Winecup Christian Academy

The One With the Free Ice Cream- TOS Blog Cruise

2012-02-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

The TOS Blog Cruise this week is "Favorite Field Trip." This one requires hopping in the way back machine to Feb 2006 - our very first field trip as homeschoolers. The Bluebell Ice Cream Factory in Brenham, TX. It was a two hour drive and I remember on the way there that I was worried about "missing" a day of school. We were brand, brand new homeschoolers - only 3 months in. I wouldn't even sign on to Park Day until after the first year and even then I was worried about "missing school." Now I realize that life is about learning.

Bluebell Ice Cream is a very popular ice cream here in the south, which I discovered shortly after moving here to Texas. For inquiring minds, my favorite flavor is Banana Pudding.

At the beginning of the tour they show a little movie about the history of Bluebell and the family that started it. I don't remember the details anymore, but I remember thinking it was interesting.

Look how little my boys look! Noodle was in the stroller 26 months old, Bear was 9 and my Super Duper was 14.

During the tour we got to see the ice cream making process. They had big viewing windows (no pics allowed) and we could see the workers on the assembly lines. I remember the most fascinating thing was how they made the ice cream sandwiches. A machine stamped out the ice cream, humans put the chocolate outsides in another part of the machine and as the ice cream passed by, the machine slapped the sides on. Picture a machine that looks like clapping hands. They made some crazy number of ice cream sandwiches per shift - like 300,00 or some astronomical number I can't remember!

Sporting the free hats they handed out.

Bear, looking thrilled as usual. Nothing's changed I guess! LOL

At the end of the tour we all got free ice cream. Woot! Gotta love that. The above photo was in their little old time looking ice cream shop.

Thanks for joining me on this little trip down memory lane.

Science Sunday - Solar System Mobile

2012-02-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

We began our Apologia Astronomy studies this week. Chapter 1 was "What is Astronomy." It was a general overview and introduction to what we will be doing throughout our study.

We read, we narrated, and we did copy work. We are also using the Apologia Astronomy Jr. Notebook.

The project was to make a solar system model of some sort. We chose to do a mobile. I did a quick Google search to find the simplest, yet attractive, route to go. I found this PDF link - printed it on card stock and we were good to go! Note: It does not include Pluto (since it was sadly demoted) but we still discussed Pluto and I made my opinion (non scientific that it is!) known.

It took a good hour for Noodle to complete with some assistance. The glue was a little messy, but this job called for Elmer's School Glue, as there was no way a glue stick would hold up for this one.

Additionally, we completed an Astronomy cross word puzzle, read a little from the Scholastic book called Can You Hear a Shout in Space? Then we called it a week!

Linking up with Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom and Science Sparks!

Weekly Report 2/10/12 - The One With the New Schedule and TWO Link Ups

2012-02-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

This week was the first week of our new schedule. M-F: Bible. M-W-F: Math, Language Arts (WWE, CLE, FLL, ETC, OPGTR, TOG WA and Reading Aloud/Literature, and Latin. T/Th: Science, Health, History, Geography and Art/Music.

How did it work? We did do Bible everyday. Monday: We got lots of Math and Language Arts finished, and we did Latin. So far so good. The goal with the M-W-F Math and LA is to get 5 days of work done in 3. Tuesday went swimmingly. We did Bible first, and we got History, Science, Geography and Art done! Wednesday: After Bible, we did Math and all our LA and squeezed in Latin. Looking good! Thursday: Bible, History and Geography. We hit some speed bumps. Our Homeschool Group Valentine Party was scheduled for Thursday evening at 6pm. I had to make a pasta salad and dessert. Noodle had speech therapy at 2pm. It was homeschool park day to boot. Noodle had to sign 32 Valentines AND decorate his Valentine shoe box. Between coming home from the park and leaving for the party, Noodle did manage to squeeze in the Tutorial from Veritas Press Online Self Paced History Program. (More on that below.) Are you exhausted yet?

Friday: I decided since we never got to Science on Thursday that after Bible we would get Science done, take the LA test for CLE Book 108 and do an online history lesson. We are solid and on track pretty much for math, so I let it go. Next week, I will attempt the new schedule again. I think with no major events going on that it will work out as intended.

Here's pictures from our week. Collage style - linking up with Mary over at Homegrown Learners!!

1~ Noodle has been signed up for Spring Little League. This means every day P.E. is now baseball practice in the back yard! He has his own personal ball fetcher. Check out these cuties in this quick video.

2~ My two furry students. They rarely venture outside the school room. They are underfoot most of the day. I am beginning to think I may need to buy them curriculum......you never know.

3~Diesel the Chocolate Lab (ball fetcher) is kind of an attention hound. Here he is visiting Noodle - who always welcomes a distraction from school work!

4~ Diesel visiting Bear. Is it any wonder it takes so long to get through our school day?? Our furry friends are so adorable and loving that it is often hard to kick them to the curb.

5~ Something Bear needed to do for Biology. I just thought I would take a picture, since I rarely have photos of what he is up to.

6~ Bear reading from the Miller/Levine Biology text.

7~ Bear having breakfast. Aren't you glad I included this. I know, it's amazing. I just don't take enough pictures of Bear doing school. Sorry.

8~ Noodle insisted I include this goofy photo. He was working on his handwriting, which is A Reason For Handwriting. The weekly handwriting verse doubles as his memory verse.

9~ Noodle working on Apologia Astronomy Notebooking Journal. We just started Astronomy this week and we are both so excited about it! This is my second time using it, as the first time was with Bear several years ago. Bear loved it at the time too - that was back when he believed God created the Universe. Sigh - I miss that.

10~ For History Noodle and I read Meet Thomas Jefferson by Marvin Barrett. It is an old book and I love it! We did a map of the Louisiana Purchase, only to discover afterwards we did one already. It has been so long since I really did a full history lesson that I had forgotten! I backtracked a little because I wanted to review. Oh well, it didn't hurt to do the map twice.

11~ FLL Notes on the board. We discussed verbs being an action word and later in the week we discussed "state of being" verbs. We'll need more review since the "state of being" verbs were a little confusing for Noodle.

12~ Here is Noodle reading through his vocabulary for the new Dental Health Lapbook we are working on for Health. Health is finally on the radar and the schedule! We read the book Make Way for Tooth Decay and then started the lapbook.

13~ WWE copy work.

14~ Noodle's drawing of a Kangaroo. This week's art assignment. I skipped Artistic Pursuits this week because I needed something he could do on his own while I worked on stuff that I needed to get done.

15~ The book Noodle used for his art this week. How to Draw Wild Animals.

I am also linked up this week with Weird, Unscocialized Homeschoolers.

ALEKS Math- TOS Review

2012-02-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

What is ALEKS?

Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is an online mathematics program that provides personalized learning and assessment tailored to a student's individual needs. Using artificial intelligence and adaptive, open-response questioning, ALEKS quickly and accurately determines what a student knows and is most ready to learn within a course. Learn more by watching a quick 2-minute video.

With a comprehensive course library ranging from elementary school math to complex subjects such as PreCalculus, ALEKS acts much like a human tutor to help take the stress off of homeschooling parents.

ALEKS offers highly-targeted, individualized instruction from virtually any computer with Internet access, making it a comprehensive and mobile education solution for students in grades 3-12. A subscription to ALEKS offers access to all courses and students may take as many courses as needed during their subscription period.

I have heard of ALEKS dozens of times over the years, but never actually checked it out. The first thing after logging in, the student takes an assessment.

Student Assessment

What I liked about the assessment is there was an option to answer, "I haven't learned this yet." There were 30 questions, which for Noodle at age 8 was a bit too many for him. He kept asking how many more he needed to answer. After the assessment the student gets a personalized "pie" to show what he knows and what he needs to work on. The student can click on whichever pie piece he wants and work on what he chooses, rather than the program directing what to do next. That is a plus for kids who need to feel in control. However, it also can keep them from doing the hard stuff they don't want to do.

The student clicks on a pie piece to choose which set of skills he wants to work on. As students work through problems, ALEKS reassesses them as they go along to make sure they are retaining information. ALEKS is a mastery based program.

ALEKS courses are available for grades 3-12 and beyond. Each course has unlimited online access. There is no download, so you can use it from any computer in your home. It's compatible with both MAC and PC. There are homeschool specific programs HERE.

Example of a worksheet question

ALEKS is pretty thorough in their assignments and it avoids multiple choice questions, which makes it hard for the student to just guess! That's a plus. Also, no textbook is required.

The cost for a monthly subscription is $19.95 a month, $99.95 for six months or $179.95 for a year. There is a multiple child discount available. The year access price is compatible with other math computer programs that are popular with homeschoolers. You can get a FREE 2 Month Trial by going

HERE

What we thought overall: I think it is a little dry, but that could be because we are used to other math programs with lots of color and flash. There are games though, so it isn't all "business." The price is decent if one is going to use ALEKS as their sole curriculum, but for a supplement or extra practice, it is a little pricey.

I like that it keeps track of everything for the parent. For those of you who are in states where it matters, you can compare your student's progress to your state's requirements. I also like that parents can create quizzes and assign them at any time.

We received the two month trial in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

If you want to hear what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought of ALEKS, then click HERE.

My Custom Planner

2012-02-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but the planner thing makes me nutso year after year. I have bought pre-made planners and planners you can download and "customize" by printing out the pages you want. I made my own "Mom's Brain" with a three ring binder and it worked for awhile - that is until I started stuffing everything in there and it was about to burst. I still use the Mom's Brain binder to store information that doesn't need to be in the planner I want to carry around with me.

I customized my planner by using a little of Office Depot, a little of the free planners on the Internet and a few of my own forms. First of all, I bought a Pro-Click and it is FABULOUS!!!! In addition to my planner I can make "notebooks" or "workbooks" for the kids or anything else I want tidily together! Pro-Click is a binding system, but the best part is the spiral binding easily opens and closes so you can add or remove pages with ease AND you can reuse the spines! WHAT!?!? Yes!! I purchased the Pro-Click, 45 page capacity spines (pack of 25) and 85 page capacity spines (pack of 25) along with the Pro-Click machine for about $80. WORTH IT! That means I can make 50 workbooks or planners etc - I can't imagine having that many at once, but the fact that I can reuse spines means I likely won't ever use them all up.

To make my cover, I used a free cover from New Beginnings homeschool helper website - run by the Dynamic 2 Mom's blog. I used a cover and back cover from that site, as well as the Calendar Year At a Glance and the Long Range Planning form.

The Dividers are serving as front and back cover and of course, dividers. They are a flexible semi hard plastic divider from Avery - # 11231

These are my lesson plan pages. I made it myself with Microsoft Publisher - how I make most of my forms- and I tweak it whenever it suits me. I don't put days of the week - I plan out 180 lessons and when we are done we are done. I have a tab with these pages for each of the boys.

I learned about Frixion Pens from Sam over at Sam's Noggin, and they are WONDERFUL! I love lesson planning with pen - that is erasable. It erases from friction, not an actual eraser. These are most definitely not like the erasable pens of the 80's. No more pencil smudge in my planner and no more eraser crumbs.

Year Calendar At a Glance

This is the year long calendar I purchased at Office Depot. It came on a spiral, but I took it off, cut off the holes and re-holed it with my Pro-Click to insert in my planner! I had to have it because it was pink.

On the long range planner I am writing things I want to do throughout the school year, but always seem to be a day late for- like Pi Day or holiday unit studies.

Long Range Planner from the New Beginnings Website

This is the Daily "To Do" form I made for myself. It has a checklist on the left of all the things I want to make sure I get done each day - like checking my blood sugar or taking my blood pressure meds. I get busy and sometimes forget! Also, I have a space for chores, errands and a food log. At the bottom is a note section for anything misc I think of that I want to write down or remember.

This is a curriculum resources planner from New Beginnings website (I think!). I put it in my planner, but I haven't used it yet. We'll see.

This is the curriculum planning sheet I have been using for years and it came from www.donnayoung.org - I will probably stick with what is familiar.

I have tabs for menu planning/recipes/grocery list, banking/bills info and passwords, and college info.

That's all. I wanted something easy to carry around - unlike the cumbersome binder - that I could easily work on when I am in a waiting room or at the ball field. I can stick it in my purse (yes, I carry a big purse) and off I go!

Maybe this gives you some ideas - have fun making your planner!

Math Rider - TOS Review

2012-02-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

Math Rider is a math facts computer game. If your child needs help master math facts, Math Rider is a sure fire, fun way to learn them! Memorizing math facts is a requirement in our homeschool and flashcards get boring at times, so I was thrilled when I heard about this review product! For ages 5 and up, and billed as "The Intelligent Math Facts Game" it lives up to that claim. The price for the program right now is $37, but it is going up to $47 on February 15, 2012.

The way Math Rider works: Children go on Quests (four for each operation) through the "Mathlands" and which quest they go on depends on their math facts needs. Noodle did addition and subtraction. He loved the challenge of trying to beat his best. He did get frustrated at times due to his motor skills not being 100%, but it was GREAT for him to experience. Because the student has to be quick, his speed and the use of his fingers improved greatly. The student is riding a horse and clearing poles - each time a math question is answered correctly, the student clears the pole. They earn points each time they clear a pole. Noodle loved at the end of each "ride", finding out how many poles he cleared and how many points he had. It either gave him great satisfaction or motivated him to do better on the next ride.

There are easy, medium and advanced levels using facts for 0-12. The game tracks what your child is doing and knows which math facts to drill your student for and adjusts question ease or difficulty levels. It will also compile statistics to make a report for you, so you can see how they are doing. The game drills for the four operations : addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and there are the three different levels for each operation (easy, medium and advanced). Each ride is only 30 questions so if your child has a short attention span he can feel accomplished by completing one ride. Noodle usually did 2 - 3 rides at a sitting and then he became tired or bored. He plays math rider about twice a week. He is looking forward to moving on to multiplication, but he has a ways to go yet.

We didn't object, but if you object to "magic" you should know that some the Quests involve magical flowers and enchanted lands. Also, if your child is sensitive, one of the quests is about saving your mother from death!

You can do a FREE Trial or you can purchase for $37 and have an instant download. For those of you that like to use Paypal, that is an accepted form of payment! There is a 30 Day Risk Free Guarantee too. The price is a little on the high end, however, for the price you are getting facts 0-12 for 4 different operations and could use it continually to enhance your homeschool math programs. Now that I have experienced it, I can definitively say I would purchase it for our homeschool if I had to.

MathRider can be used with Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew I received a free Math Rider game in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. To find out what other homeschooling members of the TOS Crew thought of Math Rider, click HERE.

Weekly Report 2/3 - The One With the Overwhelmed Mom

2012-02-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

~What We Are Reading~

Me: Sadly, nothing. I am too busy.

Bear: For fun- Harry Potter series

Noodle: The Chocolate Touch on CD

The only thing I have had time to read is school books - mine and the kids. Bear has been devouring the Harry Potter books. He read the first three in three days. This week, he went back to the bookstore and bought the rest of them and since then he finished book 4. When Harry Potter first came out my oldest was in 4th grade I think. Back then I was much more legalistic and I banned Harry Potter, along with Pokemon. Bear never showed an interest in the books, but a few years ago he wanted to see the movies. I don't know whether I am right or wrong or foolish or wise about these books, but I do know I don't have the energy to debate about it anymore, and I am OK with anyone who doesn't do HP. Unless I see Bear trying to cast spells or start wearing HP Fashion, I am not going to worry about it- LOL. I am actually praying that being exposed to the "magic" of HP, will open his eyes to the realness of God. He may see there is a distinct difference between who God is and who He isn't!

Noodle and I listened to The Chocolate Touch on CD. I vaguely remember reading it as a child. It is a simple and short book with a good lesson about greed. I found some good links online with comprehension questions and activity ideas. Now, if I were a good homeschool mom - this book would have been part of a whole unit on chocolate, which of course would be tied to a study of the rain forest. Then we would make a different chocolate treat each day. Sadly, I am just not that talented. Nor do I have the time right now, and that makes me sad. I am working on making better use of my time. It's hard to want it all and not be able to have it all. I dream of having a clean house, completed and creative lesson plans, and dinner on the table- ALL ON THE SAME DAY. Wouldn't that be nice!

For the Chocolate Touch unit, we read the King Midas story and compared the two. We discussed how different life was in 1952 when the book was written and we got a kick out of the different vocabulary. They said tonic, we say vitamins. They said Arithmetic, we say Math. They say boiled candy, we say hard candy. One thing I love about older books is there are no characters playing video games or using a cell phone!

Also, to go with The Chocolate Touch, we did a "Chocolate Rap" which was pretty funny! We learned about how to read a nutritional label on a candy bar. Next up, Noodle is going to write a letter to Hershey.

Noodle is learning to tie his shoes.

I should have taught him before now, but because of his motor skills frustrations I just put it off. It was thrust upon him at Cub Scouts this week and now he spends a lot of time practicing! At Cub Scouts this week they also learned how to make a book cover and Nolan impressed the group with some Latin words he knows when they were discussing foreign languages. Dear Hubs took him this week, so I missed all of it.

Redneck way to fix a leaky roof.

We had a monster storm last week. When I woke up to make coffee I heard a dripping sound. The roof in the school room was leaking - miraculously dripping right in to my garbage can! Dear Husband, Bear and Bear's best friend K made it all better. It rained again and there was no leaking so it is for sure is fixed! Yay!! Now one day soon we will need to paint the ceiling in the schoolroom. I don't want to move anything out of this room. I am thinking I will just cover everything in plastic when the time comes.

We had a very productive week, although we still didn't do everything I had planned. I am beginning to realize (again) that my lesson plans may be a little unrealistic.....in the sense that I have too much planned for one week or one day. We just don't have enough time to *do it all.* I am going through a thought process of how I can restructure our schooling so that we can do a sufficient amount of science and history. Right now for science we have been learning about plants, and honestly, it is boring me to tears. I am mentally ready to start our Astronomy/Earth/Space study, but I need to get my planning together.

One thing I am considering is doing the Math and Language Arts M, W, F and then spending all days Tuesdays and Thursdays covering Science, History, Health, Latin, Art and Music. Bible would continue everyday though- and speaking of Bible we are doing it first thing every morning lately. I am using a new program (one I am reviewing) and I love it! Bear even sits in on it. Anyway, I am struggling in my mind with the idea to break up the week because the *right* way to do school is to do Math and Language Arts EVERY DAY - or so says my head. But what if we did five days worth of stuff in three since that would be all we focused on, on those days?? How much fun could we have on the other two days with plenty of time for projects, experiments and fine arts? I guess it is a no brainer and I just need to take the plunge.

Bear of course would do his usual high school load. I'd do more with him, but he isn't interested. He has become a very good independent worker and I am SO PROUD of him for his work ethic. This is the same kid who used to drive me crazy and the same kid I considered selling to gypsies or sending to public school years ago! Aside from the heartbreaking fact he is not a believer at the moment, he works hard, desires to learn, takes initiative in his learning and he has big career goals. He is adventurous and I have no doubt that he will see the world. I am praying that God is doing a work in him and that all his talent and ambition will not be wasted on worldly endeavours.

Bear working on Art of Argument- an excellent intro logic program.

Noodle- writing his spelling words on the board.

Writing With Ease Dictation.

Abeka Math

CLE Language Arts

Labeling the parts of a leaf.

Next up at Winecup Christian Academy:

Ramona the Pest on CD
Beginning Apologia Astronomy and Real Science Odyssey Earth and Space
Veritas Press Self Paced History - to enhance Tapestry of Grace History

Linking up with Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

A Day in Our Homeschool Life

2012-02-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Simple Homeschool is talking about homeschoolers and their days.

Everyday around here is different. It just depends on who needs to be where and do what. Most days we are home, but there are always things pulling us in different directions. Typically, I wake up between 6 and 6:30 - I enjoy my quiet time, coffee and check email and FB. I check my planner, and review my to do list for the day. I am loving my new custom planner. (More on that with an upcoming post dedicated just to my planner.)

My beat up table - soon to be painted - my next project.

Then the boys get up between 8:30 and 10:00 and we all have breakfast. Sometimes I cook a hot breakfast, other times they have cereal. I prefer when the day starts earlier, but sometimes I just want to take advantage of the quiet, so I let them sleep later. For those out there that might "tsk, tsk" at this - my boys do know how to get up at the crack of dawn if need be. In fact, Bear does it often for scouting events. He isn't missing some major life skill because he gets to sleep in while the local school kids are already in their desks (without enough sleep probably).

After breakfast, lately, Noodle and I start the day with the new Bible curriculum that I am loving. (More on that in a review next month!!) Then we do Math and Language Arts which take up most of the morning since LA comprises of several different things. We typically do an LA lesson from CLE, one or two pages from Explode the Code (book 5 now), a Writing With Ease lesson, an Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading lesson, or two or three. A couple days a week I throw in something miscellaneous and a Tapestry of Grace Writing Aids assignment.

An OPGTR lesson.

Then we eat lunch. Most days it is a hot lunch of sorts because we just aren't big sandwich people. We eat anything from salads, to burgers, to hot dogs, to Tilapia, to mac n cheese, and to pizza. We like to enjoy lunch - it is our biggest break of the day. Many days the boys will watch Mythbusters on Netflix while they eat. Sometimes I read aloud to Noodle during this time because he is a SLOOOOOOOW eater and I am not.

After lunch we tackle things like science, history, fine arts, Latin and Health. Never all on the same day. It's just too much it seems.

Throughout the day we get lots of interruptions from the dogs, who are pretty dang needy! They want to be at our feet or in our laps at all times.

How do you say "No!" to this kind of love??

They fight over who gets the lap!

They frequently get on our desks too.

We also get distracted by cool educational games, trips to the park to play with homeschooling friends, tutoring sessions (math for Bear and me), trips to the grocery store etc.

Science fun.

We also get distracted by housework (although you really can't tell by looking at my house) and projects like our school room overhaul.

After school Bear can usually be found reading a book, taking care of the rats and snakes......... or blowing something up or shooting things in the back yard.

Noodle likes to build Lego sets, ride his bike outside, jump on the trampoline with the dogs or play with his DS.

After (errr, and during sometimes) school I can be found playing Words With Friends, posting mini political rants on FB and lately homework, homework and more homework. Yes, I am one of those FB people who voices my displeasure with politicians and anybody who does or says something stupid. I say stupid things too, but I can always count on someone to correct me. It's how I learn a lot of things!! It's a good thing I am majoring in English this time around, because my grammar skillz aren't what I thought they were. I corrected something the other day that WASN'T wrong. Two people immediately corrected me. I deleted my faux pas and left with my tail between my legs mumbling something about not finishing my coffee first. Oh well. What will I learn today??

After an afternoon of playing online I make dinner (uh, sometimes) and then, depending on the evening, we head out to Scouts or other happenings in the neighborhood. I am a late owl so I can usually be found reading, playing online or doing homework late in to the evenings. I love the late nights and early mornings when everyone is asleep and I get "alone time" that I often crave. I need time away from the noise, to keep my sanity. Or find sanity. I am not sure which.

Weekly Report 1/29 Better Late Than Never....

2012-01-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

I intended to do this weekly report on Friday, but it just didn't happen. The big news this week was I finished the school room makeover. I am loving it. However, we managed to do some school in the midst of all that.

Bear did his usual - sorry - nothing too exciting to report here! He helped a lot with assembling the school room. He attended Scouts. He helped rescue fish at the State Park after it was flooded. This was not a formal event - he and some other kids happened to notice there were fish trapped in a low level "mud puddle" and they caught them by hand and delivered them back in to the river. I wish I had a picture, but it was too muddy for me to get close enough.

Noodle - here is his week in pictures:

Assembling Legos - yes this is school - it requires following directions and focus :)

Done!

A little George Washington copy work.

Song School Latin

Pinecar Derby 2012 - Best Paint Job- Again! No placement this year, but that's OK.

Noodle's car - there are little speckles of glitter.

Also this week he did quite a bit of reading aloud, completed some OPGTR lessons, Explode the Code pages and some math.

All in all it was a good week. Next week, no more delays - we will be back to very full time days. Noodle will be thrilled. {sarcasm}

To see what other homeschoolers did last week, check out the link up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Kinderbach - TOS Review

2012-01-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Kinderbach is a super fun way to learn how to play piano, all at the own pace of your child. You don't need a fancy piano, a toy keyboard will do the trick. Noodle has a plastic keyboard he got at Walmart years ago and he was ready to go. It is recommended for ages 3-7.

Kinderbach has a series of videos online with four sessions per week. Right now there are six levels, but Kinderbach is working on a Level 7 for future release. Additionally there are PDF books to download - they are full of activities to cement learning and have instructions as well. The videos have cute characters (each key has a "piano pal") which introduce different music concepts -such as note reading, singing, rhythm and more. There is also a music teacher who is pretty enthusiastic. You can GO HERE for a scope and sequence.

Student can get through several lessons in one sitting. The videos are short and sweet - mostly in the 3-7 minute range. I found that sitting with Noodle worked best since every time I left him on his own he became distracted. The program is suggested for a few minutes each day, 4 days a week.

I thought it was cute and simple to use. Noodle is 8 so he thought some of the instruction was a little silly, but if he was 4 or 5 he probably wouldn't have had complaints about it. He also struggles with finger placement (much like he does with typing). He is working on his fine motor skills with a speech therapist, so in the future learning piano will be easier. Right now, he prefers to make up his own music! Also, he isn't really in to coloring, so that aspect didn't much appeal to him either.

You can try a free online trial HERE. You can also try a Day Pass for only $5.95 to see if it will appeal to you or your kids. Once registering for the program there is a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. For Web based lessons (over 240 lessons) and the PDF downloads, the cost is $7.99 a month, paid for all at once for $95.88. That's a savings of 60%. OR you can get a $19.99 a month monthly subscription (billed once a month for 12 months). Also available, if you don't want online lessons, you can purchase DVD's which range in price from $55.95 - to $222.88. In my opinion, it is very affordable for what you are getting.

I have never looked in to what regular sit down with an instructor piano lessons cost, but I imagine it is more than $7.99 - 19.99 per month. This program is a great value if you want "private piano lessons."

Here is a fun video to check out too!

Oh, and for you iPad folks Kinderbach is working on something for you too!

As a member of the TOS Review Crew we received a free subscription to Kinderbach in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

If you'd like to know what other TOS Crew Reviewers thought of Kinderbach, click HERE.

Homeschool Mother's Journal - 1/27

2012-01-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I participated in the Homeschool Mother's Journal over at The Homeschool Chick.

In my life this week… Organization! I started out the year with the goal to organize and declutter this year. I have 12 "rooms" including the garage and 3.5 baths - to do this year. That's one for each month of the year. I started with the classroom. You can see the finished product HERE.

In our homeschool this week… We actually did manage to do some school this week in the midst of chaos. More on that at my weekly report.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share… Don't let the clutter get out of hand like I did. Clutter is distracting.

I am inspired by… Homeschool mom's who seem to have it all- a clean, cute school room, clean house, well behaved kids, they cook dinner for their family and they work out. I don't know how they do it...... or maybe it just seems that way on their blog!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… IKEA - three times. Also, the local state park where we have our homeschool park day, flooded. We went the day after the water receded. Can you say "mud bath?"

My favorite thing this week was… Getting the school room done.

What’s working/not working for us… Clutter no longer works for us. As far as school, curriculum is great, and work environment is now great.

Questions/thoughts I have… I am struggling with my weight, still. I can't seem to get a grip on eating healthy or in moderation. I have a support network, but it really boils down to me making better choices. I am so disappointed that I let myself gain so much weight back.

Things I’m working on… college workload, teaching the kids, decluttering the house and planning our road trip.

I’m reading… Columbine and college texts.

I’m cooking… Pork Chops in the crock pot. They were yummy.

I’m grateful for… my husband who works hard to provide for us. The funds to transform my schoolroom.

I’m praying for… Various friends who have things going on.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… For old times sake......sigh.

Mid Year School Room Makeover

2012-01-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy. Really, call me crazy. I don't know why I suddenly got the itch to re-do the school room, but I got it and I couldn't fight it. Yes, I just re-did the school room in July 2010 with paint and new flooring. If you look at the "School Room" tag you can see other "before" shots of the room. I got tired of the yellow and I got tired of the hodge podge of desks, crates, book shelves etc. I had a bad case of "disorganizeditis" and something had to change. The chaos was weighing on me and causing me to neglect things that needed to be done - but I couldn't get stuff done because my mind was distracted by the clutter, and I couldn't focus.

The boys and I had started slowly making our way to the kitchen and started to work in there to avoid the mess in the school room. The mess followed us. Not only was the school room a disaster, now the kitchen was too. I was spreading my disease.

I blame Pinterest and Confessions of a Homeschooler for my intense desire to be organized and clutter free. All the organizing pins on Pinterest combined with IKEA part numbers from Confessions of a Homeschooler did me in. I discovered there was an IKEA an hour from me and then it was really all over with. I made three trips in total. I didn't get exactly what COH put in her schoolroom, but I was inspired.

Unfortunately, I didn't take "before" pictures of the schoolroom mess, but trust me, stuff was everywhere. Here are pictures of the mess that spread to my kitchen:

Here are pictures of the stuff that came out of the schoolroom:

Some of the games.

Books- the bins were later filled with items that were not books.

Bear painted the room for me. Bye bye yellow, Hello Partridge Gray.

More mess.

Assembling IKEA furniture.

I sold all the old bookshelves, Bear's desk and my desk. After starting to put the room back together (and after tossing stuff away and separating stuff for sale etc) I realized I still didn't have enough room. So, back to IKEA for a third time. The first time I bought the table tops and "legs" and then I had to go back for the Expedit Shelves. Third trip was for more Expedit shelves and storage boxes- finally on the third trip they had my Pink Drona boxes!! Can I just say, I love, love, these boxes and basket thingies. They HIDE stuff!

Now for the reveal - I am thrilled with the new set up! I especially love that we all sit around the desk together and I love being surrounded by order. I can see almost all our books from the "teacher's desk" and I can't wait to start working on my next round of lesson plans. I have space to spread out and everything within reach.

White board, Bible and Math section.

Language Arts side of the room.

Teacher's Desk.

I found the cute pink, black and white magazine boxes at the Target $1 section. The hot pink baskets were also in the Target dollar section for $2.50. I am hiding school supplies (of which I shouldn't have to buy for 5 years!), small games, manipulatives etc. I will be doing another post down the road with pictures of all the hidden stuff, just to show how I am organizing everything. I love that I am not looking at all the little odds and ends.

I am using IKEA DVD boxes for small odds and ends. My laminator is out and plugged in ready to turn on and go whenever I need it. No more pulling it down and finding a spot for it on the kitchen counter.

The only other thing that will be changing soon in the room is the roman shades my friend is making for me. We are bartering - babysitting and Mary Kay for the shades. They will be a pink, black, white and lime green stripe.

That's all folks. I think it is safe to say I will not be doing any major overhauls again on the school room- it's finally in a dream condition. Surely, I will be cleaning it and it will get messy, but no more paint and no more furniture! Woot!!!

We Choose Virtues - TOS Review

2012-01-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

We Choose Virtues is a character education program for Early Childhood through Early Elementary. I was very excited to try these and to learn how simple they are to use and implement. I really needed these for Noodle. For the purpose of this review I received the Virtue Clues Cards, The Teacher Handbook (which is very colorful, but I printed it all out anyway!), and a Virtueville Coloring book in a PDF download. Additionally, in a PDF download format I received the Family Character Assessment and a list of memory verses.

The cards are cute, colorful, sturdy and they come in a nice little vinyl pouch. The characters featured on the card have cute and catchy names like Piggy Bank Frank and Feather Heather. The program teaches kids 12 different virtues: Self Control, Forgiveness, Obedience, Patience, Honesty, Kindness, Attentiveness, Contentment, Perseverance, Gentleness, Helpfulness, and Diligence. The cards explain what the virtue means and doesn't mean.

Before beginning Noodle and I filled out the character assessment. I thought this was a great visual and a good tool for getting us to think about how we behave. The teacher handbook was very helpful in teaching about virtues and was full of good ideas and simple ways to explain character qualities. We enjoyed a game of "Eye Spy" while learning how to focus. Noodle liked the cards, but since he isn't a big fan of coloring he balked a little at the coloring pages.

We enjoyed the introduction to this program so much that we are going to continue with it and I will be ordering the 100 Days of Virtue sticker chart. We Choose Virtues also has programs for older kids (12-18) and even a parent set of cards.

The We Choose Virtues Character Cards are on sale right now for $5.99, the coloring book download is $3.00 and the Teacher Handbook is $4.99. I think the price is fair for what you are getting. There is also a Homeschool Kit you can check out HERE. To "like" them on Facebook, go HERE.

Here are some Promo Codes you can use (but only one per purchase):

VIRTUE15 good for 15% off shopping cart total
FAMILY good for $3.00 off KIDs Virtue Poster
SHIPFREE for free worldwide shipping

If you want to see what other TOS Crew Reviewers thought of We Choose Virtues, click HERE.

I received free items in exchange for an honest review - no other compensation was received.

Weekly Report 1/9 - 1/14

2012-01-15T06:05:00.000-08:00

~What We Are Reading~

Me: Columbine by Dave Cullen and Giving God First Place (a bible study)

Bear: Snake Charmer by Jamie James

Noodle: Various Readers

Bible: I have this first on the list, mainly as a reminder to me that this should be a priority in my life, not just our homeschool. The fact is it hasn't been a priority in either for a long time. I have gotten caught up in the stuff of life and trying to do things within my own power. Now, there is a mess that only God can clean up.

I admit, I really don't know how to do this "subject." All the curriculum I see don't appeal. I don't want Noodle to do bible crossword puzzles or little bible crafts. I am not saying there can't be any value in those things, but I just don't want to spend time on them. I would prefer reading and discussion. So, this week I just focused on reading the Word.
I haven't assigned anything to Bear for Bible, since anytime I do he gets angry for "forcing religion" on him. For now, I continue to pray that God will reach him through other people or some event I have no hand in. He just doesn't want to hear it. I don't want to argue and drive him farther away from God. Keep praying for us in this area please.

Math: Noodle continued with Abeka. He has also been playing a math game on the computer - for an upcoming review we are working on - so more on that coming soon! I am planning on ordering Teaching Textbooks 3 for him, next week. I am going to see if I can find a used one to save a little money. Bear continues to succeed in Algebra and has 12 lessons left! With only 12 lessons to go, the third lecture and practice CD turned up with a crack in it!! Grrrrr. I had to order a replacement, and thankfully it was only $15.

Math game.

Language Arts: Noodle is on CLE LA Book 108. We started this series about a year ago and I wanted to be done with it a couple months ago. We just don't get to it everyday. Part of me is worried we haven't started the 2nd grade series of books, but the other part of me knows CLE is a little advanced. Also, we use several other language arts materials so he isn't missing anything. Noodle started Explode the Code Book 5. He continued with reading lessons in Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading, and he reads aloud to me a book each day. Soon, he will graduate to chapter books and book reports! Can't wait! Additionally, Noodle completed some more WWE lessons. He is improving with his summarizing, which is exciting.

WWE Dictation

Playing Story Cubes

Bear continues grammar review with CLE. I think I decided he is going to do the AP English test in May when he does the AP Biology test, so he will begin a practice book for that pretty soon.

History: Noodle watched a DVD for kids about the American Revolution. The DVD is from Learn Our History, which is an organization co-founded by Mike Huckabee. The information was good, but the animation and characters attitudes left much to be desired. Characters were name calling and it is obvious someone was trying too hard to make history appeal to "cool kids." I think history is fascinating and cool enough without that stuff. Just my opinion of course.

Visual from Learn Our History's American Revolution DVD

Bear continued his TOG assignments. Bear is reading Little Madison for a fun supplement to his history studies.

Science: No science for Noodle, but Bear worked on Biology every day. Bear continues other science "experiments" - mainly blowing up water bottles with various explosion recipes from physics and chemistry books. One of these days I fully expect the police to show up because of a freaked out neighbor. I limit him to two explosions so it doesn't get ridiculous.
Logic: The Art of Argument is really a great curriculum in my opinion. We only do it a couple of times a week, but from here on out we are going to kick it up a notch.

Philosophy: I love TOG Philosophy. It is really deep, confusing and hard to grasp, but it makes us think! The second time reading through always makes more sense for us.

In other news, we gave Daisy the Guinea Pig a bath. Here she is in all her cuteness, cozily wrapped in a warm towel, drying off.

That's it in a nutshell. I am about to embark on "Operation Classroom Makeover" so school is going to be a little trickier to navigate in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait to do the big reveal. Let me just give you one hint: IKEA. That's all I can say for now!

I am linked up with Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Check out how other homeschoolers did with school this week.

Our Week in Pictures 1/2 - 1/6

2012-01-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

We aren't full swing yet since the holidays. I am having disorganized-itis issues. I don't really have a weekly report, but here is a small portion of our week in pictures.

Apologia Biology experiment.

Interim pantry photo- in process of becoming "organized."

Noodle hamming it up for the camera while completing Tchaikovsky notebook page.

I don't know what these are - I found the recipe on Pinterest. I am just calling them Zucchini Boats.

Here they are after being cooked.

Snake in a sock.

Noodle found a four leaf clover.

Linked up with Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap Up.

The Story of Swan Lake Maestro Classics - TOS Review

2012-01-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity to review The Story of Swan Lake from Maestro Classics. When I told the boys it was a musical and a ballet I got groans and eye rolls. We listened to it twice, and I found it thoroughly enjoyable. I have never been interested in ballet, but I can see how having the visual to accompany the music would make for much better enjoyment of the story.

The Story of Swan Lake's music is by Tchaikovsky. Bear recognized some of it as being in Harry Potter movies and Nolan remarked that some music was played in the theme song for Wonder Pets, although Wonder Pets plays it faster and added lyrics. The boys had the realization that classical music is pretty much everywhere!

Maestro Classics CD's retail for $16.98 or you can download the MP3 for $9.98. When purchasing from Maestro Classics, you aren't just getting a CD. On the website you can get dozens of ideas and resources to accompany your CD and enhance your lessons. CLICK HERE to check it out!

Noodle couldn't help but "dance" to the music. No one has ever accused him of having rhythm, but bless his heart he loves to move around. You can see this goofy clip of him enjoying The Story of Swan Lake. Roxy the dog stares at him and even voices her opinion briefly. Hehehehe (The music is hard to hear at the beginning but then it gets louder.)

After the first time we listened to The Story of Swan Lake (33 minutes), we talked about the composer, Tchaikovsky. Bear was interested in him because he was Russian and he has an interest in all things Russian since he began Russian as his foreign language this school year. Noodle did a notebook page for Tchaikovsky that we found HERE.

On the CD, there are several other tracks besides the story. On our CD there was a track about Tchaikovsky's life and much to Bear's amusement a "Speed Metal Swan" track!! Further, there were tracks with more info about the music and other misc topics.

In the booklet that comes inside the CD case there is also information as well as a dot to dot and a crossword puzzle.

Noodle doing the Swan Lake Dot to Dot.

We enjoyed our time at Swan Lake and will revisit when Noodle is a little older, only next time we will go deeper in our studies.

In addition to The Story of Swan Lake, Maestro Classics offers Peter and the Wolf, The Soldier's Tale, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, My Name is Handel; The Story of Water Music, The Tortoise and the Hare, Casey at the Bat, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Juanita the Spanish Lobster. You can order the 9 CD Collection for $128 which is a savings of $25.

In addition to their website, you can find Maestro Classics at Facebook and Twitter.

If you'd like to hear what other homeschoolers on the TOS Crew thought of Maestro Classics, click HERE.

I received a free copy of The Story of Swan Lake from Maestro Classics, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Resolutions or Goals?

2012-01-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

Bear remarked to me the other day that new year resolutions were "stupid" because if you want to change something you should just do it right away. I have to agree, except I would have used another adjective.

I have always set goals (well, not always, but since age 18). At age 18 I began my career in direct sales with a company called House of Lloyd, which is now defunct. I represented their Decor and More line. It was in that first training session that I heard of goal setting, and coincidentally, homeschooling. The lady conducting the training taught about writing down goals and during her training she mentioned that she was homeschooling her two daughters. She and I are still in touch to this day and her girls are successful and doing what they want to be doing in life.

From House of Lloyd, to Avon, to Jewels by Park Lane and finally to Mary Kay I learned many valuable lessons about setting and achieving goals. Everything I know about organizing, scheduling and leadership - I learned from my affiliation with those companies. Today I am still a representative for Mary Kay, just very part time and mostly for my personal use of the products, which in my not so humble opinion are the best on the market! (Seriously, Timewise Microdermabrasion, check it out!) Mary Kay was by far my most successful and longest run. I earned 4 cars, countless pieces of jewelry and other fabulous prizes. I got to wear beautiful clothing, traveled and have made lifetime girlfriends. I learned from some of the smartest, christian women out there in the business world.

When life circumstances changed and I found myself homeschooling my boys, something had to give, and it was my business. My first year homeschooling was SO HARD. I wondered many times, "Why am I doing this?" Only to have God remind me why. Basically, I was a mess and was in unfamiliar territory, so I thought.

In my second year of homeschooling I realized that I could apply what I learned in my career, to my homeschool. I didn't have to copy public school. I didn't have to be "dictator teacher" I could lead my students to knowledge. My goal was to have children who love learning. Much like I used to dangle carrots in front of my sales force, I started dangling a love of learning in front of my students. I model being enthusiastic about learning and we discuss life goals. Sometimes I wonder if I am getting through, but then God shows me my son persevering through a subject he has detested all of his life. I see him determined to learn. I feel good about where we are at with school. My goal for school continues to be to have children who love learning.

This year I do want to make some changes around here. I didn't reach all of my goals last year, so some of them are carrying over to this year, and I have a set of new goals. My boys are working on their goals for this year too, which I will share in another post coming soon. For now, here are my goals for the Calendar year 2012:

Lose 50 pounds.
Exercise faithfully 3-4 times a week.
Organize each room of the house, one by one. Coincidentally, including the garage there are 12 rooms to organize. One for each month of the year. However, I am hoping to finish before the end of the year!
Implement a menu planner to plan family meals and help with the grocery budget.
Continue my college education.
Take the "American History Road Trip" in June with Bear, Noodle and my mother. I plan to blog it along the way!
Paint the Master Bedroom and Master Bath.
Rip out Master Bedroom carpet and stain the concrete.
Read 52 books

Hopefully at the close of 2012 I can have all of these crossed off! How about you? Do you do resolutions in January, or are you a goal setter all year long?

Zeezok Z- Guides to the Movies- TOS Review

2012-01-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

I'd heard of people studying literature with movies, but had never actually tried it in our homeschool. I was excited to learn that I would get the opportunity to finally try it out! Zeezok Publishing has literature guides called Z Guide to the Movies.

The Z- Guides are a recent addition to the Zeezok product line up. From the Zeezok website:

Each guide starts out with a topic overview. This overview provides the student with more information regarding the specific time period in which the movie is based. Next is a movie synopsis. The synopsis will assist the student in understanding what is going on in the movie and how relationships, situations, and events all relate together.

I chose The Count of Monte Cristo for our movie study. It was readily available from Netflix, as are many of the movies that have Z-Guides. You can check out a sample of a Z-Guide HERE. It just happens to be The Count of Monte Cristo. Through our Tapestry of Grace history studies this year, we spent quite a bit of time on the French Revolution and Napoleon. This movie and guide helped things come alive for Bear, who admittedly does not enjoy literature guides. He just wants to read books and be done with it. I'd like to say that the Z-Guides changed him, but they didn't. That said, take what Bear says with a grain of salt since he doesn't like lit guides. I on the other hand, a lover of literature and an enthusiastic homeschool parent, loved the guide!! I will likely use more of them, not just with Bear, but in the future, with Noodle. Top on my list of next to try are Les Miserables, and The Red Badge of Courage.

Before Bear watched the movie we read the Topic Overview and the Movie Synopsis. Several of the activities are built around the historical time period of the movie. We read over the Activity 1 questions, which pertain to the movie and characters. Bear answered them during and after the movie. For Activity 2 Bear needed to answer questions about Napoleon Bonaparte and Nineteenth Century France. These questions weren't related to the movie and needed to be researched with the Internet and our history resources from TOG. There continued to be several interesting activities such as "If I had to do it all over again" which required reflecting back on life experience so far, and also an activity called "What would you do with unlimited wealth?" Are you intrigued yet??

In our guide there was also a word search which I feel could have been left out, but for teens that enjoy that sort of thing it's probably nice to have it in the guide. Bear, who is a hopelessly serious 15 year old said, "Really? A word search?" My Noodle on the other hand LOVES word searches so helped his brother find the words. I really liked the activity that addressed literary terms - such as foreshadowing and irony. An answer key was also included for all the activities.

By far my favorite part of the guide was the Worldview Activity. According the to the Zeezok website:

The worldview activity helps the child to understand the movie’s worldview. This activity is not to impress on the student our personal worldview, but to get the student to think critically through what he believes and what is being presented in the movie. Family discussion questions also develop this critical thinking from the worldview promoted within your family.

The Filmmaker’s Art activity helps the student recognize the tools being used to influence the viewer. The various guides discuss how filming techniques, music, lighting, humor, character development, irony, foreshadowing, and even character names are used by the director and producer to influence the viewer to get their agenda across. We want the student to be able to discern not only the agenda of the movie, but also how they are being influenced by it. The goal is that when the student goes to the theatre and watches Harry Potter or Avatar or Happy Feet, he walks out not thinking it was an entertaining movie, but understanding the bigger message behind each film.

Our guide also had a section "For Family Discussion" which I find to be a fabulous feature! Noodle couldn't watch the movie because of mature content, but it was alright for the rest of us.

The goal of the guides is to have the student be an active learner instead of a passive learner. The student becomes an active learner right off the bat by answering review questions during the movie, which requires them really engaging in what they are viewing. The Zeezok guides focus on comprehension, critical thinking, research skills, writing skills and all have at least one hands on activity.

Zeezok has Movie Z-Guides for topics ranging from Ancient Civilizations to Post WW II. There are guides available for Elementary through High School. The guides can be purchased for $12.99 either in PDF (immediate download) format or a CD which is shipped via Media Mail for a flat $4.99 charge.

Also available from Zeezok Publishing are Government and History Resources, the Great Musician series, lit study guides, Presidential Penmanship and several e-books and audio books.

You can go here to "Like" their Facebook Page.

For the purpose of this review I received the PDF format in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

If you'd like to see what others thought of Zeezok Z-Guides to the Movies click HERE.

Weekly Report 12/19 - 12/23

2011-12-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, I thought we would do school this week. I know the local schools are out, and other homeschoolers stopped weeks ago, but if we can get some stuff done then I like to do it. Not much school got done. Oh well. We had fun anyway!
Monday: Bear is away at Boy Scout winter camp. Sup Dup is at work as usual, so it is just Noodle and me. He had breakfast and then I put on Mary Poppins for him so I could do some housework. About fifteen minutes in he declared, "Mom, I don't like this movie." When I suggested he do some school work he decided to give his opinion after he watched the whole thing. Hahahaha! For the record, he loved it.

After Mary Poppins ended we went to this website to find out what was happening in 1910 - during the time when Mary Poppins took place. I had to do something to ease my guilt about watching tv during school hours. Then he did some reading aloud.

I ended up running some errands with my mother so Noodle stayed with my step dad and they watched Return of the Jedi and Captain America. So much for school!

Tuesday: We went to the library. Does that count as school? Noodle did some reading aloud on the car ride. We also went Christmas shopping. Bear came home from Winter Camp, dumped his stuff in the entry way and promptly took a four hour nap.

Wednesday: Noodle spent the day at Grandma's. I cleaned out the three kitchen junk drawers and 3 of the cabinets. I filled a 30 gallon black garbage bag. The drawers are as neatly organized as junk drawers can be. Inside the cabinets, I can now see what is in there besides my crock pot. I think I have about 25 cookbooks- which is funny considering I don't cook very much! I also found several empty jars that we can use for science. I did laundry and other chores I despise.

Thursday: It was Noodle's birthday. Big brother Super Duper had to go to work, which meant he would miss the get together in the evening. He gave Noodle his gift in the morning. Here they are looking super cute.

I made Noodle a Lego cake. Twice. The first cake turned out horrible. I used a box mix and it was fluffy, and too crumbly for the frosting I made from scratch. It was a mess - as you can see.

Lego Cake #1 - Disaster.

I ended up smashing it all together in a bowl for cake balls. The second cake I made from scratch so it was thicker and firmer. Then I used cupcake tops for the Lego pegs. I then used can frosting instead of scratch- colored it with the Wilton dye and Ta-da!! It turned out much more like I envisioned it!

Lego Cake #2 - success!

Ultimately, the cake event was about 6 hours!!!! It was all worth it, as you can see from the look on his face.

His favorite gift. Thanks Grandma! He has been begging for this every time we go to Walmart!

Bear can't contain his excitement.

So, while we didn't do very much "school" - we did spend some fun time together, learned a few things and got some much needed chores done. I also have been reading Late, Late At Night by Rick Springfield. I am enjoying it. There is so much I never knew about him, which is "weird" because I absolutely worshipped him when I was 11 years old and thought I was the Rick Springfield expert.

I am looking forward to the Christmas weekend! Have a Merry Christmas dear readers!!!!

World's Greatest Stories - TOS Review

2011-12-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

The World's Greatest Stories are a series of Bible stories on CD. They are narrated by George W. Sarris who does a fabulous job. Before popping the CD in to listen, I wasn't sure how it would go since all the text are taken directly from the Bible, word for word. I was concerned Noodle would have trouble following, since he is only seven. How wrong I was!

The quality of World's Greatest Stories is top notch. There is music and sound effects, and the narrator isn't just reading, he is acting. It sounds like a movie would sound if you were sitting back listening to it with your eyes closed. You can picture the scenes and the expressions on people's faces.

The CD we received for review was Volume 1- The Prophets. There are five stories on this CD:

The Blazing Furnace
The Handwriting on the Wall
Daniel in the Lion's Den
Elijah and the Prophets of Baal
The Prophecy of Jonah

This was Noodle's first time listening to the Bible on CD. He has seen Veggie Tales and listened to other cutesy Bible related recordings, and he has listened to me and his brothers read directly from the word. This CD however, really grabbed his attention. At first I wasn't sure he was taking anything in because he wasn't looking up from building the crayon tower while we were listening. But finally, he remarked, "Mom, this is violent." Well, yes, I guess it is!!

There are five other volumes of The World's Greatest Stories:

Volume 2 - The Life of Christ
Volume 3- Beginnings
Volume 4- Joshua and Esther
Volume 5- Joseph and His Brothers
Volume 6- Defeating Giants

There are a total of 23 stories on six CD's, and are approximately one hour long each. Each CD retails for $7.95 and can be ordered at their website or by calling toll free 1-888-STORIES. If you order the entire set, the shipping is FREE.

We enjoyed the CD so much, that I plan to purchase the rest of them. I think these CD's are a great and entertaining way to introduce children to the Bible and not just a dramatic presentation, but the real Bible, word for word. You can choose either the NIV or the KJV version.

If you would like to know what other TOS Reviewers thought of The World's Greatest Stories, click HERE.

We received a free CD in exchange for an honest review. Not other compensation was received.

Weekly Report 12/12 - 12/16

2011-12-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

~What We Are Reading~

Bear: Fever 1793

Noodle: More Days Go By

Monday: Rough day. Boot camp so far has not motivated Noodle to be more obedient. I am truly wanting to rip my hair out today. At 4:48pm we were still doing school because SO MUCH TIME WAS WASTED for fit throwing and discipline. The only things accomplished were devotional, handwriting, math speed drill and several lessons, 1 page of Explode the Code and CLE LA. Getting through CLE LA was torture. Normally, he does just fine, but he just keeps dragging it out lately. I really wanted to do science today - but behavior issues combined with things I had to get done, just prevented that from happening.

We also managed to play a math place value game.

I ordered the Explode the Code Book 5 and it should be here by next week.

I made a batch of "Reese's Bars" from a recipe I found online. No bake, super easy. Go HERE to get the recipe and try them out!! SUPER YUMMY!

In the evening Noodle had his Cub Scouts Pack Meeting - he received his Mathematics and Science belt loops.

Bear did his Algebra, Biology, Russian, some literature and some history. He recently built a potato cannon. Enjoy this short video demonstration:

Tuesday: Another rough day. Noodle and I are in a battle for power. For his own good, and safety this child must learn to obey. I flinch when I hear that word - probably because of societal conditioning and the negative connotations of the word. Anyway, he needs to obey and he doesn't. He has a comeback/answer to EVERYTHING. I tell him to do one thing, he does another. We go to the store, I tell him not to run in the parking lot, he runs. I explained to him that a parking lot is a dangerous place if he isn't paying attention, and if there is a driver not paying attention. I have zero patience for his outright defiance, and now for two days in a row I have gotten a headache.

In spite of all the stalling on his part, he did manage devotional, several reading lessons in OPGTR, spelling review, Explode the Code, CLE LA and Math. Also he read aloud to me a whole book - Splat the Cat Sings Flat. Additionally, we read and discussed the first half of Maps & Globes.

Reading, Splat the Cat Sings Flat.

His spelling is incorporated in CLE LA and at first I wasn't liking it much - he was missing almost all the words when it came to the spelling tests. Now, every couple of days we are doing a "spelling review" where I ask him to spell a word aloud, and he does so. This one change has really improved his spelling retention!

Bear had his Boy Scouts Christmas party tonight and he made a batch of the Reese's Bars, and mashed potatoes for the potluck.

Mashed potatoes. See him yelling at me for taking his picture? Muuwwwaaaahahahhaha

Bear has been jamming along in Algebra, and it has been pretty exciting to witness. This annoyed him a lot though- so many steps to get to the answer!!!

Wednesday: We started the day with a new Character Study from www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com We started with 'Arguing' since it is a big problem with me and Noodle. Either he is a great actor/manipulator or he may have actually had a breakthrough. I think I may have been using words he didn't know/understand and just assuming he should know some things. We discussed how when we are angry and make bad choices that we can stir up trouble and when we don't keep our tempers in check we commit lots of sins. We discussed the story of Joseph and his brothers. I explained how our sins and all our actions have consequences. 'Consequences' is a word I use frequently with him and I come to find out he doesn't actually understand that word. PALM SMACK! I felt really bad and apparently have forgotten how little one knows at age seven.

After the character study we read the rest of Maps & Globes. I asked him to draw a map of our house - a floorplan basically. He got pretty frustrated with it and crumpled his first attempt. He started over and here is his version of the downstairs of the house.

Noodle's map of the downstairs of our home. Bless his heart, he tried, but there are rooms missing- I told him "good job."

He also did phonics (Explode the Code), CLE LA Quiz and Math. He made it through the day without a meltdown! Yay! He earned the privilege of watching The Empire Strikes Back.

On the CLE LA Quiz- he got all the spelling words right!!!!! Wooooot!!

Bear, again, did his usual. He finished reading Fever 1793. We went to the library and he picked up In The Name of Science - a history of secret programs, medical research, and human experimentation.

Thursday: Did the Arguing character study and read the story of Jacob and Esau. He started reading aloud from a new book - Buster The Very Shy Dog. He also completed a few pages of math. We did a cute winter project. I saw an idea on Pinterest- making a snow globe drawing along with a very short writing assignment.

Reading, Buster The Very Shy Dog.

Noodle says, "If I lived in a snow globe....I would build an evil snowman."

Unfortunately, he did not make it through the day without melting down. He completely lost his mind, and lost the privilege of watching Return of the Jedi tonight. Perhaps he will do better tomorrow.

Bear has been getting his stuff packed and ready for Boy Scouts Winter Camp. He leaves Saturday morning. He completed another Biology module today, along with the rest of his workload. I wish I had more details to give on what he is doing, but it's high school - a lot of reading, writing and test taking. He is still doing the SAT Prep program too.

Friday: We started our day with Pancakes for breakfast. Yum. Then Noodle and I read about the Tower of Babel and continued with our character study on Arguing. Next we did three lessons from OPGTR. At this point he is reading really well and I just want to get the book finished. We also did WWE - today's passage was from Dr. Doolittle. He also did a couple more lessons from his Abeka math 2. He is excited about getting through it so we can order Teaching Textbooks 3 in January.

No melt down today, but still there are so many issues with first time obedience. He has shown slight improvement since Monday. The hardest part for me is being consistent and not giving up. So many times I want to throw my hands in the air and say, "Forget it - just go to your room." That will solve nothing though, and our problem will only worsen. I need to be like the little engine that could - even though my head feels like exploding several times a day!!

Bear made some slides from the bacteria he started growing a couple of weeks ago.

Bear took the Chapter 12 Algebra 1 test - got an 84. When he sees his tutor next week they will review the ones he missed.
Life Stuff: In other news, my blood work came back. My A1C was 5.9 - so yippeee!!! They want me to come back for a re-check on the urine for some reason. The first result was negative for protein, so I guess they just want to make sure. All I can say is, Praise the Lord! I am certain all is fine because I have been diligent in taking the Losartan for the last six months, so maybe it took care of the protein issue I was having. Bottom line, as of right now I do not need to see a Nephrologist! I am so relieved.

Fractazmic - TOS Review

2011-12-09T08:40:00.001-08:00

Fractions and Fun have never been next to each other in my vocabulary. However, Fractazmic changed that a little bit. I asked my son and his friend to play since I thought Noodle might be too young for this game. It was not received well. They argued, protested and said, "no" in more ways than I thought possible. Finally, they relented because I threatened to cut off their usage of the air cannon. Muuwaaaahhahaaaahhaaaaa!

Fractazmic is a game created by I See Cards and it is just one of the fun educational games that they have created. The purpose of Fractazmic is to help your student learn and practice fractions in a fun way. Kids will learn numbers, fractions and measurement. The cost for one deck of Fractazmic cards is only $6.95.

Fractazmic is the size of a regular deck of cards and includes:

60 colorful cards
Each card is numbered
Each card clearly labeled and has a corresponding graphic

The deck includes three sets, Blue = 12ths, Green = 10ths, and Red = 16ths. The goal of the game is to make as many hands as possible that will add up to the whole number of 1. The game is for 2-4 players and targeted to grades 1st-8th. There are several variations of play and it can be played at different levels of difficulty.

Students can play Fractazmic Speed by going HERE. Also, check out this video of Fractazmic Rummy:

Also, here is a link to a PDF of other Math Games your student can play.

So what did Bear and his friend think? Well, in spite of all the laughing they did, they say they did not have fun. Take this with a grain of salt though, because they are both boys that typically do not enjoy math. Since the time of the game, Bear did declare he actually likes math now, but that has more to do with his air cannon and calculating speed and distance, than it did with this game. They needed to use scratch paper, but realized that certain combinations could eventually be memorized.

I thought the game was fun and I sat down by myself and made matches, but I am weird that way! Noodle and I also sat down with the game, and I taught him some simple combinations like 1/2 plus 1/2 and 3/4 plus 1/4. He caught on fairly quickly.

Bottom line, for $6.95 you can't go wrong by adding this to game to your homeschool!

If you want to see what other TOS Review Crew members thought of Fractazmic, click HERE.

I received a free deck of Fractazmic cards in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Weekly Report 12/5 - 12/9

2011-12-09T05:25:00.001-08:00

This week we got back in to more of our regular routine, but I have accepted that we just won't be 100% on until after Christmas.

First of all, I went to the Doctor on Monday. He wasn't overly concerned about anything, but I am going next week for some blood work. He gave me refills for my BP meds and my Metformin. He wasn't happy that I gained weight, but neither am I. I will know more by the end of next week. For now, so far, so good.

Monday: I had my doctor appointment and errands that took a good chunk of our day. Noodle did handwriting, several pages of math - selected problems from three math lessons, phonics and he read aloud to me. In the evening he had Cub Scouts. They learned to screw screws in to a piece of wood.

Tuesday: Noodle did his handwriting again, more selections from several math lessons, phonics and more reading aloud. Also, he did sample lessons from the Teaching Textbooks website, He "can't wait" to get the math program. I told him I would order it in January, after we push through his current math workbook.

Explode the Code Book 4 - nearing the end!

Doing sample lessons at www.teachingtextbooks.com

Wednesday: More handwriting, math, CLE Language Arts, phonics and reading, but we also did some history reading too along with some geography and a couple pages from his Map Skills book. He did more from the Teaching Textbooks website too. He is driving me a little batty with wanting to do it, but who am I to stop him from Math? Especially since I finally have a math kid on my hands!!!

Thursday: Normally as the week goes on we do less, but this week each day we did more. Funny. We finally did a devotional. I really, really, really, need to make this the number one priority in the morning. After the devotional we did handwriting, several math lessons, phonics, CLE LA, spelling review, read aloud and science. Yes, we did science. We started our plants unit. I am combining Elemental Science, RSO and worksheets I have on hand, to round out the plant unit. If I can manage to get science done everyday, we should spend about 3 weeks on it and then we can finally move on to Earth and Space science.

Friday: Did a devotional again. Currently we are using Devotions for Boys. Additionally, I am reading a daily reading from Sticky Situations. He did some more practice lessons on the Teaching Textbooks website. Also done was phonics (ETC4) and reading aloud.

Bear again spent most of the week working on Algebra and Biology. He has been continuing to work through the College Prep Genius program - the SAT prep program we reviewed recently. He also watched The Count of Monte Cristo and did some assignments to go with it. More about that will be forthcoming in a review soon. He has been spending a lot of his free time doing physics exercises - figuring out times and distances whilst using his air cannon. His friend (also a homeschooler) spent the night Thursday evening and they spent almost all evening doing the experiments. Two beauties of homeschooling, one - sleepover on a school night and two- they spend their time doing educational activities.

Also, as many of you know, Bear has never been the "math kid" and in fact has DETESTED math his whole life and it has been the bane of my homeschool with him. Last year a dear friend agreed to tutor him and it has helped so, so, much. Finally, Bear decided math was not going to best him anymore and he has been eating, sleeping and breathing it for weeks now. Last night he said, "I actually like math now, especially now that I have so many uses for it." I almost fell out of my chair and his friend looked at him like he was an alien. VICTORY!!!!!!!!! I love homeschooling. I am almost certain that if this boy was in a classroom somewhere this breakthrough would not have occurred. His tutor had a big part in this, though she insists she doesn't. She was able to give him encouragement and instruction that I couldn't and he was able to receive it from her.

In other news, Noodle has been behaving badly. He is in "Boot Camp" which means ZERO privileges until he can make it through a day without a meltdown - and by meltdown I mean he starts yelling at me and having a hissy fit of some sort. I can no longer just stick him on time out or the behavior will continue to worsen. So, he has no privileges, which meant he missed park day and we didn't go to our homeschool Christmas party because if we did, he'd be able to play with friends. This is the first one we have ever missed. I needed it for me, but I really, really, need to impact this kid with some consequences. His biggest problem is not doing what he is told and the melt downs result from me trying to get him to do what he is told. For example I tell him, "Noodle, come sit down." He says, "Wait, I just have to (fill in the blank)." He does this constantly and I can't tell you how aggravating it is for him to be so disobedient. He NEVER does anything the first time I tell him to. He is outright defiant and tries to control the situation. We have a definite power struggle going on. Today is day three of boot camp. He has been talking back to me, but hasn't had a full fledged fit so far. Time will tell!

Bear and Diesel, snuggling on the couch.

Check out other Weekly Reports at Weird, Unsocialized, Homeschoolers.

Long Rant and Another Post That Might Make You Mad

2011-12-06T04:53:00.001-08:00

I must warn you that this a rant about testing, bullying, schools and parents. It is solely my opinion based on what little I know and my limited life experiences. You can agree or disagree - I can take it.

There is a Washington Post article going around the homeschool circles. It's about how a school administrator, a successful human being, couldn't pass the 10th grade standardized test that students in his district are expected to pass. Many homeschoolers are praising the article and poo-pooing standardized tests. I don't disagree that today's standardized tests are idiotic, but can we agree we need standards in education? Good standards, not trendy or politically correct standards.

I will admit it. I give my kids standardized tests - either California Achievement Test (1970 version) or the IOWA test. I do so for my purposes only, and you know what? They rarely surprise me. As the teacher of my children, I know where they are weak and where they are strong and these tests always confirm strengths and weaknesses for me.

I like the California test because it is from a time when students were still being taught the 3 R's at a higher standard, before political correctness, and before schools decided it was their job to socially mold kids. I like the IOWA because it includes Science and History - although the history portion is called "Social Studies," which makes me crazy and deserves a blog post all its own.

So, what's my problem with the article? It only addresses one of the problems with standardized tests and doesn't propose any common sense solutions. I will admit I am disturbed by homeschoolers that think this article is fabulous. I don't believe there is anything wrong with standardized tests in and of themselves, but there is a problem with how they are written and constantly changed,and thus dumbed down (and yet kids still aren't passing). Why must the basic standards change?   Math hasn't changed. Proper English skills haven't changed. Sure, we rarely have a library with an actual "card" catalogue, but the Dewey system is still in place. We have a lot more slang today and lots of acronyms (LOL, TTYL, etc.) but those have no place in a standardized test.

The main problem with the tests is that there is too much importance placed on them and in turn require teachers to "teach" kids to memorize the stuff on the test, thus "teaching to the test." Doesn't it make more sense to teach basic skills and then test those basic skills? Isn't that what regular tests do? It's interesting that all (well, most) the curricula that I use have chapter tests. Guess what each chapter test is about? Yep, information that was learned in that chapter. A "final" is a cumulative test. With things like Math and English this should be simple, and I daresay the same across the country. I am all for states rights and I don't believe there should be a Federal Department of Education. (Again, that's a whole other blog post.) However, Math and English have not changed, unless you count the dumbing down aspect.  Don't be fooled. While much more pressure is being put on Kindergartners to read fluently, that doesn't negate the fact that what was once taught in 4th grade is now being taught in Jr. High or not at all.

I guess I am wondering just WHY it is so darn hard to teach kids the basics these days. When I learned to read there were no special sessions after school, we were just encouraged to read books.   I learned to read with the Phonics method. My oldest son was taught "whole language" and to this day he will read a word that isn't there because it has the same beginning letters as the word he learned to "read" by sight. Math basics haven't changed, but terminology changed for some reason. Why is borrowing and carrying now called "regrouping" in so many public school math books? I did need a math tutor because math wasn't sinking in for me, but I wasn't failing math.

I daresay that before P.E., Science, History, Art and Music were effectively removed from the schools, kids learned more and retained more. When I was in school we had 2 recesses a day, P.E. was almost daily. Science and History were daily, and we had Art and Music once a week. Many schools do science and history, each every other week for about 30 minutes. Several schools don't even offer Art or Music anymore. A broad, well rounded education makes for better comprehension and cognizance of information that is disseminated.

Further, when we tie the creative hands of teachers they are limited to what they can do to teach kids and they are often forced to teach in a way that doesn't match their teaching or learning style. I say, cut all the darn red tape and get rid of ridiculous trendy standards and let teachers teach. Then give a simple, no nonsense test like the CAT or IOWA. Will there still be kids that fail? Probably, but that is nothing new. The idea that we can leave NO child left behind is RIDICULOUS. We cannot "save" everyone. So, at the expense of every kid, we dumb down the system to try and reach the few that may not have a supportive/healthy home environment. That makes perfect sense. NOT.

How many, "My kid is on the honor roll" bumper stickers have you seen? Where are all these brilliant kids when the tests are taken? I know I am being anecdotal, but do you see my point? Everyone is brilliant and they are all good kids. And they know it. Yet, the tests keep being changed in hopes that all the kids will pass. It is so bad out there that administrators have committed fraud to make it look like the kids are passing. I read an article sometime this year that said American students have the lowest test scores when compared to other countries, but they have the highest self esteem. One only needs to watch auditions of American Idol to see that in action.

That brings me to another rant of putting the "special ed" kids in a regular classroom. That is nothing short of disruptive and UNFAIR to the majority of students. God forbid that "special ed" students be singled out. What? What is fair, is letting kids learn in an environment that is suited for them. It isn't fair to mainstream students to have to deal with the disruptions of "special ed" students and it isn't fair to put "special ed" students in a room where they are clearly vulnerable to bullying and will be made to feel bad about not being as smart as everyone else. What the heck is wrong with the adults in the school system that do not see this? I am sure the terminology "special ed" isn't politically correct or even correct at all, but maybe someone will tell me what it is being called these days.

So much time is taken for social causes and every social cause today is an "epidemic." Propaganda escalates problems and does not help or stop them. The cause of the moment is the anti-bullying campaign. I know I will probably get slammed for my views on this, but so be it. Bullying is not going to stop. The less educated the populace become, the more mean people get. Bullying is probably more prevalent today just because there are more avenues to carry it out - IE, the Internet and social network sites. I daresay it happens more because the more you talk about something the more appealing it becomes. Also, bullies know they will get away with stuff because rarely can you kick a bad kid out of public school anymore. Why? Because that little jerk is just as entitled as any other kid to an education. Well, not in my day. If you were a jerk, hit a kid or hit a teacher your butt got whooped and sent home. The word "expelled" actually existed in the school system. These days it is the VICTIM that needs to leave school in most cases. Unless somebody actually kills someone, the bully stays where he is. THIS is the problem.

I have read two articles in the last week about children who have killed themselves over bullying. That is unacceptable to me and should be to everyone. I don't know what the exact answer is, but instead of wasting precious time with anti-bullying assemblies that only temporarily get kids to act nice to each other, how about we just EDUCATE the children? An educated population will make better choices and will KNOW that bullying isn't right. Here's an idea, kick out the kids who can't behave! In my town there is a small "alternative" high school that kids need to attend when they become out of control. In my opinion it isn't utilized enough - at last count I heard they had less than 10 students there. If there are real consequences for kids that treat people badly then they will straighten up because they won't like being on the outside looking in.

For younger grades where there isn't an alternative school, at the very least put the offenders in a separate class and make them eat together and have recess together. Don't allow them to be with the "general population" at school. Sounds a bit like prison, but whatever works.

I have heard story after story about people who are homeschooling their kids because their kid was being bullied. It is maddening to me that the schools think an assembly, some billboards and a PSA are going to solve this problem. When parents are pulling their kids out of school it means their concerns were not addressed and that bullies were allowed to stay in school and disrupt classrooms, lunch rooms and school yards. WHY?  WHY are these jerks, yes jerks, allowed to stay? I'll tell you why. Because some dumb politicians and activists along the way decided that education was a right and not a privilege. Which leads me to saying parents are the other part of the problem. Parents no longer seem able to take constructive criticism about their child or their parenting skills. They react indignantly and are totally incapable about being objective about how their own child behaves. When everyone one says they have great kids, dare I ask why so many bad things are happening if everyone has great kids?

From Science Daily Article entitled "Bullying May Contribute to Lower Test Scores"

The study couldn't explain the reasons for a bullying climate at some schools or the causes of lower test scores at those schools, but the researchers offered several theories. The academic performance of students in schools with pervasive bullying may suffer because students are less engaged in learning due to fears about bullying or due to a greater level of school disorder associated with bullying, they said. Teachers also may be less effective because they spend more time focused on discipline, they added.

Cornell doesn't believe bullying has increased in schools, but media attention has highlighted the serious problem. "We have always had bullying in our schools. What has changed is we have become more aware of bullying due to a series of high-profile tragic cases involving school shootings and suicides," Cornell said. "Our society does not permit harassment and abuse of adults in the workplace, and the same protections should be afforded to children in school."

Exactly. Kick out the bullies so the rest of the kids can learn.

Back to the adult that took the 10th grade test. I am going to assume that since it was 10th grade, there was probably Algebra on the test. Is Algebra relevant for most adults in their daily life? Probably not. But is it relevant for a 10th grader who may want to go to college after graduating high school? Yes. Yes, it is. Therefore, I am not surprised the adult wouldn't do well with Algebra questions, but why couldn't he pass the reading portion? Something is terribly wrong with the questions on this test if a grown, literate man couldn't answer the questions correctly. I ask again, what has changed about reading? The answer should be, "nothing."

Obviously, "experts" and bureaucrats have screwed up. While I agree that most of today's standardized tests are worthy of the bottom of a bird cage, I don't discard standardized testing altogether. I believe they serve their purpose for public schools and homeschoolers. It worries me that so many homeschoolers don't think they have some value. What worries me more, is that I see no forward moving change in the near future, for our public schools. I see homeschooling on the rise, which is a good thing for most of those students who will be homeschooled, but it isn't good news for the school system. What will it take for the system to change? I just don't know.

Pondering Some Changes

2011-12-04T08:25:00.001-08:00

This is that time of year when homeschool parents sometimes make switches and adjustments to their homeschool, as well as starting to think about the next school year. I always start planning for the new school year around this time. I have my lists going and I am looking at samples, etc. I usually don't make curriculum switches - I usually stay with the same curriculum, but move up a grade level.

I am pondering doing something I haven't done in years. That is, making a curriculum switch mid-year. Years ago I had a problem with curriculum, an addiction I guess you could say. I was always looking for the next best thing. I learned my lesson after years of doing that. This time, it is because I actually have a Math kid!!

Currently, we use Abeka. Abeka is fabulous and has a reputation for being advanced. That said, it is designed for a classroom and moves kind of slow for Noodle. He gets through the lessons with ease. I have been moving him forward by skipping sections that just equate to busy work. Abeka has served him well these last two years and I believe its method so far is why Noodle excels with Math. I have always been a fan of Teaching Textbooks, which for some reason has a reputation for being "behind." I compared the Abeka Grade 3 TOC to the TT TOC and while they aren't in the same order they basically cover the same contents. The TT 3 Placement Test was fairly simple for Noodle. So, in January we are switching to TT 3 and I have confidence he will finish it before we officially start Third Grade in Fall 2012.

I have thought ahead and realized that if we use TT all the way he will get through Pre-Calc before graduation. Most likely, he will be able to take college math classes through dual enrollment, with relative ease.

My oldest used TT for high school and it served him well. Bear is currently using TT and a tutor and we are going to stick with it. I looked in to other Geometry curriculums and could not find one that appealed to us the way TT does.

This isn't the only change I am making. I have also decided to have Bear continue straight in to Algebra 2 after Algebra 1 (about six weeks to go), instead of starting Geometry. My reasoning? He will not be taking the PSAT so it isn't necessary to have him do Geometry before Algebra 2. The main reason for taking the PSAT would be the National Merit Scholarship and we have no illusions about doing that. Our end game goal is a great score on the SAT Senior Year, combined with his course choices, AP Scores (we hope), Eagle Scout and several special certifications he is working on, to get him some sort of college scholarship(s). If that doesn't pan out, I guess he will have some debt after leaving college. That is not what we want for him and we will do our best to keep that from happening.

The only other thing I am changing is adding to our TOG history, by incorporating the Veritas Press Timeline Cards. I have wanted them a long time, but just never took the plunge.

I am more than satisfied with everything else we are doing and feel our eclectic classical style works for us.

How about you? Now that it is mid year, is there anything you are changing?

Banned Again - Well Trained Mind Boards

2011-12-02T15:07:00.001-08:00

I have to say, this time I don't even agree that it is warranted. Last time, I will admit, I clearly violated the rules. I hope the OP, the person I replied to and everyone who participated in that thread were all banned too. All I did was point out a fact, but I used the words Democrat and Republican which must be against the rules. So, now I have a 24 hour "time out."

In case you are wondering, someone started a thread about something Congress passed today, that the President is threatening to veto. Another poster said something about it being about the "far right trying to pull one over on the public." All I did was point out that the authors of said legislation were a Democrat and a pseudo Republican. Apparently, by my stating that I participated in "partisan politics." OK- I will learn my lesson this time and ignore all threads political or seemingly political. I will also ignore all threads about how evolutionists are brilliant thinkers and creationists are all sad little hicks who believe in fairy tales. I won't participate in spanking/no spanking threads, Santa Claus threads, breastfeeding threads, threads about BJU or AIG curriculum, threads about the Pearls, the Duggars or the Sister Wives or anything else that seems to tick people off. Gee, whatever will we talk about over there??

Well, at least it has been 1 Year and 9 months since the last ban. Darn, I was so close to two years of good behavior. Oh well.

Artistic Pursuits- TOS Review

2011-12-02T11:09:00.001-08:00

Artistic Pursuits is an art program for grades K-12. When I found out we had been chosen to review this I was SO EXCITED! We received Book 1 for Grades K -3 "An Introduction to the Visual Arts." Book 1 has 32 lessons. It retails for $42.95 and you will need to purchase some supplies. It is an incredible value, considering in the past I have paid $50 (plus materials) a month for once a week art classes. We love this program!!!

I love the easy to use format. At the front of the book is a master list of materials needed to complete the book. All easy to come by at an art store or a Hobby Lobby. Nothing too expensive either. Everything can also be ordered through this link HERE.

Book one has three sections of lessons, section 1 is What Artists Do, Section 2 What Artists See and Section 3 Where We Find Art. We started at the beginning and we are having so much fun. I will admit we rarely get to art, but now we will easily be able to incorporate it once a week because of the ease of use of this program. The lessons are short and don't require too much prep by me. I consider myself very artistically handicapped, so this program is a dream for me.

Here is Noodle in action with his Artistic Pursuit projects and a couple of the pictures he looked at:

In the past I have found cheap art books and attempted to do art, but found prior knowledge was necessary. That is not the case with Artistic Pursuits - I can easily teach the lessons even though I have no experience with art.

Outdoor- nature drawing.

All available programs:

If you'd like to find out what other homeschoolers from the TOS Crew like about Artistic Pursuits, click HERE.

We received a free copy of Grades K-3 Book 1 in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

TGIF Linky Party #7 - Featured!

2011-11-30T16:35:00.001-08:00

Check out the TGIF Linky Party # 7 over at Living Life Intentionally - there are lots of cool ideas featured, including Noodle's Tornado Science Fair project.

Weekly Report 11/28-12/2

2011-11-29T09:46:00.001-08:00

After two weeks off, it was good to get back to work. It is also good to be back on track with a healthier lifestyle. I am staying on plan by being in the right calorie range, been exercising 20 minutes a day and logging all my food and exercise at www.myfitnesspal.com Previously I used Fitday, but honestly, My Fitness Pal is much more user friendly and like Facebook, you can have friends. They are a support and encouragement team. To be totally honest, my being on track is being driven by fear. I am 40 years old and I have Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and some kidney damage because of it all. What I am currently waiting to find out is just how much kidney damage I have. I pray it isn't much and that I can salvage/give them longer life by eating right, losing weight and getting exercise. My doctor previously told me that if I lost weight the Diabetes and high blood pressure would most likely right themselves. I have procrastinated and been in denial too long though and may have done myself more harm.

I go to the doctor Dec 5th and I will find out more. Pray for me to continue to be disciplined and for as little damage as possible.
On a happier note, we have been busy with school this week.

Monday: Noodle mainly did the 3 R's. In the evening he had Cub Scouts and they built a bird house. Bear spent the day doing Algebra, Biology and Russian. We went to the library to bring home a new slew of books.

Building a bird house at Cub Scouts.

Tuesday: Before school Noodle built a small Star Wars Lego set. Then he spent 45 minutes reading me Small Wolf - 63 pages. He was so proud of himself! After that big feat, for a break he watched "The Pack" on National Geographic Channel. He completed a math lesson, a narration and dictation lesson from WWE2 and a CLE LA lesson. Bear impressed his Algebra tutor with how much progress he made since he last saw her.

Grandma came home from her honeymoon and unfortunately from the airport we headed straight to the vet where her 14 year old kitty spent the week. He had diabetes complications and shortly after we got there she held him while they put him to rest. We cried. Losing pets is so hard.

Wednesday: Noodle did a math lesson, CLE LA Test, Explode the Code and he read aloud to me. Bear continued his usual workload and completed another Apologia Biology Module.

Thursday: More of the same! Noodle had a speech therapy session today and he did the three R's. Plus, he did an art assignment - using Artistic Pursuits. We spent the afternoon shopping and running errands. Bear stayed home to do school work, which included finishing almost a whole Algebra chapter since Tuesday!

Friday: Another day of mainly the three R's. Noodle did a Math test, Explode the Code and reading aloud. I wasn't feeling well so I took a 45 minute nap with the dog. LOL I think I was up too late last night and up too early this morning. Bear took the Chapter 10 Algebra test and got a 94. He was so excited, as he has been working really hard at conquering Algebra. It's a great way for him to end the school week.

This certainly wasn't our most productive week, but we got all the important things done. I am hoping to make some organizational progress this weekend and be well prepared to do full time work next week.

You can check out other Weekly Reports at Weird, Unsocialized, Homeschoolers.

A New Day

2011-11-28T05:02:00.001-08:00

The last two weeks have felt really unproductive for me. It all started on the 11th when friends and family started arriving from out of state for my mother's wedding. The 11th to the 18th was consumed by wedding and tourist activities. Then last week started out with a field trip after a week of no school. For two days last week I did a tiny bit of school with Noodle and then - BAM- Thanksgiving was here with a long weekend. Oh, and my mom is on her honey moon so Bear has been taking care of her house and pets.

Bear was the most productive out of all of us. He has been doing his Algebra everyday, even over the weekends. Also, he worked on a project for what I call Operation Rat Breeding. As many of you may already know, Bear breeds rats to feed his five snakes. He has been wanting to build a "rat rack" for some time now. He has had them in tubs that he modified, but the tubs take up a lot of space. Over the weekend he and his Dad went to Lowe's to buy all the supplies. As soon as he got home from Lowe's, the building began.

Wood

Shelves he assembled.

Putting on the hardware cloth (screen).

Attaching the shelves to the frame.

Attaching the wheels for easy maneuvering.

Done! Finally, a smile from Bear. These are rare in photos, so enjoy!

So, now here we are on Monday, a new week and a new day! The plan for today is "getting back to normal." The boys will be getting up soon and we will start our school day. If our time management is good today we will also be going to the library, and upon returning home we will set up the Christmas tree. Noodle has Cub Scouts tonight. I have big plans for today so we shall see how it turns out!

Also, today is the day I am finding self control. I know it is the holidays, but I must regain control of my eating and make time for exercise. My goals for this week:

Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day.
Exercise a minimum of 20 minutes per day and continuing for as long as I can or up to an hour. Whether walking, floor exercise, bike riding or whatever - I am going to make the time to exercise my body.
Track my food and calories and stay between 1500-1700 per day. A Blogger friend (hi Nicole) introduced me to My Fitness Pal so I plan on getting back to that today too!

Wish me luck - or pray for me - I'll take it all!

Book Review - Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook

2011-11-27T09:18:00.001-08:00

Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook, by Jessica Harlan, has over 100 recipes you can make using Ramen Noodles. Jessica, is a Facebook friend of mine because we went to elementary and Jr. High together, many years ago in Illinois. When her book came out she asked for reviewers and I offered to review it here at my blog.

First, let me say, I had NO IDEA you could do so much with Ramen! We always, always, always have Ramen in the pantry. Bear makes it often.

This cookbook starts out by giving the history of Ramen. Who knew there was a Ramen Museum in Japan? How cool!

After informing readers about the history of Ramen, Jessica provides a list of frequently used ingredients you should have in your pantry, in order to make many of the recipes in the book. Also, is a list of 10 Easy Ways to Jazz Up Ramen.

There are recipes covering a whole host of categories: Snacks and Starters, Breakfasts, Soups, Salads, Side Dishes, Asian-Inspired Classics, Home Style Comfort Foods, Meatless Meals, Cooking for Company, Feeding a Crowd and Desserts and Sweets.

I made two of the recipes and they were both delicious! First I made the Ramen -N- Cheese - it calls for Cheddar Cheese, but I didn't have any, so I used Mozzarella. Oh.My. It was yummy goodness!

I also made the Bacon, Egg and Noodle Scramble. Also, delicious! I found this to be a great breakfast. It didn't take me any longer to make than pancakes or french toast.

I am going to make one of the desserts next - yes - dessert! There are versions of Ramen Haystacks and Ramen Rice Crispies and I am certain they will be a hit.

Anyone that reads this blog and knows me, knows I really don't like to cook. I need easy and quick if I am going to cook from a cookbook and that is exactly what I got from Ramem to the Rescue. A lot of the recipes in here were longer than I personally prefer, but there are enough that are easy for me to do. Ramen Breaded Onion Rings here I come!

Homeschoolers, this would be a great book to add to your collection. A fun Ramen unit study could be done - you could cover math (conversions chart in back of book), cooking, geography (China and Japan) and perhaps some science. Maybe when I have spare time (HA!) I will put a short unit together using the Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook.

I received a free copy of Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

The Reading Game- TOS Review

2011-11-27T03:49:00.001-08:00

The Reading Game was created by Kenneth Hodkinson, the author of the Wordly Wise Vocabulary series. We used Wordly Wise for many years, and we enjoyed it, so I was excited to try this game with Noodle. In addition to their website, you can check out The Reading Game's Facebook page.

The Reading Game, for ages 4 and up, is basically a memory matching card game with books. It includes six story books, six decks of cards and an instruction/teacher booklet. It retails for $24.95. Additionally, it is made in the U.S.A., which I think is fabulous!

At their website there are sight word assessment sheets and test sentence assessment sheets. Students are introduced to 180 words, 30 new words in each booklet. For those of you who live in states where it matters, The Reading Game meets the Common Core State Standards.

Here's a quick intro to The Reading Game.

From The Reading Game website:

• Dolch Word List of “service words” (pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and verbs) that cannot be learned through the use of pictures. 60% of the words in “The Reading Game” are on the Dolch Word List for pre-k and k and makes up 54% of dolch words for Pre-K, K and 1st Grade.
• Of the first 100 most commonly used English words (source The Reading Teachers Book of Lists, Third Edition by Fry, et al) “The Reading Game” incorporates 88% of the most common twenty-five words and 63% of the first 100.

I am a firm believer in phonics, but I recognize that some words just need to be memorized and those are some of the words this game addresses. Others can be sounded out, and this game is meant for supplemental use when learning to read, not a full reading curriculum anyway.

My only disappointment with this game, is the lack of capitalization and punctuation in the books.

As I suspected, Noodle was way ahead of this game, but he had fun anyway because he loves reading and he loves games. We did the assessment and he flew through them all, so I just decided to play the game from the beginning. All the books were animal stories, which was right up Noodle's alley, but he was very upset by the lack of capitalization and punctuation, and said it was "confusing" him. I am certain it is because he is already a reader. In fact I pointed out to him how well he was doing in spite of their being no capitalization or punctuation, as he paused in all the right places and his voice reflected when there were questions.

I think this a gentle, fun game for beginning readers, and would be an asset to any homeschool that has beginning and up and coming readers.

I received The Reading Game for free, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. If you'd like to know what other homeschoolers thought of The Reading Game, you can check out the TOS Crew Reviews HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T05:17:00.001-08:00

Sweet Shot Tuesday

2011-11-22T05:48:00.001-08:00

Check out all the Sweet Shots at My3Boybarians.

Roxy and her very own ice cream cone.

Wow- Thank you!

2011-11-21T18:49:00.001-08:00

Apparently, Winecup Christian Academy won one of the Homeschool Blogger Awards. I truly am shocked. Just to show you how clueless I was when voting started, I voted for MY favorite Opinion Blog - Cindy at Get Along Home. After I voted for her I realized my blog was on the list of nominees - in alphabetical order down at the bottom of the list! I literally laughed out loud. I didn't want to go begging for votes - so I just mentioned the nomination in one blog post and I sent one email out to some friends and family members. That's all. So, thank you dear readers, friends and family that voted - I really appreciate it. I have no idea what I won, but I can't wait to find out!

I am sure I will offer my not so humble opinion on something soon, so stay tuned.

San Antonio Zoo - Field Trip

2011-11-21T15:44:00.001-08:00

Our homeschool group went on a field trip to San Antonio Zoo today. Like a goof, I forgot the camera, so all these were taken with the Blackberry. Boohoo.

Week in Pictures

2011-11-19T05:08:00.001-08:00

Last week I didn't do a weekly report because I just didn't have time and most of the week we worked on the science fair project. Then we had house guests arrive and they were here until yesterday. My mother got married on Tuesday. It's all been a whirlwind.

My friend of 35 years went home to Wisconsin yesterday and I missed her the minute I left her at the airport. We had fun catching up, razzing our mothers, and of course we did a lot of shopping.

I gave the boys the week off school, but Bear still did Algebra every day. Monday we will be back to our regular schedule.

Here's pictures from the wedding.

Super Duper with his creation.

Grandma, J, and the boys.

Elvis???

Wedding Cake- Sweet Shot Tuesday

2011-11-15T06:33:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the poor quality - I took this with my phone late last night. This is the wedding cake my son - Super Duper- made for my mother's wedding, which is today.

Check out other Sweet Shot Tuesday posts at My 3 Boybarians.

College Prep Genius - TOS Review

2011-11-14T05:02:00.001-08:00

College Prep Genius is an PSAT/SAT/NMSQT prep course. The set includes 2 books - the 2nd Edition Textbook, Workbook and set of 4 DVD's.

The DVD's contain twelve lessons:

Lesson 1: Introduction to the SAT
Lesson 2: Critical Reading - Long Passage
Lesson 3: Critical Reading - Short and Dual Passage
Lesson 4: Critical Reading - Sentence Completion
Lesson 5: Math- Multiple Choice
Lesson 6: Math - Multiple Choice Practice Problems and Answers
Lesson 7: Math- Student Response
Lesson 8: Math- Student Response Practice Problems and Answers
Lesson 9: Writing: The Essay
Lesson 10: Writing: The Essay
Lesson 11: Writing: Sentence Error
Lesson 12: Writing: Improving Sentences and Improving Paragraphs

College Prep Genius is a great program for learning test taking techniques, learning the patterns, profiles and hidden strategies on all three sections (Critical Reading, Math, and Writing) of the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT. The program will teach how to cut reading time in half, how to answer "scary" math problems without the calculator - using logic, and how to write a high scoring essay in 15 minutes.

Additionally, the program includes:

300 Must Know Math Terms in order to answer the math section
The only vocabulary a student needs to know
Numerous Scholarship search websites
Special Motivation Test to get a student started

At this time you can get the complete program for $99 (reflects a 25% discount from regular price of $125) at their website www.collegeprepgenius.com The program comes with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. This is a very good price compared to other SAT programs out there ranging from $250 - 500. There is a co-op special for only $50. An additional workbook is $19.95 and an additional textbook is $49.95.

We like the organization of this program and although it isn't time for the SAT at our house, we are getting very close. There is now a better understanding of what to expect. We have the College Board SAT Practice book and we read the College Board website and do the daily SAT Practice Questions. The rate of correct answers has already gone up for us and we haven't completed the whole program yet! Woot!

I think the most valuable aspect of College Prep Genius is the test taking strategies and learning to recognize patterns. Also, the suggestion that students keep a journal of the practice questions that they miss, is a great idea. Journaling forms are included. There are also helpful acronyms to memorize and aid students in choosing the correct answers.

I also like that the author is a homeschooling mom who has successfully prepared her own children for college. Which leads to the best feature of all - how to find scholarships.

For the purpose of this review I received a set complete set including the textbook, workbook and DVD set. If you want to see what other homeschoolers on the TOS Crew think of College Prep Genius - click HERE.

Science Fair - Tornado Alley

2011-11-14T04:45:00.000-08:00

Each year we participate in our local homeschool group's Science Fair. This year was no exception. Noodle wanted to do a project about Tornadoes. I thought we'd do a tornado in a bottle, so I showed him some You Tube videos and excitedly said, "Won't that be cool?" He was less than impressed and declared, "Mom, I am going to make a real tornado." Uh, OK. I tried telling him we wouldn't be able to whip one up for the science fair. He told me we were going to make a little one. Uh, OK.

I was thinking we'd have to do another project since the standard tornado in a bottle wasn't doing it for him. But then I got to thinking.....could we "make a tornado?" So, I went to where I always go when I need information and inspiration - the Internet! Lo and behold, I found out how Noodle could make a Tornado Simulator. It was the closest we were going to get to making a tornado. I printed out the instructions and it was six pages. Uh-oh.

I enlisted the help of my mother's husband (well, Fiance at the time of this writing - they are getting married in a few days). J (is what we call him) began helping Noodle with the construction and they had a few math lessons along the way. Noodle didn't do any of the cutting because we wanted minimal damage to my table and his person.

First a look behind the scenes:

After cutting out the panels, we made windows using cellophane (the gift basket type), then duct taped it together and finally painted it.

Painting the chamber for the tornado.

Boiling water for the first test run!

Holy Tornado - it works!

Bear took video - he was pretty impressed. We were pretty impressed with ourselves, and my husband sounds a little jealous doesn't he??

After we confirmed the Tornado Simulator worked, Noodle started work on his display board. He learned about the different types of tornadoes, tornado alley, the Fujita Scale and how to stay safe in the event of a tornado.

The Main Event - Science Fair Night

Noodle competed in the 2nd- 4th grade category. He placed second. Yay Noodle!! This is his third 2nd place win along with one tie for 1st place in last year's fair. I am so proud of him because I know with the exception of cutting out the chamber he physically did most of the work. He did everything in his own handwriting, he asked me how to spell words so he wouldn't have any misspelled words, but that is basically like using spell check right? He did have help from me and J with the duct tape and cellophane windows because his hands are too little to do it all by himself and have it be functional. He painted it by himself. He did all the cutting and pasting on his display board and asked me for guidance on placement, but he ultimately decided where to glue stuff.

Noodle and Great Grammy

Project Board

Tornado!

Tornado Alley sign.

Here is some video taken at the fair.

2nd Place

Keyboard Town Pals- TOS Review

2011-11-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Back in the day when I learned how to type I was in the 7th grade. I learned on a manual typewriter and then the fancy electric kind. We had a flip book that we had to look at while we kept our fingers placed on the middle row of keys. We would type the same letters and patterns of letters over and over! We didn't learn until Jr. high since there were no computers in the home. Today, we are technology driven and our little ones are using computers, so it makes sense to have them learn to type early.

Keyboard Town Pals is a program that teaches children (suggested ages 5 - 10) to type. The claim is that it can teach children to type in one hour. In reality the program totals one hour long, but to be proficient in typing the children need to do the lessons over and over. Children who know the letters of the alphabet can use this program. A funny character named Sunny guides children through the lessons. The program is self paced and set up kind of like a game.

Sunny - the "teacher."

Additionally, there are PALS that live in the town.......on the three streets. PALS stands for Purposeful Associative Learning System. All the PALS each live in a house in Keyboard Town - there are three streets in Keyboard Town. Home Street (middle row), Uptown Street (row above the middle row) and Downtown Street (row below the middle row). Their names coincide with the letters on the keyboard. For example, Amy lives in the "A" house on Home Street.

Here is a DEMO of how the program works.

Each lesson features a video with Sunny instructing the children on what to do. On the screen periodically there is a hand showing finger placement on the keyboard. There are cute songs and stories to help children remember things.

I think this is a neat program. Noodle however was very frustrated and said it was too hard. He struggled with keeping his fingers placed correctly. I can see that this is an effective program that will teach typing, but we will need to revisit it when Noodle's motor skills improve. He is in speech therapy and his speech issues are related to his motor skills/hand eye coordination so that is why he struggled with finger placement. Also, this was his first introduction to formal typing.

I like that there are no timed tests or grades, so it truly is a self paced program that allows mastery. There isn't even a delete or backspace option because the creators say they don't like to dwell on mistakes. This might bother some perfectionists out there, but I think it is a cool feature.

Keyboard Town Pals can be ordered at their website for $39.95 - a little steep for only 8 lessons totaling one hour, but it can be done over and over. You can purchase the web based program or the CD- Rom. It is available in English, Spanish and French.

If you want to check out what other homeschoolers are saying about Keyboard Town Pals, click HERE.

For the purpose of this review, I received the CD-ROM version of Keyboard Town Pals in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.

Why I Blog....and How I Do It

2011-11-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

I have read some recent criticism of mommy bloggers, especially of the homeschooling Christian bloggers. I started my blog because I wanted a record to look back on. I saw an ad for a service that can turn your blog in to a book. Honestly, I haven't done that yet, but I intend to. Time flies so fast and someday, I want to flip through the blog book, tissue in hand, reading about our days and smiling at precious pictures. I am a crybaby and when my babies are grown this blog will let me cry tears of joy. My memory isn't what it used to be - I need to write things down and I need the pictures.

Once I started blogging for myself, quickly it turned in to a way for friends and family to see what we were doing. Then I noticed there was a network of other homeschool bloggers who enjoyed reading what each other were doing. Then it became, "I love what you did - here, look what we did."

Then, I discovered Amazon Associates. Being the book addict that I am I just had to see where this could lead. I am not obsessed with this or "getting my blog out there" - I enjoy the few bucks it sends my way and I spend every dime on more books!

I will admit there was a period where I pursued more readers, but I just don't have time for that and I really have nothing to offer. My "followers" increased when I became a member of the TOS Review Crew - mainly because we support each other. I love being a part of the TOS Crew and getting the FREE stuff! We have enjoyed almost everything and the products have enhanced our homeschooling. If not for the blog, I couldn't participate in this program.

So, in a nutshell, I blog:

So friends and family can see what we are doing.
To share what little I know, with other homeschoolers.
For Amazon gift cards - to feed my book addiction.
To have a record of the precious time I spend with my kids.
To possibly be a blessing to other homeschoolers who may relate to what I am writing about.

I do not blog at the expense of time with my kids nor do I sacrifice their education to pursue blogging or the reading of other blogs. I am a night owl and an early riser. I am a multi-tasker. I don't take naps (maybe a few times a year) and I rarely have "down time," especially now that I am a student myself. During the course of writing this post I stopped several times to:

Take grits out of the microwave, added butter and salt and called Noodle to the table. Noodle was getting dressed.
I fed the dogs.
I poured a glass of apple juice for Noodle.
I fed the squeaky Guinea Pig "Daisy."
I fed the cat.
I took a phone call from my mother.

Noodle is eating the grits and then he is going to brush his teeth. Bear is in the shower. I will be done with this post by the time they both get to the classroom ready to start our day. I do blog sometimes when they are doing independent work, but I am always able to stop what I am doing to help them. When I am actively teaching, obviously I am not blogging. I don't have toddlers and I can't imagine being able to do all that I do now if I did have toddlers - and I probably wouldn't try.

All this to say, don't feel guilty for blogging unless it has become an idol or is a detriment to your homeschool or family relationships. If you enjoy it and you want a written and photographic record of your homeschoool, then keep on keeping on!!

Keeping it Real......

2011-11-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

**I debated on whether to post this or not, but in the end decided I should keep myself honest and post it. Possibly, some of you out there can relate.**

I have tried to make sure that I "keep it real" here at my blog, but I realized that so often it just seems like school and life is full of fun and no challenges.   When I read over previous posts and look at the pictures, the pictures can sometimes give the message of "Look at this superschristianwifeandhomeschoolmom and how great life is" I have shared some of my challenges and most recently the situation with my 15 year old deciding he doesn't believe in God. It's been rough dealing with that and I am praying for divine intervention for my son's sake.

I am feeling down these days because on top of Bear's spiritual decision, I have gained back half of the weight I lost last year (and I wasn't even close to goal!), Noodle can sometimes be combative and mouthy (which I rarely write about because, again, honestly it is easier to write about the cute stuff he does). Add  to that -  I can't keep up with laundry and housework. There are days that I just want to drop off to a tropical location, throw myself down in the sand and take in majestic views. I really need to throw myself face down on my knees and cry out to God, but for some reason I haven't done it. I know I will feel better and that God will probably speak to me, but I just feel like I don't have the time to have a meltdown. Am I making sense?

Most days are OK, but the days that aren't OK make it seem like life is always that way. I get dramatic and I make statements like, " I am sick to death of (fill in the blank)." I yell at people (which solves NOTHING) and I give myself a headache trying to control situations. I get frustrated with kids who have to be told something TWELVE times (and that isn't always an exaggeration) and frustrated with kids who have bad attitudes. It wears on me.

I have read the parenting books, been to mom's bible studies, read mom blogs, parenting blogs, vented on message boards looking for validation, attended the workshops at homeschool conferences - and nothing has changed. Why do kids not jump when I say "jump"? Why does that cat poop in my tub every time I let her loose in the house? Why did the three new trees in the backyard, that were gifted to us, die, despite my watering them three times a week? Why do the dogs tear apart our fence? Why do the dogs shred shoes and stuffed animals, leaving me yet another mess to clean up? Why does my husband call me twelve times a day when HE KNOWS how busy I am?

I gave up trying to have the perfect school day. I am OK if we don't get to everything I had planned for a day. I gave up on the Better Homes and Gardens picture perfect house - always clean and ready for a photo shoot. I cannot give up on having good relationships with Christ and my family. I cannot compromise there. Most of the time I am embarrassed to say I am a Christian because it is SO HARD to behave Christ like and it is so easy to screw up. I feel guilty because as Paul says in Romans 8:8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. And....If anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Ouch. Who isn't controlled by the sinful nature? Aren't we all sinners, every day in some way? Am I missing the meaning of this? Just how do we please God and be sinners at the same time?

I want to be a better Christian. A better wife. A better mother. I honestly think I have a skewed picture of what being good at those things must be or maybe I am just really worse off than   I thought. How can something so seemingly good, be so hard to obtain?

Does being a good Christian mean I don't have meltdowns and never yell at people? Or does it mean recognizing I have vast room for improvement, asking for forgiveness and truly having those occurrences less and fewer and far between? Does it mean I have to have a home church and attend every Sunday no matter what? We don't have a home church. We can't find one we like. We do have a group of Christians we meet with on a regular basis for a study on Christ. We learn about the life of Christ, pray together, eat together and enjoy each other's company every Sunday evening. We don't do worship music or have anyone preach to us, it is a group discussion and it gets deep sometimes and other times it is just down right silly.

Does being a good wife mean my husband lords over me and I do everything he says? Let me just say that I do a lot of things for my husband, but I don't have dinner ready every night because of evening activities. Sometimes he runs out of clean socks or underwear. Often I forget to set the coffee up for him and I don't always get up to make him lunch. He rarely complains, but when he does, I feel like a horrible wife.

Does being a good mother mean I should never yell at my children and never spank them? Does it mean providing all their wants and desires? We are a one income family and there are lots of things I need to say "no" too and I always feel guilty. There are times where no one pays attention to what I am saying until I go all "psycho mom" on them - then they are at attention like little soldiers and eyes wide! Or worse than that, with Noodle especially, he responds in kind by going all "psycho kid" on me and then he finds himself on time out at the bottom of the stairs, since it is the only place he can't really disturb anything or anyone. I taught him that - how to go psycho. See what I mean? I have these children I am supposed to be setting an example for, but it isn't always the right example.

What is the proper reaction when kids don't do their chores until I have said so a dozen times? What is the proper reaction to a kid that is mouthing off telling you the parent, what to do? What is the proper reaction to finding a mess someone left behind, not bothering to clean up after themselves? I have yelled. I have removed privileges. Yet, these things still occur. I am thisclose to accepting that as long as they live with me they are trainees and am the trainer. I know that all these complaints I have are the reasons kids have parents, that it is my job to train them. But who is going to train me? Now I need to nail down my behavior and not freak out when I don't get my way.

How about you? Have you ever done the psycho mom routine? Any other disobedient kids out there? If you have perfectly obedient children, your house is always clean and you are never behind on the laundry - help - I need your tips :) Uh, but even if you don't have all those things down pat, I'll take your words of wisdom too.

Homeschool Blogger Awards

2011-11-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Wow- my blog was actually nominated for something at The Homeschool Blogger Awards!

If you feel inclined to vote you can head to this link to vote for Winecup Christian Academy in the Best Current Events, Opinions or Politics Blogs.

Click Here to Vote

I always knew I was opinionated! Thank you to whoever nominated my blog!

Weekly Reports 10/31 - 11/4

2011-11-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Linking up with Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers - Weekly Wrap-Up.

~What We are Reading~

Me: College Textbooks (some horrible biased ones at that)

Bear: Fever 1793 and a couple books about Russia

Noodle: Peter Pan (yes, we are lagging)

Monday was Halloween. DH and I took Noodle Trick or Treating while Bear stayed home to hand out candy. We didn't get many kids through our neighborhood this year for some reason, but that meant left over candy and no one around here complained about that!

Before we hit the streets we stopped by my Grandparent's home so Noodle could show off his costume and pick up some candy that Grammy bought for all the boys.

Noodle and Great Grammy.

Noodle and Great Grampy.

Noodle made cupcakes and Halloween cookies at Grandma's (my mom) house and brought them home.

We also made a third batch of Cake Pops - still aren't super smooth, but they were cute anyway.

Math- Noodle did his daily Abeka lesson, but I mixed it up a little by throwing in a math cut and paste that I found on a teacher blog. I wish I could remember which one so I could link it and give credit. Basically, he matched up word form, expanded form and standard form numbers.

Language Arts- We did a little of everything. Lessons from OPGTR, CLE LA, and Writing With Ease. He also finished reading Days Go By and started on the next Pathway Reader, More Days Go By. Also, we did a TOG Writing Aids assignment - added adjectives to Noodle's Grammar and Composition notebook.

Reading to me while I cook breakfast.

Doing a lesson from OPGTR.

Art- Noodle did another art assignment that I will talk about in an upcoming review. This is two weeks in a row we did an art assignment - YAY!

P.E. - we went to a local par course and did some activities there. He brought his Pogo Stick too - we were sufficiently worn out when we left.

History - We reviewed the famous people on the TOG list and I read a little from Story of the World Volume 3.

Science - We worked on the science fair project. I can't wait to make our annual dedicated science fair post. Noodle is having a blast. He did the first trial run and it worked PERFECTLY. We are so excited!! At this point all he needs to do is get his display board done and finish his little report - both of which he has started.

Bear

As usual, because he is in high school, I always feel like there isn't much to report for him - even though he works about 6-7 hours a day on school. He did lots of reading for history and science, did a couple of biology labs and wrote up his lab reports and he did some outlining.

He met with his Algebra tutor. I am hoping and praying he can start Geometry by the end of January.

He continues working on his Russian studies. Here he is plugging away at the Russian assignments. All the notes on the wall around his desk are in regards to Algebra and Russian.

He completed a History Scholar page on Thomas Jefferson.

He is almost finished reading Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences and then he will begin work on his research paper for this semester.

In other news, my husband bought me a new kitchen faucet. The other one was six years old and had been "repaired" three times. Isn't she a beauty?? The nozzle is a pull down sprayer and the water pressure is AWESOME. Love.It.

Who knew a gal could be so excited over a faucet?

As many of my readers may know, I am a Mary Kay consultant. At one time it was my full time job - good money, prizes, cars and travel. That was another season in my life, but this month is my 15 Year Anniversary with the company and despite my not being very active anymore they continue to send me checks in the mail and little gifts. I received this yesterday.

D is for Diligent - The ABC's of Homeschooling

2011-11-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

Dawn at The Mama Knows hosts the ABC's of Homeschooling Link Up - I haven't participated in a while. Be sure to go check out all the other posts for "D."

D is for Diligent. I will never achieve perfection in our homeschool (or anywhere else for that matter), and I won't get it all done all the time. I can however, be diligent. I can do what I can do each day. According to dictionary.com, diligent means "constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything."

Each day, even days I don't feel like it, I persist in home educating the boys. Some days are great and I know why I am doing what I do and other days I want to rip my hair out, and I think, "What the heck am I doing?" I imagine many public school teachers feel the same way.

I am diligent with math, reading and writing, but not so diligent with science and history. I love science and history and have great lessons planned out, but there are never enough hours in the day to do everything. I would love to be more diligent in carrying out the lesson plans on a more regular basis.

While I may be diligent in educating the boys, I am not so diligent at cooking dinner and making sure we sit around the table as a family. I am not proud of this. I do not enjoy cooking and as a kid we always sat around the dinner table together. - so it isn't like bad memories are holding me back. I don't know why this seems to be so difficult for our family. Well, I guess I do have some inkling. For one, there are two nights a week where the boys have activities to attend. A couple times a month there are nights where I need to be somewhere. Also, my husband isn't consistent on when he arrives home from work. There are often school projects, toys and laptops on the kitchen table and it is just easier if we all go to our separate corners and eat. As I type this out I realize just how sad that is!! I enjoy when we sit around the table - we usually have nice conversation and some good laughs. Also, the dogs are always right there looking pathetic and like they haven't had a morsel in days, so we always end up talking about how cute they are.

I used to use the crock pot all the time, but I think I wasn't diverse enough in the meals because my husband complained once about all the crock pot meals. Since then I haven't used it as much. If anyone has an easy crock pot meal, please share!

I am vowing today to make an effort to be more diligent in cooking for my family and eating together around the table. The verse for Winecup Christian Academy is Galatians 6:9 - I would do well to remember it for other areas of my life too.

Bower Books: The Person I Marry - TOS Review

2011-11-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

The Person I Marry is a sweet book by husband and wife team, Gary and Jan Bower. Together they are Bower Books. From their website:

"As exciting and fulfilling as it is to be an artist and a writer, other things rank higher on our list when it comes to who we are. We also feel extremely humbled and grateful to be Christians, best friends, parents of twelve, and grandparents of nine." ~ Gary & Jan Bower

I received an e-book copy of The Person I Marry. The artwork is gorgeous and my first thought was that the pictures reminded me of Norman Rockwell's art. Jan Bower is the illustrator of this wonderful book. Jan has 12 children and she uses them as inspiration for the book illustrations.

The Person I Marry was the 2010 Christian Small Publishers, Book of the Year. It is part of the Bright Future series put out by Bower Books. Here is a quick clip about the Bright Future book series.

Bright Future Intro from Bower Books on Vimeo.

Other titles in the Bright Future series include There's a Party in Heaven, The Jingle in My Pocket and What Do Heroes Wear? They are all available in Hardcover format. The Person I Marry is 32 pages and fully illustrated. From the Bower Books Website:

"Long before thinking of diamonds & glitter,
here are some things that I need to consider."The things that make up a person's outside are shallow, but deeper qualities like kindness, honesty, faithfulness, thoughtfulness,
respect are what help build strong relationships. Written in poetry by award-winning author Gary Bower, and featuring the breathtaking oil paintings of award-winning artist Jan Bower, The Person I Marry is an adorable, yet profound, book that will penetrate hearts of men and women, boys and girls. Loved by young children, teens, engaged couples, and seasoned married people.

In addition to the Bright Future series there is an Adoption Book, Michigan Kids series and a Thinking of Others series.

I love this book. It is all about the qualities we should look for in a spouse. It is so beautifully written that there were times I got choked up. I received the e-book version - I am not big on e-books and I am not a Kindle kind of gal so I prefer a paper book I can hold in my hands. I will be ordering this one along with others. Not only would they be beautiful enough to put on the coffee table for guests to view, the message is sweet and Godly. Noodle loved the illustrations and he commented, "Mommy, this book is rhyming."

The Person I Marry, hardcover, retails for $11.99 and can be ordered at the Bower Books Website. They also sell posters featuring character traits. They accept Paypal!! You get FREE shipping with orders of $30 or more and you can request an autographed copy for no additional charge.

If you'd like to see what other TOS Crew Members thought of Bower Books, click HERE.

**I received a free copy of the e-book The Person I Marry, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.**

November Homeschool Goals - A Link Up

2011-11-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

A blog I like to read, Taunya's Place is having a November Homeschool Goals Link Up. I love it!

Winecup Christian Academy November Goals

Mom

Plan the rest of second semester for TOG and Science - I am a little behind because of my own school work.

Clean off the teacher's desk - again!

Not a homeschool goal - but my personal goal for November is to lose 10 pounds and exercise 3-5 days a week.

Noodle

Continue progressing with all our normal work. We have been lagging on playing games lately, but I'd like to add some new math games to our studies.

Do Fine Arts studies/projects every Friday.

Finish the science fair project, for the fair on the 11th.

Do some fun fall activities and Thanksgiving lessons.

Participate in some holiday cooking (home ec and math).

Bear

Continue progressing with all our normal work.

Start working on Biology research paper.

Read "Darwin's God" and write a response paper. (Prayers for this please.) I am not making him do any "religious" studies, but he does attend Sunday School with us. I don't want to do anything to further drive him away from God, but he is a minor under my authority and I don't want him not participating with our family when it comes to our Faith. My personality doesn't allow me to say "Oh he is just a teenager." or "This too shall pass." because honestly, it feels really horrible to have my son verbally proclaim there is no God.

Workout 4 days a week for P.E.. Grandma is paying for a gym membership this month so that he can workout with his friend. The gym allows month at a time memberships and he didn't go in September or October - he worked out sporadically at home. He has a perfect physique and can eat anything he wants and not gain an ounce. Whatever!

**We are going to be having company visit from out of town from the 11th - 18th and my mother is getting married, so hopefully with all that going on we can stay on track with our studies! For the week of the wedding, my only academic expectations will be math and language arts for Noodle. Bear can probably still get most of his independent work done.

Happy November!!!

OOKA Island Adventure- TOS Review

2011-10-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

From the Ooka Island Website:

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.

Ooka Island Adventure by Oooka Island Books, is a game for budding readers. Targeted at children ages 3 - 7 and/or Grades K- 2nd. Ooka Island Adventure is an early literacy program. Children are guided by a friendly robot named Zobot. He guides them to a variety of games, such as Alphabet Mountain and Cave of Sounds.

Overall the game has 85 books for the children to read - that is pretty impressive! Noodle balked at reading them three times, as the program suggests. There are comprehension activities at the end of each book.

There are Ooka Songs too - like this one:

Noodle is already a fairly strong reader, but he is always up for games. Because of his reading level, the first games were really too slow for him and he got bored. One game was looking for sounds in a coal mining cave, the sound of the coal car moving along the tracks was pretty realistic, but that was about as exciting as that one got. They were fairly easy to navigate and any child that can use a mouse, could play the game. If I had a preschooler who was just being introduced to the alphabet the game would likely be just the right speed. That said, we had several technical difficulties and did not progress too in to the games, which I understand go through the different levels of reading. I learned from the website that there was a placement test, but I could not figure out how to get to it to take it.

I think Ooka Island is brand new and they are still working out glitches. It just recently completed Beta testing. Their customer service is very friendly and they are working hard to get everything just right. That said, the downside of this program is that it took over an hour to download and it was sort of a space hog (over 2 GB!!). The login had a glitch and sometimes the game froze and had to be restarted. Also, we had to turn the volume all the way up on our computer and still had to strain a little to hear it well. Hopefully these glitches will be fixed soon.

The graphics were cute and will appeal to young children. The music was cute too.

Here is a brief tutorial video to give you a glimpse in to Ooka Island:

The cost for one child is $12.95 a month, $59.95 for six months or $99.95 for one year. A Family membership is $19.95 a month, $99.95 for six months or $129.95 for a year. Currently there is a launch special for 30% off. The Promo Code is: LAUNCHSPECIAL30

Although Ooka Island isn't a good fit for our family, due to Noodle's reading ability, this program seems like it would be really fun for a younger set or struggling readers. The customer service team was so diligent that I am confident once they get all the glitches worked out that this will be a great learning to read resource for many homeschool families.
**We received a free six month subscription in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given.**

To read about what other TOS Crew Members had to say about Oooka Island Adventures, click HERE.

Excellence in Literature - TOS Review

2011-10-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

I was ECSTATIC when I heard I was one of the chosen to review Excellence in Literature by Everyday Education! I have had my eye on this program for several years, but never took the plunge. I appreciate getting the opportunity to try out this program.

The Introduction to Literature program is the program I was given for review, in the e-book format. For the purpose of this review we completed Unit 1: Short Stories. Included were stories by Poe and O.Henry as well as James Thurber and a couple others. It is suggested to take 4 weeks to do this unit, but we completed it in a little over two weeks since Bear is a 10th grader and already has quite a bit of writing under his belt, and he is a voracious reader. I took the time to read the stories so we could discuss them. Oh, how I love O.Henry stories. I was quickly reminded of why I am an English major.

Introduction to Literature is the first in the series, by Janice Campbell, for Grades 8-12. The 132 page print option is $29 plus shipping. The e-book, downloadable is $27.

Janice Campbell, the author of the Excellence in Literature series, homeschooled all her children. Right off the bat I knew EIL would have components that I would like - because homeschool moms know what homeschoolers want better than any text book company. This document explains how she chose the literature for her courses and also provides the reading list for all her courses.

Introduction to Literature focuses on novels, short stories, poems and drama. Each unit provides background information on authors and the historical period of the work. Each unit is intended to take approximately four weeks. There is a strong focus on writing, which I find a big plus. However, if your student struggles with writing or doesn't have a good foundation for writing they may find the writing assignments challenging. It is suggested that in conjunction with this course your student have access to a writer's handbook of some sort. We have the Abeka Grammar & Composition Handbook, but there are dozens out there that would be suitable to go with this program. This course includes rubrics for both the parent and student to easily determine if writing assignments have met all the requirements.

Unit 1: Short Stories

Unit 2: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Unit 3: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

Unit 4: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Unit 5: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

Unit 6: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Unit 7: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Unit 8: The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Unit 9: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

HERE is a sample unit. It is PDF format and downloadable.

Things I loved about Intro to Literature:

PDF Format Availability
College Prep- ie; lessons are assigned but the student's hand isn't held
Honors Option for Each Course/Each Unit
Uses Classic Literature - easily accessible at most libraries
Easy to follow lessons written to the student

Other literature programs available from Everyday Education in the Excellence in Literature series: American Literature, Literature and Composition, British Literature and World Literature.

You can read what other homeschoolers thought of this program by going HERE.

**I received a free ebook copy of Introduction to Literature in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation.**

Weekly Report 10/24 - 10/28

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

~What We Are Reading~

Me: College Textbooks

Bear: Russia A Journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People

Noodle: Peter Pan

If you read this post on Wednesday, then you know my week didn't start off well. Fortunately, after putting it out there things started to turn around. This week was a good reminder that although I try, (why?) I am not superchristianwifeandhomeschoolmom. Thankfully, I am feeling better. The fever is gone and my energy is up. I realized I probably feel like doo doo because my diet (or lack thereof) is totally out of control. I am afraid to weigh myself because then I will know how much I have gained. Not weighing myself keeps me in a state of denial. I am certain that if I get my food and exercise act together I will feel better.

In spite of the drama and bad attitudes, I think we ended up with a decent week. It is that time of year when homeschoolers typically start re-evaluating and thinking about changes. It's no exception in my homeschool - though I am not changing any curriculum. I love our curriculum. My problem (you can see the pattern if you are a regular reader) is that I tend to put Noodle's science, history and fine arts on the back burner. I was doing fabulous at the beginning of our new school year (who doesn't?) and now it is mostly math and the language arts that are getting done everyday. Bear is on track because for the most part he doesn't need me in order to complete science or history.

I am going to try out something new - all the math and language arts Mon-Thurs and Friday will be science, history and fine arts day.

Noodle

Math- continued with Abeka, and Noodle was introduced to 4 digit numbers this week. Also, the speed drills changed to a one minute timed activity this week. It was great- the first time he finished the last problem as the timer was beeping. It was one of my "aha" moments this week. I set the timer for him to complete his math assignment - to discourage the dilly dallying- and low and behold the boy finished in twenty minutes! I am going to continue using the timer with him.

Language Arts- Reading is moving along at lightning pace. It is so exciting to watch. We continued with lessons from The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. I have to say this is one of those resources that SAVED me as a homeschool mom. I was so stressed about teaching Noodle how to read and I was trying this and trying that and listening to what other moms were saying about what they did and how it was OK if he didn't read until later. Can I just say that terrified me - to think he might not learn to read until he was 10? Maybe I am wound too tight, but that thought was unacceptable to me. I am a reader, and I love to read! My husband is a reader and so is Bear. My oldest son can read and comprehend, but he doesn't enjoy reading. Noodle reading late or not enjoying reading was my worst nightmare. Finally, I stopped listening to all the advice (that I was asking for by the way) and I looked at the sample pages of OPGTR on Amazon and I just KNEW I needed that book. I couldn't order it fast enough and don't you know from the day we started it, a light went off for both Noodle and me.

Noodle is still reading aloud to me from Days Go By, the Pathway reader. We are reading aloud Peter Pan. We had started it last week, but then we got distracted and didn't pick it up again until yesterday.

We continued with lessons from Writing With Ease. I am enjoying this more and more. I love the sweetness of the reading passages and Noodle can comprehend the information. One of Noodle's issues is that he uses too many words when he talks - he needs to learn to just cut to the chase! The summarizing lessons in WWE are really going to help with this issue, and I am so excited by that!

CLE Language Arts is a close second behind OPGTR. It has contributed to Noodle's reading ability as well.

Latin - We are still reviewing and we used the Latin Monkey Match flashcards once this week for a little practice.

Science- We worked a little on the science fair project. Once we complete the project and do the fair I will give more details and have all the pictures up.

History- One reason we don't get to history often enough is all the components involved. I love TOG for its richness and I should be making more time for it. We did all the history vocabulary and famous people for this week. We discussed Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark and the Louisiana Purchase. For Geography we reviewed the continents, found France (Napoleon) on the globe and completed a map marking the Louisiana Purchase. Also, we started some notebooking/lapbooking activities for the Revolutionary War.

Art- I received an art program in the mail to review for the TOS Crew and we did the first lesson. Can't wait to do more and I am SO excited we received this!!! I can tell already I will be buying the rest of the series as the years go by. The first lesson was about how artists compose and Noodle's assignment was to compose a drawing of something in his home. He drew the two dogs with our french doors in the background.

Also, on his own this week, he drew a Diplodicus. He used the book How to Draw Dinosaurs.

Halloween Activities- We read The Story of Halloween to learn the history - its pagan beginnings and how it ended up in America and changed over the years.

We made another batch of Cake Pops. Also, we did a Halloween craft - Big Eyes.

Bear

Algebra- Reviewed previous concepts all week and did lots of practice problems.

English/Literature- Read some short stories, did some outlining, several grammar lessons and continued to read Fever 1793. The Art of Poetry lessons were about symbols this week. He also read about William Wordsworth and some of his works. For outline practice he watched a 30 minute video "Does God Really Exist?" and outlined it. He also continued his lessons in Vocabulary From Classical Roots.

Biology- Continued with Apologia and Miller/Levine lessons. He did one experiment this week, but I failed to take pictures. He continued to read Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences, in preparation for an upcoming research paper.

Russian- He just continued with his daily lessons. He happened to get a new cell phone this week and found a Russian Translator application - so all week he has been speaking in to the phone and having it translate for him. I love technology.

History- We read and discussed Marbury vs Madison. He is still reading about Jefferson.

Listening to Music (Yale online class)- He watched a lecture, took notes and did the reading assignments.

Logic- he did some reading and lessons in Art of Argument. This week was just a review of previous lessons.

No pictures of Bear this week - they'd all be the same anyway- he'd just be sitting at his desk, deep in to his work. I am going to make an effort this next week to catch him doing something silly. Unitl next time!

I am linked up with Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers - be sure to check out what other homeschoolers did this week.

Meltdowns

2011-10-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Melting down seems to be a frequent occurrence at our house this week. Noodle has had several melt downs over things I consider to be ridiculous. Bear has had two Algebra related meltdowns in two days. I have melted down twice because I don't feel good and I am reacting to my children.

This is not fun. I know I should probably put a halt to school and just rest, but I can't stand the thought of them running wild and unstructured while I sleep it off in my bedroom or on the couch. Yesterday I did put Noodle in his room for quiet time and found myself wondering, "Why don't I do this on a regular basis?" Last school year I did institute quiet time for both boys - it lasted about three weeks and once we fell off schedule due to a time conflict, we never managed to get back on. Don't you hate when that happens?

I have errands that need to get done, including grocery shopping, since my pantry currently looks like Old Mother Hubbard's pantry. I am going to force myself to leave the house. Maybe the fresh air will do us all good along with the change of scenery.

Sometimes meltdowns are good I supposes. Bear's Algebra meltdowns led to me making a decision. We are going in to review mode for at least the next week to really cement some concepts before continuing to move on.

Noodle's meltdowns were just plain rebellion and not wanting to obey. As a result we are not going to the park for homeschool park day this week. He also lost his new Pogo Stick privileges for today. Hopefully, he will remember beforehand next time that throwing a fit does not yield the results he is looking for.

So, this isn't my typical blog post. I really just needed to put it out there that I am not having a good week. I need prayers that I will feel better- I have a low temp (100) and just feel plain yucky, for lack of a better word.

I know I am not alone and that many of you homeschoolers have days like mine - that alone makes me feel better! Here's to hoping the rest of the week goes better!!

Marshall Publishing George Washington Carver- TOS Review

2011-10-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Marshall Publishing produces family friendly media and are best known for their "As Seen On TV" videos like, Lots and Lots of Trains and Lots and Lots of Fire Trucks.

For review I received George Washington Carver: His Life and His Work. It is an educational DVD and the true story of the life and accomplishments of George Washington Carver. It is about 30 minutes and I must say it is very informative, not to mention inspirational! I didn't see that this product was promoted for any specific age range, but even Noodle (age 7) sat through it. There is a Study Guide that goes with the DVD - when you click on the link, scroll all the way to the bottom to view the study guide/discussion questions.

I don't remember when I first heard about George Washington Carver, but I did know that he was responsible for the peanut. Maybe it is my age, but when I see peanuts, two men always come to mind George Washington Carver, the scientist and Jimmy Carter, the former President. I am ashamed to say I did not know/or remember how many other things George Washington Carver had a hand in.

This wonderful documentary/biography was filmed at the George Washington Carver Museum at the Tuskegee Institute. I did have a bit of nostalgia because this program reminded me of the films I used to watch when I was in grade school. The DVD was beautifully organized, included some great nature scenes (appropriate for a guy whose life work centered on plants) and held our interest.

This DVD would make a great addition to any U.S. History or science study. It is a brief enough, yet meaty enough presentation to allow older children the opportunity to practice doing a formal outline or practice taking notes. In fact, I had Bear watch it a second time specifically to practice note taking. It just so happens that is his current TOG writing assignment - note taking. Perfect timing!

The video typically retails for $19.95, but if my dear readers would like to purchase the video, you may get it for 15% off which comes to $16.95, by using the Coupon Code: TOSC1 at check out. You can order by calling toll free 888-300-3455 or going to the website www.marshallpub.com The item number is KVFD-106

If you would like to see what other homeschoolers are saying about this video you can check out their reviews by going HERE.

**I received a free copy of George Washing Carver His Life and His Work for the sole purpose of review. I received no other compensation for this review.**

Weekly Reports 10/17 - 10/21

2011-10-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

~What We Are Reading~

Me: College Textbooks - until December

Bear: Russia Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People and The Collapse of the Soviet Union

Noodle: New read aloud is Peter Pan Junior Classic plus lots of other voluntary reading!!!! (YEAH!)

We took Monday off because my Dear Mother-In-Law was here. We miss her already! She comes to visit once a year and it is always so nice, but the stay is never long enough.

Tuesday we got back to work. The weather was fabulous at a high of 74. I opened the windows and it was so energizing! We managed to get a lot done. I even baked a 9 x 13 banana bread with chocolate chips! Then Wednesday I had to get back on track nutritionally and otherwise. I have gained too much weight back from my 44 pound loss last year. I am not happy. Now that the weather is cooler there are more walks and bike rides in my future.

Noodle

Math: Moving right along! Took another test with flying colors. To break up the monotony of the Abeka workbook we did a little "Halloween Math" on one day. He learned a new concept, "borrowing" - he did OK for his first introduction to it.

Lanaguage Arts: Rumplestiltskin. We read it and completed a TOG Literature Student Activity Page (SAP). Continued working on First Language Lessons, CLE LA, Explode the Code 4 and WWE. I found a cute little worksheet online at a teacher blog, so he completed that too. He had to make three sentences about a picture, using some words in a word bank.

Answers narrated to Mom

CLE LA

CLE Spelling

His reading is going so well!! I am so excited for him and proud of him. He said recently, in a very excited voice, "I love books!" That is music to this mama's ears.

Latin: We never got to Latin this week.

Science: We started work on the science fair project - topic is Tornadoes. It should be fun!

History: On Tuesday we all watched National Geographic- The Journey of Lewis and Clark, via Netflix streaming. Additionally, Noodle watched another couple of episodes of Liberty's Kids.

Bear

Algebra: Mostly review this week and practice for upcoming test.

Grammar and Composition: The usual - CLE Grammar practice, writing- more note taking skills, literature - veered off the TOG lesson and started reading Fever 1793. He did a few assignments from The Art of Poetry. I love this curriculum - one of this week's poems was Nothing Gold Can Stay. It's funny, I never read that poem in school, but I know it because of one of my favorite movies as a teen - The Outsiders. While reading it to prepare for our discussion, I could hear Ponyboy's voice!

Biology: No experiments, just reading and questions. He has also started reading about how to write a biology research paper, which he will be starting soon.

Russian: He spends a lot of time on his Russian lessons because he loves it, but it is becoming a problem because he'd rather do this than anything else! He is even doing Russian and Algebra for longer periods of time than Biology. He is also reading books about Russia.

History: He watched the above mentioned Lewis and Clark program with Noodle and me. More reading about Jefferson. Government readings - Marbury vs Madison.

Logic: The Art of Argument from Classical Academic Press, is awesome.

Bear read online about a satellite that is defunct and that is going to crash into the earth. The article gave the approximate location via latitude/longitude numbers so he promptly went to the map to find out where it might hit - and determined it will likely drop in to Canada somewhere. Our map didn't show the area since this year we only have the U.S. map displayed.

The last two weeks have not been as productive as I would have liked. I have been lagging in the science and history department with Noodle, but I try not to worry about it. Especially in light of what Susan Wise Bauer says about making sure they can read and write at this stage. If I spend time doing all the fun science and history activities to the detriment of reading and writing skills I will be sorry down the road.

Last week we were preparing for my MIL's short visit, then she was here and we took two days off and this week was slow going getting back to our routine. I am just going to chalk these two weeks up to "Fall Break" and move on.

Random pictures from this past week:

Lunch - grilled cheese, chips and apple juice - yum.

Two sweet and tired doggies.

Caught Bear visiting and baby talking with Cassie, our ten year old kitty. He said, "You are going to put this on the blog, aren't you?" Well, DUH!

Wits and Wagers Family - TOS Review

2011-10-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

We LOVE games at our house. Noodle especially. He is always looking for reasons to play a game instead of doing school work, which is why I like to keep a lot of educational games on hand. When Wits & Wagers Family showed up at our house, I was excited to add another game to our collection.

Noodle and I were excited to play, but we needed a third player. We called on Bear to play with us and it was like pulling teeth. He isn't much in to games and a little too serious for games. He enjoyed himself when he was winning. Typical.

It is a numbers game, but not a math game. Each player gets their own mini dry erase board to record their answers. There are questions like, "On average, how many new dinosaur species are discovered each year?" Each player then makes a guess, writes it on their dry erase board and lines it up the other player's guesses. The person whose guess is the closest, without going over, gets the points. Oh, and there are Meeples that come in to play too.

What's a Meeple you ask? My best guess is that they are "miniature people" and they help raise your earned points when you have the winning guess. Each player gets two Meeples - one large and one small. After a player makes their guess, they can place Meeples on their own guess or another player's guess.

There are three ways to score points:

1 point for having the winning guess (it is possible for more than one player to get this point)
1 point for placing a small Meeple on the winning guess
1 point for placing a large Meeple on the winning guess

The first player to reach 15 points wins the game. You can play individually or play in teams if you have more people.

One of our rounds.....

Competition is always fun, but the questions really make this game. They are so interesting and often funny! There are 300 questions. Additional question packs can be purchased online.

Wits & Wagers Family, by NorthStar Games is for 3 or more players ages 8 and up. It retails for $24.95, but can be found at online retailers for $14-20.

To see what other Homeschoolers Have to say about Wits & Wagers Family, click HERE.

**I received a free Wits & Wagers Family game in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.**

Is Home Schooling Expensive?

2011-10-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

That's a question I get almost as often as, "What about Socialization?" Hmmmm, is homeschooling expensive? That depends. It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

I don't really have a set homeschool budget. I figure out what I need and then I try to buy it as inexpensively as possible! I buy used as often as I can.

My favorite places to buy used:

www.homeschoolclassifieds.com

Well Trained Mind Forums- For Sale Board

Used Book Sales

Half Price Books

Amazon.com

Over the years I have read about people who spend thousands on a school year and some who do it almost totally for free. I am in the between club. My first year I did spend over $2000. It was crazy, but I was new and those boxed curriculum's are expensive!

One thing I do to soften the blow of school purchases is to buy throughout the current school year for the upcoming year. That is one reason I plan ahead, so that I can keep my eye out for good prices on the things I will need.

Further, I use the library as often as I can. I no longer buy readers unless I really must. The library likely has all the readers I will ever need plus books on every topic known to man. Of course, I am a member of a great library, but you may not be. If you have a terrible library, I know how you feel because I have been there done that. My condolences to you!!!

I barter. I trade Algebra tutoring for childcare, although she doesn't utilize me as often as she should be!

In the age of Internet there are a plethora of resources for free out there. Free until you use your paper and ink, which I like to stock up on. Staples regularly has coupons for ink and paper and I use them whenever I can find money in the budget because getting $10-20 off ink makes me giddy! Homeschool bloggers, teacher blogs, Facebook and most recently Pinterest are great sources of ideas and freebies!

I scope out garage sales for books - I scored this weekend. I bought a American Government text book, a Gail Gibbons book and three artist prints with artist info all for $1.50 !!

Then there is Grandma, who loves to buy stuff for the kids so this last year she has started ordering books for us off of our wish list. If you have a relative who likes to spend money on your kids, politely request them to redirect it toward books and supplies. Grandma (my mother) fills my Christmas stocking with pens, pencils, paper clips, staples and highlighters too.

Because I blog and I am an Amazon affiliate I also earn Amazon gift cards throughout the school year and of course I buy more books. If you blog about your homeschool, I suggest you become an Amazon affiliate because after a while the pennies add up and a free book is a free book, kwim???

Typically, here are where my homeschool dollars go:

Textbooks and Workbooks
Library membership in neighboring town ($40 year).....errrr.....plus the occasional late fees
Netflix
Walmart, Target, Staples and Office Depot - all the typical school supplies, paper, ink and coil binding services
Field Trips
Science Project Supplies
IOWA Test once a year
Binders (because I am addicted to binders)
Dry Erase Markers
Various Art Supplies

Where the dollars don't go:

Lunch boxes or brown paper sacks
Capri Sun and individual bags of chips
Backpacks
School Pictures
Fundraiser purchases
Trendy new school clothes and shoes

Some years are more costly than others, it just depends on the curriculum I chose, how much I can find at the library and how cheap I can buy used, but overall I don't usually spend more than $1000 for both kids for a school year and probably I am way under that. How about you, is homeschooling expensive for you or are you a bargain hunter like I am?