Homeschooling (and then some!)

TOS Review: Ooka Island

2011-11-07T11:49:00.001-05:00

“The Ooka Island Adventure is a downloadable hero-mission in 3D designed to teach young children how to read fluently and well. The Ooka Island Adventure combines the highly engaging components of a state-of-the-art virtual world with the scientifically proven OokaMethod that builds literacy skills.

Carefully embedded within the Ooka Island Adventure are dozens of interactive instructional activities that captivate the child and motivate them as they learn essential pre-reading, reading, spelling, and writing skills. After completing the Ooka Island Adventure, children will be on their way to reading fluently and well for life.” -from the Ooka Island website.

My five year old daughter is having a blast with this program! Best of all, she’s learning so much while having fun! Designed for kids pre-k through 2nd grade, this fabulous program starts at just $12.95/month.

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a trial membership in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: Excellence in Literature

2011-11-02T10:44:00.001-04:00

Like her mama, my oldest daughter loves to read. She also wants to be a writer someday. When I had the opportunity to review Excellence in Literature: English 1- Introduction to Literature I was so excited!

“Introduction to Literature is a college-preparatory literature and composition course. Focus works, including novels, short stories, poems, and drama, have been selected for literary quality, and for their place in the historical development of literature. Context readings provide background information about the author, the historical period, and the literary and artistic context of the focus work.

Students will gain an understanding of the development of literature and will practice the skills of close literary analysis through essays, approach papers, and other evaluative writing.

By the end of the course, students will:

Understand the process of writing, including the use of tools such as a writer’s handbook, dictionary, and thesaurus.

Have specific understanding of selected representative texts by major authors of the periods studied.

Have a general understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the works.

Be able to analyze literary texts and present thoughtfully developed ideas in writing.

Demonstrate competence in essay organization, style, and mechanics.”

Unit 1: Short Stories by-
• Sarah Orne Jewett: A White Heron
• Edgar Allen Poe: The Purloined Letter (This one is not scary, if you're concerned about that.)
• Guy de Maupassant: The Diamond Necklace
• O. Henry: The Ransom of Red Chief
• Eudora Welty: A Worn Path
• James Thurber: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Unit 2: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Honors: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Unit 3: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Honors: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Unit 4: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Honors: Shirley or Villette by Charlotte Brontë

Unit 5: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Honors: Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot

Unit 6: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Honors: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Unit 7: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Honors: 1984 by George Orwell

Unit 8: The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Honors: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

Unit 9: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Honors: The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

This book is for students in grades 8-12. As you can see, it’s a perfect for for my daughter who loves to read great books and wants to hone her writing skills. She greatly enjoyed branching out and writing papers she’d never tried (or even heard of!) before. This program is intended to be self-directed, which worked perfectly for her. We sat down and read the introductory sections together, and then she was off and running on her own! I worried that the assignments might be a little hard for her, but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of her writing. She works on this every day without prompting from me! This is a fantastic resource that lived up to my every expectation. (there are very few products that do that) And since it’s non-consumable I’ll have the opportunity to use it again and again with my younger daughters! I love everything about this program!

Excellence in Literature: English 1- Introduction to Literature is available in ebook format for $27 or in print format for $29 + $4.95 Priority Mail shipping. Also be sure to visit the Everyday Education page for many more fantastic products by Janice Campbell.

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: George Washington Carver

2011-10-31T09:32:00.001-04:00

We recently received George Washington Carver, a great educational DVD from Marshall Publishing.

The DVD tells of this mans inspiring story and includes beautiful photography and music. I watched it with my two older girls, and we all found it very interesting. I definitely learned things about George Washington Carver that I never knew. As a homeschooling family, we are always on the lookout for great educational resources. We were very blessed to receive this DVD, and it’s something that I can see us incorporating into our studies again as my girls get older!

George Washington Carver is 30 minutes long and recommended for grades 4 through adult. You can get a copy of your own for just $19.95. You can also find a study guide online that includes further information about George Washington Carver and Discussion Questions.

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a copy of the George Washington Carver DVD in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

My baby is reading!

2011-10-25T21:46:00.001-04:00

Frankie, my baby, read Snug House Bug House to her big sister yesterday. The whole book. By herself. She sure makes her mama proud!

TOS Review: Northstar Games- Wits & Wagers Family

2011-10-25T21:15:00.001-04:00

We are always on the lookout for a game our whole family can play together. We were recently blessed with a wonderful game we all enjoy!

Wits & Wagers Family is a family game so simple that my five year old plays along with a little help! First every player writes down an answer to a fun question. (There are 300 family- friendly questions, so it never gets boring!) After the answers are written everyone flips over their cards. Next, you place your Meeples (adorable wooden people shaped pieces) on the guesses you think come closest without going over. You score points by guessing the right number, or by putting your Meeple on the correct answer. That’s it! So simple, yet so much fun!

Included in your purchase are dry erase cards and markers, 300 family-friendly question cards, scoreboard, and Meeples. You can purchase Wits & Wagers Family from one of these retailers. You can also purchase it online.

What we thought:

I seriously can’t remember the last time our whole family had so much fun playing a game together! Since our daughters are fifteen, seven, and five game time for us usually means we’re playing a game with the oldest that the other two are too young for, or the oldest is playing something well below her so we can all play as a family. Not anymore!

Since the game can be played either individually or in teams, we usually team up. This makes it easy for our five year old to be an active participant in the game. Our girls love this game, and ask to play it all the time! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun (and quick, if you need it to be!) family game. The recommended age is 8+, but I think kids a little younger can take part with assistance.

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was given Wits & Wagers Family in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: e-Mealz

2011-10-21T11:32:00.001-04:00

One of the things I struggle with as a busy homeschool mom is menu planning. I love the idea of it. I know that it saves time and money- two things we all wish we had more of. Even knowing these things, I rarely take the time to sit down and plan a menu. My efforts are sporadic, at best. I recently discovered e-mealz, and menu planning will never be the same again!

e-Mealz is the revolutionary way to free up your brain, your budget and your family time. E-Mealz takes the dinner menu and money planning stress off your plate...easy as l-2-3!

Choose a Plan- over 20 menu plans based on where or how you like to shop!

Plan & Go Shopping- no more list making or multiple grocery trips!

Cook & Enjoy- delicious dinner at home

So the first thing I did upon receiving my subscription was to choose a plan. There are regular family meal plans and regular meal plans for two. There are also specialty meal plans for a family or for two, to accommodate different food needs. You also can choose if you want the plan from a specific store, or a general plan you can take to any store. I chose the family meal plan for any store and had instant access to a menu plan and detailed shopping list for seven dinners. With the click of a button, my menu planning for the week was done!

Each week you will receive a brand new plan with a complete grocery list organized by sections. A three month subscription to e-mealz is only $15! That’s $1.25 a week! Be sure to visit e-mealz and see how easy dinner time could be for yourself!

What we thought:

I absolutely love e-mealz! I love that after a busy day I no longer have to stop and think at 4:00 in the afternoon “what am I going to make for dinner tonight?!” I love how simple it is to use. I love how thorough it is. All I have to do is go to my account once a week and print off my new 2 page plan. One page has the dinners and cooking instructions, one page has the shopping list. So simple!

I do have to say that I have some picky eaters in my house, so I’ve found that I haven’t used all seven recipes in a week. I’ve also had to modify some recipes either to incorporate what I have on hand or to better suit my family’s tastes. But, for the price and for the peace of mind it gives me, those are small things. I love that e-mealz is giving us the opportunity to branch out and try new things instead of rotating through the same old meals every week!

This is the Moroccan Supper. My husband absolutely loved it!!

To see what my fellow Crew mates had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

*As a member of the TOS Review Crew I was given a three month subscription to e-mealz in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: Always Ice Cream

2011-10-19T09:05:00.001-04:00

Always Ice Cream is a learning website for girls ages 7-12. Katie, my seven year old, has been having a blast with it!

Using fun games and videos, Always Ice Cream covers a variety of subjects:

Language Arts
Math Quizzes
Advanced Math
Math Drills
Geography & History
Science
Music & Arts
Computer Skills
Foreign Languages
Religious Education (Christian)
Life Skills

By completing games, girls can earn $coops which enables them to buy things in Pet World and MiniWorld.

There is also a Learning Community that includes online friends, game and video commenting, and more. All communication and contributions are closely monitored. While we chose not to have Katie take part in this piece of the site at this time, we will allow her to when she gets a little older as I do feel confident that the creators have done a great job at ensuring it is a safe environment for girls to interact.

Also included in the membership is a parent account that gives you control over what content your daughter will have access to. On your account page you can also choose to award your daughter with $coops for completing tasks you assign, which is a great incentive to get her motivated! You also get updates on what your daughter is learning:

Your Daughter's Recent Learning Progress

During the last 90 days, Katie made progress in the following learning games:

Melting $coops
Basic Anatomy from level 1 to 24, earning a Silver Medal
Health Quiz from level 1 to 4, earning a Silver Medal
Cooking School from level 1 to 5, earning a Bronze Medal
Word Confusion from level 1 to 5, earning a Silver Medal
Dog Breeds Quiz from level 1 to 4, earning a Bronze Medal
Bible Quiz from level 1 to 2
Animal Group Names Quiz from level 1 to 5, earning a Bronze Medal

There are a few membership options to choose from:

Monthly subscription: $4.99/month – first month only $0.99

Annual membership: $29.99

Lifetime membership: $99.99

What we thought:

I’m impressed with this website. It delivers what it promises. It’s truly educational without a lot of the fluff I’ve seen on other learning websites. It’s a safe environment, and there isn’t a ton of junk for her to accidentally click on. It is truly an exceptional website. But don’t just take my word for it, take it from Katie:

“Always ice cream is the best learning website ever and is especially fun because it's learning and entertaining! I love it!

When I'm playing on Always Ice cream I like to play on Pet World. I have hatched six eggs using Scoops I've earned playing games.
I have a pet turtle, dog, cat, bunny, penguin, and polar bear. I like to take care of them and feed them. I also like to play Mini World because I like decorating my house and selling stuff in my shop.

One of my favorite games is Cake Decorator. It's my favorite because it's really fun decorating the cakes! Another game I like to play is the Basic Anatomy game because I'm really good with all the body parts. So far Always Ice Cream is one of the best websites I've ever played on!”

If you have a girl in your life around 7-12 I definitely recommend checking out Always Ice Cream for yourself. Katie has spent hours playing and learning on it, and would spend all day if I let her! It’s one of the few websites I feel good about her visiting!

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was given a lifetime subscription to Always Ice Cream in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the very generous free product.

Apple Picking!

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Word-Filled Wednesday: Psalm 37:4

2011-10-12T06:10:00.000-04:00

We’re doing a Priscilla Shirer bible study on Jonah at church right now. As we were watching the video a couple of weeks ago, I looked down at my book and saw this verse:

“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

I tapped my friend and pointed at the verse. I thought I had it all figured out.

You see, God is in the middle of blessing me with one of the biggest desires of my heart. Biggest. I thought that verse was telling me He was rewarding me for my faithfulness to His call on my life.

And then I listened to what Priscilla was saying about it on the video, and I realized how clueless I really was.

She explains this verse to mean that when you delight in the Lord, He will change the desires of your heart so that they align with His desires for your life.

Simply put, He can make it so that you want what He wants for you.

I’m not proud to admit this, but I have some people in my life that are difficult for me to deal with. So difficult that I’ve consciously decided to limit my interactions with them. Even though they’re all people I should love and forgive, I’ve found reasons to justify my distance. As I started to think about these people during bible study, Priscilla said something that really spoke to my heart. She said “People don’t need to see ‘Christians’, they need to see you redeemed and changed by the power of the Holy Spirit”

Lord, help me forgive. Help me to love as You loved. Help me to shine the love of Christ into their lives.

I will delight myself in my Lord, and He will give me the desires of my heart.

Amen.

TOS Review: Scruble Cube

2011-10-11T20:57:00.001-04:00

Think Scrabble meets Rubik’s Cube and you’ve got the Scruble Cube. Recommended for players ages 8 and up, this cube can deliver hours of word play fun.

The Scruble Cube is made up of 96 letters, each worth a number of points. Playing is simple; you twist and turn each row to make words. You can play alone, or with others to try to make either single words or build on words from the person before you. Word Score and Letter Score tiles give you the opportunity to increase your word points.

You can purchase the award winning Scruble Cube for $24.95. It comes with the cube, sand timer, score pad, and instructions. In addition to being a fun game, you can use the Scruble Cube for a variety of learning activities including practicing spelling words. Be sure to check out the free lesson plans online for more ideas!

What we thought:

We were so excited to receive our cube in the mail. The day after we received it, my five year old daughter was checking it out and accidentally dropped it on our hard wood floor. It shattered into a lot of pieces. Needless to say, my girls were really disappointed. I emailed customer service and told them what happened. I received an email back promptly, apologizing for our experience and promising to ship us a new one right away. I was really impressed with their quick response and their willingness to replace the cube. Even though the directions explicitly say it’s for players 8 and up I let my five year old play with it. It was totally my fault, so that made me appreciate their response even more. The next day I received an email from the president and creator of the cube, apologizing for our difficulties. He explained that the cube I received was from the first production and that they had since improved the mechanics, and he was confident I would have better luck with the replacement. Wow. I was impressed with the Customer Service before hearing from the president of the company. The fact that he took the time to address the issue personally spoke volumes about the integrity of the company to me. I was really hoping the replacement cube would hold up better; after that fantastic experience I really wanted to be able to report a happy ending. I’m happy to say we weren’t disappointed. We received the new cube a couple of days later, just in time to take it on vacation with us. It’s still in one piece and going strong after traveling and bumping around on vacation!

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free Scruble Cube in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

My soccer playing girl!

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

A Baptism

2011-10-07T21:38:00.001-04:00

My two oldest girls love Jesus and have asked Him to be their savior. On September 11, 2011 they publicly declared their desire to love Him and follow Him all of their lives.

When Pastor Mark asked Katie if she wanted to share anything, she excitedly recited John 3:16 in Spanish. Ever since returning from Ecuador, my husband has been working on his Spanish, which includes nightly lessons with the girls. What a blessing that man is to me. I was so proud of them that day!

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…”-Mark 16:16

Women of Faith 2011

2011-10-03T15:28:00.001-04:00

I am super excited to have been chosen as one of the Book sneeze bloggers going to Women of Faith this year!!!

Be sure to visit the Women of Faith website for an event near you! And check back here in November, I’ll be sharing all about my experience when I return home!

What we did this summer…finally

2011-10-01T21:58:00.001-04:00

I’ve been putting this post off forever in hopes that my missing jump drive, which contains half of my summer pictures, would come out of hiding. Since that doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon, and since it’s, you know, October and not even remotely summer anymore I’ve decided to just post what I have. So here’s our summer recap-Fall edition.

This summer my husband stepped way out of his comfort zone and answered the Lord’s call to travel to Ecuador on a mission trip with 15 others. It was a time of growth and tremendous blessing for us all, and a life changing event for my husband.

Let’s just be real, nobody looks good at 4:30 in the morning…

While he was away bringing the gospel of the Lord to people in the jungle, my bff and her husband took great care of us; keeping us busy so we didn’t dwell on missing him too much. (And let me tell you, miss him we did! It was the longest week of my life!!) We had a fun time visiting a great children’s museum with some of our favorite people in the world:

We celebrated the birthdays of our little love bugs…

We had a blast at Vacation Bible School…

We got to witness a beautiful wedding ceremony joining two lives…

Sam and her friend participated in, and won, a talent show…

The little girls went on their very first sleepover…

And we got to spend time with, and bond with, some wonderful friends so dear to us that they’re like family now…

It was during on of those times that Katie swam on her own for the very first time! (Lots of firsts this summer!)

At the end of the summer, we were very blessed to be able to spend a week in a beautiful house on a lake. The time we spent there; hanging out and lovin’ on each other, playing and laughing and having fun together…we made memories that week that will last us a lifetime. We were able to have that time together all because of the generosity of some very special people. People that have accepted us into their lives and their hearts- unconditionally loving us just for who we are. I’m looking forward to many years of making new memories with these amazing people.

And there you have it. Our summer. Or at least the parts I have pictures of…my sage wisdom of the day? Cutting and pasting the only copy of your pictures? Not such a good idea. :)

TOS Review: Aletheia Writing Magazine

2011-09-29T16:42:00.001-04:00

My 15 year old daughter is a writer. It is her passion, in addition to drawing, and she hopes to be a published author someday. Sometimes it’s hard to find appropriate creative outlets for her. When I received Aletheia Writing Magazine for review, I knew this would be perfect for her.

Aletheia Writing Magazine is a quarterly publication focusing on the literary and artistic works of Christian teens, ages 13 to 19. In addition to submissions by teens, (which include fiction or non-fiction writing, artwork, photography, or book reviews) each issue offers a variety of features, such as the Writer's Challenge, Featured Contributor, a book review, Nature photo, Ancient Ink, and an interview or other feature.

My first thought upon receiving this magazine was how well done it is. My daughter and I both enjoyed reading it, and my daughter is excited to have a Christian publication she can submit her works to. Also, there are writing tips and writers challenge pages on the website that she enjoyed checking out. If you have a teen and this magazine sounds like something that would interest them, I recommend reading the Spring issue for free. Subscriptions are $26 and include shipping and handling.

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free issue of this magazine in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: Deeper Roots-Rooted and Grounded

2011-09-19T11:17:00.001-04:00

As a homeschooling mother, I feel that teaching my girls the word of God is the most important thing I can do. Obviously academics are very important, but without a firm foundation in the Lord nothing else matters. We recently received Rooted & Grounded: A Guide for Spiritual Growth for review. What a blessing it has been and will continue to be throughout our school year!

Published by Deeper Roots Publications, this bible based curriculum is recommended for students in grades 10-12 and covers the following topics:

Lesson 1: Be to the Praise of His Glory
Lesson 2: Walk as Jesus Walked
Lesson 3: A Pure and Holy Life
Lesson 4: The Love of God for Others
Lesson 5: Servanthood
Lesson 6: Unrealistic Expectations
Lesson 7: God is Faithful
Lesson 8: The Forgiveness of God
Lesson 9: Forgiving Others
Lesson 10: God Knows You
Lesson 11: Christ Accepts You
Lesson 12: God’s Awesome Power
Lesson 13: Don’t Worry or Be Anxious
Lesson 14: Submission and Obedience to Authority
Lesson 15: God Is Worthy of Praise
Lesson 16: The Mystery of Prayer
Lesson 17: The Privilege of Prayer
Lesson 18: The Patterns of Prayer
Lesson 19: The Test of Faith
Lesson 20: The Attitude of Christ
Lesson 21: Christ Must Increase-I Must Decrease
Lesson 22: The Way of Greatness
Lesson 23: Seeking Kingdom Treasure
Lesson 24: A Good Soldier
Lesson 25: Honor All Men
Lesson 26: Work With All Your Heart
Lesson 27: An Instrument for Noble Purposes

As you can see, the lessons provide a great starting point to delve into deeper conversation with your kids about some very important topics. Each lesson is broken up into five days. Each lesson begins with a Prayer Reminder for an unreached people group and a beautiful sketch, which my artist daughter really appreciated. The Prayer Reminder gives background information on the people; where they live, their customs, etc. and specific prayer suggestions. I think this is a great piece of the curriculum because it gives the student a chance to think about and pray for people outside of their community.

After the Prayer Reminder there is scripture to read and questions to aide in comprehension. Each lesson also includes memory challenges, review pages, writing opportunities and a test. The Teacher’s Guide mirrors the Student Workbook but also includes sample lesson plans and Teacher’s Notes for each lesson.

So far we’re loving this program, and I plan to use it as my 15 year old daughter’s core bible study program for the rest of the school year. I like it because other than reading ahead to see what Samantha’s going to be working on, there’s minimal prep time involved. Since I’m teaching three different grades, that’s really important to me. I also like it because she can work through it fairly independently, with me checking in and talking about what she worked on for the day. I also like that the scripture questions give her things to ponder and really dig into, instead of simple yes or no answers. I will definitely recommend this curriculum to anyone looking for a solid bible program for their high school student.

You can get the Rooted and Grounded three piece bundle for $61, which includes the Teacher's Guide, Student Workbook, and Test and Answer Key Booklet or you have the option of purchasing them individually.

Deeper Roots Publications offers many products for adults as well as students. Members of the Crew had the opportunity to review a few of their resources. To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of the Teacher’s Guide, Student Workbook and Test and Answer Key Booklet from Deeper Roots Publications in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation has been received.

TOS Review: How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids

2011-09-01T21:37:00.001-04:00

Parenting is hard work. Homeschooling adds a whole new challenge because your kids are always with you. I often see the things I most wish to change about myself reflected in my girls. I recently read a great book from Apologia, called How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids, that addressed some of the very things I’d been struggling with.

How well do you really know your kids? What has God shown you about who they are and who they will become?

He has sent these children into your home at this specific time for His glorious purposes.

Indeed, you have been invited on the adventure of a lifetime, a journey on which you will see walls fall, seas parted, and giants slain.

You don't need special skills or training for this journey—you need only to seek God and hold tight to His mighty hand!

As with so many things, the first step to having a heart for your children is knowing your heavenly Father.

As you seek daily to share His heart for your children, keep this inspirational book close at hand.

Written by Rachael Carman, a homeschooling mom of seven children, How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids is a 205 page beautiful hardcover book. It is the perfect size to bring along with you wherever you go, so you always have something to read! In addition to the introduction and the epilogue, there are five chapters, each one devoted to a letter in the acronym H.E.A.R.T:

H-Have a heart for the things of God

E-Enrich your marriage

A-Accept your kids

R-Release them to God

T-Teach them the truth

In the introduction we read about Rachael’s adventures leading up to homeschooling. Rachael writes with such clarity and honesty that I found myself immediately drawn to her. I quickly related to her story, and saw a lot of myself back at the beginning of our homeschooling journey in what she was saying.

“I’m guessing that some of what I just shared is familiar to you. Maybe you too have found yourself at an intersection in life where you never expected to be standing. Perhaps you also made light of homeschooling because you couldn’t understand the “why” of it. Maybe you’ve felt the call to homeschool but ignored it and pushed it down, hoping it would go away. Maybe you knew it would mean making certain sacrifices that you never really wanted to make.”

This was me at the very beginning of our homeschooling journey. Right from the beginning of the book she spoke directly to me; got right to the heart of some of the biggest struggles I have faced over the years.

H-Have a heart for the things of God

This chapter is summed up nicely in the beginning paragraph. Rachael says in order to reach the hearts of your children, you must have a heart for God. Parents cannot pass on what they do not have. Amen! She talks about “intentional parenting”, meaning we are thoughtful and purposeful in our actions and words.

“As intentional parents we do not react, but we respond. We do not panic; we pray.”

The part that stuck with me the most in this chapter was when Rachael discussed shaping our children’s character. We need to first work on our own character. I think this applies especially to homeschooling parents, simply because of the amount of time we spend together. Our children learn so much just from watching us. As parents, we need to strive to be imitators of Christ. That is how we will best shape our children’s character.

E-Enrich your marriage

Your marriage plays such an important role in raising your children.

“It is from watching their parents’ marriages that our children learn trust, sacrifice, loyalty, teamwork, forgiveness, cooperation, communication, and responsibility. It is from our marriages that they learn perseverance, joy, diligence, kindness, and gentleness. It is from our marriages that they learn grace”

I received some much needed reminders from this chapter. Rachael talks about ways to love each other and build each other up. She gives great examples of ways you can show appreciation to your spouse; something we all need to feel once in a while. She talks about the importance of blessing the next generation; of showing them what love looks like.

A-Accept your kids

What I took away from this chapter was powerful stuff. We do not know the plans God has for our children. Who we want them to be may not be what He has planned for them at all.

“Acceptance means seeking His will and purpose for each child He places in your care. It means accepting and enjoying each one as a providential gift and a blessing from a Holy God, trusting that He will continue the good work that He began by sending them to you and carry it through to completion. (Philippians 1:6)”

R-Release them to God

Rachael starts this chapter with a familiar story. It’s the story of Hannah. Hannah desperately wanted a child. She prayed and she prayed to God, begging Him for a baby. God granted her request, and she raised her baby knowing her time with him would be brief. She knew God’s plans for her son, and she trained him for that purpose. Our children are not our own; they belong to God. He is entrusting us to raise them accordingly.

“We are to constantly and consistently point our children toward God and His sovereign will and purpose for their lives.”

T-Teach them the truth

This is at the heart of why I continue to homeschool, even when it’s a struggle, even when the urge to quit overwhelms me. Our children are faced with lies everywhere they turn. Our culture is constantly contradicting the very things we are trying to instill in them. If the most important thing I can do as a parent is to teach my children the truth, then the best way I can do that is to be their teacher all of the time.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. (Deuteronomy 6: 6-7)”

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts, and minds…Teach them to your children. (Deuteronomy 11: 18-19)

What I have shared with you is really just a small sampling of an incredible book. I read the whole book in a day, and plan to read it again whenever I need encouragement. I think this book can be a wonderful tool for every parent, homeschooling or not. Read a sample chapter and see for yourself. It’s available from Apologia for only $13.00.

To see what my fellow Crew mates had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wordless Wednesday: A wedding.

2011-08-31T16:40:00.001-04:00

What a tremendous blessing it was to be a witness to the joining of these two lives. Seth and Carol, may your lives together be full of love and abundant blessings as you continue to serve the Lord with your many gifts.

Word-Filled Wednesday: Proverbs 17:17

2011-08-24T10:23:00.001-04:00

The Lord has blessed us with such incredible friends. They are beautiful, loving, caring, generous, humble, amazing people who love God and serve Him well. Every single day I am reminded how truly blessed I am to call them my friends. These are the kind of friends that make me want to be a better person; even with three children under five and all the craziness that comes with that season of life, they love and they serve without reservation. They are the kind of friends that make you feel welcome and special from the very beginning of your friendship…the kind of friends that make it a point to acknowledge the important events in your life, and encourage and support you through them even when it means getting up before the sun to be there.

This woman, especially, has a special place in my heart. I love her like my sister, separated at birth and brought back together many years later. She loves me and she loves my family, even when we’re not being so loveable. She listens to my crazy ramblings, she builds me up, she encourages me. She is an amazing wife, mother, and friend and I can no longer picture my life without her in it. I look forward to many years of friendship, of raising our families side by side and watching our children grow. Only on the day I’m standing with my Lord will I be able to properly thank Him for this wonderful blessing of friendship that He’s given me.

Step out in faith

2011-08-21T17:12:00.001-04:00

The Lord spoke to me so personally today through the sermon at church that I just had to share. Our Pastor read from the book of Joshua, telling the story of how God spoke to Joshua; telling him to lead the Israelites across the river Jordan and its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap. Joshua did as God told him and after everyone passed safely through the people knew that God was with them. (Obviously I paraphrased greatly. Read Joshua 3 and 4 for the entire story.)

My Pastor asked us to imagine what would have happened had Joshua decided not to do as God called him. Standing at the edge of the river, which the Bible says was in a flood stage, it must have been a daunting task for Joshua to contemplate. It would have seemed more logical, and certainly much easier for him to find another way. But he listened to God’s call, stepped out in faith, and God did as he had promised.

I’ve been homeschooling my girls for three years now. We made the decision to homeschool because we believed that was what God was calling us to do. This past year has been a real struggle for me. Such a struggle that after many, many conversations and even some arguments, my husband and I decided we were going to send them to public school in September. I struggled because I felt inadequate-with all of my responsibilities there was always something left undone. I struggled because none of my friends homeschool their kids and I was feeling left out. I wanted to fit in…to have my kids be like everyone else. I struggled because I thought about what my life would be like after my kids were grown. If I spent the next 13 years of my life home with my kids, what would I do with myself after they’re gone? I asked my husband “what about me?” I reasoned and rationalized and argued that if God was truly calling me to homeschool I wouldn’t be having these thoughts, I’d still feel the passion for it I had in the beginning.

As soon as the decision was made I started to question myself. I went to the school and picked up the kindergarten registration forms. I told my friends about our decision. But when I wasn’t excited and eagerly planning all the things I’d do with my free time, I was having doubts. Was I just being selfish? And how in the world did I know for sure what God wanted me to do? I started praying. A lot. I asked God to just tell me what He wanted me to do, and I’d do it. I was at church at bible study one night, watching Beth Moore’s DVD. I was in a lot of turmoil, just wanting some peace with the decision so I could fully enjoy the prospect of freedom. And then Beth started talking about wanting something and asking God over and over to just give her an answer. (I’m paraphrasing again. I don’t really remember the story exactly, it was what she next next that stuck with me.) She said God said to her “I’ve already given you My answer…it just wasn’t the one you wanted to hear.” I had my answer that night. God had already called me to homeschool. Just because He wasn’t speaking to me and encouraging me year after year didn’t mean His will had changed. I’d just convinced myself I’d misunderstood it.

That was in June. Everything was going along fine until last week. Last week the doubt started creeping back in. In September I will have more on my plate than I’ve ever attempted. I’m not done with my planning, and school is just around the corner. I started the same old refrain in my head. This must not be what God wants from me, if it were I’d be passionate about it; I wouldn’t want to ship them off to school every time things got rough. I am not equipped for this, I’m doing my kids a disservice keeping them home with me. And on and on it went in my head. I told my husband I’d do it one more year, but this was our last.

A few days ago I was having ice cream with a dear friend of mine, pouring my heart out to her. I gave her every reason why I don’t think I’m supposed to be homeschooling. That poor girl, I carried on for quite a while. I think God got a little tired of my whining, because I had a revelation. As revelations tend to go, it was not subtle. God said to me, in no uncertain terms, that the reason I lost my passion, the reason I didn’t feel equipped, the reason I hadn’t gotten my act together in three years is because I never submitted my will to His. Sure, I gave in. I didn’t dare not. BUT. I was stubborn. I was like the stubborn teenager who does enough to get by to be technically obeying their parent. I didn’t give Him everything. Instead of focusing on what He wanted for my life, I focused on what I wanted. I didn’t step into that river, I merely stuck my toe in.

Homeschooling is hard work. Harder than I ever could’ve imagined and much harder than anyone who doesn’t do it can understand. Like everything else in life there are mountain top moments and there are valleys. Whether it’s through the elation I feel at helping my baby read her first book or the frustration I feel when I’m overwhelmed, God is working in our lives. God is using homeschooling to further mold me into the person He meant for me to be. Through this experience He’s giving me strength. He’s teaching me patience. He’s forcing me to finally stick with something no matter how badly I want to quit. He’s showing me that I can be different, that I don’t need to be like everyone else. He’s answering my prayer to raise godly children; children that will carry on a new legacy for future generations of my family.

When God calls us to do something, He equips us with what we need to carry out His will. He called me, and He equipped me-it just took me a little while to realize it. If God calls you, be like Joshua. Step out in faith. He will keep His promise to you.

Wordless Wednesday: Ecuador-the land that stole my husbands heart

2011-08-10T17:08:00.001-04:00

Slim Down Sunday-Week 2

2011-07-31T17:18:00.001-04:00

I’m down 3 lbs. this week for a total of 13 since I started!! The eating plan has been going well, and tomorrow I start phase 2. This means I can add most fruits back into my diet, as well as foods high in whole grains. I’m a little nervous about this new phase, I don’t want to start gaining back the weight I’ve lost. However, I know that if I continue to eat sensibly and not go overboard just because I can have healthy carbs again (bread…oh how I’ve missed you!!) I will continue to be successful.

I’m increasing my exercise by doing cardio three days a week. Starting this week I’m going to add in some strength training on the off days.

My husband is doing fabulous. He’s lost a total of 15 lb. and is invested in this diet now. I can’t tell you what a tremendous difference it makes when we’re both on the same team!

I’m finding that I crave the old junk food less and less. Also, being able to actually feel the difference in my clothes is a huge motivator to stick with it!

How was your week?

Slim Down Sunday-we’re really doing it!

2011-07-24T15:09:00.001-04:00

My husband and I recently decided it was time to get serious about our health and serious about losing weight. I’ve been trying to lose weight off and on for quite a while now, but never saw results that motivated me to stay with it. I’d start off determined and full of willpower for the first couple of weeks, and when I didn’t see the results I wanted I got frustrated and lost sight of my goal.

My goal to be healthy

to live a long, productive life

to be around to watch my children grow into the people God intends for them to be.

I heard about a diet from a friend, and decided to give it a shot. It’s called the South Beach diet, maybe you’ve heard of it? I remember hearing all the hype about it when it came out. Since I’m not a big fan of fad diets I didn’t pay any attention to it. But my husband and I did a lot of reading about it, and it’s pretty nutritionally sound. Even during the most restrictive phase you are eating normal sized portions of healthy food. I started it on Monday, and I’m astounded with the results.

I have lost 10 pounds in 6 days!!

Ten pounds!! Can you believe it?! I put on a pair of jeans this morning I haven’t been able to wear in months!

Now, I know what you’re thinking. It obviously isn’t healthy to lose weight at this pace. Because this diet starts with a 2 week “jump start” period, they say you can expect to lose 8-13 pounds in the first two weeks. (after the first two weeks it should slow down to a more reasonable 1-2/week) I honestly didn’t believe it would work for me, because my metabolism is beyond slow. But I’m telling you, I can feel the difference already! And while I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss my bread and my strawberry milkshakes, finally seeing some results makes the sacrifice so worth it!! And instead of feeling sorry for myself I focus on the positive outcomes of sticking with it:

I feel better already. Without all of that processed, sugar laden garbage I’ve been putting into my body I just feel better! No more heartburn or indigestion. No more of that gross heavy I ate way too much feeling.

My kids see us eating healthy foods, and they’re taking notice. Just as our bad habits did, our good habits will rub off on them. My 5 year old daughter asked for some vegetable juice today!

God never intended for me to fuel my body the way I had been. By eating healthy and exercising, I am honoring Him in a way I wasn’t before.

Today I ate two pieces of celery and some slices of turkey for lunch. No bread. Six days ago that was unheard of. Today I’m full and satisfied. We’ve been eating lots of vegetables. Lots of lean meats. Lowfat cheese. Lots of beans. And you know what? It’s been ok. Not fabulous. Certainly not easy. But I’ve not been starving, and it’s completely within my capabilities to keep it up. We have one more week of eating like this and then we will start adding in more healthy carbs. Fruit. Whole grain bread and pasta. Good carbs. But in moderation, that’s the key to everything. No more sugar for us. No more white flour or processed food. A small sacrifice to make for the tremendous benefits we reap.

My husband is doing amazing. He’s been very resistant to changing to a healthy diet. Along his walk with the Lord he has given up many things. Food was his last stronghold. I am inspired and motivated by his commitment and determination to succeed.

He has lost 12 pounds in 6 days!

So, my first goal is to lose 50 pounds. Which is down to 40 pounds!

His goal (he hasn’t broken it up) is about 77 pounds. Which is now down to 65 pounds.

We’re praising God for our success, and leaning on Him to keep our resolve firm. We’re going to do it this time, you wait and see! I’m linking up with April over at Heartfelt Homeschooling once a week, so check back every Sunday to hear how we’re doing!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T11:50:00.001-04:00

My husband took this picture with my daughter’s little point and shoot. After a long day of hiking with her daddy, my girl looks a little…well, like she’s been hiking all day with her daddy. Despite those things, I absolutely adore this shot, and just had to share it with you all!

Visit Wordless Wednesday and 5 minutes for mom for more Wordless Wednesday!

You should have seen it!

2011-07-13T20:47:00.001-04:00

Today Katie swam all on her own, without her arm bubbles or anything, for the very first time!

Here she is, floating around with her arm bubbles…

…and here she is a little while later, after she decided she’s all big and grown-up and no longer needs them.

*Sniff*

Just thought you’d all like to know my little girl is growing up. (way too fast for her mama)

$15 Amazon gift card WINNER…finally.

2011-07-01T15:21:00.001-04:00

Somehow in all of the craziness that is my life, I forgot to pick a winner for the $15 Amazon gift card. Please accept my apologies. And now for the winner…

Congratulations to Our Village is a Little Different!!

A trip down memory lane

2011-06-11T17:07:00.001-04:00

Katie Elizabeth- 3/12/04. Oh, how the time flies when you’re having fun <3

I’m back!

2011-06-10T23:57:00.001-04:00

Many of you that know me in real life have been commenting on the fact that my blog seems to be all about reviews these days. It has and I’m sorry. The past few months have been a little crazy around here, and other than my TOS Reviews that I had to do, I lost that blogging feeling. (now it’s gone, gone, gone…sing it with me;)

Anyway, things are better now. Things have been figured out, sorted out, cleaned out-you get the picture. I’m back in the zone and looking forward to getting my blogging groove back real soon!

Yes, that’s Francesca laying across the dining room table. It was the only place she could properly admire the flowers.

TOS Review: Read For the Heart

2011-05-27T17:28:00.001-04:00

For as long as I can remember I have loved reading. Now I have the pleasure of watching my girls grow up loving reading as much as I do. Because they are such voracious readers, I sometimes struggle keeping them in good quality literature to read. Read For the Heart, (from Apologia, a company I know and trust for beautiful, high quality products) has been an invaluable resource for my family.

“A great book spurs the imagination in childhood, inspires our dreams in adulthood, and nourishes the soul with depictions of life fully and courageously lived. Among the greatest gifts you can bequeath to a child are a love for reading and a passion for books. But how do you sort through the many thousands of books available to your children to find those that are worthwhile? Apologia has the answer. Keeping Read for the Heart close at hand is like having a children's librarian for a best friend! Let Sarah Clarkson be your guide to the best in children's literature for your family. From timeless classics to modern favorites, from picture books to adventure novels to read-aloud favorites, more than 1,000 wonderful stories for young people are recommended within these pages. Now you can make great literature a lasting part of your child's life and education.” –from the Apologia website

Written by Sarah Clarkson, a homeschooling graduate, this book is unique from other “what to read” books because of the fresh perspective she brings. Having been raised on great books herself, her words paint a picture of her world so vividly it makes me yearn to recreate that kind of experience for my own girls.

Covering picture books, the Golden Age classics, children’s fiction, fairy tales and fantasy, history and biography, spiritual reading for children and music, art, and nature this book helps you choose wholesome stories for your children of all ages. Also included are appendices covering Caldecott Medalists, Newbery Medalists, and many more.

Available from Apologia for $17.00 Read for the Heart is a must have in any parents library. It has become one of our favorite go-to books! One of the best gifts a parent can give their child is a love for reading. Through books they can have untold adventures, learn about any topic under they desire, and be lifelong learners.

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of Read for the Heart for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

TOS Review: Eagle’s Wings: Considering God’s Creation

2011-05-25T19:48:00.001-04:00

Considering God's Creation is an adaptable biblical science curriculum for kids in grades 2-7 that focuses on earth and life science.

Consisting of a teacher’s manual, student workbook, and CD Considering God's Creation covers:

Universe
Stars
Solar System
Earth
Light
Sound
Wind
Weather
Clouds
Rocks
Plants
Insects
Mammals
Reptiles
Birds
Fish
Amphibians
Food Chains
Reproduction and Genetics
Human
Animal Anatomy
Physiology

Created by homeschooling parents, this curriculum needs minimal prep time and uses everyday items you would find around your house. Although this was created primarily for elementary grades, it is easily adaptable on both ends. The teacher’s manual, which is amazing, conveniently gives the corresponding page numbers for the student workbook in each section of the table of contents.

Considering God's Creation is available for $29.95. That includes the teacher’s guide, student workbook, and audio CD. To learn more about it, visit the FAQ page.

What we thought:

This is a great curriculum! There are many things we loved about it. I love that it’s easy to use, and requires very little prep time. As a homeschooler, that’s a must. I love that I can use it with all three of my girls-having such a large difference in ages makes it hard for us to use a lot of things together. I love the content. I love that I can use it more than once, and for many years if I choose. To see teacher and student sample pages, visit the Eagle's Wings website.

To see what my fellow Crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received Considering God’s Creation for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: Pearson Education-Reading Street

2011-05-23T16:32:00.001-04:00

Have I mentioned before that we are a family of readers? My girls LOVE to read. Katie, my seven year old, has been enjoying Reading Street- Grade 2, a recent review product we received as members of the TOS Homeschool Crew.

Scott Foresman Reading Street © 2011 is an all-new comprehensive Reading and Language Arts series for the 21st Century. Reading Street delivers classic and soon-to-be classic literature, scientifically research-based instruction, and a wealth of groundbreaking online experiences for high student engagement. My Teaching Library takes the guesswork out of Response to Intervention with a strong core emphasis on ongoing progress-monitoring and an explicit plan for managing small groups of students. The architecture of Understanding by Design accelerates all learners, especially English language learners, toward greater proficiency with a sustained Unit focus on concepts and language. –From the Pearson website

There are two books in the Reading Street-Grade 2 series, each with three units. Each unit has ten stories. There are a combination of fiction and non-fiction stories, poems, folk tales, and more. After each story are a variety of enrichment activities; questions, writing assignments, grammar lessons, and more.

These books are available for $43.47 each. Visit the Pearson website to see the other books in this series.

What we thought:

I was a little skeptical when we received these books. They are beautiful, hardbound books-just like the reading books you get in public school. Having never used a book with this type of format before, I was worried Katie wouldn’t like it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how wrong I was. She really enjoyed reading the stories! Since I basically let her use these for free reading time, I thought I’d let her write a review of her own:

“My favorite part of the book was the stories. They were so cool and interesting because they were really teaching me a lot and it is good because I love to read.

My least favorite part of the book were the parts at the end of the stories when they talked about the authors.

My favorite story was Tara and Tiree, Fearless Friends, because I like dogs and it was saying if dogs are trained well they can save their masters life if harm comes. My least favorite was The Bremen Town Musicians because it was kind of boring. “

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

To see what my fellow Crew mates had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was given the Reading Street 2nd grade books for review purposes. All opinions states are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

TOS Review: Talking Fingers-Wordy Qwerty

2011-05-20T15:04:00.001-04:00

Wordy Qwerty is a spelling program designed for children in grades 2 to 4 who have learned the basics of phonics and reading and now are ready to develop a deeper understanding of how words are constructed in English.

Wordy Qwerty has twenty lessons, each teaching a spelling rule, with six activities per lesson:

Silent E
Sounds of C
Sounds of G
J or DGE
W or WH
C or K
CK or K
CKS or X
CH or TCH
LL, SS, FF, ZZ
OI or OY
VE Words
Open Syllables
Double Consonants
Doubling rule
ER, IR, OR, UR, EAR
I Before E
Plurals: Add ES
Plurals: Y to IES
Plurals: F to VES

Each lesson contains the following activities:

Patterns-Children generate two lists of words by typing the names of pictures and sorting the words by a given characteristic

Karaoke- Rhymes and songs for each of the 20 spelling rules.

Recycler- Learn about changing just the first letter to make new words.

Pop-a-word- Learn about “outlaw” words

Write Stories- Hear and see the first line of a story, type the second line from dictation.

Read Stories- Fill in the missing words in the story.

Visit the Talking Fingers website to see pricing for online products or home CD products.

Katie, my seven year old daughter, used the online version of this program. Having learned to read at a very young age, she is now reading on a pretty advanced level. Like reading, spelling is something that just came naturally to her. Because of this, I was worried she might find this program too easy. Once we started using it, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how perfect the activities were for her! Not too easy at all! She has greatly enjoyed using this program.!

To see what my fellow crew members thought, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was given a trial product download for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: Mad Dog Math

2011-05-18T17:29:00.001-04:00

Mad Dog Math, created by 3rd grade teacher Julie Kotoff, is a supplemental online program for kids in grades K-5. Taking just minutes a day to practice, it offers a fun alternative way to learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Mad Dog Math is a supplement to any math curriculum used in any classroom, home school setting, or any home situation. The basic facts are a very small piece of the academic pie, but a crucial piece for future success as children move on to higher levels of math.

We’ve taken the basic facts and broken them down into bite-sized pieces that any child can master. A child progresses through a series of timed drills at his own pace. With each success comes confidence; with confidence comes more success. Students, for the first time, feel empowered by their gained knowledge and are not intimidated by math ever again. Where students once said, “Math is hard; I hate math!”, they now say, “Math is easy; math is fun!”

There is nothing on the market like Mad Dog Math. –From the Mad Dog Math website

Available for instant download, you can get a one year license for $19.95 or a two year license for $29.95.

Mad Dog Math

Katie, my seven year old, used this program. It was a great alternative way to learn her addition facts, and she had fun using it!

To see what my fellow crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a trial download of this program for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

TOS Review: WonderMaps

2011-05-16T17:43:00.001-04:00

In our homeschooling journey we use a lot of maps. We have giant maps on the walls, we have maps in books, we’re constantly looking up maps on the internet. WonderMaps, the latest software from Bright Ideas Press, has made it possible for me to have a map for anything I could possibly desire right at my fingertips.

What it is: WonderMaps is a customizable collection of over 350 maps: World maps, U.S maps, historical maps or thematic maps.

This program uses layers, so with a click you can customize your map by choosing what to leave on and what to take off:

Graticule labels
Graticules
Country boarder
Country name
State borders
State names
Capital locations
Capital names
City/town locations
City/town names
Rivers
River names
Terrain text
Color overlay
Black and white overlay

So, for example, if I wanted to teach my girls the names of the U.S. states I would print a black and white map with everything turned off except the state names and state borders. (I’d probably leave on the capital names and locations, too). This is what my map looks like with everything turned on:

And this is what it looks like after I unchecked everything except state name, capital name and location, and state borders:

Now I can quickly print this black and white study version. When she has all the states memorized I could turn off everything except state borders and have another map ready for a quiz! This is only one very small example-the possibilities really are endless!

For just $49.95 you get 60+ maps of the world, 60+maps of the U.S., 125 historical maps including 25 biblical maps and if you use The Mystery of History or All American History the complete map sets are also included! There is also a Teacher’s Guide that includes bonus workshop MP3’s and a ton of resources for lessons!

What we thought: My family has spent untold amounts of time exploring the many fascinating maps in this program. I especially loved the historical maps and the thematic maps. I think that this is a fantastic program and the maps are just beautiful. This is definitely a program I never knew I needed, but now can’t live without!!

To see what my fellow crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free download of this product for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: Institute for Excellence in Writing

2011-05-13T15:21:00.001-04:00

While I haven’t really used a formal writing curriculum in the past, I have spent many hours researching them. One of the websites I’ve spent a lot of time exploring was Institute for Excellence in Writing. Last November I received a package containing the Teaching Writing/Student Writing Intensive Combo Pack Level C and a Portable Wall. I didn’t realize it at the time, but our homeschool would be forever changed because of this product.

What it is: The Teaching Writing/Student Writing Intensive Combo Pack Level C is a set that includes Teaching Writing: Structure and Style and the Student Writing Intensive Level C. This complete set is $239 (and worth every single penny!) You can visit the Institute for Excellence in Writing website for further product and pricing information.

Teaching Writing: Structure and Style is IEW’s first program and their main course. This 10 disc DVD set and accompanying workbook teaches parents and teachers how to teach writing. The first six discs in the set are a recorded session of a two-day seminar and practicum by Andrew Pudewa, director of IEW. This is where you will learn everything you need to know to successfully implement this program. There is also a “Tips and Tricks” disc to help you further, and three discs with the Student Writing Workshop for grades 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10+.

Andrew Pudewa, director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing

The Student Writing Intensive is a video seminar that was designed to assist parents and teachers by providing direct writing instruction to the student. There are three levels. Level A is for grades 3-5, Level B is for grades 6-8, and Level C for grades 9-12. Each level has four writing sessions on DVD, with each session presenting structural models and stylistic techniques from Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. Student handouts, worksheets, and teachers notes round out this 15 lesson program intended to be completed in 15-30 weeks.

Andrew Pudewa discussing the Student Writing Intensive

A Portable Wall is a handy tri-fold chart that has a complete collection of writing models and word lists for your student to keep with them to reference while writing. (Our portable wall has been used many times!)

How we used it: I began watching Teaching Writing: Structure and Style soon after I received my package. I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information I had sitting in front of me, but the feeling quickly subsided. I was excited to learn that I didn’t have to work through the entire program before using it with my 15 year old daughter. I worked though the first DVD to get a feel for the program and to understand the concepts taught, and then I had Samantha start the Student Writing Intensive Level C. The beauty of this program is that you will find listed in the beginning of each lesson in the student course a corresponding disc and page number in Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. They truly have thought of everything!

Samantha watched a DVD lesson (taught by Andrew Pudewa) each week, and then spent the rest of the week working on her writing. It allowed her to work pretty independently—I gave her the DVD and the student handouts and later we talked about her work together.

What we thought: Samantha wants to be a writer. It is her life's ambition to become a published author. However, not too long ago her writing was a little… rough around the edges. She has an incredible imagination and a great love for the written word—so much so that she equated quality writing with a lot of words. Her character descriptions would span pages. She was a run on (and on) kind of girl. Using this program has taught her so much and really helped her grow as a writer. She has learned about composition and editing. She has learned how to convey her thoughts with precision. She has begun exploring the beauty of words, and the many different ways to say what she wants to say. I am excited to see her continued growth as a result of the things she has learned from this program.

I have also learned a great deal. Important things I’d never considered before such as give your students a topic to write about so that they’re free to focus just on writing. Genius. TWSS has taught me many things and given me invaluable tools to enable me to teach writing to all three of my girls for many years to come. With the DVD’s and the notebook filled with lesson plans, handouts, instruction and so much more I finally have a superior and thorough method to help my daughters become exemplary wordsmiths.

This program is amazing. Truly amazing. In fact, of all the products I’ve reviewed over the past ten months for the TOS Homeschool Crew, this is by far my favorite. Visit the Institute for Excellence in Writing website for yourself and see all the wonderful products they have to offer. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

To see what my fellow crew mates had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was blessed with the Teaching Writing/Student Writing Intensive Combo Pack C and a Portable Wall for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by this amazingly generous company or their outstanding product.

TOS Review: GoTrybe

2011-05-11T16:30:00.001-04:00

We recently had the chance to explore GoTrybe- an online interactive program that teaches young people and teens about fitness, wellness, and nutrition.

GoTrybe wants to be an inspiring force in the fight to get children and teens active while combating childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. As a result, GoTrybe's mission is to change some of the normal sedentary screen time into activity and health education. –from the GoTrybe website

The program is divided into three groups:

ZooDoos: K-5th grade

Trybe 180: 6th-9th grade

Nextrybe: 10th-12th grade

Utilizing comprehensive online videos led by exercise professionals, kids have the option to create their own workout, or to choose one all ready to go.

Using the code GETFIT will give you a free trial to GoTrybe, after that the subscription is $19.95/year.

What we thought:

I like the premise behind this site. Childhood obesity is definitely a problem in our country. While this wasn’t a good fit for our family (my kids are outdoor kids—they need big open spaces to run and climb and race) I think that this is a really great idea. I think this site could benefit a family with limited outdoor space, or it could be a perfect way for kids to get up and move when the weather isn’t great outside. Every family is different and what isn’t a good fit for my family may be perfect for yours! Head on over to GoTrybe.com and see for yourself!

TOS Review: Yesterday’s Classics

2011-05-04T14:22:00.001-04:00

As you may know by now, we love books around here. We are a family of readers. When I was given the opportunity to review Yesterday's Classics ebook package I was beyond thrilled.

What it is: Yesterday's Classics ebook package is a collection of classic books from the golden age of children’s literature. Available in Kindle or ePub formats, this package gives you immediate access to 225 titles from the era of 1880-1920. This collection includes a wide variety of genres, including:

World History
Science
Readers
Children of the World
Nature
Biography
and many, many more!

Click here and scroll to the bottom to see a detailed list of books included.

For $99.95 (this is a special for the month of May--it is regularly priced at $149.95)you get a link to download the entire collection in either Kindle (for the Kindle) or ePub (for everything else) formats. If you don’t have an ereader, that’s not a problem! This collection will also work on your computer, laptop, netbook, smartphone, or tablet using an ereader app or software! Beginning June 1st you will be able to purchase individual ebook titles.

How we used it: One of the great things about this collection is that they include a detailed description of each book, as well as a list of titles sorted four different ways, so you can choose which way makes most sense for you:

Level, Genre, Author, Title
Genre, Author, Title
Title
Author, Title

I was a little worried at first about how I would sort and organize 225 books, but having these thoughtful lists included made the process much simpler than I ever could have imagined!

So the first thing I did was download the collection. (I have a Nook, so I requested the epub files) In no time at all, I had all of my books downloaded and saved on my computer.

Next I transferred all of the files onto my Nook. Then I printed a copy of the book list, choosing the Genre, Author, Title section. Now I had a list of all 225 books sorted by genre. I then made a bookshelf on my Nook to match each genre, and using the list, I went through all the books on my Nook and put them on their bookshelf. I now have all 225 books organized in 7 bookshelves according to genre. Using the list I printed in combination with the detailed book descriptions, I can quickly and easily find any book I need! The lists also specify age and grade levels for each book, which has helped me tremendously in deciding who the story is most appropriate for.

What we thought: In this day and age, I think it’s getting harder and harder to find quality books. Books that have characters with outstanding morals-- books that give my children strong role models to emulate. It’s all about fun and what feels good. More often than I care to admit, a trip to the library results in books about cartoon character for the little girls and fantasy books and frivolous fiction for my teenager. While this type of reading is fine once in a while, I want more for my girls. My girls (who are 15, 7, and almost 5)are voracious readers, often finishing books in one sitting. Yesterday's Classics ebook set has been such a blessing to our family!! We now have a versatile collection of quality literature that we can use for school, reading together aloud as a family, and for individual quiet time reading. Another great benefit of this collection is that I can put it on any device I own! Since my girls don’t mind reading on the computer screen we’ve got it on the desktop, the laptop, and my Nook making it easy for anyone who wants to read to have access to the stories. And it’s so great for my girls to be exposed to the rich language used in this collection. They just love to sit around and listen to me read! While we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the many titles in this package, I’ve been making plans to incorporate a lot of the books into our curriculum for the upcoming school year. With this great collection, the possibilities are endless!

To see what my fellow Crew members thought, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the homeschool crew I received a free copy of this ebook collection in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

Giveaway time!

2011-05-02T15:26:00.003-04:00

Spring is finally here, and warm air and sunshine makes me happy!! My marriage is strong, my kids are healthy…life is good! To celebrate I’m giving away a $15 Amazon gift card.
To enter:

Follow this blog using Google Friend Connect (on the right), or let me know if you’re already following.

For additional entries:

Follow this blog using Networked blogs (on the right)
Like Homeschooling (and then some!) on Facebook
Link to this giveaway on your blog or on Facebook (worth 3 entries)

Be sure to leave me a comment for each entry. A winner will be chosen Wednesday, May 18th using random.org. Please be sure I have a way to reach you, I will be sending the gift card via email.

TOS Review: Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

2011-04-20T14:54:00.001-04:00

Co-authored by Debra Raybern, Sera Johnson, Laura Hopkins, Karen Hopkins, Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is a 448 page beautifully illustrated family nutrition and health program for all ages that presents the major body systems, how they function, their common health issues, the benefits of good food and the consequences of bad food.

Biblically based and packed with hands-on activities, science and art projects and nearly 80 family-friendly recipes, this program teaches and reinforces the why’s of what we should eat, not just “because I said so.” Containing a complete reference guide filled with nutrition facts, charts, practical tips and an exhaustive index, Nutrition 101: Choose Life! will serve as a constant resource for improved health and abundant living.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is broken up into six units:

The Brain and Nervous System
The Digestive System
The Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory and Visual Systems
The Skeletal and Muscular Systems
The Cardiovascular and Immune Systems
The Endocrine System and Emotions

In each unit you will find:

Discussion questions
Activities
Additional Resources
“Power” Recipes and Activities

Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

All six units were designed to be completed in one year, however, there is so much information and activities that the program could easily be repeated. The Nutrition 101: Choose Life! book can be purchased for $99.95 or you can get it on CD-ROM for $79.95. You can also get the Combo: Book and CD-ROM for $129.95. The benefits of a combo? You have the beautiful bound book and a CD to print recipes, activities, etc. for each child. You can see a sample here. And for a limited time, you can use the coupon code TOScrew11 to get 15% off your purchase!

What we thought:

I’ve struggled writing this review because I just love this book so much, and there are so many great things about it that I worry I won’t do it justice. (Have I mentioned it’s beautiful? It’s full of color! So vibrant! Oh! And the Appendix? Truly a work of art. There is so much information there, it’s stunning. These women have obviously put a tremendous amount of time and energy into this book!!)

From the very beginning I felt like this book was written just for me. Although it is my desire for my family to eat healthy food, I haven’t found a good way to incorporate all of the fruits and veggies I want them to be eating into my picky eaters diets. If my girls had it their way, they would exist on processed junk food. If I could go back in time and change things, I never would have introduced them to convenience foods that sounded like a good idea at the time-processed canned or boxed food that fill little bellies but have no nutritional value. My middle daughter is such a picky eater that there have been many nights where she’s chosen to be hungry all night instead of eating her dinner. I was greatly encouraged when one of the first pages I read said “What About Picky Eaters?” Co-author Sera Johnson gives great ideas to start your kids on the road to healthy eating. (See? Written just for me!)

During our review period we worked on Unit 1: The Brain and Nervous System. We learned the names of the different parts of the brain and what each part does. We learned all about different types of fats and how much we need and what we should stay away from. We made guacamole and talked about how avocados (and bananas, broccoli, eggs, cantaloupe, oranges-all things we love!) are brain food. We colored and labeled different parts of the brain. We had great conversations prompted by the included Discussion Questions. What does it mean to be “fearfully and wonderfully made”?, How does a healthy brain make a healthy body? How healthy is your brain?Do you think what you eat as a child affects your brain when you are an adult? I love the way this program teaches! Not only are my children learning about how their bodies work, but they’re learning about why it’s important to fuel it with good food. I think the premise behind this book is right on! When kids learn why good food is good for them and what it does for their body, and why bad food is bad and what it does to their body they are armed with knowledge to help them make good eating decisions for their entire lives! I’m thrilled to have this resource to help me teach my children all about nutrition and healthy eating, and I’m looking forward to using it for many years to come! This book has truly been a blessing to my family!

To see what my fellow crew members had to say, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free digital copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

Review: Time4Learning

2011-04-12T21:58:00.001-04:00

Katie and Francesca have been using Time4Learning for a month now, and they love, love, love it!!!

“Time4Learning is a new approach that takes advantage of today's technology. It's a convenient, online home education program that combines learning with fun educational teaching games.

The online language arts and math comprise a comprehensive program for preschool, elementary school, and middle school. Science and social studies programs are provided as a free bonus for most grades.

Kids like using the computer to learn and to develop their skills. The Time4Learning educational teaching program gives students independence to progress at their own pace.

Parents like that Time4Learning tracks progress and helps students advance along individualized learning paths. Students master the skills and concepts needed for academic success.

Have a child with math and reading skills at different grade levels? No problem, just tell us in the online registration process.

Time4Learning is proven effective, has a low monthly price, and provides a 14 day money-back guarantee so you can be sure that it works for your family” -from Time4Learning.com

Francesca did the preschool lessons. She loved playing the games…memory match and painting were her favorites. She loved the stories. She loved that she had so many topics to choose from. She just loves everything about it and I love that she’s learning so much while she’s playing! Some topics she learned about were:

Numbers
Letters
Shapes
Weather
Zoo animals
the human body
Food

Katie worked on the second grade lessons. Her favorite subject was math (which shows how great this program is because she’s done math on other websites and not liked it at all). She especially loved making fractions with pepperoni’s and learning about time. The Science and History lessons were so interesting to her that she usually worked through multiple lessons in one sitting-she couldn’t get enough! The subjects she had were:

Language Arts
Language Arts Extensions
Math
Science
Social Studies

I could see Time4Learning working for all different types of families. For reinforcement over the summer, for a family new to homeschooling, for a family who’s been homeschooling forever and needs some downtime from teaching. So many possibilities! Overall we had a very positive experience. Both girls were very sad to see our trial subscription expire. The one negative thing I’ve found about this site is the price. With two girls who love it, it just isn’t in our budget. Obviously that’s just our personal experience. Not everyone’s budget looks like ours. And honestly, for the quality and quantity of material covered, it is so worth the price to me. Visit Time4Learning's FAQ page for membership pricing.

TOS Review: KinderBach

2011-04-06T10:48:00.001-04:00

As members of the Homeschool Crew we recently received a trial subscription to KinderBach, a music curriculum for children aged 3 to 7. Being mindful that there are multiple learning styles, KinderBach teaches note reading, rhythm, singing, and composition in a variety of ways so that every child can learn regardless of how they learn.

Engaging videos with characters kids love…

coloring pages and crafts…

activities and more!

For $19.95/month you get a one year online membership that gives you access to all the web lessons (over 240 sessions!) and accompanying download PDF pages. Or you can save 60% and pay $95.88 at once for the year. There are also DVD options. Visit the KinderBach page for more information.

What we thought:

I used this program with my seven and four year old daughters. We chose to use our Wii to access the videos so that they could watch them together and have space to dance and jump and move around.

We’d sit and watch the video together and then we’d move to the table to do the coloring pages. If there was a piano component to the lesson then I would replay the video on the laptop for them to play along with at the keyboard. Our method varied slightly from how the program was setup, but what can I say other than we’re homeschoolers…it’s what we do. ;) The beauty of the curriculum is that I could use it however I wanted.

My seven year old, who has some piano instruction, thought it was a little young for her but played along with her sister anyway. My four year old thought it was so fun, and loved using rhythm instruments (sometimes a tambourine, sometimes an empty yogurt cup and a spoon) and the activities that got them up and moving around. My seven year old enjoyed the times she got to get on the keyboard and practice. And they both enjoyed the coloring pages. I liked that they were learning so much about music while just playing and having fun!

To see what my fellow crew mates had to say, visit the Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool crew we received a trial subscription for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

What a difference a year makes!

2011-04-02T21:54:00.003-04:00

Same calendar. Same wall. One year in between pictures. Samantha, my fifteen year old daughter, went to Revolve with a group of girls from church. It was her first concert experience, and she came home tonight after being away overnight absolutely exhilarated. In between thoughts of oh my word is she ever going to stop talking? And how does she breathe with that constant flow of words? I remembered what it was like being a teenage girl (does that feeling of that was how many years ago ever go away?) and experiencing new things for the first time. That feeling of wonder and elation and awe. I have a daughter that is almost at the age I was when I had some of the best experiences of my entire life…and also made some of the worst decisions of my life. I remember that time in my life as a time of such extreme emotions. And it made me wonder when my little girl suddenly became so grown up. Then I look at her two sisters who were just babies the last time I checked, and wish I could just slow them down a bit. It always sounds so cliché, but time really does pass way too fast. We get to be with our children for such a short period of time. And in that time we have such a great responsibility to help shape them into the people God intended them to be. In the precious few years we have them we are laying the foundation for who they will be for the rest of their lives. The rest of their lives. No pressure :)

TOS Review: z-guides to the Movies

2011-04-01T11:55:00.001-04:00

I recently learned about these wonderful movie guides put out by Zeezok Publishing. Z-guides to the Movies are unit studies for movies geared toward middle-high school students, and are a great way to incorporate media into any curriculum. We were excited to receive the z-guide to Red Badge of Courage. For a complete list of titles available, visit the Zeezok website.

For $12.99 you get either a CD or downloadable ebook. Each guide contains a topic overview, movie synopsis, and ten learning activities for an in-depth study of the film. The topic overview puts the film in historical context, giving a student with no prior knowledge of the topic important background information. The one-page movie synopsis provides a more detailed explanation of the movie’s storyline than typically found on the back cover of the video case or on movie review websites. While watching the film the first time through, students answer the
movie review questions. This assignment forces the viewer to become an active learner rather than a passive observer. Nine additional activities provide interdisciplinary educational opportunities built around the movie’s themes.

Activities in The Red Badge of Courage z-guide included character studies, family discussion questions, sketch a scene from the movie, writing a letter of encouragement, and more.

What we thought:

We chose The Red Badge of Courage because Samantha read the book for school last year and really liked the story. Unfortunately, she didn’t like the movie nearly as much. However, she enjoyed the activities in the z-guide and I think they really gave her a deeper understanding of the story. I think these guides are priced perfectly and have great content. I’m excited to purchase other titles to incorporate into our studies!

To see what my fellow crew members thought, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free z-guide for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

TOS Review: Big IQ Kids

2011-03-25T11:31:00.001-04:00

Big IQ Kids is an online learning program for students in grades K-8. Spending fifteen minutes per lesson daily, students learn spelling, math, U.S. States, and Vocabulary. There is a free option and a premium option. We were provided a premium subscription for review. With the premium option the program:

monitors the students progress and advances the student once mastery is achieved
tracks and saves the students progress, allowing you to see problem areas
emails you to keep you informed of your students performance and progress

You can read more about the differences between the free version and the premium version here.

Math- If you already have a math curriculum, you can set this up to reinforce what you’re already working on. Or you can choose to let the program generate grade specific or subject specific material.

U.S. States- Interactively teaches the spelling, abbreviation, location, capital, and general facts of each of the 50 states. You also have the option to add your own facts about each state as well.

Vocabulary- You have the choice of using the extensive library of elementary-SAT prep words or you can enter your own list and the program will create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes, and tests.

Spelling- Spelling time has over 40,000 words with word appropriate lists for grades K-8. Or, you can input your own words and the program will create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes, and tests.

The price for this program varies greatly depending on your personal needs. For pricing information, visit the BigIQKids website.

What we thought:

Katie, my newly 7 year old, was the one who used this program daily. She really loves it!! The site is easy for her to navigate allowing her to use it independently, which is an important thing to her right now. Also, she loves that a lot of the lessons are taught through fun, interactive games. She breezes through each subject daily without problem or complaint. It’s a great way for her to learn and build some confidence at the same time!

I love the email feature. Because the program keeps me informed of her performance and progress, I can just let her go to it without having to watch over her shoulder the whole time. This has freed me up to have more one-on-one time with my other two daughters. I love that it tracks her progress and advances her at her own speed. I love that I have the option to personalize every subject, making it an invaluable learning resource. We are excited and blessed to be able to continue using this program as a regular part of our school day!

To see what my fellow crew members thought, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Review Crew I was given a very generous one year subscription for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

TOS Review: ARTistic Pursuits

2011-03-23T14:26:00.001-04:00

I love art. I love looking at it. I love learning about it. I love standing in the art supplies aisle in a store, touching all the different paints and brushes and canvases wishing I had even a shred of artistic ability in my body. To lessen the sting of having zero talent myself, I’ve been blessed with an artistic daughter who has the love and the skill to be an artist. Unfortunately, despite my best intentions, formal art instruction seems to be what falls by the wayside in our homeschool. Receiving Artistic Pursuits for review gave us the opportunity to change that!

Written by a homeschooling mom, Brenda Ellis, Artistic Pursuits is an art curriculum that presents both the expressive and technical aspects of art in an age-appropriate manner. Artistic Pursuits can be used for children from preschool all the way through high school. The books are non-consumable and are designed to be used two days a week, for one hour each session. Used this way the books will provide 32 weeks of instruction. We had the pleasure of using Senior High Book One, The Elements of Art and Composition which can be purchased for $42.95.

Each of the sixteen units contain the following lessons:

Building a Visual Vocabulary: Students are given a topic explained in words and pictures. A creative expression assignment guides students to observe the topic in their own environment.
Art Appreciation and Art History: Here your student sees how the topic is used in a work of art by masters. They also apply their new observations to a work of art they create.
Techniques: This is where your student learns how to use the materials and tools and apply that knowledge to create an original work of art.
Application: Finally, students do a final project using the newly learned techniques and topic.

In Senior High Book One units one through seven teach The Elements of Art:

Space
Line
Texture
Shape
Form
Value
Contrast and Unity

Units eight through sixteen teach Composition:

Balance
Rhythm
Depth by Overlapping
Depth by Position and Size
One and Two Point Perspective
Atmospheric Perspective
Proportion, the Face
Proportion, the Figure
Cloth the Figure

Samantha has learned so much from this book, and really grown as an artist. Below she is working on Unit 1, which had her using a mirror to draw her face.

What we thought:

There were many things I really like about this curriculum. I like that it’s written directly to the student, so Sam could do it on her own without any prep on my part. I really like that it isn’t a typical art curriculum that tells the student step-by-step drawing instructions, instead it gives them the tools to explore their creativity in their own way. The art supply bundle was a little pricey for me at $57, but there are definitely ways to lesson that cost. I chose to buy the assembled bundle to save time, but since I plan to buy more books from the series I will try to utilize what we already have, or shop around for the supplies needed.

Samantha also loved the format of the book. It was really great for her to have something she could work into her school schedule whenever she felt like it, instead of waiting for me to get to it. Since we had all of the art supplies she needed on hand, she was really able to take charge of her lessons and she liked the feeling of independence it gave her. She thought the art history and the lessons were really interesting. Since she has been drawing for years now, she didn’t really miss the “step-by-step” instruction that somebody just starting out may have been looking for. She is looking forward to working through the rest of the book, and moving on to the next one in the series!

To see what my fellow crew members had to say, visit the Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are in no way influenced by the free product.

$25 CSN Stores gift card WINNER!!

2011-03-16T10:48:00.001-04:00

The winner is Mrs. White!! Congratulations!!

Thank you all so much for stopping by and for entering my very first giveaway!!

TOS Review: Who Is God?

2011-03-15T14:17:00.001-04:00

In the grand scheme of things, I am a relatively new Christian. Although I’m pretty firm in my faith I am by no means a finished work. While I believe it is my most important job as a mother to raise my children up in the Lord; to have them know Him and love Him and have a relationship of their own with Him, sometimes I’m not always sure how I should be teaching them. Obviously as a homeschooling mom I have the advantage of being able to incorporate bible lessons into our daily activities. And although I use a good bible curriculum with the little girls and Sam uses a great one on her own, I still feel like I’m lacking because we weren’t learning together as a family.

As a member of the TOS homeschool crew I received Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him? to review and all that changed.

“Our children are bombarded on a daily basis with competing messages. Every song, movie, book, TV show, blog, and game is full of ideas—ideas about truth, morality, beauty, identity, faith, and more. Not all of these ideas are true. Some are wrong, some are deceptive, and some are outright destructive. It is more important than ever that young children be equipped to discern among competing ideas and stand in the truth. This is why Apologia has teamed with Summit Ministries to bring you the "What We Believe" Series. The "What We Believe" Series is an outstanding way to teach your child the essential beliefs of the Christian faith, but it’s so much more! With this student-directed, Bible-based curriculum, your children will learn how to use Scripture as a lens through which to view the world around them—to see everything the way God sees it—and know the truth.” - -from the Apologia website

Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him? is the first book in the “What We Believe” series. This family-inclusive study of biblical worldview introduces young people 6-14 to the basic truths of the Christian faith. This beautiful 252 page hardcover book is broken up into ten lessons. Although there is a suggested schedule that has you completing each lesson over a two week span, it is set up so that you can easily go at your own pace. We’ve found that there is so much to talk about that we’re going slower than suggested. The topics covered are:

Lesson 1:Where am I building my life?
Lesson 2: How can I know what’s true?
Lesson 3: What is God like? (Part 1)
Lesson 4: What is God like? (Part 2)
Lesson 5: Who are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
Lesson 6: If God created the world, why isn’t it perfect?
Lesson 7: Why did God create me?
Lesson 8: Will God meet all my needs?
Lesson 9: Why does sin keep me from knowing God?
Lesson 10: Is Jesus the only way to God?

Each lesson contains several key components:

The Big Idea- Each lesson starts with an introduction to the main topic.
What You Will Do- tells you the learning objectives for the lesson
Short Story-several of the lessons contain a short story with characters that have differing worldviews. These stories give your kids something they can relate to, while integrating and reinforcing the concepts taught in the lesson.

This component has been the most successful in helping my girls understand and retain the lessons taught. In the second lesson the story is about two young boys, one who was taught in school that the earth evolved from a big accidental explosion and one who believes that God created everything. The story did a great job of illustrating the point that something can’t just appear out of nothing. It has to be created. Using humor and a story written to clearly speak to kids their age, this book did a great job of teaching an important concept in a way my young girls could understand and remember it.

Think About It-Questions to help you dig deeper and make sure your kids are understanding the lesson.
Words You Need to Know-Important vocabulary words that will help your kids not only with the lessons, but also out in the world.
Hide It in Your Heart-Bible verses to memorize

While the memory verses have been a great tool, there is also great scripture referenced throughout the book. It seems like every verse has spoken to me:

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us". –1 John 3:16

Integrated learning-Interesting articles related to either the short story or the lesson. These are designed to help you explore the topics as they relate to other subjects like math, science, history and more.
What Should I Do?-Highlights a specific godly character trait related to the lesson just learned. This is a good tool to help your child put what they’ve learned into action.
and more!!

Additional resources are also available online including teacher’s helps and more. This book is available from Apologia for $39. You can see a sample lesson and the table of contents here. I was also excited to read in their catalog that coming soon are an Audio MP3 CD, Notebooking Journal, and Coloring book to go with the book!!

The next book in the series, Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?), is available now for $39. Visit the Apologia website to see the rest of the books in the series.

What we thought:

I love books. Seriously, they are one of the few addictions I have left. Because of this love, sometimes I buy books that look really nice and sound really good, but end up not being a good fit for our family. This book ended up being everything I hoped it would be and exactly what we needed. My kids are learning, together, truths that they need to build their foundation on. It is well written, thought provoking, and speaks perfectly to each of my girls. Even my 4 year old actively participates in all of the discussion this wonderful book facilitates. I am super excited for the accompanying products to come out, and can’t wait to buy them!! I think they will make this flawless study even better.

Perhaps the best way I can share with you the profound effect this book has had on my family is to share a testimony with you. One of the lessons talks about seven ways to build your life on the Rock of God. To know truth, speak truth, and follow truth is one of those ways. A very long, very in-depth conversation about hearing lies, believing lies, and even telling lies led into an even deeper discussion of Salvation. That day, January 31, 2010, after that discussion, my daughter Katie asked Jesus to be her Savior. That is the day I fell in love with this book. Katie knew about Jesus and the Salvation he offers us before that conversation. She’s loved Jesus since she was old enough to know about Him. But this book is just great like that. It takes topics we may have already talked about dozens of times and presents them in a way that provokes new thought, new discussions, new insight.

So go. Check it out. Look at the sample. If you’re a family with children, homeschooling or not, this may be exactly what you never realized you needed!

To see what my fellow crew members thought, visit the Homeschool Crew blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

Happy Birthday Samantha and Katie!!

2011-03-11T15:25:00.001-05:00

Two of my girls have birthdays six days (and eight years!) apart. This year their birthdays fall in the same week.

Happy, Happy Birthday

to two beautiful, intelligent, funny, kind-hearted, amazing daughters!! Having the privilege of being your mom fills me with more joy than one person should be allowed in a lifetime.

My very first giveaway!!

2011-03-07T20:24:00.001-05:00

In honor of reaching 100 followers I’m doing a giveaway! I’ve been wanting to do a giveaway for a while now, so when I was contacted by CSN stores with a giveaway offer I was super excited!!

I went and checked them out before agreeing, and couldn’t believe the variety of products they sell!! After browsing for more time than I care to admit, I’ve decided that an L shaped desk is what I’ve been missing! Since I usually do all my work on the dining room table, it’s kind of a pain having to pack up and put all my supplies away every time it’s time for a meal. Having my own space is a much more practical solution!

Now for the giveaway! I get to offer one of you a $25 gift certificate to CSN stores!

To enter:

Do you have a space of your own to work? Or do you park at the table with your laptop like me? Leave me a comment and let me know!

For additional entries:

Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect
Like CSN Stores on Facebook
I’m tired of winter. Leave me a comment telling me what you’re looking forward to most about spring. (if it ever gets here!)

The winner will be chosen Monday, March 14th. I will announce the winner Wednesday, March 16th. I will email the winner a prize code, so be sure I can get ahold of you! Now go ahead, do your thing!

The Lord has called my husband…to Ecuador.

2011-03-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

A few months ago it was announced in my church that a mission team was being put together to travel to Ecuador this summer. As we sat there listening my husband’s response was immediate and intense: he had to be on that trip. He knew absolutely without a doubt that the Lord was telling him to go.

Now, for those of you who don’t know my husband-let me tell you what a testimony to his faith this commitment is. The furthest he’s ever been outside of New England is New York, and that was for work. He doesn’t travel. He’s a creature of habit, and he’s most comfortable and happy close to home. He likes his routine. Anything out of the ordinary stresses him. And perhaps most telling of all, he doesn’t fly. For as long as I’ve known him he has adamantly refused to fly anywhere. Ever. For any reason. Joining this team has been, hands down, the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever seen him take. It has been amazing to watch the transformation in his attitude. He is committed to doing what he’s been called to do, and he’s trusting in God to see him through it. No fear, no jitters. It’s truly remarkable.

The team (made up of 16-17 members, the biggest group our church has sent!) will leave for Quito, Ecuador on July 30, 2011. They will stay overnight and then travel all day to Pichiyacu, where they will stay while in Ecuador. The team will split and serve two purposes while there. The Building team will travel an hour daily by boat to get to the small jungle village of Santa Maria where they will help build a church. This is where my husband will serve. The other half of the team, the Ministry team, will travel to various villages bringing supplies, ministering to the people, and sharing the good news of Jesus. My husband will fly home August 7, some will stay on a week longer.

I’m sharing this story because we need prayer. Prayer for strength through the spiritual warfare we’ve experienced already and will continue to face in the months ahead. Prayer for my husband that he can continue to stand firm in his faith without fear of the unknown. Prayer for wisdom and strength for the team in the months ahead. Prayer for protection while they’re away. Prayer for the people they are going to minister to. And most importantly, prayer that in all this the Lord will be glorified.

Also, each member of the team is expected to raise the funds necessary for travel expenses on their own. That means that we need to raise $2,500 before he goes to cover air fare, bus fare, food, and supplies. On our own, in these difficult financial times, it will be difficult. However, we believe that anything is possible with the Lord on our side. We are reaching out to our friends and family and asking you to consider supporting Don in his mission. Think about it. Pray about it. If you feel led, any contribution would be a huge blessing and greatly appreciated. We have a donation button in the sidebar on this blog, and if you’re a friend of either of us on Facebook we have a donation option there, too. If you’re more the check type, you can make it payable to AOBC and mail to: Athol Orange Baptist Church, 131 Ridge Ave Athol, MA 01331. In the memo: Don Theriault, Ecuador Mission. To donate through paypal without using the button the email address is acalder2003@yahoo.com. We know times are tough, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for even considering support.

TOS Review: Reading Kingdom

2011-03-07T14:32:00.001-05:00

Reading Kingdom is an online program that teaches children 4-10 years old how to read and write to a third grade level. We recently had the opportunity to try out Reading Kingdom for review.

Created by Dr. Marion Blank, one of the world’s top experts in literacy, it’s the only system that teaches the six skills needed for reading and writing success.

To learn more about how the Reading Kingdom is fundamentally different from other reading programs read this.

Subscriptions are $19.99/month (cancel anytime) or $199.99/year. They also start you with a free 30 day trial. What really blew me away about this company is that they’re so passionate about promoting literacy that they offer a scholarship program. That’s dedication.

How it works:

The very first step in the program is keyboard and mouse training. In order to successfully use this program, it’s important that the child is comfortable using a mouse and knows where to find the letters on the keyboard. My four year old, Francesca, hadn’t had much practice on a computer so she started here.

She enjoyed working in this part of the program. Clicking on the picture it named greatly improved her control over the mouse.

My six year old, Katie, navigates around a computer with ease so she began with the skills survey. (This is important because the program is tailored to your child. In the beginning it stressed the importance of not assisting the child so that the program can accurately gauge your child’s knowledge.) She was placed in Level 1, and has been working her way through it. There are five levels in all.

After about a week in the Keyboard and Mouse Training, Francesca took the first Skills Survey and was placed in the Pre-Reading level to work on mastery of visual sequencing and letters on the keyboard.

What we thought:

This program was frustrating for Francesca to use in the beginning. As a new computer user, the mechanics took some getting used to. However, she quickly caught on and is liking it much, much more now. I think that she will benefit the most from it, and we will continue using it indefinitely!!

The length of the lessons are just right. Also, I loved this program because the approach just makes sense to me. I’ve used only phonics based programs in the past, and it was really interesting to read about Dr. Blank’s philosophy. I’m excited to incorporate my newfound knowledge into our reading program!

To see what my fellow crewmembers thought, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received an extremely generous one year subscription to Reading Kingdom in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product or the extremely generous company.

Time4Learning

2011-03-02T15:56:00.001-05:00

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience.

Time4Learning is an online educational program that can be used as an online homeschooling curriculum or for afterschool enrichment. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

I received this in my email a couple of times today, thought I would share

2011-02-28T17:33:00.001-05:00

When I say that 'I am a Christian', I’m not shouting that I’m clean living,

I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride,

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong,

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success,

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I’m worth it.
When I say 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Passing my love for books on to the next generation

2011-02-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Katie lost her first tooth!

2011-02-25T10:54:00.001-05:00

January 31st was a special day around here for a couple of reasons. One of them was Katie lost her very first baby tooth!! Her daddy, as the official tooth puller of the family, handled it extremely well. There were almost no “ohhh, my baby is growing up” moments. Almost.

Word Filled Wednesday

2011-02-23T06:00:00.003-05:00

Too often I forget to praise God not only for the bountiful blessings in my life, but also for the beauty of His creation. Out for a drive one day we came across this stunningly beautiful view at the top of a hill. It was so breathtaking I stood on the side of the road in the freezing cold taking shot after shot hoping to be able to convey even a fraction of the awe I felt. That day, standing on that hill, it was like He was right there.

Whether it’s an answered prayer, an unexpected blessing, a hard time you’re believing in God to get you through, or a moment where He just takes your breathe away with His majesty-praise Him!! Give thanks and praise Him always and in all things!

TOS Review: The Curiousity Files {Puffer Fish}

2011-02-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

My family recently had the pleasure of trying out one of the newest unit studies in the Curiosity Files series by The Old Schoolhouse. We chose to learn about Puffer Fish.

Did you know that there are 120 species of Puffer Fish?! We learned this and many more intriguing facts through a great variety of activities:

Questions to reinforce reading
Math activities covering measuring, ordinal numbers, multiplication and more
Spelling and vocabulary lessons
Copywork
Bible verses
Coloring pages and fun crafts
Science lessons
and much, much more!

To get the best deal on The Curiosity Files, you have two options: the CD of all nine units is available for $49, or you can get all nine units as downloadable E-Books for $46. To purchase individually, please refer to The Old Schoolhouse Store website for pricing details.

What we thought:

What a fun way to learn about these amazingly unique fish!! Because we have such a large age difference in our girls, it isn’t always easy for us to learn together as a family. The Curiosity Files are made for children ages 8-13, but are very easy to adapt for younger or older learners making them perfect for us!! My four year old enjoyed learning about Puffer Fish as much as my fourteen year old! And it was so great that we could all learn about them together! My six year old was especially intrigued with Fugu, and talked about it for days! She wanted to know if the Emperor of Japan was allowed to try the farm raised version. (Once you get yourself the Puffer Fish lesson you’ll know what I’m talking about. I know! The suspense!) My fourteen year old really liked doing the money conversions, and the crossword/word search puzzles were a big hit, too. This ebook is just so packed with interesting facts and fun activities…I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging unit study!!

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of the Puffer Fish for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

Book Review: A Billion Reasons Why

2011-02-10T15:21:00.001-05:00

I LOVE reading. My entire life I’ve been a reader. As a homeschooling mom of three I am always reading something, but very rarely is it the get lost in the story kind of fiction I used to enjoy. A Billion Reasons Why by Kristin Billerbeck was a rare treat!

From the publisher, Thomas Nelson:

He’s a handsome billionaire. She’s not impressed.

Katie McKenna has never loved any man but one: billionaire Luc DeForges. He was her first love. But there are a billion reasons why she's engaged instead to Dexter Hastings, a solid and stable man who wants the same things she does: marriage and a family but all of the things that she wants without the deep-seeded pain and fear of being abandoned that Luc brings.

Dexter and she have worked an arrangement that's akin to faith without action, love without deeds -- a dead faith. Going home to New Orleans to sing for her childhood friend's wedding, Katie must search her heart to find out if any of her reasons for being with Dexter are stronger than love. Only when Katie steps fully into faith and jumps off the cliff of life into the arms of Luc does she understand the fullness of God's grace.

Ahhh, a love story. Who doesn’t love a good romance? And, it’s a Christian romance story! Perfect! As is the case with any well written book, I found myself lost in the story. I finished this book in just one night, it was a fun and easy read—perfect for this season of my life. I look forward to exploring more stories from Kristin Billerbeck!

*I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson’s Booksneeze program for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced in any way by the free product.

TOS Review: VocabAhead

2011-02-07T11:10:00.001-05:00

Whether you’re looking to increase your family’s vocabulary or you have a child studying for the SAT or ACT tests, VocabAhead may be just what you’re looking for! We received a copy of the book SAT Vocabulary: Cartoons, Videos, and MP3s to review through the TOS Homeschool Crew.

VocabAhead believes that the key to successful learning and recall of words and their meanings is full brain learning.

In addition to the definition and an illustration, each page also includes examples of the word used in sentences- “Oliver thought the song he wrote for his girlfriend was brilliant, but she actually found it mawkish and ridiculous.” and synonyms and antonyms for the word.

For $12.95 you can get SAT Vocabulary: Cartoons, Videos & MP3s which includes 300 words spread over 30 lessons, with a review at the end of each section. Also included in your purchase is a download that gives you access to videos and mp3s of all the words.

VocabAhead also makes a DVD One Thousand SAT Vocabulary Videos and MP3s. Visit the VocabAhead website for more information and to check out the many resources available-videos, wordlists and more!

What we thought:

VocabAhead was a great resource for strengthening our vocabulary. There were a few words where I thought the examples provided were inappropriate for my girls, but everyone has a different opinion of what is appropriate for their family. Also, there is no pronunciation of the words in the book. However, if you use the videos in conjunction with the book that isn’t a problem. Overall I’d say this will be a useful resource for our family for many years to come!

To see what my fellow crew members had to say, go here.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

TOS Review: TenMarks

2011-01-27T19:57:00.001-05:00

Math has never been Samantha’s favorite subject. In fact, it’s always been her least favorite. From the beginning of our homeschooling journey three years ago, our greatest challenge has been finding a math program that she can at least tolerate and maybe even learn from. We have been through more programs than I care to count.

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew we have had the pleasure of reviewing a product that has changed how Samantha looks at math. TenMarks is an online math program that is interesting enough to keep her engaged and thorough enough to help her learn without all of the frustration that has been typical in other programs. Our search is over!

From the website:

TenMarks is the only online math program that helps students refresh, learn, and master math concepts - in their own time, at their own pace. Each child receives a personalized curriculum to help them master the concepts quickly. TenMarks offers lessons and personalized programs that cover all the core math skills and concepts your child will need.

Grades 3-10
Over 100 core skills per grade
Hints and video lessons for every topic
Mapped to state standard

TenMarks is priced right at only $10 a month! $10!! You can try it free and see for yourself how great it is. TenMarks also offers a two week money back guarantee. If you sign up and don’t love it, contact them and you’ll get your money back. (But you won’t want to cancel. Trust me.)

What we thought:

We LOVE TenMarks. I love that Sam loves it. To finally have a program that helps her enjoy doing math-it’s such a huge blessing!

This is Samantha’s home page. From here she can view the worksheets she’s completed, what she has to do that day, and what’s coming up next. She can easily navigate to practice pages, tests, reports, and her reward zone. (The reward zone is a great incentive program. There are games to unlock after completing a certain number of worksheets, or parents can set rewards. Honestly, we never used this feature. Samantha loves this program that much!)

There are two choices for a new worksheet: start or learn. The system that works well for her is she views the instructional video first and then completes the worksheet. There are three hints provided for each problem. The best thing about TenMarks is that it’s completely personalized. A do-over worksheet is assigned when the student’s concept strength is 6.9 or less. The concept strength is a combination of the score and the number of hints used. I love that if there’s a concept she’s struggling with she doesn’t just get moved along to the next concept.

In addition to the do-over sheets, there is a practice area. All of the concepts covered can be practiced as much as necessary. Tests are also assigned periodically.

Another feature I love is the report. Anytime I want to see how Sam is doing I just click on reports at the top of the page and at a glance I can see when she completed a worksheet, her score, and her concept strength.

And if all that isn’t enough to convey how great this program is, let me tell you about the customer service. Since there were a large number of us being signed up to do the review, our accounts were set up by telling them what grade our student is in. Fifth graders get put in the fifth grade curriculum, eighth graders start in the eighth grade curriculum. Pretty straightforward, right? Not for us. Samantha is in the ninth grade in all subjects but math. She had been using another online math program since May, and I really didn’t have an idea of the grade level she was working at. So I picked eighth grade. When our account was set up and I looked at the topics she would be covering, I was worried that she was going to have a hard time. I contacted TenMarks by email and shared my concern. I got a very fast response saying they set up an assessment for her, and would personalize her topics according to her results. They worked with us from there, always very quick to respond, and shortly after that we had a program tailored to her needs instead of just putting her in the eighth grade “box”. Amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with customer service!!

TenMarks is by far the most superior math program we’ve used, and we’ve used them all!! We cancelled our subscription to another math program after just two weeks of using TenMarks! No more math struggles for us!

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a very generous free six month subscription to TenMarks for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are in no way influenced by the free product.

I couldn’t have chosen a better man

2011-01-24T15:31:00.001-05:00

Our four year old had been working on learning to read. She’s not as enthusiastic about it as her sisters were, so we’re taking our time. She recently read the Bob Book Matt. She was so proud of herself, she couldn’t wait for her daddy to come home from work so she could show him how she read an entire book all by herself!

When her daddy came in the door, she was standing there (right there, at the door) with her book, ready to read it to him. I said to her “I think daddy would like to sit down to listen to you read” And maybe, you know, take off his soaking wet work clothes. Maybe hang up his jacket? At my words my little darlin’ plopped right down on the floor where she stood. And her daddy? He plopped down right beside her and listened to her read. Wet clothes and boots and jacket and all. Oh, my melting heart.

TOS Review: Maestro Classics-Peter and the Wolf

2011-01-19T11:28:00.001-05:00

Maestro Classics combines classic stories with beautiful music by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. My family and I were absolutely thrilled to receive a copy of Peter and the Wolf.

Other stories in this award winning series are:

Each CD set includes:

An enchanting story set to fantastic music
Superb recordings by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Educational tracks describing the creation of the music, composers’ lives, and more
An activity booklet

You can own any of these classics for $16.98 each or three for $45. Be sure to check out the newly redesigned Maestro Classics website to listen to samples, you really have to hear this music for yourself to understand it’s beauty.

What we thought:

We adore our Peter and the Wolf CD!! We’ve spent some great time together as a family listening to it. I love that while we’re listening to the story my four year old shouts “OH! There’s the flute! That’s the bird!” I love that in addition to the flute they can now identify the oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horns, and strings by sound. And the music is just beautiful. Absolutely, stunningly amazingly beautiful. When we first got the CD I wasn’t entirely sure that a story set to music would hold my little girls attention. I was thrilled to see how wrong I was! They all LOVE it!! While in the process of writing this review I decided to play it on my laptop while I worked. It brought the girls running from all different parts of the house!! “Is that Peter?!” “Are you listening to Peter?!” I finally had to turn it off so I could get some work done because I had a little girl stuck to me on both sides!! I highly, highly recommend this CD!! We can’t wait to get more!!

To see what my fellow crew members thought about Peter and the Wolf go here.

*As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received a free copy of Peter and the Wolf for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.

My 365 1/3/11-1/10/11

2011-01-12T12:12:00.001-05:00

So, I’ve been uploading pictures to my 365 project and having them post to my facebook, but I thought I’d add them here, too. It’s been a little tough getting a picture everyday since we’ve all been sick, but overall I’m enjoying getting to know my new camera immensely!

Psalm 27:13-14

2011-01-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong

and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

My 365

2011-01-02T20:12:00.001-05:00

In honor of my fabulous new camera I’ve decided to take part in the 365 project by taking a photo a day for one year. I’m not sure what this will look like here. I may post the picture every day. I may post seven once a week. Either way I think it’s going to be great fun! Stay tuned…

Goodbye 2010

2011-01-01T21:55:00.001-05:00

Looking back over the past year, it makes me kind of sad how fast my girls have grown.

Frankie 12/09 and 12/10

Katie 2/10 and 12/10

Sam 2/10 and 12/10

For the little girls, the changes are mostly physical. Over the span of a year they’ve lost their chubby little girl cheeks. They’ve both gotten much taller and slimmer. At almost seven, Katie is long and gangly and has made the jump to actual big kid. I have to look really close now to see any traces of my baby. It’s exhilarating and heart wrenching all at the same time to watch the transformation in the little girl that I’ve held so close to my heart all these years. I thank the Lord I have Frankie to give me the illusion of having a baby around for at least another year. She’s still got the power to melt my heart by just looking at me with those big brown eyes. Such sweet girls I’ve been blessed with…

While her changes are mostly internal, Sam has grown tremendously over the past year as well. At the beginning of the year she was so self-conscious she’d hide every time I had a camera in my hand. Somewhere along the way, she gained confidence and became more self-assured. So much so that now when I get the camera out she’ll willingly smile at me. It’s so great to see that beautiful smile again! She’s also come a long way in her walk with the Lord. That’s a part of her story that’s hers to tell, but I will say that we’ve had a few moments this year where I was amazed at her testimonies. I praise God for the work He is doing in her heart. And I thank Him for the wisdom He had in giving me these amazing girls in His own time.

And our story wouldn’t be complete without showing the newest baby all grown up this year:

Riley-the world’s naughtiest dog ever

Here’s a look at some of my favorite moments of 2010:

Today as I reminisce over the past year I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with that time to be with the people I love most. Over the next year, Lord willing, I plan to dig deeper and get to know Him more. To continue to learn and to grow in my faith because if I’ve learned anything over the past year it’s that without Him everything else is meaningless. I plan to be a better wife. Slow to anger and quick to love. I plan to be the change I want to see in my family. To be a more patient, loving mother. I plan to focus more on what’s important, and stop wasting precious time on things that aren’t. I plan to look to the Lord for discernment in these things. Most of all I plan to live my life for God. To shine Christ’s love on others. To stand firm, and not shrink back.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what He has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

Hebrews 10:35-38

Have a blessed 2011!

A Wonderful Christmas Surprise…

2010-12-26T16:19:00.001-05:00

…from the best husband ever! Since we usually do small gifts for each other, imagine my surprise to find this beauty waiting for me Christmas morning!! I have been longing for a better camera forever. I figured I’d be waiting at least until…retirement. But my husband had faith in my passion. The best part? I had no idea. Being an old married couple usually means we go for practical gifts, or things we discuss ahead of time. What a wonderful, amazing, epic surprise from an even more wonderful, amazing, epic husband!!

TOS Review:Tiny Planets

2010-12-17T12:37:00.002-05:00

We’ve recently had the opportunity to explore Tiny Planets, an award-winning website set in space exploration for children ages 4 to 12. After setting up Cadet accounts for each child and a parent account, kids can join aliens Bing and Bong in a variety of activities:

My Tiny Planets-here kids can adopt and care for their own planet, go on missions with Bing and Bong, play mini-games, and interact with friends in an online community. What I think is great is the measures they’ve taken to make this a safe environment for children. They chat using emoticons or can choose from pre-populated phrases. There are also no ads on this site, so kids can’t accidentally stumble on to any inappropriate materials.
Tiny Planets TV- kids can watch the Tiny Planets television episodes. The series was co-created with the Sesame Workshop and and is the only television program to be endorsed by Montessori Centre International.
Tiny Planets Learning- here you’ll find lesson plans that include educational activities and science experiments, printable worksheets, and more!
Tiny Planets Labs-is full of new games waiting to be tested out!
Tiny Planets Fun- here you’ll find puzzle games, coloring pages, and comics
Tiny Planet Books-stories for younger children featuring Bing and Bong and friends.

There is a variety of free content on Tiny Planets. Through the purchase of keys, you can buy more books, videos, things for your planet and more. A one time purchase unlocks your material forever.
10 keys- $1.95
25 keys- $3.95
85 keys- $9.95
250 keys-$25.95
600 keys- $49.95
What we thought:
I love that safety was such a high priority on this site. I also loved the blog- it was such a great source of information. The books were definitely our favorite part. To me, the site was visually appealing. However, it was just a little busy for my girls. I also found that they had some difficulty with the controls while playing the games. However, my girls are four and six, and not very computer savvy. I think this is a site they will enjoy when they get a little older!
To see what my fellow crew mates had to say, visit them here.

*As a member of the TOS Review Crew, I received free access to this site for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own, and are not influenced by the free product in any way.

Word Filled Wednesday-Psalm 13:6

2010-12-08T06:30:00.003-05:00

A quick break from the craziness

2010-11-24T16:24:00.001-05:00

Luigi reading in the living room. Cinderella taking her barbies for a swim in the sink. Banana bread hot from the oven. New additions to our family. All of my favorite people right here with me. Life is good.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”-Colossians 2:6-7

Happy Thanksgiving!!

TOS Review: KB Teachers

2010-11-19T14:56:00.001-05:00

My girls love worksheets. Love them. They would do worksheets all day long if I let them. I have had subscriptions to a variety of different worksheet sites over the years as a fun way to supplement our studies. When we were recently given the opportunity to review KB Teachers for the Review Crew, we were very excited!

KB Teachers has a variety of worksheets for kids of all ages in English Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, Seasonal, and more. One of our favorites is the Alphabet Factory. Here there are a ton of alphabet worksheets to practice letter recognition and writing skills. I especially like the ones that allow me to customize worksheets with a big letter on top and three words of my choosing. Our four year old is learning the proper formation of letters right now, so these have been a big hit with her! There are also pages on cursive and grammar and writing.

For math Francesca loved working on Thanksgiving counting pages. Katie really enjoyed the telling time worksheets. What I especially like is that a lot of the worksheets on KB Teachers are generators, so you can click a button and have a whole new worksheet! Other topics covered in the math section are:

counting money
addition
subtraction
multiplication
division
and more!

KB Teachers offers a great selection of history pages for 7th-12th grades. We didn’t get much use out of this section yet, but plan to in the near future. Topics include:

Ancient civilizations
Early American history
World countries
Medieval Europe
Global history
World War One
Post war Europe
China
The Cold War

I've been working on incorporating some of these pages into Sam’s lessons, and we’re really excited to get to work on them!

Their science section offers worksheets on a wide variety of topics:

We are big fans of learning through living books instead of textbooks, and these worksheets have fit in perfectly with our studies!

KB Teachers also has pages on dinosaurs, the four seasons, webquests, and more! You get access to over 10,000 worksheets for only $29 a year, or $49 for two years! They also offer a ten day unlimited free trial as well as a 30 day money-back guarantee! Head on over to KB Teachers now and see it all for yourself!

What we thought:

I really like this site! I like that they send you a newsletter with links to new content and seasonal pages. The girls really enjoyed every single worksheet I gave them. Their only complaint was not having more. With just a few adjustments, I would love this site. One thing that bothered me was there was no search bar. KB Teachers believes that a well designed website allows you to navigate to what you’re looking for in three clicks or less. While I believe that their site is well designed and user friendly, there were a few times I was frustrated by my inability to search for what I wanted. Also, I’d like to see more content on the topics they have. I found that we had used up all of our options on more than one occasion. One more thing I would love to see is more offerings for the different ages in most of the subjects. I have a four, six, and fourteen year old. While we greatly enjoyed what was in each subject, it would be nice, for example, to see more science or history pages for the younger children. I do know that they are in the middle of a major upgrade, so I’m really excited to see what they have in store for us! Overall, we greatly enjoyed using this site, and look forward to using it again and again!

To see what my fellow crew members had to say, go here.

*As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received a two year subscription to KB Teachers for review purposes. All opinions given are my own, and are not influenced by the free product.

Gratitude Challenge-November 15

2010-11-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for a life so busy and full that sometimes (ahem) I don't get a chance to blog. I remember a time, not too long ago, when I had a baby and a two year old. Forget blogging, back then I didn't have time to shower. At least I'm doing that regularly now...

Today I am thankful for crazy busy lives because it's really easy for me to get overwhelmed with enormity of the responsibility involved in the way we've chosen to raise our children. Homeschooling our children is not something we learned from our parents. Raising our children up in the Lord isn't something we learned from our parents. It's frustrating to have to constantly go against what has been ingrained in us. Sometimes I wish we could draw from our upbringings instead of starting at square one in everything we do.

And then there's the normal stuff that I think just comes with being a homeschooling mom. I feel like I'm always behind, like I never have time for anything. It's easy for me to feel frustrated because my house is a mess again, no matter how hard we work to keep it picked up. It's easy to be frustrated by all the things I feel I should be doing in our homeschool- there's always something I wish I were doing with them, or doing better. Or different. And I don't know how many times I wish I were more organized, more motivated, more...more.

But then I remember that someday my house will be clean all the time. Someday the hours of lesson planning will be done, and I'll have more free time than I know what to do with. Someday my house will be quiet; there will be no bickering children, no sounds of little girls playing dolls in the next room, no more teenagers music driving me crazy. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.

So today I am thankful for all of the craziness. I'm thankful that my family is young and home with me where they belong, making a mess of things. I am thankful that our lives are so crazy busy, so full, so blessed.

Gratitude Challenge-November 11

2010-11-11T15:59:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for all of the veterans and servicemen who protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.
That is all :)