Blog Walk! Blog Walk!

(Thanks to Debbie, over at Debbie's Digest for the great picture)

Oh YAY!!  Vistors are coming!  Visitors are coming!

I made the TOS Blog Walk list this week.  YAAAAAY!!

Welcome to all of you stopping by for the first time.

My blog posts are divided into Homestead, Homeschool and Reviews and you can easily access them on the top tabs.  :)

On the right you can find the link to how I came up with the name to my blog as well as how Hubby and I met.  :)  There's also a search box on the right side if you'd like to seek something out (like Blog Walks or Blog Cruise or Mennonites).  Sorry that I've not created "zany" "embarrassing" or "boring beyond all get out" labels..... you'll just have to find those yourselves.   :)

Thanks for stopping by and please leave me a comment and follow my blog so I know you've been peeping through my posts.  :)r

I hope you enjoy your stay.

Now onto my the normal Blog Walk Introduction!!  

Blog Walking is a great way to meet new people and' read about their experiences homeschooling.  You might find someone who schools or thinks like you.  You might find great information on a new resource, curriculum or teaching technique. Blog Walking is a great way to learn more about the world of home education.

Please click around on the links below and feel free to leave a message or two if you feel led.  We bloggers like to see that other homeschoolers have found us and like what they have read.

This week's Blog Walk List:

1. Homeschooling In Nova Scotia, Canada
2. Clever Title TBA
3. Until the Day Dawn Weblog
4. RubySlippersSchool.com
5. Smooth Stones Christian
6. Clothesline Musings
7. Four Little Penguins
8. Laurie's School Days
9. Sunshine to Flowers
10. One Big, Healthy Family

Times Alive Software from City Creek Press - A TOS Review

Recently, as a member of The TOS Homeschool Crew, 

our family received an Instant Download of

 from City Creek Press.

City Creek Press claims:    Our “Fun Way” approach to addition and multiplication tables engages students by connecting facts to visual images, stories, and songs. Learning becomes a joyful – and unforgettable – experience!  Times Alive...

• Increases retention to 95% with our interactive method
• Eliminate boring repetitive drills once and for all
• Brings success to students with learning disabilities

Check out this video to catch a glimpse for yourself.


City Creek Press offers about 20 original products that make math learning fun for students. Among these are products to help children memorize addition and multiplication by using animated cartoons, fun music, stories and images that stick in the child's mind to help them remember basic facts.

Times Alive is one of those products.

Here is an image and the summary for 4x4:

 Here are those thirsty sixes (36) from the video:

 And here is Gracie's favorite.  She's only 2 but she thinks the snowmen are cute.  The rest of us are a bit puzzled at how snowmen could actually "be cold" and why they would think it a good idea to build a fire.  The great thing about mnemonic devices is that they don't have to make sense, they just need to stick in your brain so that you can remember the fact.  Otto (6.5 years old and not through all his addition facts yet) knows this one well.

If you would like to watch more visits you may visit the Times Tables The Fun Way Channel on Youtube by clicking the link.

Our family received the Microsoft Download of Times Alive to use for this review.  It downloaded wonderfully with my Windows 7 machine and we have had no troubles with it to date.  I love the fact that this is a download which means our family will get to use it for many children.  :)  Hip hip hooray!


Times Alive is more than just fun songs and fun videos.  After each introductory video (like the one above) and accompanying song, the child is presented with practice problems.  Once they have moved through a few different types of problems (x0, x1, 3x3 & 3x4 come first) they are then given an assessment.

The child works through the assessment with a timer running.  When they click the "Next" button to signal that they are finished with the test the program scores it and gives immediate feedback.

The child can then immediately move onto the next facts presented.  Some facts have a video and music, some just have a video, some have coloring sheets to color using the computer mouse.  One of the assessments was like a jigsaw puzzle.  The program allows the student to log in and it then tracks their progression and their assessment scores.  You can also go back and re-visit previously watched videos and music clips if you would like.  The program also allows for the teacher to clear the data from assessments so that children can retake them.  Printing the assessments is also an option for those students who just need to hear the pencil scratching on paper.
 
Times Alive Software for Windows PC 
or 
Times Alive Software for Apple 
Instant Downloads
costs $44.95.

For our family of three children, this breaks down to less than $15 per child to painlessly teach them multiplication which I still remember my tears from trying to learn and re-learn as a child.

I want to be honest with you as I always am.   I was VERY apprehensive about this program when I received it.  My oldest is 6.5 years old.  He LOVES math.  We are actually a bit more than 1/2 way through a very popular math curriculum in the second grade level, despite him being in 1st grade.   I was afraid of really confusing him with this product since we have still not covered how to ADD all of the addition facts.  I was encouraged to just try it and my mouth nearly hits the floor each time I watch him use this program.

Now, HE CAN HONESTLY MULTIPLY a fair number of facts.  The world beats into our head that children DO NOT learn multiplication until they are in 3rd grade when their cognitive skills shift to accommodate this kind of thinking.  I want to tell you my 6.5 year old is thriving on the way this program is set up.  I may not introduce one of the old fashioned "multiplication tables" to him until he has completed the entire program for fear of frightening him!

My 2 and 4 year enjoy watching just as much, but they get shussshed a lot when it's time for Otto to fill in the problems.

I asked Otto what his favorite part of the program was and he told me "watching what kind of funny thing the numbers are going to be doing next."  I asked him what he liked the least and he said "doing the tests and problems."  I smirked and had to tell him that "Yes, indeed no matter how fun life can be there are still hard parts that are less fun that we just have to muster through."   My observation however is this, he has rarely struggled with the assessments.  He is sometimes slow because, again, we have not had some of these facts in the world of addition yet, but he gets through them very, very well.

There are a couple of things that fall onto my wish list however. 

I wish that the program took just a little bit of time to explain what multiplication is instead of just presenting was to memorize the facts.  As it stands it does teach the facts, and very well, but it never explicitly states that multiplication is the adding together of groups.  As an example: 4 x 4 is actually counting 4 groups of 4 items.   I know that this is easy to teach with a simple introduction lesson but it would be nice if that introduction were included in this program.

My other big wish is that a downloadable scope and sequence of the program for parents and homeschoolers was available as part of the program or on the website.  Scope and Sequences provide me, the teacher, security that we are covering it all and help me know when we are covering what facts, without making me blindly trust that the program "covers it all."  The program does include lesson lists but they are not printable and I could not get my screen shot function to work.  For homeschoolers who need to present proof of what a curriculum covers it would be helpful to have this S&S in the program or even ON THE WEBSITE for those who would like to look over it before purchasing the product.  I know many homeschoolers with tight budgets who will absolutely NOT make a purchase unless they can first access a scope and sequence.

The other point is almost too trivial to mention.  I make this point to the vendor thinking that I am not the only one out here that struggles with this very minor point.   When quiting the program the student clicks on a blue X that says "Quit."  A box pops up that says "Do you want to quit?" and provides two buttons: a BLUE YES and a RED No. I understand that we are clicking two blue buttons and that their colors match in order to stop the program, but the world we live in teaches us from the time we can walk that RED MEANS STOP, QUIT, NO MORE, DANGER.    I am forever clicking the Red "No" I don't want to quit button instead of the BLUE "Yes" I want to quit button.  In a perfect world all buttons that mean "Stop" will be red but I am a very visual and color coded kind of girl and this is such a teeny, tiny minor issue that I struggle with that in no means affects the wonderfulness of this program.  :)

I would recommend Times Alive to EVERY CHILD who needs to learn multiplication, ESPECIALLY if they lean toward musical or visual learning.  It would be wonderful to reinforce facts with children who are already struggling and if you are a homeschooler who has not yet taught multiplication....... why try anything else!  This program takes away most of the pain.  In fact it is helping ME remember some of those stubborn facts that just never seem to stick like 7x8.  :)

City Creek Press sells many products related to Times Alive and Times Tables the Fun Way.  HERE is a link to their product page which includes activity sheets, posters, audio CD's for the car, Teacher manuals, magnetic story boards, clue cards and more.

City Creek Press also carries products for "Addition the Fun Way."  They do not yet have videos and music for this (too bad as I have 2.5 kids who would LOVE IT!!).  The main addition product is the Addition book which costs $19.95 and an audio CD for $12.95. I hope they are working on videos and software for the addition facts as well.  

Now, don't just take my word for it, hop on over to the TOS Crew Website to see what others have to say.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:  I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Homeschool Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.

Old Fashioned Christmas Tree

I am giggling.   I am trying to make myself get a review written and keep finding myself distracted.  

I ran across this draft and thought NO WAY!!!  DID I NOT PUBLISH THAT???

For the sake of having a HAPPIER post on top of my blog I think I'm going to hit publish.

I want you to know............    

Not ONLY did I NOT PUBLISH it, but I never finished writing it.

Do you want to know what???    

After last week, I don't have time to finish writing it now, but I am pretty sure the pictures that I attached can speak for themselves.  I think my plan was to type out instructions for you all to explain how we created all of our hand made ornaments.   If that is what you desire and if you can not figure out what we did from the pictures then leave me a comment with your questions and I will get back to you.  :)

If not, MERRY CHRISTMAS.............  (snicker, snicker, giggle.)

(OH my, I think my blog is just plummeting down hill!!)

==========================================

==========================================

 December 23, 2010
Hubby chopped down a tree several weeks back.  It is not the most robust tree but the longer you look the cuter it gets.  It's a nice good old fashioned tree.  The more I looked at it the more I realized there was no way I could get myself to put store bought ornaments on it.

So we ramped up *Craft Time* and started creating.

First we made paper chains.  Then we cut out paper snowflakes.  Then we started to glue craft sticks together and then applying glitter.  Once those steps were dried we glued clothes pins on the back so we could just clamp them onto the tree branches.








The next thing we made were cutout ornaments that have a bit of a stained glass affect.  I can't believe I lost the link to where I got this craft from.  If you have seen it someplace else, please let me know so I can credit the right place.  It might have come from The Crafty Crow.  If not you should check that link if you are interested in kid friendly Christmas crafts!

This is not the best picture but first you trace a cookie cutter on some construction paper.  Then you use a hole puncher to punch holes all over.  Next you rip small pieces of tissue paper and glue them over the holes on the back side.  Attach a string or paper clip to hang them on the tree and when there is light behind them they are extra pretty.

Weekly Wrap-up

I am thinking about jumping on board with a weekly meme called Weekly Wrap-Up which is hosted by Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

I am so confused by this past week that I am feeling the need to type out what happened just so that I can prove to myself that a few days did not simply vanish from the timeline of my life.  I would love to be able to link to the Weekly Wrap-Up mentioned before, but I am not sure much of my post is actually HOMESCHOOL related and thus I will continue to ponder my future contributions.

Here is my week:
Sunday we worshiped at home.  I blogged about it HERE.  I knew that my father-in-law (FIL) would be coming to visit on Monday.  Most often grandparents arrive from their long car drives in the afternoon or evening.  I remember deciding not to do much on Sunday, to kick back and take it easy.  I remember thinking that my house looked lived in but my FIL knew that and that I merely needed to plan meals (I like to spoil him with yummy food as he is on the road often without access to home cooked goodness) and then I needed to clean the boy bathroom. The main occupants are two boys under 7... need I say more?

Monday:
The kids slept in until 7:30 or so.  Grandpa drove in at 8:30!!  I still had pajamas on.  I brushed my hair maybe an hour after he had been here.

Monday was a busy stressful day for me.  I REALLY wanted to provide good meals for my family and Pa Pa but I also wanted to be present WITH my family but I also had a crazy, busy Tuesday in store for me.  Tuesday would include: Women's Bible study, then some MUST do shopping, then a funeral, then a Master Gardening class, before collapsing into bed.

So Monday, I fixed breakfast and served it.   We did a belated Christmas.  I figured out lunch and realized there were many ingredients that I needed for my menu plan to work.  So I took a shower, ran to the store and worked most the day on meals for Monday (Lunch: Left overs; Supper: Chili) and Tuesday (Breakfast: Blueberry Coffee Cake; Lunch: Lasagna; Supper: Garlic Lamb).  Gracie was in our bedroom in the pack-n-play which meant that getting ready for bed was full of tiptoeing.

Then Tuesday began.  Hubby had taken Sunday night and Monday night off from his paying job and I was SO VERY THANKFUL that the children had both Hubby and Pa Pa at home.  Doing my Tuesday schedule with a 2, 4 and 6.5 year old in tow would have been VERY VERY HARD.

Tuesday looks better as a list:
1- Mix up coffee cake and get it in oven, shower and ready to be away from home ALL day, dress in funeral appropriate clothes, pack up, feed family and self (I often forget to feed myself) and take off.
2- Head to bible study with two phone calls along the way adjusting plans for the day.   Bible study was great.
3- Stop at a store for diapers and other needed items.  We were down to one pull up the night before.  Run through fast food for a fast lunch.
4- Met Hubby at the funeral of a cousin.  Attend funeral.  Attend refreshment/fellowship afterwards.
5- Rush home, change into REAL clothes (read: jeans and sweatshirt), rush as fast as the slick roads would let me to get to my Master Gardening class late.  :(
6- Sat watching a tele-lecture for 3 hours scribbling notes on paper due to a miscommunication about who provided the power point pages. 
7- Drove home, was met with some startling family news from Hubby who was listening to the State of the Union.
8- Worked on the house a bit, checked email and TOS for the first time since 8ish, ate some left over lasagna and tiptoed to bed.

(We're only at the end of Tuesday folks!!)

Tuesday night while I was in bed I was feeling like the lasagna was just not happy.  I did not sleep well and was uncomfortable.  At 5 AM, I had a bout of diarrhea and at 6 am I was sitting on the toilet again while puking in the garbage can.....

AND SO MY WEDNESDAY BEGAN.

Hubby snatched the Girlie out of the pack-n-play (as she was giggling) and handed her off to father-in-law.  He came back in, brought me a few requested items (like a puke bowl) and told me I could stay in bed until 5 P.M. when he would need to nap for his work stretch.  At that moment in time we BOTH thought that was PLENTY of time for me to overcome whatever my issue was.

Grandpa left for home around 9 A.M. and Daddy took over.  He cleaned up dishes and folded much laundry and got things picked up.  I had a hard time with him doing these sorts of things during the first 10 years of our marriage.  He does not pay attention to the same details as I do and it REALLY used to annoy me, somethings still do, but I have learned that some help is better than no help ever and I am now excited when he pitches in when I am in need.

Hubby also spent much time on Wednesday being substitute teacher in our homeschool.  We have been talking about Otto listening to NPR's Science Friday and then discussing what it had to say with him.  We understand much will be over his head but to expose him to the greater world of knowledge sometime merely HEARING information will set a lattice work that can later be built up.  They also listened to some current news programing that Hubby had pre-screened and they pulled out the globe to discuss the places and the issues being discussed.  Otto is just starting to be able to read library books as well and they read "Froggy's Halloween" together.  :)  Yay!  School time even while I was convinced I was dying in a non-terminal way.  :)

The entire day the aches and pains were horrific.  Hubby brought me my computer around mid-day so that I could check in with my closest friends.  We email every day and if we don't check in one is likely to get a phone call asking if you are alive.  I sent off an email to them and posted my TOS Review and am SO VERY THANKFUL that I had it worked up ahead of time. I finally got to the point where I could eat a bit and could take ibuprofen which allowed the pain to be controlled and allowed me to nap. 

By 5 P.M. I was on the couch, serving the kids leftover lasagna, feeling nauseated and incredibly weak and achy.  I managed to get the kids ready for bed, did the bedtime routine and napped on the couch until Hubby got up from a very quick nap.  I remember thinking "Ahhh, kids are in bed, I'll sleep through the night and start tomorrow feeling much better."

About 30 minutes later our 6.5 year old got up to use the toilet.... his mannerisms looked familiar.   I had actually closed my eyes, still on the couch, and heard him say something quickly, heard a gurgely coughing sound and watched the projectile lasagna vomit spew all over my living room carpet.   I then realized he was going after a "spit bucket" and as he continued on his mission he did it again.  I shot up and grabbed a towel and managed to CATCH the third vomit.  I grabbed a clean towel to put under him, wet towels to put on the chunk covered carpet, and gave him a "spit bucket."  I then rushed myself to the boy's bathroom (thankful I had cleaned it well on Monday) to dry heave myself!

About 30 minutes passed and Otto wanted to go back to bed, so off I sent him with a spit bucket.   Thirty minutes later he puked up the chocolate chip cookie bar, IN bed, while lying on his back and he DIDN'T REALLY WAKE UP.  I had to WAKE him and get him to climb down.  I had to keep waking him to get his jammers changed, get his hair wiped down, get him on the couch where I would not let him leave until 3 A.M.   I ran to find Hubby's alarm just starting to go off and told him I needed him up NOW that Otto was puking and I tossed myself down at OUR toilet (which was NOT clean) to do more dry heaving.  OY.

Hubby helped me a bit as he rushed off to work.  Otto seemed settled so I crawled into bed BEGGING for it to be over.   I did a LOT of begging with God Tuesday night.   I manged to sleep in 20 minute periods between running to Otto's side as he vomited or dry heaved on the couch.

At about 12:30 AM Thursday morning I heard boy number 2 crying and "coughing" in the bedroom.  YEP, I now had two.   I put them both on the couch with heads at opposite sides.... typed out a Facebook status requesting the "excitement to be at it's peak" and continued the 20 minute sleep stretches.

At 3 AM, Otto begged to go back to bed.  He had not thrown up since about 9:30 P.M. and could not really stretch out on the couch with his brother there, so I sent him back to his bunk with a spit bowl.  We all then slept from 3 until 7 when Gracie woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed.  I moved Abram to his bed with a spit bowl and he ended up sleeping until 11:30!!

The remainder of Thursday found me finding puke splatters and cleaning them up, cleaning bedding and clothing and using the best used gift my mother ever imposed upon us (her old carpet cleaner) on my carpet.  It took two carpet cleaner, SHOUT, dish soap, a scrub brush and dishwasher detergent IN the cleaner to remove those stains enough that they did jump out to anyone looking.  I could only work in 10 minute stretches.  My body was incredibly weak and I was having very weird sensations of pain.  I told my friends that it almost felt like I could feel my body cells exploding in their death from assault.  I know that is VERY over-dramatic but I can find no other way to describe the aches, pains and weakness from Thursday.

Hubby had been slightly affected by our illness as well with chills, aches and mild nausea.  He had only gotten a very small nap before working all night and driving quite a distance home.  He had gone off to bed and when he awoke he found a peppy little 2 year old girl bouncing between her 2 brothers and mom who were just reclined some place, not moving much and usually found wearing a distant stare.  I think that about describes the word: lethargy.  :)

Thursday night I went to bed PRAYING we would all sleep and from 10:30 P.M until 7 A.M I really don't think I moved.  It was wonderful.

Friday we FINALLY GOT TO DO SCHOOL, mama's way.  We read about the New Kingdom of Egypt and Four of the great rulers of that time.  We did our devotional and worked through our memory (Story of the World and memory verses including our Beatitude verse Matthew 5:3).    We picked a vocab word of the day from VocabAhead.  We did a reading lesson from Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and worked on a new TOS Review product called Reading Kingdom.  Otto learned how to tell time on a clock in 5 minute increments while learning his Times 5 Facts on another TOS Review Product called Times Alive (review to post Monday Jan 31).  He worked on Spelling at Spellingcity.com and watched some Speekee.  We were all still not fully back but it felt good to do school and get back to a more normal routine as I continued to dig out and remember what day of the week it was.

Saturday we did more of the above school.  Yep, we often skip a day during the week and do Saturday school.  We are gradually becoming normal and I think it was mid-Saturday that my appetite FINALLY returned.

Sunday is today.  We will be having an "Evening Service" of Worship at Home tonight.  Hubby has not been sleeping well during the day and was exhausted when he came home.  We will eat, clean up the house, get ready for bed and have church with kids in their PJ's right before bed.  It sounds like a lovely end to a very crazy, hectic, stressful and busy week.

... or would that be a beautiful beginning to a week that is prayerfully LESS eventful?

So..  if you are actually still reading this far down and if you are still curious about what other people did in SCHOOL this week why don't you run along to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers' WEEKLY WRAP-UP.

Perhaps in the weeks coming we might actually have a GOOD week of school with some FUN stuff included and I will jump on into the Linky-Tools at that Weekly Wrap-Up.  Here's to hoping....

---------------------------------

If you are a homeschooler and you are interested in typing up and showing off what your homeschool was up to during the week consider being a part of this meme.  Most post their wrap-up blog on Friday.  HERE is a link telling you more about Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up meme and how to make it happen.

The Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids - A TOS Review

Recently, as a member of The TOS Homeschool Crew, 

I received this very fun and beautifully produced
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids from
LifeWay Christian Stores.

This book is bright and colorful. It was designed to help children ages 5-10 better understand many of the words found in the Bible.  It has 224 thick glossy pages.  The hard covered book is 11 inches high, 8.5 inches wide and 3/4 of an inch thick. It contains over 750 words and 500 or more colored pictures which are placed beside the word and definition which describe them.

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids 

sells at LifeWay Christian Stores 

for $14.99.

My children look through this book for very long periods of time.

 We have played a "Bible Dictionary" I SPY game with it and I very much look forward to including the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids into both home Bible study and Sunday School.  Perhaps Hubby will begin to pull it into our Sunday Morning Worship at Home activities.

In the meantime, I know it will not be too far away from my oldest,
Otto, if ever I need to find it.    :)

Here are some peeks inside.  The first few pages contain some nice examples of the great aspects of this book.  Here is Abram holding it open for you to see the "Reconstructions" "Charts" "Entries" and "Pronunciation Guide" "Realistic Illustrations" and "Definitions"

Abram want to be the Apostle Simon.

 I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a Bible Dictionary for a younger child, it is a very nice sturdy, educational book.

If you would like to read more reviews of this product please visit the TOS Crew Website.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Homeschool Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.

Caaaaalgonnnnnnn Take ME Away: A TOS Blog Cruise

This week's TOS Blog Cruise topic is:  How Do You Avoid Burnout?

I think I still struggle with this.   I find that I struggle with being overwhelmed.  I want to do everything.  I want to do it better than anyone else and I want to have happy children who have no complaints and who are perfect.

You know what I think the first step to avoiding burnout is?  

HAVING REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS!

I am exactly who God made me to be.  My children are exactly who God made them to be.  Our family is exactly the way it is.  We are not the same as anyone else.  We have similar values but vary quite a bit from the average family.... and what is "average" anyway?

I think the first step to avoiding burnout is being realistic to who you are and who your family is and then planning and setting goals accordingly.   

I think another step then would be setting realistic OBTAINABLE goals.  

I think the most valuable step for me is knowing who I am and being SO CONFIDENT in who I am that I am not tempted with comparing myself, our school or my family with others.  There are some AMAZING things going on out there in the homeschooling world and you know what???  My family is STILL OKAY if we don't do those really cool things.   If we stick to who we are and what our plans are we will be just fine.  The glory of homeschooling is we no LONGER have to DO IT THE SAME WAY everyone else does it!  :)   

Non-conformity is so freeing!!!

Another step to avoiding burnout is being flexible to life and the Holy Spirit.  Yep, this does seem to contradict the above where I talk about having a plan!  You can have your plan but if you allow for wiggle room and being open to the spirit then burn out will not come as easily.  If you are all feeling crummy... take the day off.  If you are not flexible you are going to feel guilty for being behind.  If you KNOW ahead of time that there are going to be days where you just need to take a day to play with a visiting grandparent or just to have a pajama day with no demands then it rolls off your back and doesn't upset the emotional apple cart.  :)

So what do you do when you ARE OVERWHELMED?  

Here are some of my tricks:

* A nice hot cup  of tea or a special cup of peppermint flavored coffee

* The kids get a movie and I get to do computer stuff or read a book with earplugs in ......  if you can't actually GET quiet you can fake it.  :)

*  When Hubby is on his stretch off he lets me have time in "My Office."  What that doesn't tell you is that "My Office" is the large whirl pool tub we have in our master bath.  We used to rarely use it because it takes so much water and energy to fill it with hot water.  Now about once every 2 weeks I am able to escape with a dessert and tea and a movie and do nothing but sit there.   Now the really funny thing is that I'm not all that fond of baths (Shhhhhh, don't tell Hubby).  But it is the one place that I can go to and barely hear the kids and they can NOT come find me.    It is low on our gasoline budget and does not require me to purchase anything.  It is a super cheap escape for mommy.

What are some of your tricks to reduce that overwhelmed feeling?

What do you do to avoid burnout?

Would you like to read more?  Check out the TOS Crew site for links to this week's Blog Cruise where you can read many other posts from TOS Crew Members like me share how we avoid burnout.

Blog Walk! Blog Walk!

(Thanks to Debbie, over at Debbie's Digest for the great picture)

Blog Walking is a great way to meet new people and read about their experiences homeschooling.  You might find someone who schools or thinks like you.  You might find great information on a new resource, curriculum or teaching technique. Blog Walking is a great way to learn more about the world of home education.

Please click around on the links below and feel free to leave a message or two if you feel led.  We bloggers like to see that other homeschoolers have found us and like what they have read.

This week's Blog Walk List:

1. Learning Legacy
2. The Blessings Pour Out
3. Taylor's Mark Orthodox Academy
4. A Day in the Life
5. Pecan Prairie
6. Musing Grace
7. Milk and Honey Mommy
8. Adventures in Unsell Land!
9. Modest Mama
10. Orange Marmalade Mama

Sunday Worship at Home

Our church only meets on the first and third Sundays of the month. Most other Sundays our family has it's own worship service at home.

We pull chairs into the living room, sit in a circle and let “Take Our Moments and Our Days” as well as "Hymnal: A Worship Book" guide us.

 Today I wanted to give you some of the lyrics from our hymns and a few links to the tunes on YouTube (not us singing). 

Most of them were chosen by Hubby since we were more familiar with these than the hymns which the text had suggested.  When they are more familiar we find our children are more than willing to sing along when they know the words and tune.   There is nothing more precious to me than a child who sings along.  Today we were graced by Miss substituted from the texts as we were familiar with these which enabled the children to sing along.

Music is where God most often ministers to my soul. Meaningful lyrics that challenge me no matter how many times I've sung or read them push me to become more closely connected to my Savior.

So today we started with some old favorites:  Holy, Holy, Holy and then To God be the Glory.  Otto and Abram joined in on the chorus of the last one.  :)    

James 4:5-10 was read next.

⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
   “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  ⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

 We discussed what it meant to be proud and what humbleness looked like.  God is good and His timing is perfect as these are issues that our boys have been struggling with lately.

Then we had more singing and praying.

A newer hymn our family has been learning is "We plow the fields and scatter."   

This lovely one puts everything into perspective, giving God all the praise and credit.  

Here is verse one:  We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand.  God sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes and the sunshine and soft refreshing rain.   VERSE 2:  You only are the Maker of all things near and far.  You paint the wayside flower, you light the evening star.  The winds and waves obey you, by you the birds are fed; much more to us, your children, you give our daily bread.   VERSE 3:  We thank you, then Creator for all things bright and good.  The seed-time and the harvest, our life, our health our food.  Accept the gifts we offer, for all your love imparts and what you most would welcome, our humble, thankful hearts.  REFRAIN (sung after every verse):  All good gifts around us are sent from heav'n above.  We thank you, Lord, we thank you , Lord for all your love.

Next we sang "Praise Him, Praise Him."  I love this song.  It's bouncy like my personality can be on a very good day.  The lyrics are full of redemption and praise.  Here are a couple of my favorite lines:  "Sound his praises, Jesus who bore our sorrows, love unbounded, wonderful deep and strong"  and  "Christ is coming, over the world victorious, Pow'r and glory unto the Lord belong."   Power, Praise, Promise, Understanding, Hope "Unbounded Love," doesn't that about sum it up?

Next up we read the beatitudes.   You can read them here in Matthew 5:1-12.

We then ended in our sending anthem which we actually only sang verse one of. This song is in our Mennonite Hymnal.  I tried to find a version of it for you to hear it but since it is also dubbed the "African American National Anthem" I could not find a version that was well sung, WITH lyrics that was not filled with very emotionally stirring images.   We are not a family that skips over the hard history but I am not ready to post such really tough images here which might over power yourself. If you would like to search YouTube yourself feel free. I will tell you the best vocal rendition that is true to the WRITTEN score is a video done by the Balm of Gilead.  I will let you take it from there knowing that the pictures can be a bit profound.  

The song is a harder song to sing w/o a piano and the kids were squirming a bit more than average (at home) so we stopped at the end of one verse.  I would one reason it is found in the Mennonite Hymnal is that it is first off a beautiful vocal arrangement but also the words talk about times of overcoming persecution while being true to God.  Hmmmm, reminds me of Martyrs' Mirror.

Some day in the future I will write more about the beatitude project that we began today and will be working on for school.  If I forget you have permission to pester me.  :)

I have a super full week ahead of me with a visiting Father-in-Law, school, house projects, a funeral, a women's bible study, library story time, a review to be posted on Wednesday and my first "Master Gardener" course.   EEEEEKKKKKK!!

Praying you all have a Blessed Week.  :)

CSN Stores Giveaway

As I anxiously await my nearly free mixing bowls from CSN Stores to review I stumbled across an opportunity to possibly win $85 to spend at the CSN Stores. 

I also realize the site giving the $85 away is a really, really neat site.

There are 8 or 9 ways to get entries into this contest.

If you are interested in throwing your name into the hat to win $85 on whatever you want check out The Life of Riley.... and Bryce too.

If you want to explore the CSN Stores click HERE.

Pioneer Night - Cornbread Failure#1

Tonight was Pioneer Night.  Once every 2 weeks we shut all electricity off and experience the evening in the candlelit darkness.   Each week we start off with the children playing games while I cook.  Sometimes Hubby gets a game and I get a game.  Tonight they played a game of Toy Story 3 Yahtzee and then a game of normal Yahtzee.   There is something a little strange about mixing up corn bread by candle light and hearing a young child's voice from the kitchen table announce "I'm going to go for my Mr. Potato Heads!!"   :)

Tonight I cooked the entire meal on the woodstove from scratch.   Well, okay... ummm, so ....  I pulled a bag of ham juice and ham chunks out of the freezer for our ham and bean soup which had been frozen after a previous meal.  

During the afternoon I set my cast iron dutch oven on the wood stove with navy beans and water to simmer and soak.   Later on, while I was running an errand to exchange some mittens for our negative teen-twenty degree temps and picking up my school books for an upcoming Master Gardener class, I had Hubby drain the beans and then add in the ham juice and ham chunks.  It was a yummy (but very salty) bean soup.

I then tried my fate at cornbread.   I have read in many places that you can NOT DO CORNBREAD on a woodstove without an oven box.   I do not do well with people telling me "You CAN NOT."  I tend to rebel and strike out to prove otherwise.  I have heard of success with placing charcoal on top of and around the sides of the cast iron dutch oven, but I do not have charcoal nor a contraption to cook such a way when there is snow on the ground.

I was determined to create a cornbread'ish product for my family.   I mixed up my beloved recipe using the blue corn that I ground myself. I poured it into a large roasting pan.  My thought was that if it were thin enough it would cook through before it scorched.

Well, that was a great theory and for awhile it looked like it might have worked.  BUT.....then the bottom became as black as charcoal and the top was still a bit spongy. According to Hubby his was all out gooey.   So, the chickens will get a nice charred, blue cornbread'ish snack tomorrow and my "never give up" attitude is ready to mix up another batch and try to find success tomorrow.

For dessert Hubby cooked popcorn on the woodstove.   When I heard the popping I shushhed the kids so they could hear it too.  Abram announced "OH, that's just DAD!!" 

When the popcorn was done popping he poured melted butter onto it which had been heating in small pan that had been placed on top of the candle lantern.  That Hubby of mine is so smart!  It melted the butter like a charm.  :) 

 The children ALL loved their popcorn, YUM!

Photo by candlelight, without camera flash.

After supper the kids got into their pajamas and Hubby read a few more chapters in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House in the Big Woods."   We all giggled when it talked about the cousins being bundled up for their cold sleigh ride home when Ma Ingalls put hot potatoes in their pockets to help their hands stay warm.  *snicker*  SO THAT's what was missing today as we had a fun trip to an indoor sports center despite the temperature hovering between negative 20 and negative 10!

After the book we prayed and the boys went off to bed.   As I booted up the computer to type out this adventure I looked at Hubby and said, "Well, That solves it!!!   If the world has no electricity in the future and you want bread you're going to have to buy me a wood cook stove with an oven box."    After a quick discussion of how our sense of humor differs, we brainstormed how we might be able to get bread to bake with our current set up.

I think in the near future, I will try to put the cornbread inside a dish and then put that dish inside the cast iron dutch oven.  The dutch oven would act like an oven, radiating heat more evenly and in theory the bread should actually bake all the way through.
We shall see.  We shall see.

Stay tuned for more adventures of Pioneer Night and Cooking on the Woodstove.

Speekee - A TOS Review

Recently, as a member of The TOS Homeschool Crew, 

I received access to

Speekee is a Spanish Immersion program created in the United Kingdom for children aged 2-10 yrs.

This cute puppet is Speekee.

Speekee and his friends teach children Spanish as they adventure in each episode to new locations in Spain.  No English is spoken, although there are subtitles that may be turned on or off.  The program is complete immersion and utilizes a "Spiral Learning Approach."  This means that new language is presented and then revisited in future episodes while at the same time newer information is presented.  For this reason, the episodes need to be presented to children in order and it is beneficial if the earlier lessons are repeated several times prior to and after moving on.

MY CHILDREN LOVE SPEEKEE TV!   I was especially shocked to find that my TWO YEAR OLD loves it the most.

Not only do my children love these episodes but they have learned the songs (including the nature and tone of each character) and have learned many phrases that they then repeat at random around the house.

We DO LOVE Speekee.

I would highly recommend Speekee TV to anyone who would like to expose their children to Spanish.  I am not sure the program goes into grammar and writing in a way that would make a child "fluent" but
it is a great program to introduce the language.

A note I need to make is that the Spanish in this program is from Spain, which varies slightly at this level from the Spanish of Latin America.  However, the introduction level of these episodes would not likely vary all that much between the Spanish spoken in Spain and that spoken in Latin America.

Speekee TV is available for $7.50/month utilizing PayPal.
The first two weeks are free and you can stop your subscription at anytime with no minimum period or obligation.

Each television episode includes (toward the bottom of the page) a brief summary of the episode as well as some suggested activities to extend the lesson in fun ways at home.  Examples of these extensions would be to make sock puppets, to make tortillas, to look at a photo album and identify family members, to play dress up identifying clothing.  The activities are fun and help the children bring the lesson home in a fun and age appropriate way.

On the right of each episode page are several worksheets that can be printed.

Most of these worksheets are in black and white which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE.  Anyone who has read my blog knows that I really struggle with consumables and the expense of printing.  Many of these worksheets can actually be answered without printing and the fact that they are in black and white means that I am able to print them on draft mode of gray scale and can save my expensive and stringently used printer ink.  KUDOS TO YOU Speekee!

Speekee offers dvd's that are available in the PAL format.  Most machines in the USA use the NTSC format but some DVD players are able to play both PAL and NTSC.  If you are considering the purchase of these DVD's in the USA you will want to double check how your machine is formatted first.  This purchase includes the episodes, the songs and an activity book for £95 (that's 95 British pounds) via PayPal.

For those who would like to expose their children to children speaking in Spanish I would recommend subscribing to Speekee TV 
for a month or so. 

If you think it would be fun to learn some Spanish phrases and some really fun and catchy songs in Spanish you will LOVE SPEEKEE.

If you are looking for a program to teach your children spelling, grammar, conjugations and language rules this program will not do that.


Here are some of my wishes that would make this product 100% superb:
* An ability for those of us in the USA to download the product onto our computers for unlimited access.  This would allow each family to move through the 10 lessons at their own pace and would eliminate the "Do I want to pay for another month?" dilemna.
* An online forum where teachers and parents can go to ask questions and get feedback.  Such as what is the best way to correct pronounciation or what activities are others doing to complement these lessons?
* A script of the dialog for the parent to look at and possibly share with our visual learners.  The captions flash very, very fast and when the kids are spouting off phrases in Spanish around the house a quick reference for parents to check what they are saying and help them get it right would be very beneficial.
* More worksheets.  There are so many options out there.  I found the worksheets to be great but they do not really fit where we are as a family, they seemed minimal.  I bet a forum could produce many more sheets in a very short time. :) You know us homeschool moms..... we are always coming up with new stuff.
* An area to help educate the adult viewers simple facts about speaking Spanish.  Like mini-lessons about rolling the tongue, how *oo* sounds differently in Spanish, and how on earth the LL is pronounced.  (I still haven't grasped that one.)  Little lessons that would help teach the adults so that we can better guide their children through the lessons
* And I know that in the world of immersion flashcards are a bad thing but a vocabulary list that could help us label items in our homes to help us practice would be marvelous.

Please don't let my suggestions dissuade you from checking out Speekee TV it is a very, very fun program and a great introduction to help your children see how small the world really is.  

But don't take my word for it, check out the Speekee website see for yourself.

 Or check out this video on YouTube:

And if you are still not convinced, go ahead and sign up for a free 2 week trial.  You will have access to all 10 episodes, all of the helpful worksheets and the lesson activity suggestions.

If you would like to read more reviews of this product please visit
the TOS Crew Website.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Homeschool Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.

Maestro Classics: Peter & the Wolf - A TOS Review

Recently, as a member of The TOS Homeschool Crew, 

I received a beautiful CD from Maestro Classics.

Maestro Classics' Mission Statement says it all:  Maestro Classics™ is the ambassador of great music for both children and adults, helping them experience the art form in new and exciting ways. Through wondrous new recordings, innovative educational and performance materials, and uplifting live performances, Maestro Classics™ guides audiences as they expand their listening horizons and discover the magic that can only be called music.



Members of TOS Crew received
Peter and the Wolf.

Now, I must admit that this review was going to be a complete WIN for me or it was going to quickly bomb.  I had a large LP record of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf when I was a young child.  I have very warm and fuzzy feelings that center around this music.  I had actually forgotten all about it until we were told the CD would be coming in the mail.  I was hoping and praying that this product would allow me to share such warm, fuzzy and fun memories with my own young children.

I have to tell you.....Maestro Classics' Peter and the Wolf CD met all my expectations and more.

The music is as gorgeous as I remember.  The narration was a perfect fit: soothing to hear, engaging, yet it did not over power or distract.  The educational tracts were wonderful and just as engaging as the story itself for my 4 and 6 year old boys.  The accompanying booklet was beautiful and engaging.

My children LOVE this CD.  I can not play it without them acting out the story and then turning to tell me what instruments were used for each new character. 

I would highly recommend Maestro Music to anyone wanting to introduce Superbly performed Classical Music and classical stories to their family.
I feel it is appropriate for all ages.

CD's cost $16.98 each or $45 for three.

The Peter in the Wolf CD contains the following:
1- Peter and the Wolf with Narration
2- The Life of the Composer: Prokofiev
3- A Russian Peter
4- The Magic Maestro Talks about Peter
5- Peter and the Wolf without Narration
6- Invitation to Grandfather's Party
7-  Kalinka - Dance Along

You may listen to samples from each of these sections HERE.

Maestro Classics also has a new Educational Material Section.

Maestro Classics also sells CDs with the following stories:

The Tortoise and the Hare

The Story of Swan Lake

Juantia: The Spanish Lobster
Juanita la langosta española

Casey at the Bat

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

The Sorcerers Apprentice

Please check out Maestro Classic's website and be sure not to take my word for it.  Check out what other TOS Crew members had to say at the TOS Crew Website.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Homeschool Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.