbs 1: 8-9

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:3-5

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A three-fold strand is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-20

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10-18

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalms 139:13-16

"A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need." Proverbs 17:17

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'Plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11

"My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right." Proverbs 23:15-16

"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Proverbs 27:17

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

"Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature." 1 Corinthians 14:20

LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory

in the heavens.

Through the praise of children and infants

you have established a stronghold against your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

you put everything under their feet:

all flocks and herds,

and the animals of the wild,

the birds in the sky,

and the fish in the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8: 1-9

Check out more ways to measure success in your homeschool by

sailing along with the TOS Crew on their Blog Cruise!

Kinderbach Music Program

2012-02-03T00:42:00.001-05:00

Kinderbach at Home is an interactive music program geared towards preschool aged children through early elementary ages (3-7). Available both online or in dvd format, Kinderbach is a lively and imaginative system for introducing young children to the basics of music theory using a variety of methods and instruments, most notably, a simple keyboard.

Children are taught about rhythm, reading music, timing, pitch, composition, notes and measures, and singing by a cast of friendly characters and a passionate teacher through a series of engaging videos, worksheets, and activities.

While Kinderbach does a great job of exposing young students to a wide array of musical terms and concepts, it takes quite a while for the students to become involved with actual playing of songs on the keyboard. This can be frustrating for more serious students who want to dive right in to playing songs. However, if you have a variety of ages in your home, and have older students who are taking traditional music lessons and little siblings who would like to do the same, but just aren't quite old enough yet (as is the case in our house where Ladybug is taking formal piano lessons, Cowboy occasionally joins her, but Firefly is not quite ready for it), Kinderbach can be just the thing to take the "sting" out of having to wait for those little ones.

Both Firefly (age 4) and Boo (age 2) enjoyed the interactive features of Kinderbach's online lessons. Kinderbach approaches their teaching using multiple learning styles so that the lessons appeal to all types of learners. The lessons are very active, and not too long, to allow for the shorter attention spans of younger students.

Each of my participating students liked different things about the program. Firefly especially liked the coloring and activity pages, while Boo loved parading around the room with a variety of instruments we pulled out of our music box.

Cowboy (age 6) willingly participated alongside the two of them, dominating the keyboard, as he remembered much of the lessons we completed last year when we tried out this product before. He still talks about finding "Dodi's house" on the piano keyboard, a year after trying out the product last... I guess it made an impression on him!

Ladybug (age 8), who is learning how to play the piano with her grandmother and me as her teachers, was not so interested anymore. She preferred to practice her songs and scales on the regular piano downstairs. The others were perfectly happy with the simple keyboard, other instruments, and fun activity sheets and crafts upstairs. If you like, you can see a few examples of coloring pages that accompany some of the lessons on the Kinderbach website and a listing of the topics covered in the Kinderbach curriculum.

I like the idea of Kinderbach's online lessons (though you can purchase the same lessons on dvd if you have a slow internet connection) for younger students, especially those with parents who are interested in exposing their younger kids to music, but don't have any experience in that area and need some help. It is also a good compromise for younger siblings of serious older music students.

There is enough variety to keep kids interested for a long time, though more motivated students may wish to do more than the suggested one lesson a day as they are fairly short and simple. The brevity of the lessons is ideal for the youngest members of the family, though. Perseverance in the program eventually leads to playing simple tunes, which your children will love.

Both the dvds and the online lessons are accompanied by printable activity pages. Additional coloring books may be purchased separately.

If you would like to learn more about Kinderbach, you can watch an introductory video about the program on their website. You can also check out this video about the Kinderbach at Home program specifically. If you decide the program looks like it might interest you and your children, you can sign up for a free two week trial! You just can't beat FREE!

If you decide a subscription to Kinderbach is for you, you can purchase a yearly subscription for just $7.99 a month by paying a total of $95.88 in one annual fee, or pay on a monthly basis at a cost of $19.95. For a limited time, use the code TOScrew2012 to get 30% off your subscription!!

You can also purchase the dvd sets by level for $40.45 each. The same coupon code applies for these purchases, or any other purchase from the Kinderbach site.

To read my review of this program from last year, check it out here.
To read what others on the TOS Crew had to say about this product, click here.

Blessings,

We received access to online lessons from Kinderbach for the purposes of reviewing this product. All opinions expressed here are our own. If you have questions concerning this review, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment.

And the Winners Are...

2012-02-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

The Apologia Live Retreat Ticket goes to...Shell!

I have contacted you via email and sent your info on to Apologia.

You should hear from them soon.

I hope you have a fantastic time at the retreat!!

The A Mile in His Shoes movie goes to...Cheryl B.!

I have contacted you and will get your info to the

appropriate folksas soon as I hear back from you.

I hope you enjoy the movie!

Congratulations to both of you.

I hope you are both blessed by your prizes!

Thank you to all who participated.

Blessings,

Menu Plan Monday (and a Good Read Aloud)

2012-01-30T21:04:00.001-05:00

Stop by and check out other menu plans at Organizing Junkie

I have been looking for ways to cut down on our grocery expenses and while at the bread store last week, I realized that not only could I spend considerably less on bread for our lunches by shopping there regularly (and on Tuesdays when there is a 10% discount) since a loaf of bread is about $1.29 there instead of the $2.69-$3.89 it runs in the regular store, but that by buying the cinnamon bread, bagels, and super-sized loaves of bread for french toast, I can save money on breakfast, too. We normally eat cereal most days of the week, and even when we buy the cheapest store-brand cereals, it runs $3-$4 dollars a box, and one box lasts for one day...not to mention the extra milk we wind up paying for at $4 or more a gallon ($7 for Boo's lactose free stuff). By varying our breakfasts to include other things, like toast and yogurt, french toast (we have eggs from our hens), fruit and and bagels, I will save quite a lot every week. Yay! We started the "change" this week, and while the kids are missing their usual favorites (even though they always had healthy cereals), they are enjoying the new variety.

Here's our Menu Plan for the week ahead:

Monday: Spaghetti and garlic bread, green salad...friends over for a visit. Nice.

Tuesday: Leftover buffet

Wednesday: Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with fries at church, then Awana for the kids and Bible study for Mom and Dad

Thursday: Black Bean Soup, cornbread muffins...simple, inexpensive, and delicious

Friday: Pizza and a movie (Real Steel)

Saturday: use leftover black beans to make Tortilla Pie. served with Spanish Rice and refried beans

Sunday: Superbowl party at Nanny and Poppy's house (only they aren't there since they are helping Grandma Pooh in Iowa...but their cable is, and Poppy said we can hang out for the day since we don't have cable at our house). I am serving 7 Layer dip, pizza, mozzarella sticks, veggie tray...I am not so much into the football, but I love the food! The girls are going to sew while the guys watch football. Nice. This is different than the Not-a-Superbowl party that mom and I have cooked up the last few years, but I can adapt. You can check out our Simple Seven Layer Dip recipe at last year's party post.

Our read aloud for the week is Flat Stanley in Space since we are reviewing an astronomy product this week and will be spending some time outside stargazing. The forecast calls for clear skies Monday through Wednesday, and unseasonably warm temperatures (a sizzling 70 degrees on Wednesday!), so this is the ideal time to do some star watching. Rain and falling temperatures are expected later in the week, so I am going to make sure to get the kids outside as much as possible on those beautiful days...I am thinking that a day off from regular studies to do a nature walk, ride bikes, and take the kids for a ride on Jake might be a good idea. I just love the flexibility of homeschooling!!

Have a blessed week!

Variety is the Spice of Life

2012-01-30T10:55:00.001-05:00

If you read my earlier post A Day in the Life of our Homeschool, you will know that we have a fairly easygoing pattern...especially for the little kids. However, I don't like to get into too much of a rut, for both my sake and for the sake of the kids, so we came up with something to remind us of getting the fun stuff done, too, and not just the basics.

We came up with the idea of doing one "focus" activity a day, along with the usual required Bible, math, spelling, and reading/English. This allows us some variety, as well as a bit of structure, so we don't always default to our favorite activities when there is extra time (such as art for Ladybug, games for Cowboy, or reading for Tex).

Here's the sign I made for our fridge:

Our "Special Activity of the Day" sign

As you can see, we have listed one specialized area of study for each day. I will be honest here and tell you that we do NOT do each of these each week. Some weeks are good if we manage to do two or three of them, and on others we have actually done all five. My attitude about not getting to the "fun" and "special stuff" every day is that while everyone needs goals to aim for, we should also be content in doing our best...and since we are trying pretty hard, I think our best (for the time being) is actually quite good...though there is always room for improvement.

A Fun Friday field trip to a farm...

We always do Fun Friday (which is sometimes a field trip), though I do not always manage to blog about it (my camera is on the fritz and I have had computer trouble, so my participation has been sketchy recently). To facilitate this, we accomplish our "regular" work in four days, leaving Friday free for doing the more creative and exploratory activities...or just resting, playing, being crafty, gardening, etc.

Tex has been trying to do everything but his science experiments earlier in the week, leaving them for Fridays. This works for him because I can be more involved on Fridays, and he can pound out the other book/computer work faster if he isn't stopping to do experiments throughout the week. I think families should talk about what needs they have, try a few things out, then settle in to whatever fits them best. I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution.

The Writing Suitcase...one of the fun activities the kids like to do

Painting on Talented Tuesday

We also have extra-curricular activities that add fun to our homeschool days. Twice a month on a Wednesday, the Bookmobile comes to our house and the kids get to choose books, play with the stuffed animals on board (Mr. Mike collects animals in a basket and the kids love that), and collect any items we might have ordered from the regular library (delivered to our door, no less!). Usually once a month, our friends, Lady L. and her five kids, come over to join us for books and lunch (and playing, of course). That is a wonderful opportunity for the kids to have fun.

Reading on the Bookmobile

Also, on Wednesdays, we have supper at church and the kids do Awana. This is a recent addition, since we were still in the "church hunting" stage until recently. So far, the kids are LOVING the memory work (and the games, of course) and the chance to be around other children their own age. Hubby and I are enjoying the brief "break" we get by attending the women's and men's classes (and I love the grown up conversational opportunities!).

Twice a month on Friday, the kids attend 4-H at a local state park. This is mostly for Tex and Ladybug, and is currently a bit rough on me (trying to keep the others busy without disrupting the others when it is too cold to go outside and play), but it is worth it to give them the interaction with others and the chance to develop useful skills, such as public speaking and photography.

Nanny and Poppy...two of our favorite people!!

Then, of course, sometimes our week gets a bit of fun added when Nanny and Poppy show up unexpectedly (or expectedly) and that is wonderful! My dad often helps out by working on something that needs fixing, and gets the boys to help him do whatever it is. Tex is a HUGE help, since he knows where to find all the stuff needed to do the repairs, and Cowboy just likes being able to watch or to hand tools to Poppy when he needs them. Tex and Poppy also like to chat about computers and sports, and maybe shoot some hoops. My mom will offer to help do any chores we are behind on, or to read with one of the little ones, or sew with the girls, or even give a piano lesson.

Bubba trimming Lily's feet

Sometimes we do just take the time off and enjoy a beautiful day outside, or take time to do something crafty, or get a visit from Bubba (usually to trim the horses' feet), or make something delicious to eat. All that is a lot of fun!! We also try to get out and ride the horses as often as possible. Once a week when it is cold, more often when the weather is good.

Ladybug sewing an apron for herself

After writing this, I think I will have to revise or add to my list, though. I think I will amend our art activity choices to include nature notebooks after a nature walk and also the art dvds that Ladybug received for Christmas and her birthday (See the Light and Inspiration Station...all the kids have art kits and like to do those dvds). For Thinking Thursday, I want to add "logic problems and word puzzles" (we have crossword and jumble books, and logic problems galore), as well as playing online thinking games (we have a listing of some on our homeschool-for-free site. For Fun Friday, I am also going to add "crafty things, like crocheting or sewing and baking (yum!)...or projects like building birdhouses and forts."

On a nature walk...

I know that we could (obviously) choose to do any of these things on ANY day of the week, but having the sign up on the fridge has been motivating for the kids and helps me focus on the fact that we need to add something a bit different to each of our days (as often as possible). It has also helped the kids focus on getting their other work done (so there is time for the "fun stuff"), and has helped them be more creative with their choices of fun learning activities (kids will get stuck in ruts of preference, just like us adults).

One of our goals as homeschoolers is to raise creative, confident, and well-rounded individuals who are able to accomplish whatever the Lord calls them to do. Raising the children to have diverse interests and abilities (including interests beyond what I have as interests and abilities in) is one of the ways we can help make this happen... after all, variety is the spice of life (or one of them, anyway!).

To see what others do to add FUN to their homeschooling week,

check out The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew Blog Cruise!

I pray you have a blessed and FUN week.

My Monthly Challenges for 2012

2012-01-29T21:22:00.001-05:00

Instead of making hard to keep resolutions this year, I have decided that each month in 2012, I am going to learn or do something I have been wanting to do, but have been putting off for whatever reason. It doesn't have to be something huge, but I would like it to be something that requires me to learn a new skill, or maybe something I have previously started, but not completed. Since each thing will be something I want to do, and will find enjoyable (if challenging), I am hoping that it won't be so tough to keep going on this project all year.

So far I have lots of ideas, but I am not sure which ones will work out each month, so I am going to keep this goal-of-the-month idea fairly loose. That way it will stay fun and not be high-pressure. I want the kids to be able to participate as much as possible, and to see me developing new skills and trying new things. That way they will get the idea that we are lifelong learners, and that if we put our minds to something, we can accomplish a lot and do things we never imagined we could...even if they are something we never thought we could master.

I want the kids to see me finding different ways of developing the new skills: from consulting friends, to looking in books, from watching videos on youtube, to taking a class. I also want them to understand that working at something can be FUN, not just drudgery. We are only given a certain number of hours here on earth...why waste them doing frivolous things when we can be doing things that have value to us and to others?

Here are some of my ideas:

Learn to crochet dishcloths
Learn to crochet towel toppers (the ones that button onto your oven handle)
Learn to knit a scarf and/or hat
Finish the yoyo quilt top that I plan to use as a tablecloth for our dining room table
Make my own bath soap
Make my own natural cleaning supplies and beauty products
Make baking mixes and soup mixes from scratch (and store them for easy use)
Organize our household library
Get good at making bread using the Bosch mixer and Nutrimill grain mill
Edge a hankie with the vintage supplies I got at the antique mall
Learn to do fun girlie hairstyles on my daughters
Make a skirt out of blue jeans
Make a skirt from scratch
Trim and hem my lace curtain panels
Learn to can veggies (I do freezer jams already)
Learn to play another classical tune on the piano (I have a limited repertoire)
Sew a set of cloth napkins for our family
Go geocaching with the kids
Sew a replica of the stitched picture I bought my SIL for Christmas (I wanted to keep it sooo badly!)
Get my camera fixed and actually read the manual to learn how to use all of the settings!
Clean and fix up our enclosed front porch so we can use it this spring/summer
Get certified to foster/adopt

I will add more ideas as I think of them. If you have any suggestions of things you like to do that you think I might like to try, feel free to comment!

Blessings,

Apologia Live Retreat Ticket Giveaway!

2012-01-23T13:27:00.000-05:00

Celebrate the Journey of homeschooling, wifehood, and being a mom during the good times, the bad times and yes, even the ugly times.

Join us as we look at the scriptures and seek encouragement from veteran homeschool moms on how to Celebrate the Journey!

Apologia Live invites you to a retreat designed to encourage and support homeschool moms.

Learn more about the convention by clicking HERE.

Speakers

Rachael Carman

Pam Tebow (Atlanta)

Heidi St. John (Baltimore)

Zan Tyler

Debra Bell

Jeannie Fulbright

Sherrie Seligson

Elizabeth Smith

You can see the more about the speakers and their published works HERE.

You are welcome to listen to these audio clips from the

2009 Walking in the Light conference to see what you think.

Dates

March 9-10, 2012 Baltimore, MD

March 23-24, 2012 Atlanta, GA

Cost

Registration costs of $115 include the six general sessions and two prayer sessions on Friday and Saturday, as well as lunch on Saturday.

There is also a Nuts and Bolts pre-live event with four sessions that focus on the basic why's and how-to's of homeschooling. There will be three tracks: Preschool, Elementary, and High School. The pre-school track will focus on the basics such as "Should I homeschool?" and "How do I get started?". The elementary track will focus on Charlotte Mason style teaching methods and notebooking, and the high school sessions will focus on homeschooling all the way through, as well as growing independent learners, and internships. This event costs an additional $25.

If you'd like to read more about the costs involved, click HERE.

If you are interested in registering for Apologia Live! in either Baltimore or Atlanta, click HERE.

Session Descriptions

Each session will cover topics important to every home educating family. Here is what you will hear about:

Undertaking your homeschooling journey with a Biblical vision
incorporating scripture into all you do, building your house on a firm foundation
never losing sight of your child's potential
identifying and developing your child's gifts and strengths
enriching your marriage
parenting heart to heart, and more.

You can read more about the sessions at Celebrate the Journey using this link.

You can read what to expect from a typical day at the conference using this link.

You can contact Apologia with further questions using this link.

BUT WAIT!! THERE'S MORE!!!

I have ONE ticket to give away to a blessed reader.

If you live near enough Baltimore or Atlanta that you truly believe you will be able to attend the Apologia Live conference (or know someone who will attend that you can bless with by giving them a ticket), sign up to win ONE free ticket to the conference TODAY.

This ticket does not include the cost of lodging or transportation, and will only be valid for a location that has not sold out. I am receiving my ticket in exchange for promoting the Retreat (and telling about my experiences there) here on my blog.

Here is what you need to do

(if you want a chance to win a ticket, that is):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Menu Plan Monday (and a Good Read Aloud)

2012-01-23T12:53:00.001-05:00

Check out more menu plans at Organizing Junkie

and

more Happy Homemaker posts at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

What's up at our house this week??

Our Menu Plan:

Monday: Chicken lasagna, specialty salad, biscuits---Made by Tex (thank you!)

Tuesday: Tuna rolls, green salad, Italian pasta salad, yogurt

Wednesday: dinner at church

Thursday: Spaghetti and cheesy Texas toast

Friday: Pizza and a Movie Night---The Black Stallion

Saturday: Daddy's cookin' on the grill---cheeseburgers, potato packets, corn on the cob, pickles.

Sunday: Broccoli and Cheese Soup, Apple Spice Muffins, celery and carrots

Our read aloud:

On my reading pile: The Broadmoor Legacy series by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller, Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki, and Ten P's in a Pod by Arnold Pent III

In my craft basket: This month's project is to learn to crochet so I can make washcloths. So far, I have completed one washcloth using single crochet (takes a while). I sent the first one to my grandmother so she could use it when she is doing her dishes in the morning (it helps her arthritis). I am going to work on making one using double crochet this week.

On my to-do list: I am still working on organizing our master bedroom. I am hoping it will be ready to have shelves installed in the closet over the weekend. Having storage for our clothes will help a lot, since we took out our dresser last month to make room for my sewing machine/craft table (two short filing cabinets with a plywood top...we make do with what we have!).

I have to run by social services to pick up a packet to do foster parenting training in February. We are very excited about this. I have to mail a "care package" to my mom (who is in Iowa helping my grandmother as she recovers from a heart attack) on Monday, and get to the drugstore to buy my other grandmother the nail file she likes that they don't sell in her neck of the woods (Missouri) and get it in the mail, too.

What's up in our homeschool? We will be trying a few new programs for the TOS Review Crew this week. Firefly will be starting Reading Eggs and all three Amigos will be trying out K5learning,com. They have been enjoying Math Rider a whole lot. The Bookmobile comes on Wednesday, and the kids go to Awana, which they are LOVING. On Friday, friends of ours are visiting and I am hoping Lady L. and I will have a chance to walk around the local Antique Mall for an hour or so. Maybe one day will be nice enough to take the kids for rides on Jake.

What we are listening to/watching: Vivaldi's Four Seasons, The Kids Hymnal Disk One, Signing Time ABC Signs, and me (only me...when I can't sleep) Numb3rs (on Netflix)

Our weather: is still fairly warm for this time of year, but it keeps yo-yo-ing up and down, getting down to the low thirties at night, sometimes rising to 60 during the day, other days not breaking the low 40s, raining at least 50% of the time (we even had sleet a few days ago, but no snow yet). The kids play outside on any dry day, no matter how cold. Jumping on the trampoline keeps them warm!

Here's a link to a site I just discovered: Pink and Green Mama...I love, love, love her kids' spaces! If only...maybe one of these days.

A picture from my camera: This is from last spring/summer...the kids love strawberries and have strawberry goodness on their minds because the strawberry plants in a faux terra cotta planter in our kitchen have blooms and they are watching them daily, hoping they will become scrumptious strawberries soon! In order to help them wait patiently, I am going to pull out the huge freezer bag of strawberries I froze over the summer and make freezer jam this weekend. Yum.

Scripture for the week: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Have a blessed week!

We Choose Virtues...What Do You Choose?

2012-01-22T23:46:00.005-05:00

We had the opportunity to try out the Virtue Clue cards and the Kids of Virtue-ville Coloring Book from We Choose Virtues, the brainchild of Heather McMillan (I like her first name!!), a wife, mother of four, preschool teacher and children's pastor. It was born out of her love for children and her desire to see them reach their full potential. As she saw more and more children who lacked self-control, honesty, and perseverance, she wondered how they could possibly succeed without those important traits. Then she wondered what she could do to help them aspire to do better.

Out of this desire to help children learn to not only change their actions and do better momentarily, but to change their whole attitudes and thus their entire lives, she developed the program We Choose Virtues. We Choose Virtues is based on simple, positive, consistent instructions, using catch-phrases and positive reinforcement to help trigger memories of the important, eternal truths that true virtues reveal.

What we did:

We chose a virtue to work on for that week and displayed it on the refrigerator. The Virtue Clue cards come in a clear plastic sleeve, and I hung them up with a heavy-duty clip. I thought it might have been nice if the cards came with a magnetic holder, like the ones you can buy at the Bible bookstore to display inspirational phrases and verses, but then, not everybody will display them like we did.

We discussed each virtue (both its positive attributes and what it is not...ie. being content means that "I have my 'wanter' under control" and that "I am not bored or greedy or always wanting more, and I don't beg or whine." Then we'd check out the catch phrase for that virtue and work on it for a few minutes (our favorite was: "Okay, whatever you say, I will obey, right away" for Oboe Joe and obedience). Lastly, we'd look at the character on the card and try to imagine their story. Since we got the "Clue" cards and not the "Teacher" or "Parent" cards, we did not get the character's stories, so we had to improvise.

We did receive the Teacher's Handbook, which is $4.99 for a downloadable copy. It tells you how to use the program and gives information on each of the available resources. While it appears to be geared towards the classroom teacher (either public or private, since both a general and a faith-based version are sold, as well as Sunday School and Children's Church classes), much of what it suggests is easy to implement in a homeschool setting. The manual gives details about how to develop three important parts of the Virtue Teacher Cards: the definition of the virtue, the catch-phrase, and the antonyms (in the faith-based set, you will also have a Bible verse to accompany each virtue). It also covers why We Choose Virtues chose to use only three rules on their rule chart: Obey, Be Kind, Be a Helper (I liked the simplicity of this, especially for younger kids) and offers suggestions for making these rules fit easily into your day without turning the practice of them an overbearing lesson.

One way to keep track of how your class (or family) is doing in their attempts to be more virtuous is to keep the Family Character Assessment Chart (available for free on the WCV site), the 100 Days of Virtue Chart (SALE $11.99), Personal Virtue Charts (just $2.99 for 16 charts), the Virtue User Review pad (just $3.99 for 50 sheets), or Student Character Assessments (available for FREE! on the WCV site).

Virtues can't be taught in ten minutes a day; they must be consistently modeled and referred to throughout every day. One way to focus on the virtues presented in this program is to color one of the cute characters that represents the virtue. We Choose Virtues offers a coloring book with adorable blackline pictures of each character to color that my Amigos (ages 4-8) liked a lot.

We had the idea that the pictures would make great place mats if you colored each picture neatly (printed on card stock), then wrote examples of ways to practice each virtue on the back, along with the representative catch-phrase and associated Bible verse (as a copywork exercise). You could then either laminate the page, or use one of those great laminating sheets to make it into a mat that your kids would see at every meal. You could give a mat to each child at lunchtime depending on which virtue they most exhibited that morning, OR according to which one they needed to work on the most after lunch. ;-)

Here is what we thought about the program in general:

The idea of needing more teachers focused on teaching virtues FIRST is a great one. I have always agreed with the statement that if you can't trust your kids (or students) to obey, be attentive, be kind, be diligent, be helpful, etc., then how can you expect to teach them effectively? Much of your time will be wasted handing behavioral problems and conflicts instead of learning, so you might as well do yourself a favor and focus on behavior first.
IF you already have a program with which you teach your kids virtues (ie. a Bible study, using a character traits chart, teaching your own family rules of behavior, etc.), then you probably don't need this program. You are already teaching virtues, and if your program is working, you should stick with it. (This is our situation, though we did think this product was nice, too). You might use this to supplement an existing program, but it really isn't necessary.
BUT if you don't have something in place and your kids are young (my 4, 6, and 8 year olds were receptive to the characters and catch-phrases...my 14 yo was not very interested...not surprising), then this program might work well for you. It works for many families (see other TOS Review Crew reviews HERE)...many of the reviews I read were extremely positive and excited.
I would suggest buying the Faith-based Parenting Cards (so you get the character stories) for $34.99 and the Teacher's Handbook ($4.99 for a download) to start. If your kids are avid colorers, the downloadable coloring book would make an inexpensive, enjoyable addition. Also, I would definitely download the available freebies that I mentioned above. Later, you could add 3 Rules Poster (only $9.99 with shipping available for free with the code SHIPFREE), and The Kid's Virtue Poster (it's $11.99, and using the code FAMILY gets you another $3 off) might be a good investment, if you want all of the memory items in one easy-to-spot location, or you could even consider purchasing the entire Family Faith-based Kit for $69.99 (use the code VIRTUE15 for 15% off your order). I thought that the Virtue Flash cards look like they might be a fun way to practice the virtues, but they are pricey at $19.00 a set. You save some money and get all of what I mentioned above by buying that family kit. Oh, I thought I'd let you know that I noticed that one reviewer of the WCV products went a step farther and made a copywork set available on Currclick which supports the Bible verses found in the faith-based set (for $1.50, I think), if you want to check it out.
I have to say that I was disappointed to not know the stories of the characters. That made it harder for me and my kids to identify with the program and to really be motivated to color the cute pictures. To us, the names seemed rather odd and random, but I am sure that they make sense if you know the stories behind them. The one or two examples we encountered in the Teacher's Manual or on other blogs were interesting, and I think kids would like them (Airplane Betty Jane is so fascinated by airplanes that she thinks about them constantly and has a hard time being Attentive). I think a good addition to the program would be a series of story books to support these stories. I wonder if that is in the works?? What do you think?
The activities and suggestions shared in the Teacher's Manual were very good. If you buy one of the sets of cards, you really need to go ahead and get this manual (just pay to download it since that is much cheaper), so you will get full value from your cards.
There are only twelve virtues (and I do think Mrs. McMillan picked twelve of the best ones), so once you are done with them, I guess you do them over again? This is definitely a solid teaching practice (repetition and reinforcement), but it would be nice if another set of virtues was an option for folks in their second or third years of using this program, or with slightly older students...maybe this is in the works, too? I can see where this program has a lot of potential for growth.

In any case, overall I guess we wish we'd had the Parent's Cards with the stories. I think we would have used the program more (my kids would have been more interested after hearing a story about the characters, I think...though once we concocted our own elaborate stories, they got more into it).

I think the Virtue Clue cards that we tried out are most suitable for folks who already have those Teacher Cards or Parenting Cards and would be good for carrying around in a purse or backpack or car glove box to allow for easy drilling on the go.

I think you could also use single packs of cards to encourage your individual students by giving them one each time they demonstrate ability to consistently apply a virtue over a set period of time until they collect an entire deck (kids today seem to like collecting cards, I am told). I am certain there are many other ways a resourceful parent could find to use this deck of Clue cards.

Lastly, I think this program is an excellent idea for incorporating into Sunday School or Children's Church classes that may teach Bible stories and verses, but maybe do not have a solid character-building program. You can buy a faith-based Classroom starter kit for $99.00. The program would also make a simple introduction to family time for younger children (if you found stories from the Bible for each virtue, such as obedience using Samuel, which is what we did). Family and Homeschool Faith-based Kits start at $69.00. I am thinking of suggesting it to our church for use in the nursery (with the 2-4 year olds...Boo could definitely use some of that Self-Control!!).

Coupon Codes:

Virtue15 for 15% off of everything in your cart
FAMILY for $3 off of the Kids Virtue Poster
SHIPFREE for free worldwide shipping

(sorry, only one code at a time)

And, until the end of February, the 100 Days of Virtue Poster and stickers will be included with any Homeschool Kit purchase!

We received a free set of Virtue Clue Cards, as well as downloads for the coloring book and Teacher's Manual in order to test this product in our homeschool and write this review. What you read here is a reflection of our own experiences with the product and is my own opinion of it. If you have questions about what I have written here, please feel free to comment or contact me.

Blessings,

Sermon Sunday---Taking Responsibility for Your Life

2012-01-22T01:30:00.001-05:00

You are wondering what an open book has to do with today's Sermon Sunday topic of taking responsibility for your life, right?? I could tell you that it is the Good Book, the ideal place to turn when you have decisions to make, the repository of wisdom for our Heavenly Father, who should always be consulted first when we are making choices. Or that our lives should be an open book, ones that will withstand even the harshest scrutiny, because we strive to live as the Lord would wish us to...responsibly and in a way that honors Him.

Those would probably be reasonably good answers, but they would not be 100% accurate. The truth is that I am out of web storage and have yet to purchase some more, so here I am, digging in the archives of Picassa for something to use as a graphic. Voila. You get an open book. It could be a Bible. It could be meaningful. Or it might be just a book. Sigh.

In any case, Andy Stanley is the speaker for this Sermon Sunday post. His sermon series on Taking Responsibility for Your Life is one that I think is timely (I am homeschooling a teenager, who will be listening to these sermons this week) and needed by folks of all ages...including me. I can't wait to see what he (Andy) has to say about responsibility.

I pray the series blesses your family, and ours.

Let me know what you think of it.

A Mile in His Shoes

2012-01-18T20:44:00.020-05:00

Our family has a tradition of watching a movie every Friday and ordering out for pizza. It gives the kids something consistent to look forward to, gives me a break from cooking, and provides an opportunity for us to view quality movies as a family (and discuss them) without the kids having to feel deprived because we don't often spring for the "real" movie theater experience.

Over the last year or so, I have been blessed by the opportunity to work some new quality family movies into our repertoire that diverge from the usual kiddie, cartoon-y movies that seem to often be the only "clean" movies available (and if you keep track of some of the cartoons out these days, you will know that even being a cartoon does not guarantee appropriateness for children these days). Hubby and I have found this to be a great relief...oh, let's be honest here...I have found this to be a great relief (Hubby is happy with cartoons) because I am just not that into animation, or cartoon-y characters, or constant capers and hi-jinx.

These new family movies are emerging to fill a market need that producers are starting to identify as "family values.' GASP! It's like Hollywood forgot that there are FAMILIES out there who watch movies, too, and not all parents want their kids to see promiscuous women parade across the screen, hear language not fit for the local pub, or see adults engaged in sleazy high-risk behaviors, and children determined to undermine their parents' authority. It amazes me that the average movie has gotten so bad that even if it has a "good" message, you still have to be cautious about taking your family (even your teens) to it, because it is likely that negative behaviors such as swearing, drinking, and violence will be showcased, all for the sake of "making it realistic."

Last week for family night we watched a new movie from the Thomas Kincaide collection. Yes, that's Thomas Kincaide the artist. I remember walking through Thomas Kincaide galleries when I was younger, admiring the paintings of cottages and misty streets that seemed to glow from within. Well, he still has those, but these days he has diversified and now he even has Disney, NASCAR, and baseball paintings! Then there are the movies, too. Movies like The Christmas Cottage (available for instant viewing on Netflix...it's a good one), and The Christmas Lodge, and now, A Mile in His Shoes (he also has a painting series based on the movie which you can view HERE).

Based on a true story, A Mile in His Shoes is a film about the profound changes that occur in many lives when a determined minor league coach (played by Dean Cain) recruits a sweet young man named Mickey (played by Luke Schroeder, Ricky Schroeder's son) to be his team's pitcher. Mickey, whom Murph (the coach) discovers on a farm when he runs his car into a ditch in the country, is unusual in a number of ways. First, there is his innocence, because he has been sheltered by his parents (good on you, mom and dad!). Second, there is his amazing pitching arm, which he developed by pitching apples into a wash tub on the farm so they'd splat and make slop for his pet pig (my kids loved that part!). Lastly, there is the fact that he has Asperger's, a type of autism, which means that while he is incredibly talented in some areas, in others (such as social interactions), he has some difficulties coping. In spite of the challenges, though, Mickey and Murph make a great team, and work together to make the Rats' year their best year yet.

We watched the film on Friday, curled up together on the couches in the parlor, while enjoying CiCi's three specialty pizzas for $9.99 deal (can't beat that one!). We explained to the kids beforehand about the young man being autistic, so they'd understand the context of the movie. They have a friend who is autistic and he is not quite as high functioning as Mickey, so they were a bit confused by that, but overall they got the idea that Mickey was just a really nice guy with a special God-given talent, and that he was blessed to have been influenced by such a passionate and thoughtful coach as Murph. They saw that the real blessing, though, was to the team, whose lives were all changed by their interactions with the young man. The players (and coach) learned to consider more than themselves, and to take stock of what was really important, and Mickey learned to spread his wings and take on a challenge.

There was only one spot I was uncomfortable with the kids in the room (time for a bathroom break, anyone??), and that was when the "bad guy" has taken Mickey to a party (not a nice one...more like a tailgate in the woods one, but the alcohol use is not overt) where he convinces a female admirer of his to take Mickey for a walk in the woods. I was concerned because I didn't know how far they'd take that scenario, but other than some talk, and a peck on the cheek where she tells Mickey she likes him, it's fairly tame...sort of. The walk turns out to be a set up to get Mickey alone so some guys can beat him up and prevent him from pitching. They really didn't show that either (other than a fist coming for his face), but if it bothers you, you could send the kids out like we did.

The movie was a nice change for the adults (I mean, I love Tangled and Ratatouille, but you can't watch cartoons every week). It was safe for families...no cursing, no (real bad) violence, no guns or crazy chase scenes, no vampires or undead, no (really) sleazy women (the one girl was a bit ditsy, though, and clingy, but in the end, nice)...and it had a good message, or two, or three:

Don't judge people.
Hard work pays off.
Being the "nice guy" CAN get you somewhere.
Stand by your friends, teammates, family.
You have God-given gifts for a reason...use them.
Don't let grief cripple your ability to love (the coach still mourned his son, who died young).
There are many people out there who need to be loved for who they are...love them.
Second chances don't always happen. If you get one, don't waste it.
Take care of those who need protecting.
Stand up to your fears.
Share your gifts (of teaching, of love, of kindness) with others.
Be honest, be kind, be sincere, be determined, be brave, be a friend.

Those are just some of what my kids and Hubby and I came up with. I am sure that if you watch this movie, you will find your own lessons of value in the story.

I just thought you'd appreciate knowing another movie is out there with family values, so go on out and get yourself a copy, then buy another to add to your church or local library...if everyone did this, there would be more quality choices out there to influence more young lives. Supporting the good films, and refusing to go to the bad ones CAN make a difference.

This is a Dove Family Approved Movie.

If you'd like to see a trailer of the movie, you can check it out HERE.
If you'd like to buy a copy of the movie, it is available HERE.

If you'd like a copy of this movie without buying it, you can enter my giveaway, which ends on Monday, January 30th at midnight. Just follow me (or let me know that you are already a follower) and leave me a comment telling me who in your family will like this movie the most. I will give ONE bonus entry to the first person who enters...just because I think you are awesome!! I will draw a winner and notify him or her on the 31st (just make sure you leave me an easy way to contact you, or the movie will go to the next name I draw). Thanks!

Blessings,

Snuggle Puppy and Other Favorites

2012-01-18T12:53:00.001-05:00

This is one of the kids' favorite bedtime books. They think all of the books by Sandra Boynton are hilarious. I noticed that it is the Storytime book of the month at Barnes and Noble (click on the link to hear the author read the story to you). I have to admit, I like the song better than just reading the book. We wind up singing along whenever we read it since we found one of the Sandra Boynton sing-along books with a cd at the thrift store one day. It's a fun one. Have you heard the 15 Animals song? It is hysterical. I couldn't find it on you tube. Another favorite is Barnyard Dance.

Here is Pajama Time. We like to rock to this one before bedtime.

And last, but not least, here is Moo, Baa, La La La!, a perennial favorite of all the kids (especially the youngest ones). My Aunt Grace gave us our first Sandra Boynton board book years ago. It is thanks to her that we've had years of fun reading them as a family at bedtime. The first time we read this book with Ladybug we all cracked up over it because when we got to the last page which says, "What do you say?" Ladybug tooted (she was a baby)...hahahahaha! Everyone was rolling on the floor laughing like crazy, even Aunt Grace, who was sick with cancer (she's with Jesus now). It remains a special memory of a special person...especially since she was just a little bit like that: cute and sweet with a tiny bit of very silly! >smile<

If you've never thought about YouTube as being a place to find quality children's videos, think again! With a little bit of hunting you can find lots of favorite children's books either read aloud by loving parents (we love these versions of Going on a Bear Hunt and The Very Hungry Caterpillar) or even the classic professional recordings of the books (like Dr. Seuss). You can set up a free account, make playlists (such as children's books and sewing videos) and VOILA!, you have an excellent FREE teaching resource that is quite a lot of fun.

What are your family's favorite children's books? How do you use YouTube to supplement your learning? Please leave a comment and share your ideas.

Blessings,

Heather

Menu Plan Monday (and a Good Read Aloud)

2012-01-16T21:43:00.005-05:00

See other delicious posts at Organizing Junkie.

Monday: Stromboli and green salad

Tuesday: French Dips (easy recipe=1 London Broil bought on sale, 3-4 bouillon cubes, 4 cups water in a crock pot on high for 6 hours, then pull apart with a fork, serve on hoagie rolls and top with melted provolone with au jus on the side...yum!!), pasta salad, carrots and celery

Wednesday: Dinner and Awana at church
Breakfast for dinner

Thursday: Chicken Enchilladas
Spanish rice and refried beans

Friday: Pizza and a movie (Secretariat)

Saturday: Daddy's cookin'!
Grilled something...?? Surprise!!

Sunday: Tuna Casserole, applesauce, fluffy biscuits

One of our favorite recipes: Campbell's Creamy Chicken Enchilladas from Allrecipes.com
(I double this)

Ingredients

1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup or Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder (or taco seasoning)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 Mission® Fajita Size Flour Tortillas, warmed
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced

Directions

Mix soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder.
Mix 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese.
Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over enchiladas. Cover.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until hot. Top with tomato and onion.

Read aloud of the week: Andi's Pony Trouble by Susan K. Marlow.
Check out the author's website...the author offers lots of fun and adorable free printables...from coloring pages to puzzles to activities. These books are very cute for kids, and Andi learns good lessons throughout each one. Both girls and boys love them because Andi (who is a girl) has brothers and a friend who is a boy. My grandmother bought the six book series for us for Christmas. We found the best price at Library and Educational Resources. So far, books as a Christmas gift is a big hit here!! Thank you so much, Grandma and Grandpa.

Blessings,

Heather

Ordinary Days are a Real Blessing

2012-01-16T11:58:00.002-05:00

Welcome to a day in our lives at Blessing Farm!

I am going to share with you an average day here...not one of the best, but certainly not one of the worst. At our best, we all work together like a well-oiled machine, getting up early, laughing while we make something delicious for breakfast and put dinner in the crockpot to be finished around six pm when Hubby gets home, smiling at each other as we complete our schoolwork and our chores, exploring new ideas and fun activities eagerly after lunch, all the while offering sweet words of encouragement throughout the day as we tackle the hardest tasks and work towards a common goal of learning, living well, and loving each other. At our supreme, ultimate best, we go on an interesting field trip, to a club meeting, or participate church activity or ministry, working hard or learning something out of the ordinary, appreciating the flexibility and blessings that come from being able to homeschool.

At our worst, I wake up grudgingly because I've had difficulty sleeping due to a migraine that was not relieved by sleep, but rather worsened. The kids, of course, not feeling poorly at all, get up at their usual early hour and happily play loudly in their room. Tex, being the kindly soul he is, will often gather them together and take them to the living room to watch Signing Time or another learning video. Once I am up, I will get the kids on task while I sit and supervise from the kitchen table, feeling guilty that I am not accomplishing what I had hoped for the day, praying that my medicine will work this time and take away the hurt.

Ladybug will generally step up to the plate and help quite a bit, signing the other little ones onto their online work (I wrote all the codes in her spelling book) and helping make sure they are doing whatever is listed as "next" on the list I made to handle days like these. Tex makes sure the outdoor chores get done, and even volunteers to load the dishwasher so the sink will be empty (that always makes me feel better). After schoolwork is done and lunch is eaten, we will trek upstairs to the master bedroom and find a movie (or documentary) on Netflix to watch that is related to our studies at the time and watch it together, snuggled up in the chairs clustered around my desk. Dinner will be one of the Stouffers meals I keep in the freezer for times like these, and Hubby will be on his own putting the kids to bed. He will probably tell them (or read them) a story, say prayers with them, then fall asleep on the floor next to them because he was up at four am...

So here is an average day, one somewhere in between the ideal and the tough...not amazing in accomplishments, but a blessing nonetheless.

7:30 am Cowboy is usually the first to wake up. In fact, he is often the one who will wake everyone else up because he wants someone to play with! Sometimes he is up at 6 am, and others it is a decent hour like 7:30 (I am not a morning person). We are working on getting him to find his box of books (there is a reading chair in my room, and we put a box of easy readers by it) and read quietly at least until the clock says 7:30. I usually get jumped on by each of the little ones, hugged and kissed and "Good Morning"-ed thoroughly, then finally roll out of bed around 7:30 or 8:00 am (if my night was bad). I ask one of the kids to pick a color of the day (they take turns choosing), and they each go to the stackable Rubbermaid bins and select a shirt, go find pants or a skirt and other necessities, and get dressed. By that time I am dressed, and will supervise the girls' hair brushing and possibly braids or something fancier, if we are in that kind of mood. I never did get too creative with my own hair as a kid, so sometimes the girls and I find videos on YouTube that teach us how to do nifty hairstyles.

8:30 am The kids are all eating at the table and it is time to read the Bible selection of the day from Long Story Short, this year's devotional. We are finished by the time they are done eating their cereal (we do cereal here most days, saving the fun stuff like muffins and pancakes for the weekends when Daddy is home), and while Tex is outside feeding the animals, I set up the kids on their computers to do a portion of their daily work (since it is a computer work day and not a book work day using their lapdesks...we alternate days of book work and days of computer exercises/drills). We don't have a set-aside classroom (our house is small), so we wind up being spread all over the house. When the kids are doing computer work, though, I like to keep them fairly close at hand so I can supervise. We currently have a netbook which Ladybug uses (usually sitting at the center island in the kitchen), an old desktop Cowboy and Firefly share (at the desk in the boys' room downstairs), and Tex has a laptop we purchased using money from his educational fund (he works at the dining room table). Cowboy and Ladybug do Mathletics/Math Rider and Reading Eggs for math and phonics/reading, and also use Big IQ Kids for spelling and US geography. Firefly does Click n' Read Phonics and Ooka Island. They take about an hour and a half to two hours to do this (allowing for problems and and taking turns on the computers). They come to me or help each other as the need arises.

9:00 am Tex is back from feeding and gets started on his Bible lesson and computer work. He has a workbook for Bible. He is studying Revelation this year (his choice). He uses Khan Academy for his math, has the cd-rom version of Apologia's Physical Science Text, and uses Owl and Mouse for World Geography drills. I will finish up chores such as starting a load of laundry, unloading and re-loading the dishwasher, and getting dinner in the crock pot while I supervise and help where needed. Oh yes, I can't forget to mention that half of my time is spent keeping Boo, who is two, out of trouble. LOL.

11:00 am As the Amigos finish their work, they ask for something to do. Depending on what day of the week it is, we have different general ideas for what to suggest. There's Musical Monday (piano lessons or composer study), Talented Tuesday (art suitcase or art lesson online or by dvd), Writing Wednesday (writing suitcase), Thinking Thursday (math manipulatives and games), and Fun Friday (bring out the creative learning games and tools). They play with these things until it is time for lunch, which is sometime after noon. We aren't real firm on that time. Sometimes we get caught up having fun and completely forget to eat until someone notices their tummy growling. I know, that is so bad.

1:00 pm-ish Lunch. Usually PBJ served with raisins, carrots, grapes, apples, or whatever else happens to be available. Sometimes they request meat and cheese sandwiches, but not often. They are creatures of habit. Tex usually goes for the leftovers from the night before. I still haven't adjusted my quantities from when Bubba still lived here, and he ate a lot! The kids read books at the table, or look for objects on the I Spy placemats I made them, or just talk with each other. Sometimes, if it is warm, they will eat outside and play outside when they are finished.

2:00 pm Time for Boo's nap. The other little kids either continue to play outside, or they come in and do puzzles, play a game together, read books, or make some sort of crafty thing on their own. Sometimes I will have an activity planned that supports our history, art, or science studies. Sometimes (if it is raining or otherwise dreary and uninspiring and there is something that needs doing without the involvement of three energetic little helpers), I will let them watch an educational video, like Signing Time or a Bible show. We try to limit television, but some days you just do need that extra helper (Madame DVD player, that is). Tex works on his history, English, and vocabulary (all in printed books) independently. He comes to me if he needs help with anything, or to show me what he has completed. He keeps his work in a folder and has a marker board on which he writes his assignments for the week. I usually use this time to work on a project around the house (like organizing my closet or cleaning out a cupboard), or I will read with the Amigos, and sometimes even do a fun activity with them (like drawing or baking bread). On days when we "do" history (which is not consistent with the little ones right now), this is when it fits in.

4:00 pm Boo wakes up from his nap. The kids are ready for a change of pace by this time and take advantage of the opportunity to play Legos, play dress up in the girls' room, or dance to the classical music that is playing in the kitchen as I do more chores (laundry, dishes) or work on dinner. The kids pick up their toys when they are done. I have a rule of "one thing out at a time, put it back, get another thing out." They don't always follow it, but we are all a work in progress. Sometimes the girls will help me with making dinner (they love helping make fluffy biscuits). Other times it is Cowboy who wants to help. They have to take turns because all of them in the kitchen at once is chaos! (it's a tiny kitchen). They all help tidy up a bit, so the house is nice for Daddy when he comes home. We are working hard on responsibility, diligence, kindness, and helpfulness this year. Our mantra for this month is "If you get it out, put it away!" (rule number 14 of our family rules). If the weather is nice, we will go for a nature walk or work in the garden (or on the barn) for a while. If it is not so nice out, we might use this time to do something crafty, like crocheting or work on a sewing project, or work on a household project. It just depends.

5:00 pm Tex, who has usually been reading or doing something with his computer (like playing chess or learning programming) for the last hour or so since he finished his work (he could probably finish his work sooner if he tried, but he can be distractable), heads out to feed the animals again and put them up for the night. If it is nice out, we will all go and pet the baby pony and brush the horses. Some days I give the kids rides or a riding lesson on the horses in the evening. Occasionally, Tex will babysit the kids so I can ride alone, and that is always nice. The kids like to help herd the chickens into their coop and look for where they laid their eggs (we let them free range during the day...it cuts down on the number of eggs we get since we don't always find them, but we feel they are healthier and have a nicer life). I often head back in early to finish up dinner and clean up Boo, who usually manages to get pretty dirty outside (go figure) while Tex finishes up outside with the Amigos.

6:00 pm The Three Amigos set the table for dinner. Even Boo tries to help by choosing the place mats. I turn on classical music (whoever is our spotlight artist of the month...December's was Tchaikovsy) and light a candle (anything that smells like a bakery). I am going for the "calming" effects of warmth, soft music, and comforting aromas. Tex usually helps me "plate" the food and serve it. If Hubby has gotten home (he works for the Navy and his hours are not regular), he asks the kids what they learned that day. They all love to tell him what they have been up to. They say the sweetest, cutest things. That's one reason I keep a family journal. If I didn't write the cute things down, they'd be forgotten.

7:00 pm Clean up time. Everyone helps do a fifteen minute pick up of the house. If it is a bath night, they little kids get in by twos to take a bath (little girls, then little boys or vice versa). Then they get their pajamas on, brush teeth, etc. As often as possible, I read them a few chapters from our read-aloud book as we snuggle up on the couch together. Tex and Hubby sometimes use this opportunity to play a game of chess in the dining room, but I know they are listening to me read because they laugh at all the right parts...

8:00 pm Daddy tucks the Amigos in, says prayers with them, and falls asleep on their floor. Really. This is what usually happens. I spend about fifteen minutes to a half an hour finishing up household tasks, tidying up, and setting up for tomorrow. I like to know the house is tidy when I head upstairs for the night. I tell my mom that my house is clean for over half the day...of course, everyone is sleeping at the time...LOL. Sometimes Tex and I will watch a show on Hulu together once everyone (including Hubby) is in bed. Other times, Hubby stays awake and we visit for a while. Still other times I work on some bloggy thing, read, sew, listen to a sermon, or prepare an activity for the next day (it really depends on how my head feels). My only real quiet time each day is after the kids are in bed, so you won't find me in bed before midnight most days. I love to read, so I cherish those quiet hours.

There you have it. We do have activities outside the home on certain nights. Tuesday is Chess Club and Hubby usually makes it home to take Tex. If he can't make it, I pack up the Amigos and we all go to the library for an evening of fun (5-8 pm). Alternating Wednesdays, we have friends who come over and join us for the Bookmobile that comes to our house around noon. The Amigos are starting Awana at church on Wednesdays, too, so that will be a busy day. On Fridays, instead of making dinner, we order pizza and watch a movie together. We've seen some great family movies that way. We really appreciate Netflix (since we don't have cable). We have a membership to the local nature museum and try to get over there once a month. Saturday is our work day/fun day (it depends on what there is to get done). Sunday is church and relaxing together.

I suppose you can go to any number of blogs and be impressed by the amazing array of exciting activities those "super moms" come up with (I am always impressed, anyway)...and on any given day, you might stop by our house and find us in the middle of any number of creative and challenging activities. But the norm around here is pretty ordinary, not incredible. And you know what? After living life on the fast track for years with my older kids (co-ops, homeschool groups, activity clubs, enrichment experiences, frequent field trips), I am quite content with our ordinary ways these days...in fact, I find that ordinary days are a real blessing. Maybe when the Amigos are a bit older we will jump back on that fast track for a time, but for now, we are just appreciating the small, day-to-day, ordinary blessings of our simple homeschooling life.

Thanks for visiting!

You can check out what others on the Crew do during their ordinary (or extraordinary) days by clicking the Blog Cruise button. Enjoy!

Blessings,

Heather

Back to the Classics...Classical Music, That Is

2012-01-13T02:55:00.004-05:00

This is our second year on the Crew and we have learned that you don't always get what you want...but you do tend to get what you need. Well, that has been proven to us many times over these two years. Last year we really needed math, as the funds were not available to invest in the math curriculum we needed. What reviews did we get assigned? Five different math programs!! This year we discovered Khan Academy, which is an excellent math program, and best of all, it is FREE! so the need for math program reviews is gone. This year, we decided we really wanted to expand our learning to include more art and music. So what did we get to review this time? Music! Just what we needed...a chance to get back to the classics.

What is a Maestro Classics cd like??

We were sent a cd of Maestro Classics' The Story of Swan Lake performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Tucked inside the cd cover is a small 24 page booklet which has information on the ballet, the composer, and the music, some fun activities, and the lyrics to the Swan Lake sing-a-long. Each cd is about an hour long (ours was 54:02 minutes long) and includes the story behind the music (the plot), information about the composer, alternative (but related) musical examples (for example, our cd has "Speed Metal Swan," a rowdy, but fascinating version of Swan Lake by Joe Stump that Tex LOVED), information about the music, and a memory-jogging sing-along (plus a karakoe style performance track).

Each cd is available for $16.98 on their website, or you can order an MP3 dowload of the product for $9.98. The company says the product is geared towards 6-12 year olds, but I think the appreciation range is much wider than that. There is not one individual in our home, Hubby included, who did not enjoy this product. In fact, Hubby wished his cd player in his car worked because he wanted to borrow it to listen to on the way to work. We will definitely be keeping this one in the cd changer in the house, or else in the cd player in the car, for a long time. Not one of us is tired of it yet (the narrator's voice is actually very soothing. I liked playing it while I prepared dinner).

Here is what the website has to say about the music cds, or rather (in my opinion), musical experiences:

Experience had convinced [the Simons] that if you educated as you entertained, were sophisticated enough to interest the parents as well as children, and offered only the finest musical performances, all children could appreciate symphonic music.

Together the Simons created their signature format, alternating music with talking, and explanations with musical adventures. The title track is always a work for narrator and orchestra, where the music is just as important as the story. This is followed by background information about the life and times of the work and/or the composer. Then a new musical genre is introduced, taking a theme form the title track and transforming it into jazz, folk, Dixieland, heavy metal, or other style. This is followed by the conductor talking about what to listen for in the music with musical examples. You are then invited to listen again, sometimes with the narration, sometimes without, and people are always astounded at how much more they hear with their new “educated” ears. Finally, each CD ends with a play-along, sing-along, or dance-along track, because participating in the music making is always fun.

The comment about "listening with new educated ears" struck me as funny, but particularly astute because my Amigos (ages 2, 4, 6, and 8) all LOVED this product and every time it would come around in the cd changer, they'd shout, "That's Tchaikovsky!!" or "He wrote the Nutcracker, too, didn't he Mommy?" Even Boo, who is just two, would say, "What's that noise?" and perk up when he heard the familiar strains of the music (we must have listened to it a dozen times). His "well-educated" siblings would all shout, "Tchaikovsky!" or "Swan Lake!" I love it.

During the review period, the girls got very into dancing, and would flit and float around the kitchen while this cd played on my kitchen under-counter cd player (I love that thing!). They would sometimes run upstairs and put on one of their ballet leotard/tutu outfits, or a princess dress, and perform for me. They even got Cowboy to dress up in his King/Prince get up ("chain mail," cape, crown, sword, sheild) and dance with them. They certainly acted out hero-rescue scenarios more often, thanks to the inspiration of the story.

The only potentially negative thing I saw with the product (this one in particular, not the company in general) is that this story ends a bit tragically. Both the Prince and the Swan Princess die in the end, and are reunited in the heavens. Tenderhearted children might be disturbed by this, though I consider mine to be tenderhearted, and once we'd discussed the specifics of the plot, and the sometimes tragic endings of traditional fairy tales in general, they were fine with the ending. Besides, I told them the story had many alternate endings throughout the years, so they could decide how they wanted it to end when they chorographed their own performances (which was always that the two star-crossed lovers were victorious over evil and triumphantly went back to the castle and lived happily ever after...awwww).

Tchaikovsky

What can you do to turn your listening experience into an all-around learning experience?

Check out Maestro Classics' curriculum suggestions for Swan Lake. This helpful collection of links and information includes ideas for using the Swan Lake cd to initiate interest in History, Science, Language Arts, Music, Art, Math, and Geography...can you say, "UNIT STUDY!!"?
Watch a performance of Swan Lake on youtube. Or, even better, attend one at a local theater! If you get to attend a real ballet, read about ballet performance etiquette before you go.
I am not into metal music, but this metal version of the ballet performance is interesting. I put this up for Tex. ;-)
Buy and complete a Swan Lake lapbook at Journey Through Learning.
Color this picture of a swan as you listen, or try one of these.
Read about the history of the Swan Lake Ballet.
Color one of these pictures of ballerinas, or try this watercolor ballerina project.
Learn about ballet and dance to the music. One dvd my girls like is Creating Ballet Dreams. It talks a lot about arm movements and expression in ballet.
Dress up and act out the story of Swan Lake. Change the ending if you want to!
Read about Tchaikovsky at Classics for Kids or Wikipedia, then complete one of these notebooking pages about him.
Listen to more Tchaikovsky music online.
Read about the ballet's plot, its alternative endings, and its characters. A shorter plot summar can be found HERE.
Watch The Swan Princess, an animated version of the story and compare it to the actual ballet.

Okay, you convinced me. I LOVE this idea. Now what?

You can purchase Swan Lake and other titles from Maestro Classics HERE...there are nine excellent performances from which to choose OR you can splurge and buy the complete 9 cd set. That's what I wish I could do!! Other titles in the set include Handel's Water Music, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Peter and the Wolf.
Learn more about the company's philisophy and beginnings HERE. I am certain you will be impressed.
You can read some informative articles by Co-Creator Bonnie Simon about the importance of music HERE. I have read several and they are excellent.
Like Maestro Classics on Facebook HERE to recieve coupons and giveaways.
Check out the TOS Review Crew blog to see what others had to say about this product HERE.

Blessings,

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the Swan Lake cd to enable our family to review this product on our blog and share how our family utilized it in our homeschool. I am sharing our honest opinions and experiences with this product. If you have questions about this review, please feel free to contact me or comment here.

Beyond Movie Night...Movie Night PLUS!

2012-01-11T02:15:00.004-05:00

Last year, our family had the opportunity to review a Z-Guide to the Movies from Zeezok Publishing. We chose the guide for the movie Sergeant York starring Gary Cooper since it is a classic guy movie based on a true story and both of these things appealed to Tex, our then 13 year-old student. You can check out that review here, if you like. Our experience then was a very positive one, and when I was offered the opportunity to review another Z-Guide, I was eager to see if the experience would measure up to our previous one. Well, it did.

We chose to receive the 36 page Z-Guide for the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Another classic film, this time starring the endearing and talented Jimmy Stewart, the movie is one of my dad's favorites and I knew he wouldn't mind watching it with Tex and going over the activities with him. Since 2012 is an election year, I figured it would be a good idea to give Tex something a bit different from the Ancient World History we've been studying, and this movie seemed like it might be a good way to get some lively discussions rolling...and some curiosity about politics roused. I was not disappointed.

What is a Z-Guide?

Basically, each Z-Guide is anywhere from about 25 pages to 35 pages long and contains several important components. Here they are:

Table of Contents and How to How to Use This Guide: A listing of the exercises contained in the guide and a suggested five-day course of study for the guide.
Topic Overview: Gives the viewer necessary background knowledge about the historical setting and characters encountered in the movie.
Movie Synopsis: This gives a detailed peek at the actual plot of the movie, but it may give away the ending, so you can choose to forego reading this page (or have mom read it and fill in the students without spoiling the ending...though, if your students are like me, they may want to know what to expect).
Learning Activities: From movie review questions (included in every Z-guide) to crossword puzzles, from art projects to research and writing activities, from performances and interviews to introspection about Worldview, from in-depth investigation of literary and filmaking devices to historical timelines, from planning battle strategies (Z-Guide for One Night With the King) to a hike in the woods (Z-Guide for My Side of the Mountain), these ten activities offer a variety of ways to explore the movie and to express the student's understanding of its content. There are also some questions for family discussion which make good group conversation starters, as they focus on critical thinking and worldview...kind of like having a Movie Night Plus!
Answers and Additional Resources: There is an answer key for all questions (including expectations for activities and suggested point values), as well as a listing of further resources you may wish to use.

If you would like to see a sample Z-Guide, here is one based on the movie of The Count of Monte Cristo (that book is a favorite of mine...). You might want to try it out and see what you think (if you are homeschooling a High Schooler, that is...the topic is not really appropriate for younger students). I think you will find you really like the concept of the Z-Guide. Currently, there are 64 Z-Guides to choose from. There are so many that look good to me...I am certain that you will find at least a dozen that you'd like to try, too!!

Z-Guides are organized by historical time period. If you check out the Zeezok site, you will see that they have a timeline on the left sidebar, starting with Ancient Civilizations and going up through the Vietnam War. This makes it very easy for a parent/teacher who is going to be teaching a particular activity to find whether there is a movie with a guide available for the subject that is going to be taught. Simply click on the time period you are getting ready to teach, and you will see which movies fit into that designation.
Zeezok offers both the guides (for $12.99 download or $15.99 cd-rom) and the movies (prices vary, so check the site), though many of the movies can be found at your local library, or through lending services such as Netflix or Blockbuster. We were fortunate and discovered that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is in the public domain and is available online for FREE! Yay!!!

Also, it is important to know that Z-Guides can be used with multiple grade levels, but they are divided by subject appropriateness and difficulty of topic and activities, so some are considered to be High School level (such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), while others are considered to be Elementary/Middle School such as Kit Kittredge (based on the American Girl books). This does not mean that the activities cannot be modified by the teacher to work for multiple levels or that they can't be divided amongst various children according to ability and interest, but it does mean that parents should check a trusted movie review site, such as Plugged In Online to support make sure that the movie they want to view is appropriate for their individual child's age and personality.

Who would benefit from and enjoy a Zeezok Guide?

Anyone who is studying history and would like a fun and interesting way to "jump start" or "wrap up" a unit...why not try a Movie Night PLUS where you show one of the available Z-Guide movies, do some of the Family Discussion Questions, then start a week long study of the movie the next Monday? Sounds like fun to me!
Anyone who is studying literature (many old films are based on classic works of literature, such as To Kill a Mockingbird) and would like a way to reinforce the literary work or to present it in an alternate way (ie. for visual learners or those with limited time).
A teacher who needs a break for any number of reasons, such as illness, a recent birth, travel (something to do on long trips and still counts as school!), long-term visitors, an additional job, calving season (LOL...why not?), holidays, or just for an interesting change of pace.
Anyone who would like to reinforce or practice literary analysis...many of the Z-Guides discuss things like foreshadowing and mood.
Someone who is not the usual parent/teacher but will be acting as the caregiver for a short period of time...this would be an easy way to involve someone outside the usual family in the educational process, in a way that would be fun, yet still be learning.
Any student who appreciates movies and needs to understand history (among many other things) will benefit from and get something out of these Z-Guides. Who doesn't fit into that category?

What did our family think about the Z-Guide we tried?

Tex said that he LOVED the movie. He thought it was amazing.
Tex says it really helped him clarify what a filibuster is and got him thinking about how politics affects his life.
He said he appreciated the questions because they made him focus on important parts of the movie and try to understand them better than he might have if he had just been sitting and casually watching the movie (the questions are written in order of the movie's plot and meant to be answered as the movie progresses).
Tex said the crossword puzzle was a fun reinforcement of the plot and said that the How a Bill Becomes a Law worksheet helped him put the process in order better than if he'd just tried to visualize it. He and his dad had an intense discussion about the Worldview questions, which they both got something out of...not just knoweldge, but a deeper relationship.
The one negative thing he said was that a few things were difficult to find online, but since the answer key was available, he had a fallback plan if he got stuck.
Poppy said this guide was an effective way to help students understand their government and its procedures using one of his favorite movies.
Poppy feels it is a nice way to get people other than the parent/teachers involved in the kids' education.
I really like the Z-Guides. I'd love to get the ones for The Ten Commandments and One Night With the King as we are currently doing Ancient History. The only thing that stops me from going crazy and buying a bunch of them (we do love movies!) is that $12.99 for a single download (and the project lasts about a week) seems like a bit much for our budget. I wish Zeezok would offer a multiple purchase discount or a disk with mulitple titles (like and Ancient Studies pack and a World Wars pack).
I appreciate the preparation and organization of the Z-Guides. It is a great way for mom to get a break from the usual homeschool work week, yet to keep on learning. If I had a bad week/busy week, it would be nice to have a Z-Guide to pull out (I'd really like My Side of the Mountain), so I could feel like the kids are still learning even though I am getting a bit of a break. As a teacher, I definitely see the value of using film as a motivating, inspiring tool. I often encouraged or enticed my students (when I taught 8th grade English) using movies. We watched The Count of Monte Cristo, Cyrano de Bergerac, and even that old animated version of The Hobbit after reading the novels in class...the kids all loved it!
BUT not every movie needs a Z-Guide. While the questions were very thoughtful, targeted discussions before, during, and following the movie would have sufficed for us as it relates to learning and the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I think that if we were studying US Government this year, using the Z-Guide during the portion of the curriculum that introduced Congress might have been helpful, but as a random choice (the idea was to have something a little different), maybe the activities were not so relevant to us. In the future I think I'd limit Z-Guide use to specific areas for which we have a particular interest in going deeper.
I would like to see a bit more in the recommended resources section. Our Z-Guide only listed De Tocqueville's Democracy in America. I am pretty sure there is more out there to support learning about our government procedures than just that one thing...Oh, and one senate website was listed. Ayway, Tex would have explored more online if some direction had been given. I know sites change sometimes, but since it is an e-book, perhaps sites could be updated once a year, or at the very least, a disclaimer could be included so more sites could be listed. Just a suggestion...

If you'd like to see what others on the TOS Review Crew thought about their (many different) Z-Guides, check the Crew Blog HERE.
To read more about Z-Guides, click HERE.
To see a sample of a Z-Guide, click HERE.
To check out the available Z-Guides or to order a Z-Guide, click HERE.
To read my review of the Sergeant York Z-Guide, click HERE (lots of pictures of the guide).
You can LIKE Zeezok on Facebook to receive updates HERE.
Blessings,

Heather

Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of the Z-Guide for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in order to provide an honest review of the guide here on our blog. All opinions and observations reflect our personal experiences with this product and are not meant to predict or guarantee your family's experiences. If you have questions about this review that I did not answer, please feel free to contact me or comment here.

Happy Homemaker Monday

2012-01-09T21:21:00.002-05:00

Weather: The weather in our neck of the woods has been oddly warm this winter. The poor trees and plants are terribly confused. My kids are confused, too. Cowboy keeps thinking it is spring because the small pear tree has fat buds on it, the flowering quince bush bloomed, and the daffodils are poking their leaves out of the ground. We had a gentle, but chilly rain early in the week, then the next day it was warm enough that the kids wanted to play outside with no coats. The Farmer's Almanac says we will have a huge snowstorm for Valentine's Day, but I'd just as soon skip the snow...

On my reading pile: Loved By Choice by Horner and Nartini (about adoption), Virginia Weddings (a collection of Christian short-story romances...yeah, a little light reading...what can I say??), and Finding Your Purpose as a Mom: How to Build Your Home on Holy Ground by Donna Otto.

Read aloud of the week: Andi's Pony Trouble by Susan K. Marlow. My grandma and grandpa always ask us what we'd like for Christmas for the kids. Usually, we've gotten magazine subscriptions for them, since that is so easy to order, and the kids love to get mail. This year, however, I got a catalog from Library and Educational Services and the prices on books were awesome, so I asked if I filled out the form with books for the kids (of equivalent value as the subscriptions), would they like to get the kids books...They agreed this would be a nice idea, and Firefly was the lucky recipient of a complete set of the Andi books (we reviewed one last year and loved it) that we will be reading aloud for the rest of the month. Yay! And thank you for the books Grandma and Grandpa!! (I got a set of Adventures in Odyssey cds which we listened to in the car tonight...it was an excellent was to spend forty-five minutes.)

On my TV: There's not much time for TV during the day (and we don't have cable anyway), but when I can't get to sleep at night (and have a headache, so I can't read), I have been watching old episodes of NUMB3RS on Netflix. Yeah, I know, it is a bit geeky...but the FBI stuff mixed with the math is actually an interesting combination. I have been thinking that some brilliant homeschooler ought to come up with a math curriculum revolving around those shows. It would be an intriguing way to spark interest in different topics since you learn about new methods and theories in each episode. I am certainly more into math since I started watching them!

On the menu for this week:
     Monday: Baked Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and french bread.
     Tuesday: Baked Potato soup and biscuits.
     Wednesday: Spinach salad with chicken, pecans, mandarin oranges, and teryaki-orange-peanut oriental dressing (I know it sounds weird, but it is delicious). Bookmobile is today and friends come for a visit!
     Thursday: Tex offered to make cashew chicken for dinner. Nice.
     Friday: Pizza and a movie. The kids want to rent Mr. Popper's Penguins from Redbox.
     Saturday: Cheeseburgers and fries. Pickles for those who like them (not me).
     Sunday: French dip sandwiches (I cook a prime rib in the crock pot for about six hours with water and bouillion...the meat just shreds apart and the liquid makes a great au jus...we serve it on hoagie rolls topped with mozzarella cheese).

On my To-Do List:
     Housework...constant picking up (not so much fun) and trying to declutter, organize, and reduce problems in certain areas (challenging, but rewarding).
     Taking down Christmas stuff
     Three reviews due this week
     Helping my mom take down her Christmas stuff on Tuesday and she's going to go over how to use my sewing machine with me. Yes, I am admitting that it has been so long since I've used it that I've forgotten what to do. I like to sew by hand, but as I am doing more complex things, I am finding that the speed of a machine would help. I am not one to pass up on making something easier...
     Bookmobile comes Wednesday with a visit from friends of ours, too.
     Botox for my cervical dystonia and migraines on Wednesday...yuck. But it helps.
     Homeschooling...we are trying some new products and doing a bit of "unschooling" this month (exploring interests rather than heavy book work so I can get more done around the house). I will let you know how that works for us later.
     Fix my rocking chair, finish some trim in the bathroom, and start cleaning my closet.

What I am sewing or creating: I have taken an old denim skirt jumper that was too short for my taste and separated the top from the bottom. I am turning the top half into a vest trimmed with lace and new antique buttons, and the skirt part is going onto a modified pair of jeans to make a longer skirt. I will post pictures once it is done. I am also continuing to learn how to crochet. I graduated from making bracelets, necklaces, and bookmarks for the kids to making my first washcloth...it's not perfect, but it's not too bad, either.

Looking around the house: I am appreciating the Christmas decorations one last time before putting them away. I especially will miss the manger scene and how the donkey, sheep, and cows wander around it from time to time.

I am smiling when I see the parlor that is filled with the Toydle fort we recieved as a review item and gave the kids for Christmas...actually, I can't see much of the parlor at all since the fort takes up the whole thing!!

I am admiring the pretty paperwhites our neighbor gave us for Christmas that bloomed just a few days ago. They are a promise of good things to come in just a few months. They also remind us that though the bulbs were small and seemed plain when we got them, in no time at all, with just a bit of sun and water, they grew and became something beautiful...So, too, are we at times...we may feel as if there isn't anything remarkable to what we are doing (as a wife, stay at home mom, etc.), but given the right amount of time, the Living Water, and the Son, we can blossom into something remarkable with a long-lasting influence on many lives (those of our children, grandchildren, neighbors, friends, etc.).

From my camera:

My kitchen Re-do...this is from last month.

My camera is on the fritz so I couldn't take a new picture, but since seeing the wallpaper up makes me smile, I decided to share it with you! It's because I feel like it looks so much better than it did before...more finished and permanent. The "wallpaper" is actally contact paper, and only cost five dollars for one roll. It's truly amazing how cheaply you can improve things in your home using very little money if you are creative.

On my prayer list: My grandmother goes home this week. She had a heart attack just before Christmas and spent the holidays in a convalescent center. I am praying that she will take the time she needs to get well and that she will not try to do too much too soon. My folks will be traveling out to help her soon. My mother-in-law just got out of the hospital, too, from complications following colon removal surgery. A neighbor's son has a detatched retina and will be having surgery. My mom's knee is terribly swollen and troubles her...we're not sure why. My headaches have been worse this last month (my Botox is late due to insurance issues). Bubba and his fiancee are potentially buying a house for him to fix up so they will have it to live in after the wedding...yes, I did say wedding!! ;-)

Bible Verse: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:17

What does this verse mean to me? We listened to an Odyssey episode about envy while driving this afternoon and one of the illustrations it gave was about the grass being greener in your neighbor's yard...what should you do with that? Be jealous? Get spiteful about it? Blame someone? No, it explained that instead of getting envious, you should get busy. Get busy appreciating what you do have, and do what you can to make it the best it can be.

It made me think about this house we are in and how I sometimes don't appreciate it's smallness (is that a word?) Sometimes I am frustrated by it, and perhaps even a bit jealous when I go to visit someone who has a larger house, or one that is better organized, or has more options for expanison (more money, more time). It is easy to get off track and wallow in the self-pity and recriminations (Why did we buy this smallish house? Why can't we seem to get more done?) But lately I've been working on just DOING it...one thing at a time. One day, fix the cabinet pulls, another day move a door, one day straighten our the kitchen shelves, another day organize a closet...every little bit helps, and with each thing we touch and put love and effort into, we find more and more to appreciate about where we are. We find that this small space isn't as small as it seemed yesterday because it has grown with the love that has been put into it. Then comes the day when a tiny voice at my side whispers, "I like this house" and I smile, knowing that I do, too...even if it is a bit on the small side.

Something fun to share: Here's an awesome post from The Inspired Room with lots of links to craft room ideas. I've been having fun exploring them all.

Also, a good collection of Home Management Binder resources from Home: Made. Enjoy!

Blessings,

Heather

This post is linked up with Happy Homemaker Monday .

That Thing is Gigantic!!

2012-01-08T16:11:00.005-05:00

Did you check out this post just because you wondered what the gigantic thing was? Good! I am glad you did because I didn't want you to miss out on hearing about something absolutely awesome...and it is gigantic. I promise!

Let me start at the beginning. As part of the Old Schooolhouse Review Crew, we are allowed to request reviews on products we are interested in. That does not mean that we will get every one we want, or that we will not get ones we don't necessarily feel we need at the time, but we do get to say if we'd really, really LOVE to do a particular review. Well, can you imagine any of the many reviewers NOT wanting to review a product as cool as giant Tinkertoys (because that is essentially what a Toydle fort is...though, much sturdier, and life-sized!)?? I never expected for our family to be chosen, but we were. You can check out my original post Santa is REAL...Here's How I Know where I introduced the Toydle fort we were chosen to recieve in December.

This proved to be an absolutely precious gift to my kids since this year we had a family meeting and all decided that since Boo (who is two) is always getting into things and running off when we are in the yard, that for his safety's sake we'd cut down drastically on Christmas spending (both gifts and entertainment) and use the saved money to get started building a fence around the garden and play areas of our yard.

You might think that the kids would have been dejected over the idea of only getting one small gift each, but actually, it turned out they were very excited to be a part of this special project. Not only were they fine with the lack of gifts under the tree, but they even went through the couches and chairs and corners of the house and added every coin they could to the "fence fund" jar. Awww. Kids are so sweet.

Well, even though we were only getting one gift per child, I wanted them to be special. I carefully shopped thrifty locations for gifts I hoped would foster something special in each of the children. For the girls, I found old-fashioned woven sewing baskets at the antique store, fixed them up, and filled them with small scissors, thread, buttons, etc. All this for under $25 each, which was our limit per child. For Tex, Hubby bought bowling shoes, since he likes to go bowling with his Poppy. Cowboy got a pair of cowboy boots (for obvious reasons!), and Boo got one of those Little Tykes kid-sized basketball hoops (from the thrift store, in excellent condition) and a blue basketball (from Bubba). We did wind up "splurging" and spending an extra three bucks or so on each kid getting nice "new" PJs from the consignment store to give them on Christmas Eve (a family tradition).

You might think they'd have been bummed that gift opening took under a half hour on Christmas morning, but actually, it was a relief! They had more time to dig into their special gifts, and all four of the Amigos thought playing basketball in the house with Boo's gift was fun. I think we could have stopped there and they'd have been supremely happy and perfectly content. So we did...stop, that is.

We had originally planned on giving them the Toydle fort on Christmas, letting them know that God sometimes chooses to bless people who sacrifice for others in tangible ways (like the fort), and then voila! we'd get out the fort as a kind of reward. But they were having such a sweet time enjoying what they already had that we decided to just let the "gift" of sacrificing MORE for the safety of their brother settle in and be appreciated by all, and then give them the gift in a few days. It turned out to be a very special Christmas.

And I am ever so glad we did wait. This way, the fort was completely unexpected. They had no inkling it was coming other than I told them that I was proud of how good they'd been and that if they could be good at church, there would be an exciting surprise for them at home afterwards. Well, you can bet that they were on their best behavior all morning...even while they waited in the car with Tex while Hubby and I ran into the store to get a few needed groceries.

Once we got home, I could not wait any longer. We set the groceries on the counter without putting them away, and we hustled the kids into the parlor. We lined them up to talk to them briefly about how God was pleased by their selfless willingness to "do less" for Christmas to protect their little brother, and that we were very proud of them, too.

Then, we told them that TOS had chosen them to receive a very special gift to review and showed them the red bag the Toydle fort came in.

They held hands and jiggled and jumped up and down and started guessing what it might be.

"A Wii?" Nope. Not going to happen.

"A bunch of bats and balls?" Nope.

"More Legos?" NO WAY.

"A Unicorn?" Right. Maybe it is time to show them what it really is.

So we opened up the bag and pulled out some of the extra thick pvc pipes that make up the main structure of the Toydle fort. They stared at them sort of blankly. Then Ladybug brightened up and said, "Is that part of the fence and gate we are going to build?" Awww. That's a nice idea, but no.

To alleviate their confusion, we then showed them one of the solid wooden blocks with holes drilled on each side that make up the connecting joints for the Toydle forts. Then I mentioned that this is kind of like people-sized Tinkertoys and that they can put the parts together to make a fort to play in...Ahhh...understanding dawned on their faces. Bing!!! They got it!

Next thing I knew, Hubby was digging into the bag enthusiastically and with Tex's help, they put together one huge cube. Before I knew what was happening, all of the kids, Boo included, were piecing together sides and assembling cubes to make an amazingly large fort all over our parlor!

No instructions are included, on purpose, so that you will exercise your imagination and develop your creativity.

The Lifetime Warranty sheet does give a few guidelines, which we read out loud, such as "No climbing, no hanging, no making swords..." Believe me, those words were necessary because the first thing Tex thought to do was to make a sword out of the pieces, but we made sure he (and everyone else) understood that that was a definite no-no.

The thing that amazed me the most was that even though we kept pulling pieces out of the bag, there were always more in it. It's like it was a magic bag, with a never-ending supply of parts. It finally dawned on Hubby and me that instead of the standard Toydle fort that we'd expected to receive, we had been given the BIG Toydle fort...talk about a sweet and unexpected surprise!! I almost cried, it was so awesome to receive so generous a gift. Thank you, Toydle!

As you can see, the kids (and adults) had a blast building their first fort. It didn't take long...just a bit of teamwork. With so many pieces to put together, the resulting structure we constructed is absolutley gigantic...ginormous...gigantuan!

Eventually, all that was left to do was cover it up to enclose it. We found three twin-sized white flat sheets to use for a covering (I knew they would come in handy eventually..Toydle recommends a King-sized sheet, but I did not have one). We used the clips that Toydle included in the package to fasten it to the pvc pipes (I would like to get a few more of them...they are very strong and helpful), and then the kids ran upstairs to get their blankets, pillows, and favorite animals.

At last, they all settled in on the floor with Tex and his computer, and ate a DiGiorno pizza for lunch while they watched "Tangled" on Netflix. Fun! Pizza, a fort, and a movie!! Hubby and I got some quiet time to enjoy a peaceful lunch at the table, and for the rest of the day the Amigos played various games and acted out different scenarios in and around the fort.

This toy is definitely a big hit for our family. It has become a staple of play time. I can't imagine why anyone would NOT love it. Really. I truly mean that.

Here is why I think it is an ideal toy:

It is small-house friendly. We have barely 1600 square feet (including the enclosed porch which is not heated), yet this fort works in our parlor. It works because it gives the kids something fun to do when it is cold or rainy, it can be taken down and stored easily and quickly when not in use (the bag is the size of a large sports duffle bag), and we are hoping that in warmer weather we will be able to set it up on that front porch and leave it up for days of creative playtime.

It is sturdy. Boo (Torndao-boy, Mini-mayhem, Octopus-arms) "helped" a lot and none of the parts ever seemed in danger of breaking. Even if they had broken, there is a LIFETIME parts warranty on both the pvc pipes and the wood block joints for ANY reason. You can't beat that.
It is simple, yet holds the promise of a multitude of creative uses and potential ideas. It can be a house, a castle, a train, a plane, a car, a room, a cave, a store, a tunnel, a gateway to a fairyland, a church, a spaceship, a movie theater, a zoo, a puppet show theater, and much, much more.
It is good for a variety of ages. While Tex (age 14) might not use it as much as the little kids will, he still thought it was fun to lie in the fort while they all watched a movie together. He was imagining how easy babysitting will be now that we have this fort...set up the fort and they can play all day in an easily monitored space!

It is a quality gift that will last a long, long time. Wouldn't you rather give your kids a high-quality toy that they can all use together, that builds family relationships and creativity, and that is a perennial favorite the kids never get tired of instead of a plastic electronic toy that gets played with once and stuck on a shelf, or one that encourages your child to sit alone with his eyes glued to a tiny, flashing, mind-numbing screen? Well, I would.
The Toydle fort is Made in the USA. I like that. By purchasing a Toydle fort, you are supporting a small, entrepeneurial American-based company which uses parts that were made in the USA. I try to frequent the local businesses more than the big chain stores whenever I can, so why not do the same when I am purchasing toys for my kids?
Who didn't dream of having giant Tinkertoys when they were a kid? I know I did! Why not live the dream now, as a parent? It's a blast!

Here is a picture of Hubby "living" (or sleeping) the dream

You can check out the Toydle website for yourself. Toydle forts come in two sizes: regular and BIG. The smaller one makes a fort with a maximum size of 45 sqare feet and the larger one makes a fort double that.

We are positively awe-struck and overwhelmed with gratitude at receiving this wonderful product. Ladybug, Cowboy, and Firefly wanted me to make sure that I said "Thank You!!!!" to all the folks at Toydle for their AWESOME gift (this was the word we heard over and over again..."Mom, this is awesome!!") and for making such a cool product. We hope lots of folks will want to buy a Toydle fort and I can definitely say that I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly be disappointed if you decide to buy one, though, I'd definitely vote for spending a bit more and buying the BIG Toydle fort to allow for more creativity of design. Why not go for the bigger set and give Dad some extra head room...you know he is going to want to play in it, too...and so are you!!

Whatever you buy, I know you will love it...though you may decide that you want to buy more than one if you have an extra large rec room or basement...you could built a city...Wow, now that would be gigantic!

Visit the Toydle blog for a tour of their factory.
Learn more about the Toydle story.
Buy a Toydle fort HERE. Do it. You know you want to.
Check out what other Crew members had to say about their Toydle forts.

Blessings to you all,

Heather

Disclaimer: Our family recieved a Toydle fort in order to provide an honest review of it here on our blog. We did not give this product an excellent review because anyone paid us to do it....we are saying it is an AWESOME product because it is! This fort is definitely our favorite review item EVER...and that is our honest opinion!!

Get REAL...Homeschool Spanish

2012-01-06T01:17:00.001-05:00

Do you remember your high school foreign language classes? I do. They were BORING. I chose to take French thinking it was "romantic" and boy was I wrong! It turned out that the pretty French I teacher was just out of college, was easily flustered by the students (all the boys had crushes on her, which was distracting to say the least!), and she talked so quietly it was hard to hear her. I made it through that first year by studying hard using the book on my own which worked all right since we rarely did any oral exercises or anything interactive. It was mostly: go over the assignment in class, do the assignment at home, check the assignment in class, take a quiz...and so on.

Year Two was taught by an older teacher who was a native speaker of French. That sounds great, doesn't it? However, she was known for her strict and demanding nature, and what few oral exercises we undertook were harshly picked apart, leaving me too unsure to volunteer very often. Her own former first year students basically "ran" the class while I was left sitting in the dust. By Year Three I was done with my romantic notions about French and only stuck with it to get the coveted "Advanced Placement" HS diploma which required three years of one language, or two years of two different ones.

I was relieved to be finished with foreign languages for good (or so I thought) only to discover that college had a language requirement, too. UGH! College was no better in involving us in actual conversations or in bringing us opportunities to "immerse" ourselves in the culture or language. I plowed through the required courses and emerged on the other side definitely feeling as if I'd wasted my time (I have only used my French once...at a hotel where I assisted a couple in checking in) and as if I was not good at learning foreign languages.

Now you tell me, how is a homeschooling mother supposed to teach a foreign language to her children when SHE doesn't feel she has any talent in that area? When SHE feels that learning languages is a fruitless exercise with no benefits? When SHE thinks learning languages is drudgery?
My suggestion for this mom (ME!) would be to try REAL Homeschool Spanish. REAL Homeschool Spanish is a language curriculum that is meant for the entire family to study together throughout their day, integrated into their regular curricula and everyday life. While the current program is geared mainly towards the interests and abilities of K-8th grade students, a high school supplement is in the making (April 2012). However, the truth is that K-8 program offers the interactivity and variety a more intense high school program might lack...so big brother will probably enjoy participating alongside little sister for the conversations, practice, puzzles, games, culminating activities, and more before heading off to do his textbook (or online program) verb conjugations.

REAL Homeschool Spanish is the brainchild of Dr. Karyn Williamson-Coria, a homeschooling mother of three, who is also a professor of languages. She found that many language programs were geared towards large classrooms of students, and did not translate well to a homeschooling situation. She also found that many homeschool language programs required quite a bit of prep time to use, which she did not have. Those programs that did not require much preparation (computer-based ones), did not offer much in the way of real-life or conversational language practice, leaving students unable to communicate what they had learned. What she really wanted was a way to incorporate language learning into the daily routine, and enable parents to easily learn along with and guide their child, even without prior experience with the language. Since that sort of program was not available, she decided to write her own.

Here's what she came up with:

Relax
Enjoy
Aspire
Learn Spanish

REAL Homeschool Spanish is built upon a conversational Spanish foundation. Dr. Williamson-Coria believes that reading, writing, listening, and speaking are all necessary components to language literacy. You can learn a language without learning to speak it (as I did), but you will not retain it, and it will never feel "natural" to you, unless you apply it to your "real world" in everyday situations. For this reason, she offers many suggestions about how to integrate REAL Homeschool Spanish into your daily activities and existing curriculum. By doing this, speaking Spanish becomes second nature and retention and understanding are increased.

It reminds me of how we used ASL with the younger kids before they could talk on their own...in no time at all, we were all gesturing "thank you" and using the signs for food, drink, sleep, and many more as we went about our daily business. It became natural to us, and to this day, even though all the kids are beyond needing ASL (or rather, baby ASL) to communicate, we still find ourselves using it without thinking (especially in church when the signs for STOP and LISTEN are very effective and quiet!). It is now a part of us.

There are multiple components to REAL Homeschool Spanish. First of all is the textbook. There are ten units which are divided into smaller lessons by topic. Some topics include: colors, numbers, time, food, family, the body, clothes, weather, days and months, sports, animals, household items, nature, and more. You can see the actual Table of Contents HERE. Each unit contains vocabulary words, definitions, pronunciation (audio files), conversational phrases to practice, and invaluable tips which are specifically targeted towards the home educator. To see some sample pages and tips, click HERE.

There are also excellent ideas for integrating Spanish into your daily life, as well as fantastic supplementary activities, game suggestions, and ideas for digging a bit deeper. For example, one idea suggests that you bring out various food items and play I Spy in Spanish using the color words. My Three Amigos loved this one. I Spy is a favorite of Cowboy's and he eagerly participated, as did the other two Amigos. Boo just wanted to eat everything...as usual. He'll get the idea eventually! You can see some more examples of activities HERE.

Another fine idea is to get out that play food you have packed away and have your kids play restaurant with it using only Spanish (as much as possible...scripted conversations that fit this scenario are available in the lesson, as well as the appropriate vocabulary words and audio files for pronunciation). This is a great idea and reminded me of going to our favorite Mexican restaurant in Florida where we always got the waiter to talk to us only in Spanish so we could practice our meager Spanish (going to a restaurant together is another of her ideas). I hadn't thought of having the kids act this scenario out at home, too, though.

I imagine that given enough free time, I could come up with some of these ideas on my own, but remember, one of the goals of this curriculum was for parents to NOT have to have to commit a huge amount of planning time towards implementing it. Since the author has already come up with all the great ideas (and there are a TON of them), all you have to do is choose which ones to use. There is no way you could possibly do all of the ideas in this book in one year (at least, it looks like more than I could manage in a year). It will potentially provide ideas for many years of fun, integrated language practice for the whole family (besides, the kids will want to do their favorites over and over again, right?).

Next, you have the activity book which contains puzzles, written activity suggestions, and questions based on conversations you read aloud together (or silently). There are a wide variety of puzzles from crosswords and word searches to cryptograms and word scrambles. You can see some examples HERE. You also have activity suggestions such as writing a journal entry in Spanish, or writing a letter to someone in Spanish.

There is also an answer key, the invaluable audio files (especially handy for those of us who never took Spanish and do not know any native speakers), and a Curriculum Guide with all the lessons being divided into a 48 week schedule (if you want someone to tell you what to do and when instead of deciding how the available resources best fit into your existing curriculum yourself). Lastly, the site offers a growing collection of additional links which add to the cultural and exploratory aspect of the curriculum, offering recipes, information on native Spanish-speaking countries, holidays, history, animals, and more.

REAL Homeschool Spanish costs $49.95 for the downloadable and printable e-book, activity book, answer key, and audio files or $89.95 for the hardcopy. An extra $9.95 with either set will get you the Curriculum Guide.

What We Thought About This Program:

We liked it. It is exactly what the youger set (ages 2-8) need to start adding Spanish (the language our family feels best fits our mission-focused outlook) to our homeschool days. Currently, I do not have time to do a "set" daily foreign language curriculum with them. They are too young for that anyway (iin my opinion). But we've all heard how much easier it is for kids to learn languages when they are young. I mean, look at how quickly babies become fluent in a language...just from hearing it spoken every day.

My Amigos LOVE learning ASL by watching the Signing Time videos (if you haven't checked those out yet, go do it after you check out REAL Homeschool Spanish. They are always showing someone the sign for "bird" or "happy" or something else, just from having watched one of the videos while we are driving in the car. They remember those signs because it is a game for them...pure fun. That is what REAL Homeschool Spanish does for foreign language learning. It puts the "fun" into learning the language, and makes it an enjoyable and natural part of every day (or however often you choose to incorporate the program into your day).

I can see this program working very well as a pleasant introduction to Spanish for individuals or multi-age groups. It would be a valuable family project instead of just another worksheet to fill out. I can also see it as a marvelous supplement for an older child who does it in conjunction with a computer-based language program. This would enable them to learn the more detailed and complex grammar rules (there is some grammar in this program, but it is not the focus of the lessons) without losing sight of all the excitement that comes from actually using the language in every day life.

The variety of the activity ideas and the interactivity of the lessons (from making family photo albums with Spanish familial relationship labels to making a special meal and speaking in Spanish) makes this curriculum ideal for families with diverse types of learners. There will something for every tactile, auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learner under your roof...and everyone benefits from the variety and multiple modes of reinforcement!

Taking into consideration the reasonable price, the quantity and variety of materials, and the potential longevity of this product (using it over and over again throughout the years), I think this is a good investment for anyone who wants to get their family started on the road to REAL language learning.

Consider hopping on over to the TOS Review Crew blog and check out what some others have to say about how this product worked for their families.

Blessings,

Heather

Disclaimer: We received the downloadable e-materials from REAL Homeschool Spanish for the purposes of reviewing this product. What you read here reflects our experiences and opinions about the product and is not a guarantee that your experiences will be the same. If you have any questions regarding this review, please feel free to comment or contact me.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas...

2011-12-28T22:11:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures from our Christmas celebrations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

We spent Christmas Eve with my folks at their house and got a surprise visit from a dear friend who completely blew me away with an unexpected gift...he gave me the Bosch mixer and Nutrimill grain mill his wife, my friend, had purchased before discovering her cancer had come back. I had to work very hard at not crying...I was so touched.

Later, we exchanged gifts with the grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins, then we dined on excellent homemade crock pot soups (baked potato soup and hamburger soup), warm biscuits, and delicious desserts (strawberry pretzel cheescake and banana split pudding). We love the crock pot for Christmas Eve meals since it reduces the kitchen time for the ladies...and they soups are always delicious! Later, Nanny played the piano and we enjoyed singing a few of our favorite carols...we all especially appreciated the sweet voices of the children raised in praise.

My nephew loved the trains and track we gave him.

I am so glad. One of my faavorite parts of Christmas is

trying to find something that perfectly suits all of my favorite people.

Would you believe that my mom got my brother a

Redskins pillow pet?? What's even funnier is that

we almost got him the same thing!!

On Christmas morning, the little ones loved finding some small things in their stockings (we usually don't do stockings, but I found some treats I had hiding in my spontaneous surprise drawer and spontaneously decided to put them out for Christmas).

Then we read the Christmas story and hung up our handmade Jesse Tree ornaments while discussing what each one represents. After breakfast, we opened our one gift per each family member together. You may recall from other posts that we had a family meeting and the kids all agreed to receive just one small gift per person so we could save the usualy Christmas savings money to help build a fence around the play area part of the yard to keep Boo from going places he shouldn't. Every child received one gift that reflected their interests or giftings and they were ever so appreciative...and happy to be a part of helping to keep their brother safe.

While the kids enjoyed with their new treasures, I prepared our traditional Christmas meal of spiral-cut Smithfield ham, scalloped potatoes, dressing, sweet potatoes (with loads of marshmallows), green bean casserole, pineapple slices, and rolls. Nanny and Poppy & Bubba and his sweet lady came by to join us for supper. We listened to some carols while Bubba's lady opened her gifts from us, then we finished off the celebration with coffee, banana cream pi,e and chocolate fudge pie.

Random pictures for the grandparents to enjoy...

All tuckered out...

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...

Merry Christmas--Family Photos

2011-12-25T22:27:00.004-05:00

One big, happy family--Christmas 2011

Top: Tex, me, Bubba, Poppy

Middle: Hubby, Ladybug, Papa Bear (my brother)

Bottom: Boo, Little Bear (my nephew), Mama Bear (my SIL),

Brother Bear (my nephew), Firefly, Nanny, and Cowboy

Thanks to my brother and SIL for providing some of these pictures since my camera broke.

Our Family--Christmas 2011

Hubby, Bubba, Tex, Me, Firefly, Boo, Cowboy, and Ladybug

Christmas 2011

Another shot; this time Boo and Firefly are looking at the camera,

but Hubby's not cooperating...

Is he trying to tell someone how to take the picture,

Or is he saying, "Gouda" instead of "Sinky Cheese!" like the rest of us?

Ladybug, Cowboy, Tex, Firefly, and Boo

Bubba and his lovely lady.

They make a great team.

My brother and SIL.

My adorable nephews,

Little Bear and Brother Bear.

Merry Christmas to all of you!!

Blessings,

Free Christmas Activities...Don't Miss Out on the Goodies!

2011-12-24T08:25:00.001-05:00

Please check out my previous Christmas post with Songs of His Birth, a collection of Christmas songs that tell the story of Jesus...our favorite is Mary Did You Know?, but Breath of Heaven is a close second.

Free Advent Activities for all ages...from Jesse Tree ornaments to coloring pages and online Christmas Carols. We used these links to make our Jesse Tree Ornament set last year. It was a rewarding way to spend a day, and kept us all happily occupied in spite of the cold outside. The kids got a real kick out of finding them again this year, and remember what each ornament symbolizes.

Free Christmas Digital Issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine...check it out if you have time to relax. Who knows what fun stuff you might discover??

Dr. David Jeremiah speaks on Why There Must Be Christmas

Hulu for the Holidays...listings of FREE streaming Christmas (and Thanksgiving) programs, from movies to cooking shows. I haven't screened them all, for obvious reasons (lack of time and motivation??), so make sure you check each show out before sharing with the family. I wrote about some of the movies in a post HERE. If you are looking for Christmas movies and subscribe to Netflix instant streaming, two we enjoyed there were Christmas With a Capital C and The Christmas Bunny.

Xmasfun.com has FREE videos, games, recipes, and more...all with a Christmas theme. It's a little silly at times, but good-natured. Check out the Food Court Flash mob Hallelujah Chorus on the video page. Now that looks like fun! Even more fun, is the Silent Monks Singing the Hallelujah Chorus. For a grand finale, check out the Do-Re-Mi Flash Mob in Antwerp, Belgium. It makes me smile every time I see it.

Here is my mom's Christmas Candy recipe from last year's Cookie Exchange. This recipe is delicious, and very rich...three ingredients, fifteen minutes, and people will be begging you for more. Hide some, or you won't get any!

Don't forget to check out our Christmas Dinner Crafts post. We made napkin rings and placemats for our table in no time at all. The kids really enjoyed it, and so did I.

An old post with videos for the kids that tell the real story of Jesus, and why we need him. A good one for while mom wraps gifts in secret...

A neat, click-through site with an easily readable version of the REAL Christmas Story...start HERE. Then check out the rest of this site and read more about the Good News...Finally, scroll down to see an extensive collection of Old Testament Bible stories.

Christmas Coloring Pages for the kids...More Christmas Coloring Pages for you to try... and even More Bible coloring pages, just in case those aren't enough!!

Print out these characters on card stock, color them, then attach them to popsicle sticks to make a puppet re-enactment of the Nativity Story.

The REAL Santa site, with information and activities about St. Nicholas. Stories, games, puzzles, coloring pages...I haven't checked this one out much yet, but it was recommended to me. My kids know the low-down on Santa (he's a fun symbol of giving, but Jesus is the real reason for Christmas, and only God can know all about who is naughty and nice...).

Lastly, check out HP Photo Creations to get a free download for making single and multiple page holiday-themed calendars for last minute gifts. Laminate them (or use self-laminating sheets or contact paper) to make them more durable. I had the kids color a picture of themselves for the back of each one. We printed on cardstock. Choose Single-Page Calendars for the easiest project, then choose holiday themes. The download is simple and FREE, and the grandmothers will love having a photo calendar!

To see the photo we used for our calendars, check out our Homemade Christmas post with the kids' holiday photo (and to see some of our decorations...the kids helped make a lot of them this year, and helped put them out. It has been wonderful.)

I'd love to hear about sites you have found this Christmas season that have added new experiences to your family's traditions. Please leave a comment to share!

Have a blessed Christmas!!

Heather

Our Homemade Christmas---Pictures of the Kids and Their Decorating

2011-12-23T10:06:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying the fruits of your labors to make whatever constitutes a Christmas celebration at your home special for your family...and that you are getting to slow down and appreciate all the many blessings that surround us all.

We are finally finished with all "necessary" things, such as the trip to WalMart for dinner supplies, decorating, mailing out cards and gifts, wrapping, and such, and now there is just the fun stuff left...like seeing how many kinds cookies we can bake over the next few days, snuggling on the couch with cocoa while watching a favorite Christmas movie, driving around to see the Christmas light displays, or singing carols around the piano while mom does her best to play them (out of her easy arrangement books!)

I took a picture of the kids the other day sitting around the piano and I wanted to share it with you.

Merry Christmas from Blessing Farm!

That's Cowboy up top (age 6) and Tex to his right (age 14), with Boo on his lap (age 2)

Then Ladybug is on the left (age 8) next to Firefly (age 4) in the center

Here's a separate one of Bubba and his young lady, Miss A.

They are at my parents' house.

I thought I would share a few photos of the house and how we've decorated this year. If you read my previous post about the Christmas Dinner Table Crafts, you will know that we only found one box of Christmas decor this year...no ornaments for the tree, no Christmas cds (I miss the James Taylor one the most), and so on. We did, however, find just enough of the important things to not really mind at all that Christmas will be understated this year.

We found the manger scene, the Jesse Tree ornaments we made last year, the kids' advent calendar (just not the one my Grandma made...sigh), and some cute felt Snowmen and a stuffed Santa (my kids know the secret that Santa is just a symbol of giving and that Jesus' birth is the reason we have Christmas) who keep managing to migrate all over the house, having adventures with the angels and the reindeer. The usually all make it back to the base of the tree by nightfall, so they can go out again and have more fun the next day.

You can see that the plastic candy canes I bought at the Dollar Tree keep winding up on my chandelier. (I spent about twenty dollars and got colored balls, hooks, bows, tinsel, candy canes, stockings, and a few crafting supplies to make some ornaments and napkin rings for the table)

The cat also keeps winding up on my table, tempted by the tinsel and dangly things...silly Molly. The stockings are from the Dollar Tree, too. We usually have the traditional red ones for decoration, but we don't fill them up. We always did that when I was a kid, but after Ladybug was born, then Cowboy less than two years later, and so on...it got to be too much (time AND money).

Usually, we generally do three gifts per child: one to develop a gift they have (this usually costs the most), one symbolically cuddly gift (blanket, pj's, stuffed animal, coat, etc...to show we are loving them always), and a book (any reason to give a book around here...right?). This year we agreed to do just one bought gift per child at a lower amount than usual, to use the extra savings to put up a fence around part of the yard so Boo will be safer when he plays outside. I have, however made a few gifts for the kids. What do you do in regards to gifting at your house?

This is our manger scene, the most important part of the decor. The shepherds regularly move their sheep around, and the wise men are traveling...(the kids know they didn't arrive the night Jesus was born, but they love the camels and don't want to give the traditional wise men up.) I found a bunch of these older pieces at a flea market years ago. This year, Joseph, from the set my folks used when I was a child, is getting to be a shepherd (one of our shepherds was broken). He likes it, I think.

This is a hoot. I thought Cowboy stuffed poor jolly Santa upside down in the chimney of the tissue holder house my grandpa made, but it turns out it was Tex who had the sense of humor...This is the reading corner. Thankfully, our Christmas books were in the box we found! Yay!!

The kids made snowflakes at their homeschool 4-H meeting last Friday. I think they make fantastic decorations, don't you?

This is what has traditionally been the kids' advent calendar. The pieces are fluffy and it is made of sturdy cloth. They play with the pieces all the time, so it had better be! Jesus is still waiting to be placed in the manger...

Here's the piano with all the random other stuff that was in the box: the light up tree, some angels, a random angel snowman ornament...since I have so many helpers this year, I am not surprised when I find any of these things (well, not the glass stuff...they do know to leave that alone) elsewhere in the house, visiting Santa or the snowmen under the tree.

We were happy to find our Christmas carol music in the box, too, plus my mom found the best hardcover Christmas carol book with classical Christian art masterpieces on the facing pages at the library for a DOLLAR!! I just love it, and the arrangements are easy enough for me to play (thanks Mom!!). I have one book that is pretty, but every arrangement uses tons of flats or sharps and I just can't keep up with it. You have to keep it simple for me. The kids have been practicing Jingle Bells, Silent Night, and Carol of the Bells. That is sure nice to hear. They don't seem to mind my less than perfect playing, or singing, for that matter. ;-)

Here are our favorite homemade placemats that we love to use every year. Taking them out and using them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner really makes the kids aware that Christmas is on its way. You can also see one of the napkin rings we made with our crafting supplies. You can check out my post on how to make both the placemats and the napkin rings/ornaments (see picture below), if you have time to fit in one more Christmas craft. They are easy and fun to do.

This is the green tinsel wreath Ladybug made the other night. She was very proud of herself, and so am I! She did a great job, and I think our simple tree looks fabulous!

Last of all is the primitive wooden manger set on top of the kids' easy reader bookcase...and yes, this one gets a lot of play time, too. Well, I think that is just fantastic because Jesus is the reason for Christmas, and the more the kids think about him, the more they will appreciate the meaning of the special day when it finally arrives...and the more likely they are to make Christmas an EVERY day thing, which would be good for us all.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men...

Love God, Love Each Other...

and above all Praise Him!!!

Blessings to you and yours, and a very Merry Christmas to you all!!