Day In Day Out

This Blog is Moving

2011-02-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

I hope you'll join me in moving to my new site. The new blog is entitled Half Dozen Mama. The website is http://HalfDozenMama.com.

Well, I've hinted at it, but it's official now. I've been creating a new blog home with a new address (self-hosted domain and all) and big ol' makeover. My heart and focus will still be the same, but just improved. And WAY prettier on your computer screen. I did all of the moving and creative work myself, so you can blame me and email me if you have any suggestions to make things easier.

Right now, I don't think I am able to move the feed for those of you who subscribe via Google Followers. But I'd love it if you just jump over to the new site and click on the RSS logo on the top right and sign up to get the new feed in your Google reader, or however you'd prefer.Also, grab one of my new buttons on the right sidebar to include on your blog. And if you may want to change your blog roll if you have kept Day In Day Out on it. But I'd love you to add Half Dozen Mama to your list.

I will be transferring the majority of the content on this blog to the new site, but please allow me a few days after this post's date to get it all organized over there. I have to post this final post BEFORE I can move stuff. Then I won't be able to access this blog any longer. Any links that are out and about should, in theory, now link to the new site.

So hop over now to Half Dozen Mama and check it out. Go ahead and sign up to get the RSS feed, or you can sign up to receive posts via email. And if things look a little wacky, say a prayer for me and try again in a day. You can also get even updates on my new Facebook page. I'm even on Twitter now at @HalfDozenMama.

I will have some really cool giveaways to celebrate the new site, so you'll want to be sure to meet me there for all the giveaway goodness. I have loved my 3 years of blogging here at Day In Day Out. You are the best readers anywhere and I am looking forward to continuing this journey with you at Half Dozen Mama.

Secretive Update

2011-02-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

I just had to pop by quickly and let you all know that in spite of doing not much more than reviews for the last month or so, I really have NOT forgotten the heart of my blog. To the contrary, I have some fun and exciting things in the works. A couple incredible giveaways and something even more exciting, but shhhh! That's all I can share for now. Promise, it will be worth the wait!

Roman Town (a review)

2011-02-04T10:15:00.001-07:00

History hasn’t been high on the list this year in our little homeschool, so when we got the chance to review Roman Town by Dig-It! Games, I breathed a sigh of relief from the we-can’t-squeeze-history-into-our-schedule guilt. A computer game to the rescue!

An Overview

Touted as the “Premier Archaeology Computer Game for Kids,” Roman Town strives to make learning fun. Here’s what their site has to say:

“Founded by a professional archaeologist and teacher, Dig-It! Games promotes learning through active discovery and the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills in young learners. Dig-It! Games presents authentic and accurate historical information that conforms to the curriculum mandates and Standards of Learning of many states. Dig-It! Games creates “hands-on” learning games that can be played at home, used as course supplements, and adapt easily to the classroom.”

Our Experience

My kids enjoy computer games, so I knew they’d be keen to play. Set-up is easy and with a little background on how the game works, it’s easy to get started on the digging in the dirt for artifacts.

The graphics are nice and really give the feel of being on an archeological dig, right down to the very tools you use. The things you uncover only lead to greater understanding of the Roman times and culture. For instance, a knife that is found is greenish in color. You learn that it is bronze and would have oxidized to that color. Or when you find glass, you’ll discover that the Romans were expert glass blowers and even had glass windows. Who knew? Not me.

My children enjoyed the game with only one complaint—the lengthy bits of information given throughout the game must be read; there’s no voice behind Roman Town. I really wish there was a narrator so I could be sure my kids were taking it all in. It’s too easy to play a game and just get back to the ‘doing’ part of it and skip the learning part of it. Also, there’s no feature that let’s the parent see exactly what parts of the game have been done, or how the child has scored on some of the ‘tests.’

My Opinion

There are many aspects of this game that parents and homeschoolers will love:

Kids learn about Roman culture, society & history
Problem solving skills are put into action
Kids learn what an archeologists does
Vocabulary and knowledge is put to the test within the game
Accurate historical information and authentic artifacts

To utilize on their own, I do think Roman Town would be best for a child ten or older. I think it’s just a lot of information for younger children to read on their own. But for a family with younger children, it would make a great family game, provided you can all sit down to the computer together. What a fun supplement to your history studies!

I like this game and think it has a great place in the vast market of educational games. I think there’s great value for homeschoolers who might be studying Latin or want to tie this in with their historical studies of the Roman era. It would also make a great supplement to any unit study on archeology.

You can see a video walkthrough on the main page of Dig-It! Games. Go check it out and see if it’s something that could bring some fun and variety to your family’s learning.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

Product: Roman Town interactive educational game

Company: Dig-It! Games

Description: Archeological computer game for kids (and grown ups too) on CD-ROM for Windows Vista/XP/2000; coming soon for Mac.

Ages: 8 to 88; must be able to read well or have a parent sit with them

Price: SALE just for TOS readers! You can use the coupon code TOS2011 to get Roman Town for $19.96! HURRY, it expires on February 21, 2011. (The usual price for Roman Town is $39.95, so this TOS2011 coupon is a really great deal!)

More Products: Roman Town Educator’s manual

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Times Alive (a review)

2011-01-31T17:06:00.001-07:00

You’ve heard me say it too many times at this point, but one of our main goals this homeschool year is to strengthen some foundational aspects of our children’s education. Learning math facts is a KEY part of that. And for some reason, multiplication facts can be the hardest to really commit to memory.

As part of The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was chosen to review Times Alive by City Creek Press. Although we’ve been doing lots of math reviews lately, I have been really happy to offer my children all the variety. And Times Alive is unique, because it doesn’t feel so much like school, but more like watching cartoons. My kids are always game for cartoons!

An Overview

Created by an educational pioneer Judy Liautaud, Times Alive works where other methods of rote memorization have failed. What sets it apart are the visual images, stories and songs. Colorful and clever numbers and stories help these boring math facts come to life and ‘stick’ to the brain. The program won’t teach the concept of multiplication, but it will put some ‘glue’ on the times tables that just seem impossible to memorize.

There are loads of samples you can see on the City Creek Press YouTube Channel, so sit down with your child and take a gander. I think you’ll like it. Here’s one below:

A sample video of Times Alive

Our Experience

We received the downloadable version of Times Alive, which just meant we didn’t have to wait for the mail to deliver the CD-ROM. It was easy to get up and running on the kids Vista computer.

My children like the program and are always eager for the chance to use the computer during school time. The stories and images are well-thought out and told in a memorable way. I do think the style of the program is a bit more simplistic than many media-savvy kids are used to nowadays, but that doesn’t mean they won’t like them. Just whip out some flashcards and see what they’d rather do. Times Alive will be the pick any day of the week, I assure you.

The child I had focusing on Times Alive liked it and showed improvement. She was a little confused at times what lesson she was supposed to do next. The program gives you a menu with lots of options and it was a little ‘busy’ (even for me). But with a little help, it’s not hard to get the hang of. Also, it’s important that the child log in with the exact same name each time, or all their work will be lost. However, you can have many children using the one-time purchase software, so this should be a great value for larger families.

I do think it helped my daughter improve her speed and accuracy of multiplication facts. This isn’t a watch-it-once-and-you’re-done kind of program. Each lesson really should be watched multiple times to get it down. Fortunately, it’s not just a passive learning experience—there’s lots of practice and interaction built into the program. Also, lots of tools for the parent (or teacher) to see how and what the child is doing.

My Opinion

I like Times Alive and think it could be just the thing for many families who are tired of the tedious task of memorizing times tables. I think it’s ideal for helping a child to master their multiplication facts, especially if they’re struggling. I think ‘right brained’ kids in particular, can have a hard time with this. This product is ideal for making math memorable for the more visual, creative learner. I’m so glad we had the chance to use the software version of the product—which can pretty much run without daily oversight by the parent. I know I plan to use it with the many upcoming creative minds at my house.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

Product: Times Alive software

Company: City Creek Press www.CityCreekPress.com

Video Samples: City Creek’s YouTube channel

Ages: Any age needing to learn/master multiplication

Price: $44.95 for download; $48.95 for CD-ROM

Other products: Addition the Fun Way (many products) and many more Times Alive products including books, workbooks, posters, teacher’s manual, audio & more

Basic System Requirements: Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, AND also works on Macintosh OS 8.6 or higher or OS X. See the website for more specific machine requirements.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

TenMarks Math (a review)

2011-01-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

When I first saw the promotions for TenMarks, I was dying to try it. Homeschool moms have strange desires involving new curricula and the latest programs and book deliveries from UPS. It takes lots of willpower to abstain from buying everything. Well, when I saw my name on the list of reviewers for TenMarks—it made my month! I was thrilled! Such is the exciting life of a homeschool mom .

Overview

TenMarks is an online math program that can be used as a whole math curriculum or a supplement. And it’s not just for homeschoolers, there are whole schools using the program with parents putting it to use after school also. However, I used the homeschool portion of the program for this review with full access to all the benefits. Each program is personalized to the child and geared to line up with state standards. Here’s the great stuff about TenMarks :

Intelligent Worksheets

Video Lessons and Hints

Practice and Tests

Rewards and Games

They currently offer programs for 3rd-8th grade, plus Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry. You can even do an assessment to determine where your child should begin.

Our Experience

I received the opportunity to use TenMarks with two children. I decided on my 9 and 11 year old daughters. I wasn’t concerned about trying to correlate it with our current math program. In fact, because we are working so hard on the basics this year, these girls had been doing 2 lessons a day in their current math books. So we pared back to one regular lesson and then the TenMarks daily lesson. They liked this variety. And I think it made math a bit more multisensory.

The parent has a lot of behind the scenes controls within the TenMarks program. You can either choose the grade level or give the student an assessment to determine where they should be placed. After a grade level is determined, you can order the tracks (topics) of learning to suit your needs.

There’s really a lot of information at your fingertips to know exactly what material is coming up next. This allows you to change the order of things, delete them or correlate lessons with another math resource. Because I’m a tweaker of curricula, I really liked this and think it gave loads of added value to the program.

Here’s a small snapshot of some upcoming topics

on DayBreak’s learning track. {see below}.

Then within each of those tracks, you can click to see exactly what material will be covered. Here is a list of subtopics within the Measurement track {see below}.

And you can even dig one step further to see samples of the types of questions within that track {see below}.

In addition to all the control I have on the website, I also receive weekly emails with the child’s progress on the previous week’s lessons, as well as their assignments for the upcoming week with the due date. It helped to make the program feel like it was alive and waiting for us, rather than something on our computer that we could just forget to do. {Yes, we sometimes really do forget about things like that.} I need a little poking and prodding, as do my children. But you can put the program on “pause” should you go on vacation or need a break.

The thing my kids love about the lessons is that they are short and to the point. TenMarks got its name for a reason---10 questions and the homework is done, but the lesson includes a video to watch, as well as 3 hints per problem if needed. The video is a white board with a tutor’s voice explaining things. When they are done, the parent can see the child’s score, how many hints they received and whether or not they viewed the video. You can also see a snapshot of your child’s progress at any time. Green means they are doing well; yellow means they need some more practice with a concept.

Here’s a peek at a progress report for DayBreak {see below}.

It was easy for my girls to use and they liked an opportunity to do their math lessons on the computer. When their lesson was done, they immediately saw their score and were given the chance to re-do problems they got wrong. If it was right the 2nd time around, they got credit for it. Of course, I peeked in on them often and made sure they were using scratch paper to do the work of the problems. They also loved the games they earned at certain points in their progress. You can even set up an extra incentive as a reward. We didn’t, but it’s a nice motivator for sure.

My Opinion

I really like so many things about TenMarks. It’s easy for me to use, almost like having a math tutor helping keep me and my kids on track. The girls enjoyed it and learned from it. After this review, it will continue to be on their list of things to do and I don’t think I’ll hear any complaints. Although we never had reason to contact their customer service, I heard great comments from other reviewers about how responsive the Boston-based company was to any issues.

While there was lots to like, there were just a few features of TenMarks that I didn’t care for. Some of the speakers had a foreign accent which made it harder to understand the lesson. There did seem to be a variety of ‘voices’ doing the lessons, so it wasn’t like a child was always stuck with a teacher they couldn’t understand.

Also, the answers are all multiple choice. This wasn’t so much a problem for my girls, but I have another child (who shall remain nameless) who would use this to skate through math and make guesses and fix them afterwards. He won’t be getting a chance to try it.

I’m not sure if I could use TenMarks as my sole math curriculum, but I do think it’s an ideal supplement to any math program or perfect for practice over the summer. Often using another type of resource is just the thing to help a child gain mastery of a topic. I think TenMarks is a welcome addition to supplement any child’s math education. I’m so happy I was blessed to review it.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

Product: TenMarks online math curriculum

Company: TenMarks www.TenMarks.com

Description: How it Works video from TenMarks

Ages: 3rd grade to high school

Price per child: $10 a month; $49 for 6 months’ $89 for 12 months

Trial: You can get a FREE TRIAL of TenMarks

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Sweet Motivation

2011-01-27T13:24:00.001-07:00

I had a small bowl of chocolate chips on my desk after lunch today. Night Owl was bent out of shape about math, so I tossed a few his way after he finally got a right answer. His attitude sweetened before the dark chocolate had time to melt in his mouth. We took several of those motivating pieces of sweetness and used them as math manipulatives. Math lesson improved drastically!

DayBreak popped out from a math quiz and was excited to report that she’d gotten 10 out of 10 correct. Ten chocolate chips for her!

Of course, word spreads quickly where good chocolate is involved and soon I had BlueMoon begging for bites. Eager to get her math lesson started and earn some delicious rewards.

Little Miss Sunshine was napping through all this, but daily she talks about chocolate. “I hun-greee…I need choc’ chip.” “My tummy hurts—I need choc’ chip.” She’s like the chocolate patrol, she can even smell it on my breath.

I knew we were approaching the “I’ll do anything for chocolate” moment when Eventide asked if she may have some pieces of chocolate so that while she read her Bible devotional she might experience the sweetness in her mouth that would remind her of the spiritual sweetness of the Lord.

Chocolate—the motivating currency at my house. I can live with that.

A Confession on Day 99

2011-01-24T21:45:00.002-07:00

I have not been excited, motivated or very on track with our homeschooling. I know every homeschooler hits rough patches sometimes, but I’ve been here for some time now. Really since about Thanksgiving. Yes, we’ve pushed through. Yes, we still do it. But it’s sloppy. There’s no flow or momentum. I feel scattered. My kids are scattered. We’ve run into many a problem over my ten years homeschooling. I could usually tweak a little and get things back up and running. But I couldn’t quite put my finger on the problem of late.

This last weekend, I knew something had to drastically change if we were to make it through the year. So I just sat in my messy schoolroom hoping that if I touched some curriculum and moved some things around it would get better. Well, that was a start, but I still couldn’t quite reach the root of the problem.

So my friend Lisa calls me about something else. We chat for a bit and I tell her my homeschool woes. She listens. She asks me good questions. I talk a lot. She listens more. She throws out some good suggestions. I take it in and talk more. She thinks outside the box and throws out more ideas. She doesn’t judge me because I’m slacking here. She doesn’t give me any pat answers. She really listens like we all hope a friend will when we have a problem. I hate having problems I don’t have answers for. (Pride, I know.) But that’s why God gives us friends. So we can humbly ask for help and see Him meet our needs through His people. By the time I hung up the phone, I had discovered what’s wrong.

Our problem wasn’t one of wrong curricula or wondering how to teach math. Our problem was really beneath the surface—lack of self-discipline and diligence. There was too much freedom in our little homeschool. Kids were going to and fro in our big house. We had structure to our day up to a point, but then I was losing them. Literally.

So the solution—sit your seat in your seat. And stay there. No getting up. We will have a snack and potty and drink break. But there is nowhere you have to be until then. Doors are closed. No reading in your bedroom because you can hear your sister breathing. No wandering. Not even any hall passes. And one of the biggest distractions got unplugged—my desktop computer! No checking emails and stuff until breaks and lunch.

I also now have a BIG schedule posted on the wall just for me. It includes all the things I personally have to do with the children. And as each item gets done, I get to turn over the card. I can’t say why this is any different than having my planner on my desk with the same list. It’s like a larger-than-life, in-my-face checklist, but it’s working. I think big problems call for big interventions with big classroom paraphernalia! {Updated to include a picture of my giant checklist...computers are still being persnickety, so here's a link.}

So today, our 99th day of school, was a fabulous day! We stayed on course. I stayed tuned in and kept the masses moving from subject to subject like a veteran air traffic controller on a clear day. It felt good to control what could be chaos. And it’s exciting to see the fog clear as we approach Day 100.

But more than anything, I’m thankful the Lord heard my prayers and answered me with a friend. Everyone needs someone, or several someones, to talk to when days are rough and times are hard. I’m thankful and blessed to have so many friends to listen to me. And I count it a privilege to listen to someone else’s bad day and offer help. Find a friend. Make a friend. Be a friend.

Speekee Spanish (review)

2011-01-21T20:14:00.001-07:00

My husband and I both took Spanish throughout school and into college. I actually even have more years of it on my transcript than he does. BUT—he is fluent; I am not. I can spatter out a few phrases and try to make sense of what was said. He can carry on a conversation with anyone in our community, where we have lots of native speakers. I can pick out a few key words, but never get past conjugating the verb.

The difference? He learned some Spanish in a preschool Montessori class and had teachers who made it fun. He approached it with a sense of wonder and appreciation for the culture. Me? Not so much.

I’m hoping my children will stand a chance at foreign language fluency in their years of learning. And for now, we’ve got the fun part down, thanks to an opportunity to review Speekee, a Spanish language video program.

Overview

Aimed at the two-to-ten year old crowd, this video gives over 150 minutes of fun-filled video shot in Spain with native speaking Spanish children. Not only are the locations fun, familiar places like the park, the beach, the cafe, but there’s lots of appeal for this age group with cute puppets, animation and catchy songs.

You can opt to view the 10 episodes online (which we did) or you can get the DVDs. The DVDs are in the PAL format, which is a standard in Europe, but differs from the US/Canadian format. I’d be certain your player is compatible before getting the DVDs. Or just do the online option! We even streamed it wirelessly on our Wii!

They’ve also thought of enhancing the learning with well-done worksheets and closed captioning in English and Spanish when viewed on a computer (or with the DVDs, just not available over the Wii).

Our Experience

Because we do our fair share of reviews and because I have so many children, I like to wait and see who is naturally drawn toward a particular resource. Speekee was a huge hit with my 3 and 5 (almost 6) year old daughters. It held their attention and they even asked to watch it affectionately referring to it as “Hola!” My older kids weren’t so into it, so I didn’t make them sit for it. It was special just for my little girls.

We started watching it on the computer, but then I wondered if it could be watched online via our new Wii. I ran into some trouble and after communicating with the great people at Speekee, they realized that it probably wasn’t going to happen. Well, within less than a week, their tech genius had solved the problem and now everyone can watch Speekee on the Wii. That’s customer service for the high tech generation! The closed captioning doesn’t work on the Wii, but my girls are young and can’t read it anyway. Needless to say, I was sincerely impressed with this company and their responsiveness to my request.

We did use a few of the worksheets and I found them to be professionally created, as well as age appropriate for the child who can hold a pencil. There are several available for each video session and they neatly tie in with the topic.

Additionally, each video has many suggestions for you as the parent to take the lesson further than just the video. I liked the clever activities to maximize these videos and use them more as a jumping off point for early foreign language development lessons. There’s even a segment of the website geared toward classroom teachers with some incredible lesson plans and in-depth information for each unit. Homeschoolers will love these!

My 3 and 5 year olds watching Speekee Spanish on our computer

My Opinion

My little girls love Speekee! I really like Speekee too. And I like the flexible viewing options offered by the company and the fact that I’m not roped into some long term commitment with the program. I also think this could be a great addition to a unit study about Spain or another Spanish speaking country. Although there are differences in the type of Spanish spoken in Spain versus Latin America, it really isn’t a big issue at this age and level. If you subscribe, you’ll get the first two weeks for FREE; no charges until after that trial period, so you really have nothing to lose. That way you can see for yourself if you’re little ones are singing Spanish songs before too long. Adios!

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

Product: Speekee Spanish video

Description: Spanish videos via the internet or DVD; 10 episodes for 150 minutes plus worksheets and teaching tips

Ages: Ages 2-10

Price: $7.50 per month for online access; DVDs vary based on the current exchange rate, but are listed at £95.00.

Samples: Get a FREE 2-week online trial HERE when you subscribe. You can cancel at ANY time.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Maestro Classics “Peter and the Wolf” (review)

2011-01-19T10:14:00.002-07:00

You know how much I love educational things my kids can do independently, right? Well, I’m also always on the hunt for products that help fill in the gaps of those incredibly enriching subjects I don’t get to spend as much time on as I’d like—music and the arts. So when I was chosen to review Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf, I had a hunch it would be right up my alley.

Overview

This is one of the many beautiful Stories in Music by the award-winning folks at Maestro Classics. This audio CD takes the classical musical story of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev and narrates the story amidst the music played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to the musical tale, the CD also contains tracks about composer Prokofiev and information on what to listen for in the music. A professionally created 24-page program booklet is included in the CD case with the most adorable artwork.

Our Experience

Although I had heard about this classic tale from other homeschoolers, I’m sad to admit that before this review, my children had never listened to Peter and the Wolf. Now they are very familiar and adore this magical tale where the main characters are played by instruments not actors voices. Of course, the narrator makes it easy to follow along with the story.

The CD arrived neatly packaged in a tri-fold case with the program booklet (answers can be found online, if needed) and the most precious artwork of the story on everything. It really helped my children to be able to ‘see’ the characters in the story as they listened and I’m so glad it was such a beautiful picture to stick in their minds. The narrator is extremely easy to understand and enjoyable to listen to. And the music is top-notch! Who wouldn’t want the London Philharmonic Orchestra coming into your home to play? Quality is superb from every aspect of the Maestro Classics product.

My children—from the three year old to the eleven year old—listened to the story numerous times. One day, after they’d all heard it several times previously, I wanted to get a good listen so we popped it into the the CD player during lunchtime. I loved watching their intense focus on what was happening in the story, especially Sunshine who made everyone cover their eyes when the deep, forboding horn instruments representing the wolf were played.

My Opinion

This CD was a true pleasure to listen to and I know will be heard in my house over and over and over again. There’s so much more you can do to stretch the fun and learning beyond just your 68 minutes of listening on the whole CD. Their newly redone website now includes

Curriculum guides for parents and teachers
Articles of interest on music and the family
Kids club feature
Lots of samples

The thing I really like about the Maestro Classics products are that the children just love the well-done story. They are pretty unaware that an appreciation for classical music is growing, but mother knows best and understands that cross-curricular learning has just occurred. This mama LOVES that and will be adding more of these excellent CDs to our listening library.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

Product: Peter and the Wolf audio CD

Company: Maestro Classics 888-540-2811

Description: Audio CD of classical music stories

Ages: Ages 4 and up

Price: $16.98 (There’s a special right now for 3 CDs for $45—hurry, not sure how long that will last. Use code MAESTRO45.)

Samples: Listen on www.MaestroClassics.com

Other CDs: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Story of Swan Lake, Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel, Casey at the Bat, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Juanita the Spanish Lobster (also available in Spanish). There’s also some lovely gift sets for a couple of the CDs that include books.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

All Systems Go (and come and go)

2011-01-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve used more chore charts and systems in my years of motherhood than I care to count or can even remember. I can’t think that I used anything before having children, but then again, your time (and your mess) is your own before children. Once you are blessed with little one, the mess multiplies exponentially.

I know now that I like variety. I used to think I just hadn’t happened on the perfect system yet, and when I did, it would solve all my problems and I’d stick with it for the rest of my life. And probably teach it to my grandchildren too.

Here’s how it worked: I would find some great chore chart or system for managing our home. It was all the buzz. I thought it would revolutionize my household. So I got it. Or implemented it.

But then the next best thing came out. Someone published a new one. Or a cuter one. Or I had more children and needed a different one. Or it didn’t work for my kiddos. Or I got an iTouch. Or an iPad.

Today, I’m OK knowing that I like trying new things when it comes to systems in my home. I’m not completely reinventing the wheel, but I like new tools—toys for moms, in my opinion. When something isn’t working, or something else might work better, it actually inspires me to switch it up. And my kids are no worse for the wear.

So here are some links to some great, and many free, options for chore charts and systems for you and your children. I haven’t tried them all, but I just might yet.

Money Saving Mom has some really well-done charts for your children’s chores, a master list for your week and even a master cleaning list. Totally FREE! I love her site! You’re bound to save money if you follow her advice.

Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations has a great blog for homeschoolers. And she is one creative and busy gal, with tons of the cutest free printables available on the web—be sure to check out her adorable preschool astronaut ones. Here’s her system for chores and school with a link to her free chart.

This is my new find for peace and order in my home in 2011--ChorePad. I installed it on our iPad (another toy courtesy of my loving, generous high tech mom) and the kids love it! I love it!Not only does it keep track of the chores they need to do, but it also controls the payout of rewards. For instance, I decided you need 30 points to play Wii for 30 minutes. No points=no play. Sad kids=clean house. It was $4.99; pricey in the app world, but worth it to me. It’s also available for the iPhone. Remember, technology is your servant—think of it like a personal assistant/nanny/scorekeeper kind of tool.

HomeRoutines app is what I use to keep myself on track with various routines throughout the day. It’s very customizable (see my morning routine above) and simple to use with any iPhone or iPad. Not only can I keep track of daily routines, but I can work on various ‘zones’ throughout the house on various weeks of the month. A little time setting things up and it’s good to go.

Back when I only had 4 children, I invested in the not-so-cheap, but super cool P.E.G.S. System by Family Tools. I only recently parted with it, but my friend Lisa loves it now. If you have super visual kids or just like things all neat and orderly and laid out for you, you’ll love this. It also includes includes character, attitude and behavior disks, as well as a booklet with all kinds of ideas for using the system.

Managers of Their Chores is put out by the same sweet family as popular scheduling book, Managers of Their Homes (MOTH). The Maxwell Family have created a very thorough chore system with a chore pack that kids will love. You can read all about what’s included, but the book is quite in depth and will help you think through all that really needs to happen in a household. It really takes the assignment of chores to an almost-scientific level. I mean that in the best way. It’s ideal for larger families who really need to be running like a fine tuned machine.

Another resource that I think looks wonderful and is on my wish list is the Clean & Flip Charts. The neat thing about these books is that they break down the chore into manageable steps. The set includes:

Zone Cleaning for Kids
Laundry for Kids
Bedrooms for Kids

Updated to add just one more:

Just days after posting this, I came across another wonderful FREE chore chart by Erica over at Confessions of a Homeschooler. It’s really clever and she even did a version for the younger set of little helpers. Very cute—you’ve got to check it out!

So there’s some resources to get you off to a good start in 2011. If new stuff gets you off track, then use what works. But don’t be afraid to try something new if you feel the need to freshen things up. You just might find something that takes your household management to the next level.

I’d love to hear from you…What tools or systems do you follow to keep the casa clean and the children busy helping?

Easy Classical (a review)

2011-01-10T18:47:00.001-07:00

If providing a classical education is a goal in your homeschool, but the laborious task of choosing the resources and planning out the details overwhelms you, then you might feel a burdened lifted when you take a peek at the schedules created by Easy Classical. And if you’ve never explored what constitutes a classical education (think Susan Wise Bauer’s A Well Trained Mind), then you might be surprised to learn exactly what it is and how doable it is with the tools offered by the Williams family who created Easy Classical.

Our Experience

My assignment wasn’t to actually implement the schedule, but rather just evaluate it as a tool. I was given Easy Classical’s Early Modern History Schedule which covers history from the Explorer’s to the 1820’s for the Early Grammar student, which if you’re new to the classical lexicon, this is the first stage of learning and generally means early elementary. The framework for the schedule is built around the recommendations of Susan Wise Bauer in The Well-Trained Mind, the queen bee of classical educators who herself was home educated by mom Jessie Wise.

Appearance

This schedule is packed with over 100 pages of planning. Beginning with a brief introduction, as well as a listing of resources and supplies needed, the schedule is neatly laid out with plenty of white space and easy-to-read fonts. One week is divided Monday through Friday and fits nicely on one page. The pages would be easy to pop into my planning notebook and know what we had to do at a glance. I received the electronic version, which is my preference these days with all the many papers floating around my desk. You could get by using it on screen only and print student pages as you need them.

Icons are used throughout the schedule to alert you to a mapping exercise or as a reminder of a narration exercise. There’s also several comprehension questions that you can do orally or as a quiz (again, it’s all ready for you to just print out and hand to your student). And there’s always a handy little reminder on a page if there are items you’ll need to have on hand for the next week. Love that!

Content

Of course, as the old saying goes, ‘pretty is as pretty does,’ and a well- typeset schedule doesn’t guarantee a well-planned day. First off, you really want to see the resources you’ll be using and make sure they jive with your style. Fortunately, Easy Classical has made it easy and laid out all the resources you’ll use so you can see the books they schedule, as well as click on links to purchase them on your own or possibly find at your local library.

I think the book selections are excellent. She uses several ‘spines’ which will give you lots of resources to draw on throughout the year. I know I have strayed from programs that used one spine just because I didn’t care for it. That probably won’t be a concern with the variety you’ll find in the Easy Classical schedule. I also really like the read aloud chapter book choices. Personally, I do think the book selections could work for an older child than just the Early Grammar age. I have found most classical reading selections too advanced for my taste, so I’d have no problem using all of this up to 5th/6th grade. But that’s just me.

Pace

After you determine that you indeed like the book choices, it’s important to know that you’ll be able to keep pace with the program. I have used many curricula over the years with schedules planned out, but they varied greatly in how successfully I could implement them. And just like Goldilocks, you’ll need to find one that is JUST RIGHT. Only you can determine what that means for your little homeschool with the children you have, the priorities and goals you’ve set, and your teaching style.

When I look at the schedule on a daily basis, it’s a little overwhelming. Monday is the kicker with a LOT of history reading plus the other subjects on the schedule. If it bothers you to draw an arrow on your schedule to indicate you’ll need to finish this tomorrow, you might not like this. Or it might stretch you outside that comfort zone of checking all the little boxes at the end of the day. But girlfriend, homeschooling is going to stretch you anyway, so embrace thinking outside the box and realize it’s OK to mark up that perfect little schedule and make it your own.

But that said, I do think the Easy Classical schedule is doable on a weekly basis because it’s not just history you’re covering but also geography, writing, a hands-on history project and a read-aloud. There will be weeks you won’t get to everything, and that’s OK. I also would feel totally comfortable spreading some of the history reading across the week. I’m a tweaker and won’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Probably my only beef with classical education as a whole is the strong emphasis on history. I love history and found it to be one of my fave subjects in homeschooling, but I think the intense focus on the subject can leave mom’s of elementary students feeling inadequate because there are only so many hours in day. The kids have to learn to read, write and do math. If you have more than a couple children, just trying to do that will make for a full day. Add in too much history and you might start sinking. And who even mentioned science and the arts and Latin?

I do like how Easy Classical includes geography and writing and narration into their program. Of course, you have to know what the perfect fit is for your family and what your needs are for this season in homeschooling. My focus this year is just the basics and adding in history and science and geography in small bites. But a program like this could easily be stretched over 2 years if you need to lighten the load to focus on the foundation.

My Opinion

I think the Williams’ have done an excellent job with the Early Modern History Schedule. It’s a resource that will make a classical education more accessible for mom’s who don’t love the planning process or who really want to follow the classical approach faithfully. It’s a good value and although you still have to acquire the actual books, $35 is a steal for a year’s worth of history, geography and writing lesson plans. I know I’ll be pulling it back out again when we finally get to that point in our history studies to see if our lives will allow us to follow a nice plan.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

Product: Early Modern History Schedule

Company: Easy Classical

Description: A classically inspired history schedule

Ages: Elementary

Price: Digital download: $29.95; or get a

a printed notebook for: $35.95

Samples: Click HERE for several samples

Other products: Writing with History, Complete grade schedules, Main schedules, Science schedules & History schedules.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Math Facts Now (a review)

2011-01-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

It doesn’t matter if you’re a classical homeschooler or unit study inspired or an eclectic educator, like me--one thing no homeschool can ignore is the memorization of math facts. Heck, mom with kids in any type of school can’t ignore this! Of course, children need to be taught the concepts of addition and multiplication and such, but after that they are going to need something (or several somethings) to help them commit these facts to memory. Otherwise, as they advance in their math skills, problems will go very s-l-o-w-l-y if these facts haven’t been committed to memory and are able to be recited as fast as your own name. I can tell you that the smart people at Math Facts Now understand this.

Overview

The Math Facts Now program has a simple goal: teaching children to commit their math facts to memory. Here’s their take on how to do it:

Unlike popular math programs that rely on cartoon characters to entertain children rather than educate them, "Math Facts NOW!" relies on solid and time-tested principles for the development of exceptional speed of recall and long-term retention of math multiplication tables ("times tables") and all other basic math facts.

Our Experience

We received our download to Math Facts Now and had it up and running in minutes. It’s a pretty easy install and the simplicity of the program makes set-up a breeze. You can add users and then you add specific lessons that you pick for a child to work on when they start. For instance, if a child is working on plus 1s and plus 2s, then I check just those numbers and the Math Facts Now will quiz them on adding 1 and 2 to numbers 0-12. I like how specific I can get, because there are times that I like their practice to be focused.

Next you select:

How many seconds they have to answer each problem.
How many times you want them to input the problem when an answer is wrong
How many correct answers they need to have to complete the lesson.

There’s not quite as much flexibility with this as I’d like, but I think that’s part of the program’s success record. My younger children had a hard time inputting the correct math sentence 2 times when they gave a wrong answer. You’re required to enter 3+2=5 at least twice. It just took more prowess on the keyboard than my little kids have.

Math Facts Now keeps track of your child’s progress and repeats problem areas more frequently. You can even print a report of weaknesses and set up a reward within the program, like an ice cream dessert when you complete a lesson with no errors.

My Opinion

We are a pretty media savvy family. My kids have played lots of computer games, apps on the iPad and iTouch, we own several handheld learning games and now a Wii. Although we limit the quality and quantity of what we do, they are used to a little more entertainment factor in their learning games than Math Facts Now provides. So they didn’t love the program.

BUT (and this is a big but) that doesn’t mean that I, the mom and teacher, won’t have them use Math Facts Now from time to time. I think it will prove especially useful for those tricky math facts that just aren’t coming easily.

I think Math Facts Now is a nice basic program for learning math facts. For parents that are really trying to limit the cartoon creations in their home, this is a very straight-forward program that stands no chance of offending anyone’s personal preferences for characters, music or game play. I also think it would be ideal for remedial work with a child who might feel some other programs are too juvenile.

Math Facts Now is really a good value for a program that allows you to customize the process of memorizing math facts. I don’t know about you, but I never seem to be able to set up my flashcard boxes the way you’re supposed to in order to drill daily. Math Facts Now makes it easy. And what mom doesn’t like easy?

Product: Math Facts Now 2.0

Description: Computer drills for math facts

Ages: Early elementary through middle school

Price: Download instantly: $15.95; or get a

CD-ROM: $15.95 + $3.95 S & H

System Requirements: Runs on Windows 2000, ME, XP, Vista and Windows 7. 4.5 Mb of free hard drive space required. Not available for Mac or Linux OS.

Samples: You can download a free trial HERE.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Positive Action for Christ (a review)

2011-01-03T19:46:00.001-07:00

The older my children get, the more I look for resources that will challenge them AND help them grow in independence. I also value curricula in our little homeschool that will promote my children’s spiritual growth and knowledge in Bible study. So when I got the chance to review Bible curriculum from Positive Action for Christ—I jumped at the opportunity.

Overview

I received the 5th Grade Possessing the Land program from Positive Action for Christ with a Student Manual and Teacher’s Manual. Beginning in Genesis, this is an Old Testament survey course with a goal of teaching the student how the stories of the OT fit together. I believe it is key to understanding God’s plan for redemption and grasping the richness to be found in the Word.

The Student Manual is full color with age-appropriate illustrations.

It includes:

Vocabulary sections
Words for songs in music curriculum
Puzzles, artwork, and maps
Life application sections
Attractive full-color format
Various levels & thinking skills
Material usable with any Bible translation
Scripture memorization sheet
189 pages

The Teacher’s Manual is black and white in a 3-ring binder, and is super user friendly. It also contains copies of the student pages with answers filled in. I love these kind of answer keys—easy peasy for mom!

It includes:

35 lessons (one per week)
Target truths (objectives)
Teaching strategy section
Weekly character traits
Practical applications
Interesting stories
Ideas for puzzles, skits, artwork, buzz groups, and discussion
Plans for 3, 4, or 5 day Bible class schedules
Completed student's manual answer key pages
Reproducible weekly quizzes with answer key
Scripture memory program

Our Experience

In addition, to the Student and Teacher manuals, the folks at Positive Action for Christ sent a very helpful sheet about using their curriculum in a homeschool setting. There were several ideas about how to ‘tweak’ the program to use with multiple grades or even as a family devotion. I’m glad they gave me so many possibilities, but I still chose to use this with just my oldest daughter Eventide who is 11 years old and in the 5th grade.

She hasn’t done a bunch of independent Bible study, which I’m now regretting because I think we should’ve done more sooner than this. She uses lots of devotionals, but as far as looking up specific verses to dig for the answers, she’s not as experienced. So the initial days with Possessing the Land were a wee bit challenging. But at my house, we remind our kids that when its hard, your brain is growing. She grew more comfortable with the format and style of the workbook as she went along.

The Teacher’s Manual is helpful for more than just checking their work. There are lots of helpful Character Trait Activities, Teaching Strategies and Target Truths (which is just the highlights for busy parents who need the big picture quickly). Because I have lots of children to work with and am striving to make my kids more independent, I didn’t sit with her and ‘teach’ the lesson, but the student manual really is pretty self contained and sufficient in my opinion. I don’t feel like it was less than wonderful because I didn’t teach a lesson to her. Remember, I’m a tweaker, and quite comfortable taking great resources and making them work for my family. (You can too!)

My Opinion

I really, really like what Positive Action for Christ has created. This is my second experience with the great resources they offer—I used their middle school program Wise Up! with my oldest son last year. The Bible studies they create are thorough, thoughtful and easy to use.

I’m sure younger children would require more interaction with mom than I gave my 11 year old with the program, but I think it’s an ideal program for the independent student to grow deeper in their knowledge of the Bible and make their walk with the Lord more personal. Depending on the needs of a family, I think it would be easy enough to purchase one program and use for several ages.

Although it’s a tad pricey for many of us homeschoolers ($46.90 plus shipping for what I reviewed), I think it’s a good value for what you really get. It’s very meaty, as they say in Bible circles. And yet it’s age-appropriate ‘meat’, if you will. It’s challenging for the student, but totally within their level of ability and understanding. There is a good balance in information and application, which I deem important. I also like that they include quizzes and the lyrics to the hymns (the music CD can be purchased separately for $9.95).

I would recommend Positive Action for Christ to anyone who is looking for a solid Bible curricula in their homeschool and appreciates a workbook format. I think it would be a great addition for family devotions too, but recommend checking out the free PDF samples to be sure you choose the grade level wisely for your particular group of kiddos.

I plan to have Eventide continue with this throughout her 5th grade year. And may even check out the 4th grade program next year for DayBreak, just to be sure we get an earlier start on in-depth Bible study. I’m happy we got the opportunity to dig deeper into God’s word and begin the lifelong habit of mining for treasures—thank you Positive Action for Christ!

Product: Possessing the Land (5th grade)

Company: Positive Action for Christ

Description: Full year Bible study curriculum

Ages: 5th grade; but tweakable for homeschooling families to use in a multi-age setting

Price: Student: $12.95; Teacher: $33.95 (alternatively, you can get the Teacher’s Manual on CD for just $19.95)

Samples: You can download PDF SAMPLES of all the Student and Teacher books online.

Other Products: Lots more Bible curricula for elementary to high school, church, Proteen Clubs and various books. Check out their great website—filled with free samples and a scope and sequence to view.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product and other grade levels from Positive Action for Christ.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Ready for Something New

2010-12-30T17:58:00.001-07:00

I’m ready to officially say farewell to 2010. This year has been tough, but it’s also been good. It’s had challenges, joys, blessings, heartaches, laughter, changes, burnout, opportunity, disappointment, connections, surprises and growth. I’ve been stretched and pulled, broken down and built up, overwhelmed, but renewed. It’s the first time in 11 years that I haven’t had a baby in the house and the first time I’ve ever had a teenager to call my own. The ages, stages, times and seasons of our lives are changing; bringing new trials and new treasures. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for me and my family in 2011. There are many possibilities and only He knows.

Lord, let me lean hard on You each day for guidance, direction, provision and strength. Your love and grace are all I need; let me remember that amidst the flurry of everything that vies for my attention and affection.

I wish you all the best that Jesus has for your life this next year. I pray He brings renewed passion for Him and fresh vision for the work He has called you to. May you trust His strength in your weakness. May you accept His best even when it’s wrapped in disappointment, frustration, hard work, or anything less than you had hoped for. It’s not a trite promise when the Word tells us:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

I sincerely thank you for reading Day In Day Out this year. This month has been a busy and preoccupied month here on my home front, but I really will be back in January with some great reviews and fresh insights for the year ahead. And possibly even a few fun giveaways. So until then, Happy New Year, my friends.

Worship the King

2010-12-15T13:25:00.001-07:00

I wrote this a couple of years ago, but re-post it annually, as a timely reminder for Christmas. I know I need to reminded of the truths here, not just at Christmastide, but all year long. Hope you're encouraged and blessed.

It’s usually way BEFORE Christmastime that I have grand visions of how the next Christmas will be different. I envision my family by the fire listening to the story of Jesus’ birth. I see a slow pace to life that allows us to take in all the opportunities of Advent and Christmas. It’s at Christmas, the Lord invites us to join into the scene with the shepherds and the angels and worship the King.

But then December begins and there are so many things that keep me from worshiping Him. Looking for that perfect gift, attending all the holiday parties, mailing out Christmas cards, decorating our home for Christmas, baking Christmas cookies, visiting with family and friends, making memories and traditions with my own family. Plus all the usual housekeeping and laundry and cleaning.

None of these things are wrong or bad, but it takes real effort in the midst of real life to focus on worshipping the King. Especially if I’m just trying to survive the season!

So take a minute with me and imagine that night. You can see the iconic images of Mary and baby Jesus and Joseph in the stable. The sheep in the field. The angels proclaiming his birth. The shepherds come to worship him. The star in the night sky.

But do you ever stop and think of the cross? Of Jesus hanging on a tree at Calvary? Does the crown of thorns come to mind at Christmastime? What about the nails in the hands and feet of the Messiah? The empty tomb?

Most of us don’t.

But do you know that when we do, it will help us to REALLY worship Him. We need to think on the Cross in order to get a full picture of why Jesus would leave His Father in Heaven and enter a sinful, fallen world. He didn't just come to live for a while and show us how to live a sin-free life. We can’t live sin free. Jesus came to save us from our sins. Even his name foretold of his mission:

Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.

Jesus came into the world as a baby with the mission of dying on the cross. It was the only way He could save us from eternal separation from God the Father. He did it for you and for me. He loved us THAT MUCH!

Eph. 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

An old hymn by Charles Wesley says it beautifully in these lines:

Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God,
should die for me?
He left his Father’s throne above
(so free, so infinite his grace!)
Humbled himself (so great his love!)
And bled for all the chosen race.

Doesn’t just thinking on this cause you to worship Him? The beauty and the mystery of the Gospel is what draws us to our initial faith in Christ.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.

But after our salvation, the work of the Gospel is not finished. A quote by C.J. Mahaney says it best:

“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”

Christ was born and died and rose again and then sent His Holy Spirit. He wants to be the object of my worship and affection. He wants to be King of my heart. He wants my heart to worship HIM alone!

But just like the distractions of the Christmas season, our hearts can get distracted and not focus on the King. We make idols to sit upon the thrones of our hearts. That may sound blasphemous, but it’s true. Our hearts are always worshipping something. John Calvin said our hearts are perpetual idol factories.

So we have to ask ourselves this question: Is Jesus always, and in every case, the supreme Ruler who receives my undivided passion and devotion? Or do I worship additional ‘gods’.

That’s a strong dose of conviction for me! I know we don’t often talk about other ‘gods’ with a lower case “G” but that’s exactly what we are doing when Jesus isn’t getting our undivided passion and devotion.
It’s not like we set out to worship other things or ideas, but somewhere along the way, we elevate things, even good things, in our hearts. We worship what we believe will bring us happiness. We think our joy is bound up in having our expectations fulfilled. Our desires turn into demands lead us to sin.

As the Lord began to show me this, I began to see things that I had carved into idols in my heart. When my house got clean and the floors sparkled and then a child came tromping through with muddy shoes, I yelled. They had sinned against my god of the Clean House. When the preschooler interrupted our read-aloud for the umpteenth time, I got angry. She had sinned against my god of the Perfect Homeschool.
The list goes on and on. There are so many things we can elevate to idols in our heart.

Yet even though I know my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked and is capable of turning out idols faster than China makes plastic toys, I want to give Christ the throne he rightfully deserves.

So how can I do this? How can I make sure King Jesus doesn’t get bumped off the throne of my heart on an hourly basis?

What the Lord has shown me is really quite simple. But it’s deep and profound at the same time.

The answer is THE GOSPEL.

Keeping the Gospel at the center of my heart. My thoughts. My prayers. Focusing on Jesus from the manger to the cross and the resurrection. When I preach the Gospel to myself daily, it turns my affections to Him. The amazing grace I see there shifts my priorities and focus without a lot of work.

I used to think, I need to work on not yelling or I need to work on having a gentle answer or having self-control. Or I need to work on my selfishness or my pride. I need to get to work at ‘fixing’ all the sin issues in my life.

But something amazing happens when I fix my mind on the Gospel. My love for Jesus grows and the idols of my own making fade away.
In The Gospel Primer it says:

The key to mortifying fleshly lusts is to eliminate the emptiness within me and replace it with fullness; and I accomplish this by feasting on the gospel.

Indeed, as I perpetually feast on Christ and all of His blessings found in the gospel, I find that my hunger for sin diminishes and the lies of lust simply lose their appeal. Hence, to the degree that I am full, I am free. Eyes do not rove, nor do fleshly lusts rule, when the heart is fat with the love of Jesus.

I can’t say that I’ve got it all figured out now. Far from it. It’s still an effort to fill my mind with the Gospel and keep my thoughts from running down the ruts they’ve become accustomed to. But I believe I’ve turned a corner and I know that I feel more than ever before I can worship the King with all my heart. There’s a lot of freedom in knowing that the sin that so easily besets me can be extinguished with the Gospel.

So I invite you this Christmas and everyday after to focus on Jesus with a full perspective. Seeing not just the Babe in the Manger, but the Savior on the Cross. The Risen Savior. Realizing that its our sin that brought him to the manger that starry night and our sin that kept Him there on the Cross. His love for you and for me compelled him to do it. That’s a powerful love to focus on with all your heart.

Good Morning, God from Apologia (a review)

2010-12-10T12:11:00.002-07:00

I love good children’s books! And if you saw my extensive bookshelves, you’d have a hard time thinking me choosey, but I am. Some of my favorite story books for little ones have beautiful artwork, but not always an eternal truth. And unfortunately, there are many books on the Christian market that have flashy artwork that looks like it jumped off the Saturday cartoon channel, even though the words convey God’s truth, the pictures don’t convey his beauty.

My love for beauty and the Lord need not be mutually exclusive, and fortunately I was blessed to review Good Morning, God which shines in both beauty and truth.

Overview

If you think of science when you hear about homeschool publisher Apologia, you’re not alone. That’s what started this company as a leader in the homeschool market back in 1996. But they’ve grown to include many other offerings in their store of resources, including worldview, writing, geography and inspirational books, as well as an online academy.

Good Morning, God is a hard-bound book that tells the story of a 4 year old boy as he wakes up each day and goes to bed each night. The guiding scripture of the book is Deuteronomy 6:6-7:

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Here’s a very nice peek at the first 12 pages.

The story follows the young child through each day of the week (great for learning the names of each day) and throughout each day. There are several questions that tie in with each day at the back of the book, really extending this beyond just a storybook into a more in-depth preschool devotional.

There’s even a sweet coloring book with 32 pages to go with it for just $4. This would extend the experience further and bring much enjoyment to little hands who like to color.

Our Experience

We thoroughly enjoyed reading this aloud as our homeschool devotional a few mornings, as well as several times with my younger sets at bedtime. It's easy to read and enjoyable for little ones of many ages. My 5 and 7 year old didn’t think it ‘babyish’ and yet it was engaging for the now 3 year old also.

My Opinion

How could I not love this sweet book? It’s rich in spiritual content and with the additional questions to discuss its useful for taking stories to the next level of a child’s understanding. It also has beautiful artwork that is simple and timeless. Good Morning, God would make a great gift for a young family or be ideal for family devotions in the early years. I know you’ll love this book!

Product: Good Morning, God

Company: Apologia

Description: A sweet picture book teaching young ones about God

Ages: 1-8 years old

Price: $14

Available: Apologia website

Other Products: Many other products published by Apologia including Science, Geography, Worldview and more.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product from Apologia.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Beautiful Imperfection

2010-12-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

We started Advent right on November 28th, just like the calendar said we should. We darkened the lights as the children all gathered around our large table after dinner. Night Owl proudly lit the first candle. The almost-three year old baby played happily with our cherished Fisher Price Little People nativity set. My husband read the Scriptures for the first day of Advent and I knew this was going to be a beautiful month of preparation for Christmas.

It didn’t matter that the kids argued over who would light and who would snuff the candle. Or that there was no wreath to surround the candles and I didn’t have any plans to make or buy one. The table still had shards of spaghetti scattered from dinner. And Blue Moon kept sliding underneath the table during the reading. When it came time to sing “Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel,” we didn’t know more than the first verse. Before the night was over, the puppy had chewed the wings off the Little People angel and Sunshine threw it in the trash.

For many years, the reality of how tradition played out in our family bothered me. I had pictures of perfection in my mind and truly believed they were achievable. But after 13 years of mothering, I’ve come to terms with the imperfections of real life. I even find it beautiful—the contrast between our attempt to celebrate and worship and the reality of life within a family of eight sinners.

It was for sinners that Christ was born. The sinless Savior was sent into a messy world full of imperfection and transgression to live a perfect life and die a horrible death. The King wasn’t afraid to be laid in a dirty manger, or to mingle with sinners. The imperfection of the world wasn’t off putting to Him. “Come as you are,” he called.

He still calls to us. This season of Advent, come to Him, just as you are. He’s not troubled by your mess or mine. He’s just glad we’ve opened our hearts and our homes to make room for Him. He doesn’t expect perfection nor need it. He was and is the only perfection the world will ever know. We just need to make room at the table for Him. Wreath or no wreath, He’s ready and waiting for you. For me.

December is for Jesus

2010-12-03T10:02:00.001-07:00

I vow every December to find more ways to celebrate the real reason for the season—Jesus! After Thanksgiving, I get out my box of advent accessories and stacks of Christ-centered Christmas books. I set out the many nativity scenes we own, several of which are hands-on for the littlest ones. Then we decorate the tree and the house and maybe get a wreath hung outside the entry. The Christmas songs play in the background and I really think this might be the year when life slows down like a Norman Rockwell picture. Then it’s a blur of activity and gifts and busyness until we’re ringing in the New Year.

“Where did the month go?”

All my hopes for a cozy season that slows down to savor the Savior are dashed. Although we make time for lighting the Advent candles at least half of the month, I find most of the Christmas books are never read aloud to little ears that need to hear the story. And forget about the great craft and baking ideas I have stashed in a file. If I get a batch of cookies in and one simple craft started, I’m doing great. It seems that December gets so full of Christmas activities and parties and shopping, that I guiltily feel relieved when January rolls around. On top of our busy everyday lives, it’s a wonder any of us have time for Christmas at all. . . . .

Click HERE to read the rest of today’s post over at

Heart of the Matter Online.

Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers review

2010-11-22T15:31:00.001-07:00

Until I got to college, I didn’t learn anything memorable about classical music. As a young adult, I gained an appreciation for it, but couldn’t help but feel as though I was late to the concert. I want more for my children. We have done some informal studies of various composers over the years, but nothing very organized and never seem to get past Mozart, Beethoven and Vivaldi. So I was very excited to review A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers by Bright Ideas Press.

Overview

A full year’s worth of lessons—32 weeks in total—will take you through 6 eras of music and 26 composers in A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers. After a couple weeks of introduction to music from a Biblical and historical standpoint, this study begins to look at composers in the Baroque period and continues chronologically. Not only is the text rich with knowledge on various composers and musical eras, but it includes well-done note taking and review worksheets (for you to copy or print), timelines, maps, games and coloring pages, as well as musical listening suggestions.

Our Experience

Remember, I’m the queen of tweakers when it comes to using resources. So it should be no surprise that I made this work with my children from kindergarten through 5th grade, rather than the recommended 4th through 8th grade. And I don’t think its a stretch to do so. We read the the chapter together and then had so much fun searching for examples of what we learned. For instance, listening to the Gregorian chants online was a beautiful way to appreciate the only church music from the middle ages. I also chose to do the worksheets orally, rather than have the kids write them.

I really liked the reproducible coloring pages, as did my children who love to draw and color while we read aloud. The listening suggestions in the appendix are great links to listen to online, so no need to buy a bunch of music CDs to go with this curriculum. There’s a thorough glossary and a comprehensive list of additional composer resources you may want to explore in your study. I also think this would be a great way to stretch this study out over 2 years, as well as give your children more ways to learn on their own. Many are books you can get at your local library or videos you could get on Netflix or the library.

We only just began this study about 6 weeks ago, so we have a ways to go until it’s complete. I really think I will stretch it out for two years, especially because my kids are on the young side. We have yet to try the suggested ideas for folderbooks (kind of like lapbooks), but I think my older girls will love this super creative way to organize the facts about each composer. I definitely plan to continue with it.

My Opinion

I loved everything about A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers. I chose the book (versus the CD) and was pleased with how it’s professionally laid out and bound, includes an excellent variety of learning tools and is written for and I believe fills a great need that is often neglected in many homeschools.

This book makes it EASY to add the enriching study of composers into your homeschool, no matter what your style of homeschooling. You can do as much or as little as you choose and really slow down where you’d like to learn more. Of course, the CD would be a great choice for printing as you go along and making it easy to print out any worksheets or games if you don’t have access to a copier.

I’m so thrilled to add this to my bookshelf of curricula I love and know I will use. Thanks Bright Ideas Press for creating such an excellent resource. I am happy to highly recommend it to learning families everywhere.

Product: A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers

Company: Bright Ideas Press 877.492.8081

Description: A full year’s curriculum on classical composers in 32 weekly lessons

Ages: 4th-8th grade, but easy to adapt for younger ones

Price: Book $34.95; CD-Rom $29.95

Available: www.BrightIdeasPress.com

Other Products: Illuminations, Christian Kids Explore Science series, Hands-On Geography, and Writer’s Workshop. Many more products at the Bright Ideas Press STORE.

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product and others from Bright Ideas Press.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Corp of ReDiscovery review

2010-11-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a creative mom, but I’m not a crafty mom. Crafts are just not my forte. It’s not that I find them difficult—at least not most of them. I just don’t see the need to go to all that effort and mess. Except for one simple reason—it blesses my children. And that’s reason enough. So I was thankful to get the chance to review the ready-made Patchwork Quilt Kit from the Corps of Re-Discovery.

Overview

The company was started by a homeschooling family who valued an education marked by adventure and exploration, so much so that they spent over a year exploring the trails of Lewis & Clark and visited 47 states with their three children. With Corps of Re-Discovery, they have “created great project kits to enrich your studies of American Indians, Frontiersmen and Pioneer Americans so you, too can ‘re- discover’ America.” They’ve done the hard work of getting all the supplies you need into one easy-to-use kit, so you can spend your efforts on discovery and not a scavenger hunt at the craft store.

Our Experience

I received the Patchwork Quilt Kit right in time for Eventides’ 11th birthday. I knew she was the only child at my house who could tackle a handmade quilt. She was excited to get started on it.

Let me just say that although I have a good eye for things, I’m not gifted spatially. When directions start explaining step-by-step things I need to physically arrange, I glaze over like a Dunkin’ Donut. Probably not the ideal combination of skills for a quilter, for whom I now have a new appreciation.

Fortunately for me, the kit came with almost everything needed to make the quilt:

fabric squares
piece of batting
backing material
thread
yarn

It doesn’t include a sewing needle, yarn needle, scissors, tape measure or the iron, but most households have these things on hand. The fabric was a super cute pattern and the quality of everything was great. The fact that all the fabric was already cut into perfect squares would be worth the price for me!

I had to sit down with Eventide to help her get started. Although the directions explain everything you need to do, I didn’t find them to be organized in a super user-friendly way, especially for children or adults who really don’t know what they are doing—like me. A larger font and numbered steps would make a world of difference. That said, they do clearly tell you what to do. I just would’ve liked to concentrate less on the directions and more on the quilting. Is there such a thing as quilting dyslexia? I might have it.

Once we got over the initial layout, the sewing and ironing began. Who knew quilting required so much ironing? We don’t iron much around here, so Eventide really enjoyed getting to use this neglected appliance while working on her quilt. Of course, I kept a close eye on this.

Sewing all the squares by hand took us some time for sure. And I did end up helping a good bit, just to get some progress going. But it actually helped us understand how the pioneers would have spent so much time sewing in order to have quilts, clothing and things they needed. Once we got going and were able to settle into the task, we enjoyed the conversation that surrounded our sewing. I imagine the pioneer women did too.

This blanket turns out to be the perfect size for an American Girl doll or favorite stuff animal. What a treasure it will be for her to share with her children someday—her very first quilt!

Unfortunately, we have had computer issues and the quilting photos I took are on the sick computer. So you’ll just have to hop over to the other crew members to see how adorably theirs’ turned out.

My Opinion

I think the Patchwork Quilt Kit is a well-done kit that would help anyone get a hands-on feel for the Colonial or Pioneer era. As much as I might resist craft projects, I try to remind myself that it’s these very projects that my children remember and that really enrich our studies.

Although I think the directions could use a tweak or two, overall the kit is very well put together with quality materials. Sure, you could just make a quilt without all of this, but you might fizzle out before you cut the first nine squares. I would. Save yourself and bless your children and try this or one of the many kits from the creative folks at Corps of Re-Discovery. Take the time to slow down and connect with the period you’re studying. It will do you and your children a world of good.

Product: Pioneer Patchwork Quilt Kit

Company: Corps of Re-Discovery

5329 N. Lakewood Drive, Springfield, MO 65803

Phone Orders (417)-833-6905

Description: Ready-to-create kit for 18” quilt

Ages: Ten and older; Or adult directed with younger

Price: On sale for $11.99 (shipping extra)

Available: Corps of Re-Discovery website

Other Products: American Indian projects, Pioneer & Colonial projects, Frontiersmen kits, and Leather Working supplies. Great projects for girls AND boys!

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product and various others from Corps of Re-Discovery.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

How To Get a Day Off and Still Teach the Kids

2010-11-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

All you need is a CD player and the Jonathan Park Audio Series. Play these and you can have a day off from the usual rigors of homeschooling, yet your children will be engaged in learning and adventure. Legos or some other toy to keep hands busy is an added bonus (it adds to the mindset that they are playing not learning).

We’ve been big fans of the Jonathan Park Audio Series since SonUp was younger and I own all six of the sets (the 7th in the series is coming out soon). For some reason, I never got them out for the other kids to listen to—until last week. Night Owl is having some vision issues and I wanted him to listen to something educational on CD. So I pulled out the first set, Jonathan Park: The Adventure Begins and as the day went on, the magnetic pull of the engaging story attracted my children like paperclips to a giant magnet. They were helpless to escape! It held them captive, and as they listened, they built tall Lego towers. The were engrossed in the story for the better part of the afternoon.

If you're not familiar with the Jonathan Park Audio Seriesyou’re in for a treat. It’s a creation science drama with “each adventure based on real places and scientific discoveries—all designed to build your faith!” The sets even come with a nice little study guide to help you dig deeper into the scientific and biblical facts from the audio adventures.

They are sold by several online companies, but Amazon has one of the best prices…just $16.50 per set which usually includes over 5 hours of audio. Regularly, they retail for $25. These would make great Christmas or birthday gifts. I’m hoping to hold out and surprise them with the latest one Jonathan Park: The Voyage Beyond for Christmas. Or maybe the next time I need a day off.

What are your favorite audio dramas?

Plan to Save

2010-11-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

This is a great time to save 50% off this great planner. I’m a big fan of this very tweakable planner. It’s not too late to get the homeschool year off to a great start! For more details on this deal, click here.

Making It All Fit

2010-11-04T09:02:00.001-06:00

In 10 years of homeschooling, this year began as my hardest year yet. Five of my six children were now in the homeschool, leaving just one toddler roaming its’ halls. Of course, she keeps me on my toes, but that part was feeling like a cakewalk compared to the actual work of homeschooling five children.

As we approached day forty of our homeschool year, I realized there were several subjects we were never getting to with any regularity—history, science and geography. Except for my 13 year old (who does a complete DVD-based program), our focus this year is the basics--math, reading and writing. All the children had some areas of weakness and we determined this would be the year we strengthened them. Ironically, some of the weakness occurred because we had focused on history, science and geography in recent years to the detriment of the basics. Live and learn!

With six children to keep track of, I was pulled in many directions every single day. Teaching many subjects, keeping everyone on task with their independent work and checking school work, it didn’t seem possible to squeeze more into our already long days. I made several attempts to juggle things around, but nothing was jiving. How would I find time for history, science and geography?

Click HERE to read the rest of today’s post over at

Heart of the Matter Online.

Got Support?

2010-11-02T21:25:00.001-06:00

Need some homeschool encouragement delivered to your door? Then don’t miss this really great deal--$10 one-year (U.S) subscription to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. This deal ends Wednesday, November 3rd. . . .so don’t wait! I couldn’t imagine homeschooling without the incredible wisdom and knowledge I get from The Old Schoolhouse magazine. Click HERE for more details.

A Plan for Birthday Gifts

2010-11-01T13:31:00.001-06:00

Midway through this year, after several deep cleanings of the house and children’s rooms, I realized yet again that we indeed have too many useless things. Things that aren’t valued, aren’t useful or don’t develop the mind, body or spirit. No matter how often I’ve purged our belongings over many years, the stuff still creeps into our space. With just our six children, we’ve celebrated 47 birthdays!!! That’s a lot of gifts, don’t you know?

We made a decision. Rather than contribute any more meaningless stuff to our family’s possessions, we’d give gifts that grow the passions in their hearts. Presents that will present them with opportunities to expand their talents and character. Whether it’s a thing or an experience, I want the gift to take them a little further on the path that the Lord has planned out for uniquely for them.

Hence, the puppy for DayBreak—my animal lover who dreams of being a vet. The added bonus is that puppy is still growing character her (and me). For Eventide’s birthday a few weeks ago, we gave her a violin and lessons, something she had a desire to learn. It takes more effort on our part to come up with gifts that point our children toward their gifts and talents, but I trust God will honor our desire to invest in these little people he’s blessed us with.

So tell me, how do you approach birthday gifts in your family?

Tell Your Time offer

2010-10-31T18:25:00.001-06:00

It’s a small little eBook that packs a powerful punch—Tell Your Time. If you struggle at all with managing your time and most of all, setting and keeping your priorities straight, THIS is a must read. Amy Lynn Andrews is a popular blogger and mother of 4—she knows what she’s talking about here.

And there’s a low, low price if you buy it TODAY, October 31st. Just enter the code “InTheClub” today and you’ll pay just $7 instead of the regular $12. That’s a great deal! You can download it immediately and be ready to Tell Your Time what to do next week.

Yuck (A Review)

2010-10-29T18:20:00.001-06:00

Yes, that’s really the name of a product I got to review for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew. It’s a tough job, don’t you know? Really, Yuck is a super creative product with endless possibilities for kids of all ages and it’s just one of many fun creations offered by Buckets-O-Fun (wouldn’t that be a great company to work for?) My children had a great time with it!

Overview

Yuck looks innocent enough when it arrives, like salt or sugar, but the fun starts when you follow the directions and add water. It varies for each of the 4 types of Yuck – Snowy, Chunky, Sticky and Saucy (kind of sounds like some of the 12 dwarves!)

Snowy Yuck

Chunky Yuck

Sticky Yuck

Saucy Yuck

Not only is this fun for a family to use, but there are also loads of ideas on the website and in the directions for games and activities to do for:

birthday parties
youth group gatherings
summer camps
science co-ops
anything where fun is important and mess is OK!

There’s even some Yuck Accessories to use with it, including some Yuck Tint and a Yuckzooka. Who knew? And it comes in sizes ranging from one pound up to fifty pounds so whatever your goal with Yuck, there’s a size to meet your need.

You can even request a free sample if you email “orders@buckets-o-fun.com” in order to help you decide which type of Yuck is right for you, or if you simply must have them all. And if you just can’t wait to see Yuck in action, here’s a VIDEO.

Our Experience

We had fun with this review. I’m not great at doing a lot of science experiments or hands-on projects (although I’m really trying to do better this year). So this gave me an opportunity to have some good ol’ clean fun. Except it was messy! Clean up was easy enough (except for the Sticky version), although you aren’t supposed to put it down the drain.

We tried to make it somewhat ‘sciency', so we got out our magnifying glasses and our microscope to check out how things looked up close when we did the Snowy Yuck.

My Opinion

I like Yuck. From a homeschooler’s standpoint, I think there are lots of possibilities for teaching about polymers and saturation, as well as some neat science experiments. Or if you just want to have some fun and sensory stimulation all at the same time, this is a product to have on hand. I also have a sneaking suspicion that you could hand this over to most dads and they’d have a blast with it.

I think it would be even better in a co-op or group setting, especially if you were going to buy a decent quantity of it. And for youth groups, I know for a fact that my teenager would love it! I think most kids will love it, just because it’s such an unusual substance unlike anything they’ve seen.

Product: Yuck

Company: Buckets-O-Fun

1-800-223-6901 www.Buckets-O-Fun.com

Description: A polymer-based substance that turns into Yuck-y fun when water is added.

Ages: All ages

Price: $16-20 for one pound; other quantities available. Request a FREE sample first.

Other products: Finger Rockets, Inflatable Fun, Water Fun, and much more!

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

PG Key SafeKey review

2010-10-27T09:39:00.001-06:00

I’ve heard it said that parents like me are immigrants to a new land of computers, remembering a day and time when they weren’t around, or at least not part of our home decor. But our children are natives, growing up in a world where computers have always been a part of everyday life. We have five computers in our home office and school room; 4 of which are online. And while I enjoy the convenience and opportunities the web provides, I’m all too familiar with the dangers and temptations that exist right alongside the benefits. I was more than a little excited to try out the PG Key’s Safekey and see how it works.

Overview

With a slogan of “Protection for Your Children; Peace of Mind For You,”PG Key’s Safekey seeks to give parents a variety of tools to ensure their child’s online experience is not only safe, but supervised. Features of the one-time purchase PG Key’s Safekey include:

Access Control
Control computer use by inserting or unplugging PG Key.

Time Allowance
Decide the amount of time the computer can be used daily.

Content Filtering
Eliminate unwanted results from innocent searches.

Site Blocking
Block sites you decide are inappropriate.

Activity Tracking
Review all activity on the PC with a DVD-like interface.

Activity Notifications
Be informed via text message or e-mail of any flagged activity.

Chat and E-mail Logging
See both sides of chat and e-mail conversations.

Computer Configuration
Properly configure all users of the protected PC.

User Name and Password Logging
Keep track of user names and passwords.

Inappropriate Activity Evidence
Use video recording to show obvious or suspected inappropriate activity.

Our Experience

I decided to put the PG Key’s Safekey on my 13 year old son’s Vista-based computer. I am the administrator on this computer, with my son as a user. The PG Key’s Safekey is good for one computer, but you can setup multiple users on it. So if I want to put it on my other children’s computer, then I would need to purchase another PG Key’s Safekey. And right now, it just works for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

The install was easy and I didn’t run into any problems loading it. The box includes a quick install guide and while that’s easy to follow, I found that they neglected to list the steps that are SO IMPORTANT to do after it’s installed. A click on the icon on your lower screen is important in order to set options, activate the key and modify site blocking and notifications. But I hear from other reviewers the tech support is very helpful should you run into issues.

Before even thinking of turning the reins over to my son, I wanted to give the product a good run for its money. And that I did! I set up several key words that I didn’t want him searching, and while it didn’t block these searches, it did email me to let me know these words had been searched. Of course, it was me who had done the search this time just to see how it worked. I also received emails to let me know the SafeKey Session Recorder was nearing full, which meant that if I wanted to see what he’s been doing on the computer, then I need to watch it soon before the 60 hour maximum is met and it starts dropping old material to record the new.

The part of the PG Key’s Safekey that I was most interested in was the ability to control which websites were visited. There are two ways to set up website blocking options.

1) You can set things up to ALLOW all websites, except those you specifically ban.

2) You can set things up to BAN all websites, except those you specifically allow.

I tried both ways and think they both have pros and cons. The first option gives much more freedom to the child and might make the best option for a mature user you trust. You can always view the SafeKey Recorder to see screen shots to be certain they are surfing the web responsibly. When I chose this option, I decided that I would put Google and Bing as some of the banned sites, as I’ve found the images shown to be very racy, even for innocent searches. Although, I later learned that the SafeSearch option of PG Key’s Safekey is powered by Google, so you’d either need another search engine option all together, or just warn your child to use the SafeSearch for all searches. YouTube was another one I choose to ban.

The second option gives you much tighter controls, which would be an ideal option for young children who don’t need to visit but a few sites, or for a child who’s had trouble staying on the right track online. This lets you choose which sites you’d like to allow and bans everything else. Adding sites along the way is as easy as entering the website and your parent password.

My Opinion

I do think it takes some time to fine tune PG Key’s Safekey to work exactly the way you’d like, adding websites to your approved or banned list, but fortunately this is easy to do with your parent password. I think it’s a worthwhile investment in both time and money to protect your child from the evil that abounds on the world wide web.

Not only does PG Key’s Safekey give the parent many ways to monitor online activity—through notifications and viewing the recorder—but it also has a variety of ways for parents to block unwanted activity from the onset.

I think this product meets an urgent need in the online world. Many problems on the internet begin with an innocent mistake, or because there were no protections in place to prevent it, or because parents grow complacent and think they can trust a child without any protection in place. Sadly, for the majority of internet users, it’s a matter of when NOT if they will see inappropriate material.

Product: PG Key’s Safekey

Company: Keyware Inc.

Description: Internet safety device that plugs into the USB port on your computer

Ages: All ages

Price: $49.95 (shipping extra)

Available: Online from PG Key's SafeKey or at Office Max, Fry’s Electronics and MicroCenter

Click HERE to request a FREE Trial

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

A Birthday Gift

2010-10-26T05:28:00.000-06:00

Today is my birthday. Mr. Wonderful let me order my own gift, something that had long been on my list and on my heart. I knew this gift would be a reminder of what my passion should be— a Lisa Leonard necklace custom engraved with a reminder to my soul. I knew right away what I wanted the front to say:

my life for Yours

But the back took longer to figure out. I knew the essence of it, but the words didn’t come easily. So I went to one of my favorite sites for inspiration—A Holy Experience. Ann Voskamp is such an incredible writer, a poet really, and I knew her profound thoughts would give voice to my heart. They did. The back side of my necklace will read:

invest in things unseen

As I was praying yesterday and thinking about the word’s, I wondered if I should have chosen something simpler—like love and pray. The Lord quickly showed me that the words on the front—my life for Yours—were the essence of love. His love is what I want to give the world. And I want to remind myself that my life is meant to give away. Jesus’ love was so great that He gave it freely for mine. What greater love could I show? I need the daily reminder to die to my self and give my life as a living sacrifice, especially for those who dwell with me in the common moments of my days.

The back of the necklace, the unseen part, reminds me to invest in things unseen. Prayer is the ultimate call to the invisible Almighty. Taking time from tasks to commune with the Lord, letting him fill me and empty me all at the same time. Of course, there are relationships with those I love that I want to remember to invest in too. I’m such a doer and I need the reminder that it’s the unseen that will matter in eternity. Not my clean house, not my creative endeavors, not my little blog.

I’m looking forward to starting another year of life with my heart tuned to these truths. Although my necklace won’t arrive for a week or more, I can’t wait to wear this reminder of my ultimate goal and purpose in this life. And for today, I can begin to offer my life for Yours and invest in things unseen. Who knew jewelry could hold you so accountable?

The Race

2010-10-21T10:05:00.001-06:00

I didn’t have to go. He had already caught a ride with friends early in the morning while we slept. But I didn’t want my first born child to think his mother never came to anything because she had so many little ones to tow along with her. So I loaded the car with his five younger siblings, lots of food and movies to keep the peace in our SUV and we drove for an hour and a half to see my 13-year-old son cross the finish line in his first-ever mountain bike race.

We left plenty early and made good time through the windy mountain villages. We were all excited to hold our homemade sign and cheer as he finished the race.

As I drove through the morning, my eyes kept tuning into the clock. Knowing what time his race would begin. I prayed for him. Frequently. For nerves and for safety. For good placement and even a win, if that’s what the Lord wanted for him. Whatever the Lord wanted to accomplish that day, I prayed He would do it.

But it was not meant to be the answer we’d hoped for.

Read the rest of today’s post over at

Heart of the Matter Online.

iPhone for Science

2010-10-17T15:55:00.002-06:00

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Talk about cool! Show this to your children, unless you're afraid your phone might end up in space too. Thanks to my sis for sharing this with me.

Redeeming the Time

2010-10-15T16:07:00.001-06:00

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Eph. 5:15-16 NKJ

We’re all given the same 24 hours. Every day. We probably all have days we fill to the brim and accomplish tons of things, whereas other days, we can barely get past go. And yet some people seem to consistently squeeze more out of their days.

Some of what we get done or don’t is due to what’s referred to as Parkinson’s Law. My first boss told me about this and I have found it to be true. Here’s what it states in regards to time (it can also apply to space and money):

Parkinson’s Law—The amount of time you have to perform a task is the amount of time It will take to complete the task.

If you’ve ever had just an hour’s notice that company is coming, you know how true this is. Or had weeks to prepare for the same guests, and had it take that long to do.

When I had only two little ones, I was so busy and thought my days were full. How could I manage with one more little one in the house? Two more. Three. Four. You just find a way to do it. I’m tempted to say ‘You find the time’, but we don’t find time. We just find a way to fill the time, to use it more efficiently. The work grows, but somehow we squeeze more into that same 24 hours. Six children in all and I can tell you: I’m no superwoman. I’m just filling my days with the work there is. And when I think I can add no more, I stretch yet again.

So back to the verse in Ephesians. I wanted to see what each of the key words meant, so I went to Blue Letter Bible and found the original Greek word and it’s meaning.

Circumspectly—exactly, accurately, diligently

Evil—full of labors, annoyances, hardships

Wise—forming the best plans and using the best means for their execution

Redeeming—to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own.

Until now, I struggled with the phrase “because the days are evil.” But after seeing the meaning in Greek, it made perfect sense. My days are full of labor, annoyances and hardships. That’s all the more reason to walk diligently. And in order to walk that way, I need to form the best plans (I’m good at this part), as well as redeem the time (not so good here)—use my time wisely and steal every opportunity for doing good. Not wasting any opportunities.

If time were money, and I went to the grocery store only to forget all the coupons I had to redeem, that would be foolish. Coupons in my purse are just like money to me. Just think of all the money (time) I wasted and all that I could have saved! Just because I didn’t redeem it. Time is the same way.

I’m painfully aware that this is easier said than done. I regularly fail to redeem my time. There are so many things vying for my attention every single day. Some are important. Some are urgent. Some cry. Some are silent. Some are exciting. Some attract me. Some challenge me. Some stimulate my mind. Some depress me. Some are eternal. And some don’t matter at all.

Just knowing what to do can be a challenge. But knowing and actually doing are two different things, aren’t they? I know what I should do, but sometimes I don’t do it. I do what I feel like doing. I allow distractions. I ignore the hard work. The easy path of most enjoyment pulls me off the diligent way. It requires discipline and self-control to walk circumspectly.

I don’t know the number of the days the Lord will give me, but I don’t want to waste any of them. Either because I failed to plan or because I planned according to my will, not his. I don’t want the end of my days to come and wish I would have accomplished more than I did. God doesn’t make mistakes. He will give me the days needed to accomplish my purpose on earth. But will I use them the way I should? Will you?

Read,Write & Type review

2010-10-11T18:25:00.001-06:00

When I can kill two birds with one stone, figuratively speaking of course, I do it. Today’s review is a program that does just that. Phonics and typing are rolled into one great product—Read, Write & Type Learning System.

Overview

Read, Write & Type Learning System is an online program with a fun and multisensory way to learn letter sounds and words. The association with sounds is tied to the keyboard and the child learns the proper finger placement for typing as well. The fun games and characters with personality (and even a villain) keep the pace moving along as the child learns. It’s excellent phonics practice at every turn—very engaging! Here’s a detailed product tour.

Our Experience

I used Read, Write & Type Learning System with Night Owl (7 years old) and Blue Moon (a very sharp 5 years old). I had intended to let DayBreak (9 years old) give it a shot as well, but she found it too “little kiddish” for her. I don’t think this really reflects on the program, but that’s just what happens when you’re child #3 of six—you identify with the older half, not the younger half. My kids are very familiar with the computer and use it a fair bit, so I knew they’d enjoy having something they had to do for school that was computer based.

My kids both liked it, although they viewed it as a learning game and it did require them to think. Heaven forbid we play a game and think at the same time! {Note to self: donate the non-thinking games.} It had a good variety of games and activities to hold their attention.

They sometimes didn’t want to type with the proper fingers, so I made sure to check on them throughout their practice to ensure they just weren’t pressing the letter key with any finger. While I do think many younger children can learn to type with this program, I don’t really count this as a typing program as much as a reading one. So while I think the avenue of teaching reading through typing is a valid one, I don’t think any of mine will be typing 70 WPM after this. But I do think the early exposure will help them in the long run.

My Opinion

I like Read, Write & Type Learning System and I think it’s an great addition to any phonics program. Personally, I couldn’t use it as a stand-alone phonics program, although it’s meaty enough to do so. And although I haven’t used it yet, there are activity books, reading books and a practice keyboard available as downloads from the site. I do think this would complement absolutely anything you might be using in your homeschool (or your child uses in public or private school). I also think it’s motivating for kids to use, because who doesn’t love a turn on the computer?

I think the graphics are well-done and the game ran smoothly every time we used it. The website is professional and easy to navigate. You can tell the folks at Talking Fingers have really thought through what they are doing and care about their products and their customers.

I also think the price is right. I’ve often steered clear of online subscriptions because it just adds up to be too much money spent. But for a 5 year subscription, it’s well worth the $35 investment.

Although my young readers are still in the early steps of Read, Write & Type Learning System, I will continue to have them use it as part of their weekly work. I’m always on the lookout for products that help my children reach their learning goals without hand holding from me. This is definitely one of those products that helps a child learn and practice their phonics skills independently. That gets an “A” from this homeschool mama!

Product: Read, Write & Type Learning System.

Company: Talking Fingers

Description: Computer program teaching phonics, typing and writing.

Ages: 6-9 year olds

Online Demo HERE

Price: $35 for one student for 5 year ONLINE subscription, discounts available for multiple students. Also available on CD for $79.

Other products: Word Qwerty and Jingle Spells

System Requirements HERE

Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Fall Physical Fitness

2010-09-30T13:37:00.000-06:00

I’m so thankful Mr. Wonderful takes the kids (and dogs) out for hikes. The fresh air and exercise is so good for all of them. The empty house and quiet is so good for me. Sometimes its just nice to be home alone (with only a napping toddler). Sometimes I take a nap. Other times I work on a project that is best done in solitude. This day I took a nap. A rested mama plus tired out kiddos and dogs equals a happy home.

Vocabulary Cartoons review

2010-09-29T09:01:00.001-06:00

My oldest child is an auditory learner, and for several reasons—none of which I can take credit for—has an excellent vocabulary. But I’m realizing my other children may actually benefit from some vocabulary enrichment. I was intrigued with Vocabulary Cartoons slogan: “Kids Learn a Word a Minute and Never Forget It.”

Overview

Published by New Monic Books, Vocabulary Cartoons is 253 page book with 210 vocabulary cartoons and built-in review pages. It’s geared for 3rd through 6th grade, although my younger children sat in on it no problem, and I had my 13 year old read it too. This book is just one of many published by the company using mnemonics. What’s that, you ask?

“Vocabulary Cartoons works on the principle of mnemonics. A mnemonic is a device that helps you remember something by associating what you are trying to remember with something you already know. A mnemonic device could be in many different forms like; rhymes, songs, pictures to name a few. For example, "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety-two" is a classic mnemonic rhyme which helps you remember when Columbus discovered America.

Following the mnemonic principle of association, Vocabulary Cartoons link together an auditory (rhyming) word association and a visual association in the form of a humorous cartoon. These powerful mnemonics help students retain the meanings of words longer and with less effort than trying to memorize definitions straight out of a dictionary.”

Here’s how the pages are laid out, with explanation on each facet of the page.

Our Experience

I choose to pick words that I wanted the children to learn, rather than do the book in order. My children liked the funny pictures in the book. I found reading the book to several children a little awkward, since the picture is such an important part of the learning process. I think I’ll take it to the office store to have the spine cut off so I can laminate the pages. I think it would be easier to post a few pictures in our homeschool room and ‘dwell’ on it for a week. It might be nice to let the kids take turns coloring the pictures.

I introduced a word or two at a time and reviewed them periodically. I do think retention was improved dramatically because of the mnemonic devices used in Vocabulary Cartoons. There’s just a connection that gets made. I think it’s something in the visual silliness of it all that really helps make it stick.

Several of the pictures were a tad objectionable to me (skeletons, monsters, ghosts) and I didn’t want these to be the pictures forever associated in their young minds with these words. For example, the word “dread” shows several scary creatures lurking around a boys bed with the memory phrase, “Billy sometimes dreaded going to bed.” Older children might be fine with this, but again, I just didn’t feel it was necessary to introduce this to my elementary learners.

My Opinion

I think Vocabulary Cartoons is good book with value for anyone wanting to improve their child’s word power. I believe in the power of mnemonics and think that making a subject fun, whenever possible, will help it stick well beyond the lesson. I also like that the company behind the books--New Monic Books—focuses all their efforts on teaching vocabulary in memorable ways. Even though there are several pages I chose to skip over, I don’t think it’s enough to warrant missing out on these great teaching tools. Homeschoolers are pro’s at tweaking things to work for their family. This is a book that could serve your family well with some minor tweaks here and there.

Product: Vocabulary Cartoons book

Company: New Monic Books

Description: Books teaching vocabulary words based on mnemonics.

Ages: 3rd-6th grade, but could be used for many ages

Sample Pages: You can view a PDF sample for Vocabulary Cartoons HERE.

Price: $12.95 with discounts for bulk buyers

Other products: Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power, Vocabulary Cartoons II SAT Word Power and Picture Speller for Young Writers.

More: Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more REVIEWS from the crew.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Surprising Seeds

2010-09-28T11:01:00.001-06:00

Although the poppies on the package looked beautiful, I really didn't expect mine to grow. These were just some free seeds that came in the mail. But my faithful gardener husband was more hopeful than I. He scattered them outside our bedroom window months ago and now this lovely surprise greets my view each morning.

Sadly, I often approach God’s Word the same way. I read it, not really expecting the promises to hold true for me. Did I even have faith as big as a tiny mustard seed? How He amazes me when I see His Words grow in the garden of my life. I don’t expect the sweet surprises and the beauty, but it grows just the same. Changing me as it does.

“Lord, grow my faith. Forgive my doubt. Make my heart soft and full of good soil to grow beautiful things. Thank you for being faithful and true to your doubtful daughter.”

“But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people who hear God's message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest.” Luke 8:15

Salem Ridge Press review

2010-09-22T08:45:00.001-06:00

There’s nothing like a great book. We love to read aloud together in our little homeschool, and while we choose many good books, there are just a handful that I deem great. This year, I was determined to read more books that didn’t necessarily tie in with the historical time period we’re studying. So when I got word that we’d be reviewing Salem Ridge Press, I was hoping that more good books were coming my way. I was not disappointed. These books are GREAT!

Overview

Salem Ridge Press was started five years ago by Daniel Mills—a Christian and a homeschool graduate—who read two old books that stirred in him a desire to republish out-of-print books. Just any book won’t do—Salem Ridge has strong criteria for what they publish. The company’s underlying philosophy is right there in Philippians 4:8:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

While not all of the books are overtly Christian, they all tout strong moral character and excellent values of days past. The books fall into the categories of Allegory, Historical Fiction (which includes Church History, World History and American History), Adventure and Young Readers.

Our Experience

My concern with some older books that have been republished is that the language will be so antiquated my kids won’t follow the story. Not only is this not the case with Salem Ridge Press, but my children were begging me to keep reading. And just for the record, I don’t have children that beg for much within the educational realm. We’ve read many a book over the years where they are asking, “How many more chapters to we have to read?” With these books, they never wanted to stop when the reading was done for the day. And truth be told, I didn’t either.

The language is very accessible and only occasionally did we come across words that had very different meanings years ago. Sometimes we’d encounter words we didn’t know which I just view as a great vocabulary builder. The stories were exceptionally well-written and captivated my children’s attention—from the 7 year old up to the almost 11 year old. While a couple of the books are historical in nature, the story is so engaging that you want to know more. My 7-year-old son hasn’t studied the Revolutionary War with us before. So as we read about it in the American Twins of the Revolution, he kept asking, “Did this really happen?” He wanted to learn more of the history woven into the story. That’s what I call a real ‘living book.’

The Salem Ridge Press website is very well done and easy to navigate. You can search for books in a variety of ways:

Alphabetically
By Author
Time Period/Location
Age Range

Once you’ve found a book you’re interested in, you can even download the first chapter for free. How’s that for a sneak peek? Of course, you’ll need to have Adobe Reader on your computer, but that’s a free program. Be warned, after reading the first chapter, you’ll be hooked.

Ordering is also as easy and diverse. Order from:

Salem Ridge Press directly on their website
Your favorite bookstore can order the books, including national retailers Barnes & Noble and Borders
Amazon.com
Many homeschool retailers & catalogs
The Old Schoolhouse sells the books in eBook format
Options for ordering online for readers outside the US

Pricing varies depending on the book and whether you choose paperback, hardback or the digital version from TOS. Here’s the pricing for one of the books we read, Soldier Fritz.

Paperback: $10.95 ($9.86 on Amazon.com)

eBook: $7.95 from The Old Schoolhouse store

Hardback: $20.95 ($18.86 on Amazon.com)

My Opinion

I absolutely LOVE this company and the books they are republishing. They have an eye for wholesome literature AND a great story. The stories are so rich and the depth of character they reveal is something I want my children reading. I know after our incredible experience with these books, I can choose more books from Salem Ridge Press with confidence. If I could give them three thumbs-up, I would!!!

Company: Salem Ridge Press

Description: A Christian publishing company specializing in wholesome books from days gone by—republished for today.

Ages: Elementary through adult.

Price: Varies, but options for all budgets. Also, there are several packages with 15-25% discounts.

Books I received for the review: Twins of the American Revolution, Soldier Fritz and Mary Jane Her Visit.

More: Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more REVIEWS from the crew.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Dare to be Different

2010-09-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

“Don't copy the behavior and customs of

this world, but let God transform you

into a new person by changing the way

you think. Then you will know what God

wants you to do, and you will know how

good and pleasing and perfect his will

really is.” Romans 12:2 NLT

Pyramath Game (a review)

2010-09-15T09:51:00.001-06:00

One of my goals this year is more fun and more games. There is so much learning that takes place when you play games, and although I know this, I was letting the workbooks get the best of me. So this year, I am clearing a half day each week to allow time for games and other hands-on learning. I was thrilled that Pyramath arrived just in time for the fun.

An Overview

The Pyramath deck of cards contains 56 playing cards comprised of 10 numbered cards that not only have numbers facing both directions, but also have the words spelled out in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, French and Roman Numerals. The one or two-player game is begun by laying out seven cards face up side by side. The first player to build a pyramid is the winner.

You play a card by placing it between 2 adjoining cards if it’s the ‘answer’ to either the addition, subtraction, multiplication or division of those 2 cards. For example, with a 2 and a 4, you could play a 6 (addition answer), a 2 (subtraction answer, as well as division), or an 8 (multiplication answer). If the answer to a function is a two-digit number, then you play the digit in the one’s place. For example, if the answer is 14, you can lay a 4 card.

Here’s a Wiki site setup by Pyramath to give a full video explanation of the game and the many variations of it, as well as allow teachers to share how they are using the game.

My Thoughts

I played this with my 13 year old son the day it arrived. No one else was home at the time, and I wanted to get a good grasp on how to play before teaching my elementary kids. We played it the full way, allowing for all math functions to be used. I found it to be a great stretch of the brain to have to think through all 4 operations. And my son, who hasn’t always loved math, really had fun playing the game.

My big girls—in 3rd and 5th grade—played against each other. To keep it easy to grasp, we just focused on addition and subtraction. They found it easy to understand and had a great time playing.

It’s a competitive group around here, and the girls sure took their time thinking about what cards they were looking for. Even though they were doing math, I never heard any complaints. In fact, each time they see the Pyramath deck of cards, they are ready to clear the table—you need a good bit of space to play—to get their game on.

This game is a great value at just $6.95, but play for FREE online to get a feel for it before you buy. I highly recommend it to anyone with children in middle school or below, whether you homeschool or not. Confidence in math is sure to build playing Pyramath. I know it has at my home!

Product: Pyramath by I See Cards.

Description: A card game to practice all basic math functions—adddition, subtraction, multiplication & division.

Ages: Elementary through middle school, but fun for all ages.

Price: $6.95 You can play online for FREE.

Other Products by this Company: Fractaxmic, Prime Bomb and I See Cards.

More: Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more REVIEWS from the crew.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

A World of Books

2010-09-14T18:25:00.001-06:00

I always have several books I’ve got going at any given time. And a walk through my house would prove this to be true, as well as just a tad cluttered. I have a book at the dining room table, so I can read when I’m alone. Or when whomever I’m dining with gets up for a brief moment or two.

I have books in the bathroom, even though I don’t need to linger, I can if I have a good book. And my nightstand has so many books that I’ve had to open the drawer to make more space for them.

If I’m headed to soccer practice or a doctor’s appointment, I rarely forget to bring a book along. I have books in drawers and shelves and baskets. I lend books and borrow books. I love the library, my Amazon Prime membership and Paperback Swap.

I don’t think my children can help but pick up their mother’s love of books. I come by it quite naturally—my mother loves books as much as I do and I grew up in a house full of them.

I don’t see books as clutter in my home. I see them as an education. An idea waiting to be entertained. A teacher waiting for a willing student. A friend to sit and pass the hours with me, even if they are snatched 10 minutes at a time. A book opens a world of possibility. A book convicts, comforts, stretches, solidifies and focuses me. The best Book is a love letter from my Savior and I try to make that the first Words my eyes read each morning while the coffee is still piping hot.

I’ve started putting devotional books at each child’s placemat, because they, like their mother, enjoy reading at the table. Even sweet Sunshine will grab the comics or a book to read just like everyone else. But it matters what you read. So although it’s fine to read the funnies or for my 13 year old to read the latest business magazine that arrives (and that’s an education in itself), I want my children to be hungry for more than that. I want them to love reading God’s Word and desire to grow in spiritual things and read books that help them do that.

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

(attributed to Charles Jones)

I hope my children meet many wonderful people in this life, but more than anything, I hope they meet Jesus in His Book. And I pray that the books they read outside of that Good Book will be filtered through the truth found in its pages.

America’s Math Teacher (review)

2010-09-10T08:04:00.000-06:00

Math doesn’t seem to be a first-love for any of my children, at least not yet. I’m optimistic that someone will possess a natural knack for it, but right now, we (and this includes me) have to work hard at math. So needless to say, I was thankful to have a seasoned math teacher step into my homeschool room via the internet when I had the opportunity to review America’s Math Teacher, a “24/7 online math tutor” from Math Essentials.

An Overview

Created by math teacher Rick Fisher, this online program can be used on it’s own or to supplement your math curriculum for late elementary students all the way up to algebra. To begin, there is an evaluation tool on the site to help you determine where to place your student. There are four courses, or learning centers, on the website: Basic Math Skills, Advanced Math Skills, Pre-Algebra and Algebra I. Within each learning center, there are many subtopics, all with videos, printed exercises, as well as quizzes and tests. There’s even a speed drill feature for staying sharp with addition, subtraction and multiplication facts.

The Products

America’s Math Teacher is a subscription-based product that is purchased on an annual basis. Membership provides access to everything on the America’s Math Teacher website for as many children as you have (in your family, of course). Internet access is a must for this subscription. I have high-speed internet, so I’m not sure how the videos would work with dial-up. I’d suggest trying some of the free lessons first. Also, to get your money’s worth, you’d also want to have a way to print out the worksheets and other printed materials.

My Thoughts

We used America’s Math Teacher as a supplement to our current math program. I had my 5th grader and my 7th grader watch videos for areas they were either struggling with or needed extra explanation. The videos are well done. I like that they just show a whiteboard-type background and that the teacher’s voice is friendly and easy to understand. America’s Math Teacher does a fine job of explaining concepts clearly and logically, although I would have hoped to find a few more tips and tricks for easy ways to remember difficult processes.

I liked the speed drills, but would’ve liked more control over which numbers we worked on. For instance, I was allowed to choose whether we’d be doing addition, subtraction or multiplication, but after that, we had to do whatever multiple popped up. Personally, I’d like the ability to fine-tune our practice.

The worksheets, which are downloaded as PDF’s, are well done, although there’s not a lot of room for working out the problems. My kids needed scrap paper. And the nice thing with these is that you can print them again and again.

The website is easy to navigate. I found everything I needed in the place I’d expect to find it. The company is rapidly adding to and expanding their website, so there are still a few inconsistencies to be found here and there.

While I found the videos useful for reinforcing a concept my children were struggling with, personally, I couldn’t justify spending that much money on one subject each year. There’s just not enough to it for me, even if I was using it as our sole math program. But for a family with lots of older children who are visual/auditory learners, they might really get a lot of bang for their buck. I’m sure it’s lots cheaper than hiring a math tutor. I would highly recommend sampling some of the FREE video lessons and exercises before you make your investment.

Product: America’s Math Teacher

Description: An online subscription to math videos, worksheets, quizzes & tests, speed drills and loads of math resources. Lots of tools to help you teach math.

Ages: 4th grade through Algebra I (Algebra II coming soon)

Price: $195 per year for unlimited number of students in your family. Click HERE for more information on subscribing. And here are several lessons to try for FREE.

Other Products by this Company: Math Essentials

More: Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more REVIEWS from the crew.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T08:25:00.001-06:00

Family Sock Drawer

2010-09-06T15:58:00.001-06:00

It’s Labor Day—so what better to talk about than work, right? I really don’t mind a lot of the work of housework. But there’s one thing that has become WAY more work than it should be for me—laundry!

Maybe you’ve caught wind of the family closet idea. If you haven’t, you really should read up on it. I did some reading on it over at Simple Organized Living. It might work for you or someone you know. If nothing else, it will expand your thinking about laundry. It’s important to stretch your minds, girls. And what better to do that than laundry?

I would love to create a family closet at my house, but there’s no great spot for it. Well, actually there’s a perfect spot for it, I’d just have to sacrifice my big walk-in pantry with 2 sets of metric shelving AND a side-by-side fridge and freezer AND a full size upright freezer. Like I said, not happening. At least until some children start leaving home. And by then, I hope to make laundry their ~~problem~~ responsibility, not mine.

Laundry has been my nemesis lately. Oh, who am I kidding—it’s always been my nemesis. Even before I had children. But with all these big and little people around and our 16 feet—it’s socks that are really doing me in. I think we own socks dating back to the birth of my first child over 13 years ago. I think my husband has socks from college. And believe me, I’ve tossed lots. There are still a few strays, of course, but I’ve actually had my kids and my mother-in-law play a sock matching game and throw out all the loners. Socks, that is.

We’ve got a great laundry room and a system that works for getting the clothes where they need to be so they can get washed. But when they come out of the dryer, the real work begins. I was working on a solution HERE. But the problem is that somehow things like socks and underwear and other things-your-brother-wears-that-you-don’t-want-to-touch items were scattered on the floor and couches.

So I have decided that I’m done matching and sorting socks. I’ll take mine (which I only wear in winter) and Mr. Wonderful’s to our drawers, but the socks belonging to the other 12 feet around this casa are going to get tossed it a great big drawer in the kids hallway.

The original part of our house was built in the 1950s. There’s some enormous built-in drawers and cabinets right outside the kids bathroom. I cleaned out the drawer today and dumped all the socks in there. Also, I threw a small tub in the back for the few pair of girls tights we have. And ta-daaa—Family Sock Drawer.

Now kids can get their own socks as they need them. Or the more industrious children can match several pair and take them to their dresser. Whatever works for them. OK—so there’s probably only one girl who’ll do that. You go, girl!

Here’s a picture. Be warned ladies (and Dad—who just might be the only guy who reads my blog): it ain’t pretty! You won’t see this kind of solution featured in Real Simple magazine.

But take my word for it—it looks better here in this drawer that can be closed than in laundry baskets in my lovely living room where it waits forever for me to muster the courage to sort through it. And then deliver it. And then stare at all the loner socks who will never find their mate.

So there you have it! I’m excited to give this a whirl and see how it works. But I can tell you already, my load feels lighter, in every sense of the cliché. I’m seeing the bottom of my laundry baskets for the first time in a long time.

What about you? Anyone doing a family closet? Or a family drawer of some sort? I’d love to hear how you are ironing out the laundry kinks in your system. (By the way, I rarely iron.)

Memorizing Poetry

2010-09-01T10:41:00.001-06:00

We’ve always enjoyed memorizing poetry, although last year I didn’t make much time for it. I’m amazed at the long poems the children can memorize with regular practice. This is the first poem we are working on this year. I found it in A Child's Anthology of Poetry. I wanted to start with a short one and build that memory muscle back up.

Some People

by Rachel Field

Isn’t it strange some people make
You feel so tired inside,
Your thoughts begin to shrivel up
Like leaves all brown and dried!

But when you’re with some other ones,
It’s stranger still to find
Your thoughts as thick as fireflies
All shiny in your mind!

I’m also going to incorporate a neat idea my friend Joanne shared with me. The kids will copy the poem in their best handwriting (or trace, if necessary) on the lower half of the page. Then they’ll draw and color a picture on the top half of the page that exemplifies the poem. We’ll then laminate it and use it for regular copywork and help with memorization. The younger ones can even trace the words with a dry erase marker. As we learn several poems, we’ll be able to create a poetry book. A beautiful memento, for sure!

I just love the imagery this poem uses. The kids and I talked about being aware of which kind of person you are and how you make others feel inside. We can be both kinds of people, I think. I pray as you read this blog, your thoughts are shiny! I’m so thankful for my firefly friends!

Are You Wilting?

2010-08-31T04:01:00.001-06:00

It had hung next to my kitchen sink for more than 15 years; happy and green in a weathered terracotta planter. I had never done anything special to it, but my shamrock flourished in the same planter in four different homes in two states. I’d added new soil on a couple of occasions, but other than that it received no special treatment.

This spring, for some reason, it started to look unhealthy. I probably was watering it a little less than usual. The leaves were brown and wilted, and it looked like it might not survive. How, after 15 years of so much change, could it all of a sudden be ready to die? I figured maybe it was time to add new soil, but I was too busy to tend to it.

I had been too busy to tend to much of anything. I had been doing so much outside my home that I was too burnt out to serve inside my home. I wasn’t leaving home in my busyness, but my time and attention were pointed elsewhere. One day it struck me--many days, I had spent more time on a particular volunteer project than I had spent with my family or the Lord. And not only that, but I was stressed out the majority of time, creating hardship for everyone who lived with me. That’s not what God intended. That’s not ministry. That’s called serving in my own strength. It seems blasphemous, I know, but it’s so easy to do.

Click HERE to read the rest of my article over at

Heart of the Matter Online.

Ten Things I Am Changing This Homeschool Year

2010-08-30T21:57:00.001-06:00

1. We are going to master the basics, by golly, if its all we do this year. All the kids will be up to speed on math facts and language arts basics. No more getting so sidetracked with history and other stuff that seems more important.

2. We’re flip-flopping our day. We used to do Bible, then History, Science, read-alouds, geography and all our other ‘together’ stuff. Now we still start with Bible, but then move right into Math and Language Arts. Our day will move in order of priorities.

3. We’re reading some fun read-alouds. Last year, almost every single read-aloud tied into our history. That got old! We started this year with Charlotte’s Web. We’ll continue to read other great classics and some neat biographies, as well as a few choice history tie-ins, but we’re going to read good books just because they should be read.

4. My oldest son is in 7th grade and needs to breakaway from the family classroom. He is doing almost all BJU distance learning DVDs. I’m loving that he is getting a solid education that is holding him accountable to following a set schedule, as well as freeing mama up to teach the younger children.

5. We still plan to use workboxes, although believe it or not, we haven’t started them yet (gasp!). I find that I’m more tuned into the kids when I haven’t given them all their work ahead of time. Now that we have 3 weeks under our belt, I do hope to get some workboxes filled, but we are doing more of a ‘period’ for each subject.

6. We are moving to more of a year-round schedule. We’re going to try schooling 6 weeks on and then have 2 weeks off. Of course, it will never work perfectly like that, with the way many holidays fall, but that’s the gist of it. I’m hoping to avoid some burnout for me and some forgotten facts for the children.

7. I’ve hit on a realization this year—my kids all have passions to be uncovered and be discovered. It’s especially becoming obvious with my older kids. I am giving the three older children more room to pursue what they are passionate about. Whether it’s soccer or mountain biking or violin or skiing, they are all getting lots of opportunities this year to experience the activities for which they gifts and talents. That means busier afternoons and some evenings. And even some Saturdays. But we’re all good with that. It’s been so amazing watching them ‘ignite’ as their passions have come to life.

8. Like #7, but for mama. I have some things I’m passionate about and want to do. Writing is at the top of that list. I’m giving myself more time and devotion to pursue that desire and give room for it to grow. Of course, this has meant pulling out of some other activities, but that’s OK. Ecclesiastes reminds me that “For everything there is a time and a season.”

9. We are making room for more hands-on activities. Things like science experiments, crafts, nature excursions, music appreciation, games and other hands-on learning events are going to be given a time on our weekly schedule. Every Wednesday, we’ll hit the Bible, math and language arts books, and then make the move for hands-on fun learning.

10. I’m planning in a balanced way this year. I’m loving using The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner, but am just planning out a week at a time. I’m keeping the subjects in a specific order, but we just move onto what’s next. I haven’t written plans out through Christmas or anything, so there will be no sleep lost when I totally skip geography this week and am still on Lesson 4 next week. If we do it, I check it off. If we don’t get to it, because we’re accomplishing #1, then I just draw and arrow to the next day.

What about YOU? What changes are you making this homeschool year? Don’t ever feel badly that you have to make changes! That’s the sign of a living, breathing HOMEschool. Life changes, you adjust. Tweak with my blessing, girls! I’d love to hear some of your revelations for the year.

Thanks again to OhAmanda for hosting this fun carnival. Visit her great site and read all the other Top Ten {Tuesday} posts. Or join in on your blog and link up with her.

Peterson Directed Handwriting (a review)

2010-08-30T08:21:00.001-06:00

I was excited to review Peterson Directed Handwriting. I wanted to have something official on my shelf to teach handwriting to my new kindergartner, as well as fix some bad handwriting habits in my 7 year old son.

An Overview

Fluency, good positioning and internalization are all important goals with Peterson Directed Handwriting. Their movement-based method has been around since 1908. To achieve this, practice is spent on activities for both gross and fine motor skills, including proper pencil grip, air writing and finger tracing. They emphasize NOT allowing the student to have independent ‘drawing practice,’ but rather coaching with the movement process with their materials.

It’s so obvious the people at Peterson Directed Handwriting care about this product and want to provide support every step of the way, even offering opportunities for live chats. There’s lots of help on the website—from a really helpful free video on their many aspects of the Peterson Directed Handwriting method to helpful info for teaching lefties to an article on when to teach cursive. I found this information to be super helpful in understanding the program, as well as very research based. They’ve done their homework!

The Products

The products I had to review were from the We Write to Read Series. These PDF worksheets are meant to be supplemental pages to give more opportunity for practice with the handwriting program.

Kindergarten Print Step 1 focuses on numbers, upper and lower case letters. The 68 pages are in color with the reminders of what to say when you’re writing. There’s space for finger tracing, as well as writing practice.

Grade One Print Step 2 is 55 color pages and geared at helping 1st graders practice strokes and grow in their fluency as they write words in preparation for sentences.

The final PDF is entitled Printing Fluently Print Step 3 and is 31 pages of more practice focusing on slant and form in preparation for cursive.

My Thoughts

With just using the PDFs I received for the review, I found it hard to successfully implement the program. Although there was a short bit of teacher instruction at the beginning of each step in the Write to Read Series, it was insufficient for someone who is totally new to the method. It also didn’t provide me with an understanding of what to do each day or how long to spend on each letter. I know when I don’t feel confident in teaching a program, that ultimately comes across in my lack of enthusiasm. I just feel confused and things fall flat. After consulting with the folks at Peterson, they did recommend just introducing a letter when it was taught in our phonics program.

My children were working primarily at the Step 1 level. Our focus was just to really get the basic strokes down. We did the air tracing and that was fun, but when it came to getting the pencil on paper, we didn’t fare so well. They did OK, but the verbal cues were a bit clumsy for them. It was hard to coordinate the timing of the letters with the saying of the strokes. Also, I didn’t find the words used to be very catchy or memorable for the child or myself.

I think these sheets would be ideal for someone who already has a firm grasp on the Peterson Directed Handwriting method, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a stand-alone product for someone new to the Peterson curricula. I would recommend looking at the homeschool kits, which would give you everything you’d need to start the program, rather than starting with the supplemental pages, which are geared at customers who are already well-versed in the Peterson methods and just need more worksheets.

They also sell Paper Positioning Guides and Pencil Grips that I also think would be essential to implementing the program. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in my budget to order these for the review. I think having the teacher’s guide and full program would be key to having success with this resource.

I do think the Peterson Directed Handwriting method has a lot to it that makes sense. While I found the website to be loaded with information, it wasn’t easy to navigate. But if you can get past that, you’ll find lots of well-researched information.

While it wasn’t a good match for us, it definitely made me think more about the importance of involving your gross motor skills with handwriting, as well as how vital it is NOT to trace. I’d highly recommend looking around their extensive website for more information on their program and the reasoning behind it. And if you’re already a Peterson Directed Handwriting user, these PDFs provide you unlimited practice pages while your child masters fluency. And what homeschooler doesn’t love ‘unlimited’ anything?

Product: Peterson Directed Handwriting

Description: A digital PDF of supplemental print handwriting worksheet pages.

Publisher: Peterson Directed Handwriting

Price: $19.95 for each PDF reviewed in the Write to Read Series

More: Visit The Review Crew blog to find links to more REVIEWS from the crew.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are all mine.

Top 10 Things Not to Do Your 1st Week Back to Homeschool

2010-08-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

1. Don’t set high expectations. Have a mindset that you’re just going to go through the motions of school and get everyone back into the routine. Anything learned will be a bonus. Lower the bar this week and attitudes will soar next week.

2. Don’t start with every subject. We started our first week with only Bible, math and language arts. And I don’t think we got to any language arts until the last day of the week. Kids have cobwebs in there. Give them time to work it out. It will improve. I promise. The next week add another subject or two. Keep adding something each week until you’re hitting it all.

3. Don’t schedule appointments. Interruptions are the kryptonite of your super homeschool, especially the first week back. Save outside appointments for afternoons after your first couple weeks are going well.

4. Don’t be discouraged by the tears. Yours or theirs. They will cry, most likely. You might, or will at least feel like it. It’s hard for everyone to get back into a routine. Give your children and yourself LOTS of grace.

5. Don’t skip prayer so you can get an early start. Better to gird your loins with prayer and start late, than to start on time ahead of the Lord.

6. Don’t make the beginning of homeschool also the week you start new chores, routines and organizational systems. We organized sorts like a fresh start. All the world is a blank slate waiting for plans of organizational bliss. Regular Chores. Ready-on-time-and-budget meals. Small laundry folded neatly by everyone over two. Homeschool planned to perfection. Why not just start everything at the same time? I’ll tell you why. . . it’s a bad idea. You’ll be fried before dinner on day 3. Go back and read Number 2. Add new things in slowly. One a week is fine. One a month is better. Lasting change stands a chance when you can slowly make it part of your life.

7. Don’t give up too soon on new curriculum. Give it time to work. Sometimes curricula just gels and we can hit the ground running. But other times it takes more effort to make something work. Give it a couple of weeks. And if you’re still struggling, get online for some help and encouragement. There are Yahoo groups for just about every curriculum out there. Join one and ask your questions. Or go to the vendors website and ask for help—they want to see their product put to use successfully and are often willing to answer your questions. Or ask a mom in your local support group.

8. Don’t forget to get lots of sleep, water and healthy breakfasts and lunches in everyone. This helps to alleviate some of the tears in Number 4.

9. Don’t give up coffee. In case you don’t get everything you need in Number 8, you must have this. And even if you do get everything you need in Number 8, you will still need this. Well, I need this. God bless ya if you don’t.

10. Don’t let your thoughts run wild. My first week back I found myself startled at the snail’s pace we were moving and my thoughts were overwhelmed with fear. How will we ever learn at this rate? Math took two whole hours. . . forget 180 days, we’ll be schooling 300 days a year at this rate. STOP. THE. TALKING. IN. YOUR. HEAD. Just do the next thing. Take the next step. And keep your eyes on Jesus.

Thanks again to OhAmanda for hosting this fun carnival. Visit her great site and read all the other Top Ten {Tuesday} posts. Or join in on your blog and link up with her.

What I Didn’t Know About Homeschooling

2010-08-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I started homeschooling, I knew my dear children's precious education would rest on me. Whether they learned to read or do long division would ultimately fall on my shoulders. That didn't swerve my determination to keep my children home and not only teach them the 3 R's, but more importantly fill them up with the truth of the Lord and His Word and His ways.

I was a faithful student of homeschooling. I read everything I could get my hands on. I went to my first homeschool convention when my oldest was but a preschooler. I scoured the Internet on dial-up, for there was nothing else at the time, and researched every avenue of home education and all the philosophies therein. I wanted to be prepared. And for many things I was.

I thought homeschooling was a spiritual choice that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God had called me to. I didn't make it to prove myself, but I really thought that by faithfully obeying the Lord and sacrificing my life and time, I would see godly results. I have seen results of godliness, but not the way I imagined.

What I didn't account for was that the Lord had a plan too. He wasn't so worried about the academics I'd teach, although He was faithful to help me choose curriculum. He wanted hearts for His kingdom. I was on board with that. I wanted my children to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior too. What I never saw coming was the sanctification He'd intended for their mother.

As time has passed since I began my homeschooling journey, almost 9 years now, I've come to believe the Lord is using my homeschooling as a means to sanctify me and my sinful heart. Being in close contact with my children each and every day has a way of bringing the junk in my heart right to the surface. And rather early in the day, I might add.
I like the definition for sanctification from a website called AllAboutFollowingJesus.org.

Sanctification can be described as an inward spiritual process whereby God brings about holiness and change in the life of a Christian by means of the Holy Spirit.

I didn't want to change, I just wanted to homeschool. I didn't think my decision to educate my children at home would result in an 'inward spiritual process' for me, but it did. And it continues to. I know God will use whatever means He desires to accomplish His purposes in our lives. I just never imagined that homeschooling would reveal such need for holiness in my own heart. Couldn't I have learned that in a women's Bible study?

As my homeschooling days grew into months, I saw ugly things in myself. I wasn't always kind. A gentle answer wasn't ready on my tongue when my young student argued with me. Patience was a virtue much easier possessed after my children were in bed.

I imagine if the Lord were looking down on His student, he'd have some extra homework to hand her. Maybe even a detention or two. Instead, He was (and is) so faithful and patient with me when I didn't get the lesson he was teaching me. It has taken me years to really understand some of these lessons to the point of being able to live them by example for my children. I'm a slow learner, I guess. Maybe I'm on the remedial track of spiritual growth.

The Lord continues to work on my heart and on the hearts of my children. Today I see how intertwined and dependent they are on each other. There's nothing worse than hearing your child emulate your sin. There's also nothing as humbling as asking for forgiveness from your children. And asking forgiveness from my Savior for my sins against Him and the family He game me.

It is a privilege to be home with my children and teach them. But I don't treat it that way many days. The overwhelming list of to-dos doesn't feel like such a privilege. Many days I mess up. That's when I remember that in my own strength I can do nothing. John 15:5 reminds me "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do NOTHING." (emphasis mine) I need the power of the Holy Spirit in my life to accomplish anything that matters. Walking with Jesus is a daily discipline, not a once-and-your-done decision.

It shouldn't surprise me that the words to one of my favorite hymns was written by a mother. As she was busy about her chores, Annie Hawks penned the lyrics to I Need Thee Every Hour.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

Refrain
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

Refrain
I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

Refrain
I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

If you haven't begun your homeschooling journey, don't be afraid. Even if you don't homeschool, the Lord will use something else to sanctify you. Also, don't let the struggles make you think you're not in the Lord's will. Teaching your children at home is hard work. But it's also valuable work you will not regret. If you begin this new year of homeschooling as a faithful student of Jesus Christ, you'll have begun your studies the right way.

This is a post from archives here at Day In Day Out August 2009.

You Never Know Where Math Will Lead

2010-08-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

After much struggling to sit in his seat and focus on his math, Night Owl finally settled into slowly completing his math work while I sat by his side dutifully pointing to the next problem.

“I do better with math when a grown-up is with me,” he says.

Really? Not quite the solution I was looking for, but at least he’s aware of what helps him. I should have sat down here an hour ago. Maybe I need to make a little math station by my teacher desk. I point to the next problem.

“When I do school, I have to yawn,” he announces.

Oh good, I won’t take that personally as a sign of boredom. I get out our counting bears, hopeful that some cute plastic manipulative will make a math connection come more easily.

“Why don’t humans have tails?" he wonders.

“Because God knew we wouldn’t need them,”

I reply.

“If we did,” he says “we could hang from the walls.”

Then my children would know where to find me. We’d never get any math done hanging from the walls. Where did that thought come from? He’s not focusing on the bears.

“When we were little,” he asked “ did we ever go to school?”

“No,” I tell him.

“Good, because homeschool’s best!”

Yes, it is. Even at it’s worst and hardest and most frustrating, it’s best. Unexpected sweet words of encouragement for this mama who thought she might go crazy with this VERY long math session. Good thing he’s home with someone who couldn’t love him more.

I think My Teacher planned this lesson in Patience 101 long ago. I’m thankful He sits with me, dutifully pointing to the next thing. And putting up with all the silly distractions I bring into my life. And answering my questions with His Words. I can’t hope to be their good teacher if I can’t be His good student. Lord, help me to focus on You and You alone.

Mother Hens

2010-08-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

I was busy typing on the computer a while before dinnertime, working on next weeks lesson plans. Blue Moon circles me, whining repeatedly, “I’m hungry, I’m hungry, I’m hungreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

I have tuned her out because I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m TIRED. And it’s almost dinnertime.

Then she says, “You’re a mother! You have to feed kids so they won’t die! I’m the mother of my chicken and I feed her.”

This is a child not to be ignored. She doesn’t look like she’s close to death, does she? I’m sure her chicken appreciates her. And someday she’ll appreciate me. And someday my grandchildren will appreciate that I took the time to record this precious audacity. You think?

Prepare to be a Planning Genius

2010-08-15T19:54:00.001-06:00

Finally! A planner for all of us ‘tweakers’ --The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner. Oh c’mon . . . you know if you’re a tweaker because you tweak things. You buy stuff and then change how it’s supposed to be used to suit your needs. You’re not afraid to stray from the directions. You want to make things your own and will do whatever that means to make something work well. You are a master, not a slave to anything you use.

And nowhere is this more important than when it comes to planning. If the way you’re doing your lesson plans or your homeschool records or even your menu plan doesn’t jive with your brain, than it doesn’t matter how pretty that planner is or who recommended it, it won’t work. The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner is for us—the tweaker homeschool moms.

Prepare to be BLOWN away by The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner. Aside from having an impressive 614 pages, it’s as if every veteran homeschooler—from unit study mamas to unschoolers to report-card giving home educators—sat down to figure out what should be included in the perfect planner. And then The Old Schoolhouse created it.

All you have to do is pick the forms and grids and sheets you need to put together the perfect planner for your life. And if life changes, as it’s known to do, pick again. Tweak a little here and there. You’re planner is ready and waiting on your computer to grow with your needs.

Because they thought of everything, you can even type information right into the forms. There’s something so ‘official’ about printing out your plans all nice and neat. Or you can simply print the blank forms and write out your plans with your favorite pen. A personalized experience for the way you live and think—this planner molds to you, not the other way around.

And just because it’s a ‘homeschool’ planner, don’t underestimate The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner's ability to keep every area of life on track. It’s as if, after the veteran homeschool moms met, they sat down with home keeping experts, time-management gurus and a five-star hotel concierge to figure out what else should be included in the perfect planner. And they added it.

There are oodles of forms in here for all your household needs. There are great forms for menu planning, grocery shopping and even a pantry inventory sheet, but that’s just the beginning. With The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner, you can organize everything from Christmas cards to party planning, from garden plots to family budgets. There are even forms I never knew existed, like one to log your pet’s health or a craft planning sheet. Each form is so well-thought out (and laid-out) that you’ll feel more organized just knowing you now possess this powerhouse planner.

As if that’s not enough, there are encouraging and informative articles from well-known homeschooling leaders interspersed, as well as lots of great “must-know” sheets so you can have a handy answer to questions like, “When did they invent the hot air balloon?” or “What is the capital of Bulgaria?” Lots of facts at your fingertips. And some great recipes too.

There’s so much included in The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner! It’s like a enormous all-you-can-print-buffet of organizational forms, lists, calendars and plans. To say this planner is comprehensive seems like an understatement. Go see for yourself in this generous SAMPLE.

Then ORDER YOURS (download for $39 or CD for $44) and just print what you need, hole punch and load into a notebook. Or 3 notebooks. Or one for each child. Or skip the notebook and put it on the wall. Or the fridge. You decide. You can tweak it the way that works for you and your family.

This planner is customizable to fit the way you think, the way you homeschool, the way you live. Totally tweakable!

Check back with me to see how I’m tweaking mine. Here’s the adorable notebook I made to hold this power planner. You can see I put my weekly homeschool plan on the left with tabbed dividers for other sections and forms on the right. Can you tell I {heart} The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner? I realize pretty is as pretty does—I just thought the outside of my planner should be on par with the inside. It just makes me feel organized to see it on my desk. I’m ready for Monday!

Disclaimer: I am an independent contractor for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (TOS) and a member of the Homeschool Crew. I received this planner for free as part of an advertising contest promotion. (But rest assured, these thoughts are my own and I am really this excited about this awesome planner.)

Homemade Sensory Table

2010-08-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

I apologize that I totally dropped the ball on the next table in my school desk makeover series. Too many ideas—too little time! But here’s the super easy makeover for a homemade sensory table.

It began quite by accident. With another project in mind, I took the desktop off the base to pry the the laminate away. Well, I thought I’d try and pop that wood-like laminate totally off the top, but let me say that laminate is pretty well laminated. I made a bit of a mess so I just stopped. The base of the desk sat around in my homeschool room for weeks collecting dust when I got the idea for a sensory table. I lucked out that it was the perfect size for a tub to fit down into. And I already had two tubs that size.

We put colored rice and measuring things in this one. I keep a lid on it when not in use and put it up atop my bookshelves. My curious offspring would have me wading in rice otherwise.

Although I created this with the younger two girls in mind, the four youngest kiddos love playing in this. It’s a nice sensory experience. I put a plastic table covering beneath so I can easily recover the lost rice. Ideally, I would have spray painted the base. I even bought some green paint to do it, but that time thing again. Something is better than nothing, right? Black will suffice.

We also took it outside to have some fun with water. I suppose a brave mama would be fine with it indoors, especially if you had tile floors and not so much water in it. But hey, it’s summertime!

Lots of hands joined in the fun with measuring cups and spoons, as well as some bath toys. There are lots of ideas online for sensory tables. In fact, I came across a YouTube video on someone’s blog for cutting straws in the tub. You can also have fun with shaving cream, pudding, flour, beans, seashells and small plastic animals—just don’t try them all at once. I even read about putting potting soil and worms in one. I think I’ll keep that idea to myself.

Of course, you don’t have to have a desk to dissemble to create your own sensory table. A nice-sized tub will do just fine. But I do love that it can be elevated off the ground. I removed the leg extensions, but can add those back if need be.

So there’s Desk Makeover #3. Be sure to check out #1 and #2. Stay tuned for #4. I have the idea for it, but I will need my husband’s help and fancy tools I don’t know how to operate (yet).

Our Homeschool Room

2010-08-12T20:11:00.001-06:00

Our Homeschool Room

This is probably the cleanest it will ever get. And I looked right past the pile of books on the floor. It’s amazing what you just stop seeing!

Here’s where you’ll see our Timeline and Calendar Bulletin Boards. I’ve since added some fun things to the calendar, but will share more on that another day. I finally hung our All About Spelling Magnet board. The kids like to sit on the floor when we do it, so this works well. And so far the baby hasn’t messed with it. There’s also a learning game computer station (non-internet) here—great flat screen courtesy of my wonderful dad!

My ‘teacher’ desk with bookshelf for keeping teacher’s manuals and books handing. And hiding the elusive staplers and tape dispensers. Behind my desk is a very shallow shelf that’s just right for keeping all our flashcards at the ready—CLE math flashcards, scripture memory system box, English from the Roots Up flashcards and All About Spelling. And there’s room for mama’s water and/or coffee! That’s my homeschool closet behind my desk. Here’s a peek in there:

I try to ~~forbid~~ discourage the kids from getting into this closet. I’ve seen their rooms. I know the power of destruction they wield.

These shelves aren’t labeled yet, but this is my workbox ‘stash.’ The top shelf has magnetic boards and dry erase activities. The next shelf down is math, then alphabet/phonics, then just hands-on games and activities. This lets me quickly find something fun to put in a workbox.

These bookshelves are the unsung hero of my homeschool room. I couldn’t do what I do without them. Like a stray pup, books seem to find their way home with me wherever I roam. And I can always squeeze a few more onto these shelves. They aren’t built-ins, but look like it. In fact, this room used to the the 1950s kitchen in this house. It was razed our first week here.

Welcome to the Game & Geography Room. I’m excited to have ‘annexed’ more space this year. If you turn around in my homeschool room, you’ll step up to this space. It’s also few steps up from my family room as well (in this photo, my family room is to the right). We wanted to use this space for learning, but didn’t really want it to look like a school room. So we choose more neutral colors. Also, we’re planning on making Wednesday a fun day in our homeschool week for more games and hands-on learning activities. This space will finally be put to good use.

I saw an incredible idea on Centsational Girl and although I’m not quite done with it, I love how it turned out. We ordered this earth-tone map National Geographic map (cheaper on eBay) which is laminated. We just stapled that thing up to the wall and plan to put trim around it to look like it’s framed. No credit—stole the great idea from her. Check her site out, her room is 100 times more amazing!

Here’s a look of the entire layout from the corner. The table in the Game & Geography Room used to be in our schoolroom, but I really thought the wood would look better here and flow better into the family room. And don’t you love the cowhide rug on the flagstone floors? That basket on the table is from Rwanda, where my dear friend adopted 2 beautiful children. We have lots of extra desk scattered around. Great little learning centers or places to go when you can’t handle the noise at the other table.

Here’s where Sunshine’s chalkboard desk ended up. Above her desk are the sweetest pictures from the Tasha Tudor book '>“1 is One” which I cut apart and laminated. I stuck them to the wall with sticky tac (love that stuff!) and then hung a thrifty-find frame—no glass—on the wall around it. I plan to laminate the rest of the book and change it up periodically. I love how it turned out! She loves to sit here with her ‘math book’ and work like the big kids. And what would homeschooling be if you couldn’t stay in your nightie all day!

So there you have it! This is where I’ll spend most of my days. I’m linking up at Heart of the Matter for the Not-Back-to-School Blog Hop for the homeschool room week. What could be more fun that peeking into all those great spaces of learning? Go take a peek at more than 250 spaces! Guaranteed to inspire you.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T22:44:00.001-06:00

Little Miss Sunshine was really wearing this dress and the ruby red slippers for dancing fun and play when this incredible rainbow appeared after a shower. Of course, mama took her outside and snapped away. I just couldn’t resist. There’s no place like home.

Day One: Watch it Wiggle

2010-08-09T23:25:00.001-06:00

I’m making this short. You can see from my last post all the plans for our new homeschool year. Well, all of last week was spent preparing to start TODAY with all those plans. As much as I love to plan, and as nice as that plan looks on paper (or digitized, as it may be), I realize the point to the plan is to DO IT. So today we did it.

I had low expectations, which I highly recommend. I just wanted to get to Bible, Math and some Language Arts, which we did. I knew we’d also get to some crying, some fighting and some seriously bad attitudes, which we did. Love how we are meeting all the benchmarks here! I think it took 1 1/2 hours for everyone to finish math. One child said their brain felt like Jell-O. I think Jell-O could have finished math faster than that.

Do stop back soon—I’m hoping to have a moment to post my school room photos, along with pics of our redone space for games and geography. Of course, you’ll want to see it while it still looks nice and neat and tidy. Because once our brains start working like a finely tuned machine (or at the very least a popsicle or some firmer-than-Jell-O food), it will be a mess. We’ll see how Day Two goes.

Our Homeschool Plan this year

2010-08-02T15:35:00.001-06:00

Our focus this year is to strengthen foundations on the core subjects---reading, math and writing. I know we’ll have a great time with our history and science, but I’m not letting that lead my schedule as much as making sure our foundation is really solid. Here is our big plan for the 2010-2011 homeschool year.

All four of my elementary aged kiddos will do the following together with me:

Mystery of History 2

God’s Design for Heaven & Earth

Thoughtful Bible Study for the Family

The Word of Promise Audio Bible

Seeds of Praise Family Worship CD with the free memory verse cards on their site. We still love the Simply Charlotte Mason method of scripture memory.

English from the Roots Up—We only made it half way through this book last year, but I really like it and will continue at our own pace.

Daily Geography Practice I got this at a used sale in the spring and figure the third grade book is in the middle of my group and will work. It’s meant to just be a little bit of geography everyday. The younger two won’t do the worksheets, but we can do much of it orally.

Kindergarten with Blue Moon

If this intense little girl were an only child, I have no doubt she’d be reading and doing math calculations by now. But alas, as child #5 out of six, she’s had to wait her turn to get mama’s full educational attention. Also, because she’s my fifth kindergartner, I’m a little more laid back with the plan and am comfortable using this and that to see what works.

All About Spelling with the All About Reading books

Explode the Code books

Some various workbooks like the leftover Bob Jones Phonics worktext and one of the Kinder books from Sam’s Club, because I have it and it might satisfy her voracious appetite to ‘do school’.

CLE Math 100 (going very slowly on this) with a dash of BJU Math here and there (another leftover).

Peterson Handwriting

Lots of reading with and to Mom

2nd grade with Night Owl

This little guy is bright, but like all little guys, doesn’t like to sit and do school for long. He’s still not a fluent reader, but is coming along.

All About Spelling with the All About Reading books

CLE Language Arts

CLE Math

Peterson Handwriting –I’m really hoping this will help some of his bad habits of forming letters bottom to top and reverse formation.

Lots of reading with and to Mom

3rd Grade with Day Break

All About Spelling

CLE Language Arts

CLE Math

Copywork (created with Startwrite software)

Lots of chapter books

5th Grade with Eventide

All About Spelling

CLE Language Arts

Meaningful Composition

CLE Math

Copywork (created with Startwrite software)

Lots of chapter books

7th Grade with Son Up

BJU Distance Learning via DVD for Bible, Math, English (just the grammar portion), Life Science, World Studies & Spanish

Lightning Lit 8 (includes the following literature)

G. K. Chesterton ("A Crazy Tale" - short story)
Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island - novel)
Isaac Bashevis Singer (A Day of Pleasure - autobiography)
Nathaniel Hawthorne ("Wakefield" - short story)
Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol - novel)
J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit - novel)
Lafcadio Hearn ("Reflections" - short story)
Gerald Durrell (My Family and Other Animals - autobiography)
Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird - novel)
Various poets (Walt Whitman, Lewis Carroll, Christina Rossetti, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Keats, etc.) and poetry

All About Spelling

My New Favorites

Can you stop a trend? The best finds for me last year were All About Spelling and Christian Light (CLE). The first is more teacher intensive, but several of my children are NOT natural spellers, so I’m happy to invest time here. It really is a ‘grab and go’ resource with the scripted teacher’s manual. And it’s very multi-sensory. I read so many great success stories on this program, it got me interested. And I’m seeing such improvement with my children, we will be sticking with this program. Forever.

Although I’d probably seen the nice folks from Christian Light (CLE) at conventions over the years, it didn’t really attract me. But after reading some really good reviews on the Well-Trained Mind forums, I wanted to give it a try. We’ve bounced around too many times for elementary math, but I think this is where we will land. The booklets are well-laid out and explain math in understandable terms. I liked it so much that we’re trying CLE Language Arts too.

Scheduling

I’m still working on the nitty-gritty daily details, but I’ve made a few changes to our overall yearly schedule. One day each week, ideally Wednesday, will be a fun hands-on day. The kids will do math and language arts, but after that we will do all those things I never make time for.

Games
Science experiments
Crafts
Art & music appreciation
Hands-on learning projects
Poetry

The other thing we are trying is year-round homeschooling. I’m shooting for the 6 weeks ON/2 weeks OFF plan. It will fluctuate some with holidays and grandparent visits, but I’m excited to give this a try and see if this helps me stay the course, as well as helps the children retain more.

So there you have it! We are planning to start next Monday, but right now I’m staring at my blank planner and really struggling to write anything down. I think it’s partially because I usually ‘type’ things out. Let’s hope that’s all it is.

I’m linking up at Heart of the Matter for the Not Back-to-School Blog Hop. Check out the other links or leave your own. It’s so fun to see what everyone has planned. Homeschoolers are such a creative and resourceful bunch!

How Can You Not?

2010-07-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

If I told you that you could start paying off your debt sooner than you’d hoped, you’d be thrilled. If I told you that you could update your wardrobe a bit every year, you’d be game, right? And if I told you that you and the mister could afford a lovely dinner date out alone, no kiddy meals, you’d be all over it. Right again?

I’m going out on a limb here, because you know I’m not mathy, but I’d venture to say you could do at least ONE of these things IF you started using coupons and watching for store deals. So tell me. . . how can you NOT start saving?

Mr. Wonderful is a real estate broker. Before the real estate slump , we were doing just fine. Sure, we bought things on sale sometimes. Sure, we were careful with our spending when we could be. And sure, we watched for good deals just like the next guy. But we weren’t aggressive with it because life was good and our bank account didn’t depend on it. We spent more because we had more.

But this past year (or more) of tighter times taught us a lot! A whole lot! We became students of frugal. Coupons were no longer a hassle, but an opportunity to stay within our budget. Sales were our guiding menu force. Money saving bloggers became our heroes. We didn’t have more to spend, so we had to find more ways to save.

Things have improved in recent months on the real estate front—praise the Lord! But we aren’t changing back to our carefree shopping. Scissors remain next to the Sunday paper and coupons litter the dining room buffet. Even if we don’t need the money to make ends meet, we can use that money for something else. Something fun. Something beneficial. It’s lining our pocket, not the grocer’s or the Big Box’s. After all, it’s OUR money to save!

Earlier this week, I got all pumped up after reading one of my fave money saving blogs, Money Saving Mom. I printed several coupons out and am all set to save BIG time next trip to Target. The thing I love about Crystal is she tells you what to buy and which coupons to use AND she links to them. So many coupons these days are online. So many!

We started cutting more coupons than ever from our two Sunday papers. I used to think, don’t fall prey to cutting coupons for things you don’t normally buy. That seemed wise. But now my philosophy is this: “Would I buy it for a quarter or want it if it were free?” So often a coupon plus a sale will make an item SILLY CHEAP. And why not then!

I’ve signed up to receive emails and the RSS feed from Money Saving Mom and several other great money saving blogs, like For The Mommas. If it weren’t for these blogs, I’d be way too overwhelmed to sail the sea of savings alone. Again, lots of math. But when she tells me I can get the kids’ toothpaste for .12 cents, how can I ignore that? The only work for me is to visit the links, print the coupons and go to Target.

You also have to get your mind around the whole idea of how to shop. We’ve always been a ‘stock up’ kind of family, because Mr. Wonderful is a great shopper that way. We have a great big pantry attached to our laundry room and aren’t afraid to buy 15 boxes of Triscuits if they are on sale. But you’ve got to enter in to the right mindset on your shopping and inventory. Read and learn, girls. We all have to start somewhere. Better to start small than never start at all.

And I’d be willing to bet that starting will save you money that you could put toward something really worthwhile. It might be a dinner date with your husband. Or a chance to pay extra toward your mortgage. Or maybe you’re going to Disneyworld! The possibilities are endless.

What are your favorite money-minded blogs or tips for savings? I’d love to learn more along with you. You’ll just have to help me with the math.

Don’t You Just Love it . . .

2010-07-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

When you kill a fruit fly in midair? The first time.

When your husband fixes dinner?

And then changes the stinky diaper that follows?

When the book you’ve been wanting goes on sale?

When your pastor teaches on exactly the same thing the Lord has been speaking to your heart?

When you find just what you need at the thrift store?

When you’ve eaten your fill of ice cream and cheese and other fattening things, but your jeans still fit?

When a friend laughs with you?

When you can squeeze just one more thing in the dishwasher?

When your child learns something you didn’t teach them?

When it’s quiet and everyone is awake? OK, so that rarely happens, but I would LOVE it if it did.

Top Ten {Tuesday} Back to Homeschool

2010-07-27T06:55:00.000-06:00

1.Order the rest of the phonics for my up and coming kindergartner. She’s child #5, and I was trying to make due with what I have, but she’s a little, shall we say, ~~demanding~~ eager. So I need to make sure we’re well-stocked with workbooks to make her feel like she’s on-board the homeschool bus.

2. Finish organizing all my fun stuff. I started using workboxes this past school year. It’s finally allowed me to use all these great resources I’ve ~~hoarded~~ collected for years. But they are a mess right now and in need of a clever rearrangement that will stand the test of time. Or lack thereof.

3. Empty the workboxes. Yes, there is still stuff in them from last year. Sad but true! I hope the workbox police won’t be getting any calls on me.

4. Plan our read-alouds. We’re going to branch out this year and do more read-alouds just because they are classic and good and fun. Not only because they tie in to some time in history we are studying. But I want to do a little planning. Seat-of-my-pants plans usually get snagged up somewhere along the way.

5. Check off everything on my summer chore list. This includes things like clean out our big storage pantry and sort through the kids hall closet and drawers. And I’d love to get the mysterious toothpaste off the walls of the pink bathroom. But it always returns. I’m seriously considering one of those ‘As Seen On TV” toothpaste dispensers. Really, I am.

6. Make appointments for vision check-ups for the 5 oldest children. I can’t have any doubts that they can actually see what we are doing.

7. Figure out if our great soccer coach is going to coach in the next season for the other league. And then figure out how we can tag along. There’s something to be said for great teaching and great leadership. Hey, don’t I do that for somebody?

8. Find matching shoes for the baby. We can rarely find a match. Why is that? No wonder we never leave the house. And no, that wasn’t my baby last week at the library in her pajamas with bare feet. Nope, not my baby.

9. Refresh my children’s brains with some math facts. Night Owl was in tears today just doing a lesson in math, which was supposed to be done all summer, but really only happened 1/3 of the time at best. Do you think I can do this while they sleep? Anyone have success playing math fact music while they slumber?

10. Finish 1 or 2 more desks. I relished in the creative opportunity to repurpose some school desks this summer. I have more ideas than time, but it’s so satisfying to take an idea from start to finish.

Thanks again to OhAmanda for hosting this fun carnival. Visit her great site and read all the other Top Ten {Tuesday} posts. Or join in on your blog and link up with her.

Then you can start thinking of your life in terms of top ten lists just so you can participate in Top Ten {Tuesday}. Amazingly, it’s pretty easy to alter your brain from logical thinking to list thinking. Really. It’s the small pleasures in life.

Good Blog Hopping

2010-07-26T20:02:00.001-06:00

From Angela at Grocery Shrink “How Do I Want to be Remembered?” This really grabbed at my heart. I have been doing some soul searching on how I spend my time and what is fruitful use of it. This will get you thinking, no doubt.

From Sarah Mae for Raising Homemakers “Raising Generations.” I have times where I get this very eternal glimpse of life. Not often, but enough that I pause and reflect on what really matters.

From Kat at Inspired to Action “Free E-Book Mission Statements for Mom.” I love this blog! She’s real and funny and inspiring. Inspiring enough to kick me into action! I printed mine out last night and am already on step three. Don’t miss her other E-Book (also free) “Maximize Your Mornings.” And no, this isn’t about how to consume more coffee and fly like a jet plane.

Belinda’s must-read blog! This Australian sister is loaded with wisdom. I usually have to read her emails in 2 sittings, that’s how wise she is. Her website, “Lifestyle Homeschool” is chocked full of ideas, no matter what your approach to home education. Tools abound here, so go when you have more than a minute. It’s teacher training. You need the CE credits.

Simply Basic Homeschooling

2010-07-22T14:02:00.001-06:00

If you have more than one child, you’ve probably noticed this: all the snazzy new things that were invented between babies. I have six children who were born about every two years. With each subsequent baby, there were several new gadgets and gizmos that I really wanted to have. Even though I really had all the basic supplies we needed, that latest invention seemed to solve one more problem of motherhood in a very tempting way.

The same can be said of homeschooling. There have been many changes and resources to come on the scene since I began homeschooling almost 10 years ago. And we are blessed for it. When people who are not ‘in-the-know’ on homeschooling ask me, “Where do you find curriculum?” or “How do you know what to teach?”, I just smile. The problem for homeschoolers isn’t finding the curricula or the method, it’s weeding through the gazillion resources and philosophies out there to narrow it down to what will work for your family.

Homeschooling can be as simple or as complicated as you make it, but what I’ve learned over the years, often the hard way, has brought me back to the simplicity of the essentials.

Whether you’re just beginning or need to regroup for yet another year ahead, start with these basics. . .

Click HERE to read the rest of my article over at

Heart of the Matter Online.

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Product: Speekee Spanish video

Description: Spanish videos via the internet or DVD; 10 episodes for 150 minutes plus worksheets and teaching tips

Ages: Ages 2-10

Price: $7.50 per month for online access; DVDs vary based on the current exchange rate, but are listed at £95.00.

Samples: Get a FREE 2-week online trial HERE when you subscribe. You can cancel at ANY time.

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