The Sunny Patch

Weekly Review

2012-01-27T20:11:00.000-05:00

In our homeschool this week…we had four full days and one "fun day". During our "fun day" we just did Bigger (the left side), some reading, and TJ did a session of Reading Eggs on the computer.

The rest of the week- 4 math lessons - drawing and basic geometry lessons, a week of writing lessons, two steps in spelling, two grammar lessons, and a bit of handwriting practice. We did a bit of French - working on a few verbs.

We only accomplished two days of Bigger this week but it was lots of fun! TJ isn't having any difficulty with the amount of writing. I wasn't sure if it would be too much but she is exceeding my expectations in that regard. Her favorite part of the week was making her own balloon "globe."

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… We had our weekly co-op this week. The kids learned about Richard the Lionhearted, John Lackland and the Magna Carta, and Robin Hood. They loved the reading this week and enjoyed sharing what they already knew about Robin Hood. We used brown paper lunch bags to make our "parchment" style paper and the kids made Room Rules like the Magna Carta.

For art, we discussed how artists in that time couldn't just go to the store and buy their paints - they had to make them by hand. So I gave each of the kids a small bowl with some pieces of colored chalk (each bowl had a different primary color) and an old stamp with a large top they used to crush the chalk. When each color was crushed to powder they added a few spoonfuls of water and egg yolk to each to make the paint. Then they combined the different colors to make more colors. Finally, after their hard work, they got to paint!

What’s not working for us…A Child's Geography is not working for us. I like it but parts of it are just too technical for TJ. She tolerates it and just asks to skip it and get to the projects and experiments. So, we're setting it aside for now. We discussed our options and during our once a week science sessions she'll be using the Sonlight science DVDs (we already own these and she's watched them a lot!) and the Usborne Science Activity books that go along with the videos. She'll continue reading a few science books each week as well.

She also likes the science in Bigger so we'll integrate that when time allows (thankfully, many of the books are at the library!).

I’m reading…I just finished reading Mr. Pettigrew's Last Stand - such a good book! I haven't done any "serious" reading this week. TJ is reading Pedro's Journal, a Phineas and Ferb book and Exploring the New World - An Interactive History Adventure (thanks for the recommendation, Daisy!). I'll be looking for more of those - they are like the "choose your own adventure" books I read as a kid, only history themed. TJ loved this one and wants to read more. She also read a few science-themed picture books. I'm reading aloud Matha Washington: America's First Lady (our Storytime biography selection for Bigger). Ginger Pye was on the schedule for our evening read aloud but we just didn't get to it. We've also been listening to the second audio book in the Peter and the Starcatchers series.

I’m cooking…something chocolate... not sure what yet, but I want chocolate!

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Book Review: The Maid of Fairbourne Hall

2012-01-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

Regency Romance and Mystery from

Bestselling Author Julie Klassen

To escape a scheme to marry her off to a dishonorable man, Margaret Macy flees London disguised as a housemaid. If she can remain unwed until her next birthday, she will receive an inheritance, and with it, sweet independence. But she never planned on actually working as a servant. And certainly not in the home of Nathaniel and Lewis Upchurch--both former suitors.

As she fumbles through the first real work of her life, Margaret struggles to keep her identity secret when suspicions arise and prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall. Can she avoid a trap meant to force her from hiding?
Brimming with romance and danger, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall takes readers inside the fascinating belowstairs world of a 19th-century English manor, where appearances can be deceiving.

About the Author: Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

My Thoughts: I've read all of Julie Klassen's books and enjoyed each of them. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is another enjoyable novel. We're introduced to Margaret, a spoiled girl, who must find a way to escape the nefarious plans of her stepfather. She runs away and, through various circumstances, ends up working as a housemaid in the home of the man who once proposed to her (and she rejected!).

I always have a hard time finding fun, clean, romance novels but Julie Klassen delivers. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is a fun, light read - perfect for curling up on a cold winter's day with a cup of hot cocoa.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Week in Review

2012-01-20T17:12:00.000-05:00

In my life this week… I have a confession to make. I live in Canada and I hate winter. I want warm sun. I need warm sunny days. Winter days make me feel cranky and blah (see, I can't even think of an appropriate word, all this snow and freezing weather has me in a funk). At least it's sunny outside today so I can lie on the couch and soak up some afternoon rays. Is anyone else more cranky in the winter?

In our homeschool this week…Schoolwise we had a very productive week, more-or-less. Pretty much everything that was on my list got checked off. It's a grocery shopping week so some things ended up unfinished, but overall it went well.

Playing Short-chain Subtraction Solitaire

In math we worked on some subtraction strategies. TJ understood them while we worked on the individual lessons but during the review lesson today she had totally forgotten about them. The next section of lessons focuses on geometry and the drawing board so I'm going to make a list of the strategies she's learned so far and have some mini-review sessions before each lesson. Between those and the practice sheets, I'm hoping that the strategies will become ingrained.

Language arts was simple and easy - a weeks lessons in writing, three grammar lessons, a step and a half in spelling, and some handwriting practice. Our language work went well too - we practiced our Greek alphabet a bit. Next week we'll work on writing the letters. French is going well - learning some new vocabulary, TJ wrote out a story in French, and we practiced a few phonograms.

We started using Bigger Hearts from Heart of Dakota this week. We'll be using it two or three days a week, spreading it out over this year and next (with plans to start Preparing in 4th grade). We did the first two days of unit 1 this week and TJ thought it was great. We read about Columbus, she worked on a painting, read a bit, discussed persistence and the weekly Bible verses, and wrote out part of the poem for copywork, among other things.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…our history co-op lesson focused on the Crusades and the Moors in Spain. The kids had a great time coloring their own version of Spanish tiles and painting over them with a mixture of glue, water, and glitter to make them sparkle.

My favorite thing this week was…starting Bigger! I can already tell we're going to enjoy this program! I love, love, love the way the different boxes all work together.

I’m reading…a few different books. I'm still working through The History of the Medieval World and The Scarlet Letter. I've been flipping through some gardening books (probably because I'm looking forward to winter being over!) and some chemistry books (for lessons next year).

TJ is reading Pedro's Journal and finished another Neverland chapter book - Escape from Carnivale. I haven't done much reading aloud this week - just assigned reading from Bigger, a few sections in My First History of Canada, and a few chapters of Meet Martha Washington (our Bigger Storytime selection).

I’m cooking…shepherd's pie. I need comfort food. ;-)

I’m grateful for…the sunshine. A husband that is very understanding.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Weekly Review - first week back after Christmas break

2012-01-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

In my life this week…is it hard for everyone else to get back to their normal routine after a long break? I knew that it would probably be like that for us so I scheduled a light week.

In our homeschool this week…We focused on reviewing the basics instead of adding anything new. We'll be adding Bigger Hearts next week.

Math - we reviewed subtraction and TJ learned some new strategies for subtracting 9s & 8s and subtracting one-digit numbers from teens.

Language Arts - one step in spelling, a week's writing lessons, three grammar lessons, and a bit of cursive handwriting practice.

Languages - TJ finished a few pages in Code Cracker and we reviewed the Greek alphabet. We did a lot of French work - a few lessons, some flashcard practice, bingo, etc.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…we had history co-op this week. We just let the kids play while we planned out the next few months. We won't be able to finish Story of the World 2 before the summer so we discussed our options. It was decided that we'd just continue in the fall wherever we leave off instead of trying to cram in the book and possibly having the same difficulty with Story of the World 3.

My favorite thing this week was…getting my Kobo! After scouring the stores and coming up empty-handed I ordered it online. Love it!

Questions/thoughts I have… trying to make a decision regarding Greek. TJ is just about finished with the Greek Code Cracker but I don't think I want to start Song School Greek yet. I think I might save it until next year and we'll just periodically review the Greek alphabet this year.

I’m NOT reading…didn't get to our evening read-aloud at all this week. Thinking of moving that to afternoon or breakfast. Still trying to decide. I am reading a little - just finished a sisterchicks book (fun, light read) and a math book (not so fun). Math is one of my weakest subjects so I ordered a pile of books from the library and I'm working through them. Fun, fun. ;-) Reading Susan Bauer's History of the Medieval World as well.

TJ has been reading quite a bit - a few science picture books from the library, a Neverland chapter book - Cave of the Dark Wind, and is currently working through an American Girl book.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Reading Lists for Bigger Hearts

2012-01-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

I've been busy organizing for our time with Bigger Hearts and thought I would share what we'll be reading this year. Bigger has a few different scheduled reading times - they recommend using a literature program (Drawn into the Heart of Reading or another program of your choice) if the child is old enough, there is a scheduled Storytime read-aloud each day that covers the various genres of reading, and they also recommend an extension pack of reading material for older children.

Right now TJ has reading time twice a day (30 minutes each). One reading time is for "free" reading - she can choose books that are already on our shelves or she can choose from a science/history picture book basket of library books. Her other scheduled reading time is for chapter books that are at or slightly above her reading level. These books are generally historical fiction or other literature.

We don't do a reading program. I think it's enough to discuss the books she's reading at this point. After she reads a science or history picture book I'll ask her to share two facts or interesting things she read about. For literature or historical fiction I'll ask about specific events or about the basic plot. She's learning to summarize in Writing with Ease so I try to apply what she is learning in that program to her other reading.

I'm only slightly changing our current format - we'll keep the science/history reading basket and I'll throw in any extra chapter books that I think she'll like. She'll still be free to choose whichever books she wants to read during this time. Her other reading time will be our own modified version of the Bigger Hearts extension list. She'll read these books that correspond with the units we'll be covering. Beyond our usual simple discussion I won't assign any extra work with this reading.

Here's our modified extension list:

Pedro's Journal
Pocahontas and the Strangers
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims
Ben and Me
Madeleine Takes Command
Phoebe the Spy
The Cabin Faced West
A Lion to Guard Us
Understood Betsy
By the Great Horn Spoon
Freedom Train
Turn Homeward, Hannalee
Helen Keller
All-of-a-Kind Family

We'll also incorporate the daily Storytime reading scheduled in Bigger Hearts. We do a read-aloud at bedtime but I'd like to add in more read-aloud time during the day. And I like the way that Bigger introduces the various genres and simple book discussions in the guide. Here's our list of storytime books:

Martha Washington: America's First First Lady
Toliver's Secret
Justin Morgan had a Horse
The Cricket in Times Square
The Railway Children
If you lived.... series (we have a bunch of these on the shelf, I'll let TJ choose one that interests her)
Emily's Runaway Imagination
A Little Princess
The Children's Book of Virtues

Crew Review: Maestro Classics

2012-01-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

Maestro Classics Classical Music CDs for kids combine music played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with well-known children's stories including Casey at the Bat, The Story of Swan Lake, Peter and the Wolf, and The Tortoise and the Hare. We reviewed The Tortoise and the Hare two years ago and were very excited to find ourselves on the list again this year! TJ was excited to find out we'd be reviewing The Story of Swan Lake.

What's included: The Story of Swan Lake (suitable for ages 6-12, especially those interested in ballet) includes 7 tracks with almost an hour of playing time. The tracks include:

The Story of Swan Lake
Tchaikovsky's Life
Speed Metal Swan
About the Music
"Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet"
Want to Have Some Fun? Prepare to Perform
"Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet" Sing-Along

It also includes a 24-page booklet that includes background information on Tchaikovsky as well as information on the composer, producer and narrator of the CD. Kids will also have fun with the included activities - connect-the-dot, a maze, and a crossword puzzle. There's also a section about guitars, chords, and a short biography of Joe Stump, the arranger and guitarist on Speed Metal Swan.

From the CD: The Story of Swan Lake is the tale of a prince who falls in love with a beautiful princess. The princess, however, has been turned into a swan by an evil magician, and only the prince's love can break the spell. Additional tracks about Tchaikovsky's life, what to listen for in the music, "Speed Metal Swan," a heavy metal version of the main theme, and the "Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet" sing-along, transform this into a modern classic.

Our thoughts: We love the products from Maestro Classics and The Story of Swan Lake joins the list of our favorites! I love that they make it so simple to add music appreciation to our day. The "About the Music" track shares just enough information to really appreciate the music but not enough to overwhelm young listeners. Maestro Classics even has a section on their website for incorporating music into your homeschool with many ideas for each of their CDs. They include ideas for all subjects - history, science, geography, language arts, art, music, and even math. It would be very simple to make up a unit study based on one of these CDs!

We enjoy listening to Tchaikovsky so this CD is a nice addition to our music library. I will give a slight caution here, though, for the Speed Metal Swan track. If you're not a fan of rock or heavy metal you might not like this track. But I would encourage you to listen anyway because it's a clever arrangement and I think it's possible to have an appreciation for all kinds of musical talent and abilities. Joe Stump, the guitarist on this track, has such an amazing talent. I'd encourage you to give this CD a try.

The selections available from Maestro Classics are offered on CD ($16.98) or as downloadable MP3s ($9.98). Take some time to visit Maestro Classics and listen to some of the music samples! If you'd like to read more reviews about Maestro Classics products be sure to check out the Crew blog!

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Beginning with Bigger Hearts

2012-01-05T10:07:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful restful Christmas break but we're ready to get back to our routine. We'll start school again next week. Most subjects will remain the same but I'm adding in Bigger Hearts for His Glory from Heart of Dakota. I have my manual and I just have to wait for the rest of our books to arrive. We're both pretty excited about this new addition!

Our basics will remain the same (math, spelling, grammar, etc.). We cover those subjects in the morning in about 1 1/2 hours. One afternoon a week we have friends come over and cover history and art. Another afternoon we do our science study. That leaves 3 afternoons free for Bigger Hearts. By working just three days a week we'll take the rest of this year and all of next year to complete the manual before starting Preparing Hearts in 4th grade.

One of the fun parts of starting a new program is getting organized! I'm trying to keep things fairly easy this year so I'm simplifying as much as possible. We'll be using the weekly poetry and Scripture for copywork so I'll get a composition notebook for TJ to write them in - sort of a common-place book for the year. Weekly vocabulary words will go in a binder - I made a simple grid with places to write the word, definition, and a sentence. I decided against having TJ write things on index cards and keep in a file box because I think it would be too difficult for her to write well on a small index card. So, it will be a plain old notebook instead! History and science notebooking pages will be kept in separate folders and at the end of the year they'll be coil bound and put in TJ's portfolio. For the timeline, I really like Daisy's idea of making a mini-office style timeline, so we'll be using that. I think that covers everything!

I'm also planning to include Canadian history content using Donalda Dickie's My First History of Canada. I spread the reading out over each unit (there are 21 chapters in the book, each divided into smaller sections) covering about a chapter a week. Some chapters are longer so we'll take two weeks to read through them. Sometimes the timeline/dates don't exactly match what's happening in Bigger but I didn't want to read three chapters one week and not read anything another week just to match up dates. The edition I have also includes some simple notebooking and project ideas in the appendix so I'm adding a Canadian notebooking idea for each unit and adding some extra dates to our timeline.

It's hard to say at this point how smoothly this will go. I'm hopeful that it will be just enough. I'll be sure to update through the year!

Crew Review: Fractazmic

2011-12-09T13:50:00.001-05:00

The Crew reviewed a game from I See Cards last year and so many of them were having such fun with the game (Pyramath) I knew that when they showed up on the Vendor list again this year I had to give them a try! This year they offered Fractazmic for review. Fractazmic (if you haven't figured it out from the name!) is a fractions card game.

The 60 cards are brightly colored and sturdy (good for little hands!) with cute graphics that reinforce the learning of fractions. The game is intended for 2-4 players, ages 7+. The cards are divided into three sets, (with different colors, fraction sets, and graphics):

Blue - twelfths (using an egg carton)
Red - sixteenths (a ruler and cute little bugs)
Green - tenths (a water bottle)

The game comes with a set of basic instructions and more instructions and game ideas (along with videos of game-play) can be found here. Basically, for each round of play, you try to make "hands" of cards, with the fractions totaling up to 1. Nick had to make me a cheat sheet because my fractions skills are very rusty! (Sometimes it's nice to have a mathy guy around the house!) The game was difficult for TJ but I found instructions for another game (Fractazmic Trap) and was able to come up with a simplified game to play with her. I think you could also just use those cards your child knows (like 1/4s and 1/2s, etc.) to play a game on their level.

Our thoughts: We struggled a bit when we first received this game - the directions weren't as clear as we would have liked. Thankfully, we found some videos on youtube and the visual helped us figure out how to play. The game is very fun once you know what you are doing! TJ isn't ready for the full version of this game - it's too advanced for her limited understanding of fractions (goodness, I need a cheat sheet for it!) but we played a simplified version of the Fractazmic Trap game using just the blue cards and she could easily play that.

I do like this game (aside from the awkwardly written instructions - I do think that those could have been much clearer) and will certainly be using it much more when TJ is older. I will definitely be using this as a reinforcement when she starts working on fractions.

Fractazmic can be purchased online for $6.95. My Crew Mates had fun with this game - be sure to read their reviews at the Crew blog.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Review

2011-12-09T11:15:00.001-05:00

In our homeschool this week…another week accomplished, though a bit light. Two math lessons and a test, a week in writing, two steps in spelling, two grammar lessons, a page of handwriting (and a few Christmas cards for handwriting practice), quite a bit of French, and a review of the Greek alphabet.We finished up chapter 5 in Science and TJ did a few more mini-books for her notebook.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…history co-op was a hit this week. We studied feudalism and learned about castles. The kids had a big project this week - they each made a rice krispie castle. Lots of fun but messy!

What’s not working for us…TJ's morning routine. Ideally I'd like her to have her routine done (dressed, teeth brushed, eat breakfast, etc.) as well as her Bible read (one story in the Beginner's Bible), math drill done (a page of Horizons math), and her recitation done (we use the SCM method) before we start school in the morning. She has an hour to complete everything (with lots of nagging from me). I'm tired of having to nag her to get everything done but I'm not sure what to do. Am I asking her to do too much for her age? Right now, whatever isn't complete is done as homework when school and quiet time are over at 4pm. But she still doesn't get things done in a timely manner. Not sure what I need to change.

I’m reading…The Scarlet Letter. I finished Jane Eyre (great book!) and am ready to move on to the next book recommended in The Well-Educated Mind. TJ read a few Ms. Frizzle adventures books, looked at some weather books, and read some Geronimo Stilton comics. We're still reading through Pippi but have been watching Christmas specials in the evening so haven't had as much bedtime read aloud time.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Well-Educated Mind: Jane Eyre & The Scarlet Letter

2011-12-06T13:16:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading Jane Eyre last night - what a good book! I've seen various movie adaptations but had never read the book before. I'm so glad that I did - it was very good. I've added a list of Charlotte Bronte's novels to my list of "to be read someday".

I'll be starting The Scarlet Letter shortly. I have a copy coming from the library and I'm hoping to read it over our school break. I vaguely recall reading it in high school and remember the basics of the plot but I'm ready to tackle it again with "older" eyes.

Having a daily 1/2 hour of reading time is working well. TJ and I both sit down for 30 minutes and read our chosen books. Making sure I use that time (most days!) is helping get through this list of books. I am finding it a bit difficult going through the questions in The Well-Educated Mind. I don't have a reading partner to discuss the books with so I'm relying on message boards and Sparks notes. With every book, the question I'm always stuck on is "What is the book's most important event?" I don't know if it's because I'm trying to over-analyze the book or if I'm just taking things too literally and can't see the deeper meanings. All I know is that sometimes it's tough going. I'm hopeful that it will get easier with each book I study.

Goals for December:

Complete The Well-Educated Mind list of questions for Jane Eyre.
Read The Scarlet Letter.

Week in Review

2011-12-04T10:09:00.001-05:00

In my life this week…cookies.... lots of cookies. I'm getting my holiday baking done and frozen before we head out to visit family. TJ and I will be spending a week at my sister's house over the holidays and we are really looking forward to it - especially TJ. My sister has a little farm - chickens, goats, pigs, and a soon-to-be-addition of miniature donkeys. TJ loves to spend time with the animals.

In our homeschool this week…a fairly uneventful week for us. Same old stuff (can you tell I'm ready for a break? I'm looking forward to our two weeks off!) We worked through 3 math lessons, focusing on counting money and making change. TJ is doing well with that, she just keeps forgetting nickels - she remembers how much they are worth but forgets what they are called. Language arts covered during the week - a week of writing lessons, a step and a half in spelling, 2 grammar lessons, and 1 handwriting page.

I'm also trying to be more consistent in our foreign language work, so instead of doing one lesson a week, I'm breaking things up and doing bits every day for French and Greek. That way we are constantly reviewing - and I'm hoping that will help with retention for both and better vocabulary/speaking skills in French. We've also started a French phonics program. I can read quite a bit in French but I'm working through it as well so I can understand the hows and whys of letter pronunciation.

We also read about half of chapter 5 in A Child's Geography and TJ worked on some mini-books for her notebook. She did a few simple experiments dealing with currents and cold vs warm water currents. Anything to do with playing in the water makes that girl happy!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…we had our weekly history/art co-op again this week. The kids learned about the conquest of England by William the Conqueror. They made their own (small!) "tapestries" - cardstock and markers - telling the story of their life. It was very cute to see what the kids thought should be included in their tapestries. TJ's included her favorite tree being cut down (it was on the border of our property but blocking a street sign so the city took it down).

My favorite thing this week was…I took the plunge. I ordered Bigger Hearts for His Glory from Heart of Dakota. We're going to try a three days a week schedule, adding it in along with our regular work.

I’m reading…Jane Eyre. I have a few more chapters left and I'll be done and ready to start The Scarlet Letter after Christmas break. I'm also reading S. Bauer's The History of the Medieval World. We haven't made much time for evening read alouds so we are still working through Pippi Goes on Board. TJ's been reading a pile of Geronimo Stilton comics and some Tiara Club princess books. She's finally exhausted the library's supply of Rainbow Magic books. I'm trying to find a series that's just a bit harder but still has some pictures - that seems to be her biggest complaint about a lot of the books we bring home. Since her reading skills have improved I'm adding a science/history reading time to her schedule 4 days a week. We have a basket full of picture books (from the library) on the topics we are studying in history and science and she has to choose one book a day from the basket.

I’m cooking…cookies. I'm actually getting very tired of baking cookies. Thankfully I only have one more kind to make and I'll be done. Then I can start on the candy.

I’m grateful for…my wonderful, hard-working husband.

I’m praying for…a good visit with my family. Sometimes there can be strife so I'm just praying that things go smoothly and everyone can get along this Christmas season.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Crew Review: The Easy French!

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Easy French was inspired by The Writing Road to Reading, according to author of the program, Marie Filion. A variety of activities are used through the program ensuring a method that will reach many students with a range of learning abilities. The program can be used by younger students at a slower pace or at a normal pace for junior high and high school students.

What's included: Level IA is the first level in the reformatted version of this program. It contains 18 lessons, over 226 pages of material, along with 2 cds (one containing audio material and another for solutions to the lesson material). Each lesson includes the following:

Story
Vocabulary
Student helps
Scripture memory work
Cultural note
Trivia
Everyday vocabulary
Activity

The storyline in each lesson uses the French weave technique - primarily French with some English words interwoven so a student can learn the vocabulary in context of the whole story. Each lesson also includes a lesson planner for the student, enabling them to do much of the program independently. The included material will ensure that the student is learning all aspects of the language - grammar, vocabulary, and reading. Such a well-rounded format ensures a thorough understanding of the language, and, by using the program daily, the immersion in the language will help reinforce French vocabulary. Each level also includes a test booklet and answer key so parents can show that their children are learning the material. My favorite part of the program? The French phonograms. Once a person has memorized the 68 phonograms they will be able to sound out any French word.

Our thoughts: TJ and I have used the Junior level of The Easy French and enjoyed it very much so I was excited to try out this next program. Right now it's a bit above her level as far as the amount of writing involved but it would be very simple to modify. The recommendation for the Junior level is to do the program over three years - the first year is spent doing a lesson a week, listening to the vocabulary, and doing a few activities. Over the next two years you divide the lessons, doing half each year. I think a similar approach might work with this program, though it probably wouldn't take three years!

One of my favorite aspects of the approach used in this program is the way the French is integrated into each story. It's slowly integrated into each lesson's conversation making it easy to infer the meaning of the words from the English responses. Children can easily figure out the meaning of the phrases and sentences, giving them the confidence needed to really learn another language.

If you are looking for a program that schedules out exactly what you should do each day, this isn't the program for you. Each lesson provides a variety of activities and some guidelines for weekly work as well as a simple template outlining what should be done each day. If you prefer programs that give you more leeway in your teaching (and a program that has a good amount of independent work for older students) this program would fit your needs.

The Easy French level IA is available for $84.95 and the phonogram cards, test booklets, and answer keys are $10 each. The Crew reviewed a variety of materials from Great Commission Languages. Be sure to check out the Crew blog to read those reviews!

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Week in Review

2011-11-26T09:16:00.001-05:00

In our homeschool this week…we had a three-day school week, taking off Thursday and Friday. So, we fit in three math lessons, most of a week's lessons in writing (we'll have to finish that up next week!), a step in spelling, a page in handwriting, two grammar lessons, a French lesson, and a bit of Greek. We didn't get to science this week.

History co-op was lots of fun - we learned about the Vikings and the kids made viking boats. I had some other things planned but they wanted to play so we let them play instead.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…shopping week for us - and we finished up all our Christmas shopping yesterday. It feels great to have that out of the way! Now I can relax and enjoy the season.

What’s working/not working for us…Right now our subjects are going very well. I need to add in a bit more time for Greek but otherwise we are getting to everything I'd like to do.

Questions/thoughts I have…I'm trying to decide if I want to add Heart of Dakota's Bigger to our existing schedule. Right now we finish all of our basic "skill" subjects (math, grammar, languages, etc.) in an hour and half in the morning. One afternoon a week we have a history/art co-op with friends. Another afternoon we spend studying earth science. I'd like to do Bigger three days a week and take a year and a half to go through the book.

I’m reading…Jane Eyre. I'm really enjoying this book. TJ and I haven't gotten much read aloud time in this week - we're still working on Pippi Goes on Board. She's read some princess-type books this week.

I’m cooking…Christmas cookies! I'm getting the cookie dough ready and in the freezer. I'll be in Maine over Christmas and I'll be seeing lots of relatives so there is a lot of baking to do!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…time for snow tires up here in Canada.

Week in Review

2011-11-18T14:39:00.001-05:00

In my life this week…I've spent a TON of time on the Heart of Dakota website. I'm trying to decide if I want to use Bigger Hearts for His Glory with TJ over the next year and a half (doing three days a week instead of five). Decisions.... decisions ....

In our homeschool this week…another week successfully accomplished! We focused on subtracting 15s, 10s, and 5s in math. TJ had no problem with the concept. It feels like we're just coasting right along through math this year! In language arts we finished another week's lessons in writing, a step in spelling, two pages of handwriting, and two grammar lessons. TJ also did another French lesson with Nick and we also worked on her French lapbook. I just read through chapter 4 of A Child's Geography today, while TJ did some notebooking and coloring. We skipped Greek this week. It was a very productive workweek for us (except for skipping Greek - I really need to get my butt in gear with that!)

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…we met our friends for our history and art co-op again this week. We skipped art this time since we had two projects for history. We learned about Charlemagne - for some reason it struck everyone very funny that his defeated enemies had the choice to become Christians or die. One mom remarked, "Nice way to win them to the kingdom." ;-)

The kids had fun - they made elaborate crowns that took awhile. First we had to get the crowns made, then they painted them gold and then they added lots of jewels (well, beads and stuff!). They also made some popsicle stick puppets.

My favorite thing this week was…seeing the end of it! It was a good week but I'm so very happy for the weekend!

I’m reading…Pippi Goes on Board. We finished Pippi Longstocking and TJ wants to hear the next book. I just found the movie on Netflix - think we'll watch it this weekend. Has anyone seen it?

TJ read a Mercy Watson book, a pile of Geronimo Stilton comics, and Tornado. She's currently reading through Five True Horse Stories. I'm reading Jane Eyre and The History of the Medieval World by Susan W. Bauer.

I’m cooking…cookies! Hopefully I'll be getting some Christmas baking done this weekend.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Crew Review: Math Mammoth Blue series

2011-11-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

I must confess that math is not one of my favorite subjects but, oddly enough, it is one of my daughter's favorites. She loves math and grasps concepts quickly and easily most of the time. But sometimes she will encounter a topic that takes a bit more work for her to grasp. At times like those, I love to pull out a few pages from Math Mammoth.

Maria Miller, the creator of the Math Mammoth program, has worktexts available in a few different formats:

Light Blue series – full work-texts for each grade
Blue series – work-texts by topic
Golden series – worksheets for grades 3-8
Green series – worksheets by topic

Maria kindly sent us a few of the texts in the Blue series - Add & Subtract 2A, Measuring 1, and Canadian Money - a few of the topics that TJ could use some extra practice with. Add & Subtract 2A focuses on addition and subtraction to 18 and fact families along with "simple" (non-borrowing) addition and subtraction to 100, typical second grade material. Measuring 1, appropriate for grades 1-3, focuses on measuring length, weight, volume, and temperature. Canadian Money, covering topics for grades 1-3, teaches counting coins and change and solving money-related math problems - all with pictures of Canadian money, of course.

I love using the Blue series as a change of pace from our normal math program. It's the perfect way to work on a topic that TJ is struggling with or to just change up our routine. If she needs more practice with adding money, I can print a few pages and give her some extra practice. I like the print-and-go format. I can quickly find pages by specific topic and print exactly what I need. I also LOVE that Maria Miller made the money worktexts available with pictures of Canadian money. Those of us north of the border really appreciate that!

Math Mammoth products come in a few different formats and various price points. The Blue series books range in price from $2-7 by topic and they are also available in a few different packages. My Crew mates had the opportunity to try many different products from Math Mammoth so be sure to check out the Crew blog to read those reviews!

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Women of Faith

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Women of Faith conference in Rochester, New York. I went with a friend and we made it a getaway weekend. What a wonderful conference! We came home refreshed and renewed and are already discussing next year's conference and how we need to make all our friends come along as well. We laughed and we cried and had an unforgettable weekend. Next year I'll plan to bring a whole box of tissues since my little pack of Puffs didn't last the weekend!

Each year, Women of Faith produces 25-30 two-day weekend events in arenas across North America. Renowned speakers, award-winning musical artists, best-selling authors, drama, and more combine for a hope-filled event like no other.

Among the memorable speakers we heard, Sheila Walsh and Lisa Harper were two of my favorites. We were also entertained by Ken Davis - that man is so funny! We heard Mary Mary and Natalie Grant and the wonderful Women of Faith worship team (loved them so much I bought the CD). It was a wonderful weekend and I'm looking forward to attending the event again next year.

I received two tickets free of charge in return for blogging about the event.

Week in Review

2011-11-11T14:46:00.001-05:00

In my life this week…I'm trying to get back on track after my weekend away at the Women of Faith conference. It's hard getting back to reality! I'm also working on my list of Christmas baking so I can start getting some cookie dough made and stashed in the freezer. We're planning to visit family in Maine this year so I'm trying to get a head start on baking and finish up our shopping.

In our homeschool this week…I found it hard to get back into the swing of things this week since we had a long weekend (Thursday and Friday off) but we still got a few things accomplished. TJ read her Bible and did daily recitation and drill. We did four math lessons - reviewing four-digit addition before tackling subtraction next week. We finished another week of writing lessons, a step in spelling, one grammar lesson, and a page of handwriting. TJ also did a French lesson with Nick. We did a bit of science too.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…It's shopping week so the only place I'm going is the grocery store! ;-)

My favorite thing this week was…reading Pippi Longstocking. TJ just giggles the whole time I read aloud. We're loving this book!

What’s working for us…using a binder for recitation and reviewing it daily. TJ has memorized piles of stuff (using this system). We use it to memorize Scripture, poetry, lists for grammar and history, French. The only change I've made - instead of writing everything on index cards, I type it up and we put it in a binder. Much easier than writing everything out!

Things I’m working on…history plans for next year. We use Story of the World one day a week in our weekly co-op. This year all I'm doing is adding in some extra reading during the week. I'm considering my options for next year. It looks like we'll continue Story of the World with the co-op but I'd like to ramp up what we do at home. Right now I'm looking at using Heart of Dakota's Bigger Hearts for His Glory. Decisions... decisions...

I’m reading…Pippi Longstocking to TJ. We just finished Pollyanna.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Crew Review: Say Anything Family

2011-10-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

Last year we had the chance to review Wits & Wagers Family edition (see my review here), so when the notice came that another product from North Star Games was up for review I didn't have to ask my family if they were ready to review another game!

Say Anything family edition is a fun family game "with personality". Each game will be unique because the people playing provide the different answers each time you play. It's perfect for ages 8 and up - lots of fun for kids and adults alike. The first time we played (5 people), ages ranged from 10 to 40 and all of us had such a fun time playing!

What's in the box:

60 question cards (each with six different questions)
SELECT-O-MATIC 6000 (a small cardboard selection tool)
6 dry-erase markers
6 dry-erase boards
12 player tokens
score-keeping card
instructions

How to play: At the beginning of the game each player needs a dry-erase marker, answer board, and the 2 player tokens that match their board. One person will need to keep score with the enclosed reusable score card. Choose a player to start and give them the SELECT-O-MATIC 6000.

The first player draws a question card and reads it aloud. The question could be "What's the best breakfast cereal?" or "Which superhero outfit looks the most uncomfortable?" All the other players write an answer as quickly as possible and place it face up on the table.

After all the players (except the judge - the person who read the question) have put their answer on the table the judge picks his favorite response and secretly moves the dial to the matching color on the SELECT-O-MATIC 6000. All the players then use their two tokens to guess the answer that the judge chose.

Scoring is then done with 1 point for each token placed on the selected answer, 1 point for the person who wrote the selected answer, and 1 point goes to the judge for each token that was placed on the answer she/he selected (with a maximum of 3 points for any player).

The judge then hands off the SELECT-O-MATIC 6000 to the next person and they become the judge for that round. Play continues until everyone has asked 2 questions.

Our thoughts: We had so much fun with this game! Our friends came over and we pulled it out and just had a blast. The age on the box is accurate - the second time we played a 10 year old girl won the game, so this is not a game where you'll have to "play dumb" so the younger members of the family have a chance to win. This game will certainly be on the shelf with the games that are played the most often in our house.

Say Anything family edition ($19.99) can be found on Amazon or at many retail locations like Target, Borders, or specialty toy stores. Lots of my Crew mates loved this game too - check out their reviews at the Crew blog!

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Homeschooling Review

2011-10-24T20:53:00.000-04:00

In my life this (past) week…(I know... I'm way behind on this weekly report!) another pajama week for us. I knew there was a reason I loved cold, autumn days. Just another reason to stay home in my pjs.

In our homeschool this week…another week's goals accomplished. Four math lessons (mostly about telling time - TJ is learning to tell time to the minute). Language arts - another week of writing with Writing with Ease, two steps in All About Spelling, three grammar lessons, and a few pages of cursive handwriting practice. We worked a bit with our language programs and half a chapter in A Child's Geography.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…we had our history/art co-op this week. We learned about Japan and how it closed it's borders to the outside world during the early middle ages. Our art project focused on Katsushika Hokusai and his painting, Great Wave off Kanagawa (project idea from The Usborne Art Treasury).

A resource to share…The Usborne Art Treasury. This is really a great book with some fun ideas for art projects inspired by various artists throughout history. Highly recommended.

Things I’m working on…my Christmas baking list. I know it's early, but I like to stock up on ingredients over the next month or so before I start baking.

I’m reading…Oliver Twist (for me) and reading aloud Pollyanna to TJ. She's reading more fairy books (I think she's finally reached the last of them). I need to find her a new series.

I’m cooking…chocolate biscotti. A healthy recipe that ended up tasting like hard cardboard. That recipe ended up in the recycle bin.

Crew Review: Always Icecream

2011-10-17T17:06:00.000-04:00

Always Icecream is an online community specifically for girls, ages 7-12. This "girls-only" environment is filled with lots of fun things that girls will love - homes to decorate, virtual pets to care for, and a mini-world to explore. Parents will love it too because their girls will be practicing valuable educational material.

Girls earn $coops by practicing their skills in math, typing, geography, and many other subjects. They can save up their $coops and use them to decorate their houses, feed their pets, or play other fun games. There is a very wide range of educational games at all levels - math, history, geography, typing and language arts, to name a few. And the games aren't simply for the girls on the younger end of the age range - there are lots of educational opportunities for older girls as well. After completing any of the games the $coops are added to their account. If you'd like to give the program a try, you can play a free geography game to get an idea of the types of things offered.

Parents have their own place in the program as well. After setting up an account, you will receive weekly progress reports that detail how your child is progressing through the various educational games. From the parent's account you can also control the online community aspect of the program. You have full control on the decision to allow your child to participate in the online chat or not. You can also award your girls $coops for things they do in "the real world" like chores or music practice.

Our thoughts: I'm not a huge fan of online learning programs but this one is pretty nice and TJ really enjoys it, which is the most important thing. Her favorite part is shopping and decorating her house, of course. I don't think she's discovered the virtual pets yet or she'd be spending most of her time with that!

I appreciate the fact that it is advertisement free. It's nice not having to block inappropriate advertisements that occasionally pop up on websites geared to children. I also like the fact that the social community part of the website is optional. TJ is not ready to navigate online communities - I'd rather save that for when she's older. So it's nice that she can still get a lot of use from the website without that feature.

You can purchase Always Icecream at a few different price points - $4.99 per month, $29.99 per year, or $99.99 for a lifetime membership. Many members of the Crew had the opportunity to play with this program - you can find their reviews linked to the Crew blog.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Review

2011-10-14T14:09:00.000-04:00

In our homeschool this week…Math - more review, this time it's mental math review. TJ's doing fairly well with adding 2-digit numbers in her head (most of the time she's quicker than I am!). Language arts - two pages of handwriting, another week of lessons in writing, a step in spelling, and two lessons of grammar completed.

We've worked through another lesson in French (practicing words - in, on, under) and a few pages of Greek. TJ's memorized the Greek alphabet now and is working on blending skills and the rough & smooth breathing marks.

We read through chapter 2 in A Child's Geography and learned about the lower atmosphere. We are both finding the book very interesting. TJ completed a notebook page showing the layers of the lower atmosphere and a narration.

My favorite thing this week was…lounging in our pjs and doing school in bed.

Things I’m working on…looking at history books to go along with Story of the World 3 (for next year).

I’m reading…Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's my first read-through of the series and I'm enjoying them! I just finished Lark Rise to Candleford. TJ read a pile of Rainbow Magic books and a library book about the northern lights.

I’m cooking…lots of chicken. It's on sale this week so I'll be stocking the freezer.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Crew Review: Visual Latin

2011-10-13T13:14:00.000-04:00

When I began this homeschooling journey with my daughter I happened across a copy of The Well-Trained Mind at the library. The plan really resonated with me and I've implemented many of the ideas and programs recommended by Susan W. Bauer and Jessie Wise. I knew at some point I would introduce Latin into our curriculum, but wasn't really sure where to start since I don't know anything about teaching or learning Latin. The Visual Latin series takes that teaching burden from my shoulders with it's self-paced DVD/video download series and entertaining instructor.

Visual Latin combines the Natural and Traditional methods of learning a foreign language, with instructor Dwane Thomas taking students through the fundamentals of Latin grammar, sentences, and reading. He believes "it's better to make students laugh than yawn" and that philosophy is very evident in the videos. Once your student has a basic knowledge of beginning grammar (around 3rd-4th grade) they can start learning Latin.

Here's a quick peek at the program:

What's included: Latin 1 includes 30 lessons - each divided into 3 short videos with corresponding worksheets. (You can see the first lesson here.) The 3 parts of each lesson are divided into topics – grammar, sentences, and reading. The videos are short (less than 10 minutes each) but jam-packed with information. Your child (and you!) will have your own personal Latin instructor when using this program!

The first video of each lesson focuses on one or two grammar concepts. After the video, the student is then directed to do the worksheet. The next segment of the lesson focuses on using that grammatical concept in sentences – grammar in action – followed by another worksheet. The final video focuses on translation work. Instructor Dwane reads a passage in Latin (from the Latin Vulgate Bible). He reads it a second time, more slowly, so the student has time to repeat the phrases. The student is then directed to his worksheet where he will have the chance to translate the passage. By the end of the lesson, the student will have used a variety of learning methods – aural, visual, and verbal – to learn Latin!

Our thoughts: My plan for teaching Latin was to get a head start before I had to start teaching TJ and this program fits the bill for my needs. The videos are short but jam-packed with information. It's very easy to fit in a short lesson even if my days are busy. Dwane is a great teacher - he holds your attention with his humor while tackling the difficulties of learning another language. I am definitely planning to use this program with TJ when she's a little older and has a better grasp of basic grammar concepts. I think she'll love having such an interesting and entertaining teacher.

Visual Latin is available on DVD or as a download so you can take it with you on any compatible device. The Latin 1 DVD set is $80 (you can also purchase the 3 DVDs separately for $30 each) while the downloadable version is $75 (separated into 3 sets - $25 each). If you've thought about adding Latin to your school day, I'd encourage you to look into this program. He offers the first two lessons as free downloads so you can try it out before you purchase the program. If you'd like to read more Crew Mates experiences with this program check out the Crew blog.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Review: Week 5

2011-10-10T15:10:00.000-04:00

In my life this week…it's Thanksgiving here in Canada. Our celebration has been very laid back - but it's certainly nice to have a three day weekend!

In our homeschool this week…we fit in a full five days this week. We decided to break up the routine and took our work to Tim Hortons one morning. TJ loved sitting at the counter and nibbling on timbits while we worked.

Math is still review - this week it's 2-digit mental math. On Friday we watched sections of Sonlight's Mathtacular video. TJ loved it. We finished week 3 of Writing with Ease, step 5 in spelling, two grammar lessons, and a few pages of handwriting. We didn't get to French this week but TJ worked through quite a few pages in her Greek book.

We didn't have history this week since one of our co-op members couldn't be there. We did some art, though, inspired by Piet Mondrian.

We finished up chapter 1 of A Child's Geography. I was planning to have TJ keep a record of vocabulary words but it's proving to be too much writing along with our other work so we've dropped it.

My favorite thing this week was…spending a morning at Tim Hortons sipping a hot chocolate. Nice way to spend a school day.

Things I’m working on…I'm reading through a pile of history books, trying to narrow down our list of readers and read alouds to go along with Story of the World 3 (and add in some extra US and Canadian history).

I’m reading…Lark Rise to Candleford. We finished our read aloud - Mr. Popper's Penguins and will start Pollyanna next. We also read Marguerite makes a Book and TJ read Day of the Dragon (from the Magic Treehouse series) and a bunch of Rainbow fairies books. She's read almost all the books in the series that our library has and I'm trying to find another series that she's interested in. I borrowed a few Cul-de-Sac kids books from a friend to see if they interest her.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Well-Educated Mind: Oliver Twist

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm currently reading Oliver Twist and really enjoying it. I remember reading Great Expectations in high school (an abridged version) and I'm very glad that I've attempted reading another Dickens' novel. I'm even making a list of others I'd like to read. Hopefully, I'll finish Oliver Twist this month and start the next novel.

I am failing in one department - I haven't even started going through The Well-Educated Mind questions for Pride & Prejudice, so that's on the agenda for the upcoming month.

I'm finding it difficult to find the time to get to my reading. When TJ and I finish school in the afternoon I am so ready for a break. But I think I'll have to institute a 1/2 hour reading time for both of us and use that time for reading through the WEM list.

Goals for October:

Complete The Well-Educated Mind list of questions for Pride & Prejudice.
Finish reading Oliver Twist.

Women of Faith Conference

2011-10-03T16:54:00.000-04:00

Since joining the Thomas Nelson book review team, I've had the chance to review lots of books, videos, and CDs but one of the most exciting things is the upcoming Women of Faith conference. Thomas Nelson is graciously providing two free tickets to the conference in Rochester, NY (yay, road trip!) so I'm taking a friend along for the fun.

Special speakers include Lisa Harper, Luci Swindoll, Sheila Walsh, and Ken Davis. I've only ever heard Ken Davis so I'm looking forward to hearing him and the other speakers.

I'm so excited to go! Just can't wait! I'll be sharing about our trip when we're back!

Weekly Review: Week 4

2011-10-01T10:13:00.001-04:00

In our homeschool this week…5 days of school this week, though 1 of them was a partial day because of a shopping trip. (I hate shopping on the weekends when the stores are crowded, so we try to fit it in during the weekday mornings instead.)

Math - 4 lessons completed, TJ learned about Roman numerals. She thought it was lots of fun - like learning a secret code.

Language Arts - 2 lessons in grammar, 4 pages in handwriting, 2 steps in spelling, and another week of writing completed.

Languages - we didn't get to Greek this week but fit in one day of French.

Science - we're starting earth science using A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp. We're working on chapter 1 this week. I've been reading aloud sections from If the World were a Village and TJ is doing the mini-books that go along with the book (from Homeschoolshare.com).

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…co-op this week - history and art. We learned about dynasties in China during the Middle Ages (chapter 8 in The Story of the World, volume 2). The kids did their maps, coloring pages, and narrations. TJ decided that she wanted to write her own narration (usually she dictates it to me). Besides helping with her with the spelling, she did it herself! Very proud of my girl!

My favorite thing this week was…during our history co-op we had a very funny moment. We generally do a project or activity after our history lesson. While I was reading aloud to the kids, one of the sections of the story mentions that the Chinese invented gunpowder and made rockets from hollow bamboo. One of the boys in the group jumped up and said, "I know what our project is! We're building rockets with gunpowder!" He was disappointed to learn that we would not be building rockets from gunpowder. Instead we'd be making block prints with cardboard and yarn. Definitely not as impressive.

What’s not working for us…finding time for the extras - tea & poetry, music, geography, nature study. All those fun extras. I need to work on our schedule and find time to fit them in. Maybe I can make Fridays a light school day and just do all the extras.

Things I’m working on…art and drawing lessons. I'll be doing art and drawing with 4 kids (our little co-op group) and I'm trying to coordinate a few resources.

I’m reading…Mr. Popper's Penguins to TJ, Lark Rise to Candleford for myself.

I’m cooking…Mint Chocolate Cupcakes (I'm in the mood for something sweet).

I’m grateful for…quiet afternoons.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Second Grade Goals

2011-09-29T15:53:00.001-04:00

In the summer or fall I like to sit down and think about my objectives for the upcoming school year. The curriculum planning and shopping are loads of fun but I know that without clear goals it will be very easy to flounder. So far things have been fairly smooth this year - only one slight roadblock when TJ had an episode of croup one night. But I know that there is always something around the corner that could throw our schedule off. When those events stop us in our tracks, I need to stop and think about my goals. That way, instead of getting overwhelmed by the problem, I can simplify things and concentrate on the necessities.

These are the goals that I've written down for this year:

Faith: have a firm knowledge about Jesus' life and ministry on the earth
Maths: firm foundation of addition and subtraction facts
Language Arts: read full-length chapter books; write full sentences from dictation with ease; memorize parts of speech and understand how to find them in sentences/paragraphs
History/Science: use content subjects to work on narration and observation skills
Languages: build French vocabulary; work on conversational French

I have a few more things written down, life skills and such, but the list above are the things I find most important. So, if at some point I find myself floundering, I know that I can concentrate on the basic goals I've set for the year and feel like I've accomplished something. I'm trying to rid myself of the "we didn't finish every page in the workbook" guilt. ;-) I'm (slowly) learning that it isn't necessary to finish every page and every problem. That's the beauty of homeschooling - I can tailor the program to my child's individual needs. Sometimes it's easy to forget that in the day-to-day routine. Success isn't measured in the number of workbook pages completed, it's measured by the new level of development and understanding that the student reaches each year.

The TOS Homeschool Crew Blog will be hosting another Blog Cruise this year. My Mates will be sharing their homeschool related plans and goals in the upcoming Cruise so be sure to check it out!

What's on Your Nightstand?

2011-09-27T18:33:00.001-04:00

I haven't been reading very much lately, with the start of a new school year, TJ and I are still getting used to our schedule. So my reading has consisted of "fun" books until my mind has learned to function after 2pm! Here's what I've enjoyed lately:

The Help - Good, good book. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

I've finally taken the plunge and am reading through the Harry Potter books. I've finished the first two and have just picked up the next two from the library.

Entwined – Seems I've been reading from the YA section of the library lately. This one was worth reading - it's an interesting retelling of the story of the twelve dancing princesses.

Starcrossed – another good read from the YA section of the library. Imagine the offspring of the Greek gods and goddesses in a current setting - high school. I won't say more than that as I don't want to ruin the book for anyone currently reading it, but it's certainly an original idea! And the sequel is coming out next year, I believe. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

I'm right in the middle of A Red Herring without Mustard - I just love Flavia de Luce! That girl has spunk! I'm also working through Oliver Twist right now (The Well-Educated Mind reading list). I must confess that the only other Dickens' novel I've read is an abridged version of Great Expectations in high school so I didn't know what to expect. I am really enjoying the book and looking forward to reading more of his novels.

That sums up the books I've enjoyed in the past month or so. Here are the books that are currently at the top of my "to-be-read" pile:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Camilla by Frances Burney
1215: The Year of the Magna Carta
Belinda by Maria Edgeworth
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

What's on Your Nightstand?

Weekly Review: Week 3

2011-09-24T16:20:00.001-04:00

In my life this week…

A sick daughter – TJ woke up around 3 in the morning on Thursday wheezing for breath. Looks like it was a case of croup, so we took the day off to rest. Thankfully, the worst of it was just that night.

In our homeschool this week…

We fit in three full days of school this week.

Math – 3 lessons, still working through review

Language arts – started Writing with Ease. Our first dictation session went very well. TJ also completed step 2 in spelling, 2 lessons in grammar, and 1 page of handwriting.

Languages – Nick and TJ worked through another French lesson and also did 2 pages in the Greek Code Cracker.

No history or science this week but I did meet with the other moms of our little co-op to work out the details for our weekly meetings. We've decided to do history and art this fall so TJ and I will fit in science during the week.

What’s working/not working for us…

Moving TJ's math drill to the end of the day works like a charm! I don't nag her to get it done and start the day annoyed and she works through it quickly so she can go play. So happy mother and happy kid. Perfect!

I’m reading…

"serious" reading - Oliver Twist (working through the list of novels in The Well-Educated Mind)

"fun" reading – Starcrossed; pretty good novel – very unique retelling of Greek myths

I’m cooking…

lentil soup. The cool weather has put me in the mood for warm, comforting food. We'll have friends over on Sunday afternoon and I'm trying to decide between blueberry buckle and lemon pound cake.

I’m grateful for…

a healthy, beautiful daughter and a wonderful husband.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Crew Review: Primarily Magnets

2011-09-19T07:53:00.000-04:00

TJ really loves science projects and experiments so when we had the opportunity to review a science e-book from AIMS Education Foundation, we were very excited! AIMS is a non-profit organization that produces hands-on math and science books for use in all types of classroom environments.

At AIMS, we believe that hands-on math and science is the most effective way to develop conceptual understanding.

As a non-profit foundation, we're committed to doing what's best for students. Join us and rekindle the joy of learning!

We had our choice of a few book and TJ chose magnets. Primarily Magnets is perfect for kids in grades K-2. The experiments are easy enough for younger children to do with parental/teacher assistance and older children just need to be given a few directions and they are ready to investigate!

What's included: Each book is available in hard-copy or e-book form. Primarily Magnets, at 85 pages, is full of ideas and activities for exploring magnets. The 19 activities are divided up between four sections:

Magnets interacting with other materials
Magnets interacting with other magnets
Magnetic fields
Everyday uses of magnets

Each activity includes instructions and background information, as well as a list of topics (great way to fit in some new vocabulary), goals, and questions to ask the student.

Comparing magnetic strength

Our thoughts: TJ had fun with the activities in this book. Her first project was to gather a bunch of objects from around the house and divided them up into 2 piles - "stick" and "no stick". After dividing the 2 piles she made a list of the items. Her favorite project was comparing the magnetic strength of three different magnets (bar, horseshoe, and ring). She used a paper clip and a bar graph worksheet from the book to discover that the horseshoe magnet was the strongest.

I really liked the format of this e-book. It would be very easy to use the book, along with some magnets and other common items, as a unit study. With the included questions and topics you can add vocabulary and narration practice. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to do a magnet study with young children.

We enjoyed using Primarily Magnets ($18.95). Many of my Crew mates used this book and other books from AIMS. If you'd like to read more, check out the Crew blog.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Review: Week 2

2011-09-16T14:47:00.001-04:00

This week was a bit rough. TJ spent a lot of time dawdling over her work and wasting my time and hers. It made for a very frustrated mama. I discussed the problem with Nick and we're working on a few solutions. One of the biggies is her daily math drill. Instead of doing it first thing (and I end up standing over her to make sure she's completing it because I want to get to the rest of our subjects), I'll have her do it last – just before her play time. That way she's only wasting her own time and not mine. Hopefully this will curb some of our morning issues!

The Basics: We're moving right along in math – 5 lessons completed this week. TJ finished filling in her addition table and we spent time reviewing the different addition strategies she's learned. We spent some more time working on narration and copywork skills with selections from Little House in the Big Woods and next week we'll start week 1 in Writing With Ease 2. She's completed all the lessons in All About Spelling 2 and started the next book this week, which was basically a review lesson. We also worked through two more lessons in grammar and she practiced writing upper case letters in cursive.

Languages: TJ started book 3 of our French program and is doing well so far. She also did a few pages in the Greek Alphabet Code Cracker. We're fairly diligent with our French practice but I'm noticing that when we have a time crunch, Greek ends up tossed aside. For now, that's okay, as I'd rather spend the bulk of our time on the basics.

History: No co-op this week but TJ is reading some Adventures in Odyssey books (so I'll count that as history!).

Science: No co-op but we did spend some time learning about magnets using an e-book from AIMS. TJ had loads of fun with this project. In the picture above she's comparing the strength of three different magnets.

Reading: I just didn't get to any reading aloud this week – too much dawdling through school on TJ's part and by 1:30 I was just ready for that quiet time! But she did read about half of an Adventures in Odyssey book and finished two more fairy books, so the week wasn't a total loss.

Hopefully next week things will go a bit smoother. I'm praying for patience.

That's our week!

Crew Review: Big IQ Kids

2011-09-12T08:03:00.000-04:00

TJ and I recently had the chance to explore Big IQ Kids, an online program that uses games and drill to practice math facts, spelling, vocabulary, and U. S. Geography.

BigIQkids.com turns your computer into an online learning academy by providing daily academic lessons for young learners in an interactive, easy to follow format. For the best results, children should log into BigIQkids.com daily and complete their lessons and quizzes. This “daily” strategy builds invaluable study habits, leads to better grades and greater self confidence.

What's included: Once your child is signed up for the program they can start playing! And there is a lot to do on Big IQ Kids!

Using the math program, your child will cover:

addition
subtraction
multiplication
division

The spelling program can be used in 2 ways:

upload your own spelling list
use the included 1st-8th grade spelling lists

The U. S. geography program covers:

capitals
state locations
state spellings & abbreviations
common facts

Through games, activities, and drill, children learn facts about different countries, practice their spelling, or learn their math facts. Students also earn coins for completed lessons that they can spend on more games or in dressing their Big IQ Buddy. Parents can also receive emailed reports that outline the student's progress through the program.

Our thoughts: I'm not a huge fan of online drill programs but this one is pretty nice. The included incentive of earning coins for extra games is a nice addition. My only issue with the program is that navigating from one program to another can be confusing – you need to log in again for each part of the program – which can be a hassle. I do like the fact that you can modify the lessons to meet your child's needs (reducing the number of problems, etc.) – TJ does much better with shorter lessons. TJ's favorite part of the program is the geography section. She thought the little movies were cute and liked practicing her geography skills.

Big IQ Kids offers some content free of charge and they also offer premium access for a fee (you can see the pricing at their website). If you're interested in reading more reviews, head to the Crew blog to see what my mates thought!

Now for the fine print… I received a 1-year subscription to Big IQ Kids free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Review: Week 1!

2011-09-09T16:23:00.001-04:00

Our first week of school is complete! The week went very well – we focused on the basics and sprinkled in a bit of other stuff.

The Basics: It was basically a review week – the first few lessons in RightStart C review things from level B. For writing, I'm picking sentences for copywork and selections for narration from Little House in the Big Woods. We'll start Writing with Ease 2 in a few weeks. I wanted to spend a little more time on copywork and narration skills before moving on. We're finishing up the last two lessons in All About Spelling 2 this week and will start book 3 next week. TJ is struggling a bit with the au/aw and ou/ow words. We did two lessons in First Language Lessons and TJ started working through a cursive handwriting book (her favorite thing to do at the moment!).

Languages: My grand plans for completing The Greek Alphabet Code Cracker over the summer didn't happen so TJ is doing a page or two twice a week before we start Song School Greek. She reviewed some French grammar and vocabulary with Nick this week too. We haven't been practicing our French much this summer so we've forgotten a lot.

History: Our weekly History/Science co-op didn't happen this week since our friends are on vacation so TJ and I are catching up on a few extras we didn't get to during our summer history lessons – some mapping and extra reading. Right now we are reading Marguerite makes a Book.

Science: Science co-op didn't happen this week either (see above!) so TJ and I worked on a few small things that we didn't get to this summer. We're doing an Earth science study this year and she's doing some notebooking with mini-books and such, so she worked on some of that this week.

Reading: TJ is reading some of the fairy books in the Rainbow Magic series. I'm reading aloud from Mr. Popper's Penguins and Marguerite makes a Book (history reading).

That's our week!

Crew Review: Griddly Games

2011-09-05T12:07:00.001-04:00

We love playing board games and are always happy to discover one we've never played before, so when I had the opportunity to review a new game, I jumped at the chance!

Griddly Games offers a variety of games like Wise Alec, Oversight, and Chronicles of the Mind. We received Nature Nuts, an expansion pack to the Wise Alec board game. The great things about these expansion packs? You don't need the board game to play – there are instructions on the box for a very fun version of the game.

What's included: When you open the box you'll find instructions for the game printed right on the attached cover along with four decks of cards and a colorful die. Set up is very simple – you just need a piece of paper, a pen, and the box! Depending on the color you roll, you could answer questions about plants, animals, or the earth. There's also a Wise Alec category that could have you reciting tongue twisters, doing push-ups, or making silly animal sounds!

Our thoughts: We've really enjoyed playing this game! Some of the questions are easy and some are quite difficult, making it a great game for any age. I've also been using it as a learning opportunity. When we have a question that we can't answer we go online or look in a science book to try and discover the answer. It's a very fun way to learn interesting science facts.

There are a variety of expansion packs available – Nature Nuts, Civilize This!, and Sports Buffs. Each one is geared for ages 8+. Griddly Games can be found at a variety of online and brick & mortar stores. You can check the list here to find a location near you. Many of my Crew mates had a great time with these games. Be sure to check out the crew blog to read their reviews!

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Book Review: More Grandma's Attic

2011-08-24T07:08:00.000-04:00

I really love the Grandma's Attic series and was so happy to read the next two books in the series. This is a great set of books to read aloud - we've really enjoyed them!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Arleta Richardson

and the books:

David C. Cook; Reprint edition (August 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

The late Arleta Richardson grew up an only child in Chicago, living in a hotel on the shores of Lake Michigan. Under the care of her maternal grandmother, she listened for hours to stories from her grandmother’s childhood. With unusual recall, Arleta began to write these stories for an audience that now numbers over two million. “My grandmother would be amazed to know her stories have gone around the world,” Arleta said.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Grandma did what? You might be surprised. Back in the 1880’s, when she was a young girl named Mabel, trouble seemed to follow her everywhere. She and her best friend, Sarah Jane, had the best intentions at home and at school, but somehow clumsiness and mischief always seemed to intrude. Whether getting into a sticky mess with face cream, traveling to the big city, sneaking out to a birthday party or studying for the spelling bee, Mabel’s brilliant ideas only seemed to show how much she had to learn. And each of her mishaps turned into lessons in honesty, patience and responsibility.

Arleta Richardson’s beloved series, Grandma’s Attic, returns with Still More Stories from Grandma’s Attic and Treasures from Grandma’s Attic, the third and fourth books in the refreshed classic collection for girls ages 8 to 12. These compilations of tales recount humorous and poignant memories from Grandma Mabel’s childhood on a Michigan farm in the late 1800’s. Combining the warmth and spirit of Little House on the Prairie with a Christian focus, these books transport readers back to a simpler time to learn lessons surprisingly relevant in today’s world.

Even though these stories took place over a hundred years ago, there are some things about being a girl that never change. Just like Mabel, girls still want to be prettier or more independent. It’s all part of growing up. But the amazing thing is—Grandma felt the same way! Sometimes your brother teases you or someone you thought was a friend turns out to be insincere. Sometimes you’re certain you know better than your parents, only to discover to your horror that they might have been right. It’s all part of growing up.

Richardson’s wholesome stories have reached more than two million readers worldwide. Parents appreciate the godly values and character they promote while children love the captivating storytelling that recounts childhood memories of mischief and joy. These books are ideal for homes, schools, libraries or gifts and are certain to be treasured. So return to Grandma’s attic, where true tales of yesteryear bring timeless lessons for today, combining the appeal of historical fiction for girls with the truth of God’s Word. Each captivating story promotes godly character and values with humor, understanding and warmth.

Product Details:

Still More Stories from Grandma’s Attic:

List Price: $6.99

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: David C. Cook; Reprint edition (August 1, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0781403812

ISBN-13: 978-0781403818

Treasures from Grandma’s Attic:

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: David C. Cook; Reprint edition (August 1, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0781403820

ISBN-13: 978-0781403825

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTERS:

Still More Stories from Grandma’s Attic

When Grandma Was a Little Girl

One hundred years! What a long, long time ago that is! Not very many people are still alive who can remember that far back. But through the magic of stories, we can be right there again.

When I was a little girl, I thought no one could tell a story like my grandma.

“Tell me about when you were a little girl,” I would say. Soon I would be back on the farm in northern Michigan with young Mabel—who became my grandmother—her mother and father, and her brothers, Reuben and Roy.

The old kitchen where I sat to hear many of Grandma’s stories didn’t look the same as when she was a little girl. Then there was no electricity nor running water. But my grandma still lived in the house she grew up in. I had no trouble imagining all the funny jams that Grandma and her best friend, Sarah Jane, got into. Or how it felt to wear long flannel stockings and high-buttoned shoes.

From the dusty old attic to the front parlor with its slippery furniture, Grandma’s old house was a storybook just waiting to be opened. I was fortunate to have a grandma who knew just how to open it. She loved to tell a story just as much as I loved to hear one.

Come with me now, back to the old kitchen in that Michigan farmhouse, and enjoy the laughter and tears of many years ago....

1

Face Cream from Godey’s Lady’s Book

Receiving mail always excited me. I never had to be told to get the mail for Grandma on my way home from school. But sometimes the mail became even more important. Like the time I was watching for something I had ordered from Woman’s Home Companion.

When the small package finally arrived, my face revealed how excited I was.

“What did you get a sample of this time?” Grandma asked as I came in proudly carrying the precious box.

“You’ll see. Just wait till I show you,” I said, promising Grandma the box held something special.

Quickly I tore the wrapping paper off the small box. Inside was a jar of skin cream for wrinkles.

Grandma laughed when she saw it. “You certainly don’t need that,” she said. “Now it might do me some good if those things ever really worked.”

“You aren’t wrinkled, Grandma,” I protested. “Your face is nice and smooth.”

“Perhaps so. But not because of what I’ve rubbed on it. More than likely I’ve inherited a smooth skin.”

She took the jar of cream and looked at the ingredients “This doesn’t look quite as dangerous as some stuff Sarah Jane and I mixed up one day. Did I ever tell you about that?”

“No, I’m sure you didn’t,” I replied. “Tell me now.”

Grandma picked up her crocheting, and I settled back to listen to a story about Grandma and her friend, Sarah Jane, when they were my age.

***

Sarah Jane had a cousin who lived in the city. This cousin often came to stay at Sarah Jane’s for a few days. She brought things with her that we were not accustomed to seeing.

One morning as Sarah Jane and I were walking to school together, Sarah Jane told me some very exciting news. “My cousin Laura will be here tomorrow. She’s going to stay all next week. Won’t that be fun?”

“Yes,” I agreed. “I’m glad she’s coming. What do you think she’ll bring this time?”

“Probably some pretty new dresses and hats,” Sarah Jane guessed. “She might even let us try them on.”

“Oh, I’m sure she wouldn’t want us to try on her dresses. But maybe she wouldn’t mind if we peeked at ourselves in the mirror to see how the hats looked.”

Laura arrived the next day with several new hats. She amiably agreed that we might try them on.

They were too big, and had a tendency to slide down over our noses. But to us, they were the latest fashion.

As we laid the hats back on the bed, Sarah Jane spied something else that interested her. It was a magazine for ladies. We had not seen more than half a dozen magazines in our lives, so this was exciting.

“Oh, Laura,” Sarah Jane cried, “may we look at your magazine? We’ll be very careful.”

“Why, yes. I’m not going to be reading it right away. Go ahead.”

Eagerly we snatched the magazine and ran out to the porch. The cover pictured a lady with a very fashionable dress and hat, carrying a frilly parasol. The name of the magazine was Godey’s Lady’s Book.

“Ooh! Look at the ruffles on her dress!” Sarah Jane exclaimed. “Wouldn’t you just love to have one dress with all those ribbons and things?”

“Yes, but there’s little chance I’ll ever have it,” I replied. “Ma wouldn’t iron that many ruffles for anything. Besides, we’re not grown up enough to have dresses like that. It looks like it might be organdy, doesn’t it?”

“Mmm-hum,” Sarah Jane agreed. “It looks like something soft, all right. And look at her hair. It must be long to make that big a roll around her head.”

We spread the magazine across our laps and studied each page carefully. Nothing escaped our notice. “I sure wish we were grown up,” Sarah Jane sighed. “Think how much prettier we’d be.”

“Yes, and how much more fun we could have. These ladies don’t spend all their time going to school and doing chores. They just get all dressed up and sit around looking pretty.”

We looked for a moment in silence; then Sarah Jane noticed something interesting. “Look here, Mabel. Here’s something you can make to get rid of wrinkles on your face.”

I looked where she was reading.

Guaranteed to remove wrinkles. Melt together a quantity of white wax and honey. When it becomes liquid, add the juice of several lemons. Spread the mixture liberally on your face and allow it to dry. In addition to smoothing out your wrinkles, this formula will leave your skin soft, smooth, and freckle free.

“But we don’t have any wrinkles,” I pointed out.

“That doesn’t matter,” Sarah Jane replied. “If it takes wrinkles away, it should keep us from getting them too. Besides,” she added critically, “it says it takes away freckles. And you have plenty of those.”

I rubbed my nose reflectively. “I sure do. Do you suppose that stuff really would take them off?”

“We can try it and see. I’ll put some on if you will. Where shall we mix it up?”

This would be a problem, since Sarah Jane’s mother was baking in her kitchen. It would be better to work where we wouldn’t have to answer questions about what we were doing.

“Let’s go to your house and see what your mother is doing,” Sarah Jane suggested.

We hurriedly returned the magazine to Laura’s bedroom and dashed back outdoors.

“Do you have all the things we need to put in it?” Sarah Jane asked.

“I know we have wax left over from Ma’s jelly glasses. And I’m sure we have lemons. But I don’t know how much honey is left.

“I know where we can get some, though.” I continued. “Remember that hollow tree in the woods? We found honey there last week.”

Soon we were on our way to collect it in a small pail.

“This is sure going to be messy and sticky to put on our faces,” I commented as we filled the pail.

“Probably the wax takes the sticky out,” Sarah Jane replied. “Anyway, if it takes away your freckles and makes our skin smooth, it won’t matter if it is a little gooey. I wonder how long we leave it on.”

“The directions said to let it dry,” I reminded her. “I suppose the longer you leave it there, the more good it does. We’ll have to take it off before we go in to supper, I guess.”

“I guess so,” Sarah Jane exclaimed. “I don’t know what your brothers would say. But I’m not going to give Caleb a chance to make fun of me.”

I knew what Reuben and Roy would say, too, and I was pretty sure I could predict what Ma would say. There seemed to be no reason to let them know about it.

Fortune was with us, for the kitchen was empty when we cautiously opened the back door. Ma heard us come in and called down from upstairs, “Do you need something, Mabel?”

“No, Ma’am,” I answered. “But we might like a cookie.”

“Help yourself,” Ma replied. “I’m too busy tearing rags to come down right now. You can pour yourselves some milk too.”

I assured her that we could. With a sigh of relief, we went to the pantry for a kettle in which to melt the wax and honey.

“This looks big enough,” Sarah Jane said. “You start that getting hot, and I’ll squeeze the lemons. Do you think two will be enough?”

“I guess two is ‘several.’ Maybe we can tell by the way it looks whether we need more or not.”

“I don’t see how,” Sarah Jane argued. “We never saw any of this stuff before. But we’ll start with two, anyway.”

I placed the pan containing the wax and honey on the hottest part of the stove and pulled up a chair to sit on. “Do you suppose I ought to stir it?” I inquired. “It doesn’t look as though it’s mixing very fast.”

“Give it time,” Sarah Jane advised. “Once the wax melts down, it will mix.”

After a short time, the mixture began to bubble.

“There, see?” she said, stirring it with a spoon. “You can’t tell which is wax and which is honey. I think it’s time to put in the lemon juice.” She picked up the juice, but I stopped her.

“You have to take the seeds out, first, silly. You don’t want knobs all over your face, do you?”

“I guess you’re right. That wouldn’t look too good, would it?”

She dug the seeds out, and we carefully stirred the lemon juice into the pan.

“Umm, it smells good,” I observed.

Sarah Jane agreed. “In fact, it smells a little like Ma’s cough syrup. Do you want to taste it?”

“Sure, I’ll take a little taste.” I licked some off the spoon and smacked my lips. “It’s fine,” I reported. “If it tastes that good, it will certainly be safe to use. Let’s take it to my room and try it.”

We carefully lifted the kettle from the stove. Together we carried the kettle upstairs and set it on my dresser.

“It will have to cool a little before we put it on,” I said.

“What if the wax gets hard again? We’ll have to take it downstairs and heat it all over.”

“It won’t,” I assured her. “The honey will keep it from getting too hard.” By the time the mixture was cool enough to use, it was thick and gooey—but still spreadable.

“Well, here goes,” Sarah Jane said. She dipped a big blob out and spread it on her face. I did the same. Soon our faces were covered with the sticky mess.

“Don’t get it in your hair,” I warned. “It looks like it would be awfully hard to get out. I wonder how long it will take to dry?”

“The magazine didn’t say that. It would probably dry faster outside in the sun. But someone is sure to see us out there. We’d better stay here.... I wish we had brought the magazine to look at.”

“We can look at the Sears catalog,” I suggested. “Let’s play like we’re ordering things for our own house.”

We sat down on the floor and spread the catalog out in front of us. After several minutes, Sarah Jane felt her face.

“I think it’s dry, Mabel,” she announced, hardly moving her lips. “It doesn’t bend or anything.”

I touched mine and discovered the same thing. The mask was solid and hard. It was impossible to move my mouth to speak, so my voice had a funny sound when I answered her.

“So’s mine. Maybe we’d better start taking it off now.”

We ran to the mirror and looked at ourselves.

“We sure look funny.” Sarah Jane laughed the best she could without moving her face. “How did the magazine say to get it off?”

Suddenly we looked at each other in dismay. The magazine hadn’t said anything about removing the mixture, only how to fix and spread it on.

“Well, we’ve done it again,” I said. “How come everything we try works until we’re ready to undo it? We’ll just have to figure some way to get rid of it.”

We certainly did try. We pushed the heavy masks that covered our faces. We pulled them, knocked on them, and tried to soak them off. They would not budge.

“I think we used too much wax and not enough honey,” Sarah Jane puffed as she flopped back down on the bed.

“That’s certainly a great thing to think of now,” I answered crossly. “The only way to move wax is to melt it. And we certainly can’t stick our faces in the fire!”

“Mine feels like it’s already on fire. I don’t think this stuff is good for your skin.”

“You’re going to have to think about more than that,” I told her. “Or this stuff will be your skin. There has to be some way to get it off.”

“We’ve tried everything we can think of. We’ll just have to go down and let your rna help us.”

That was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. But I could see no other alternative. Slowly we trudged down to the kitchen.

Ma was working at the stove, and she said cheerfully, “Are you girls hungry again? It won’t be long until suppertime, so you’d better not eat ....”

She turned around as she spoke. When she spotted us standing in the doorway, her eyes widened in disbelief.

“What on earth? ... What have you done to yourselves?”

I burst into tears. The sight of drops of tears running down that ridiculous mask must have been more than Ma could stand. Suddenly she began to laugh. She laughed until she had to sit down.

“It’s not funny, Ma. We can’t get it off! We’ll have to wear it the rest of our lives!”

Ma controlled herself long enough to come over and feel my face. “What did you put in it?” she asked. “That will help me know how to take it off.”

We told her.

“If you two ever live to grow up, it will only be the Lord’s good mercy. The only thing we can do is apply something hot enough to melt the wax,” Ma told us quickly.

“But we boiled the wax, Ma,” I cried. “You can’t boil our faces!”

“No, 1won’t try anything as drastic as that. I’ll just use hot towels until it gets soft enough to pull away.”

After several applications, we were finally able to start peeling the mixture off. As it came loose, our skin came with it.

“Ouch! That hurts,” I cried.

But Ma could not stop. By the time the last bits of wax and honey were removed, our faces were fiery red and raw.

“What did we do wrong?” Sarah Jane wailed. “We made it just like the magazine said.”

“You may have used the wrong quantities, or left it on too long,” Ma said. “At any rate, I don’t think you’ll try it again.”

“I know I won’t,” Sarah Jane moaned. “I’m going to tell Laura she should ignore that page in her magazine.” She looked at me. “The stuff did one thing they said it would, Mabel. I don’t see any freckles.”

“There’s no skin left, either,” I retorted. “I’d rather have freckles than a face like this.”

“Never mind.” Ma tried to soothe us. “Your faces will be all right in a couple of days.”

“A couple of days!” I howled. “We can’t go to school looking like this!”

***

“We did, though.” Grandma laughed as she finished the story. “After a while we were able to laugh with the others over our foolishness.”

I looked at the little jar of cream that had come in the mail.

“I don’t think I’ll use this, Grandma. I guess I’ll just let my face get wrinkled if it wants to!”

************************************************

Treasures from Grandma's Attic

Cousin Agatha

My best friend, Sarah Jane, and I were walking home from school on a cold November afternoon.

“Do you realize, Mabel, that 1886 is almost over? Another year of nothing important ever happening is nearly gone.”

“Well, we still have a good bit of life ahead of us,” I replied.

“You don’t know that,” Sarah Jane said darkly, “We’re thirteen and a half. We may already have lived nearly a third of our allotted time.”

“The O’Dells live to be awfully old,” I told her. “So, unless I get run down by a horse and buggy, I’ll probably be around awhile.”

We walked along in silence. Then suddenly Sarah Jane pulled me to the side of the road.

“Here’s the horse and buggy that could keep you from becoming an old lady,” she kidded. We turned to see my pa coming down the road.

“Want to ride the rest of the way, girls?” he called. We clambered into the buggy, and Pa clucked to Nellie.

“What did you get in town?” I asked.

“Some things for the farm and a letter for your ma.” Around the next bend, Pa slowed Nellie to a halt. “Your stop, Sarah Jane.”

“Thanks, Mr. O’Dell.” Sarah Jane jumped down. “I’ll be over to study later, Mabel. ‘Bye.”

“Who’s the letter from?” I asked Pa.

“Can’t tell from the handwriting. We’ll have to wait for Ma to tell us.”

When Ma opened the letter, she looked puzzled. “This is from your cousin Agatha,” she said to Pa. “Why didn’t she address it to you, too?”

“If I know Aggie, she wants something,” Pa declared. “And she figured you’d be more likely to listen to her sad story.”

Ma read the letter and shook her head at Pa. “She just wants to come for Thanksgiving. Now aren’t you ashamed of talking that way?”

“No, I’m not. That’s what Aggie says she wants. You can be sure there’s more there than meets the eye. Are you going to tell her to come ahead?”

“Why, of course!” Ma exclaimed. “If I were a widowed lady up in years, I’d want to be with family on Thanksgiving. Why shouldn’t I tell her to come?”

Pa took his hat from the peg by the door and started for the barn, where my older brothers were already at work. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he remarked as he left.

“What did Pa warn you about?” I asked as soon as the door closed behind him. “What does Cousin Agatha want?”

“I don’t believe Pa was talking to you,” Ma replied. “You heard me say that she wants to come for Thanksgiving.”

“Yes, but Pa said—”

“That’s enough, Mabel. We won’t discuss it further.”

I watched silently as Ma sat down at the kitchen table and answered Cousin Agatha’s letter.

Snow began to fall two days before the holiday, and Pa had to hitch up the sleigh to go into town and meet the train.

“It will be just our misfortune to have a real blizzard and be snowed in with that woman for a week,” he grumbled.

“Having Aggie here a few days won’t hurt you,” Ma said. “The way you carry on, you’d think she was coming to stay forever!”

Pa’s look said he considered that a distinct possibility. As I helped Ma with the pies, I questioned her about Cousin Agatha.

“Has she been here before? I can’t remember seeing her.”

“I guess you were pretty small last time Agatha visited,” Ma replied. “I expect she gets lonely in that big house in the city.”

“What do you suppose she wants besides dinner?” I ventured.

“Friendly company,” Ma snapped. “And we’re going to give it to her.”

When the pies were in the oven, I hung around the window, watching for the sleigh. It was nearly dark when I heard the bells on Nellie’s harness ring out across the snow.

“They’re coming, Ma,” I called, and Ma hurried to the door with the lamp held high over her head. The boys and I crowded behind her. Pa jumped down from the sleigh and turned to help Cousin Agatha.

“I don’t need any assistance from you, James,” a firm voice spoke. “I’m perfectly capable of leaving any conveyance under my own power.”

“She talks like a book!” Roy whispered, and Reuben poked him. I watched in awe as a tall, unbending figure sailed into the kitchen.

“Well, Maryanne,” she said, “it’s good to see you.” She removed her big hat, jabbed a long hat pin into it, and handed the hat to me. “You must be Mabel.”

I nodded wordlessly.

“What’s the matter? Can’t you speak?” she boomed.

“Yes, ma’am,” I gulped nervously.

“Then don’t stand there bobbing your head like a monkey on a stick. People will think you have no sense. You can put that hat in my room.”

I stared openmouthed at this unusual person until a gentle push from Ma sent me in the direction of the guest room.

After dinner and prayers, Pa rose with the intention of going to the barn.

“James!” Cousin Agatha’s voice stopped him. “Surely you aren’t going to do the chores with these two great hulking fellows sitting here, are you?”

The two great hulking fellows leaped for the door with a speed I didn’t know they had.

“I should guess so,” Cousin Agatha exclaimed with satisfaction. “If there’s anything I can’t abide, it’s a lazy child.”

As she spoke, Cousin Agatha pulled Ma’s rocker to the stove and lowered herself into it. “This chair would be more comfortable if there were something to put my feet on,” she said, “but I suppose one can’t expect the amenities in a place like this.”

I looked at Ma for some clue as to what “amenities” might be. This was not a word we had encountered in our speller.

“Run into the parlor and get the footstool, Mabel,” Ma directed.

When Cousin Agatha was settled with her hands in her lap and her feet off the cold floor, I started the dishes.

“Maryanne, don’t you think Mabel’s dress is a mite too short?”

Startled, I looked down at my dress.

“No,” Ma’s calm voice replied. “She’s only thirteen, you know. I don’t want her to be grown up too soon.”

“There is such a thing as modesty, you know.” Cousin Agatha sniffed.

Pa and the boys returned just then, so Ma didn’t answer. I steered an uneasy path around Cousin Agatha all evening. For the first time I could remember, I was glad when bedtime came.

The next day was Thanksgiving, and the house was filled with the aroma of good things to eat. From her rocker, Cousin Agatha offered suggestions as Ma scurried about the kitchen.

“Isn’t it time to baste the turkey, Maryanne? I don’t care for dry fowl.”

“I see the boys running around out there with that mangy dog as though they had nothing to do. Shouldn’t they be chopping wood or something?”

“I should think Mabel could be helping you instead of reading a book. If there’s one thing I can’t abide . . . “

“Mabel will set the table when it’s time,” Ma put in. “Maybe you’d like to peel some potatoes?”

The horrified look on Cousin Agatha’s face said she wouldn’t consider it, so Ma withdrew her offer.

A bump on the door indicated that the “mangy dog” was tired of the cold. I laid down my book and let Pep in. He made straight for the stove and his rug.

“Mercy!” Cousin Agatha cried. “Do you let that—that animal in the kitchen?”

“Yes,” Ma replied. “He’s not a young dog any longer. He isn’t any bother, and he does enjoy the heat.”

“Humph.” Agatha pulled her skirts around her. “I wouldn’t allow any livestock in my kitchen. Can’t think what earthly good a dog can be.” She glared at Pep, who responded with a thump of his tail and a sigh of contentment.

“Dumb creature,” Cousin Agatha muttered.

“Pep isn’t dumb, Cousin Agatha,” I said. “He’s really the smartest dog I know.”

“I was not referring to his intellect or lack of it,” she told me, “‘Dumb’ indicates an inability to speak. You will have to concede that he is unable to carry on a conversation.”

I was ready to dispute that, too, but Ma shook her head. Cousin Agatha continued to give Pep disparaging glances.

“Didn’t you ever have any pets at your house, Cousin Agatha?” I asked.

“Pets? I should say not! Where in the Bible does it say that God made animals for man’s playthings? They’re meant to earn their keep, not sprawl out around the house absorbing heat.”

“Oh, Pep works,” I assured her. “He’s been taking the cows out and bringing them back for years now.”

Cousin Agatha was not impressed. She sat back in the rocker and eyed Pep with disfavor. “The one thing I can’t abide, next to a lazy child, is a useless animal—and in the house!”

I began to look nervously at Ma, thinking she might send Pep to the barn to keep the peace. But she went on about her work, serenely ignoring Cousin Agatha’s hints. I was glad when it was time to set the table.

After we had eaten, Pa took the Bible down from the cupboard and read our Thanksgiving chapter, Psalm 100. Then he prayed, thanking the Lord for Cousin Agatha and asking the Lord’s blessing on her just as he did on the rest of us. When he had finished, Cousin Agatha spoke up.

“I believe that I will stay here until Christmas, James. Then, if I find it to my liking, I could sell the house in the city and continue on with you. Maryanne could use some help in teaching these children how to be useful.”

In the stunned silence that followed, I looked at Pa and Ma to see how this news had affected them. Ma looked pale. Before Pa could open his mouth to answer, Cousin Agatha rose from the table. “I’ll just go to my room for a bit of rest,” she said. “We’ll discuss this later.”

When she had left, we gazed at each other helplessly.

“Is there anything in the Bible that tells you what to do now?” I asked Pa.

“Well, it says if we don’t love our brother whom we can see, how can we love God whom we can’t see? I think that probably applies to cousins as well.”

“I’d love her better if I couldn’t see her.” Reuben declared. “We don’t have to let her stay, do we, Pa?”

“No, we don’t have to,” Pa replied. “We could ask her to leave tomorrow as planned. But I’m not sure that would be right. What do you think, Ma?”

“I wouldn’t want to live alone in the city,” Ma said slowly. “I can see that she would prefer the company of a family. I suppose we should ask her to stay until Christmas.”

“I think she already asked herself,” Roy ventured. “But she did say if she found things to her liking. . . .”

We all looked at Roy. Pa said, “You’re not planning something that wouldn’t be to her liking, are you?”

“Oh, no, sir!” Roy quickly answered. “Not me.”

Pa signed. “I’m not sure I’d blame you. She’s not an easy person to live with. We’ll all have to be especially patient with her.”

There wasn’t much Thanksgiving atmosphere in the kitchen as we did the dishes.

“How can we possibly stand it for another whole month?” I moaned.

“The Lord only sends us one day at a time,” Ma informed me. “Don’t worry about more than that. When the other days arrive, you’ll probably find out you worried about all the wrong things.”

As soon as the work was finished, I put on my coat and walked over to Sarah Jane’s.

“What will you do if she stays on after Christmas?” she asked.

“I’ll just die.”

“I thought you were going to be a long-living O’Dell.”

“I changed my mind,” I retorted. “What would you do if you were in my place?”

“I’d probably make her life miserable so she’d want to leave.”

“You know I couldn’t get away with that. Pa believes that Christian love is the best solution.”

“All right, then,” Sarah Jane said with a shrug. “Love her to death.”

As though to fulfill Pa’s prediction, snow began to fall heavily that night. By morning we were snowed in.

“Snowed in?” Cousin Agatha repeated. “You mean unable to leave the house at all?”

“That’s right,” Pa replied. “This one is coming straight down from Canada.”

Cousin Agatha looked troubled. “I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all.”

“We’ll be all right,” Ma reassured her. “We have plenty of wood and all the food we need.”

But Cousin Agatha was not to be reassured. I watched her stare into the fire and twist her handkerchief around her fingers. Why, she’s frightened! I thought. This old lady had been directing things all her life, and here was something she couldn’t control. Suddenly I felt sorry for her.

“Cousin Agatha,” I said, “we have fun when we’re snowed in. We play games and pop corn and tell stories. You’ll enjoy it. I know you will!”

I ran over and put my arms around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. She looked at me in surprise.

“That’s the first time anyone has hugged me since I can remember,” she said. “Do you really like me, Mabel?”

Right then I knew that I did like Cousin Agatha a whole lot. Behind her stern front was another person who needed to be loved and wanted.

“Oh, yes, Cousin Agatha,” I replied. “I really do. You’ll see what a good time we’ll have together.”

The smile that lighted her face was bright enough to chase away any gloom that had settled over the kitchen. And deep down inside, I felt real good.

Now for the fine print... I received these books free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

"Not" Back to School Blog Hop: Student Photo Week

2011-08-15T07:07:00.000-04:00

Here is my one-and-only student! TJ will be starting second grade this year.

"Not" Back to School Blog Hop: School Room Week

2011-08-08T07:45:00.000-04:00

This is week 2 of The Heart of the Matter "Not Back to School Blog Hop and the topic is School Rooms. I have dreams of having a space in our home for all the books and stuff with a comfy couch and wide windows. But, for now, we school in the dining room and everything is on bookshelves in that area. Someday we'll be in a bigger home with a dedicated room for all this stuff but we're making it work in our space.

This is the primary bookshelf for our everyday curriculum and supplies. The top holds a cd player, a small plastic tower (for colored pencils and various school supplies), and flashcards. The first shelf holds our daily boxes. TJ has a box for all her school books and supplies along with a pencil case for her pencils and smaller doo-dads. I have a box with all my teacher's manuals and weekly schedule. With those two boxes we can school wherever we want. The two white boxes on the middle shelf are for science and math. One box holds all the supplies for science experiments and the other holds all our RightStart math manipulatives. The bottom shelf holds various books we'll use throughout the year along with history and science lesson plans.

This is a picture of the dining area from the kitchen. Please excuse the mess (we just returned from a week-long visit to see family and haven't put everything away yet). There is another bookshelf in the right corner (can't see it in this photo because the fridge is blocking most of it). It's for miscellaneous stuff – the top has a 3-tiered paper/file holder that we use for completed worksheets, booklists, and such. There's a shelf full of craft supplies and lots of other stuff crammed on the shelf. I might actually get around to cleaning it eventually. There's a bulletin board and a white board and another bookshelf in the corner. That shelf is for my books and extra resources and all the binders for completed work. TJ has a shelf on the bottom with a box of science experiment stuff that she can use in her spare time.

This is a snapshot of the other wall. There's a plastic drawer tower for TJ's craft stuff (which is sadly in need of a cleaning). The buffet usually holds whatever her current project is. At the moment that is a butterfly sculpey project. The right side of the buffet holds books for upcoming school years (I like to buy ahead!) and the left side holds science, math, and art supplies.

There are more books scattered throughout the house on various bookshelves but the daily supplies are in the dining room. Someday we'll have a library for all this stuff, but for now, it's a part of daily life!

"Not" Back to School Blog Hop: Second Grade Curriculum

2011-08-03T07:45:00.000-04:00

It's almost time for us to start another school year. We'll be starting after Labor Day (and a trip to Disney! Yeah!). When I'm not planning or thinking about our vacation I'm trying to get things ready for another school year. Thankfully, all the curriculum is in and organized for the coming year. It was an easy year to plan for since we're basically using the same programs we used last year. Here's what we'll be doing:

Mathematics: Our main program for math is RightStart level C. We've worked through levels A & B in previous years and are looking forward to this level. TJ is a very hands-on kid and she really thrives with this program. As a supplement, I'll also have her do one lesson of Horizons math and a page from Challenging Word Problems each day during our Drill & Recitation period. If I find that she is struggling with a certain concept, I plan to purchase the individual topic modules from Math Mammoth for extra practice.

Language Arts: We'll be using All About Spelling level 3 (and level 4, if we finish level 3 before the school year is done). This is another great hands-on program for my wiggly girl. I love the memorization of rules and dictation exercises. Really great program.

For grammar, we'll continue working through First Language Lessons (level 2). This is a wonderfully gentle introduction to grammar concepts for young children.

Is it weird that nothing was a flop last year and we're still using the same programs? ;-0 The streak continues with writing – we're using the next level of Writing with Ease. Level 2 looks like a huge step up from level one, so we might be taking it a bit slower.

We've finished our reading program and TJ has been working on her reading skills this summer. She has read more Rainbow Fairy books than I can keep track of – so I can confidently say that she is easily reading beginner chapter books. She's working her way through Beezus and Ramona as well. So, my only plan for reading this year is to have her read aloud to me once a week from the Christian Liberty Nature Reader series and have a daily reading time (30 minutes free reading and 30 minutes school reading).

Languages: We're in our second year using Mission ABC French from Mission Monde. I've enjoyed using the program and look forward to completing it this year before starting the grade school French program they offer. We'll be using Song School Greek from Classical Academic Press this year too. We've dabbled in the program a bit and we're looking forward to diving in this year.

History: We're continuing our journey with Story of the World and learning about the days of Vikings, kings and knights. The big difference is that we have friends joining us this year in our own little mini co-op. We're already part way through volume 2 and really enjoying our adventure!

Science: Our friends are also joining us for weekly science lessons. This year we're working through volume 1 of A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp, taking breaks along the way to spend more time on oceans, weather, and rocks. We'll finish out the year by studying Canadian geography with Donna Ward's, Canada, My Country.

Fine Arts: Last year we used our daily tea time to read poetry, look at paintings, or listen to music. Sadly, I slacked off during the second half the school year, so my goal this year is to have tea time at least three days a week. During that time we'll read through poetry books from the library and our own collection, look at artwork from the middle ages and renaissance, and listen to music as we work on our mapping skills.

Bible/Religion: Last but certainly not least, we'll be using a variety of books for Bible study and devotional time. I'm adding the list here but I don't really consider this a part of our school day because we'd still be doing it regardless of where TJ attended school. For daily Bible reading and devotional time, TJ is reading through The Beginner's Bible again and will start reading through the New Testament readings from The Children's Bible in 365 Stories when our school year begins. Nick reads aloud to her from a VeggieTales devotions for girls book each evening. For Bible study Nick and TJ will do a lesson in the Grapevine Studies New Testament overview book each week. We'll also add in readings from Leading Little Ones to God somewhere in there.

I'd also like to begin TJ on recorder lessons, but we'll wait until we have a good routine before introducing that. I think we might add Oral Language Exercises in our morning routine somewhere too. And that's our list for second grade!

Well-Educated Mind: Pride & Prejudice

2011-08-02T13:28:00.001-04:00

I'm still working through Pride and Prejudice this month. I've read the first 18 chapters but haven't had much time for more than that with an unexpected week visiting family. My plan is to finish the book this month, which I don't think will be too difficult.

I'm also still working through the questions in The Well-Educated Mind for Gulliver's Travels. I ordered a few books with essays about Jonathan Swift to get more of a context about the historical time period.

Goals for August:

Complete The Well-Educated Mind list of questions for Gulliver's Travels.
Finish reading Pride and Prejudice.

A Lazy Meme

2011-07-30T08:17:00.000-04:00

I saw this meme over at Almost Unschoolers blog. I've been feeling pretty lazy here lately (I'm on vacation visiting family) and thought I would join the fun. I'm feeling the urge to travel after reading this list. I think I'd choose to visit (in no particular order) – Hawaii, Paris, Grand Canyon, London, and China. And all the other places mentioned! What places are on your "someday" list?

The instructions: copy the list and bold the items you've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45 Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Free Summer Issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!

2011-07-29T07:58:00.000-04:00

Take a look at the brand new Summer digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. TOS is offering this digital issue of the magazine totally free with no strings attached. Enjoy this free gift from TOS—no registration or email address required to view the magazine! Take a peek here. Then share the link with your friends by clicking on the share button at the top of the magazine pages.

Visiting Family

2011-07-28T11:57:00.001-04:00

We had plans this past weekend to go to Maine to visit family. The trip was fairly uneventful – Nick had one moment where he dozed off and swerved a bit (this was at the 9.5 hr mark for driving). The day after we arrived my dad was having chest pains and had to go to the hospital. So our quick weekend trip turned into a week long trip. He's home now and recovering well but we decided to stay the rest of the week to visit, now that he's home.

TJ has been busy picking berries, beans, and peas in the garden and we've been to my sister's house to see her new goats. We've been bowling, and visiting, and playing games, and hanging out. It's been wonderful but I'm looking forward to getting back to my own bed and routine. But it has been wonderful to have a nice relaxing vacation visiting family.

Book Review: It Couldn't Just Happen

2011-07-20T07:43:00.000-04:00

Kids are daily exposed to the theory of evolution by the media and public schools. It’s not safe to assume that your kids will reject that theory. It’s up to us as parents and Christian leaders to make sure our children know the truth about the creation of the world. With thousands of evidences to prove He created and sustains the universe, It Couldn’t Just Happen will fascinate kids with fun activities and examples of God’s marvelous works.

The title Lawrence O. Richards chose for this book explains the purpose of it's writing – it couldn't just happen; earth didn't just pop onto the scene and slowly evolve to sustain life as we know it today. Through a look at many facets of life on earth – from the earth itself, its place in the solar system, various creatures, and our own human bodies, Richards refutes various components of the Theory of Evolution. The book is obviously written from a creationist point-of-view. With chapters full of gorgeous photographs, Richards shares various facts about earth and the things it contains and how those facts prove that things couldn't just happen – there was a master plan and a creator behind everything – from the largest planet to the smallest cell.

My Thoughts: While the book is marketed as a children's book, I believe it's better suited for 6th grade and above. It could easily be used in a homeschool setting, with easy-to-read sections, colorful photos, and follow-up activities at the end of each chapter. I liked the writing style and think it would make a nice supplement to a science program. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to using this resource in the future with my daughter.

Now for the fine print… I received this book in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Favorite Things: Homeschooling Websites

2011-07-19T07:45:00.000-04:00

As I get ready for another school year, I've been looking through lots of websites for printables. There are so many things out there that I get overwhelmed trying to find things that are useful to us. But, very often, after searching, I just end up at websites I've used many times before. Here are a few of my favorites:

Looking back at my time on the Crew

2011-07-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew will be starting its fourth voyage very soon and I've been blessed to be a part of the team for the past two years (and now heading into my third!). I thought that I would share a few of my favorite products that I've been introduced to through my time on the Crew.

One of the first products I received to review was an Old Testament Bible study program from Grapevine Studies. TJ loves to doodle and draw so I knew that this would be perfect for her – and it has been. We loved working through the Old Testament workbook and purchased the New Testament books so we could continue the series. (You can read my review here.)

Another program that we have loved using is All About Spelling. I'll be honest and say that before I had the opportunity to review the first two levels of the program, I looked at it online and decided not to spend the money. Well, since reviewing and using the product I've changed my mind (and purchased the next level with plans to use the whole series!). TJ is thriving with this program and loves the hands-on portion. (My review.)

I also really liked using Super Star Speech. TJ had a few small speech difficulties and this was the perfect at-home program to work through those problems. (My review.)

Some of our favorite things haven't necessarily been curriculum. We've really loved the Maestro Classics cds, Schleich animal figures, and Wits & Wagers, Family. Music, toys, and games! What more could we ask for!

It's been a wonderful two years with the Crew and I'm looking forward to our upcoming voyage!

I'm still here!

2011-07-14T07:25:00.000-04:00

We are enjoying our summer vacation and haven't been doing much that I'd consider "blog-worthy" but we're still around! TJ is spending all her spare time playing in the pool or in the mud. I've been busy finalizing earth science lesson plans and we started our earth science study this week. (We do science and history once a week with friends and decided to continue through the summer, taking time off when we're busy or away on trips.) It started out well and I think the kids like the text we're using – A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp. We're enjoying our history studies too, with Story of the World, volume 2. This week we spent time learning about India during the middle ages and looked at some pictures of the Ajanta caves. I would love to visit those caves some day!

We have lots of lazy summer days ahead (not counting the thunderstorms we are having right now!) but have some trips planned as well. We'll be going to Maine for a long weekend visit to see family, a weekend camping trip with friends, and a trip to Disney will finish out our summer vacation. Lots of fun for us this summer!

Well-Educated Mind reading update

2011-07-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

I finally finished Gulliver's Travels! Yeah, me! This was a difficult book to slog through. I think I enjoyed reading Don Quixote more than this one. I just didn't care much for the main character, and it's so hard to get into a book when you don't care what happens to the poor guy! ;-)

Thankfully, Pride and Prejudice is the next book on the list and I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure how much time I can devote to reading this month, with trying to get ready for another school year and getting ready for a trip to Florida (Disney here we come!) but I'm sure I'll fit some time in.

Goals for the summer:

Re-read portions of Gulliver's Travels and follow The Well-Educated Mind list of questions for each stage.
Read Pride and Prejudice.

Book Review: It's Not About Me by Max Lucado

2011-07-04T12:33:00.001-04:00

Pop culture and psychobabble tell us to make ourselves the center of the universe in order to be happy. Churches have communicated the false idea that God exists to give us all that we selfishly want. In this book, Max Lucado reminds us that it's not about us, it's all about God. It is through this shift in thinking that we can truly live an unburdened, happy life.

In a day when we often hear the words, "it's my body, I'll do what I want," or "it's my life, I'll do what I want," or some variation on that theme, it's refreshing to hear a voice say, "It's not about you." And that's exactly what Max Lucado says in this new book.

With his engaging style of drawing the reader in with simple stories and illustrations to make his point, Lucado draws a picture of what life is like when we shine the spotlight on the Creator. Instead of a life filled with "me, me, me", busily pointing out my own accomplishments, I'm reminded that my job (for lack of a better term) isn't to bring glory to myself – it's to bring that glory to the One who deserves the accolades.

My Thoughts: While it's not my favorite of Lucado's many books, it's a point that needs to be made (and heard). It's not about us and what we want. Our focus needs to change. We need a shift in our thinking in this "me-centered" world. Our focus should be on bringing glory to God, reflecting His light to the world, instead of shining the spotlight on ourselves.

It's a quick read and a good message. I encourage you to read it as a reminder of your life's purpose.

Now for the fine print… I received this book in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

RightStart Games List for Level B

2011-06-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

We love using RightStart math! TJ loves, loves, loves math and I attribute it to this program. The hands-on aspect is so appealing to her. Since math is not my strongest subject, I appreciate that it walks me through the lessons. She has a very strong grasp of place value and she can add numbers in her head quite easily. We play the math games at least a few times a week – it's more fun than pages and pages of drill. But, finding appropriate leveled games in the Math Card Games book can be difficult (there are just so many!). So, I made a chart with lots of suggested games listed after the appropriate lessons, so I wouldn't have to flip through the Card Games book so much. It was much easier to find games TJ could play and a nice way to keep a record of what games we had played.

Here's the link to the Level B Game Sheet (and here's a link I've shared before for the Level A Game Sheet).

Homeschool Crew: Top Five Review Products

2011-06-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

I've finished my second year with The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. The fourth voyage (my third trip) of the Crew will be beginning shortly but, before that happens, I thought I'd share my favorite review products from this last year.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Schleich Animal figures
Wits & Wagers Family
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids
Science Weekly
Considering God's Creation

I'm excited about what the next year will bring and look forward to sharing my reviews with you!

Animal Study Lessons

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

We finished studying animals awhile ago but I'm just getting around to sharing the plans! We really enjoyed studying animals - observing and reading about them. The highlights of our study: dissecting a clam and a fish and observing worms, ants, and brine shrimp.

I've moved all my files from Scribd to Homeschool Launch. You can find the lesson plans and an animal observation page there.

Finished 1st Grade!

2011-06-20T13:20:00.001-04:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged about school but we are doing very well! TJ has finished first grade and we are on summer schedule until the middle of July. So she's reading and doing math daily, along with a few other things. We're continuing with history and science – we do those weekly with some friends. In July we'll be on break until after Labor Day.

Here's the plan for 2nd grade:

RightStart Math
Horizons Math (we use this for daily drill and those times we need a break for RightStart concepts to sink in!)
Singapore Challenging World Problems
Writing with Ease, level 2
First Language Lessons 2
All About Spelling, level 3/4
Mission French ABC
Song School Greek
Story of the World, volume 2
A Child's Geography & Canada, My Country

Favorite Second Grade Read Alouds

2011-06-01T11:45:00.001-04:00

This is an ongoing record of our favorite read alouds through TJ's second grade year.

Picture Books:
Forty Fortunes
The Last Snake in Ireland
The Golden Sandal
Mr. Pak Buys a Story
Capyboppy
The Three Golden Oranges
The Riddle
The Armadillo from Amarillo
The Quiltmaker's Gift

Short Stories and Chapter Books:
Socks
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Who in the World was the Acrobatic Empress?
Pollyanna
Pippi Longstocking

Audio Books:
Adventures in Odyssey (not really audio book, rather a radio drama, but TJ really loves it so I'm including it!)
The Secret Garden
Peter and the Starcatchers

Poetry:

Bible Time:
The Children's Bible in 365 Stories
Leading Little Ones to God
Beginning with God

Book Review: To Win Her Heart

2011-05-26T07:54:00.000-04:00

Do they have a fighting chance at love?

After completing his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past.

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs in the town her father founded. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she's reluctant to trust him. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Eden believes she's finally found a man of honor and integrity. But when the truth about Levi's prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

About the Author: Karen Witemeyer holds a master's degree in psychology from Abilene Christian University and is a member of ACFW, RWA, and the Abilene Writers Guild. She has published fiction in Focus on the Family's children's magazine, and has written several articles for online publications and anthologies. To Win Her Heart is her third novel. Karen lives in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children.

My Thoughts: I'd have to say that this is not my favorite book from Witemeyer. I enjoyed her previous two book more than this one. I think it's because I didn't really like the main character. She comes across as cold and unlikeable. I just couldn't warm up to her. Still, if you're looking for some light, fun, summertime reading, this book will fit the bill.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Crew Review: Considering God's Creation

2011-05-25T07:26:00.000-04:00

We love science projects and experiments and were very excited to have the opportunity to review Considering God's Creation from Eagle's Wings Educational Materials. I'd heard of the program and was excited to incorporate it into our homeschool day.

Considering God's Creation is designed for use with students in grades 2-7, though it is adaptable for younger or older students. The program covers earth and life sciences from a Biblical perspective. Students will learn about creation, the universe, weather, rocks, plants, animals, ecology, and human anatomy. It's a perfect curriculum for use with a group of students of varying ages.

What's Included: The 270-page black-and-white student workbook is consumable (although you are given permission to photocopy for your own family or small group). It's chock-full of interesting worksheets, graphs, tables, crosswords, and projects. You'll also find the lyrics for the songs (CD included with the teacher's manual) and a science vocabulary glossary.

The 130-page teacher's manual is a very helpful resource including lesson plans, vocabulary, experiments, Bible study topics, and ideas for further study. It includes an audio CD with 23 songs on various science topics. You'll also find additional resource suggestions (games, books, videos, etc).

Here's what you'll find in the teacher's manual - lessons include a variety of the following:

Preparation: List of needed supplies and student pages
Vocabulary: List of vocabulary words and definitions for students to learn
Introduction: A paragraph about the topic
Song/Poem: Lyrics to audio CD
Activity: Simple activity or game to review topic
Bible Reading: Scripture references and topical Bible study
Notebook: Instructions for student notebook pages
Evolution Stumpers: Section that describes scientific discoveries that defy the theory of evolution
Review: Questions and answers about the lesson topic
Digging Deeper: Ideas and activities for students who are interested in learning more about the subject

What we thought: I think this is a great program! The student workbook is a real gem! We're doing an astronomy and space study right now so we've been using resources from that section of the book. I LOVE the Solar System Detective pages. Each planet has it's own page with easy to fill in graphs and checklists. It's perfect for our needs and so easy to add to our current studies. I'm looking forward to using the full program when TJ is a bit older (I believe we'll be able to really dig in to the meat of the full program in a few years). For now, we are adding bits and pieces to our current studies and it's working very well.

If you're thinking about using Considering God's Creation in your homeschool, be sure to check out the free samples and audio clips at their website.

Considering God's Creation is available as a set – Teacher's Manual with audio CD and Student Notebook for $29.95. Additional workbooks are available for $13.95. They also offer replacement CDs. Many of my Crewmates had the opportunity to use this curriculum in their home. Check out the Crew blog to read what they thought!

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

FIRST Book Tour: In Grandma's Attic

2011-04-26T13:44:00.001-04:00

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Arleta Richardson

and the book:

In Grandma's Attic
AND
More Stories from Grandma's Attic

David C. Cook (April 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Karen Davis, Assistant Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Arleta Richardson grew up in a Chicago hotel under her grandmother’s care. As they sat overlooking the shores of Lake Michigan, her grandmother shared memories of her childhood on a Michigan farm. These treasured family stories became the basis for the Grandma’s Attic Series.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Remember when you were a child, when the entire world was new, and the smallest object a thing of wonder? Arleta Richardson remembered: the funny wearable wire contraption hidden in the dusty attic, the century-old schoolchild’s slate that belonged to Grandma, an ancient trunk filled with quilt pieces—each with its own special story—and the button basket, a miracle of mysteries. But best of all she remembered her remarkable grandmother who made magic of all she touched, bringing the past alive as only a born storyteller could.

So step inside the attic of Richardson’s grandmother. These stories will keep you laughing while teaching you valuable lessons. These marvelous tales faithfully recalled for the delight of young and old alike are a touchstone to another day when life was simpler, perhaps richer, and when the treasures of family life and love were passed from generation to generation by a child’s questions and the legends that followed enlarged our faith. These timeless stories were originally released in 1974 and then revised in 1999. They are being re-released with new artwork that will appeal to a new generation of girls.

Product Details:

In Grandma's Attic:

List Price: $6.99
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0781403790
ISBN-13: 978-0781403795

More Stories from Grandma's Attic:

List Price: $6.99
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; 3 edition (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780781403801
ISBN-13: 978-0781403801
ASIN: 0781403804

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

In Grandma’s Attic – Chapter 1

Pride Goes Before a Fall

“Grandma, what is this?”

Grandma looked up from her work. “Good lands, child, where did you find that?”

“In the attic,” I replied. “What is it, Grandma?”

Grandma chuckled and answered, “That’s a hoop. The kind that ladies wore under their skirts when I was a little girl.”

“Did you ever wear one, Grandma?” I asked.

Grandma laughed. “Indeed I did,” she said. “In fact, I wore that very one.”

Here, I decided, must be a story. I pulled up the footstool and prepared to listen. Grandma looked at the old hoop fondly.

“I only wore it once,” she began. “But I kept it to remind me how painful pride can be.”

I was about eight years old when that hoop came into my life. For months I had been begging Ma to let me have a hoopskirt like the big girls wore. Of course that was out of the question. What would a little girl, not even out of calicoes, be doing with a hoopskirt? Nevertheless, I could envision myself walking haughtily to school with the hoopskirt and all the girls watching enviously as I took my seat in the front of the room.

This dream was shared by my best friend and seatmate, Sarah Jane. Together we spent many hours picturing ourselves as fashionable young ladies in ruffles and petticoats. But try as we would, we could not come up with a single plan for getting a hoopskirt of our very own.

Finally, one day in early spring, Sarah Jane met me at the school grounds with exciting news. An older cousin had come to their house to visit, and she had two old hoops that she didn’t want any longer. Sarah Jane and I could have them to play with, she said. Play with, indeed! Little did that cousin know that we didn’t want to play with them. Here was the answer to our dreams. All day, under cover of our books, Sarah Jane and I planned how we would wear those hoops to church on Sunday.

There was a small problem: How would I get that hoop into the house without Ma knowing about it? And how could either of us get out of the house with them on without anyone seeing us? It was finally decided that I would stop by Sarah Jane’s house on Sunday morning. We would have some excuse for walking to church, and after her family had left, we would put on our hoops and prepare to make a grand entrance at the church.

“Be sure to wear your fullest skirt,” Sarah Jane reminded me. “And be here early. They’re all sure to look at us this Sunday!”

If we had only known how true that would be! But of course, we were happily unaware of the disaster that lay ahead.

Sunday morning came at last, and I astonished my family by the speed with which I finished my chores and was ready to leave for church.

“I’m going with Sarah Jane this morning,” I announced, and set out quickly before anyone could protest.

All went according to plan. Sarah Jane’s family went on in the buggy, cautioning us to hurry and not be late for service. We did have a bit of trouble fastening the hoops around our waists and getting our skirts pulled down to cover them. But when we were finally ready, we agreed that there could not be two finer-looking young ladies in the county than us.

Quickly we set out for church, our hoopskirts swinging as we walked. Everyone had gone in when we arrived, so we were assured the grand entry we desired. Proudly, with small noses tipped up, we sauntered to the front of the church and took our seats.

Alas! No one had ever told us the hazards of sitting down in a hoopskirt without careful practice! The gasps we heard were not of admiration as we had anticipated—far from it! For when we sat down, those dreadful hoops flew straight up in the air! Our skirts covered our faces, and the startled minister was treated to the sight of two pairs of white pantalets and flying petticoats.

Sarah Jane and I were too startled to know how to disentangle ourselves, but our mothers were not. Ma quickly snatched me from the seat and marched me out the door.

The trip home was a silent one. My dread grew with each step. What terrible punishment would I receive at the hands of an embarrassed and upset parent? Although I didn’t dare look at her, I knew she was upset because she was shaking. It was to be many years before I learned that Ma was shaking from laughter, and not from anger!

Nevertheless, punishment was in order. My Sunday afternoon was spent with the big Bible and Pa’s concordance. My task was to copy each verse I could find that had to do with being proud. That day I was a sorry little girl who learned a lesson about pride going before a fall.

“And you were never proud again, Grandma?” I asked after she finished the story.

Grandma thought soberly for a moment. “Yes,” she replied. “I was proud again. Many times. It was not until I was a young lady and the Lord saved me that I had the pride taken from my heart. But many times when I am tempted to be proud, I remember that horrid hoopskirt and decide that a proud heart is an abomination to the Lord!”

***************************************

More Stories From Grandma’s Attic

Chapter 1

The Nuisance in Ma’s Kitchen

When Grandma called from the backyard, I knew I was in for it. She was using her would-you-look-at-this voice, which usually meant I was responsible for something.

“What, Grandma?” I asked once I reached the spot where she was hanging up the washing.

“Would you look at this?” she asked. “I just went into the kitchen for more clothespins and came back out to find this.”

I looked where she was pointing. One of my kittens had crawled into the clothes basket and lay sound asleep on a clean sheet.

“If you’re going to have kittens around the house, you’ll have to keep an eye on them. Otherwise leave them in the barn where they belong. It’s hard enough to wash sheets once without doing them over again.”

Grandma headed toward the house with the soiled sheet, and I took the kitten back to the barn. But I didn’t agree that it belonged there. I would much rather have had the whole family of kittens in the house with me. Later I mentioned this to Grandma.

“I know,” she said. “I felt the same way when I was your age. If it had been up to me, I would have moved every animal on the place into the house every time it rained or snowed.”

“Didn’t your folks let any pets in the house?” I asked.

“Most of our animals weren’t pets,” Grandma admitted. “But there were a few times when they were allowed in. If an animal needed special care, it stayed in the kitchen. I really enjoyed those times, especially if it was one I could help with.”

“Tell me about one,” I said, encouraging her to tell me another story about her childhood.

“I remember one cold spring,” she began, “when Pa came in from the barn carrying a tiny goat.”

“I’m not sure we can save this one.” Pa held the baby goat up for us to see. “The nanny had twins last night, and she’ll only let one come near her. I’m afraid this one’s almost gone.”

Ma agreed and hurried to find an old blanket and a box for a bed. She opened the oven door, put the box on it, and gently took the little goat and laid it on the blanket. It didn’t move at all. It just lay there, barely breathing.

“Oh, Ma,” I said. “Do you think it will live? Shouldn’t we give it something to eat?”

“It’s too weak to eat right now,” Ma replied. “Let it rest and get warm. Then we’ll try to feed it.”

Fortunately it was Saturday, and I didn’t have to go to school. I sat on the floor next to the oven and watched the goat. Sometimes it seemed as though it had stopped breathing, and I would call Ma to look.

“It’s still alive,” she assured me. “It just isn’t strong enough to move yet. You wait there and watch if you want to, but don’t call me again unless it opens its eyes.”

When Pa and my brothers came in for dinner, Reuben stopped and looked down at the tiny animal. “Doesn’t look like much, does it?”

I burst into tears. “It does so!” I howled. “It looks just fine! Ma says it’s going to open its eyes. Don’t discourage it!”

Reuben backed off in surprise, and Pa came over to comfort me. “Now, Reuben wasn’t trying to harm that goat. He just meant that it doesn’t … look like a whole lot.”

I started to cry again, and Ma tried to soothe me. “Crying isn’t going to help that goat one bit,” she said. “When it gets stronger, it will want something to eat. I’ll put some milk on to heat while we have dinner.”

I couldn’t leave my post long enough to go to the table, so Ma let me hold my plate in my lap. I ate dinner watching the goat. Suddenly it quivered and opened its mouth. “It’s moving, Ma!” I shouted. “You’d better bring the milk!”

Ma soaked a rag in the milk, and I held it while the little goat sucked it greedily. By the time it had fallen asleep again, I was convinced that it would be just fine.

And it was! By evening the little goat was standing on its wobbly legs and began to baa loudly for more to eat. “Pa, maybe you’d better bring its box into my room,” I suggested at bedtime.

“Whatever for?” Pa asked. “It will keep warm right here by the stove. We’ll look after it during the night. Don’t worry.”

“And we aren’t bringing your bed out here,” Ma added, anticipating my next suggestion. “You’ll have enough to do, watching that goat during the day.”

Of course Ma was right. As the goat got stronger, he began to look for things to do. At first he was content to grab anything within reach and pull it. Dish towels, apron strings, and tablecloth corners all fascinated him. I kept busy trying to move things out of his way.

From the beginning the little goat took a special liking to Ma, but she was not flattered. “I can’t move six inches in this kitchen without stumbling over that animal,” she sputtered. “He can be sound asleep in his box one minute and sitting on my feet the next. I don’t know how much longer I can tolerate him in here.”

As it turned out, it wasn’t much longer. The next Monday, Ma prepared to do the washing in the washtub Pa had placed on two chairs near the woodpile. Ma always soaked the clothes in cold water first, then transferred them to the boiler on the stove.

I was in my room when I heard her shouting, “Now you put that down! Come back here!”

I ran to the kitchen door and watched as the goat circled the table with one of Pa’s shirts in his mouth. Ma was right behind him, but he managed to stay a few feet ahead of her.

“Step on the shirt, Ma!” I shouted as I ran into the room. “Then he’ll have to stop!”

I started around the table the other way, hoping to head him off. But the goat seemed to realize that he was outnumbered, for he suddenly turned and ran toward the chairs that held the washtub.

“Oh, no!” Ma cried. “Not that way!”

But it was too late! Tub, water, and clothes splashed to the floor. The goat danced stiff-legged through the soggy mess with a surprised look on his face.

“That’s enough!” Ma said. “I’ve had all I need of that goat. Take him out and tie him in the yard, Mabel. Then bring me the mop, please.”

I knew better than to say anything, but I was worried about what would happen to the goat. If he couldn’t come back in the kitchen, where would he sleep?

Pa had the answer to that. “He’ll go to the barn tonight.”

“But, Pa,” I protested, “he’s too little to sleep in the barn. Besides, he’ll think we don’t like him anymore!”

“He’ll think right,” Ma said. “He’s a menace, and he’s not staying in my kitchen another day.”

“But I like him,” I replied. “I feel sorry for him out there alone. If he has to sleep in the barn, let me go out and sleep with him!”

My two brothers looked at me in amazement.

“You?” Roy exclaimed. “You won’t even walk past the barn after dark, let alone go in!”

Everyone knew he was right. I had never been very brave about going outside after dark. But I was more concerned about the little goat than I was about myself.

“I don’t care,” I said stubbornly. “He’ll be scared out there, and he’s littler than I am.”

Ma didn’t say anything, probably because she thought I’d change my mind before dark. But I didn’t. When Pa started for the barn that evening, I was ready to go with him. Ma saw that I was determined, so she brought me a blanket.

“You’d better wrap up in this,” she said. “The hay is warm, but it’s pretty scratchy.”

I took the blanket and followed Pa and the goat out to the barn. The more I thought about the long, dark night, the less it seemed like a good idea, but I wasn’t going to give in or admit that I was afraid.

Pa found a good place for me to sleep. “This is nice and soft and out of the draft. You’ll be fine here.”

I rolled up in the blanket, hugging the goat close to me as I watched Pa check the animals. The light from the lantern cast long, scary shadows through the barn, and I thought about asking Pa if he would stay with me. I knew better, though, and all too soon he was ready to leave.

“Good night, Mabel. Sleep well,” he said as he closed the barn door behind him. I doubted that I would sleep at all. If it hadn’t been for the goat and my brothers who would laugh at me, I would have returned to the house at once. Instead I closed my eyes tightly and began to say my prayers. In a few moments the barn door opened, and Reuben’s voice called to me.

“Mabel,” he said, “it’s just me.” He came over to where I lay, and I saw that he had a blanket under his arm. “I thought I’d sleep out here tonight too. I haven’t slept in the barn for a long time. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh, no. That’s fine.” I turned over and fell asleep at once.

When I awoke in the morning, the goat and Reuben were both gone. Soon I found the goat curled up by his mother.

“Will you be sleeping in the barn again tonight?” Ma asked me at breakfast.

“No, I don’t think so,” I said. “I’ll take care of the goat during the day, but I guess his mother can watch him at night.”

Grandma laughed at the memory. “After I grew up, I told Reuben how grateful I was that he came out to stay with me. I wonder how my family ever put up with all my foolishness.”

Grandma went back into the house, and I wandered out to the barn to see the little kittens. I decided I wouldn’t be brave enough to spend the night there even if I had a big brother to keep me company!

Weekly Report

2011-04-15T13:23:00.001-04:00

We had a busy week and the weekend will be just as busy. Our local homeschool convention is tomorrow so I'll be busy shopping for next year!

The Basics: TJ is still reviewing 4-digit addition. Next week we'll be moving on to other subjects in math but I think I'll find some math drill pages for her to work on – I don't want her new skills to get rusty! Our other subjects are going well – we'll finish up week 29 in WWE today, lessons 94 and 95 in First Language Lessons, step 15 in All About Spelling, and lesson 11 in French.

History: We're learning about Julius Caesar this week (and next week!). TJ's big word for the week is "triumvirate". No projects this week (I'm feeling very project lazy lately).

Science: This week we learned about the sun. The kids did a simple experiment involving chocolate and marshmallows. They each had 1 paper muffin cup and 1 foil muffin cup. The put a few mini marshmallows in the bottom of each and topped both cups with a piece of chocolate. Then they set them in the sun to see which would melt quickest – the paper or foil cup. The kids really enjoyed this experiment – probably because I gave them some graham crackers and they made s'mores with their marshmallows and melted chocolate. Science and chocolate are a good combination!

Reading: We're still reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. We've been busy with other things so haven't had much time for reading aloud.

TJ and I read through a Cam Jansen book this week. I'm hopeful that a few more weeks of tag-team reading will help her transition to chapter books.

Weekly Report

2011-04-08T11:29:00.001-04:00

Finally some beautiful warm sun! The week started so cold and dreary but it looks like a nice weekend. The snow is almost gone – there are just a few patches left here and there.

The Basics: TJ had more work with 4 digit addition this week. She's doing well with it when she stops and works slowly. In other subjects – we finished week 28 in Writing with Ease, lesson 93 in First Language Lessons, step 14 in All About Spelling, and lesson 10 in French.

History: We learned more about ancient China this week as we read through chapters 32 and 33 in Story of the World this week. No big projects – just coloring and lapbooks.

Science: No science this week – one of the kids that comes over for science each week was home with a cold.

Reading: We're still reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I think we'll read one of the Little House books next. We just had some excerpts from the books in this week's writing lessons and TJ is intrigued.

TJ's been on a Young Cam Jansen reading kick this week but I'm trying to get her to read some books that are a bit harder. I picked up some of the regular Cam Jansen books but TJ was not interested (she thinks there are too many words and not enough pictures). I think next week we'll sit down and read through it together. I'm hoping if I sit with her and we tag-team read that she'll make the transition.

Any suggestions on getting her into chapter books?

Crew Review: Science Weekly

2011-04-08T08:12:00.000-04:00

TJ LOVES science. If asked about her favorite subject, she would most likely reply "SCIENCE!" (This is occasionally replaced by math or history at odd times.) She loves it all – the books, the videos, the experiments (especially the experiments!). One side of the buffet in our dining area is filled with science paraphernalia. So when we received an envelope from Science Weekly she was ecstatic.

Science Weekly is a four-page magazine that is published 15 times a year. Each issue is available in six different reading levels (K-6th) with each level progressively more difficult than the previous. We received the issue on fractions and TJ read through levels Pre-A (Kindergarten), A (1st grade), and B (2nd grade). She loved the colorful worksheet style of the module because it was something she could do independently. I have to admit that I liked that aspect as well. A lot of our curricula is teacher-intensive so it was very nice to hand her something that she could work on independently. Each subscription also comes with a 4-page parent/teacher guide that offers notes on the subject, additional hands-on activities, questions, concepts, and an answer key.

Each issue of Science Weekly includes a science lab, as well as reading, writing, and math activities. For example, in Level A, the first page has some basic reading and illustrations for beginning readers to understand the topic. The next page includes some vocabulary words to copy and a science lab. The experiment in this issue is a simple art activity. Page three includes a writing exercise and a few pictures to trace. The final page has a cut and paste activity. Level B gets a little more difficult with more reading and the lab experiment is more involved. Each level after that gets progressively harder.

The publishers of Science Weekly offer downloadable pdf samples as well as interactive samples. These are a very helpful way to determine which level would be appropriate for your needs.

I'm impressed with the content of the issue we received but, honestly, I'm not so impressed with the price ($19.95 for an individual student rate). The publication is issued 15 times per year but each issue is actually only four pages (an 11x17 page, folded in half and printed on all four sides). But TJ doesn't share my opinion – she thinks the module we received was lots of fun and she would like to subscribe to the magazine. I'm still considering it because I do like the content and the satisfaction TJ gets from doing something independently.

Science Weekly is a nice publication and might be beneficial to larger families or homeschooling groups. There are two price points: (15 issues per year) an individual student rate of $19.95 per year and a classroom rate of $4.95 per student (with a minimum purchase of 20 subscriptions). My Crew mates received a variety of issues from Science Weekly. Check out the Crew blog to read their opinions!

Now for the fine print… I received six levels of one issue free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-07T08:56:00.002-04:00

We have a winner!

Heather of Marine Corps Nomads!

Be sure to check back – I'm hosting another children's book giveaway in 3 weeks! You won't want to miss it!

Adventures in Odyssey presents "The Imagination Station" book series

2011-04-06T08:23:00.000-04:00

We've enjoyed the Adventures in Odyssey radio dramas for many years now. TJ loves listening to her CDs over and over again! She never gets tired of spending time in Odyssey with Whit, Connie, Eugene, and all the kids. Well, now the adventure continues in new ways - the producers of Adventures in Odyssey have started publishing a new Christian fiction series for young readers - "The Imagination Station" book series.

The series is geared for young readers (ages 7 and up) who are beginning their reading journey into chapter books. The first two books have 15 chapters and a little more than 100 pages each – just the right length for kids who aren't quite ready for long chapter books. Using the Imagination Station, Beth and Patrick begin an exciting and mysterious journey through history. Early readers will travel with them to meet Vikings, travel to ancient Rome, and many more exciting places.

About the books:

In the first book of the series, Voyage with the Vikings, cousins Patrick and Beth are visiting Mr. Whittaker at Whit’s Soda Shoppe when they find a mysterious letter in the Imagination Station requesting a Viking sunstone. The letter is old and says that someone named Albert will be imprisoned if the sunstone isn't found. Whit sends Patrick and Beth to Greenland circa 1000, where they meet Vikings Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson--and find the sunstone as they join Leif on his first voyage to North America . But the adventure is just beginning, for when they return to Mr. Whittaker's workshop with the sunstone, there is another note waiting for them.

The adventures continue in Attack at the Arena. Patrick and Beth learn that Mr. Whittaker’s fancy ring can be seen inside the Imagination Station but not outside of the machine. A second mysterious letter leads the cousins to fifth-century Rome in search of a special cup that belongs to a monk. If they find the cup it could keep the mysterious Albert out of prison. At the Roman Colosseum, Emperor Honorius is hosting a gladiator battle in celebration of a war victory. Beth attends the event as the emperor’s slave; Patrick attends as a monk’s apprentice but is taken prisoner and sent to fight in the arena. During their adventure, the cousins meet Telemachus (a true historical figure), a monk who believes that fighting is wrong. Telemachus is willing to risk everything—even his life—to stop the killing.

About the authors:

Paul McCusker was given his first typewriter early in his childhood and hasn't stopped writing since. Paul has written over 300 half-hour audio episodes for Adventures in Odyssey and has also written 18 tie-in novels and two screenplays for the animated series. He was the producer for the series from 1992 to 1996 and the executive producer from 2000 to 2004. Paul is now Director of Creative Content at Focus on the Family.

Marianne Hering has written six children’s mystery books and more than 40 Bible phonics readers. Now a general book editor for Focus, she is passionate about developing a series for beginning readers.

I am impressed with this new series. The stories are exciting and will be sure to engage young readers. They'll want to keep reading to find out what happens to Beth and Patrick. I also really appreciate that the authors have woven in elements of the Christian faith. It's nice to have a series of books that I can hand to my daughter without worrying about having to heavily preview for elements that I'd rather avoid. It's also a wonderful way to bring various time periods in history alive for young readers. We're studying ancient Rome right now so this book is perfect to reinforce what we are learning! The next two books in the series will be released soon and I'm looking forward to adding them to our home library!

Now for the fine print… I received two books in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Well-Educated Mind: Still reading Gulliver's Travels

2011-04-05T07:27:00.000-04:00

I realized last week that I haven't posted an update on my Well-Educated Mind reading for quite awhile. I'm still working on Gulliver's Travels and I'm having such a hard time getting into this book. I'm almost half-way through – I've finished the first adventure and am almost finished with the second. The story is interesting so I'm not sure why I have no motivation to finish. The only thing keeping me going at this point is that I can look forward to re-reading Pride and Prejudice when I've finished!

Goal for April:

1. Finish Gulliver's Travels (finally, I've been sorta reading it for three months now!)

Giveaway alert! Adventures in Odyssey presents a new series for young readers!

2011-04-04T16:00:00.003-04:00

Have you heard of Adventures in Odyssey? We've been listening to their wonderful radio dramas for years! Well, the wonderful people behind that great series is now producing a series of books for young readers! They've already released the first two books and two more are set to be released shortly. We had the chance to read the first two books in this exciting new series – so be watching for my review this week! But first, I want to give away a copy of one of these wonderful books to one special reader! Ready to enter? Just leave a comment (and be sure to leave your email address)! I'll be selecting a winner on Wednesday, April 6. Good luck! One entry per person.

Weekly Report (please don't ask what week we've reached!)

2011-04-01T14:46:00.001-04:00

Okay, we're really back now! February was a slow month for us (much laziness and reading of books!). March was better but still not great. TJ and I both had bad colds then we were visiting family for a week so we haven't been doing much school (and I haven't been blogging at all). We've finally settled back into our routine and I'm happy to report that we are almost winding down TJ's grade one work. We'll be starting right into grade two work very soon.

The Basics: Math is going very well – we've almost finished with RightStart B. TJ had no problem with learning 4-digit addition so we are moving right along. I just love the way RightStart teaches place value. TJ has such a good grasp of place value and it's all because of this program. We're moving right along in our other subjects as well. We've finished up to week 27 in Writing with Ease, lesson 93 in First Language Lessons, step 13 in All About Spelling, and lesson 9 in French.

History: We've finished lessons 30-31 in Story of the World this week. TJ hasn't been in the mood for big projects so we haven't done very many these past few weeks.

Science: We finished our animal study and have moved on to studying space. This week we'll be learning about the sun.

Reading: We're about half-way through The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. TJ's been reading from her book basket (variety of Young Cam Jansen, Nate the Great, and some other library books).

Coming out of hibernation

2011-02-28T12:32:00.001-05:00

I'm still here! Really. I've discovered that February is a hard month to get anything done. I don't know if it's the lack of sunlight or fresh air (since I hate going out when it's cold) but it was so difficult to get much done this month. So we took a few weeks off. We started school again last week and we're gearing up for another week. But, I'm back and I'll be posting soon!

Review: Wiersbe Bible Study Series

2011-02-28T12:27:00.000-05:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Warren Wiersbe

and the book:

Wiersbe Bible Study Series Nehemiah

David C. Cook (February 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Karen Davis, Assistant Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe is an internationally known Bible teacher and the former pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago. For ten years he was associated with the “Back to the Bible” radio broadcast, first as Bible teacher and then as general director. Dr. Wiersbe has written more than 160 books. He and his wife, Betty, live in Lincoln, Nebraska.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Nehemiah was an ordinary man given an impossible task: to rebuild the war-torn city of Jerusalem. This Bible study examines the life, legacy, and perseverance of Nehemiah.

Product Details:

List Price: $8.99
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 078140455X
ISBN-13: 978-0781404556

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

A Caring Attitude

(NEHEMIAH 1—2)

Before you begin …

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and wisdom as you go through this lesson.

• Read Nehemiah 1—2. This lesson references chapters 1 and 2 in Be Determined. It will be helpful for you to have your Bible and a copy of the commentary available as you work through this lesson.

Getting Started

From the Commentary

“The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.” George Bernard Shaw put those words into the mouth of the Rev. Anthony Anderson in the second act of his play The Devil’s Disciple. The statement certainly summarizes what Jesus taught in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37), and it rebukes all those who fold their arms complacently, smile benignly, and say somewhat sarcastically, “Ask me if I care!”

1. What are some of the evidences in Nehemiah 1 that Nehemiah was a person who cared? Why are care and concern important traits for leaders? How might the lack of care and concern affect a leader’s ability to lead?

More to Consider: Nehemiah was a layman, cupbearer to the great Artaxerxes Longimanus, who ruled Persia from 464 to 423 BC. Nehemiah’s name means “The Lord has comforted.” What is the significance of Nehemiah’s name in relation to the task God has for him? Why do you think he mentions abruptly that he was the cupbearer to the king (Neh. 1:11)?

2. Choose one verse or phrase from Nehemiah 1—2 that stands out to you. This could be something you’re intrigued by, something that makes you uncomfortable, something that puzzles you, something that resonates with you, or just something you want to examine further. Write that here.

Going Deeper

From the Commentary

Nehemiah asked about Jerusalem and the Jews living there because he had a caring heart. When we truly care about people, we want the facts, no matter how painful they may be. “Practical politics consists in ignoring facts,” American historian Henry Adams said, but Aldous Huxley said, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” Closing our eyes and ears to the truth could be the first step toward tragedy for ourselves as well as for others.

3. Go through Nehemiah 1 and underline what Nehemiah learns about Jerusalem. What does this tell us about Nehemiah? About the Jews living in Jerusalem? About Jerusalem itself?

From the Commentary

The prayer in Nehemiah 1:5–10 is the first of twelve instances of prayer recorded in this book. (See 2:4; 4:4, 9; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 9:5ff.; 13:14, 22, 29, 31.) The book of Nehemiah opens and closes with prayer. It is obvious that Nehemiah was a man of faith who depended wholly on the Lord to help him accomplish the work He had called him to do. The Scottish novelist George MacDonald said, “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed more miserably.” Nehemiah succeeded because he depended on God. Speaking about the church’s ministry today, the late Alan Redpath said, “There is too much working before men and too little waiting before God.” This prayer begins with ascription of praise to God (1:5). “God of heaven” is the title Cyrus used for the Lord when he announced that the Jews could return to their land (2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–2). The heathen gods were but idols on the earth, but the God of the Jews was Lord in heaven. Ezra often used this divine title (5:11–12; 6:9; 7:12, 21, 23), and it is found four times in Nehemiah (1:4–5; 2:4, 20) and three times in Daniel (2:18–19, 44). Nehemiah began his prayer as we should begin our prayers: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Matt. 6:9).

4. What’s the significance of addressing a prayer to “the God of heaven”? Why does Nehemiah begin his prayer this way? (See Neh. 1:5; see also 4:14; 8:6; 9:32.) What is the focus of Nehemiah’s prayer?

From Today’s World

Every few years, the church suffers through “media scandals” prompted by public revelations of leaders’ misconduct. Though the focus is usually on a single individual—or a tightly knit group of people in positions of influence— these media scandals can have a lasting effect on the church. Long after the details of the scandal have faded into the past, people with an axe to grind continue to point to these events as evidence that the church is at worst, corrupt, and at best, a place for hypocrites and fools.

5. Why does the media give so much screen time to church-related scandals? What makes scandals newsworthy? What impact does this sort of event have on the local churches? Church leaders? Believers in general? What are some positive ways to respond to such scandals?

It has well been said that prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven but getting God’s will done on earth. However, for God’s will to be done on earth, He needs people to be available for Him to use. God does “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20 NKJV). If God is going to answer prayer, He must start by working in the one doing the praying! He works in us and through us to help us see our prayers answered. While Nehemiah was praying, his burden for Jerusalem became greater and his vision of what needed to be done became clearer. Real prayer keeps your heart and your head in balance so your burden doesn’t make you impatient to run ahead of the Lord and ruin everything. As we pray, God tells us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, and all are important to the accomplishing of the will of God. Some Christian workers are like Lord Ronald in one of Stephen Leacock’s short stories who “flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.”

Nehemiah planned to volunteer to go to Jerusalem to supervise the rebuilding of the walls. He didn’t pray for God to send somebody else, nor did he argue that he was ill-equipped for such a difficult task. He simply said, “Here am I—send me!”

6. What are some of the lessons we can glean from Nehemiah’s prayer? What is significant about his use of “we” in the prayer? What does this say about Nehemiah as a person? As a leader?

From the Commentary

Unknown to him, Nehemiah was about to join the glorious ranks of the “champions of faith,” and in the centuries to follow, his name would be included with heroes like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Esther, Deborah, and David. One person can make a big difference in this world, if that person knows God and really trusts in Him. Because faith makes a difference, we can make a difference in our world to the glory of God. “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace,” said Martin Luther. “It is so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.”

7. Read Mark 9:23–24 and Matthew 17:20. How do these verses apply to Nehemiah’s faith? How can they help inspire church leaders today?

From the Commentary

The king asked him, “What is it you want?” What an opportunity for Nehemiah! All the power and wealth of the kingdom were wrapped up in that question! As he was accustomed to do, Nehemiah sent one of his quick “telegraph prayers” to the Lord (4:4; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31). But keep in mind that these “emergency prayers” were backed up by four months of fasting and praying. If Nehemiah had not been diligent to pray in private, his “telegraph prayers” might have gone unanswered. “He had only an instant for that prayer,” wrote George Morrison. “Silence would have been misinterpreted. Had he closed his eyes and lingered in devotion, the king immediately would have suspected treason” (Morning Sermons, London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1931, p. 243).

8. Review Nehemiah 2:4–8. Why is it significant that Nehemiah took a moment to pray before answering? What lessons can we learn from this small action? How did God answer his prayer?

More to Consider: Jewish rabbis often answer a question with a question, and Nehemiah followed that example. Instead of telling the king what he planned to do, he aroused the king’s sympathy and interest with a question regarding how he should feel about the sad plight of his ancestral city and the graves of his forefathers. Why do you think he chose this approach?

From the Commentary

Nehemiah is a good example of how believers should relate to unsaved officials as they seek to do the work of God. Nehemiah respected the king and sought to work within the lines of authority that existed in the empire. He didn’t say, “I have a commission from the Lord to go to Jerusalem, and I’m going whether you like it or not!” When it comes to matters of conscience, we must always obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29), but even then, we must show respect for authority (see Rom. 13 and 1 Peter 2:11–25). Daniel and his friends took the same approach as did Nehemiah, and God honored them as well (Dan. 1).

9. How might the king’s reaction have been different if Nehemiah had spoken in more “religious” terms about his commission? What are some examples in today’s church where leaders have related well to nonbelievers in positions of authority? What are some bad examples of this? How can believers today apply Nehemiah’s wisdom in their dealings with non- Christian bosses or other authority figures they relate to in daily life?

From the Commentary

After his long, difficult journey, Nehemiah took time to rest, for leaders must take care of themselves if they are going to be able to serve the Lord (Mark 6:31). He also took time to get “the lay of the land” without arousing the concern of the enemy. A good leader doesn’t rush into his work but patiently gathers the facts firsthand and then plans his strategy (Prov. 18:13). We must be “wise as serpents” because the Enemy is always watching and waiting to attack. Leaders are often awake when others are asleep, and

working when others are resting. Nehemiah didn’t want the enemy to know what he was doing, so he investigated the ruins by night. By keeping his counsel to himself, Nehemiah prevented Tobiah’s friends from getting information they could pass along to Sanballat.…

As he surveyed the situation, he moved from west to south to east, concentrating on the southern section of the city. It was just as his brother had reported: The walls were broken down and the gates were burned (Neh. 2:13; 1:3).

10. Review Nehemiah 2:11–16. Why did Nehemiah not want the enemy to know what he was doing? In what ways was Nehemiah practicing what it means to be a good leader? What role did his “secret survey” play in his plan to rebuild the city?

Looking Inward

Take a moment to reflect on all that you’ve explored thus far in this study of Nehemiah 1—2. Review your notes and answers and think about how each of these things matters in your life today.

Tips for Small Groups: To get the most out of this section, form pairs or trios and have group members take turns answering these questions. Be honest and as open as you can in this discussion, but most of all,

be encouraging and supportive of others. Be sensitive to those who are going through particularly difficult times and don’t press for people to speak if they’re uncomfortable doing so.

11. What are some ways you show your care and concern for your local church? How do you show respect for tradition while also being sensitive to today’s needs? Are you more of an encourager or a complainer? If the latter, why? How can you be more constructive in your relationship with your church?

12. Nehemiah puts a great deal of emphasis on prayer from the very outset of his plan to rebuild the city. What role does prayer play in your plans? How much emphasis do you place on the importance of prayer before, during, and after a plan is put into effect in your life?

13. What aspects of Nehemiah’s leadership appeal to you most? In what ways are you like him? What are some things you’d like to work on in order to be a better servant leader?

Going Forward

14. Think of one or two things that you have learned that you’d like to work on in the coming week. Remember that this is all about quality, not quantity. It’s better to work on one specific area of life and do it well than to work on many and do poorly (or to be so overwhelmed that you simply don’t try). Do you need to work on expanding your prayer life? Is there a particular matter you need to pray about, perhaps for an extended period of time? Be specific. Go back through Nehemiah 1—2 and put a star next to the phrase or verse that is most encouraging to you. Consider memorizing this verse.

Real-Life Application Ideas: One of the key features of Nehemiah’s leadership was his deliberate prayer life. Take a few minutes to consider the various plans you have for your own life (and your family’s life). This could be anything from plans for a summer vacation to educational goals to career plans for you and every other family member. Now, think about how your prayer life intersects with these plans. What are some ways you can be more deliberate in your prayer life about these things? Make practical plans for how to become more prayerful, then commit to those plans.

Seeking Help

15. Write a prayer below (or simply pray one in silence), inviting God to work on your mind and heart in those areas you’ve previously noted. Be honest about your desires and fears.

Notes for Small Groups:

• Look for ways to put into practice the things you wrote in the Going Forward section. Talk with other group members about your ideas and commit to being accountable to one another.

• During the coming week, ask the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal truth to you from what you’ve read

and studied.

• Before you start the next lesson, read Nehemiah 3—4. For more in-depth lesson preparation, read chapters 3 and 4, “Wall-to-Wall Workers” and “Workers and Warriors,” in Be Determined.

Crew Review: The Curiosity Files

2011-02-11T12:38:00.001-05:00

The Curiosity Files are one of the newest offerings from The Old Schoolhouse. This series of unit studies will introduce you and your children to Professor Ana Lyze, an "expert in outlandish oddities". Curious kids will have a great time learning about the weird and wonderful things God has created for us to enjoy. There are 9 unit studies, each focusing on a different subject:

blue diamond
dung beetle
MRSA
puffer fish
red tide
zombie fire ants
blue-footed booby
cicada killing wasp
quicksand

Each of these unit studies is full of fascinating information, fun puzzles and games, book lists, discussions questions, memory verses, lapbooking and notebooking pages, and so many activities for math, writing, vocabulary, and history (and other subjects!), that it would be difficult to do it all!

Our introductions to Professor Ana Lyze began with our study of the blue diamond. We learned how gems and diamonds are formed, all about diamond shapes and about diamonds in history (like the Hope Diamond). The unit was full of activities and worksheets to enhance the reading. I really like the rock cycle section and plan to include the activities in our rock study. I also like that a Bible study section is included too. These unit studies are listed for kids ages 8-13 but I think you can also use it with kids a few years younger. Many of the activities are easy to do with younger children.

The Curiosity Files are available in a variety of formats. You can purchase the 9-set volume on CD ($49) or as an E-Book download ($46). You can also purchase titles individually ($6.95). Want to read about the adventures my Crew mates had with The Curiosity Files? Check out the Crew blog for their reviews!

Now for the fine print… I received one unit study free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Book Review: Trusting God to get you Through

2011-01-27T08:10:00.000-05:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Jason Crabb

and the book:

Trusting God to Get You Through

Charisma House (January 4, 2011)

My Thoughts: I didn't get much of a chance to read this book before my husband snatched it out of my hands! The Crabb family is one of my husband's favorite music groups so I knew I couldn't pass up an opportunity to review Jason's book. He's almost finished reading it and says that he's enjoyed learning more about Jason's struggles and triumphs in his Christian walk. One unique aspect of this book is that it's divided into chapters based on the lyrics to one of my husband's favorite songs – Through the Fire.

***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva | Publicity Coordinator, Book Group | Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Best known as the powerhouse lead vocalist for one of Gospel’s most acclaimed and awarded groups, The Crabb Family, Jason Crabb’s career has already been an incredible ride. While garnering multiple Dove Awards, three GRAMMY nominations, and 16 #1 singles with his family, Jason has become one of the Christian music community’s most acclaimed vocalists. Crabb has become a “fan favorite” at the Grand Ole Opry, appeared regularly on the Gaither Homecoming Series videos, and was honored to sing for the Rev. Billy Graham’s final crusade in New York. He has sung with the legendary Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, among many other diverse and prestigious opportunities. His solo album debuted at #1 on Nielsen SoundScan’s Christian/Gospel Christian Retail chart the week following its release in 2009.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DISCRIPTION:

More than anything else, this book is about an amazing God who reaches down and touches ordinary lives. It is a testimony of all He has done for Jason Crabb's family and for the people he has been privileged to meet throughout the years on the road. He wrote this book because every soul walks through the fire of adversity. Most of us have walked that plank several times. Whether the life of your dreams is unfolding before your eyes, or you are losing hope that it ever will, you have tasted a trial or two. No human being with breath in his lungs can say, "Difficulty has never darkened my doorstep." You may have entirely different life experiences than Jason. Yet, when you look in the rearview mirror, you can see the high points and low points of days gone by. The important thing—the truly amazing thing—is that like Jason—you came through all of it. There may be a scar or two to remind us of the past, but the past is behind us. Jason Crabb wants you to know that you came through it for a reason.There is something God is yet going to do with you. The important things to remember is that you can go through the fire—any fire—with God's help.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Charisma House (January 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616381744
ISBN-13: 978-1616381745

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Just hold on, our Lord will show up

And He will take you through the fire again!

...Trust the hand of God, He’ll shield the flames again.

Facing Life’s Questions

So many times I’ve questioned certain circumstances

Things I could not understand.

Every song I sing has lyrics centered on a strong gospel message, although the sounds are similar to musical genres that are popular today. Sometimes those familiar styles open doors to exciting and unexpected opportunities to sing outside of mainstream gospel circles.

I’m jazzed by invitations to take part in nontraditional gospel events. One such invite led to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, a place like no other in the world. Just being on that stage is an honor; how that particular night played out—well, it added to my amazement and demonstrated God’s willingness to use unusual circumstances in the fulfillment of His will.

Talk about irony! The sponsor of our portion of that night’s program was a watering hole in Nashville. You heard me right; our segment was sponsored by a bar—and what an amazing night it turned out to be. From that iconic stage I was privileged to share a

testimony that was fresh in my heart.

“Through the Fire” was part of my testimony that night. Like all my dad’s songs, it speaks to experiences that are common to all people. The song has run like a thread through the fabric of my own life. I told the audience at the Grand Ole Opry as much,

explaining how the song had ministered to Shellye and me during a painful season.

It was a poignant moment when I shared how God had brought us through the trauma of losing two precious babies in separate miscarriages. Although the shock of those losses was still fresh in our thoughts, fresher still was the miracle of God in bringing our season of heartbreak to an end. That night—February 14, 2003—I had the pleasure of sharing breaking news from our house: Shellye and I had just experienced the birth of our first child! Our daughter, Ashleigh Taylor, had been born the day before, and she and her

momma were doing just fine.

After the audience heard our songs and our testimony about Ashleigh’s birth, a woman stopped us outside the auditorium. Like most everyone else at the Opry, she had come to hear the music. But God had more than music in mind for her. With tears streaming

down her face, she said, “I didn’t have any idea I was coming here for this tonight, but I rededicated my life to God—right here at the Grand Ole Opry—sponsored by a bar!”

Life doesn’t always follow the script that makes sense to us. That was true for this woman, and it was true of our miscarriages. The birth of Ashleigh had come after many long days of testing and trial. So many times the dream of raising a family seemed bound

in thick layers of impossibility. Yet deep down, Shellye and I knew that we were not alone in the fight. God’s Word told us so. Many nights the Scriptures comforted and strengthened us. We had His assurance that He would bring us through:

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God.

—Isaiah 43:2–3

Shellye and I walked through some fire. Yet God brought us out and blessed us—radically! Today we have two daughters, Ashleigh Taylor and Emmaleigh Love. They are as beautiful as can be, just like their mother. I will tell you more about them later, but first let me tell you about the love of my life.

My Cowgirl

My earliest awareness of Shellye came when someone brought me a picture of her and said, “You’ve got to meet this girl.”

My reaction was, “Yeah, she’s kind of cute. Yeah, I’d like to meet her.”

I guess I played down my curiosity in front of my friend, but I thought the girl in the picture was beautiful. Little did I know that someone had shown that beautiful girl a picture of me. It was a shot from the album Looking Ahead, a record our family made

even before we started singing full-time. I had a crazy hairdo at the time—a comb-over with a curl that dropped right down the center of my forehead. My hairstyle looked like a 1950s throwback. Shellye wasn’t impressed.

Her reaction was actually stronger than that. She looked at the photo and said, “No way. I don’t think I’d like him at all.”

She then pointed to my curl, saying, “I don’t know about that.”

Sometime later, the Crabb Family was invited by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) to be part of an outdoor concert in Rosine, Kentucky, the home of bluegrass and the birthplace of Bill Monroe, the man known to this day as the Father of Bluegrass

Music.1 KET asked us to sing for a documentary they were making about Kentucky music.

Friends had told me ahead of time that Shellye planned to come and see me at the concert. Things didn’t go exactly according to plan, however. She and her folks arrived after our set was over. We were headed off the stage when I spotted Shellye getting out of a car.

I never took my eyes off her; I watched her walk across the field and toward the stage. I might not be able to tell you what Shellye wore yesterday, but I can tell you exactly what she was wearing in Rosine. She cut straight across that field in blue jeans, a flannel shirt, and roper boots.

Shellye was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. She looked even more beautiful than her picture. My heart skipped a beat—maybe two—and I remember thinking, “Well, I’ve got me a little cowgirl with long, curly hair.”

I wasn’t the only one who noticed Shellye. Our drummer asked, “Who is that?”

I said, “Let’s go meet her.”

“Yeah, I want to meet her,” he said.

We talked to Shellye for a while. Then it hit me: I didn’t need to help the drummer get to know Shellye; I needed to head him off at the pass! Just as quick as you can bat an eye, I asked her, “Hey, what are you doing tonight?”

“I’m going to church,” she replied.

“Well, good, because I’m going with you.” I didn’t ask her if I could accompany her; I just told her we were going to church together. It was bold, but it was OK with Shellye.

She was comfortable knowing that her stepmom knew me. In fact, her stepmom was Kathy’s cousin. So, I wasn’t a complete stranger, and church seemed like a safe first date.

In the meantime, we tried to get out of the blistering heat. The only place that was even slightly cooler than that hot Kentucky field was the inside of our old GMC bus. It was our family’s first bus, and it burned almost as much oil as it did gas. It wasn’t pretty, but

it had places to sit and offered shelter from the sun. It even had a recliner that we had installed for on-the-road comfort.

Shellye sat in the recliner, and I stood in the stairwell. We just talked and talked until it was night. By the time we left for church, one thing was certain: our meeting was no accident. The hours I spent with Shellye were like nothing I had ever experienced. We

were clearly drawn to one another and found it easy to talk and laugh together. It sounds like a cliché, but we felt almost as though we had known each other for some time.

That night, Shellye and I went to church. At some point, I learned that she was seeing someone, but the relationship was not serious. The next day, the fellow Shellye had dated called her before I did. She refused to come to the phone. She had already decided that she didn’t want to talk to anyone but me.

When I finally called, it was Shellye’s turn to be bold. She asked me whether I was coming over and said she wanted to see me again. I didn’t have to think twice about my answer. I just said, “I’ll come over.”

When I got to Shellye’s house, she and her twin sister answered the door. Seeing the two of them caught me by surprise, but I got over it. There was no doubt in my mind: there was only one Shellye, and she was the girl for me.

The memories of those days are strong. The slightest reminder can trigger my senses and transport me back in time. During our courtship, I made it a habit to pick up some watermelon gum and a Dr. Pepper on my way to Shellye’s house. To this day, the

sight, smell, or taste of either one affects us, and each year the first October breeze reminds us of the day we met.

My Better Half

Years ago, I prayed and asked God to bring the right woman into my life. I knew it was important to find not just a good woman but the right woman. God answered my prayers. Shellye is everything I need and everything I am not. She helps me to remain rooted

in what matters. She helps me to strike a healthy balance between family and ministry. She helps me to stay grounded when I’m on the road.

Shellye is an amazing wife and mother and the perfect helpmate. Of course, she is much more than that. Ask anyone about Shellye, and they will tell you that she is a rock. In fact, that’s what they call her: the rock. She is content in life. She is comfortable with our

roles and all they entail. She is supportive of me while at the same time fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom. Her deep contentment brings me peace. I know that when I’m on the road, I don’t have to worry about her or my kids. Shellye has it all in hand.

Not everyone who travels enjoys the kind of homecomings I do. Not every spouse can deal with the things Shellye takes in stride. Keeping the home fires burning is not a chore for my wife. When I return from a stint on the road, I enter a home bubbling over with

warmth and love. It is inviting and reassuring and demonstrates Shellye’s wholeness. Her joy is a great blessing to our family. As a man,

I can’t imagine a better home life than the one I’ve got. As a father, I can’t imagine a better mother for Ashleigh and Emmaleigh.

One of my favorite pastimes is watching Shellye and our girls interact. She’s got a way about her that brings tears to my eyes. Whatever the activity, Shellye is right beside them. When they are learning their Scripture memory verses, Shellye is there. Already,

Ashleigh can quote nine verses of a psalm at a single clip, in part because Shellye is so supportive. As a mom, she is dedicated to helping both our daughters succeed in their endeavors.

Not that being a full-time mom is easy, especially when your husband travels as much as I do. Shellye is the nightly homework helper, the daily taxi, the resident chef, and keeper of all things domestic. Yet she relishes her life. She sincerely enjoys shuttling the girls to and from school and cheerleading practice—and not as a drive-by mother, either. Shellye is very involved at our girls’ school and finds ways to contribute and be a blessing to the staff and faculty.

As a life partner, Shellye is my perfect match, emotionally and otherwise. I value her opinion. She is smart, objective, wise, and knows me better than anybody else does. When questions arise as to the direction of ministry or the choice of songs for an album

or which producer or record company is right, I know I can go to Shellye for straightforward, reliable input.

Being transparent and at ease in our conversation is something we have been able to do since that first day in Rosine. There are no egos in the way. We just keep it simple and honest. That freedom allows us to grow individually and as a couple. After a two-andone-

half-hour concert, Shellye will say, “Honey, that set was too long.” I don’t try to convince her that a one-hundred-fifty-minute concert is a great idea. I take my wife’s advice seriously; I know she has my best interests at heart. At the same time, she knows I trust her and won’t be offended by the truth. In the end, if you can’t tell each other the truth, you have to wonder how solid your relationship really is.

One of the reasons Shellye and I came together in the first place has to do with transparency. At the very beginning, it was clear that Shellye loved me for who I was and not what I did. It wasn’t about the music, the recognition, or anything like that. In fact,

when we first fell in love, she didn’t know the extent of my musical and ministry life.

Shellye liked me as I was. As a result, she brought out the best in me. I had experienced relationships that lacked that kind of truth. In school, everyone had their crush and their reasons. I was a country kid with no fancy home or cars or anything to draw attention

to me. I wasn’t very popular with the girls. In fact, they usually gave me the brush-off. They weren’t interested in me—at least, not until I sang at a school variety show. Then, all of a sudden, the girls noticed me. Suddenly, I was in demand.

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.

—Proverbs 18:22

Shellye did not operate that way. She loved me first and learned about what I did afterward. We were blessed in that when we started our relationship, we truly loved each other. We weren’t drawn by illusions or impressions or any other distractions. That has proved to be a good foundation for the rest of our life together.

Shellye’s Testimony: It’s Not About Me

I met Jason in Rosine, Kentucky, when I was sixteen years old. In all of Kentucky, I may have been the only person who hadn’t heard of the Crabb Family. All I knew was that my stepmom and my father were taking me to a concert. There was a guy there my stepmom

wanted me to meet.

Moments after I met Jason, he asked me, “What are you doing tonight?”

I said, “I’m going to church.”

Without the slightest hesitation, he said, “I’m going with you”— which he did!

That is where our relationship began. We hit it off from the start, but since we lived seventeen miles apart, it wasn’t easy getting to see one another. Not only that, but Jason was on the road a lot. Often he would come in during the middle of the week, wake up

at six in the morning, and drive over to Central City, where I lived. He would take me to school and return in the evening to pick me up and take me home.

Just about every time Jason came to get me, I would ask him, “What should we do tonight?”

Jason’s answer was always the same: “We’ve got to put up posters.”

The posters let everyone know when the Crabb Family would be singing. Once each month, they gave a concert in Owensboro, Kentucky. It took lots of posters to get the word out. That is how we spent most of our dates. And since the Owensboro concerts

happened every month, we were never done hanging posters. Jason and I dated for three years. In 1997, I graduated from high school, and on May 12, 1998, Jason and I got married in my home church. I was nineteen, and he was twenty-one. Our backgrounds

were very similar; my parents divorced when I was only four years old, and my dad raised me; my twin sister, Kellye; and our older sister, Leslie.

Because my dad worked on the railroad and was gone a lot of the time, my grandmother lived with us and cared for us kids. She was very involved with my sisters and me and played a very significant role in our lives. So did Dad. He worked really hard to make a living for all of us. My dad and grandmother did a great job raising us—and they made sure we were in church every time the doors opened!

After two years of marriage, Jason and I learned that I was pregnant. We were scared, yet excited. Starting a family was something we both wanted very much. But almost as soon as our dream was underway, it was threatened. Early in the pregnancy, I started having complications. Soon afterward, I had a miscarriage. Jason and I were devastated to lose our baby. We couldn’t understand why this had happened to us.

About a year and a half later, I got pregnant again. Our hopes were high, but we lost that baby too. It hit us hard. I remember asking the Lord over and over again to give me the strength to get through the ordeal. He did.

Yet getting through the miscarriages was only part of the process. For so long I struggled with the loss of our babies and the disappointment that followed. At times I almost questioned God; I wanted to ask Him why He allowed everyone but us to have babies.

The loss of our children did not make sense to me. Still, I kept praying. At some point I realized that my focus was centered on me and what I wanted. I was preoccupied with the way I thought things should turn out. What I really needed was to get to the point where it wasn’t about me.

Through prayer and dedication, I eventually got to where I needed to be. It wasn’t about us anymore. It was about what God wanted for our lives. The day came when I could agree with the psalmist who said, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (Ps. 115:1).

Emotionally and spiritually, the change in perspective was dramatic. It not only kept us grounded in our trust of the Lord, but it also helped Jason and me to mature. Needless to say, our growth in this area was not easy; we were being stretched and tested. When you are in a situation like we were in, you sometimes wonder whether it will ever end.

Then one day, God spoke to me! He promised me a child. His promise did not come about right away, yet I knew I had heard His voice. And I knew He was faithful.

Shellye’s Testimony: Look to the Future

When Jason is onstage, he often tells the story of an evangelist friend who told us to buy a box of Pampers—before we had even conceived. The man’s name is Jay Boyd. Jason has known him since childhood when Jason and his family attended Jay’s revival meetings. Jason played drums for Jay at some point, and they have kept in touch over the years. The way Jason tells it, Jay could preach wallpaper right off the walls. I don’t doubt it. Jay is fearless about saying whatever he believes God wants said.

We bought that box of Pampers. Every day it served as a reminder that our promise was on its way. It was a tangible symbol of God’s promise and involvement in our lives,much as the watch from Pastor Parsley is symbolic of God’s faithfulness in Jason’s transition

to solo ministry.

This pastor encouraged us to be proactive in our faith, thanking God in advance for the blessing of our children. Doing that forced us to take our focus off the past. Jason and I set our sights on what was yet to come. Before six months went by, I was pregnant again!

This time, I knew everything was going to be fine. In fact, there was not a single doubt in my mind. I just started thanking God for our baby, knowing that He was taking care of us.

He was and still is taking care of us—all four of us! Now, when I look back to the years before the births of Ashleigh Taylor and Emmaleigh Love, I understand why things happened the way they did. The Lord has shown me, and continues to show me, the good

that came out of our trial. Night after night, women with similar heartaches come to our table. They are hurting and wondering why, just as we were during those hard years. Now we have precious opportunities to minister to them. And because we walked through the same flames, these women realize that they can come through the fire too.

God is faithful. He will comfort others as He comforted us! He will help others to understand the things He helped us to understand. They too will come out of the fire knowing that “ . . . neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39). In His wisdom and because of our experiences, God has given us a special way to share His love.

There is one other thing God showed me after our trial ended. I learned that trials are often one part why and an equal part when. It is clear to me now that when Jason and I first conceived, it was not the right time for us. The first five years of our marriage helped

us to draw close and build a stronger bond between us. God had something in mind for that season, and it wasn’t children.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

—Jeremiah 29:11

Through the struggle, we continued to minister. At times, when Shellye and I were on the bus, I’d look over at her and see tears in her eyes. Those tears did the talking even when no words were exchanged.

There was a question in my wife’s tears. The question was, “Why?” To this day, I really can’t say why Shellye and I endured the devastation of miscarriages. At this point, I’m not sure I need to know. I do know this: our experiences have helped us to bless others. So many people suffer the heartbreak of losing a baby. The numbers are staggering. In fact, depending upon the statistical source, as many as one out of four women suffer a miscarriage.

There are a lot of hurting people behind those numbers. For Shellye and me, it is easy to relate to them. We know what it is like to lose a child. It is hard—really hard. Yet even in the midst of our losses, we were not without hope. Nor was I without a voice. I just

kept singing “Through the Fire” and “Still Holding On.” I knew I could trust God to show up and carry me past the pain again.

Those two songs encouraged Shellye and me when we needed it most. It was as though God was saying, “I am faithful, and I will continue to be faithful.” He was giving us, through whatever means necessary, the strength to heed the words David wrote during his

own desperate times: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Ps. 31:24).

God used those songs to renew our hope and refresh our souls. He used people too. Shellye told you about Jay Boyd and the Pampers. Jay knew my family for years. His and my dad’s relationship dated back before the Crabb Family Singers to the days when my dad was a minister. I remember Jay in the pulpit—the man could preach! I am thankful that our relationship has continued throughout the years.

Jay told Shellye and me to thank God for the promise before it came to pass. He said we needed to do what the Bible says and call “things that are not as though they were” (Rom. 4:17). We needed to be like the men who tore the roof off a building because they believed Jesus would heal the paralyzed man they brought to Him (Mark 2:1–12). We needed to be like Jairus trusting Jesus, even in the worst circumstances (Mark 5:22–43). We needed to come to the place where no matter the setbacks we would remain focused on the love and power of God to bless and heal.

All of Christianity is built on that kind of faith. It is the faith that says, “When doubt comes, we’ll praise Him. When life comes apart at the seams, we’ll praise Him. No matter the outcome, we’ll praise Him. Whether the promise comes to pass or it doesn’t, we’ll praise Him.”

That last one is a tough nut to crack. It means selling out to God to such a degree that your dreams are not as important as the fact that you are His. It took Shellye and me time to get there. We were not satisfied with the outcome of two miscarriages. We were not

satisfied to be childless. I won’t kid you; after the second miscarriage,

I threw my hands in the air and said, “God, I may not be the greatest father, but I will be a grateful father.”

In the midst of an ordeal like that, there are moments when you feel hopeless and unable to push past the sorrow. We often minister to people who feel exactly that way. Our hearts break for them, because we understand. We are so privileged to pray for them. How blessed we are to hear their testimonies afterward! Some of them write us to say that they have given birth. Others are ecstatic when they tell us that God answered their prayers through adoption. Still, I know that some of them have yet to see their dreams fulfilled.

For those who have had miscarriages, there is good news: your babies are in heaven. So are our babies. As hard as it was to lose them, I get excited to think that someday Ashleigh and Emmaleigh will meet their siblings in heaven!

At some distant day, all six of us will be there together.

It is not easy to be strong and take heart when things happen in defiance of God’s promises. In those crushing moments, it is hard to know what to think or how to respond. Should we trust in silence and ignore our doubts? Or should we deny our emotions, as though we were not in turmoil?

Our responses to difficulty have a lot to do with how we were raised and what we have been told about God. Some people say we should never, ever question God. Yet some of the greatest leaders and prophets in all of history have asked Him tough questions.

When Abraham learned of God’s plan to investigate the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pressed God to share His intentions. He wanted to know whether God would kill his nephew Lot and Lot’s family along with the depraved. Abraham asked God point-blank, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen. 18:23). He continued to press God until God assured him that the handful of righteous people living in the forsaken place would be spared (Gen. 18:24–32).

Life is full of questions. Not all of them are as pressing as our questions about death, suffering, and loss. Yet, even if we had never experienced a day of adversity, we would ask our Father the curious questions children always ask their parents:

• “How many stars are in the sky?”

• “Why is grass green?”

• “Why do we park in the driveway and drive on the

parkway?”

• “Why is my last name Crabb?” (Imagine how much

adversity a name like that can generate at school!)

• “Why...what...how...when...where?”

My point is this: if you have taken oxygen into your lungs, you know that life is marked by trials and heartaches. We experience circumstances we don’t understand and don’t want to embrace. We have questions and will continue to have questions as long as we are breathing, and maybe even after that. Who is better able to answer us than God? He wasn’t surprised by Abraham’s questions, and He won’t be surprised by ours.

I have met people in all kinds of situations. Often I can almost hear their hearts asking, “Why, God?” Recently I prayed with a woman in the Midwest. She wanted me to ask God to help her keep her new job. She said, “I have an incurable disease.”

She lost her health insurance when she took the new job. That sounds like trouble enough for someone with an incurable disease. Yet she feared something worse. She feared being without work. She had a family to support and was worried about getting fired. I got the sense that she was a single parent. Whatever her status, she was obviously under a lot of pressure and had decided to make choices designed to improve her lot. She believed her new job would open a fresh chapter in her life.

She summed up her thoughts by saying something unforgettable: “I have to get back to living.”

As the tears streamed down her cheeks, I started praying for words of encouragement, something God would have her hear. In my mind, I imagined the questions piercing her heart.

“Am I going to make it?”

“Will I lose my job?”

“Am I going to die?”

“Will they find a cure for this disease, or will God heal me?”

Then I asked this dear woman a question: “Do you believe that God can heal you?”

“I am trying to,” she said. “I’m going to church and hanging on to every word the preacher says.”

Although her unanswered questions lingered, I knew she would be all right when she said, “I have to get back to living.” Her life had been as tough as nails, but she was not about to give up. Nor was she willing to accept the bleak picture the devil was trying to

present to her.

We must never forget that the devil is a liar. Lying is his stock and trade. Therefore it is up to us to take the offense where he and his lies are concerned. When he tempts me, I like to ask myself this question: What if Satan had to tell the truth about himself,

about God, and about our destinies? What kind of picture would he paint then? How successful would he be at killing, stealing, and destroying lives if he could suggest nothing but truth?

The answer is that he would fail miserably at deceiving us. Unfortunately, truth is not the enemy’s hallmark. He continues to seek those “he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8, kjv.) The sense I got from the woman who wanted to get back to living was that she refused to be devoured by a liar. She was determined to keep moving forward. I like to see that kind of tenacity. People like her are hard to forget. In fact, I will never forget her or that altar service.

There are so many memories like that. The people we meet touch our hearts as much as we do theirs, if not more. I remember an outdoor concert from some years ago, before “Through the Fire” was completed. In fact, at the time, Dad had only part of the song

worked out. He had started it at the piano, but after a year, he was still stuck; the rest of the song just wouldn’t come together.

We had a product table at the concert. On that particular day, Dad was behind the table, and I was standing nearby. A woman walked up to Dad with a child in her arms. The woman asked Dad, “When you get back on the bus, will you pray for me? My son needs an operation, and my husband just left me.” We prayed for her right there.

A prayer request like that can take your breath away. Yet this woman showed great strength; as she turned to walk away, she reminded us about faith’s bottom line. Her last words to us were, “I’m still trusting in the Lord that He’s going to help me through all this.”

Her parting words were as riveting as her prayer request. We were reminded once again that there is always someone who is going through something worse than what we are experiencing. God used her to put our lives and issues into clear perspective.

That night Dad wrote the rest of “Through the Fire.”

Crew Review: Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids

2011-01-26T13:35:00.001-05:00

I'm always on the lookout for great Bible resources and was not disappointed when I received my review copy of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids from LifeWay Christian Stores. This large hardcover book is full of great illustrations and photographs – a perfect thing for visual learners who want to *see* what happened in the Bible.

About the Book: This beautiful, sturdy book (hardcover, 212 pages) is packed full of information along with lots of great illustrations, maps, photographs, and charts. There are more than 750 Bible words and terms in this Bible dictionary and more than 500 of them include illustrations. Each definition also includes a pronunciation key and Bible references. There's even an alphabetical guide running down the edge of each page (like the one shown on the cover of the book), making it easy to search for definitions and words.

The book is listed for ages 5-10 and I'd say that's right on target (though most 5 year olds would enjoy it more for the illustrations than written content).

What we thought: We all really love this resource! Even Nick has pulled it out on occasion when he's been working on a sermon. TJ loves the great illustrations. I can tell that we'll be getting lots of use out of this beautiful book.

I think the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids is a wonderful addition to any home library at $14.99. Want to read what my Crew mates thought of this book? Check out the Crew blog for their reviews!

Now for the fine print… I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Report: Week 15… or is it 16?

2011-01-25T16:11:00.001-05:00

I think the snow is messing with my head. I can't remember what week we're on. I think we've started week 17 this week so I've missed a week in my reports somewhere. Oh well! We'll just say that last week was week 16!

The Basics: All the boxes were checked by the end of the week. Math – 3 lessons, Writing – week 23, Spelling – step 9, French – lesson 3/book 2, Grammar – lessons 68-69.

History: Another fairly light week. I'm not in the mood for involved projects and TJ doesn't seem to miss them. She loves history as much as ever. I'm considering dropping any project that she can't do on her own. I'm just not. in. the. mood. Anyway, we learned a bit about the Americas during the ancient period.

Science: Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Reading: Reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. TJ's been reading. I have no idea what she's been reading. I fill a basket with library books and let her read. I should probably make a note to have her read aloud once in awhile.

Book Review: Precious Moments Storybook Bible

2011-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

In this special Bible storybook, beloved Bible stories are combined with the endearing art of Sam Butcher's Precious Moments® characters.

Every story is illustrated with full color borders that playfully decorate the page along with large images to help bring the Bible story to life for your child. Their interest will stay on the page as you read the delightful paraphrased stories from the International Children's Bible® while they are entertained by the art that has engaged millions of children around the world. The text is a large and very readable 14-point size. . . great for beginning readers! Also included will be a section for children's songs, special prayers, and a presentation section with family tree, etc.

My Thoughts: This is a great Bible for new readers. TJ's just about finished with the story Bible that she's currently reading and this is the perfect follow-up. It's right on target for her reading ability with large, easy-to-read type, short passages, and filled with adorable illustrations. It's divided into sections for classic Bible stories, "Words of Praise and Wisdom", more stories, and a section of songs and prayers at the back. Each section is color-coded, making them very easy to find. I really love the addition of the praise and wisdom section – selections from Psalms and Proverbs. Many children's Bibles don't include them, so it's very nice to see them included here. The book is sturdy with a nice hardcover binding and nice, thick pages. I definitely recommend this story Bible for young readers.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Book Review: The Girl in the Gatehouse

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mariah Aubrey lives in seclusion with her secrets. Will an ambitious captain uncover her identity... and her hidden past?

Banished from the only home she's ever known, Mariah Aubrey hides herself away in an abandoned gatehouse on a distant relative's estate. There she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how—by writing novels in secret.

When Captain Matthew Bryant leases the estate, he is intrigued by the beautiful girl in the gatehouse. But there are many things he doesn't know about this beguiling outcast. Will he risk his plans—and his heart—for a woman shadowed by scandal?

Intriguing, mysterious, and romantic, The Girl in the Gatehouse takes readers inside the life of a secret authoress at a time when novel-writing was considered improper for ladies and the smallest hint of impropriety could change a woman's life forever.

About the Author: Julie Klassen is a fiction editor with a background in advertising. She has worked in Christian publishing for more than twelve years, in both marketing and editorial capacities. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She enjoys travel, research, books, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

My Thoughts: I'd have to say that Austen-era novels are always at the top of my list and Julie Klassen is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors when I'm looking for an enjoyable historical romance novel set during that time period. Last year I had the chance to review one of her previous novels, The Silent Governess. After reading it, I read her two previous novels as soon as I could get my hands on them! When I discovered that her newest novel was being offered for review, I jumped at the chance. And The Girl in the Gatehouse does not disappoint. I enjoyed it just as much as her other novels. Knowing that she pulled ideas from Jane Austen's books, it was very fun to discover the parts that were inspired by Austen's novels. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Favorite Things

2011-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a few things I've discovered in the past few months:

This tutorial from Whimsy Love for elastic bookmarks. We go through a lot of bookmarks. Probably because TJ feels the need to mark all of her favorite sections in every book she owns. And woe to the person who tries to take a bookmark from one of her books! I see some of these elastic bookmarks in our future.

Fresh from the Freezer – I do a bit of freezer cooking and I'm always looking for new ideas. Shelley posts videos of her freezer experiments and shares some recipes as well. I've even been surprised by some of the foods that can be frozen with good results (and have even taken to experimenting with some of our leftover bits!).

Ruffles and Stuff – The author of this blog doesn't post much anymore but she has some very cute ideas! She shares wonderful tutorials on how to repurpose things already in your closet. I love this idea of adding fabric to the bottom of a t-shirt for a one-of-a-kind dress. Or these handkerchief rosettes. And these gloves. Okay, I could post a ton of adorable ideas but I think you catch my drift. Great stuff here.

Okay. One last thing to share. This one is sort of an advertisement because I will get referral points if you sign up using this link. Swagbucks is my latest discovery. I use it as my main search engine and, to date, I've redeemed my bucks for $30 in Amazon gift cards. No strings attached. Just search, save your bucks, and redeem for gift cards or other things. Nice way to get free money to spend on my book addiction.

Weekly Report: Weeks 13 & 14

2011-01-17T19:47:00.001-05:00

I'm late! Haven't posted in awhile. I'll chalk it up the Christmas break. It's certainly been a bit difficult getting back into our routine.

The Basics: TJ is flying through the lessons in RightStart - she's doing so well with her 9s and 8s tricks. We've finished lessons 69-74 during the last two weeks. We sped through weeks 21 and 22 in Writing with Ease, steps 6-8 in All About Spelling, lessons 63-67 in First Language Lessons, and started book 2 in our French program.

History: We finished up our study of Greece and learned about Alexander the Great. Pretty light weeks – no big projects.

Science: Light weeks for science as well. TJ watched some bits from a Discover and Do DVD. We'll be starting our space/astronomy study this week.

Reading: I started reading aloud Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm but we weren't really enjoying it so we skipped it and started The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. TJ's been reading some Young Cam Jansen and Nate the Great books these past few weeks. She also read the first three chapters of Ramona the Pest.

Weekly Plan: Week 14

2011-01-03T07:34:00.000-05:00

Here's the plan for week 14:

Morning Devotions: The Children's Bible in 365 Stories and Leading Little Ones to God; TJ's also reading one section of The Beginner's Bible each evening

Drill and Recitation: Matthew 6:9-13; various poems (from First Language Lessons and others); French days of the week; seven wonders of the ancient world; first 20 emperors of Rome

Math: RightStart math, lessons 69-70

Writing: Writing with Ease, week 21

Spelling: All About Spelling, steps 6-7

Grammar: First Language Lessons 1/2, lessons 63-64

Languages: French Mission ABC, book 2, lesson 1; Greek Alphabet Code Cracker, unit 3-4

History: The Story of the World 1, chapters 23-24

Science: Experiments from Science with Water

Read-Alouds: Breakfast – The Reluctant Dragon; Evening – Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm and history or science books

11/11/11 for 2011

2011-01-01T12:06:00.004-05:00

I did pretty well with my reading list for 2010 (let's not count the Well-Educated Mind list – I only made it to book 3!) and have already started my list for the new year. I call it the 1-2-3 reading list for 2011. Here's the plan:

11 books in 1 Category
11 books by 2 Authors
11 books about 3 Subjects
Miscellaneous Category (because I am sure I'll read books that aren't on my list!)

11 books in 1 Category: Decade Challenge

The plan is to pick a decade (1900-1910) and read a book for each year in that decade - a book published in 1900, a book published in 1901, etc.

1900 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (read-aloud with TJ)
1901 - Up from Slavery
1902 - The Hound of the Baskervilles
1903 - The Story of My Life, Helen Keller
1904 - The Napoleon of Notting Hill
1905 - The Scarlet Pimpernel
1906 - The Railway Children (read-aloud with TJ)
1907 - The Mystery of the Yellow Room
1908 - The Wind in the Willows
1909 - The Lady of the Shroud
1910 - Howard's End

11 books by 2 Authors: P. G. Wodehouse and William Shakespeare

I've never read anything by Wodehouse but his name comes up occasionally when I'm looking for new authors. He's published a lot of books so I'm going to try a few different books and see what I like.

Something Fresh
Summer Lightning
Heavy Weather
My Man Jeeves
The Inimitable Jeeves
Carry On, Jeeves

I know, technically speaking, Shakespeare wrote plays but I'm adding him in here anyway! I read two of his plays in high school, watched a few movies over the years, but nothing besides. My plan is to read a play then watch one or two movie versions.

Macbeth
Othello
As You Like It
Twelfth Night
Sonnets

11 books about 3 Subjects: Books about Education, History, and The Well-Educated Mind list of novels

Gulliver's Travels
Pride and Prejudice
Oliver Twist
Jane Eyre
Lies my Teacher told Me
My First History of Canada
The Story of Canada
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Other Books: Because it's impossible to stick to a list!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T11:59:00.001-05:00

TJ and I will be getting back to our regular homeschool routine on Monday. We had a wonderfully relaxing vacation but I'm looking forward to getting back to a regular routine (though I'm sure I'll have days where I'd rather lay around in my pjs reading all day!).

I spent the morning getting school things organized and way too much time was spent on my favorite homeschooling message board. Our schedule and plans are basically the same as last fall. The only changes – TJ is starting book 2 in our French program and we've finished up our animal study so we'll start learning about the solar system.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about our history plans - we'll be finished Story of the World 1 soon and then we'll start book 2. I want to add more Canadian and US history to the material in book 3 so I'm looking at my options (which are slim since I can't find much for Canadian history). I imagine that much of the my winter will be spent reading Canadian history resources and trying to get an idea of what I'd like to use. Decisions, decisions!

Crew Review: Wits & Wagers Family Edition

2010-12-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

North Star Games designs "games with personality" as evidenced by the success of their games, Wits & Wagers and Say Anything. After the wonderful debut of Wits & Wagers they decided to make a more "family user-friendly" version. Wits & Wagers Family follows the same format as the regular version but simplifies the rules and scoring, making it easier for younger children to play.

What's you'll find in the box:

150 question cards
5 dry erase answer boards
5 dry erase pens
10 meeples (5 colors, two sizes)
1 dry erase scoreboard
instructions

How to play: Game play is very simple. Once you play one round you'll see how easy this game really is! Each person/team needs their own board and meeples (color coordinated, of course!) and a dry erase pen. Someone reads a question from the card deck and each person writes an answer on their board. After everyone has answered the question, all the answer boards are laid out on the table from the lowest to the highest number.

After the answer boards are put on the table it's time to place the meeples. You can place them on your own answer, on another player's board (if you think they have a better answer!), or both. Meeples don't have to be on the same answer board; split them up if you want to! After that, it's time to score.

Once everyone has placed their meeples someone reads the answer on the question card. The winning guess is the answer that comes closest to the correct answer without going over. There are three ways to score points: 1 point for writing the winning guess, 1 point for placing a small meeple on the winning board, 2 points for placing a large meeple on the winning board. Game play continues until someone reaches 15 points and wins the game. One game takes about 20 minutes to play.

What we thought: We LOVE this game! It's great to play when you have friends over and easily accommodates team play or individual players. Our first game included an assorted group of people from six to (almost!) sixty and we all had a good time. There was lots of laughter as people tried to come up with the right answer! Besides the fun game-play, I appreciate the fact that we don't need scraps of paper. The write-on/wipe-off cards are perfect! All they need is a quick swipe with a napkin or cloth after each turn. Very easy to clean up and put away. This game has become one of our go-to party games when we have friends over. It's very fun and easy to learn.

Wits & Wagers Family ($19.99) can be found at Target, Borders, or at specialty toy stores. North Star Games also has two new games coming in 2011! Ready to see what my Crew mates thought of Wits & Wagers Family? Check out the Crew blog for their reviews!

Now for the fine print… I received this game free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.