Hello everyone.
I have made a list of links to the companies that The Old Schoolhouse Crew (TOS CREW) will be reviewing this coming year!
You will find in on the right toward the bottom. Just scroll down and visit those links to find some very cool stuff!
I, personally, may not receive all of those listed but I have my hopes set on many of them!
Go ahead..... visit those links for some really cool stuff.
Then if you are still bored you can visit The Old Schoolhouse Store to find even more awesome homeschooling finds! :)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
TOS Homeschool Crew BLOG WALK
I am a little late joining the Crew's Blog walk, but I wanted to jump in and join this week. Please take a few minutes today and click on the links below to "meet" other TOS Crew members. Feel free to add a comment. Perhaps you'll meet another like-minded home educating family and be blessed and encouraged by all they share on their blog.
Free Homeschooling Lessons!
I just found this really cool website. It contains free lesson plans (enough for many subjects for the entire year) for K-5th grade.
A really awesome part of this website is that you can choose to use it for your ENTIRE curriculum or you can peruse the topics and pick a week of lessons here on this topic and a week there on another topic.
I hope to use some of the plans to supplement in science this year.
Topics covered include: Science, History, Reading & Phonics, Math, Language Arts, Life Skills & Travel-Field Trips. It also includes a long list of helpful articles as well as an electronic planner to track your students' progress with their pathways.
The website does require that you register with their site, giving name, email and password. They have a statement saying that they never share that information. Once you register you are free to go get anything you want.
Here is a link to this gem of a website, Enjoy!
http://www.lessonpathways.com/Home
A really awesome part of this website is that you can choose to use it for your ENTIRE curriculum or you can peruse the topics and pick a week of lessons here on this topic and a week there on another topic.
I hope to use some of the plans to supplement in science this year.
Topics covered include: Science, History, Reading & Phonics, Math, Language Arts, Life Skills & Travel-Field Trips. It also includes a long list of helpful articles as well as an electronic planner to track your students' progress with their pathways.
The website does require that you register with their site, giving name, email and password. They have a statement saying that they never share that information. Once you register you are free to go get anything you want.
Here is a link to this gem of a website, Enjoy!
http://www.lessonpathways.com/Home
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Review is coming!
My first practice review will be coming soon.
For those who do not know...... I am a crewmate reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew (TOS CREW). We officially started in June and have our first practice review due in July.
I was given a choice between:
Travel Kits: A Simple Way to Bless Others from The Old Schoolhouse.
and
The Old Schoolhouse Planner's June Module called "Travel the World."
Because our family so rarely travels I chose the second option "Travel the World."
I downloaded my option before we left for our conference and look forward to opening the download up soon. I can't wait to tell you all about it. You should look for it to appear toward the end of the month.
While you wait feel free to click on the above links and explore The Old Schoolhouse's store. :)
While you are in the store check out the FREEBIES!!!!
For those who do not know...... I am a crewmate reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew (TOS CREW). We officially started in June and have our first practice review due in July.
I was given a choice between:
Travel Kits: A Simple Way to Bless Others from The Old Schoolhouse.
and
The Old Schoolhouse Planner's June Module called "Travel the World."
Because our family so rarely travels I chose the second option "Travel the World."
I downloaded my option before we left for our conference and look forward to opening the download up soon. I can't wait to tell you all about it. You should look for it to appear toward the end of the month.
While you wait feel free to click on the above links and explore The Old Schoolhouse's store. :)
While you are in the store check out the FREEBIES!!!!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Missed? Was I???
Did anyone notice my absence? Anyone? That's okay if you didn't. I realize my readership at the moment is hit and miss and that's okay. :) I'm jiggy with dat! (giggle)
The family left Thursday afternoon for a 4 hour drive, mostly on county roads through twists and turns and knolls and bluffs through Western Wisconsin, across the Mississippi Valley and back up again through the Minnesota bluffs then into downstate flat Minnesota farmland. I grew up in Central IL and LOVE the flat farmlands. I will always LOVE seeing the sun set on a very flat horizon! Love, love looking out over 30-40 miles and seeing distant farmstead silhouettes. :)
What I had not really anticipated was the mid to upper 90's with very HIGH humidity and two nights of thunderstorm & TORNADO warnings!!! I grew up with that weather and survived, but since that time I have lived in cool, dry Wisconsin for nearly 15 years. It was a bit oppressive. My children took it in stride for the most part (although they fizzled and frazzled quickly in the evening).
Friday night we skipped out of the main evening session, opting for our children to melt down in our nicely air conditioned hotel room instead of in the presence of conference membership. We arrived at our hotel to find our room air conditioning unit had frozen over and needed time to thaw. We then turned on the television set in effort to find something child friendly for the kiddos. However instead of finding Bonanza or PBS Kids we found screen after screen of maps covered in reds, oranges and yellows. When we finally oriented ourselves to our new current geography we realized ....... Tornadoes were near and were potentially heading right toward us.
Hubby went down to talk to the front desk and ask where we should evacuate if we needed. Meanwhile, I pulled shoes out in a row and packed my basket with all the necessities I might need for an overnighter in a safer spot. Hubby was given directions to the downstairs men's bathroom and given a flashlight. We chose to watch the TV closely and pray. Just as the sky looked it's worse the meteorologists changed the tornado warning to merely a thunderstorm warning with expected hail. With a little bit of reassurance to the children that the hail was hitting a steel roof outside our window and was not "crashing the building" they soon fell asleep and we too turned in early.
The air conditioner kicked on about 1 AM and the room started to feel cool by 2:30 AM. I know these times because our dear sweet (sleeps through the night) daughter woke up every 45 minutes with a whimper of a cry because she was out of her element.
The next morning at our conference we found out that the main speaker, who I had desperately wanted to hear, had to reduce his talk to a mere 15 minutes due to an evacuation to the school basement! My children would have been 4 blocks away with their childcare providers. I am SO THANKFUL for the meltdowns at supper time that night. I am not sure my nerves could have handled sitting in a basement knowing my children would also be evacuated and that I would not be with them. God is Good.
An upside to our Annual Meeting conference is that the church plant our family and our congregation have been working at since 2004 has now officially been voted into conference. We are now officially a recognized church. YAAAAY!
The flip side of that, and the hard part for me, was that the entire time we were at conference, starting Thursday and continuing through the sermon on Sunday at church, people from the podium continued to point us out and state "You really ought to get to know these people! They have great stories to tell! They are doing great things and YOU need to go introduce yourself and get to know them."
I was SO thankful thankful that people in conference know we exist. However I was SO thankful for the drive home. I am an outgoing introvert. I LOVE meetings but talking to new people in person is often a big stretch for me. It taxes me. It is good for me and I am capable of carrying on a conversation, but it takes a lot out of me.
I was so thankful for the drive home because I knew that even if we got out of the van and I met new people I would NOT HAVE TO TALK ABOUT MYSELF or my church! I love my church. I love the work God is doing. I love getting to know people. I love that many in conference now have our faces to put with the name of our church. . . However, every other turn of a corner someone else would bump into me and start talking to me like I had been their friend for years and that they knew everything about the surface of me and would thus start asking the deeper questions. I am thankful that people in our conference now know we exist but I am grateful to be home so I don't have to talk about myself or my church anymore unless I choose to do so.
It's so good to be home, even if the treadmill of life is already moving beneath me.
My kids think so too. My oldest ran in the house and grabbed his new light saber which we would not let him take. My second ran to the bedroom and started some nice car races on the town floor mat. Then my youngest ran from toy, to shoes, to toy, to toy, to shoes, to highchair, to shoes, to toys......squealing in delight like it was Christmas. :) I have managed to get everything put away, the dishwasher ran (that I had forgotten to start!!!) and a few loads of laundry through the machines.
It's good to be home, even if fresh towels and made beds don't automatically appear every evening when we return. :)
The family left Thursday afternoon for a 4 hour drive, mostly on county roads through twists and turns and knolls and bluffs through Western Wisconsin, across the Mississippi Valley and back up again through the Minnesota bluffs then into downstate flat Minnesota farmland. I grew up in Central IL and LOVE the flat farmlands. I will always LOVE seeing the sun set on a very flat horizon! Love, love looking out over 30-40 miles and seeing distant farmstead silhouettes. :)
What I had not really anticipated was the mid to upper 90's with very HIGH humidity and two nights of thunderstorm & TORNADO warnings!!! I grew up with that weather and survived, but since that time I have lived in cool, dry Wisconsin for nearly 15 years. It was a bit oppressive. My children took it in stride for the most part (although they fizzled and frazzled quickly in the evening).
Friday night we skipped out of the main evening session, opting for our children to melt down in our nicely air conditioned hotel room instead of in the presence of conference membership. We arrived at our hotel to find our room air conditioning unit had frozen over and needed time to thaw. We then turned on the television set in effort to find something child friendly for the kiddos. However instead of finding Bonanza or PBS Kids we found screen after screen of maps covered in reds, oranges and yellows. When we finally oriented ourselves to our new current geography we realized ....... Tornadoes were near and were potentially heading right toward us.
Hubby went down to talk to the front desk and ask where we should evacuate if we needed. Meanwhile, I pulled shoes out in a row and packed my basket with all the necessities I might need for an overnighter in a safer spot. Hubby was given directions to the downstairs men's bathroom and given a flashlight. We chose to watch the TV closely and pray. Just as the sky looked it's worse the meteorologists changed the tornado warning to merely a thunderstorm warning with expected hail. With a little bit of reassurance to the children that the hail was hitting a steel roof outside our window and was not "crashing the building" they soon fell asleep and we too turned in early.
The air conditioner kicked on about 1 AM and the room started to feel cool by 2:30 AM. I know these times because our dear sweet (sleeps through the night) daughter woke up every 45 minutes with a whimper of a cry because she was out of her element.
The next morning at our conference we found out that the main speaker, who I had desperately wanted to hear, had to reduce his talk to a mere 15 minutes due to an evacuation to the school basement! My children would have been 4 blocks away with their childcare providers. I am SO THANKFUL for the meltdowns at supper time that night. I am not sure my nerves could have handled sitting in a basement knowing my children would also be evacuated and that I would not be with them. God is Good.
An upside to our Annual Meeting conference is that the church plant our family and our congregation have been working at since 2004 has now officially been voted into conference. We are now officially a recognized church. YAAAAY!
The flip side of that, and the hard part for me, was that the entire time we were at conference, starting Thursday and continuing through the sermon on Sunday at church, people from the podium continued to point us out and state "You really ought to get to know these people! They have great stories to tell! They are doing great things and YOU need to go introduce yourself and get to know them."
I was SO thankful thankful that people in conference know we exist. However I was SO thankful for the drive home. I am an outgoing introvert. I LOVE meetings but talking to new people in person is often a big stretch for me. It taxes me. It is good for me and I am capable of carrying on a conversation, but it takes a lot out of me.
I was so thankful for the drive home because I knew that even if we got out of the van and I met new people I would NOT HAVE TO TALK ABOUT MYSELF or my church! I love my church. I love the work God is doing. I love getting to know people. I love that many in conference now have our faces to put with the name of our church. . . However, every other turn of a corner someone else would bump into me and start talking to me like I had been their friend for years and that they knew everything about the surface of me and would thus start asking the deeper questions. I am thankful that people in our conference now know we exist but I am grateful to be home so I don't have to talk about myself or my church anymore unless I choose to do so.
It's so good to be home, even if the treadmill of life is already moving beneath me.
My kids think so too. My oldest ran in the house and grabbed his new light saber which we would not let him take. My second ran to the bedroom and started some nice car races on the town floor mat. Then my youngest ran from toy, to shoes, to toy, to toy, to shoes, to highchair, to shoes, to toys......squealing in delight like it was Christmas. :) I have managed to get everything put away, the dishwasher ran (that I had forgotten to start!!!) and a few loads of laundry through the machines.
It's good to be home, even if fresh towels and made beds don't automatically appear every evening when we return. :)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Curiouser and curiouser!
There is a magical force with in this world wide web that sucks in innocent people and doesn't allow them to look at a clock until they must hop up and move in fast motion!
However, my new addiction to adding gadgets has given you a quick glance at my family. My puzzlement is that the order in which everything to the right appears at this moment is NOT the order I placed them in on my design page. In fact the order I see on my homepage is not even how they are seen on my design page.
I am hoping that if I log out and walk away it will remedy that for me. :) It should be "about me", picture of me, picture of him, otto, abram, gracie, archives.
We shall see.
However, my new addiction to adding gadgets has given you a quick glance at my family. My puzzlement is that the order in which everything to the right appears at this moment is NOT the order I placed them in on my design page. In fact the order I see on my homepage is not even how they are seen on my design page.
I am hoping that if I log out and walk away it will remedy that for me. :) It should be "about me", picture of me, picture of him, otto, abram, gracie, archives.
We shall see.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Comfy in My Own Skin.....errr, ummm.... Van.
I feel like I have searched most of my life for confidence in who I am. For confidence. For the even more important: competence. I tend to be a follower. I tend to rebel against the super popular but still have often searched for affirmation in the average. I do not have this mastered 100% of the time, but today I was thankful that it is becoming more and more natural.
It's our first mini-van. We purchased it for next to nothing late last fall. More often than not, while we have owned it, the drivers side door has been locked shut....forcing me to crawl through the passenger door or the kid door. By kid door I mean, passenger side back door that opens like car door instead of like a normal sliding van door.
This past week my father-in-law and hubby managed to get the drivers side door unlocked. :) However, after they reattached the plastic which covers all the mechanisms and after they screwed the door back in, the metal piece slid off of the inside handle leaving it disabled. So in order to open my car door I now have to put the window down and pull the outside handle. Believe me! This is much preferable to climbing through the van many, many, many times while on a car trip to do errands!
Today, I was driving around my very busy little small town during the lunch hour watching people watch me and my van. I had two cute elderly men smirk at me while I reached out to open the door. I also had some highschoolers verbally express what a pathetic little ugly van it was.
I was driving around feeling a sense of pride. Nope, my van is not new. It has not a single bell or whistle (but has 4-wheel drive--which where I live is more important to me), it is far from pretty (we bought it with lots of white paint over rusted areas)..... but it drives, it's reliable, my family fits in it and they don't even have to touch if they don't want.
The radio program was talking about suicides in the military. The next segment was talking about heliocopter parents who bubble wrap their children. The discussion was about how the generations growing up today seem to have a silver spoon in their mouths and a sense of entitlement and too frequently get out of highschool without ever getting injured or experiencing any failure. They often don't know how to recover from failure, from mishap, from even little disappointments. They have not had the opportunity to develop emotionally when it comes to the negatives of life and then have a very hard time adjusting when they are suddenly told they are now a grown up and no one is there to bail them out or tell them the safest path to take.
I was wondering if my life were bubble wrapped and packaged in nothing but the very best and the very expensive and the most popular, culturally accepted items...... would I even be able to drive this vehicle? Instead of driving a very adequate vehical and counting how many ways it blesses me and my family, would I be griping and grumbing? Would I be shrinking down so no one could could see me? Would I be horrified to open up the non-sliding back passenger door? I surely would not have been able to have coped with a driver side door that did not open the entire winter or even worse, the very soggy spring.
The other day I was car pooling a young elementary student. A belt squealed as it does every time I turn it on. The young 7 year old boldly and quite rudely announced "Man, what was that? Why don't you get rid of this piece of junk and get a new one." I used it as a teaching moment to express that not everything in life is disposable just because other people think it is too old or ugly. I also gave mini-lessons on gratitude and being respectful of others with the things we say.
I am thankful that I am not ashamed to drive a less-that-culturally-acceptable vehicle. I am thrilled that I no longer have to squeeze three children into the back of our little VW golf, telling my oldest to lean toward the middle so that when the door hits his car seat squishing it inward, he will not get hurt. I am thankful that I am confident enough in my blessings to block out the negative talk, the put-downs and the media bombardment that says my vehicle is NOT adequate. I am thankful that I have not been bubble-wrapped and that the knocks along my path have allowed me to be content with the life I have, just as it exists.
I just wish everyone could experience such freedom to not be controlled by what others think of them. There is such freedom and blessings in this confidence/contentment indeed.
I was driving around today in my 1995 Mazda MPV.
It's our first mini-van. We purchased it for next to nothing late last fall. More often than not, while we have owned it, the drivers side door has been locked shut....forcing me to crawl through the passenger door or the kid door. By kid door I mean, passenger side back door that opens like car door instead of like a normal sliding van door.
This past week my father-in-law and hubby managed to get the drivers side door unlocked. :) However, after they reattached the plastic which covers all the mechanisms and after they screwed the door back in, the metal piece slid off of the inside handle leaving it disabled. So in order to open my car door I now have to put the window down and pull the outside handle. Believe me! This is much preferable to climbing through the van many, many, many times while on a car trip to do errands!
Today, I was driving around my very busy little small town during the lunch hour watching people watch me and my van. I had two cute elderly men smirk at me while I reached out to open the door. I also had some highschoolers verbally express what a pathetic little ugly van it was.
I was driving around feeling a sense of pride. Nope, my van is not new. It has not a single bell or whistle (but has 4-wheel drive--which where I live is more important to me), it is far from pretty (we bought it with lots of white paint over rusted areas)..... but it drives, it's reliable, my family fits in it and they don't even have to touch if they don't want.
The radio program was talking about suicides in the military. The next segment was talking about heliocopter parents who bubble wrap their children. The discussion was about how the generations growing up today seem to have a silver spoon in their mouths and a sense of entitlement and too frequently get out of highschool without ever getting injured or experiencing any failure. They often don't know how to recover from failure, from mishap, from even little disappointments. They have not had the opportunity to develop emotionally when it comes to the negatives of life and then have a very hard time adjusting when they are suddenly told they are now a grown up and no one is there to bail them out or tell them the safest path to take.
I was wondering if my life were bubble wrapped and packaged in nothing but the very best and the very expensive and the most popular, culturally accepted items...... would I even be able to drive this vehicle? Instead of driving a very adequate vehical and counting how many ways it blesses me and my family, would I be griping and grumbing? Would I be shrinking down so no one could could see me? Would I be horrified to open up the non-sliding back passenger door? I surely would not have been able to have coped with a driver side door that did not open the entire winter or even worse, the very soggy spring.
The other day I was car pooling a young elementary student. A belt squealed as it does every time I turn it on. The young 7 year old boldly and quite rudely announced "Man, what was that? Why don't you get rid of this piece of junk and get a new one." I used it as a teaching moment to express that not everything in life is disposable just because other people think it is too old or ugly. I also gave mini-lessons on gratitude and being respectful of others with the things we say.
I am thankful that I am not ashamed to drive a less-that-culturally-acceptable vehicle. I am thrilled that I no longer have to squeeze three children into the back of our little VW golf, telling my oldest to lean toward the middle so that when the door hits his car seat squishing it inward, he will not get hurt. I am thankful that I am confident enough in my blessings to block out the negative talk, the put-downs and the media bombardment that says my vehicle is NOT adequate. I am thankful that I have not been bubble-wrapped and that the knocks along my path have allowed me to be content with the life I have, just as it exists.
I just wish everyone could experience such freedom to not be controlled by what others think of them. There is such freedom and blessings in this confidence/contentment indeed.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Baking Soda
A while ago I intended to purchase the ingredients I needed to make our own laundry detergent.
I KNEW I needed LAUNDRY soda and not baking soda. It was recommended that Arm and Hammer made such a product and the store I would be going to carried it. I LOOKED HIGH AND LOW and then right next to the Borax (another ingredient in the recipe) I saw it. I grabbed it. With boys starting to push each other, and their little sister, in the cart I read it over quickly saw the words "laundry" and "soda" and threw it in the cart and we were quickly on our way to nap-land.
I mixed up my detergent at home and it was not working all that well..... I looked at the box and clear as day it read "BAKING soda" Ugggg.
A friend recently pointed me to this blog entry. I found it helpful and perhaps some of you might too. With soap products so plentifuly I have rarely made my own. I find that a keen eye on advertisements can help me come by cleaners pretty inexpensively. But, I am one the subscribes the the idea that the world we currently know is not always going to be this way. Economies are beginning to crumble around the world and that will set off a domino affect that will certainly affect most of our lives. These are simple ways to use simple ingredients to do simple cleaning without giving other people much money for cleaning supplies.
Here is the link: 40 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda
I KNEW I needed LAUNDRY soda and not baking soda. It was recommended that Arm and Hammer made such a product and the store I would be going to carried it. I LOOKED HIGH AND LOW and then right next to the Borax (another ingredient in the recipe) I saw it. I grabbed it. With boys starting to push each other, and their little sister, in the cart I read it over quickly saw the words "laundry" and "soda" and threw it in the cart and we were quickly on our way to nap-land.
I mixed up my detergent at home and it was not working all that well..... I looked at the box and clear as day it read "BAKING soda" Ugggg.
A friend recently pointed me to this blog entry. I found it helpful and perhaps some of you might too. With soap products so plentifuly I have rarely made my own. I find that a keen eye on advertisements can help me come by cleaners pretty inexpensively. But, I am one the subscribes the the idea that the world we currently know is not always going to be this way. Economies are beginning to crumble around the world and that will set off a domino affect that will certainly affect most of our lives. These are simple ways to use simple ingredients to do simple cleaning without giving other people much money for cleaning supplies.
Here is the link: 40 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Not in the Plans!!!
At the beginning of June I had 3 days with nothing written on in my June Calendar. I knew it would busy.
My father-in-law, who doesn't visit very often, is up visiting this week. It's been nice to see him and fun to watch the kids love on him. In the interest of hospitality I have simply laid aside tasks that I normally would have taken care of right away. My piles are HORRENDOUS!
All week I have known that today my oldest would go to his last day of swimming with the public school kids. The moment he got off the school bus Papa would load him and his brother up in the van and wisk them off to the opening show of TOY STORY 3. They would eat popcorn for lunch, then go to Mc Donald's playland for Happy Meals and playtime. They would come home to rest and then would go back to a race car race this evening. My plan: take care of my 20 month old Gracie (who's pretty easy) and go NINJIA on my house.
Then................ last night I started getting abdominal cramps and other not-so-polite-to-mention symptoms. We took our children to the local fair, celebrated my soon to be 6 year old's birthday a wee bit early. (We will be traveling to our annual church conference meeting on his birthday next week.) I had cramps the entire time but did okay.
Last night was HORRIBLE. Issues on the toilet while holding a puke bowl to boot. Today I am miserable and am looking at my trashed house become more and more trashed. I walk a mere 3 feet and go running to a toilet.
I just watched my 2 youngest with these symptoms. They lasted 5-6 days!
This is NOT my plan for today, or tomorrow, or Sunday when I have to teach 3 & 5 yr old Sunday school.
But I as always I am finding the silver lining. I am thrilled to catch up on some curriculum reading while it is quiet..... you know when I am not wincing in pain from the cramps or tossing the blanket on or off depending upon what my fever is currently doing. I am figuring out more about the TOS Crew which seems to be trying to take over my life whether I am ready or not.
Blessings in dark places, reminds me of a verse in my favorite Bible passage (Isaiah 45).
This too I shall overcome.... now if I can just manage to get the girl to stop climbing on me or grabbing my books while I am trying to read them.
My father-in-law, who doesn't visit very often, is up visiting this week. It's been nice to see him and fun to watch the kids love on him. In the interest of hospitality I have simply laid aside tasks that I normally would have taken care of right away. My piles are HORRENDOUS!
All week I have known that today my oldest would go to his last day of swimming with the public school kids. The moment he got off the school bus Papa would load him and his brother up in the van and wisk them off to the opening show of TOY STORY 3. They would eat popcorn for lunch, then go to Mc Donald's playland for Happy Meals and playtime. They would come home to rest and then would go back to a race car race this evening. My plan: take care of my 20 month old Gracie (who's pretty easy) and go NINJIA on my house.
Then................ last night I started getting abdominal cramps and other not-so-polite-to-mention symptoms. We took our children to the local fair, celebrated my soon to be 6 year old's birthday a wee bit early. (We will be traveling to our annual church conference meeting on his birthday next week.) I had cramps the entire time but did okay.
Last night was HORRIBLE. Issues on the toilet while holding a puke bowl to boot. Today I am miserable and am looking at my trashed house become more and more trashed. I walk a mere 3 feet and go running to a toilet.
I just watched my 2 youngest with these symptoms. They lasted 5-6 days!
This is NOT my plan for today, or tomorrow, or Sunday when I have to teach 3 & 5 yr old Sunday school.
But I as always I am finding the silver lining. I am thrilled to catch up on some curriculum reading while it is quiet..... you know when I am not wincing in pain from the cramps or tossing the blanket on or off depending upon what my fever is currently doing. I am figuring out more about the TOS Crew which seems to be trying to take over my life whether I am ready or not.
Blessings in dark places, reminds me of a verse in my favorite Bible passage (Isaiah 45).
This too I shall overcome.... now if I can just manage to get the girl to stop climbing on me or grabbing my books while I am trying to read them.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Invaders
Once upon a time, a few months ago a friend posted an invite on her facebook to tryout for TOS (The Old Schoolhouse) Crew. I bombarded her with questions and it sounded amazing. Basically TOS Crew is an opportunity to receive homeschool curriculum for free to review. These reviews are then posted in various locations (blog, forums, facebook, twitter, word of mouth) as a means of promoting the product. DID I MENTION FREE HOMESCHOOL TOOLS, TOYS AND CURRICULUM??? It all comes from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. :)
So I tried out by writing two reviews and I'm in.
I've signed up on the super secret, super private TOS Crew forum.
I've printed off my TOS Crew Handbook and read the first two pages (you know before the little people started to give me the impression they were ready for bed).
I've even had two TOS FIRST MATES visit my blog! AMAZING that ANYONE visits MY pathetic and very ugly blog. (I'm hoping to get help for that!) And I am curious as to who MY First mate will be....
I have a new place to learn a ton about homeschooling......errrr, ummmm... in the last 2 days I have learned some out there prefer the term: home educating.
I have had new facebook friends
I have had new twitter friends, oh wait. Ummm what is if someone likes you on Twitter. OH! They FOLLOW you. (I'm hoping to get help for Twitter too.)
There is much excitement in the TOS world. It's kinda weird. You know weird in a invasive but fascinating way.
Which reminds me of the title of this blog and the part where I start to get all my day's words out. :) As a kid I was more of a tom boy than a girlie girl. (I am changing however into a nice girly farm girl.) I grew up playing with the only kids I knew in my area: two boys! They would try to gross me out and I would thicken my skin and prove that I could be as big of a tom-boy as they could be a boy! They would throw insects at me and I would watch them fall and be fascinated that such little creatures were made so complexly, so magnificently, so perfectly. You know, multiple colors, perfect body proportions and the tiniest joints you've ever seen. I LOVED BUGS AS A KID. I loved them more in college studying them in my science classes and realizing that every tiny little part of them is perfectly created! I love teaching children how bugs are not for us to be afraid of but rather how helpful, beneficial and usually not harmful.
So when I say this next part, you are out there reading ---my new fellow TOS Crewmates--- please do not be offended. . . . . but,
you all are kind of creeping into my life like a bunch of fascinating, invasive bug like critters.
I'm a wee bit alarmed at all the corners I keep finding you but then I stop and look and see very unique, wonderfully made critters that I can't wait to meet and work with (like an ant farm... tee hee).
I have not been around long enough for any of you critters to bite me yet.... then I might have a different opinion.
OR....... perhaps if I do get bitten or stung I will realize that it is my fault...much like a person being stung by stepping on a ground bee. I apologize in advance for I do tend to speak my mind and those who are more delicate when it comes to accidental shoe prints might get squished a bit. However, something tells me there are sheriff bugs around to keep me in line when I start to step a bit too hard. Just a feeling that I have.
So, to my fellow TOS peoples, thank you for letting me stare and acclimate to your critterness at first. I promise, once I start to flap my wings you will rarely wonder what I'm up to. The only thing I usually leave people wondering is what crazy, odd, bizarre thing I might say or do next. Just like catching a bug.... it's all a matter of snapping the next witty comment out there quickly while no one is suspecting it. :)
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