Catching Fireflies

Soccer 2011

2011-10-17T18:13:00.001-04:00

Lots of catching up to do here on the blog, so I’m just posting randomly. I’ll get back to more homeschooly stuff soon. :)

Parker played soccer for our church again this year. I love this league because it’s all about learning and fun. There is no pressure on the kids to win all the time, the coaches just want to instill a love of the game.

His team was the Silver Sharks! We always request the same coach for Parker. Coach Rousseau is incredibly encouraging and has a passion for the game himself, so it is such a blessing to have him work with Parker.

I think is the best group of kids we have ever played with. All the parents got along and the kids seemed to as well. Our Sharks struggled quite a bit and only won 2 games, but they played SO hard.

By the end of the season, they looked like a completely different team. They had confidence, knew what they were doing and worked together. And Parker decided he loved being goalie. He was great at it too! Scared me half to death every time the ball came at him, though.

I’m so glad we have this ministry at our church. I don’t think Parker will ever be the kid who is fiercely competitive and want to be on a team who’s main goal is to win, so this is such a perfect fit for him.

Parker

2011-10-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

My sweet, sweet Parker turned 8 years old on the 2nd of October. This child that was a completely unexpected blessing. Joining us a mere ten months after his sister was born, he is my heart. A more loving soul you will never meet. He is kind and gentle and as compassionate as they come. Parker has had many health issues to overcome. At just 20 weeks of pregnancy, they told us he may not make it. They were concerned he had Polycystic Kidney Syndrome and he would stop producing amniotic fluid at any time. If it were caught quickly enough, we could deliver but even then there was an obvious survival rate issue. But, it turns out he has cysts on only one kidney and was delivered at 37 weeks.

Parker loves soccer and plays his heart out on the field. He always has a smile on his face when he is chasing the ball. All the other parents comment how happy he is. He is also our little fish. Parker will swim in a puddle if it’s big enough.

He is crazy good at puzzles of any kind and has laser like skillllzzzz in video games. His hearts desire right now is a puppy. Truthfully, any small furry creature would do. Parker is an animal lover like his mommy. When he grows up, he says he wants to be a veterinarian and I can come visit and snuggle with all the puppies. Ah, this child. I am so scared for the day he gets his heart broken because he loves with his whole being.

His daddy says he is a true mommy’s boy. I’m kind of ok with that. :) Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet angel. We love you.

The Power of Words

2011-10-15T16:55:00.001-04:00

My sweet hubby and I went away for a few days for our anniversary. We thought about some place tropical. We thought about a super nice hotel downtown. But in the end, my persistence that it be a camping trip to Stone Mountain for just the two of us won out. My mother graciously agreed to keep the kids for five whole days. We loaded up our little camper and headed to the Mountain.

I have to say, I am really more of an indoor girl, but I LOVE to camp. (In a camper) I thought being in the woods, no TV, no internet, no cell phone (we didn’t answer them, only if it was my mom) would be the perfect way to connect with each other. I feel like there is always something else to do for entertainment and I wanted this trip to be about just us. The first day we were the only campers on our little loop. We sat outside under the shade of the trees and talked while snacking and gazing at the lake. It could not have been more perfect!

Friday afternoon brought us some neighbors. I was inside getting food together for grilling and Greg was outside getting the grill started. He came to the door and asked me if I heard what was going on. I said no, but stepped outside after gathering our ingredients and sat at the table while Greg began to cook. I hear some loud voices coming from the site across from us. There was a family, with 2 little girls, and a mother who was letting her husband (and the rest of the campers) know how terrible he was. The words that were coming out of her mouth were foul beyond belief. Her child (maybe 2 or 3 years old) repeated what she had called her husband. I was SO sickened with this. I know we all have moments that we are not at our best, but I try very hard to make sure words meant to hurt are never said in front of my children. What kind of example is that?

When this family left at the end of the weekend, after many, many terrible things were said including some directed at their children, you could almost hear the sigh of relief from the other campers. Her verbal abuse not only hurt her family, but affected those other families that were trying to enjoy time together as well.

I struggled with this so much over the weekend and the following week. Greg always jokes with me that I can’t let anything go. I have to analyze it to death. Truly, I do. I have wondered if this person has had so much hate in her life, that this seems normal to her. And how sad is that? Instead of being upset with her that she cast an unpleasant shadow over *my* weekend away, I am thankful that I was able to understand the power of her words.

So many times we say things intending them for one person. Those things may be hurtful or may not, but we need to be aware that the words we say can affect so many others. She didn’t try to speak in hushed tones, so the truth is, she may not have even realized what she was saying was wrong. Or, maybe she didn’t care. All I know is that while I do not know her whole story, I know that I am MUCH more aware of the things I say. I have prayed for those children and I have prayed for her and her husband. I know I will probably never see them again, but that family has made a profound impact on mine.

The Story About Ping

2011-09-22T17:28:00.000-04:00

Last week we rowed The Story About Ping. I honestly wasn't looking forward to this one so much. I'm not sure why, it just seemed a little young for the kids. Now I am SO glad we did it. We all really liked this book.

We always start our week with Social Studies. Learning about the country the book is set in and placing the story disc on the map. The kids colored the flag of China and labeled the Yangtze River on the map. We also used this website to get some more information on the river. Oh, this site has some fabulous pictures of China as well.

We have some beautiful chopsticks that were given to us from a sweet Asian lady at a restaurant we like to go to. The kids loved looking at them and trying to use them. I am completely incompetent when it comes to the use of chopsticks. It turns out the children have inherited this from me as my husband is the master of the these utensils. They did try though and seemed determined to learn.

For art, we drew pictures of water using reflection techniques we learned from the FIAR manual. We used colored pencils for this one. So pretty! I seriously love that FIAR is exposing us to so many different things.

Saving everybody's favorite for last, we did science on Thursday. We learned about buoyancy by doing a sink or float experiment, making predictions first. You can find the chart on Homeschool Share. This may have lasted for an hour. Brynn and Parker threw everything they could find in there. Fun!

For our last experiment, we learned about preening and why it is something ducks do. The kids thought this was super cool. Parker had been saving bird feathers (yes, I realize it's disgusting. Some battles I just don't fight, but I DO require them to be washed) so we took one "untreated" feather and dropped it in the bowl of water. The second one, we coated in a thin layer of olive oil and then put it in the water. The kids were amazed that it didn't really get wet and the water just beaded up. I love watching their faces when something clicks. :)

Not a great picture, but Brynn loved rubbing the coated feather across her hand when it came out of the water.

Now I'm going to go all mushy for a sec. Four years ago, when my husband told me he would like me to homeschool, I was resentful. I thought he had lost his mind and our kids would be freaks. I cried night after night and complained bitterly to whoever would listen. I am so ashamed now that I behaved like that. Homeschooling our children is the most amazing thing I have ever done. I LOVE being with them every day. I LOVE watching them learn and I LOVE experiencing it all with them. And yes, I have told my husband he was right. Thankfully he didn't rub it in. :)

Still Here!

2011-09-20T22:04:00.000-04:00

Sorry for my lack of blogging. We have made several technological upgrades over the past week and we (hubby) is very close to finishing up the installations. Right now I'm blogging from my new favorite toy (IPad) and while it is completely fabulous, it is not the best for the blogging. :) So I will be back, hopefully tomorrow or possibly Thursday with my FIAR wrap up on Ping and Madeline.

Totally off topic, but if you have some IPad Apps you just love will you please leave me a comment? I have found some that are wonderful and I would be happy to share those in a post sometime soon!

Our New Houseguest

2011-09-14T11:19:00.000-04:00

We have had a visitor with us for a bit. While I am not crazy about this particular visitor, I have to admit he is pretty cool.

Apparently it is a cicada. He lives on our back deck and is quite brave. That's where our bird feeder is. We have several families of birds that visit throughout the day. I don't know if they haven't seen him, or he just doesn't look tasty. Maybe he's just lucky? The kids think this is a fabulous addition to our family. I'm okay with it as long as he stays on the outside of the window. :)

*Disclaimer* No, I did not take these pictures. That would have required me to get FAR to close for comfort. My sweet hubby did this in exchange for my complete love and adoration.

Night of the Moonjellies

2011-09-09T08:00:00.002-04:00

This was our first Five in a Row book. I was going back and forth on whether this curriculum would work for us. I am SO glad I took a chance on it! There was some worry that it would be too young for them, but actually, I have been able to really add more to it and it is working so well.

After reading the book on both Tuesday and Wednesday, the kids made a list of all the food that was served at Mar-Gras with illustrations. While Parker could use some help with spelling, his drawings are wonderful. We also used copywork from here. For Brynn I just modified it a bit and had her write in cursive.

Thursday, we read Pastels are Great. I really like this book! While some of the techniques are far above Brynn and Parker's capabilities, it still gave them ideas and explains how to use this medium better than I could ever hope to. :) Afterwards, they used our oil pastels to recreate the cover of the book. This is Brynn's.

And Parker's. I am not one to brag, but I am so proud of this drawing. I think he did a fantastic job! He LOVES art.

Brynn and I discussed that some people are artistically gifted and this seems to be a gift Parker has. Instead of feeling jealous, we should be proud of him. She agreed and showed his work to everyone she saw. :) She was sure to remind me she is a gifted gymnast. Ha! Love that girl!

We also used Deep Space Sparkle's technique for painting our own watercolor jellies. LOVED this!!!! This is Brynn's. She really enjoyed the freedom of this. Parker was not nearly as happy with his picture.

For science, we began our work on animal classification. Each week we learn about the animal discussed in the book, then fill out a notebooking sheet that asks us where the animal should be classified. We add a picture and put it in our FIAR notebook. I found all of these resources at Homeschool Share.

Friday we plan to make our own restaurant based on Mar-Gras. Naming has been a challenge, but I think we are going with BP'S. Our menu will be: Hamburgers, french fries and chocolate shakes. Possibly some orange soda as well. I tried to talk the family into lobster rolls, but I was the only one willing to eat them. They have no idea what they are missing!

Here are the books we read this week. All of these are affiliate links, so I would get a small percentage if you purchased from here. Please shop around for your best deal. I did happen to find all my books from the library, so check there first.

Night of the Moonjellies: 15th Anniversary Edition
Winking, Blinking Sea
A Jellyfish Is Not a Fish (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Book)

Jellies: The Life of Jellyfish

These books were very much enjoyed by all of us. I will be sad to send them back to the library next week. I am thinking about ordering some of them to keep at home because we liked them so much. If you are using FIAR leave me your blog address and I would love to come visit!

If this was your first week back at school, I hope it went well. We really did have a fantastic week and I'm excited for next week as well!

How I Organize For School-Part 1

2011-09-08T15:36:00.000-04:00

If you have been with me long, you know I am crazy for organization. It makes me feel like I am in control and that my life isn't actually chaotic. Every year when school starts, it feels like I am constantly trying to catch up. I have been taking some time to make sure our school year runs more smoothly than in years past.

First, I planned all the weeks. All 36 of them. Copies, workbook pages, everything. Now, we tend to move very quickly through our weeks and sometimes take days off. So, really, the way I have labeled these means nothing....except that I know where we are "supposed" to be and that helps to keep us on track. It doesn't matter if we move forward because everything is in the folder for the week. All I have to do is make sure the entire folder is complete before moving on. If, by some miracle, we stay right on track, it's easy to keep up with as well.

My file folder box has hanging files that are labeled Week 1 through Week 36. Each folder inside is also labeled with the week number. Inside, one side is for Brynn, the other, Parker. All pages have been paper clipped together for each subject and labeled. I have already hole-punched each page so they can just put them in their binders at the end of the day.

The binders: Each child has a binder in their color. Brynn is pink (of course) and Parker, blue (totally thought he would go for orange, but apparently we are out of that stage). Each has tabs for every school subject. Ideally, at the end of the day, they will put all work completed in the binder ~~so mommy doesn't save it all for the last day of school like last year~~ to teach them organization skills.

My binder. I have copies for the calendar notebooks, our daily schedule, school year calendar, blank FIAR planning pages, blank story organizers, etc. I also keep the Country Flag cards from Homeschool Creations in pencil pouches. It's so nice to have everything in one spot.

Finally, my planner. This is what I use to keep track of all of our basic school work. Math, Grammar, Spelling, Reading and History. While it is dated, that gives me a general goal of where we want to be at that time. Again, sometimes we are way ahead, and other times, not so much. But isn't that the beauty of homeschooling? I used to really stress if we weren't on X page by X date. That was no fun at all. Now, I realize I can still help them learn the things they need to know and there is really no timetable. In the long run it will all work out.

That's all for the first part of my planning. I will do a second post on how I organize my FIAR soon. Planning and organizing are definitely dependent on your personal style, but I always like to find new ideas, so I thought I would share mine with you. Have a wonderful day!

Our First Day 2011

2011-09-06T15:40:00.000-04:00

Today was our first day of school! It went better than expected, I think. We had a bit of trouble with Brynn's Teaching Textbooks on my laptop, but my hubby picked up a piece of hardware/software (honestly, no idea) that will fix it so we will be good to go tomorrow. The first day is always strange because it's a new routine and it feels like it doesn't flow smoothly, but this year was much better.

We did start our morning off with yummy cinnamon buns. It's our traditional first day breakfast. It's a nice treat and Parker's favorite!

Parker was so worried last night when he got his "morning to do list" that first day pictures weren't listed. I promised him we wouldn't forget. This morning it was a little rainy when we first woke up, so he was very nervous that we wouldn't be able to do them outside. Luckily, it was just a drizzle by the time we were ready.

My sweet boy. He's 7years old and going into 2nd grade this year. He is so excited about learning new things, but is a bit nervous for some reason. School tends to cause him a little stress. That makes me sad. :(

My Brynn. She is 8 years old and going into 4th grade this year. If she were in the school system, she would be in 3rd. She doesn't really struggle in school at all, but thinks she hates it. I'm guessing it's because all her friends hate school and she thinks she should too. This doesn't make me happy. She does at least have a good attitude right now, so hopefully the changes I have made will make it more exciting for her.

We always start our first day by decorating our new school boxes with stickers. While I was making breakfast, they worked on that. It's so funny to hear them pick out their design. Brynn, of course, needed gymnast stickers and Parker needed all the animal ones, (He is such an animal lover) but no Transformers because they looked a little creepy. Never mind that he has watched the first movie and loved it. Silly boy.

Then we worked on our calendar notebooks and journals. I think that may be their favorite part. They complain bitterly about writing papers, but will write in their journals all day.

For FIAR, we read Night of the Moonjellies. They seemed to like the book, but we just did a little discussion on the social studies topics from the manual, so it wasn't too exciting today. I have lots of activities planned for the rest of the week though!

For Story of the World, we read about the Mauryan Empire of India. They really liked The Jakata Tales. They labeled the map and colored the coloring page that went along with it. For lunch we tried the Indian Curry rice recipe that's in the activity book. The kids wouldn't touch it, but I tried it and it really wasn't bad at all. It was, however, extremely spicy. I love spicy food, but this was even a little much for me.

Let me know if you would like the recipe. It was really quick and very filling. Plus, the kids like making it, even if they wouldn't eat it. :)

All in all, I think we had a great day! I'm excited to do it again tomorrow, so that's a good sign, right?

My New Favorite Thing

2011-08-30T08:00:00.007-04:00

Like most homeschoolers, I am slightly obsessed with school supplies. Office supplies too. I have been searching and searching and searching for a pencil sharpener that actually works. I must have been through at least 10 in the 4 years we have been learning at home. Some were those tiny little manual ones that kids get in goodie bags (hey, don't laugh, they actually work pretty well). I just could never get them to sharpen OVER the trash can. We even tried battery operated ones, that my sweet hubby and Parker decided one day (during school) needed to be turned into an electric pencil sharpener. While an excellent science lesson for my tactile boy, it didn't help much. But we have been living with it for about a year. When all the school supplies came out, I decided I would go on the hunt, yet again, for the BEST PENCIL SHARPENER EVER.

I bought one at Wal Mart. It looked good. It was a brand name. Brought it home and it was as bad as the one I have now, if not worse. We took it back and decided on just the kind that mounts to the wall or cabinet and will sharpen several sizes of pencils. Like the kind we had at school. Yea, it was broken when we got it out o the box. No, I am not kidding. That's how we roll around here.

Finally, this weekend we were at Sam's and hubby says, "hey, look, this pencil sharpener actually looks like it might work!". I quickly say, no way am I buying another one. I will suffer with what I have thankyouverymuch. Sneaky man puts it in the cart and I don't notice until we check out. Color me embarrassed, because this is, in fact, the BEST PENCIL SHARPENER EVER.

source

Royal P60 Electric Pencil Sharpener 29342C This is the one we got. It works extremely well and it has a light that comes on to tell when it's finished. Only takes a couple of seconds too! Hubby was so excited, he sharpened all of our new pencils for the school year. He's so funny. :) Anyway, if you are looking for one, I highly recommend this one. Nope, this is most definitely not a review, just my personal experience. I am an Amazon affiliate, so if you do order from the link I will get a small percentage of the purchase price. And while I really appreciate that, please do shop around and make sure you get the best deal. Have a great day and happy sharpening!

FIAR Story Discs Vol. 1

2011-08-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

I am busy, busy planning our school year right now, but I wanted to share a little something I made. Since we are using Five In A Row for some of our curriculum this year I wanted to do something a little different with the story discs. The ones in the back of the book are fine, I just didn't want to have to color them and I also was looking for some different pictures.

In my spare time, ha!, I worked on these. I think they came out pretty cute and very colorful (which is what I was really going for). They are nothing special, but you are more than welcome to download and use them yourself if you like. This is only volume one and it's broken into three parts since they wouldn't all fit on one or two pages. On part three, there are a few blank discs if you need them. I will be working on volumes 2 and 3 soon, but please let me know if you would like them and I will get them done faster.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Not Back to School Blog Hop: Our Daily Schedule

2011-08-27T15:33:00.000-04:00

I missed this by a week, but I still wanted to share the way we will do things this year. Plus, I can hopefully refer back to this when I have a mommy moment and forget where I am supposed to be. Not that that happens or anything....

7:00 Up with Greg, shower dressed, send Greg off to work

7:30 Turn on coffee maker, make bed, clean up bathroom, start laundry

7:45 Coffee and computer time

8:15 Start Breakfast

8:30 Wake kids (if not already up) Breakfast time

9:00 Clean kitchen, kids dressed and morning chores

9:30 Begin school- Calendar notebook, journal time

10:00 Math

10:45 LA/Vocab.

11:05 Snack and Spelling

11:20 History/Geography

11:50 Five in a Row

12:30 Lunch and outside play

1:30 Finish FIAR or have silent reading

2:00 Free time

3:30 Snack and get ready for afternoon activities

Afternoon Activities

Monday: Parker soccer 1:30-3:00 Brynn gymnastics 4:30-7:30 Parker swimming 6:30 to 7:00

Tuesday: Brynn ballet 4:00-5:00 Parker soccer 6:00-7:00 Brynn team tumbling 7:30-8:30

Wednesday: Brynn gymnastics 4:30-7:30, Parker swimming 6:30-7:00

Thursday: Brynn lyrical dance 5:00-6:00

Friday: Brynn gymnastics 4:30-7:30

Saturday is spent at soccer games or gymnastics meets, depending on the time of year. Swim meets will be starting soon as well since we are in a year round program.

Now that I write it all out, it looks completely crazy. But, I know this is just a short time in our lives and when the kids grow up we will look back and have wonderful memories of this time together. Linking up here for the Not Back to School Blog Hop.

The Mystery...

2011-08-23T15:59:00.000-04:00

I know, it has been almost a month since my last post. I have really struggled with the idea of writing this one, but honestly, I am just overcome with worry and I need to write. I guess. So, here goes...

On July 10th, Brynn woke up at about 3:00 in the morning with, what I thought, was a tummy bug. She was sick a few times, then fell asleep on the couch with me for the rest of the night. The next morning, she was completely fine. No issues at all. In fact, she was begging to go to gymnastics practice a mere 6 hours after her illness. I, of course, said no much to her dismay. She was fine for the rest of the day and we went on with life. I thought it was a little strange that no one else in the house picked up the bug as well, but I am really obsessive about sanitizing after such adventures, so I thought I had just done an exceptional job this time. :)

The following Sunday (Monday morning, actually) she wakes me up to tell me she is sick again. No pain, just the vomiting once, then completely fine. She goes back to sleep and wakes up with no lasting effects. Again, begging to go to practice, again I say no. No one else gets sick this time either and I'm thinking I should disinfect houses for a living.

Later in the week, she is sick again. At this point I am concerned. I certainly do catch on quick, right? So we go to the doctor and immediately she begins shining lights in her eyes and doing all sorts of tests. She mentions the "T" word. Apparently vomiting in the early morning with no other signs of stomach distress can be a sign of a brain tumor. I am quite proud of my ability to hold it together at this point and ask all the necessary questions. She then says that it may possibly be just some spasms from her original illness on July 10th and her tummy is having trouble settling down. We get some medicine and are told to go home and try this first. If anything changes we need to go to the emergency room immediately. I'm not sure how I walked out of there without demanding a CAT scan or something, but I guess I was trying to tell myself that if she had no other symptoms, the chances of it being "that" were slim.

She was sick again that weekend. Again, I justified it by saying the medicine just didn't have time to work. She went almost 2 weeks with no incidents, but woke up this past Monday with uncontrollable vomiting. No other issues, at all. We got in to see the doctor early and went through all the tests again. Still, no other symptoms of a tumor. But, now she has lost 2 pounds in 3 weeks which is a big deal. She is tired all the time and is not herself at all.

We are sent for chest and abdomen x rays at Children's. They come back completely normal. Now we are waiting to see a GI doctor, unless she gets sick again, then we are to take her to Egleston for admittance.

I am so beyond stressed right now. No one knows what is wrong with my baby and we are just throwing every test possible at her. I feel like I am living in some kind of fog. I know the chances of it being something "serious" is really small, so I am trying to focus on that. I just lay in bed every night waiting for her to come to me. After Greg's heart attack in April, I just feel overwhelmed with medical issues. I'm scared. I want her with me 24/7 which is completely not healthy for her (or me), but it's hard to send her to practice 16 hours a week and not worry that she will need me and I won't be right there. Does that even make any sense? If you could just maybe say a little prayer that we can find answers? I just want to know and then figure out how to fix it.

I know this is super long, and if you made it this far, I really do appreciate it. I'm trying to continue on with life and am working hard on getting organized for school. Our plans are to start on Sept. 6th, but may move that up. When I find out more, I will update. There certainly is more to this story (why we aren't doing any CAT scans or MRI's yet, why we don't think it's allergies, etc.) but right now, I'm just following the lead of our doctor. I do trust her to make the right decisions for our daughter, because honestly, right now I am completely incapable of figuring out what's "right". Thanks again for all of your thoughts, prayers, words of encouragement, etc. You guys are all awesome.

Paper Organization

2011-08-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but in our school room paper is literally everywhere. It drives me C.R.A.Z.Y. When the kids pull a piece of paper off the shelf (inevitably one from the bottom) all the others slide off and are all over the place. My OCD is incapable of handling that, so I found a solution. Paper trays. Seriously, am I the last person on the planet to know of these wonders?

Of course, I knew they existed, but I never thought about them for school use. They have saved my sanity. I found mine at a yard sale, but I need to pick up some more at the store. My plan is to have one for every color for ease of use. Every year I buy the big pack of construction paper from Sam's and it lasts us the whole year. It's going to look so yummy all sorted out.

The trays fit the normal size paper perfectly. Happy mom, happy kids. Love it when things work out like that!

Not Back To School Blog Hop: 2011-2012 Curriculum

2011-08-01T10:53:00.004-04:00

I hope you are all having a fabulous summer! We are having so much fun swimming, playing and relaxing. That's what summer is for, right? While I'm not in any rush for school to start back, it is time for some decision making. I like to have everything planned and ready to go so I'm not scrambling at the last minute. Without further ado, here are our choices for next year....

Brynn

Math- Teaching Textbooks 4

Grammar- Growing With Grammar
Spelling- Spectrum
Handwriting- Mostly copy work from FIAR
Science- FIAR with Usborne Science activity book match ups
Social Studies- FIAR also with living book match ups
History- Story of the World Volume 2

Parker

Math- McRuffy Grade 2
Grammar- Growing With Grammar
Spelling- Spectrum
Handwriting- Copywork from FIAR
Science- FIAR with Usborne activity book match ups
Social Studies- FIAR with living book matchups
History- Story of the World Volume 2
Reading- Daily read alouds and Explode the Code

So, the core of our curriculum will be Five in a Row. We have never used this before, but I am so excited to give it a try! I think the kids will love it and hopefully it will make school more interesting to them. I think we had gotten into too much of a "school at home" routine and it became rather boring. Completely my fault, but I hope to fix that. At the end of last year, we were just getting through it. I really don't want it to be like that. I want us to love our time together and look forward to it. Plus, I love how with FIAR everything is connected. My hope is that it opens their eyes to many new things they otherwise wouldn't have been interested in.

I would love to hear from you if you are a Five in a Row homeschooler as well. I am always looking for fun things to add to our units. Also, let me know if you have used Teaching Textbooks and how it works for you. Brynn struggles so much with math that I was hoping having someone else (the computer) teach her would help. We ~~sometimes~~ always butt heads.

I can't wait to visit all of the link ups this week to see what you all have planned as well! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Back!

2011-07-31T17:30:00.000-04:00

I'm still here! After a MUCH needed summer break, I'm back! I won't be posting too regularly until after Labor Day, as that is when we will start school, but I do want to participate in the Not Back To School blog hop that's starting next week. I try to take a look at all the blogs that have linked up and get some ideas. It's so fun! So, tomorrow I will post my curriculum choices for the upcoming school year and I look forward to seeing all of yours too. I hope you have all had a wonderful summer vacation and I am so excited to get back to the blogging world!

Our 4th of July

2011-07-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! I know I said I would be posting much more sporadically throughout the summer, I just didn't know it would be this bad. I'm so sorry, but I promise I have lots of pictures to show for my absence. :)

Our weekend started out with Greg working form home on Friday. Sometimes it's hard for us to stay quiet in the house, so after VBS we headed out to run some errands while he worked in silence. When we got home I had planned a fun movie night. Parker and I have been reading the Harry Potter books together at night and Brynn reads them to herself before bed. We had finally finished book 1, so we planned to watch the first movie Friday. While we were out shopping, I picked up some candy and made place cards naming them as treats from the book. We had chocolate frogs (Hershey's Drops), treacle fudge (Dove candies), Every Flavor Beans (Jelly Bellies, of course), Magic Wands (Twizzlers) and Pumpkin Juice (Orange Fanta Zero). I wish I had taken a picture...the kids LOVED it! I can't wait until we finish the second book!

On Saturday, we had a birthday party for my niece. She turned 13. I just can't believe it. She was just a baby at our wedding. Anyway, the kids had a blast and the cake was ever so yummy. :)

Sunday we took the kids to see Cars 2. That was so cute! I probably preferred the first one, but this story line was so different it was hard to compare the two.

On Monday we had a very low key day at home. We grilled steaks and let the kids light sparklers. We don't live in a neighborhood, but some of the houses around us set off a major fireworks display. When we stay home instead of going to the beach, we just watch their fireworks. No crowds or traffic. Perfect! I'll leave you with some pictures of our ~~pyromaniacs~~ kids with their sparklers. The pictures are, of course, terrible, but I love how some of them look. Plus, it's all about the memories anyway. :)

Princess Baby Shower

2011-06-24T19:54:00.000-04:00

Last weekend one of my besties and I threw a baby shower brunch for our daughters' gymnastics coach. She is having a little girl, so we were totally excited to bring on the pink! Up first....the dessert buffet, of course!

We ordered a super cute cake with the baby's monogram on it and doughnuts (from Donut King) with pink and silver sprinkles. We added the "M" for Mackenzie. And chocolate covered strawberries...YUM! For drinks we served water with lemon, OJ, and a delicious raspberry punch. Coffee from the Keurig if anyone wanted it. All the guests brought a breakfast/brunch food to share. I made the muffins and threw together the little toppers for them the night before. VERY bad planning on my part.

I wish I had gotten more pictures of the games and the gift table, but it's hard when you are trying to play hostess and take pictures. We all had so much fun! It's stressful when trying to get everything together and I always come up with amazing ideas the night before the event (like at midnight). I was making baby M the cutest little satin flower hair clips into the wee hours of the morning, but I just couldn't resist. Here's a picture of all the girls with Coach Joanna. They all had tiara's too, but I missed that picture opportunity. They were adorable though...

We just love our gym. It's such a family environment and the love that we all feel for each other is an amazing thing. I am so happy to be a part of an organization like this and so thankful that Brynn is being trained by people who truly care about her complete well being. Love them!

Thanks for dropping by. I have much more to share next week!

Excuse My Abscence

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so sorry I just dropped of the face of the earth this past week, I just had a lot of things to finish up. I needed a me week. :) We planned and hosted a baby shower for one of Brynn's gymnastics coaches on Saturday. It turned out SO cute! I have some pictures I plan to post this week. Also, we have been having a wonderful time with new science projects. I have some pictures of those too. Since it's summer and I want to be able to enjoy every minute of it with the kids, I probably won't be posting every day. I will try for at least three times a week, but I really just want play and take lots of pictures. :) I'm sure you understand. Looking forward to catching up on all of your blogs too! Have a great day!

Homeschool Mothers Journal 6/10/11

2011-06-10T19:55:00.001-04:00

In my life this week…
I was a feeling a little overwhelmed this week, but after a sweet reader shared some encouraging words, I was able to pull myself together and get some things accomplished. Parker continued swimming lessons this week and Brynn started back at gymnastics practice after a week off. We did manage to squeeze in a little swim time with friends though, and I think it was just what we needed!

My favorite thing this week was…

Watching my sweet girl at her dance recital. I love to watch her dance and compete in gymnastics. She is so beautiful to watch because it's in her heart. She truly loves what she does and it brings tears to my eyes every time.

Things I’m working on…

I have begun a MAJOR reorganization of the house. The school room, the kids rooms, kitchen, everything. It's kind of intimidating, but when I finish one room I feel SO good!

I’m reading…

I just finished Water For Elephants. I had no desire to read this book at first, but my friend really ~~demanded~~ encouraged me to read it and I'm so glad she did! It was wonderful!

I’m cooking…

Oh, I made a wonderful Cobb Salad for dinner this week! It was delicious! Here's the recipe...Cobb Salad I was looking for something light that I didn't have to heat up the kitchen for, so I grilled some chicken and threw this together. Even hubby enjoyed it!

I’m praying for…

As always, I'm praying for my hubby's health along with the continued good health of the rest of my family. He is feeling much better he says, so I'm hopeful we will continue with our new normal. :)

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

We have been playing with these a lot this week and Parker asked that I take a picture to put on my blog. :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Linking here!

Dollar Store Fun!

2011-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'll admit, I'm a Dollar Tree junkie. I can't leave that store without spending at least $20. Then I get home and wonder what I was thinking. I didn't really need any of the stuff I bought and I surely do not have time for more projects. But this trip, I found lots of summer goodies for the kids! We always pick up more sand and water toys while we are there, but we were also on the lookout for some indoor activities. It's so dang hot here already we can only go outside in the early morning and evening so we need lots to keep us busy in mid afternoon. Boy do I miss nap time. Sigh...

The first thing we picked up was this mosaic kit. It has little sticky squares that you put on the picture to make your own mosaic. The kids had a blast with them and I think they turned out really cute!

Always on our DT list are pipe cleaners and pony beads. Never in my life have I been through so many pipe cleaners. Brynn loves to make bracelets with the beads and pipe cleaners to give to her friends. Bless their hearts, they are so sweet and always thank her for them, but they must have a hundred of them by now. Ha! At least it keeps her busy.

And last but not least, star sticker constellations. This has to be my favorite! I found a printout of the night sky for the kids and they use it as a guide to make their own constellations on black construction paper. I do ask that they label them so they begin to learn the names. This activity is one Parker really gets into. He just loves astronomy!

I am so sorry for the quality of these pictures. I waited too late in the day to get them taken and by then I had virtually no light to work with. I could really use a Lightscoop.
Hopefully this gives you some (inexpensive) ideas to keep your kids busy inside. I would love to hear more Dollar Tree projects if you have some to share!

Trying To Breathe

2011-06-08T08:00:00.006-04:00

I know I have mentioned that we have been super busy over the last few weeks. I have tried to roll with it and just know this is a season in our lives, but I have to be honest...I am overwhelmed. I am trying so hard to keep up and I feel like everything is slipping through my fingers. I know I have ~~major~~ some control issues and this is just making me crazy. A crazy momma is not a fun momma.

Don't get me wrong, we have no life altering things happening around here, it's just running from sun up to sun down every.single.day. Over it. Really. My house is a disaster, my kids rooms are....I don't know that there is a word for how bad they are. My treasurer for the Booster Club at Brynn's gym quit and I have an unholy mess on my hands with that. I have mountains of clothes that need to be washed, progress reports that still need to be written for the end of school, curriculum that needs to be decided on. And I am just tired. Even when I have a few minutes to stop, the last thing I want to do is clean the house. :)

Sorry for the Debbie Downer post. Just trying to keep it real. I will get it together and stop twitching soon, I'm sure. My plan for right now...

source

Because I can't get anywhere until I do.

Summertime Printable

2011-06-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

We have been busy, busy, busy these past couple of weeks! I am hoping to get to slow down and enjoy the summer soon. To remind me of what summer is all about, I created this printable. I put it in an 8x10 frame and have it on my mantle. Now when I walk in from running all over creation, I take a minute, read my little sign and smile. :) Feel free to download it if you like...

Here is the link. I'm sure I'm the only person in the world that didn't know this, but I'll share anyway...When you first go to the link, the fonts are all messed up, but when you download it, they are back to normal. Why does that happen??? I am so confused. Just when I think I have this computer thing figured out, I learn something new. Ha!

Thanks for visiting and ya'll have a great day!

Under The Stage Lights

2011-06-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Brynn had her first ever ballet recital Saturday night. They danced to Under the Stage Lights from the movie Tangled. I am such a sappy mess, I got tears in my eyes when my baby was on that stage. :) But she did SO good! I am so very proud of her! She joined the class really late (in March) and has just done a fabulous job. Her gymnastics coach told me I should try to find a class for her just to help with some of her technique. We never knew she would take to it like she did! Now she is in love with being "on stage" and can't wait to do it again.

Nana helping her with her shoes. This is right before the show. Brynn was so calm and I was a nervous wreck. Ha!

Her full costume. She said she looked like a cross between a garden fairy and a cupcake. No comment from me....

At this point, she is ready for me to go sit down and leave her alone. Ha! We couldn't take pictures during the show, so I had to get what I could before it started.

When we came back to pick her up (4 hours later!), she was over the moon excited! She just loved dancing in front of everyone and was a little sad it was over. I can't wait until she starts her next class. In the fall she will be doing ballet and lyrical. She just loves the lyrical dances and I do too!

WFMW: Sidewalk Chalk Paint

2011-06-02T17:27:00.001-04:00

In my June Activity Calendar I planned a sidewalk chalk painting day. My kids love sidewalk chalk just as much as the next kid, but last year, they grew a bit tired of it. Maybe it's their age, but more than likely it's because the chalk doesn't show up so well on our concrete. They LOVE to paint, but I really don't love the mess in my house, so I decided to come up with some "sidewalk chalk paint".

I'm sure this idea is not original in any way, but my kiddos love it none the less. I simply mixed up equal parts cornstarch and water (I used 2 TBS each) then added food coloring to get my desired shade. Easy peasy! We put it in these plastic cups so the clean up is easy too!

Make sure you put the kids in old clothes. I learned the hard way that sometimes this doesn't wash out so easily. I let them use the cheap foam brushes so they could be thrown away if they don't fair so well on the concrete. Most of the time they are fine and wash out really well.

Parker's picture of a duck. Just the beginning, there were many details added later.

And Brynn's work... She has a hard time coming up with ideas, so she made her and Parker's initials. Very sweet. :)

We just loved this activity! It is SO easy, cheap and fun and only takes a few seconds to mix up. If it wasn't 4 million degrees here already, we would do it everyday. After we came inside we cooled off with apple juice popsicles. Yum! Let me know if you try this and how it works for you. Linking up here with other summer boredom busters!

Linking here too!

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-05-31T14:49:00.000-04:00

I hope you all had a glorious long weekend! I always love when my sweet hubby can be home with us. We had an incredibly busy weekend and week leading up to it. Last Monday, my mother and I decided we would do a yard sale. We are all living together and are looking to finish the basement for her to have her own space. To do that, I needed to get rid of lots of stuff. So all last week I purged our basement. Oh my goodness. I had no idea how much stuff I had. Embarrassingly enough, it looked a lot like this:

source

No, I didn't take any actual pictures. Why? Well, see....it still looks a lot like this. I got many, many things out of there, but I did no real organizing. Sigh... We are looking at starting on the basement later this week, maybe over the weekend and I have to move lots of things to other areas of the basement. Just really a lot of work to be done around here. SO glad school is out!

On the plus side, the yard sale did really well. We even boxed up everything that didn't sell on Saturday and took it right to Goodwill. Parker was a super big helper, so we picked him up a slushy at QT while we were out. Nice and refreshing after two extremely hot days. Brynn was at the movies with a friend. Lucky girl.

The rest of this week is pretty crazy. Parker has swim lessons everyday and Brynn has a ballet recital on Saturday. Of course that means pictures, rehearsals, alterations, more rehearsals and on and on. My goodness. I had no idea what we were getting into. Thankfully this is her one and only week off from the gym for the summer, so at least we don't have to worry about running there. Next week she starts practicing there 10 hours over three days per week, but it's all in the morning, so we can swim after. Yippee!!

Obviously, this post is extremely long, and really had no point. Just me babbling. Hope you all had a great weekend as well! Thanks for reading!

What I'm Doing Today...

2011-05-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

source

I'll be back Monday with an update. Wish me luck!

Twitter Fail

2011-05-26T08:10:00.002-04:00

So, apparently I had the wrong link on my Twitter button. Whoopsie! I fixed it now, so if you would like to give me some Twitter love, that would be awesome! Let me know and I will follow you too. :) Thanks!

Baseball 2011

2011-05-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

This was Parker's first season playing baseball since he was 4. He had a VERY rough time that year, with a coach who expected far too much out of a 4 year old "rookie". When we went to sign him up that year they asked us how many years he had been playing. Hubby and I looked at each other and I said "he's 4". She said, "so, he hasn't ever played before?" Um, no. Sorry. Anywho, his coaches were not terribly supportive and apparently Parker was the only child who had not been playing since birth. It didn't end well.

But, this year, he was ready! Our church has many sports leagues throughout the year. It is a really awesome program that teaches the kids the skills they need in a positive environment. I mean, I'm not expecting that Parker will be heading to the Major Leagues, and even if he is, I would like his first experiences to be those which help encourage him and nurture his love of the sport.

The first part of the season, he did so great with hitting. It was coach pitch, so they always knew how the coach would throw. His first game he batted 4 times and got 4 hits! Awesome!

Then, he hit a slump...he couldn't get a hit for anything. Poor baby. He was so frustrated. We knew that these things happen, but it's hard to explain to a 7 year old. On the plus side, his fielding picked right up! He was catching those balls like a pro!

We are so proud of him! He worked really hard to learn a sport that he was scared to try again. Now, it's one of his favorites and he can't wait until the next season!

Love my sweet boy!

WFMW: Awesome Kool Aid Play Doh

2011-05-25T08:00:00.008-04:00

When I was making plans for my June Activity Calendar I knew I wanted to try Kool Aid play doh. It's been all over blogland, and everyone seems to love it. I decided to go to one of my favorite sites for the recipe, Mama Jenn. She has fantastic ideas! We used pink lemonade, cherry, grape and orange.

The kids LOVED this! It smells so good and the texture is just fabulous! I love that it doesn't crumble into millions of tiny pieces. Seriously, that ticks my OCD off. Here are my personal experience notes:

1. At first I thought I had done something wrong because it was just a liquid goo in the bottom of the pan. Don't lose hope! Keep stirring and it does, in fact, turn into a ball.

2. It was a little ( sometimes a lot) sticky when I took it out of the pan. Just keep kneading it and that generally goes away. If not, just sprinkle a tiny bit of flour onto the surface. Not too much, or it may become crumbly and we don't want that. See above.

3. I found the longer I kept it on the heat, the better it turned out. I'm sure you could probably burn it, but I just kept stirring until it looked like it was completely dry.

These tips may be obvious to some, but I'm not an expert play doh maker, so it was a learning process for me. The kids love it, I love it and it's easy to make. Sounds like a keeper! Linking up here.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-05-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

We decided to plant a garden this year. At Sam's they are selling raised bed kits. Since we live in Georgia, there is *no* chance of actually trying to plant a garden in our "soil". We do have friends that have somehow managed it, but apparently they have some secret which I am not privy to. Anyway, we (I use this term extremely loosely here) put together the raised beds, filled them with actual dirt and proceeded to plant many things that I hope will grow. We have tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, watermelon, onions, jalapenos and various herbs.

Now, if I could just keep Brynn from using the edges as a balance beam that would be fantastic. I mean, the girl does have some sticky feet when it comes to the beam, but at least it's 4 inches wide, our beds are like 1/2 an inch, if that, so she falls ~~sometimes~~ all the time and ends up stepping on a poor innocent baby plant just struggling to survive. At least her coaches would be proud of the extra practice she puts in. Sigh....

The things I'm most proud of though, are my flowers. I always struggle with getting them to bloom throughout the summer, so I really hope this year I can. It just gets so hot and humid here you can barely breathe. Even at 7 in the morning. We have a sprinkler system but no one can figure out how to use the silly thing and apparently the builder didn't leave the instructions. Maybe they will be established enough by then that a little neglect won't kill them. Hopefully.

I'll keep you updated on the progress (or not) of my garden. With any luck I will have so many vegetables I will need to send some to all of you! Yep, I'm absolutely sure that will be the case....

Linking up with the Hip Homeschool Hop.

Brynn's Banquet 2011

2011-05-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

Saturday night was Brynn's end of season banquet for gymnastics. Since I am President of the Booster Club, I work with my Social Events coordinator and Vice President for literally months getting every last detail planned. I really do enjoy it, but by the time the event rolls around we are all just ready for it to be over.

I have to say, this banquet was EPIC! So much fun for the girls, the parents and the coaches! We had it at the Georgia Horse Park in the Carriage House. We hired a DJ, so after eating and awards (Brynn got most spirited. She tends to obsess over team camaraderie) the girls danced the night away. They were so cute! The brothers of course joined in so they could ~~annoy~~ dance with the girls.There were daddy daughter dances, mommy son dances, limbo, scavenger hunts, dance contests and so much more. Seriously, it was all worth it after seeing how much fun the girls had. And really, that's why we do what we do. I'll leave you with some pictures of their night. Enjoy!

Brynn with her best friend Libbey

Trophy time!

Daddy Daughter dance. So sweet!

Homeschool Mothers Journal 5/20/11

2011-05-20T09:10:00.000-04:00

.In my life this week…

I am writing progress reports, filing school papers, researching curriculum for next year and learning all kinds of new bloggy tricks. Like making my own button, creating files to share, etc. If you know me, you know this is HUGE. I am extremely computer illiterate, but there are some awesome people who share fantastic tutorials.

In our homeschool this week…

We finished school on Monday! Brynn passed her final math test with flying colors. They both did great on the final spelling test and Brynn wrote a wonderful paper on what she learned in 3rd grade and her goals are for 4th grade. They both set summer reading goals.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Not much planned for places to go. And most of our friends are finishing up their last week of school too, so just gymnastics practice and errand running for us this week, I'm afraid.

My favorite thing this week was…

I used what I had around the house to make a fun little beach themed table arrangement. I'm pretty proud of myself for not spending any money on it!

What’s working/not working for us…

Still looking for a math curriculum. I have gotten lots of suggestions (thank you!), but I would like a few more as well. I will be narrowing down my choices by the end of the month, but I don't want to miss anything. Please share what works for you!

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…

I guess I am happy that I have finally realized I can be more laid back with homeschooling. We don't have to finish a month before the PS kids, we don't have to sit in the "school room" to learn and if we can't find exactly what we need for a school project, we can substitute something else and it will be okay. :)

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Not home school related at all, but I made this risotto this week and it was fantastic! I have never even attempted to make risotto because I thought it would just be a big, fat fail, but this was delicious and not very hard. A little time consuming, but I would definitely make it again!

Linking up here! Have a great weekend!

What's In the Water?

2011-05-19T08:03:00.002-04:00

Since Greg and I have started trying to eat healthier, we have taken soda out of our diet as well. For me, this is a HUGE problem. I'm not proud of it, but I really big, puffy heart Coke. Not that diet stuff either. Ick. And NO Pepsi {shudder}.

So obviously I had to come up with something to drink. I honestly can't stand artifical sweetner (of any kind) in my sweet tea, coffee or sodas and plain water was getting a bit old. We do like the Crystal Light packets you can add to water, but sometimes they make my throat feel almost raw. Is that weird? Probably. Anyway, we were in Walmart looking at yet more Crystal Light, when my hubby spots these...

A dollar a box. I think, eh. No really, I did actually say that out loud to my husband. Sigh. Obviously I have been spending FAR too much time with my 8 year old. Color me embarrassed, because these things rock! Seriously, SO good! I will admit to a slight addiction. Clearly, I have problems with moderation. So, if you too are looking for healthier alternatives or just want a little something to jazz up your water and you have the palette of a 6 year old, give these a shot. Kinda fun for the summer!

WFMW: June Activity Calendar

2011-05-18T08:00:00.011-04:00

Yesterday I talked a little about what our school plans are this summer, but I wanted to share our fun plans as well! Sometimes I can get too involved with my own summer projects like cleaning out the basement, organizing closets, ~~laying by the pool reading a nice long book~~ researching curriculum, etc. and end up not making time for the kids and I to enjoy our summer together. So, I decided to make a calendar each month of the summer. I planned a different activity every day (Monday-Friday) so that I will at least have an idea of something fun to do each day. Of course, I may switch things around if a friend calls for a play date or if it's raining. This way I feel like I am making meaningful time for them and engaging them in a fun activity. You are more than welcome to download this as well. Just click here and it will take you to Google Docs. Let me know if this is something you enjoy and I would be happy to share my July calendar with you as well!

Also, there may be a few activities on here that you may have questions about or want a recipe. I will post about those as we get closer to June. If you have any questions just let me know and I will get back with you. :)

Linking up to Works For Me Wednesday .

Summer School

2011-05-17T08:00:00.005-04:00

I am not a homeschooling mom that schools year round. Usually. However, every year we take from mid May until Labor Day off for summer break. Inevitably, the first few weeks of school are spent in tears (theirs and mine) arguing and reviewing and reviewing and reviewing and reviewing. Every year I say NO MORE, but this year I mean it. My plan is to give worksheet packets at the beginning of each week from these books...

They can choose to do their packets however they would like, all in one day or spread out over the week. As long as they are all completed correctly, it doesn't matter to me. We will have a dedicated time for this work period, so we can still have some semblance of a schedule. I also have plans to use lots and lots of The Let's Read and Find Out Series of books. I plan to pick books that I can kind of plan a unit around that will be fun and educational. Science is their favorite subject, so it won't really feel like "school". I know some of the books in this series are a little young for Brynn and Parker, but they are so well written and do such a great job explaining the subject matter that I am not too worried about it. As a matter of fact, when I was a teacher (pre children), we actually had a summer curriculum built completely around these books. The kids loved and so did I!

As for reading material, Brynn has set her goal to read 100 books this summer. That was after I talked her down from 400. I don't doubt that she could do it, but it may be a little too much pressure for mommy. ;) Parker's goal is 5 (by himself). We discussed he would set a new goal after he reads the first 5. Anyway, I was looking for a list of books that were grade appropriate and stumbled on this site. There are some titles there that the kids haven't read before, so hopefully they will find some that they will enjoy. I have already found most of them at my library. Love it when they're free! Do you have a summer reading list you would like to share?

Of course, there will be loads of sleeping in (I hope), swimming, camping, park days, picnics and catching fireflies. We haven't planned a vacation yet. I just don't know if we would rather wait until the fall to go when the crowds will be less. Usually Brynn is competing during the fall, but her season won't start until January. I'm not sure what we will do with our time! What are your plans this summer? School or no?

My Favorite Dinner- Chicken Pizza

2011-05-16T08:35:00.006-04:00

Since we are trying to eat healthier we are always trying new recipes. Some are fantastic and others, not so much. This particular pizza is one that we always eat. It's one of my very favorites and it's healthy. Can't beat that!

Pizza dough (we get ours from Publix, in the bakery)

Olive Oil

Minced Garlic

Basil (fresh)

Shredded Chicken (we use a leftover roasted chicken or you can use rotisserie. Even breasts would be fine)

Feta Cheese crumbles

Just roll the pizza dough onto a sheet pan (sprayed with cooking spray) and stab it with a fork all over. This keeps the dough from bubbling. Then, use a small bit of olive oil and spread on the dough (like a sauce). Sprinkle minced garlic on, followed by the chicken and the basil. We usually julienne the basil, but you can tear it, chop it or leave it whole. Finish it up with the feta cheese crumbles. Then bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. It is SO good! I apologize for the lack of picture, but we were far too hungry to pause for photo ops.

Sometimes we like to add artichoke hearts, mushrooms and goat cheese instead of feta. It really depends on what we have around the house. Let me know if you try it!

Homeschool Mother's Journal: 5/13/11

2011-05-13T17:12:00.002-04:00

This is my first time linking up to this party, but it looked so fun I wanted to join in too!

.In my life this week…

Still getting over the shock of Greg's "incident", obviously I am still in denial as I can't even type the words. Thanking God that it wasn't more serious. We are also finishing up our school year. Yippee! I know the kids are ecstatic. Me too....

In our homeschool this week…

Parker finished his math curriculum and Brynn is VERY close to the end of hers. The end of the year test is on Monday. Fingers crossed! Parker wrote a cute short story about two squirrels and a bear. Brynn wrote about Lion and Catfish. We learned about Clara Barton, Sally Ride, Harriet Tubman, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. For science, we studied ants and honeybees. Very cool stuff and who knew there were so many similarities between the two?

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Parker has a baseball game on Saturday, his last of the season. Brynn has been practicing gymnastics and ballet as usual. Many days per week. Plans to just hang out at home this weekend after Parker's end of season party.

My favorite thing this week was…

Easily, spending time together as a family. Since Greg has been off work we have had a lot of time just to be together. This was the first week that we weren't at the hospital at all, so we really enjoyed it.

What’s working/not working for us…

Well, what's working for us is ironically the same thing that isn't. We LOVE McRuffy math and have used it since day one (except for the year I lost my mind and tried something else.) The spiral approach works best with both kids and McRuffy lays it out so well. However, there is no 4th grade math for Brynn next year. Boo! So, I have to find something for her, but do I want to switch Parker at the same time to avoid this situation in 2 years? Math is such a struggle for Brynn and I really hate the thoughts of switching her around until I find the right fit. I wish I could just find the "right one" on the first try.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…

See above... No really, I would love to hear your thoughts. What works for you? I have thought about Teaching Textbooks, but I have heard very mixed reviews. I am pretty firm on staying with the spiral instead of mastery approach, but I would love any suggestions at this point.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. ~Leo Buscaglia

Extremely appropriate for me this week. ;)

Thanks so much for coming to visit! Leave me a comment and I will stop by your blog too! Linking up at The Homeschool Chick.

Winding Down

2011-05-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

This was supposed to be our last week of school but, since my sweet hubby was sick, we have been delayed a little bit. The kids are more than a bit disappointed, but they are willing to work extra hard and hopefully finish next week. The end of the year always scares me a little. Have I taught them all they should have learned this year? Have they retained anything I taught them? Should I sneak school in over the summer just to make sure? The answer to the last question is yes, by the way. I have decided we will have a worksheet packet each week during the summer. They can choose to do it all in one day or one page each day. It's completely up to them. While I'm not always really big on worksheets, I also can't deal with the meltdowns at the beginning of the year because they have no clue what I am talking about. I will post more about "my plan" soon.

My worries, it turns out, were for nothing as Parker wrote his first problem solving/comedic story today. Very cute story about a squirrel that fell into a rosebush while playing football with another squirrel. He got thorns in his tail and his little squirrel friend laughed at him and went home. :( Thankfully, he found a nice bear that was more than willing to help out. HA! I thought it was very good for his age and he didn't even fuss about writing. It's a miracle! Now, I should point out that originally when the mean squirrel laughed at him, the thorn-laden squirrel punched him in the face. Um... So, I encouraged him to find another way to solve the problem.

Brynn wrote about a school of catfish that were keeping away a school of lion fish. It really was much more detailed than that, but honestly, she is ~~always~~ sometimes over my head with her writing. Believe me, I know she's one of a kind. I can't keep up with her and I will be the first to admit she probably has more book smarts than me. But, never let her cross the road without holding your hand. She will forget there are cars out there. ;)

We have finished spelling, but will review next week. Parker finished math, Brynn is close. The end is so near we can almost taste it. How about you...when is your last day?

A Total Shock...

2011-05-09T12:56:00.002-04:00

The Monday after Easter, I had a hair appointment. A friend does my hair, so we spent almost 2 blissful hours chatting and having my hair cut. I left around 11:30 and called my hubby on the way home. We chatted a bit and I thought he sounded a little different. I knew he had been feeling bad the last week or so, but I thought maybe he was tired or something. I got home, finished school with the kids and was eating lunch when I got a text message from Greg. He said he started feeling really bad and he took himself to the ER. He also said not to worry and to stay at home, but I tend to ignore his crazy rantings. My mom took the kids and I went off to Emory University hospital. Not very close by, but easy to get to for sure. As you can imagine, I was a nervous wreck when I got there. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong so I had nothing to go on. When I got there he was in a room and looked just fine. He was smiling and talking, so I was a little relieved. Then he told me he had a heart attack. At 36 years old, my sweet husband had a heart attack and drove himself to the hospital. I am so beyond thankful that it wasn't so severe that he couldn't get himself there, but to say this was a total and complete shock is an understatement. The past few days have been kind of a whirlwind.

Tuesday, he had a catherization to see if he had blockages that needed to be dealt with. The doctor came out to tell me that he has several. They needed to go in and put stents in at least 3 of them that caused the trouble, but there was a risk that the artery would rupture and they would have to do emergency bypass. At that time they would take care of all of the blockages which would result in a triple or quadruple bypass. The doctor was so nice, but honestly, I was a mess. I was there by myself, scared to death. I mean, my husband is 36 years old and we have two small children. He can't leave us! My dad passed away almost 9 years ago from complications from his quadruple bypass, so I really do not have a whole lot of great memories associated with the surgery. Thankfully my best friends talked to me on the phone through the whole thing.

Finally, the surgeon came out and looked so relieved that it went well. He said that Greg was a very lucky man. The stent placement went well and he was doing fine. Later the doctors came in to talk to us and show us how bad his heart really is. There were many more blockages that needed to be dealt with and he has diabetes. Not to mention a valve problem in his heart. They seemed confident that they could do the surgery and he can go on to live a long, healthy life. As long as he continues his medication and doctors appointments. Obviously a healthy lifestyle is important too, but as genetics have played a huge role in this event, there isn't anything we can do to change that.

His second stent placement was scheduled for May 2nd. They put three more stents in after a very long surgery. he was bumped once for an emergency, then they had trouble getting the line started in his wrist and ended up going through his leg again. The surgery was only supposed to last 60-90 minutes, but was closer to 2 hours. I was SO nervous! It was a little harder on him than the last one, but he seems to have bounced back just fine. We are home now, and while I am afraid to let him out of my sight, I am just trying to trust that he will be okay. It is so hard.

I know this is a long post, and if you made it this far, thanks! I really needed to write this out for my own therapy. :) There will many changes ahead and uncertainties to be sure, but together we can get through anything.

TOS Review: Latin's Not So Tough

2011-04-29T20:54:00.001-04:00

I was asked to review Latin's Not So Tough as part of the TOS crew. I was very excited to get this as I was looking into various Latin curriculum's for the children.

They offer levels 1-6, but I was asked to review Level 2. This level seemed to have lots of vocabulary words. I think as the levels go up there are more sentences, etc. Our "kit" came with a workbook, answer key, text, quizzes and a cd to help with pronunciation. The whole kit costs just $51.40.

Brynn and Parker thought is was neat to learn Latin, but really didn't enjoy the flashcards. There are ways to make those more exciting though, so I will continue to look around for some games to play with them. I think we may stick with this as it seems to be a very gentle approach to a language that could be considered "dry". If for nothing else then to help with English.

You can go to Greek n Stuff's website here to look at some sample pages to find the right fit for your family. Make sure to take a look at what the rest of the crew had to say here.

I was asked to review this product as part of the TOS Crew. All opinions are strictly my own. No other compensation was given.

TOS Review: Science Weekly

2011-04-08T16:37:00.001-04:00

Recently we were asked to review Science Weekly as part of the TOS crew. Science Weekly is a publication put out twice a month (once in December) geared for children in grades K-6. Each edition is written on the same topic, but the reading difficulty varies based on the grade. For example, your 1st grader could be studying the same topic as your 5th grader, but still using materials that challenge each of them. The grade are broken down like this:

Level Pre A {Kindergarten}
Level A {1st Grade}
Level B {2nd Grade}
Level C {3rd Grade}
Level D {4th Grade}
Level E {5th-6th Grade}

In each issue there are labs, reading, writing and math activities. Some of the magazines offer storytelling and puzzles as well. Here is what Science Weekly has to say about their product.

Our lesson that we were given to review was on fractions. At first I was a little concerned because Brynn is not a fan of math and i was hoping not to add to many more struggles to our day. But, it turned out very well! They both enjoyed the lesson and asked if we could order more. :) That's always a success in my book!

Science Weekly offers different pricing options based on your needs. There is a "classroom" subscription for more than 20 issues or an individual subscription for up to 20. The individual subscription is $19.95 per/student. You can also mix and match grades to suit your needs. If you would like a teaching plan, just give them a call and they will be happy to send one for you.

Make sure to check out what my other crewmates thought here.

I was asked to review this product as part of the TOS crew. I was given these materials free of charge in return for my unbiased opinion. No other compensation was given.

TOS Review: Kinderbach

2011-04-07T21:27:00.001-04:00

We recently had the chance to review KinderBach as a part of the TOS Crew. KinderBach is an online music course for children ages 3-7. Basically each key is introduced with a "name" D is for Dodi the Donkey, E for Edward the Eagle and so on. There is no musical background required, in fact you can learn along with your child! KinderBach takes you step by step through the process of learning basic piano/keyboard skills. It really is a fantastic program.

There are games, activity pages, etc throughout each of the 6 levels. There is a lot of repetition throughout each level, so your child will retain what they learn even as they progress through the levels. Once they finish a lesson they can watch it over and over as many times as they would like. My children preferred just to move on, but I would think some children would like to watch repeatedly. The lessons are very short, so they do hold the child's' attention quite well.

Overall, I am really pleased with this program. My children seem to lose interest fairly quickly, but only because they felt it was a little "too young" for them. My daughter is much more musically inclined, but she is also almost 9 and prefers things a little less "cartoonish" for lack of a better term. I think it would have worked well with my son, but he really isn't into music as much as I would have hoped. :)

Go here to learn more about Kinderbach. I really did enjoy learning more about this program. I think it is delightful and gentle. I will be recommending it to many people I'm sure. You can get a free 2 week trial by going here, or you can sign up for monthly lessons at $7.99 a month. There are some other options available as well, and the price differs on each of those. Make sure to check out what the rest of my crew thought by going here.

I was asked to review this product as part of the TOS crew. I was given these materials free of charge in return for my unbiased opinion. No other compensation was given.

What We Have Been Up To...

2011-02-22T13:20:00.000-05:00

It has been absolutely glorious weather here lately! I'm almost afraid to look at the forecast because I don't really want to know how soon it will leave us. I know it is only February, but really, we have had a tough winter for us Georgians. We NEVER get snow like we have this year. And really, really cold temps. Too much for my flip flop wearing feet to bear. (Yes, I did actually wear something besides flip flops during the snow storm of the century. Crocs count, right?)

So, we have had park days, and picnics. School outside and walks around the lake. Cookouts and sweet tea drinking. Have I taken one.single.picture.? No. I know, bad mommy. I have crafted just a smidge and I did take a picture of that finished product. It doesn't move real fast, so I was able to take my time. :)

I plan to be back to my bloggy self here soon. I just don't want to waste any of this precious perfect weather. All too soon it will be hotter than Hades and I will need the sweet relief of the air conditioning. Hope ya'll are enjoying some milder temps too!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

I was a bad menu planner last week. I didn't follow it very well at all. Greg was home using some vacation time for 2 days, so we really just winged it for the first part of the week. He will be off the end of this week, so hopefully we can stay closer to our plan. :)

Monday

Chicken Tacos

Tuesday
Chicken and Rice (didn't have it last week), green beans, applesauce, rolls

Wednesday
Ham, Augratin Potatoes, Lima beans, rolls

Thursday
Chicken pot Pie (from freezer) or hamburger pie

Friday
Date night (kids are spending the night with friends)

Saturday
Pizza and Movie Night

I plan on making brownies for dessert this week and some apple cinnamon muffins (my apples are really close to the end of their time) for breakfast. If you would like recipes for anything, just let me know! Hope you all have a great week! Oh, almost forgot! Linking up here. :)

Valentine's Invitational

2011-02-15T00:43:00.000-05:00

Since I want this blog to be all about our life, I will be posting about different accomplishments the kids have made. I hope you will all indulge me just a little with this proud mommy moment. :)

This past weekend Brynn competed in her first away meet of this season. We knew that she was showing improvement at practice and she also has been having private lessons each week, so we were hopeful that her scores would reflect that. They most definitely did!

She scored 8.7 on vault giving her 3rd place, 8.8 on bars also for 3rd, 9.125 on beam, again for 3rd, here she is on beam right before she lunges into her handstand. Awesome form!

And..... 1st place on floor with a 8.950!!!! We are SO happy for her!!! Here's a couple of pictures. This is how she begins her floor, in a straddle split switch to left leg split.

This is in the middle of her routine, part of her dance pass...

Here she is after she finished. She knows she did great by her score, but had no idea she got 1st!

Her coach said she was a little disappointed she didn't get a 9.0 on floor, but we are still so happy for her!

A proud moment as she was awarded the floor champion medal.

The team also received 1st place at the meet.

Just a wonderful day for my sweet girl. We are so very proud of her. She works so hard every week at the gym and sometimes has to make sacrifices because of her schedule, but I know this makes it all worth it for her. Right before she went to bed she said "Mommy, I'm a floor champion!!!" Love!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome back! It's a new week and time for some old favorites around our house. We tried fish tacos last week, and it just wasn't for us. Maybe a different recipe? I don't know. I'm not sure I can convince hubby to try them again. Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday

Grilled Steak, baked potato, corn and for dessert we are going to try these molten chocolate cakes. Yummy!

Tuesday

Chicken and rice casserole, green beans and rolls. Probably a fruit salad on the side if I can run to the grocery store.

Wednesday

Tacos and spanish rice

Thursday

Hamburgers and Mac and Cheese with a salad on the side

Friday

Pizza night!

Saturday

Brynn has a gymnastics meet, so we will go out to eat with the team afterwards.

That's it! Hopefully I will have time to find some new recipes for next week. Linking up here. Have a great week everyone!

Our Week in Review

2011-02-12T20:47:00.000-05:00

This is our first week participating in this linky party. I'm so excited to see how much we accomplish each week! Sometimes you feel like you get nothing done until you lay it all out.

Monday
Each week in our math curriculum is a planned puzzle day. This one was for a pentomino activity. They are given an outline and asked to use the pentomino's to fill in the empty space. The book explained that this one is the most challenging of the puzzles and may take longer than class time allows to complete it. Yea, they finished in five minutes. Either the book was exaggerating a bit or my kids are geniuses. Ha! Maybe not, but they were proud of themselves just the same. :)

Please excuse the quality of this picture. My camera battery died and all I had was my cell phone. Parker also read Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. I had forgotten about that book. It was really cute. Later that day I found Parker with his toy construction equipment acting out the story. LOVE when that happens!

Tuesday

I was feeling a bit under the weather, so we did our regularly scheduled school work and read lots of books. No super exciting homeschool activities that day.

Wednesday

Brynn finished reading The Wizard of Oz, so we watched the movie on Netflix. Then she made a Venn Diagram comparing the two. Parker continued to work on the seasons and painted a mural of four trees with leaves in each of the four seasons. We also read one of my favorites, Ferdinand the Bull. The kids really loved it! Brynn learned about the science of wheels. She read this book then we did an activity where she had to find anything in the school room to make her own wheels. She used lids from our supply stash and a pencil, then rolled it on the hardwood floor, tile and carpet to see which place it worked best. Parker decided they need to make themselves into wheels, so they curled into balls and rolled all over the house. Fun!

Thursday

My favorite day this week. Daddy worked from home and joined in for a few of the subjects. We learned about snowflakes, how they are formed and the different shapes they take on as they fall from the sky. The kids were fascinated at how a snowflake begins as a speck of almost anything. Daddy showed them how to make cutout snowflakes and we had just happened to have a bit of a snowfall the night before so they brought some inside to observe. Brynn also began learning about the lever. She was asked to make a lever out of household items and demonstrate how it would be used to help move something heavy. She did a great job with blocks, tinker toys and some other small items. Very cool stuff.

Friday

We usually take this day to do a little reading, take spelling tests and finish up anything that needs to be completed. Just a relaxing day. Then we had to take Parker to the doctor for yet another diagnosis of bronchitis. :(

I think we all really enjoyed this week. Next week we will be learning about Mexico, clouds and pulleys. Sounds like a complete mish mash of stuff. Hopefully they will enjoy it!

Hair Cuteness

2011-02-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

Me and hair bows? We go waayyyy back. I love to make them and buy them. I love to decorate Brynn's head with them at any opportunity. It turns out that Brynn is getting to an age where bows may not be her first accessory choice. Bummer. So, I had to find something to keep her head adorable. Enter the singed flower, super hot right now (giggle) and the felt rosette. Equally as hot, just no pun to be had there. Here we come to the part where I am unable to accept that it may just be worth it for me to purchase these items premade, rather than attempt to make them myself. I am certain there are many, many tutorials about just these types of things, but I have some unrelenting desire to punish my crafty self and do it the hard way. No tutorial. Just me and some fabric.

There were a few, minor, incidents. Not really anything to talk about. The small fire was relatively easy to put out and my glue gun burns are healing nicely. The repeated trips to the fabric store for yet another piece were okay too, since the material is so cheap. BUT, the good news is, I've got it now! And boy, did they turn out cute. Even Brynn likes them. Score! We will be putting them in the goodie bags for Brynn's teammates. She has a gymnastics meet on Sunday and we always give a little something to each of the girls after they compete. I will try to remember to take a picture before I give them all away.

Oh, you wanna see the ones I made for Brynn? Here you go...

This one is for Valentines day. Maybe Easter too. It depends on the dress we get for her. She adores headbands, and this one seems to suit her. I wrapped the headband form in white ribbon (good luck keeping that clean, huh?), than added the felt rosettes. I love it!

This one is my favorite. My mom has worn it once and I wore it around the house the day I made it. Brynn wore it shopping today and got lots of compliments. i just think these are so feminine and can work for almost any age. I'm thinking about putting a few on pin backs to add to scarves and purses. What do you think?

I'm working on my picture taking skills. My hubby is far better at it than me, but I have improved A LOT! Scary, huh? Thanks for looking!

Taming the Clutter: Art Binders!

2011-02-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

My Parker.... he's an adorable child, really. I'm not just saying that. But my goodness. The art messes he makes would drive even the most patient (of which I am not) mother crazy.I am so thrilled that he loves art and that he would rather draw than just about anything, but our house is a fire hazard from the sheer amount of paper he leaves laying around. He does use both sides, so he is eco-friendly. :)

I had to come up with a plan. I wanted something that would contain his paper and drawing supplies and was portable, as we take art stuff everywhere we go. Along came "The Art Binder". I'm sure this idea has been thought of before and it really is simple, but it works for us.

First, I made a simple cover to slide in the front. I also printed his name out for the side as I have plans to make one for Brynn and it will be easy for them to grab from the shelf. The back is empty so he can slide his favorite drawing inside.

Since I chose a 3" binder and knew it would hold 500 sheets, I hole punched an entire ream of paper (we have an electric hole punch that makes it SO much easier!) and put most of it in there. That way I am not always being asked to refill it.

Finally, I had a lot of pencil pouches laying around, so I filled one with crayons, one with colored pencils and one with regular pencils, erasers, pens and a pencil sharpener. I have plans to buy him some different types of drawing pencils, I just haven't made it to the store yet.

Sometimes he takes the pages out to draw on, sometimes he draws right in the notebook. The beauty is that he can keep them all together and they are not all.over.my.house. I haven't really decided what to do with all the papers once he is done with the book. Do I recycle them and start over, do I keep them? If so, how? I would love to hear your ideas!

Linking here for her "Time to Shine"party. Check out all of the cute stuff others have posted. Love it!

Super Bowl Sunday!

2011-02-08T00:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome back, Friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Super Bowl Sunday (if you are into that kinda thing). We are not so much, BUT we do love an excuse for "snackies" and the commercials can sometimes be funny.

This year we {meaning I, as Greg just ~~puts up with my crazy~~ goes with the flow} decided to try some different recipes. Fresh guacamole was first on the list as avocados were on sale at my Publix. O.M.Gee....really....sooooo good! You MUST try this. If you hurry (and have a Publix) avocados might still be on sale! RUN! We got the recipe from here, but added some verrrryyy finely chopped jalepeno. De.lish.

We also munched on traditional fare, like buffalo chicken dip and mini sammies. What, that's not traditional? Hmmm... For a little dessert, I made some Rice Krispie Treats. So yummy! It's the first time Brynn and Parker have ever eaten them. What??? They have always said they didn't want to try them, but mommy decided it was time today. They are all gone. Seriously. ALL of them. Daddy didn't help at all. Or mommy. Geez.

I decided to go with helmets, footballs and "the foam finger". I think that was everyone's favorite. Something about biting off appendages. Weird people, I tell you. No, this was not all of them. There was a bucket of them. And they are still all gone. If only I would have just put out this plate. Sigh....

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am NOT a menu planner by nature. I plan everything else in my life out to almost unbelievable degrees, but menu plans? Not so much. I really want to try this and I really want it to work. So, here are some brand spankin' new recipes for us this week. I have been really busy scouring the pages of blog after blog looking for brand new yummies for my family to try. Let's see if it was worth the effort....

Sunday
Super Bowl Party food (shhh....we just watch for the commercials)

Monday
Fish Tacos from here (hubby is a little hesitant about this particular dish)

Tuesday
Hubby's Famous Hamburgers (So yummy)
French Fries
Salad

Wednesday
Bacon and Parmesan Pasta also from here (hubby is, however, VERY excited about this one-go figure)
Broccoli
Rolls

Thursday
Tuna Mac
Green Beans
Honey-Lime Fruit Salad

Friday
Dinner Out

Saturday
Pizza Rolls

I'll be sure to post how we liked the new dishes. I'm linking up here. I can't wait to browse through all the other links for some inspiration! Thanks for looking!

I {Big Puffy Heart} Love Valentine's Day!

2011-02-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

I admit, I am a HUGE romantic. I love all things pink and think surprises are just the best. But, I have NEVER decorated for Valentine's Day. Can you believe it???!!! After browsing blogland and seeing some of the most amazing decorations, I knew I had to make a change. So, one Sunday (on a date night, no less) my sweet, sweet hubby accompanied me to Joann's, Target and the Dollar Tree. Yep, he's a keeper. I was on a mission. As I mentioned, I am a lover of all things pink. However, this day, it was red on my list. I came up with this little mantle idea. I am in L.O.V.E with it! Very simple, but still exactly what I was looking for. And it doesn't look like a 14 year old threw up in my living room.

I made some of the cute little ruffle balls you find all over the "Land of Blog" to put on my entry table. I just popped them on a cake plate and it added just the right bit of color. I also have a candy jar on that table filled with foil wrapped chocolate hearts. No picture of that, as i am having difficulty keeping the "not me's" hands out of it.

I am officially addicted to making these ruffle balls. They are so adorable and super fun to make!

I am working on some other projects this week, so be sure to stop back by. Have a wonderful day!

So....We Meet Again

2011-02-05T18:26:00.000-05:00

Here I am again. There are so many things to say about the reason I stopped blogging here. It was a conscious decision for sure. I felt like when I started my homeschool blog, I wouldn't need this one any longer. But, if I'm being really honest (which I always try to be), I never felt like that blog was the whole "me". Does that make sense? I am more than "just a homeschooler". The same way I am more than a mom, wife, homemaker extraordinaire (giggle, giggle,snort), etc. I need a place I can blog about everything I am interested in. While that will include glimpses into our school life, it will also be about what we do as a family as well as things I love. Decorating, shopping, volunteering, cooking, baking, etc. I think I am beginning to find myself and what I love. Now that the kids are slightly older (8 and 7) and aren't SO dependent on me, I have time to craft and blog and host parties and clean and shop...you get the idea.

I hope you find this a place where you can get some ideas, share some of your own and learn a little about me and my family. I will eventually import my other blog over here. For now, I will be using it primarily as a place for any reviews I do. I am so excited to see where this blog takes me and so happy to have you along for the journey!

We're Back!

2011-01-24T16:32:00.000-05:00

After taking a much needed break for the holidays I had planned to come back with many fun posts. Unfortunately, my sweet Parker became terribly sick. He is fine now, but when he gets sick it's hard for him to bounce back. Now we are on the mend and hopefully will stay healthy.

We use our local school system calendar for closings and holidays, so our winter break was extra long. Three weeks! Since our county is trying to cut back on furlough days, they had extended winter break. Then came the snow... In Georgia it is almost unheard of to get snow. Especially snow that shuts down our city for a week. Yes, a week. Actually the week that the children were supposed to be back in school. SO the grand total of time off for the children in our county was 30 DAYS!! Man, I would have hated to be those teachers. Can you imagine?

Of course since we are homeschoolers (YAY!) we spent a little time doing school work and a lot of time playing in the snow, drinking hot cocoa and sitting by the fire. Now we are ahead in school and had some amazing family time too. Greg didn't work and Nana was home the whole week as well. I am so thankful for that time. Onto some pictures... Parker wasn't in many (if any) as the snow was "too cold" for him. :)

Parker being pushed in the sled by Nana, This he enjoyed, but lots of work for the adults. HA!
The kids loved the snow, but even they were tired of it by day four. Luckily there are no signs of it now and, fingers crossed, no more for the rest of the year.

Brynn and Lucy enjoying a "snow marathon". Lucy was winning in this picture, but quickly got distracted giving the victory to Brynn. :)

And, my favorite. Nana and her babies. ♥

Thanks for looking!

TOS Review: Maestro Classics

2011-01-19T21:40:00.000-05:00

We were asked to review Peter and the Wolf from Maestro Classics. I was very excited about this opportunity because music appreciation is something I seem to neglect a lot in our homeschool studies. The children love music, as do I, but I just didn't know where to find a good fit for us. This seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I LOVE when that happens!

Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf cd is filled with the beautiful music of London Philharmonic Orchestra's performance of Peter and the Wolf narrated by Yadu. The cd is filled with many other things as well. The story of the composer, and introduction to the instruments and the music and two other Russian songs.

The booklet that comes with the cd is also put together well. With puzzles, dot to dots and lots of colorful pages giving information about the music, the kids love to look at it.

The CD is filled with almost 70 minutes of content. For just $16.98, I think this is a fantastic deal! Brynn and Parker really enjoyed this and I know I will be purchasing others to help with our musical studies. I am so glad to know about this company. They have really made learning about classical music fun for the children (and adults!). You can find more information and how to order here. I do hope you will take the time to look around the Maestro Classics site. I think you will enjoy what you find. Make sure to take a peek at what my other crew mates had to say about this product here.

I was asked to review this product for being part of the TOS crew in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

TOS Review: Easy Classical: Early Modern History Schedule

2011-01-10T00:03:00.001-05:00

I was asked to do a review for Easy Classical Early Modern History schedule. This schedule lays out weekly lesson plans using several different resources. For example, Story of the world Vol.2, Story of the Thirteen Colonies, A history of the US, etc. Many of the resources are available for purchase through the website as well.

Each day there are reading, writing, geography or project suggestions for the day for a full 36 weeks.. You can customize it to fit your needs, but I really like that is is already organized for me and I can just look at the day and go. Or, if we are having an "off" week, I can go a little lighter on the schedule. It seems very flexible.

At the end of each lesson there is a list of comprehension questions. I REALLY like this feature. Sometimes we work all week on something and I find out later down the road that they have no recollection of it. I assume it's because the subject wasn't fully comprehended in the first place, so this will definitely help with that. There is also a "shopping list" for each week. I can look ahead as I am doing my other lesson plans and just pick up the things from the store when I go out.

As I didn't have all of the required reading material for this review I was not able to completely utilize the schedule. I have spent quite a bit of time looking over it and I really like what I see. We do use Story of the World for History in our homeschool, so when we move to Vol. 2 I will look more closely at using this.

To order, you can go here. Prices are $35.95 for the Notebook Version and $29.95 for the digital version. There are also sample pages at that link for you to look at before you purchase.

Be sure to take a look at what other members of the crew said about this product here.

I was given this product free of charge for being part of the TOS crew in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given and these views are strictly my own.

TOS Review: See N Read

2011-01-07T17:08:00.000-05:00

See-N-Read is a reading tool and so much more! We were asked to review this product at the perfect time. I love when that happens! As Parker reading progresses and the difficulty levels change, his frustration has begun to escalate as well. When every line seems to run together, it's not long before he is ready to quit reading altogether. That's where See-N-Read comes to our rescue.

I received three items in the package. First was the See-N-Read reading tool in two different sizes. 51/2"x3" for books and 81/2"x3" for documents. Each piece of transparent "plastic" is non-glare and tinted all the way around except for a small line-sized area to help you stay focused on the line you are reading in your book, computer, document, etc. Let me just say, this product has made ALL the difference in the world in Parker's reading. He is MUCH less frustrated and can focus better and for longer periods of time.

The third item in the package was the Memory Mark. This product is just like the See-N-read tool, but the clear reading area is removed (cut out) for easy highlighting and underlining. I really like this tool for myself as I can use it and keep my highlighting lines nice and neat (which helps with my OCD self, HA!) I did use it with Parker when we had "misplaced" the See-N-Read tool one night and it worked just as well. See-N-Read was later found in another book he had taken to bed to read by himself. Yay!

e-See-N-Read is also available for your computer. It offers the same features as the other versions, just on your computer. Helps reduce eye strain, especially with number based programs, I would think.

There is a lot of research supporting the use of the tools. Here is a link on their site so you can read more about it.

Prices for these tools vary depending on how many you order.
You can find See-N-Read prices here.
Memory mark prices here.
e-See-N-Read prices here.

Please take a look a what other members of the Crew thought about this product here.

I was sent this product to review free of charge for being part of the TOS review crew. No other compensation was given and these opinions are strictly my own.

TOS Review: Math Facts Now!

2011-01-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

I was asked to review Math Facts Now! as part of the TOS crew. This couldn't have come at a better time! Brynn is really a having a hard time memorizing her multiplication tables and flashcards are not working. Math Facts Now! is like flashcards on the computer. You can customize it to work for you. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division it does them all. You put in the number of times they need to correct missed answers, how long they have to answer and how many problems they need to get correct. There is even an option for them to receive a reward.

Brynn is still not happy about learning her multiplication facts, but at least it's not me drilling her over and over again. :) I plan to start using this with Parker soon as well. I think he may enjoy it a little more as he loves using the computer.

With this program there are no bright colors or flashing animation, it's just basic facts. But honestly, I really like that. There are no distractions and the child's focus remains on the task. This is a program I plan to continue to use for many years. I love that it can be customized for different skills for each child and really grows with them. If you are interested in purchasing this for your child you can go here. The program is $15.95 for the download version and $15.95 plus $3.95 for shipping and handling for the disc version. I think this is an excellent deal when I think of how much I have spent on flashcards over the years. Please take a look at what my other crewmates have to say about this product.

I was given this product to review free of charge for being part of the TOS crew. No other compensation was given and the opinions are strictly my own.

TOS Review: Apologia Press: Good Morning God by Davis Carman

2010-12-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

I was asked to review this sweet, sweet story as part of the TOS crew. This story takes us through each day of the week delighting us with the blessings given to us by God. From morning til night this book shows your children how they can worship the Lord throughout their day. Along with just being a beautiful story, there are also questions at the end of the book for each day. What a wonderful way to really get more out of this book!

Written from a child's point of view, this book is incredibly sweet and innocent. My kids absolutely LOVED it. They have read it many, many times and I often have to go find it in one of their rooms just for the other one to have a chance to read it yet again. :)
The pictures in this book are beautiful. Parker (our little artist) likes to try to draw the pictures on his own paper and fill them in using similar colors. Apologia Press also offers a coloring book to go along with this story. It is $4.00 and you can find it here. If you would like to purchase this book for your family, it is $14.00 and can be found here. Make sure to take a peek at what other members of the crew thought of the book as well.

I was given this book to review from Apologia Press for being a part of the TOS crew in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Brynn's Sweet Shoppe

2010-12-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

For Brynn's 8th birthday party we decided on a candy shoppe theme. She LOVES candy, so this was perfect! I spent hours searching for ideas and of course loved every single one of them. But first, I needed to come up with an invitation. I went to my favorite place, Etsy. You can find anything there. It is so hard to choose, because everyone just makes the cutest things. I finally decided to order from Espie May Crafts.She was an absolute joy to work with. I needed my order super fast and wanted to change tons of things. Plus, I had trouble making decisions. I know, surprising. This is the invite I ended up going with. I also ordered water bottle labels and favor tags. Everything was perfect! I am not getting anything for telling you all about Espie May, I just really liked her work and wanted to share it with you. :)

This party was going to be a sleepover with all of her gymnastics team, so I knew I needed LOTS of candy. I picked up a bag of something every time I went to the store. I already had a ton of jars to put the candy in, but I did pick up a couple of things from the Dollar Tree to go with them. Here's a pic of the candy buffet.

We had Smarties, Mike n Ikes, Skittles (of course), Jelly Belly's, taffy, Lollipops, candy buttons, M & M's and Gummy bears. Oh, I think there were some gumballs hiding in there somewhere too. :) Each candy jar had a small metal scoop inside that I picked up at Walmart. The plan was for the girls to have pizza for dinner, then visit the buffet for some popcorn and candy before the movie. I had plastic popcorn buckets and some small lime green treat bags that they used for the candy.

This table held our plates, cups, drinks and little munchies as well as the Mike and Ike cupcakes. The girls used the Twizzlers as straws. You can see the popcorn buckets and candy bags in the back.

We only ended up playing one game, but it was a HUGE hit...guess the Skittle flavor. If you have a room full of 7-8 year old girls, I highly recommend this. They loved this game. It wasn't easy for them, believe it or not. I think only 2 of the girls got it right! Later, there was much playing of Hannah Montana dance for the Wii and High School Musical karaoke. Sigh...

When it was time to settle down for the evening I gave the girls one of the favors I had bought for them. Crazy mismatched socks. Um, they thought that was the best. thing. EVER! I actually bought 2 packs of knee high socks at Target and just paired them with another sock with the same color. Here they are modeling them... And Parker too. hence the black socks. Hey, he was happy.

Here are a couple of other pictures to share how I had things set up. I made a gumdrop wreath for an inside door and I used my Cricut to cut the girls' names out for the "to go" boxes of candy. There were candy necklaces for prizes throughout the night (everyone got one in the end). I did make giant lollipops for our planters at the front entrance, but I forgot to take a picture. :( They were cute too!

This was my absolute favorite party I have ever done. Everything was so pretty and bright. Not to mention, I just love all of these girls. They are like my own and I would do anything for them or their parents.

We couldn't end a gymnast sleepover without headstands...

If you're curious, yes, there were flips and tricks of every kind well into the night. Last back walkover that night was at 11:30 pm. First one of the next day? 7 am. They do not stop. Ever. Love them. ♥

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again and I couldn't be happier! I LOVE the holiday season. Last year we went to Disney World at the beginning of December and came back right before Christmas and while that was amazing and beautiful, I feel like we missed some of the "normal" Christmas traditions we have at home. We always put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving and this year was no different. Most of the time we go out early in the morning and cut down a fresh tree from a farm not too far from here. Unfortunately, this year it was raining and as we are really serious about getting the tree up on this day, we had to use an artificial one. Still beautiful and the kids are just as happy. I was having great difficulty getting pictures of the decorating process. The kids do not hold still. Seriously. We listen to Christmas music, drink egg nog and decorate late into the night. What a wonderful time of year! I will leave you with the one picture I was able to get. It's from my phone, so I apologize for the quality. I would love to see your trees too!

Advent Activity

2010-12-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Each year we try to do something fun for Advent. Most of the time it involves candy of some kind. This year I wanted to do something a little different and a lot healthier. ;) I decided to wrap a Christmas book for them to open every night leading up to Christmas Eve with the final story "Twas the Night Before Christmas", of course. Now, I just used mostly books I already had on hand, but I did purchase a couple of new paperbacks to keep things interesting. Here's some of the books we are using: The Wild Christmas Reindeer By Jan Brett, Hurry, Santa By Julie Sykes, Mooseltoe By Margie Palatini and The Night Before Christmas By Clement Clarke Moore. This version is my absolute favorite! It is a pop up book and the details are just beautiful. I linked to it just in case you want to check it out.

I wrapped them all in the same paper ~~since I am lazy~~ since it matches my basket I am keeping them in. Then I added these cute little numbers to the front of each one. You can find the printable for these at It Is What It Is. She has the cutest printables and shares them for FREE! What a sweet blogger! She recommends using a 3" scallop punch for the tags but all I had was a 2", so I just cut them out as squares and used my corner punch to round them off. Easy peasy!

The best part? The kids don't care how they are wrapped, so you can go through the 25 pretty quickly. I really love this idea, and I'm pretty sure I saw it somewhere else last year, but I honestly can't remember. If you happen to have seen it elsewhere please let me know so I can give credit. What are some of your Advent plans?

Mother/Daughter Journal

2010-11-30T00:00:00.002-05:00

I may be a bit slow jumping on this bandwagon, but I was so excited to find this great idea! As I was perusing Mama Jen's Blog, I found her post on being a "pen pal" to her daughter. The idea is to write a letter in the front of your notebook explaining to your child that you would like to be their pen pal. You write to them and leave the notebook on their bed at night. They write back and leave the notebook on your bed. In the letter I wrote to Brynn, I just used the one Jen had written to her daughter. I believe she found it through Confessions of a Homeschooler who found it through yet another blogger. This is why I just love the blogging world. There are so many wonderful ideas that people share willingly. Just amazing!

I also used the labels she made for her journal to create one of my own. I am going to try it using the composition notebook first and see how it goes. I am not a huge fan of them as I am left handed and find them difficult to write in. But, I do like the idea that the pages won't tear out easily and hopefully this will feel special to her. :)

I do plan to use this with Parker as well, but I want to wait a bit until he is a little older and can appreciate it more. I will let you know how it's received and if I get any letters back. Let me know if you try this in your home.

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Angel

2010-11-29T00:00:00.007-05:00

My little girl turned 8 earlier this month. I am not sure how this happened, but I would like an explanation. I mean, she was a baby like yesterday. It is so bittersweet, them growing up. I love the young lady she is becoming but my heart aches for the times I could hold her in my arms. My husband and I prayed for her for four years. We thought it would never happen and lost hope. The doctors even told us it wasn't likely without some further intervention. We had been on oral fertility medication and it just wasn't giving us the results we needed. Our last visit to the doctor for yet more blood work confirmed we had one more chance on this medicine and then we would be sent to a specialist. I was heartbroken and tired and angry at my body and probably even God. I went home and curled up under the covers and slept for the entire weekend. We decided we would give it a rest and try again after two months. This was in March. I had some other tests done for some severe reflux and vomiting I was having. I had x rays, ultra sounds and a barium swallow test. I was put on yet another medication even though the GI doctor couldn't find a reason behind my issues. That was in late March. In April I was still feeling SO bad. I thought I had cancer. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with me and I had just about every possible test run.

I was a teacher at the time and had to be at a school carnival on a Friday night in late April. At this point I was so ill it was hard for me to even go to work everyday. I made it through my shift and went home utterly exhausted. I laid in bed crying with my husband and praying that whatever was wrong with me would be healed. That night I had the most vivid dreams. I woke up at 6 in the morning panting and shaking because I dreamed I was pregnant. I know many people do this and I have many other times in my life. But I knew I HAD to take a pregnancy test. I had an old one stashed in the far back corner of my vanity. The box was ripped and it looked like someone had stepped on it. I took the test and it was positive! I cannot even explain the joy. I yelled for my husband. I couldn't even tell him, but when he saw the test we both just grabbed each other and cried. At that point we had forgotten all the pain and grief and fear. We were so overcome with happiness.

I made an appointment with another doctor in the same practice and was told I was 3 months pregnant. There was no doubt. I had been tested for everything, had levels run for everything, but no one caught the fact that I was carrying a child. At this point there was some concern that there may be some problems from the medications and testing I endured. So we waited and tested some more and went to high risk doctors and had preterm labor. Then, my father unexpectedly passed away on her due date. I was devastated. In shock and couldn't even think about having the baby. Five days later, on the day of his funeral, I was induced and our sweet little angel was born perfectly healthy and beautiful. What an amazing journey that was! I am so proud of who Brynn is becoming. She is strong and confident, happy and independent. I am so very, very thankful God chose me to be her mother and I wouldn't change a thing about our journey.

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I wanted to tell this story because although there were so many hard times to bear and I lost faith, I have always remembered that this was my path to take. God chose this for me and I am honored that He thought enough of me to lead me here.

I Have A Plan!

2010-11-25T20:55:00.001-05:00

I think. So, as I said in my other post I am having trouble keeping up with everything. I had a nice, LONG chat with my very sweet husband last night and I feel ever so much better now. I love to blog. I love to play on the computer. I love to shop. Those are things that make ME happy. Right now I am spending my life making sure everyone else is happy and entertained. As much as I am thankful for my life and wouldn't change a thing, I really NEED more time to make myself happy. To be honest, homeschooling hasn't been great this year. I feel so terrible because I see pictures of other homeschooling families and how they do great projects together and learn about all kinds of new and interesting things and here I am struggling to keep up with just the basics. No one wants to feel that they aren't giving their children every opportunity in the world to be successful and smart and learn about a hundred different things. I have put so much pressure on myself trying to put everything into our curriculum, that it has just all failed big time. The kids whine and complain and say they "hate school". What is there to hate? You are home and finished by lunch almost every day. And you don't have to get up early (you do anyway, but that isn't the point). It has been heartbreaking to hear these things. I love homeschooling. Are there days I long for the big, yellow bus? Oh yes, my friends. But having my children home where I can watch them grow and learn and become wonderful people, well it far out weighs any thoughts of sending them away for eight hours. Every day, a full eight hours of quiet and clean and quiet. But, I digress.

So, the plan. The plan is that school will begin at 9:30. There will be time limits for each subject. This is necessary because Brynn tends to daydream and procrastinate and get off task and, well the list is endless. She either finishes in the allotted time or it is put away for Friday work. We don't generally have school on Friday's (just tests) so this should be a good motivator. At this point they expect me to sit with them while they are doing their work after I have already given instruction. I have no problem being there for help but at 7 and 8 years old they are fully capable of working independently. We are going to try this again and see where we go. There is also going to be a list of daily chores for them. I usually ask if they can help when they aren't busy, but now I will require certain things each day. A lot of the problem is that my day essentially ends at 3pm. I then have to run children to practices for hours. But hopefully by requiring the children to help more during the day and working independently I should be able to finish what I need to do without staying awake til all hours of the night.

My husband is wonderful and helps out whenever I need it, I would just rather have as much finished as I can and not bombard him when he gets home from work. We have planned to have "family meetings" at the end of each week so we can all discuss things we think need tweaking. Ideally we will have little to change once everyone gets used to the new things and we will all be more relaxed. Have any of you went through similar times? What worked for you?

TOS Review: KB Teachers

2010-11-19T14:28:00.001-05:00

I was chosen to review this site as part of the TOS crew. I was so excited because I LOVE teacher printable sites. That's what KB Teachers is. There are many different categories to choose from, like holiday/seasonal activities, English, Math, Science, Social Studies and more. We have used quite a few of the seasonal printables and the kids have really enjoyed them. I really like their handwriting section as Brynn always wants to do more of that and it's an easy and quick way for me to keep her happy without having to buy another workbook.

The math pages are really great as well. Sometimes Parker gets tired of looking at the same math pages everyday in our normal curriculum, so I log on to KB Teachers and find a similar worksheet, print it out and he is happy as a clam.

Probably my favorite feature of the site is the science and biology sections. As we are not using a formal science curriculum and just kind of pick what we are interested in to study, this is fabulous! Sometimes the kids look at KB Teachers with me and pick out what they would like to learn more about. We have spent at least a month on the human body and have found some really great printables from the site to enhance our learning.

If you are interested in learning more about KB Teachers you can preview the site before subscribing AND you have 30 days to cancel after you subscribe if you find it's not for you. After your 30 day trial period, it is $29 for a one year subscription and $49 for two years. Check out what the rest of my crew mates have to say about KB Teachers here.

I was given this product to review for free in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Thanksgiving Week-Books

2010-11-17T12:48:00.001-05:00

I'm back! It has been quite a long time (except for review posts) I know. It's never my intention to stay away so long, but honestly I just can't keep up sometimes. I would like to say I will start posting regularly, but I just can't put that pressure on myself right now. My husbands favorite saying is "you don't have time for your life" HA! He may be right, but I say I just need an assistant. My best friend is looking for a job and I can pay her in Starbucks and cookies. Sounds good to me!

This week we are working on our Thanksgiving Unit. We will (hopefully) be taking next week off to prepare for our company. I have found many books for this unit that I have had since my teaching years. I have held onto them this long because I just love them. First is On the Mayflower by Kate Waters. A story about a ships apprentice and a young girl who make friends on the journey to North America. The pictures are fantastic!

Next is, Let's Celebrate Thanksgiving by Peter and Connie Roop. I like this book because it mixes facts about the Holiday with some really ~~corny~~ cute jokes. Yes, you will hear those til the end of time. No picture available for this one, but you can find it on Amazon. Finally, Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. It's just cute and has a nice rhyming verse.

I have many more of course, but these are my favorites and Brynn and Parker's too. None of these are links to the books, but they can be found at Amazon and my library carries them as well.

I am planning some little crafts for the kids tomorrow and hopefully I will find the missing memory card so I can take some pictures tomorrow. I am positive my husband was the last one with it, but I'm not placing any blame. Cause I wouldn't do that. Nope, not me. I am FAR too good of a wife to do something like that. Sigh...

TOS Review: Corps of Re-Discovery Tomahawk

2010-11-15T20:37:00.001-05:00

I was SO excited when we were chosen for this review! I knew Parker was going to be crazy about it and the review period was falling right in line with when we were going to be talking about Native Americans during school. It worked out perfectly! I love when that happens. The kit I received was the tomahawk kit. It comes with a piece of leather for the blade and a large dowel type stick for the handle as well as some leather cording. All for $5.50! I know, a great deal. Parker colored his handle then worked with his dad on the cording and attaching the blade to the handle. It looks similar to this:

Sorry I don't have pictures of ours, but my camera is having "issues". Some of those issues may or may not include the loss of its memory card. Anyway, this was a great project to go along with our unit right before Thanksgiving, but it would work at any time. Parker has loved ~~tormenting~~ playing with his sister with it and she has since begun calling herself an Indian princess who is need of protection. Parker says he's just "hunting".
Corps of Re-Discovery has several types of kits to choose from with varying prices. Be sure to check out their site and take a look around at some of my crew mates reviews about some of their other products here.

This product was given to me free of charge for review purposes. No other compensation was given.

TOS Review: Collectorz

2010-11-05T16:19:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review Collectorz as a part of the TOS crew. This site allows you to catalog books, movies, games, photos and so much more. The version I was asked to review was for books. This was awesome for me! As a homeschooling parent, I have a slight addiction to books. I buy books for holidays, events, history, units of study and obviously just for leisure reading. The problem then arises that I have NO idea what all I have and what I need more of. This program had solved that completely. You input ISBN numbers (found on the back of most books) and it catalogs them for you. Usually finding the name in it's database and adding the cover artwork. I haven't had time to finish inputting all of my books, but I can honestly say this is beyond useful. You can download an app for your iPhone so when you are out shopping you can take a quick peek to make sure you don't buy something you already have. What a neat idea! I am currently in the process of ~~begging for~~ asking for an iPhone for Christmas and since it will save me money in the long run, I think it's worth the investment. ;)

Collectorz can be purchased for $29.95 for the standard version or $49.95 for the pro. There is also a 30 day free trial period to see if it's something you are interested in. Here you can see which program will fit your needs best. Please make sure to visit my other crew members to hear their opinions as well.

TOS Review: Soli Deo Gloria Resources

2010-10-15T10:40:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review the unit study William Tyndale: God's Smuggler by Soli Deo Gloria Resources. This is a short unit study designed to be completed in one week and this one will work for grades K-12. There are many activities and resources to choose from so you can do as much or as little as you would like and the subject areas include history, science, geography character study, Bible, art and language arts. Soli Deo Gloria Resources even gives you a list of books and movie titles to go along with your unit study. I was able to get all the books we were interested in through the library and the movies through our Netflix account. I'm sure that you may even be able to find some of the movies through your library as well.

Before beginning your unit study, there is a list of items that will explain to you what is needed for your lessons. Then each day is broken down into easy to understand activities. You can choose as many or as few as you would like. We chose to use this as a supplement to our curriculum so we only completed the activities that fit into our history time. We made a time line, printed out additional worksheets recommended to accompany this unit and did some vocabulary work. The children really seemed to enjoy doing something a little different from our normal work, but they REALLY love our history curriculum so kind of wanted to do both. Sigh... I have always said that I love adding unit studies to our weekly plans. I think it changes things up, keeps things interesting and gives everyone the chance to learn about things you wouldn't necessarily learn about with just a "textbook" program. This did not disappoint. I honestly don't know that we would have chosen this particular unit, but I am SO thankful we had the chance to. I really think it is a wonderful addition to any history curriculum and since it covers so many grades, it will work for anyone. You can purchase the William Tyndale e-book here for $8.00. Soli Deo Gloria, which translates from Latin to mean "to God alone the glory", offers many other units of study as well. Please take a look around their site. They do some really wonderful work. Make sure to check out what my other crew mates said about Soli Deo Gloria Resources over here.

I was asked to review this product as part of the TOS review crew. I was given this product in exchange for my honest opinion,. No other compensation was given.

TOS Review: Talking Fingers

2010-10-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review the Read, Write and Type program from Talking Fingers. This program (geared for children ages 6-9) teaches children the beginning stages of typing while still helping them with spelling and reading. After setting up an account for your child, they begin lessons that help them defeat the villain named Vexor the Virus. These lessons help teach finger placement on the keys, letter sounds and reading all while being constantly encouraged.

Parker really did enjoy working with this for a while. I think he felt like it moved too slow for him at times, but I know we struggle with his patience on occasion anyway. He does ask to do the "typing game" pretty often and I can definitely tell a difference in his comfort with the keyboard. I have been looking for something that would help him become more familiar with the computer without letting him browse the internet and yet still keep him entertained. This works perfectly!

As for the cost of the program, there are a couple of ways you can purchase...First, you can pay $35 for one user for a 5 year subscription, the price goes up for each additional user. Or, you can purchase the CD for $79.00 for multiple users in your homeschool. Click here for more pricing information.

Will we continue to use it? Yes. Absolutely. I love how it begins typing skills at such a young age. Familiarity with the computer is essential these days in my opinion so when I can find something I am comfortable with them using, I am going to take advantage. Read some other reviews about this product from my fellow crewmates over here.

I was asked to review this product free of charge as being part of the TOS Crew. This is my honest opinion of the product. No further compensation was given.

TOS Review: LanSchool Technologies

2010-10-06T10:55:00.000-04:00

As part of the TOS Crew, I was asked to do a review for LanSchool. If you have never heard of this product before please take a look around their website. There is so much this program can do. Here are a few bullet points from their website:

It is reliable and uses significantly less network bandwidth than other solutions.
It is complete, no add-ons are required to block the Internet, Applications, Printing and USB drives.
It keeps working even when students try to disrupt it.
It costs less and is better supported than any other solution on the market.
It supports PCs, Macs and Thin Clients such as NComputing, Terminal Services and Citrix.

Check out what's new in LanSchool v7.5.

Mac Feature Parity with Windows
Audio Chat, Listen and Broadcast
Multicast Video Distribution and Playback
Keystroke Alerting on Banned Words
New Wireless Protocol
Browser Independent Web Limiting and History
Remote Login
Clear Desktop Button
Limit CD/DVD Drives
Testing Enhancements
Dual Monitor Support
20 Additional Customer and UI enhancements

If you don't happen to be computer savvy, like myself, I will try to explain. Basically, with Lanschool you are able to remotely access other computers in your network. Be it at home or in a traditional classroom setting. You can blank out a students' screen, send a message, give a quick multiple choice/ true false quiz, monitor their computer usage and so much more. Setup for this is easy peasy. All you do is click the file and it does the rest for you! Even finding the other computers on your network! SO easy and I didn't even have to ask my hubby (who would have happily helped me with absolutely no grumbling whatsoever).

As for the cost...It starts at $99 for a home use license and that includes three years of tech support. I think it is a wonderful tool for the parent that has children working independently on computers. Right now, we are not in that situation, but I know that in the future it will be extremely useful to us. Check out what my other crew mates are saying about this product here.

I was given this product to review free of charge as a member of the TOS Crew. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation has been given.

TOS Review: Schleich

2010-09-24T00:18:00.009-04:00

I was asked to do a review for Schleich as being part of the TOS Review Crew. Schleich was nice enough to send us a box of animals for me and my children to use and see how we like them. First, let me tell you about the quality of these animals. A. MA.ZING. Seriously, the best I have ever seen. The detail on these is outstanding. Every hair looks individual and the facial features are stunning. There is a nice weight to these as well so it feels like the kids are playing with something substantial.

As soon as the box arrived, my kids were all over it. The first thing they did was divide them up so each one had an equal number of animals to play with. Then they decided they wanted to make a zoo. Brynn got all of the building block out and started making fences. Parker decided that they needed a more "natural environment" and made some trees for them. :) They cut up different colors of construction paper for the different types of food they liked. They found this out by going online to look up all of the information they could find on each animal. After a long day at the zoo, the animals needed a bath. So off we went to make a "hot tub". Bubbles and everything. The animals apparently liked it because they were in there for quite a while. Ha! Afterwords, Brynn dressed hers up with some pretty bows and made nice comfy beds for them out of tissues. It really was so very cute.

There are SO many different products that Schleich offers that you need to see for yourself. Go here and take a look around. There are dragons, knights, farm animals, dinosaurs, mystical creatures and many many more. The prices vary depending on what you are looking for and there is a handy store locator on the site as well. Brynn and Parker have already put several of these figures on their Christmas list and are always browsing the site and adding more to their wish list. If you get a chance to try them, leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Go here to see what other members of my crew think too!

TOS Review: Pyramath

2010-09-15T22:33:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review the Pyramath cards as part of the TOS Crew. This card game is a way to work with your children on their math skills while still having fun! You play the game by laying out 5 to 7 cards in the center of the table. Then you and your opponent draw one card at a time to see if you have a play. To play the card, you must be able to perform a mathematical equation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) with the cards on your side of the pyramid that will use your drawn card as the answer. The first one to complete their pyramid is the winner. Here is a video you can find on the website to help you see exactly how to play. My kids are still working up to multiplication and division, but the best thing about these is that you can just pick what will work for your family. For us, we just use addition and subtraction right now, but the cards will be usable for a long time to come.

You can also play as a one person game, which I just love! Usually when I get the game out to play by myself, I hear the pitter pat of little feet and then..."Mommy, can we play??" :) The kids really do love this game. Another thing I love about these cards is that besides the number on the front, it is written in several other languages around the card.

I am so thrilled to have had the chance to learn about this product. My daughter stresses out about math all.the.time. It makes me so sad because I feel that she is gifted in that area, but she puts so much pressure on herself that it takes a lot of the fun of learning out of her work. With these cards she feels like she is playing and is genuinely having a great time. Honestly, I HIGHLY recommend this set to anyone. There is a free online version to play here for more learning fun, but to order the cards for only $6.95 you can click here. They have other sets to choose from as well and I am sure I will be looking into those in the future. Be sure to take a look at what my other crew members have to say about this too! Please let me know if you decide to purchase these for your family. I would love to hear your thoughts.

I am reviewing this product as a participant in The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew. I was given the cards free in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Four Day Weekend Fun!

2010-09-08T10:00:00.002-04:00

Greg had Friday of last week off, so we decided to make it a four day camping trip! We only have a pop up camper that we bought in May, but it sure beats sleeping on the ground (the air conditioning doesn't hurt either).When we bought it we thought we would never want anything bigger, but there have been talks already. Bet you can't guess who started those. :) We usually end up at Stone Mountain Park's campground. The area we camp in is nicely shaded with a good view of the lake. Also close enough to a Walmart that we won't die if we run out of something. HA! As you can tell, I'm really not so much a "camper" as a girl who will sit in the woods (with air conditioning and a mattress) for a few days with her favorite people. The experiences the kids have makes it so worth it. They made so many friends all over the campgrounds, rode scooters, played baseball, swam, fed the ducks, found firewood and the list goes on. I hope they treasure these memories when they get older.

Daddy and Parker played a rousing game of baseball. I'm pretty sure Parker won.

While Brynn sipped slushies in the shade...

And Nana read a book...

Then off we went to feed the ducks and turtles...

We have plans to go back in October. I honestly can.not.wait!

Our First Day

2010-09-07T14:40:00.000-04:00

We finally started school today after a long four-day holiday camping trip (post coming soon). I was so worried since Brynn has been telling everyone who will listen that she does not like school and doesn't ever want to start. But let's just say that today really changed her mind. She was so happy when she found out that math wasn't as bad as she remembered. I think all the writing of 3rd grade is going to take some getting used to for her though. Honestly, I really think her math curriculum from last year was just so wrong for her that it made her completely unsure of herself in that department. SO glad we are back with what she is comfortable with. Here is the obligatory first day picture. She looks a little like she is about to be tortured, doesn't she? Hmmm...

Parker actually did have a bit of a rough start. He was so excited for today and he got all of his chores done quickly (he said he was "managing his time well") so we could get started. Then he just fell apart during math. He sometimes has trouble with transposing letters and numbers and while I was correcting him, he must have gotten so frustrated he just couldn't stand it. Makes me sad for him. But, he worked through it and had a GREAT rest of the day! Here's his picture, please don't mind the fact that he is in dire need of a haircut. That usually only becomes glaringly obvious to me after I take pictures of them.

It's off to soccer games and gymnastics practice for us tonight. Hopefully that will help them sleep well tonight.

Blog Walk Week 9

2010-09-02T00:00:00.002-04:00

It's week 9 of the TOS Review Crew Blog Walk! I will be taking a look at all of these blogs throughout the week. If you have time, head on over and leave them a comment.

1.. Creative Learners
2. The Homeschool Desk
3. Ramblin' Roads
4. The Stewards Steno
5. Mama Manuscripts
6. Train Up a Child
7. We Love to Homeschool
8. Day by Day in Our World
9. Acorns - or Homeschooling Nuggets of Gold
10. The Berry Patch

Brynn's First Meet 2010

2010-08-31T10:58:00.000-04:00

Original title, no? It's late and I am out of ideas. I may change it later if I feel inspired. So, Brynn had her first meet of the season on Saturday, August 28th. It was in Roswell and we had to be there at 7:30. Yes, in the morning. I had to set my clock for 5:00. Again, in the morning. Those who know me will understand the problem this creates. I really don't enjoy getting out of bed when it is still dark. The things we do for our children. :) Starbucks helped.

We made it to the meet location only slightly late and everyone was in good spirits. Relaxed and ready to go. The coaches took them down to the floor to stretch and I sat on the bleachers with my wonderful friends and waited for the meet to begin. This is our team stretching. Terrible picture, I apologize. Note the sea of blue.

If you have never been to a gymnastics meet, there are some things you should know.
1. Bring a seat cushion. The bleachers are rock hard. And you will be there for a bit. (See number 2)
2. Meets are LONG. We got there at 7:30 to be ready for stretch to begin at 8. Then they have to warm up on ALL of the events. The meet does not even begin until 9:30. We left at 11:30. This was quick. There was only one level at this particular meet, so it went relatively fast.
3. Cameras DO NOT work in gyms. First, you cannot use flash because it is dangerous for the gymnasts when they are on the equipment. Your camera WILL be taken until the end of the meet. Second, there is A LOT of blue in a gym, thus causing the gymnasts to look a little like smurfs (especially ours since their leos are blue as well). You can set up your SLR camera to take some nice pictures, but as I explained in this post, that is just not possible for me to do. Far too much nail biting going on for me to mess with that.
4. There is a possibility of tears. Sometimes girls don't medal. Sad, but true. They are not happy if they are the only one on the team without one. Luckily our girls are pretty awesome friends and they will do anything to make one another feel better. Even offering their friend one of their own medals. ♥
5. Finally, in my opinion, a gymnastics meet is one of the most exciting sporting events to attend. You never know what is going to happen, and each participant is relying solely on their own ability to perform. There is no one else to make up for any mistakes you may have made. You either are on or you are off. It's nerve wracking and exciting all in one. Now, I may be slightly biased as this is my daughters' chosen sport, but I have always loved it myself.

Brynn had a little trouble getting started on her floor routine. The gym messed up the music three times and when they finally got it started for her, she was so flustered she forgot a little part. Poor baby. She eventually remembered, but I just felt so bad for her. Even with all that she got a 7.75. Vault was her highest score with a 8.35, beam was next with a 8.0 and bars were 6.85. She really has been struggling on bars at practice, but I told her now she knows what she needs to improve. So proud of her attitude. She just wants to keep working. She never gets discouraged. There were 17 girls competing against her and she got 10th place on beam! We are so happy for her and she was thrilled! Like I said, not every meet will she medal, and some meets will be really trying, but we just want her to have fun. Here is a picture of her with two of her friends after the meet. SO cute! Love these girls!

After the meet, we all went out to eat at the Olive Garden. So yummy! The girls were able to unwind and talk about girl stuff and the parents could finally relax and enjoy a nice meal. We had a friend ride with us and the girls were acting so silly in the backseat on the way home we just had to take a picture

Sweet girls. :) I'm sorry about the long post, I just wanted to remember this first meet. Hope you enjoyed a little look into a BIG part of our lives.

Review: Peterson Directed Handwriting

2010-08-30T10:07:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review Peterson Directed Handwriting as being part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. With the Peterson System, you teach the child to write using "movements", such as slant, roll slant to make a lower case H, or slant, slide lift, slant to make the number 4. Peterson makes sure to explain the correct grip for the pencil as well as the proper placement of the paper they will be writing on. There are four steps you will use to teach the Peterson Method...

1. Illustrate and Describe
2. Air writing
3. Finger-Tracing
4. Write and Say

All of the steps combined make for proper writing technique. Peterson Directed Handwriting has a website with a vast amount of information. There are many video presentations in their Information Directory to provide support for you. You can also contact Rand at any time if you feel you are struggling with the program.

My Thoughts

I have always used a different program to teach my children handwriting, so I was eager to see if this would be something we would consider changing to. At first it was quite hard for Brynn and Parker to make the changes needed to implement this program. As time went on, it became a bit easier for them to master. I don't think they have really fully grasped the concept yet, but they are not fighting with me about the different technique. Parker is more of a tactile learner, so this has been a nice change of pace for him. Brynn prefers to sit and do her worksheet and move on. This has caused a bit of frustration for her as she needs to practice all four steps before mastering the letters. All in all, I think this is a wonderfully, thorough program that will fit many different types of learners. Those who are struggling with grip, neatness or even those who need a little more than just a worksheet based program will benefit from this one. Also, this is a fantastic program if you are just starting out and haven't chosen a particular curriculum for handwriting yet. As for us, we will probably stick with what we are used to, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone just starting out. With the amazing level of customer service as well as detailed instructions on the web, you really can't go wrong with this product.

To Buy

To purchase Peterson Directed Handwriting click here. The products I reviewed were printing for grades K and First. The cost of the PDF files is $19.95, however there are many different combination's to choose from with different price points and discounts. Let me know if you try it and what you think! Be sure to check out other reviews of this product here.

I was asked to do a review on this product for being a part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew. I did receive this product free of charge to try, but am not being compensated in any other way. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

It's Almost Time!

2010-08-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

Saturday will be Brynn's first gymnastics meet of the season. She is so excited, but a little nervous, I think. No matter what happens we are so proud of her. She has a gift that many would love to have and as long as she does her best, she has nothing to worry about. I will try to take some pictures, but I am always too nervous/excited/caught up in the moment to think about the camera. :) My husband can't come because he has to take Parker to his soccer game which is unfortunately at the same time. He is usually the one that handles the picture taking during ~~stressful times like these~~ sporting events. I try so hard to be calm for her and not let on that I am just as nervous as she is, when on the inside I am a little nauseous. I just try to hold it together until she goes out on the floor with her coaches, then me and the rest of the gym moms lose it together. HA! We are a mess. I have made some truly wonderful friendships with these other moms. We all support each other when one of our girls are struggling, even at practice. I know they will come running at any time I need them, as I would do for them. Some of us have known each other for 3 years or more and have watched our little baby gymnasts grow up into beautiful, graceful little lady gymnasts. Poor girls, sometimes I think they have 17 moms. LOL! Now I'm getting all sappy, so I will leave you with a picture of all "our" girls. GO SOUTHERN!!!!

Our Curriculum 2010-2011

2010-08-22T22:46:00.001-04:00

I know this post is a long time coming, but I think I have finally figured out what we will be working with this year. I started this process way back in June thinking I knew what I wanted then. I should know better by now. :) I didn't want a box curriculum, as I didn't quite feel like it fit Parker, but I didn't want all hands on because it doesn't fit Brynn. But I don't have time to make my own and be sure I'm touching on all the important stuff, you know, the stuff that helps them go to college? So, what to do? I somehow stumbled on this and this. The Learn at Home Series. Now I will be honest here, I did not expect much for $15, but let me tell you, I am REALLY surprised! Is it a complete curriculum? Absolutely not. It really is just a book of ideas laid out in a weekly order and organized by subject. I did add my own Math, sticking with McRuffy because we love it, and keeping with Handwriting Without Tears, that's all I supplemented. The Learn At Home Series gives fantastic ideas for Social Studies, Science, Spelling Lists and many worksheets. I will admit that there is quite a bit I will add for phonics for Parker, but honestly, these books are at least giving me a head start and coming up with the direction I need to be going. There are so many hands on activities that I know Parker will love and worksheets for Brynn with a little hands on for her too. I am so excited to give this a try! I hope it all works out, but if not, I have SO much curriculum in my basement there is bound to be something we can use. We will be finishing Story of the World (Book 1) early in the school year and hope to move to book 2 soon. I have heard good things about that one and the kids are already in love with the concept anyway. Even I enjoy it and I am really not much of a history girl. We plan to start school the day after Labor Day. We have a camping trip planned if we are able to get our camper fixed and I want to finish planning for 6 total weeks of school. So this week will be a busy one getting everything finished. I'll let you know how it goes and I would love to hear from anyone who has used these books before.

Soccer 2010

2010-08-16T11:08:00.001-04:00

Saturday was Parker's first game of the season. It was a little rainy, so we didn't know if they were going to be able to play. But, the sun peeked through just enough and they got the whole thing in.

And my favorite... He loves to be goalie, so his coach puts him in that position as much as he can. They didn't win this game but he stopped this goal! Go Super Sonics!!!

TOS Planner 2010

2010-08-15T08:59:00.000-04:00

FINALLY!

A planner that really does plan for EVERYTHING!

A fully customizable planner for all of your homeschooling and household needs. Over 600 pages of references, recipes, calendars and more!

Here's what's included:

Several different types of planning pages
Reference material right at your fingertips
Chore charts
Book lists
Recipes
Monthly articles
Home and car maintenance forms
Address books
Journal pages
Menu planner
And SO much more!!!

All for only $39.00!!!

Just print and put in your three ring binder for a planner that was made just for you!

Click HERE to get yours today!

As an independent contractor for TOS, I was asked to place an ad for this product making me eligible for prizes in exchange for an honest representation of the planner.

Our Schedule

2010-08-11T12:17:00.001-04:00

Things are beginning to get back to normal around here. It's surprising how much I was thrown off by making the trip to Maryland a couple of weeks ago. I guess that means I need to be a little more organized (or maybe a better manager of my time) :) So, before we left I had been making lists like a mad woman of things I wanted to accomplish before school starts. Well, I became stressed and edgy and I guess some might say a little grumpy. I have no idea who would say that, ~~my husband~~, but I decided a change was in order. I have since come up with "The Schedule". Sounds official, no? Fits my Type A personality perfectly and has made for quite a bit of stress relief. My sweet hubby had the ingenious idea to modify our school schedule. We are generally stretching to make our school year last longer than April and that is with taking almost a full month off in December. So, his idea is to do "full on" school for 3 weeks, then extremely light school on the 4th week. Sometimes it will be our review week, sometimes just fun, but mostly it will be our week to take care of the stuff we never get to. Field trips, library visits, working on my (very) small business, decluttering and refreshing. This may not be a new idea to most of you, but I am so excited to be able to plan doctors appointments knowing that I don't have to squeeze school in the same day. With Brynn's gymnastics schedule and Parker's various sports, our days are shortened by running out the door for practices. This is just the perfect solution for us. Without further ado, here is "The Schedule"...

7:00 Send hubby off to work, shower & dressed, check email, drink coffee, start laundry
8:00 kids up, dressed, beds made, reboot laundry, swish and swipe bathrooms
8:30 Breakfast, brush teeth, clean kitchen, start laundry
9:00 School begins, more laundry

Math
LA
Spelling
Handwritng
Science/Art
History/Social Studies

12:30 Lunch, Clean up from lunch, finish laundry if not already done
1:00 Outside Play, mom vacuum, dust, clear hot spots
1:30 Reading
2:00 Quiet Time
3:00 Begin dinner, get dressed for practices, snack
4:00 Leave for practice

Monday- Brynn ballet 4:30-6:00
Tuesday- Brynn team practice 4:30-7:30, Parker soccer 6:00-7:30
Wednesday- Brynn strength and flexibility training (TOPS) 4:00-6:00
Thursday- Brynn private lesson 4:00-4:30, team practice 4:30-7:30, Parker gymnastics 4:00-5:00
Friday- Free Day!!!

8:00 Rush around like a crazy person feeding humans, giving baths, reading bedtime stories and giving snuggles
9:00 Lights Out for kids, final clean up of house and kitchen, prepare for next day
10:00 Time with my wonderful husband

And that's it! I'm sure this will change many, many times, but right now it looks like the right set up for us. Have a great day!

***For more schedules go to Heart of the Matter Online. ***

Book Review: Same Kind of Different As Me

2010-08-10T09:12:00.000-04:00

This book is nothing short of amazing. From the moment I began reading, I was hooked. It is a true story about two men whose lives are very different. Two men that you wouldn't expect to see together based on their life circumstances. But, the circumstances they endure are the very reason they become friends. Denver Moore has led a hard life, but makes no excuses for himself because of it. He is true to himself and expects no handouts. Debbie Hall is a sweet, big hearted southern woman who wants to make a difference. She is led by her faith to a homeless shelter where she meets Denver and worms her way into his life. He resists her at every turn, but she remains optimistic eventually becoming a friend to him. Along the way, life changes directions for all of them and the faith of Debbie's husband is put to the test. Denver is always steady in his beliefs and helps him continue to stay positive even in the darkest days of his life. A truly amazing story of friendship, faith and hope. I am recommending this book to all my friends in hope it will be an inspiration to live the life they have to the fullest.

Excuse My Absence

2010-08-04T12:12:00.000-04:00

I am so sorry I have been missing for a while. Unfortunately, my Grandmother passed away and we made a trip to Maryland to be with our family. It seems to be a little more difficult for me to get back into the swing of things than I thought it would be, but I will be back soon. I have a lot of catching up to do around the house and basically in all areas of my life right now :) so as soon as I can get back on a schedule I have lots to share. Meet season is about to start for Brynn's gymnastics, which means as President of the Booster Club things are crazy for me as well. I did order our school curriculum, so at least I am heading in the right direction somewhere. Ha! Hope you are all doing well!

Teach Preschool Update at Bottom of Post

2010-07-20T21:25:00.016-04:00

I didn't have a lot to share today,but wanted to pass along this little fun nugget my friend shared with me. There is a Facebook group called Teach Preschool that I just love. They send out little posts with all kinds of ideas. I was a little concerned it would be too young for my kids, but I have since found some wonderful ideas to implement in our home. So many fun tips and I discovered probably my new favorite blog through them as well....Serving Pink Lemonade. Awesome stuff! Let me know if the Facebook link gets you where you need to be and if you find anything useful for your home.

***Updated to add: I guess I should have checked this first, but Teach Preschool has a blog as well, for those of you not on Facebook.

Oh My!

2010-07-19T17:12:00.000-04:00

I have had quite a shock this weekend! We just bought a new television for our living room and had to clean out our old TV cabinet. Well, that is where I keep most of the kids games for easy access, but apparently some had gotten lost along the way. One in particular that I was so excited to find was Brain Quest. It had never been opened, as it was purchased a couple of years ago when the kids weren't quite old enough for it. It is fantastic! I cannot recommend it highly enough. There are Science, Math, English, Social Studies and Grab Bag questions divided into grade levels 1-6. We have all had a great time with this one.

BUT, the shock I got was that my beautiful, never overly dramatic (insert eye roll here) daughter has apparently forgotten EVERYTHING she learned in Math last year. Yes, I said everything. I don't think she could comfortably answer a single question. And, she didn't just say, "Oh mother dear (we totally speak like that here) I have forgotten how to do this problem. No, she screamed and cried and threw herself on the floor saying that I never taught her those things. Um....yea. SO, guess what we are doing starting tomorrow? That's right, review! And it will be FUN! I bought a ton of workbooks they have at Target (my favorite store ever, by the way) in the dollar spot. Hopefully that will get us back on track and leave her feeling more confident.

Oh, I almost forgot the most exciting of all the news...when I was moving the old ginormous TV cabinet to the garage I dropped it on my foot breaking the bone between my big toe and foot. Yay! So now I am all wrapped up in this wonderfully strange tape cast thingy and get to wear this beauty for 4 weeks...

It's okay. It could be worse. I could have been a split second too slow and broken my entire foot. Positive thinking here people. I am all about it.

Oh, by the way, I am not receiving anything for my thoughts on the Brain Quest game. I just really liked it and wanted to share it with all of you. :) Have a great day!!

TOS Review: Travel the World!

2010-07-19T13:33:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review this e-book by The Old Schoolhouse. I had a chance to review a couple of other ones previously and was not disappointed, so I was excited for this chance. This e-book is called Travel the World! It couldn't have come at a better time for us, since we are all about traveling this summer. We don't happen to be going anywhere other than our own country, but traveling is traveling, right?

First, let me start by saying the kids LOVED this! They really enjoy Unit Studies and having this e-book is an easy way for me to provide that for them. TOS has made it so easy by having everything organized with an index, numbering the pages and providing web links for further exploration. We began this unit with reading about maps, the definition of geography, each of the seven continents and singing "God Has the Whole World in His Hands". Now, I will say that some of the reading passages were above even my almost 8 year old daughters head. And a little dry for my six year old son, but we got through it with a little rewording from me.

As we moved throughout the unit we spent time on each continent. There are so many links to other references for your use that we couldn't even get to all of them. What a great problem to have! Some of the activities are too advanced for my 6 year old, but my 8 year old had no problems at all. The word searches, crossword puzzles and word scrambles were her favorites.

As for my review? I say this is a fantastic supplement to your curriculum. If you or your children enjoy unit studies as mine do, The Old Schoolhouse does a wonderful job of organizing it all for you. I often don't have time to put together an entire unit on something and certainly not as detailed as this! There is even a lapbook, which my kids think is the greatest thing ever. :) Additionally, there is a high school expansion pack for those who have older children. Here is the scoop on how to get your copy:

E-Book Travel The World

Here is what you get in your download for $7.95:

A custom-designed study guide complete with additional educational and video links to further expand research and learning.
Coloring pages made just for this module. You will not find these anywhere else!
Activity pages that relate to the topic. These include crossword, word search, an acrostic, puzzles, and more!
Original copywork pages—ready-to-use manuscript and cursive for all ages!
Recipes—cook up some fun in the kitchen!
Resource pages to increase your knowledge and build your library.
Our high school expansion—additional information and activity pages created for older students. We want your entire family to benefit from this module, so we are offering resources to expand the learning up through high school!
Lapbook Beginnings! We provide the first couple of lapbooking activities for you, along with links to resources that will help you build beautiful lapbooks with your children. Create a project your entire family will enjoy!

There are many, many other modules to choose from like, Insects Galore!, Out of this World and Wondrous Weather. You can pick three for $17.88 here.

Let me know if you try it and what you think!

I was asked to do a review on this product by The Old Schoolhouse. I did receive this e-book free of charge to try, but am not being compensated in any other way. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

TOS 4th of July Sale!

2010-07-01T07:57:00.000-04:00

The Old Schoolhouse is having a fantastic sale on their subscription prices. You also can pick 5 free e-books! If you haven't tried any of those, this price it worth it for them alone. When I was asked to do the firefighter review for TOS, we fell in love with all they have to offer. I know we will be taking advantage of this one. Here's the scoop...

1776 was a spectacular year, and it's a smashing, save-more-money price! Grab your subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine during their four-day Fourth of July sale, and check out the craziest price on July 1 only! Receive a 2-year subscription, free Homeschooling with Heart tote bag, and five FREE E-Books for just $17.76! While supplies last. U.S. and Canadian residents. July 2 through July 4 the unprecedented savings continue. The sparks are flying at TOS Magazine . . . join in the celebration and savings! Get the details here.The Old Schoolhouse

Catching Fireflies

Soccer 2011

Parker

The Power of Words

The Story About Ping

Still Here!

Our New Houseguest

Night of the Moonjellies

How I Organize For School-Part 1

Our First Day 2011

My *New* Favorite Thing

FIAR Story Discs Vol. 1

Not Back to School Blog Hop: Our Daily Schedule

The Mystery...

Paper Organization

Not Back To School Blog Hop: 2011-2012 Curriculum

I'm Back!

Our 4th of July

Princess Baby Shower

Excuse My Abscence

Homeschool Mothers Journal 6/10/11

Dollar Store Fun!

Trying To Breathe

Summertime Printable

Under The Stage Lights

WFMW: Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Weekend Wrap Up

What I'm Doing Today...

Twitter Fail

Baseball 2011

WFMW: Awesome Kool Aid Play Doh

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Brynn's Banquet 2011

Homeschool Mothers Journal 5/20/11

What's In the Water?

WFMW: June Activity Calendar

Summer School

My Favorite Dinner- Chicken Pizza

Homeschool Mother's Journal: 5/13/11

Winding Down

A Total Shock...

TOS Review: Latin's Not So Tough

TOS Review: Science Weekly

TOS Review: Kinderbach

What We Have Been Up To...

Menu Plan Monday

Valentine's Invitational

Menu Plan Monday

Our Week in Review

Hair Cuteness

Taming the Clutter: Art Binders!

Super Bowl Sunday!

Menu Plan Monday

I {Big Puffy Heart} Love Valentine's Day!

So....We Meet Again

We're Back!

TOS Review: Maestro Classics

TOS Review: Easy Classical: Early Modern History Schedule

TOS Review: See N Read

TOS Review: Math Facts Now!

TOS Review: Apologia Press: Good Morning God by Davis Carman

Brynn's Sweet Shoppe

Oh Christmas Tree

Advent Activity

Mother/Daughter Journal

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Angel

I Have A Plan!

TOS Review: KB Teachers

Thanksgiving Week-Books

TOS Review: Corps of Re-Discovery Tomahawk

TOS Review: Collectorz

TOS Review: Soli Deo Gloria Resources

TOS Review: Talking Fingers

TOS Review: LanSchool Technologies

Check out what's new in LanSchool v7.5.

TOS Review: Schleich

TOS Review: Pyramath

Four Day Weekend Fun!

Our First Day

Blog Walk Week 9

My New Favorite Thing

Teach Preschool Update at Bottom of Post