His works in progress - Our Homeschool adventures!

While we were yet sinners....

A funny thing brought this verse to my heart today.  A really yucky thing actually.  So the kids' toilet overflows; not an earth-shattering event in and of itself, and definitely not the first time, but nonetheless a mess I sighed upon hearing the news of (MOMMY!  COME QUICK!  THE TOILET IS GOING EVERYWHERE!).  I pride myself on a rather solid knowledge of toilet workings and the often easy and quick fixes that can be applied in various situations.  Pride goeth before destruction...yes, yes, I know...  And I should have known right away to shut off the water valve, but the water was just pouring from this throne and I started plunging feverishly (I've got the thumb blister to prove it!) and barking out orders to my various apprentices (BRING ME THE WET VAC, STAT!  MORE TOWELS UP HERE!!) and so it was a minute or two (or 5) before I got that done (thanks for talking me through it SD!) and so the water ran through the floor or vent system or something to the bathroom and hallway below and so soon the two Bigs were dutifully dabbing up poo water on that level as well.  And why is is that toilets never overflow when someone has not just added something most unpleasant to it that was flowing all over my shoes and splashing back on me when I was furiously (and fruitlessly) plunging?????  (P.S.  I'm all clean and showered now). 

Any-hoo, in the midst of all the clean up from this we were definitely not at our best.  I kept my wits about me most of the time but when I found the girls still had not put away their clean laundry, I just lost it and started ranting and raving about that and every other fault they manifest in the course of our days together.  And they responded in kind, yelling and snapping at each other, the two biddles even resorting to shoving when someone's will was slightly thwarted.  And it was during all of this mess that I thought of Romans 5:8, KJV - " But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  I mean, as messy and literally in the muck as we were on this particular day, as much as I blew a perfectly good opportunity to show my children the love of God when none of us was acting like Him, God still looks on us with so much love that He is STILL glad He gave us His one and only precious Son to die in our place.  Man, could I stand to look at my own messy, mucky family that way.  EVERY DAY!  So it is with the utmost gratitude that I also remember Lamentations 2:22-23 - His mercies are new each morning.  Tomorrow I can wake up and start all over, mop in hand and joy in my heart...even if there is still muck in my shoes.   

FREE Audiobooks!!

I love my local library.  After tolerating a small one in our old neighborhood that barely tolerated us and our noisemaking book borrowers (I mean, why have a kids section if you really don't want kids in your library?), we found George Mason Regional Library, part of the massive Fairfax County Public Library system.  I can place a hold on books and they will e-mail me when they are ready to be picked up.  Which means they get the book(s) from some other branch and have it brought right to mine.  The kids section is huge, stocked with cute little couches and love seats and we never get "shushed" there!  You can renew online, borrow DVD's for free, and they e-mail you when your materials are due.  The staff is unbelievably friendly and they are always making little changes to make the check-out process smoother.  And I never get in trouble for late books.  The fines are very reasonable and they always tell me "don't worry about it - just pay next time you come in!"  But my latest discovery is by far the most remarkable.  You can check out a number of different audio books from their e-catalog and download them to your computer for a 21-day period.  OR you can burn them to discs for your listening pleasure.  We snagged The Swiss Family Robinson that way for our summer road trip and kept expressing our amazement that WE GOT THIS FOR FREE!!  Pun intended, you should definitely CHECK IT OUT!!

Oh, alright...I'll just start anyway

So I finally decided that I will never be as organized or as prepared as I want to be, or feel I need to be, to start up our home school year.  Halfway through the year I'm not organized like I want to be.  So even though I haven't inventoried all the books and straightened up the pencil basket or refilled the staplers, we're going to jump in...maybe next week, OK?  Did I mention we're building a deck? 

Is there nothing better?

Than a brand new box of Crayola crayons?  I was getting laundry detergent yesterday and couldn't resist the school supply section ("bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils...!") even though we are already well stocked.  There before me was a whole slew of 64-count Crayola's ON SALE!  I snagged one for each kid (even the 11 1/2 year old still can't resist the dreamy possibilities contained therein) and labeled each with their name so they wouldn't have to share or face the bitter disappointment of broken colors.  Man, I should have gotten myself one...  The 6 yo found her's at breakfast and her face lit up like it was Christmas.  She scurried to finish her victuals and then grabbed a stack of clean, crisp white copy paper and sat at the table and opened her box in rapturous anticipation.  She's humming away now while creating the latest masterpiece.  Does it get any better than that?

The only thing as cool is that we are putting on a fat new deck - my wonderful Dad is the designer, general contractor and all around amazing guy.  DH wisely decided it was time to take the plunge as the previous deck was quite literally falling off the house.  When the fellas took it apart, they found the wood it was attached to had been all rotted out and what not.  My dad said he couldn't believe it hadn't collapsed long before now!  The new masterpiece will have a screened porch and 3 deck levels and a stone patio (for the fire pit, of course!) - he's named each section for one of the 5 kiddos.  I will never forget the sight of my little man driving a bobcat.

Growing up, I had a well deserved reputation for being a "water-getter" when there were big yard or house projects.  In my defense, I should point out that my parents rarely (NEVER) did anything small, so we're talking dump truck loads of mulch to spread and the like.  That said, I hope to live down that infamy and get my hands dirty with the rest of them in this project.  And you can believe that I will not fetch anyone the first cup of water...

How cool is it to fix things?

This is random but I recently was able to fix a couple of things that had been bugging me.  We have these laminate covered cabinet fronts from Ikea (they were here when we bought the place) and I discovered I could write on them using wet or dry erase markers.  Perfect for a visual person like me!  People always laugh when they see my various to-do lists all over my kitchen cabinets.  After awhile, ghost marks started to be left behind and I couldn't remove them.  I searched around online and found the magic trick!  This works great if you've got a whiteboard stained with marker streaks and what not.  Spray with Spot Shot carpet cleaner (watch out for backsplash in your eyes!), let sit for a minute, and then wash off with a Mr. Clean magic eraser.  Voila!  My cabinets are shiny and clean, just like new!  And I treated them with a fine rub of mineral oil to resurface.

And then I had this old smoothie maker with a spout, etc that I thought was a goner.  I figured out that a small piece in the back had come off which triggered the safety mechanism.  A toothpick wedged down in there got it running again. 

Sometimes it's just neat to fix something, isn't it? 

Homeschool in the Woods: New Testament Activity-Pak

Homeschool in the Woods gave us the opportunity to review their delightful Hands-On History New Testament Activity Pak. I’ve been known to plug my ears at the mention of lap books, as I was sure they were only meant for those naturally crafty, creative people.  But you can’t go wrong with the Homeschool in the Woods projects.  I must say I was utterly amazed at the quality of the printables and the step-by-step directions, which are fully illustrated so you know just how it should look when you’re done.  I need that!  I had everything from the supply list already in my closet (glue sticks, double-sided tape, exacto-knife – that’s as exotic as it gets!).  I liked this one so much, I went right to the website and ordered the Old Testament version as well.  These are excellent things to do with multiple ages; the suggested age range for this project is 3^rd – 8^th grade.  The New Testament pak includes 15 projects that let the child get his “hands on” the life of Christ from His lineage and birth, miracles, parables, the Last Supper, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension, plus parables, fruits of the Spirit, prophecies, disciples and more!  They can also learn about Paul’s missionary journeys, put together their own “New Testament News,” (on a scroll, no less!), and try on their very own Armor of God. 

From the website:

Each of the Lap Booking project topics…incorporate creative writing, coloring, research, Bible study, and more. Designed to provide activities and encourage personal research on the topics, use it to accompany any Bible study or history program you are using!

In addition, the Activity-Pak contains a newspaper project, "The New Testament News"! Become a reporter during the time of Jesus! Interview famous Biblical characters, report on the scene, and share the stories of the miracles of Jesus in the lives of people He touched. Twenty-one articles have been titled for you to write about, including eleven fun advertisements to fill in and illustrate! Scattered throughout are also places for illustrations, maps, or whatever your creativity leads you to put there!

For just $18.95, you can download the entire pak and get started right away (or order it on CD for $19.95).  It would make a terrific summer project, or you could use it during your school year as a strong Bible and His-story study.  If your house is anything like ours, too often the extent of our Bible study, training and meditation is a story hastily read over the breakfast table with rambling prayers about and for everyone and everything under the sun.  So many times I have sought a more meaty and meaningful means of training up our children in The Way they should go.  The Homeschool in the Woods activity pack is a great way to really delve into vital spiritual truths and teaching with your family in a manner that will cement it in their hearts and minds, and that they can return to time and again as they grow and mature.  “Mom!  Remember when we made this?”  And still leave time for all those precious prayers….

Apologia Science

I was so excited to receive two great products from Apologia to review.  You mean there are actual scholars out there who believe in a literal 6 day creation (and the Creator behind it all!)?  Amazing!  Actually, I have long known that Apologia is the gold standard in middle- and high-school science curricula that is completely in alignment with Scripture.  Now they offer books that do the same thing for elementary age kids.  Exploring Creation with Zoology 1:  Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day by Jeannie Fulbright is part of their Exploring Creation series of books for elementary students that includes astronomy, botany and zoology.  It can easily be used with K-6^th grade and has great teacher prep, including a complete supply list for each lesson (not to worry – you have  these things on hand already!).   Each lesson contains beautiful full color photos of the animal under study, and answers to all of the narrative questions are in the back of the book!  Tucked inside the Introduction section are instructions to log onto a course website to “learn more about the animals discussed in this course.”  This little jewel launches a whole host of links including answers Dr. Jay Wile has given to other kids’ questions, and other sites that will thoroughly enrich your family’s study.   There are 14 lessons, most of which can be divided into two segments and each one including an experiment to put hands on the concepts and truths learned.  They replace the workbook format with more effective note booking and narration.  Older students can move more quickly through the book if desired. 

Exploring Creation with General Science 2nd edition is the second book we were sent for review. 

From the Apologia website:

Although it can be used for eighth grade (especially if the student has recently left the public schools), it is typically used best in the seventh grade.  This course is designed to be a student's first systematic introduction to the sciences. The course covers topics like the history of science, scientific method, designing experiments, simple machines, archaeology, geology, paleontology, biology, and human anatomy and physiology. Therefore, its scope is quite wide. There are many hands-on experiments to do, and they all use household items.

The second edition boasts several new features including more color, better drawings, links to advanced subject matter for older students, and an appendix with review questions for the whole course. 

Again, it is a beautiful, hard cover text, this one written by renowned Dr. Jay Wile, PhD in Nuclear Chemistry.  It comes with a separate tests and solutions book and you can also supplement the optional multi-media companion CD-rom (with such features of pronunciations of technical terms) and MP3 audio CD (the course in an audio format – perfect for auditory learners or those with learning disabilities). 

It’s so nice to know that we’re not stuck with science programs that are based on an evolutionary worldview, and that we don’t have to wait until junior high to start teaching our kids good, sound science.  Apologia has “created” excellent curricula that completely support a Biblical view of creation that will be a very valuable addition to your home school library. 

Rocket Phonics!

Oh my goodness – we received Rocket Phonics to review through the TOS crew and were amazed to find a big ol’ box chock full of goodies and an immensely thorough phonics program.   Included were spiral-bound Volumes One and Two (combination Readers and Teacher’s Guide), bunches of games and accessories (bingo chips, etc), two complete sets of laminated playing card-sized sound cue cards, and tons of tips, game ideas and teacher helps.  It’s particularly nice not to have to keep track of separate readers as you work with this program – they are built right in!  Author’s Stephen (M.D.) and Maureen Guffanti, home schooling parents themselves, include a Quick Start instruction page so you don’t necessarily have to read the entire Teacher Guide section to dive right in – it’s like they read my mind!  You will definitely want to come back to the complete teacher prep section later and read it through as it contains a solid explanation of both how to use this particular program as well as why you should teach phonics in the first place and what precisely “phonics” is!  The Guffantis note that 60% of kids are not natural readers and will really struggle with the many inconsistencies of the English language.  Rocket Phonics is recommended for kids up through the 2^nd grade reading level.  As many reviewers on the crew have noted, I missed the chance to try this with my bigger kids, but the littlest biddle will definitely have the opportunity to take ride on the phonics Rocket this coming school year!  What a blessing for her to have her very own, shiny new reading program!  Each step is essentially scripted out for you and so the books are easy to use.  I’ve learned with my dyslexic daughter that oftentimes a page full of black ink just looks like a bunch of squiggles to her and that the eyes struggle just to bring the letters and words into focus.  Rocket Phonics addresses that, too, by printing the words in medium tone blue ink (much easier for struggling trackers to latch onto) and highlighting new or difficult letter sounds, blends or combinations in dark gray. 

The program sells for $160, which is a chunk of change to be sure, but keep in mind that everything comes in the box, including readers.  In addition, when you order, they will send you via e-mail a host of “bonus gifts” for free.  You can see it in action by going to YouTube and typing in “Rocket Phonics.”  Customer support is unsurpassed as you can even call them up, have your child read to them over the phone and have custom made materials created to meet their specific needs!  Did you ever??   Rocket Phonics is a comprehensive program to consider, especially if you have a little one who is just ready to begin the reading adventure! 

Artistic Pursuits

Artistic Pursuits is another excellent line of products “written for home schoolers, by home schoolers!”  We reviewed Grades K-3 Book One, An Introduction to the Visual Arts.  

As I’ve mentioned on this blog before (and in every one of those “woe is me – here’s the list of what we’re NOT doing in our home school” sessions with other moms!), art is one of those things I

a) Don’t feel qualified to teach my children myself because I’m not skilled in it or “artsy” in any way

and    b) Oft consider a lesser priority than the “core” subjects.

I know, I know...shame on me.  In the past, we’ve supplemented with outside classes and snippets in Classical Conversations.  Author Brenda Ellis reminds us in the Parent/Teacher Information section that “anyone can offer this feast [art class = a feast for the eyes!] with minimal effort while students obtain maximum results.”  She includes tips throughout the lessons that appeal to the different motivating factors whether your child is a visual, auditory or a kinesthetic learner – or a combination of each (see:  our kids).  There’s a lesson for each of the 32 weeks of a standard academic year. 

From the website:

Lessons capture student’s interests and imaginations while introducing the fundamental principles of art, [and] are divided into three sections as follows: 

1.  What Artists Do: Ten lessons cover activities artists engage in when making art such as imagining and observing.  Students explore drawing and painting techniques, gaining experience in pencil, color, and brush work. 

2.  What Artists See: Seven lessons cover the elements that artists use in 2-dimesional and 3-dimensional works such as shape, form, and color. Students explore collage, paper works, and color mixing. Students gain experience in handling scissors, glue, and paper forms. 

3.  Exploring Ancient Art: Fifteen lessons cover ancient art from the cave paintings of

France to book illumination of the 13th century. Students see that art is more than just a painting on a wall. Cultures used it in different ways and for different purposes. Lessons expand students’ ideas of what art is and where it is seen. Students explore mural, pottery, low-relief, paper art, bookbinding, mosaic techniques and more.   

You will need supplies of course and you have the option of buying reasonably priced packages from Artistic Pursuits (do we really need another errand added to our long lists of places to go?  Your time is worth money too ladies!) or gather them from craft stores (I recommend AC Moore if you’re taking this option).  The book is very well written and thought out.  It sells for $42.95 from their website (which includes a 6-week No Risk Satisfaction Guarantee) or from The Old Schoolhouse store (free shipping!). 

Don’t neglect the fine arts as you and your child pursue a well-rounded education.  If classes aren’t an option for your family, Artistic Pursuits makes it easy for you to include the visual arts in your home school.  

Math Tutor DVD.com

Boy was I glad to find out about MathTutorDVD.com!  So far, I’ve been able to keep up with the math our kids have been doing, but No. 1 son is going to be entering the world of pre-algebra next year and I will soon reach the limits of my memory!  All of the Math Tutor DVD’s are taught by fully certified space shuttle flight controller, Jason Gibson, so you know he knows his stuff.  We reviewed two of their 20 DVD’s.  The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor is designed for elementary through middle school aged students and includes 8 total hours of instruction.  The instructor has a very calm but engaging teaching style.

From the website: 

This DVD teaches students how to easily tackle basic math word problems, and builds upon the foundation laid by the 1st - 7th Grade Math Tutor DVD.   After students learn a math skill such as multiplication or division, many are frequently confused on how to apply these skills to solve word problems. Word problems present the problem to be solved in sentence form, and in these types of problems the student must pull the information out of the problem and decide the best way to solve it. The only way to get good at solving these types of problems is to practice, and that is what this DVD course provides.

We all know our kids’ math curricula contain word problems and these are important because they “[teach] the student how to think about the logic of a problem and decide the best course of action to arrive at the solution.  These types of problems…are more like problems encountered in the real world,…and are used time again in more advanced courses such as Pre-algebra and Algebra.”

By working lots of examples and building to more difficult problems, your child becomes more confident in their ability.  Their interest is kept and frustration limited by getting their hands on real problems right away.  That’s priceless!  I have to say that of all the wonderful things I’ve reviewed through the TOS crew this year, this is the only one that prompted me to run right to the website and order another product (The 1st-7th Grade Math Tutor DVD!) because I was so impressed with its effectiveness and value for the dollar

It’s important to note that these DVD’s do not involve a lot of boring lectures and a few example problems. Instead, kids are taught “by doing” and so are successfully applying the principles they are learning out of the gate.  This is no small feat when talking about math!  Click here to watch a sample of this video.

The Algebra 2 Tutor DVD is a 6 hour course.  My gang didn’t watch this one just yet but you can bet they will in just a few years!  From the website:

This DVD bridges the gap between Algebra 1 and Trigonometry, and contains essential material to do well in advanced mathematics.  Many of the topics in contained in this DVD series are used in other Math courses, such as writing equations of lines, graphing equations, and solving systems of equations.  These skills are used time again in more advanced courses such as Physics and Calculus. 

Click here to watch a sample of this video. 

MathTutorDVD.com says they “believe in providing value for our customers.”  I believe it – as they say, “we could have easily split this content into many DVD courses costing the same price but instead chose to keep the cost down so that this content is affordable to all.”  Each disc in the program is available for only $26.99 (off the list price of $34.99) or you can order bundles for even more of a discount.  And it gets better – with any disc ordered now, you also get 60 free minutes of live online tutoring – a $35 value!  I strongly suggest you check it out!