His Wonderful Works

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T16:05:00.003-06:00

Our family wants to wish your family a VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

We thank the Lord this year for his goodness and faithfulness towards our family. Our children are growing and maturing in the Lord and it is a joy to watch.

I'm treasuring the season we are in right now of nurturing their hearts with the truth of the Word and helping them grow in character.

After a few months of break from writing in my blog, I'm excited to start back next week and share with you what we've been up to.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him!" Psalm 34:8

Brad, Ely, Caleb, Noah & Sarah

Art Projects: Plate Spin Paint

2011-08-22T17:42:00.001-05:00

Our last paint project for the summer!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Art Projects: Playing With Colors

2011-08-09T15:52:00.001-05:00

Inspired by Kandisky's ” Squares with Concentric Circles” the boys worked on creating a similar color effects with oil pastels and watercolors.

This project became more and more a science experiment as they tried different shades and predicted which ones will look better together.

We are loving these projects based on real art works. I believe more and more than art is more about the process. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Art Project: Simple Mobile

2011-08-03T11:16:00.001-05:00

Noah made this mobile inspired on the Alexander Calder's ” Eleven Polychrome”.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Back to blogging soon....

2011-07-28T17:52:00.001-05:00

Enjoying the summer break and focusing more on family fun by taking a break from social media and TV.

Back to blogging next month....

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Silly Faces

2011-07-16T18:03:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it is challenging to find activities that all 3 kids enjoy. Today I gave them white paper, markers to draw a face and old face parts stickers we had leftover from a balloon kit. This was a big hit. They all enjoyed making silly faces.

This was good for Sarah as she practice where each part goes. Fun way to use leftovers. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.2

Art Project: Magical Fish

2011-07-08T07:55:00.002-05:00

Inspired by Klee's "The Golden Fish"

Last night, the boys worked on making this paiting by mixing oil pastels and watercolors. The goal was to make the big fish "glow". It was a fun way to end our day.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Children's Museum of Houston

2011-07-01T13:33:00.006-05:00

After living in the Houston area for three years we finally made our very first visit to the Children's Museum. Sarah could have probably waited another year but she still enjoyed "most" of it. The boys had a blast. The asked if they could go back the next day. Not as big as Chicago's but LOVED all the "brainy" challenges in almost all the exhibits. Caleb could have stayed in the inventions room all day and Noah loved the kid town.

Curriculum Choices: Fun Extras

2011-06-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

Our curriculum choices are not complete until we add some "fun extras" to the mix. This year our extras came in a box from Timberdoodle. The kids were playing in the cul-de-sac when the UPS truck showed up (have I ever told you he knows us by name?.....that's for another post.....we do keep him quite busy). The boys knew it was for them so asked if they could open the box right away. I was planning on hiding till the school year began but couldn't resist so here's the picture of the box opened in the cul-de-sac and yes, one of my boys was already playing with his Thinking Putty (see top left corner of picture?).

So here are the fun extras....

For Caleb: Magnets kit (that we will use this summer)

For Noah: Glow in the dark and Metallic Thinking Putty (this has been great to help him concentrate on his school work)

For both boys: GeoPuzzles (we ordered Europe, Asia, Africa & Middle East)

For Sarah: Lauri's Uppercase and Lowercase ABC Puzzles

What fun extras are you adding to your school for next year?

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

First Class Homeschool Ministries

2011-06-25T01:54:00.001-05:00

We recently completed our first year of "Friday School" with a local First Class Homeschool Ministries Coop. It was one of the greatest blessings for our family this year. The boys had a chance to be part of a more structured classroom environment where they learned and made new friends. Some of the classes they took included: Music, P.E., Community Helpers, Lego Robotics, Space, Art, Health and Hands-On Math. Sarah also got to be part of the program and enjoy toddler classes with storytime, simple crafts and games.

Being a Coop, the parents (and grandparents) have a very important role. We help teach or assist classes, monitor hallways and help in other ways like setting up and cleaning up. We all play an important part and help each other carry the load.

A typical day at First Class includes: chapel time, 3 blocks of classes, snack time and closing session. All moms get a free block to interact in the parent room, make new friends and share encouragement. Our coop also offers regular park dates, field trips and moms night out.

What I love the most about First Class...

~It is an answer to prayer! I first heard about First Class from Steve and Jane Lambert at the Five in a Row message boards. They spoke very highly of the founders of First Class and after reading through their website I loved their vision for homeschooling families. There were talks about starting a group like this in Illinois but during that time we were making our way down to Texas. After trying 3 different local support groups, I still did not find one that was the right fit for us. Some were non-sectarians, others did not offer classes, others put too much emphasis on academics and most were too expensive for our one income family.

~First Class is affordable and effective, I definitely love that!

~It gives my children the opportunity to have wholesome socialization while enjoy wonderful classes that enrich their learning at home.

~I've made some wonderful friendships with the moms and have come to know and love a very diverse group of women. It is encouraging to see how we are growing in love for each other, serving one another in our times of need and encouraging one another as home educators.

~It is a place to use and grow your gifts and abilities. Some moms are naturally better at teaching a subject or are great at organizing activities or recruiting people or at leading the chapel time, etc. We all bless each other with what the Lord has entrusted to us.

~We get to decide what we want our children to learn. I love that because I do like to be in control of what my kids are learning and at First Class we share classes ideas before each semester starts.

~We meet 8-10 weeks per semester. That is perfect for us. It is enough to be enjoyed and not overload the kids or the moms. :)

First Class is a national organization and you can read more about it at their website.

And if you area Houston area, our coop meets at Copperfield Church on Fridays in the fall and spring. Check out our website for more information.

We also have an upcoming Information Meeting for families who would like to learn more about the coop on

Friday, July 22nd, 7pm at Copperfield Church in Houston

More information will be posted on our website.

Our Very First Box Day!

2011-06-22T08:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I posted we will begin using Sonlight for our Core in the fall. Well, there is a tradition among Sonlighters to celebrate "Box Day". It is simply a day to celebrate your upcoming school year and enjoy looking through all the new materials and 'wet' your kids' appetite for what they will learn.

You can see and read other families box days at Sonlight's Blog.

Here is our first Box Day...

Our Sonlight Core B box arrived a few weeks ago. Just about 10 days after I ordered! And shipping was FREE! I told the kids that morning that the box would be here in the morning but unfortunately it arrived during nap time which means both younger kids were sleeping. Caleb was with me and of course, I couldn't make him wait till his siblings wake up so he had a "personalized box day".

He helped me opened the box, handed me the big blue binder on top (instructor's guide) and said "Here mom, this is one is for you" and immediately started looking through the books. Here is a picture inside our box half-way full.

The first book that truly got his attention was "The Usborne Time Traveler". So much so that he could not get himself to sit down, instead THIS is how he read it for the next 10 minutes.....

...I love my little bookworm! He did switched legs every 2-3 minutes. I think this picture makes a pretty memorable first box day. And I think he is going LOVE Sonlight!

I am reading through the Instructor's Guide and many of the books and I'm already so impressed with the quality of literature selected. Yesterday, I shared how I was a little concerned with the already given schedule but I see now the schedule is so well laid out that you can easily follow or easily tweak....hard to explain but I think you can effectively use it both ways.

Very, very excited about this curriculum and so thankful that I have the privilege to teach my kids at home.

Curriculum Choices: History

2011-06-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

If you've follow my blog for some time now, you know we love unit studies and have used many wonderful resources to teach the boys this way.

Primarily we've used Five in a Row. The boys did 2 years of Before Five in a Row and just a few months ago we completed Volume 3 of Five in a Row! It sounds silly but for me is the completion of a wonderful journey since FIAR was our boys' first introduction to learning through books. And I can't wait to introduce Sarah to all the great stories and learning activities that FIAR offers.

We are going to wait to use Volume 4 until Noah is a little older and in the meantime, we are switching to a different curriculum for our core learning.......

SONLIGHT!

We will start Sonlight in September with Core B. We are only doing their History, Readers and Read Aloud (the basic Core). Core B is an Introduction to World History from Creation to the Fall of Rome. It also includes Geography, missionary stories, Bible reading and memorization, timeline activities and stories to read aloud. I also ordered the 3rd grade readers for Caleb and one add-on music and art appreciation.

I first heard of Sonlight when Caleb was 3 years old and I was searching online for curriculum. At the time it appealed to me but felt I didn't want to spend that money for preschool. :) So we did Five in A Row instead since I could find most of those book at the library. But for some reason, from time to time I requested a Sonlight catalog and loved many of the book selections they made. I knew one day we would have to try this curriculum.

I value good literature for our children so I'm looking forward to the many read alouds we will do together and the great books Caleb will be reading on his own as well.

This is a big change for me as a teacher too. I enjoy creating lesson plans for our boys and putting things together for us to do and enjoy. It takes more preparation time but it's proven to be rewarding for me and the boys. Sonlight's has a teacher's guide with the weekly lessons completely laid out for you. I know it will take time for me to get used to but this will allow me to have time to prepare fun things for Sarah's "tot school".

Tomorrow I will share pictures from our first "Box Day".

Curriculum Choices 2011: Old and New

2011-06-20T07:06:00.002-05:00

As I begin our plans for our next school year in the fall, I have to say that every year as a homeschooling mom, I gain more confident (and peace of mind) on our curriculum choices. Just like anything in life, the longer you do something, the better you get at it and the least you worry about how it is done.

In homeschooling, as our children are growing and we are entering our sixth year of homeschooling (that's counting Caleb's 2 wonderful preschool years, of course...just 4th of "academics"), I finally feel comfortable with their learning styles, strenghts and weaknesses.

So, if you are on the beginning stages of your journey, take heart! It does get easier to choose curriculum. :)

With so many wonderful choices out these, it is always tempting to try something new. But most of the time that is not wise, especially if you are a one income family.

At the end of each school year I like to evaluate what worked best and what we will replace. Last year we made some new changes and some of those were our favorites things this year.

What Worked BEST And Will Use Again:

#1 Primary Mathematics (Singapore Math): This was definitely the best new thing we added last year. It made a huge difference in the way our kids see and are learning math and in the way I for the very first time enjoy teaching it!

#2 Reading Made Easy: I taught Caleb how to read with this program and he is doing fantastic. Reading now anything that he encounters and with great decoding skills. Noah has 25 more lessons to go on this book so he will continue those through the summer and continue reading early reader books. He needs more frequent reviews of phonics than Caleb did so I added the Reading Made Easy Activity Books and that has worked well for him.

#3 Hanwriting Without Tears: Another favorite at our house. We love the gentle and effective approach of this program. I appreciate the short lessons instead of long pages full of busy work. Caleb will begin their cursive program and Noah will continue printing.

#4 Critical Thinking Company: The boys can't get enought of these books. We will continue using "Mind Benders", 'Thinker Doodles", "Language Smarts". I do not use these daily but "sprinkle" their school days with these workbooks to vary things a little bit and make sure they are working on logic, spatial and reasoning skills.

#5 Evan Moor's Daily Trait Writing:This has worked great for Caleb. The lessons are short. One writing assignment at the end of the week. He has grown in confidence and it gives him extra handwriting practice. He will continue using this program for grade 3.

#6 Sequential Spelling: Very pleased with our first year with this program. It proved to be a bit advance for Caleb but we resumed it in January and he was ready for it then. His spelling has improved a lot. I like the simple yet effective approach of Sequential Spelling. We will finish book 1 this summer and move into book 2.

NEW Curriculum Choices We Can't Wait To Start Using:

And now....I'm sooooo excited to share the NEW things we are adding for the next school year.....

#1 Exploring Creation with Astronomy (Young Explorer Series from Apologia): woohoo! We are starting our very first formal science program. Up until now our science have been unit studies based and we have loved every minute of it. The boys have learned a lot and we covered a variety of topics. But I realized Caleb was craving for a more sequential study of science so this is our choice. We will begin our first year (hopefully of many) with this series. I was so impressed at how much Charlotte Mason is in it and can't wait to start using it. And with Space Center and the Observartory at Brazos Bend so near us, this will definitely be a great science year for us.

#2 Language Lessons for the Very Young/Elementary Child (Queens Homeschooling): we will use this as our core program for language arts. It is also Charlotte Mason and covers picture study, narrations, copywork, poem memorization and grammar. Noah will start this after he finishes Reading Made Easy.

Would LOVE to hear from anyone who have used Apologia or Language Lessons. What did you like/dislike? How did you implement it to your routine?

I will write a separate post on Bible/character building because for us that is more than academics.

And there is still one more NEW choice but you will have to wait until tomorrow for that one...

Summer School Plans

2011-06-18T23:04:00.000-05:00

Next Monday we begin 8 weeks of summer school for the boys. I told the boys we will continue math and spelling since those are two areas we are making so much progress and don't want 3 months to pass by without reviewing them.

Everything else will be THEIR choice! After all, isn't that one of the wonderful benefits of a home education? The students can have a greater input on what they want to learn about.

So here are the boys' choices:

Caleb chose:
*Magnets and electromagnetism
*More Piano (yey!)
*More Spanish (wow, this one really surprised me)
*Nature Walks (my nature lover since age 2)

Noah chose:
*Cooking (my hands-on learner)
*More Art projects (again....hands-on)
*Pirates (2nd time around)

Looks like we are going to have a fun summer learning!

We will also have read-alouds of course. Caleb will read Pilgrim's Progress (the "little" version) for the very first time. And we will be reading Lamplighters books and re-read ALL the Five in A Row books we owned one last time...(for now since Sarah will start her FIAR journey soon) before we begin in the fall our new curriculum I will announce soon!

I love homeschooling!

Biblical Character Projects

2011-06-18T22:48:00.003-05:00

I have a new favorite blog that wanted to share with you all!

It's the blog of Doorposts! They have a section called "Weekly Character Projects". I'm linking here to the projects archives page. If you are looking to add more character building into your daily routine, read through some of their ideas. As always Pam, does such a wonderful at writing simple but meaningful lessons for children and of course, I find myself learning and being challenged right along too.

Hope it blesses your family and encourage you as you teach your children. :)

History Pockets= Ancient Civilizations

2011-06-14T07:03:00.000-05:00

Well we are officially enjoying a short break before we begin our summer school weeks. I'm planning to wrap up our year sharing some of the fun things we did that I never got around to post here. I will also share our plans for the next school year...SO EXCITED ABOUT IT! Can't wait to share it so stay tuned...

One resource we used to supplement and to add more hands-on learning for my Kindergartner was Evan Moor's "History Pockets". I previously blogged about our very first "pockets" about Life In Plymouth. You can see that post here.

Our next unit was "Ancient Civilization". It was a very simple introduction how people lived long, long ago.

There civilizations are Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and Aztec. There is also an additional pocket titled "What is history" that covers what makes something ancient and talks about how many of the early civilizations had many things in common.

Each pocket includes vocabulary (words to know), a booklet (2nd grade reading level), additional background information sheet for teacher, puppets of people of the time and a variety of hands-on projects.

Here are some pictures of Caleb's pockets and some of the projects for "Mesopotamia".

Nature Walk Surprises

2011-06-03T15:10:00.004-05:00

You never know what you will find on a nature walk. Yesterday Caleb spotted these amazing tracks! There are definitely a dog's paws but still fun to look at. And look at all the ducks and geese tracks around them too!

Noah asked why not cat paws? The answer is....cats hide their nails/claws when they walk so they don't make noise and scare their preys. Their nails are usually larger than dogs but you don't see them in a paw print. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Dry Season Nature Walk

2011-06-03T15:08:00.003-05:00

The kids and I regularly visit a pond and forest reservoir near our home. It is one of those things we do I always want to blog about and never find the time to do it.

The last few months we have experience one of the worst droughts in our area. As a result, we did not see as many migrating bird species stop by the pond and very little wildflowers appeared.

But that did not stop us this week from enjoying our walk and find beautiful things in nature. Like the tree Sarah is standing by...all year around, this tree is surrounded by water but now we can stand on it and observe those strong roots! The boys got to peek under it and talk about how frogs probably lay their eggs here, etc. It was fun to hear them come up with scenarios.

I always look forward to our nature walks because it is teaching our boys to learn to be attentive, patient, to contemplate and marvel at God's creation.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Glass Window Welcome Signs

2011-05-31T17:59:00.001-05:00

When I blogged about Noah's birthday party, I forgot to show the welcome sign I made for his friends. Using the window chalk available at Walgreens, we had done the Lego man face for Caleb's party. Noah asked if we could do the Transformers symbol for his party. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but it turned out pretty cool.

What do you think? :)

Both "signs" got lots of comments from the kids and their parents. I'm thinking we will make this a regular activity at our house. The boys and I are brainstorming what to put in our glass door for different holidays and fmaily events throughout the year. I'll make sure to blog about them.

Houston Swim Club

2011-05-31T14:16:00.003-05:00

Today was the boys' last day of swimming lessons with Houston Swim Club. We started in February but now that our community pool is open they can practice there.

This is our second year with HSC and we are pleased w the confidence and skills they have learned there.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Noah's party pt. 2

2011-05-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

The last game, was the search for the missing Autobots. The kids ran around the front and back yard looking for the robots. Forgot to mention that my super fun husband tied all the games to the Transformers theme. They were all simple games but super fun.

We then moved the party indoor for pizza and cake.

Then it was time to open the presents. Caleb was the best big brother that day, helping Noah read all the cards and telling him what the toys did, etc. :)

Noah decided to open some of the presents and play with his friends. The kids took home a goody bag with candy and Transformers loot from Party City.

Noah's Transformers Birthday Party

2011-05-30T22:53:00.000-05:00

A week after Caleb's party it was Noah's turn! We wanted Transformers for his birthday. This was a whole different crowd of kids and a larger age range so we moved the games outdoor. The kids played relay races with grownup clothes, stomping balloons and raced each other to draw fortresses and "destroy" them (with water).

Lego Birthday Party

2011-05-29T12:38:00.001-05:00

Our oldest son Caleb turned 8 in late April and two weeks ago we were able to celebrate with his friends in a Lego birthday party. I searched online for a couple of months for ideas and was amazed at how much it is that out there!

The party was a lot of fun and we managed to keep 11 boys and two little girls busy and happy for 3 hours with all indoor activities.

If you search for "lego party ideas" you will get tons of starters for your party, but I want to highlight 3 places I liked the best.....

Melanie at Ewehoo had some creative ideas for crafts and food. I borrowed some of her ideas.

This site had the best games and activities ideas from all the sites I visited.

One thing the kids thought it was cool in our party was that I used lego clip art from this site and made little signs to label all the activity centers.

We had 4 "challenge centers": #1 build your own cowboy lego and guess how many lego candies are in the jar. #2 Pirate Code (lego board game), #3 speed lego building challenge, #4 Blokus (not lego but one of Caleb's favorite games).

We also had a table with a large lego bin for free play.

After the kids played for about an hour. We sang happy birthday and ate the "lego food" and "lego cake" (see below).

Then we played hot potato with a jar full of lego men. When the music stopped the kid holding the jar was eliminated but also picked a lego man to take home. The last kid took all the leftovers!

After this we revealed the winner of the lego candy and the speed building challenges. We opened gifts and that was the end of the party!

The boys took home a bag with lego candy, their lego men and super cute lego soaps that my friend Brandi made.

And here are the pictures.....

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-28T16:03:00.003-05:00

Read for the Heart (TOS Review)

2011-05-27T10:27:00.000-05:00

Today I'm posting my last review with The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew!

If you know anything about me you know I LOVE books, all kinds of books but especially children's books. And Read For The Heart by Sarah Clarkson is about whole books that every child should read.

Sarah, daughter of Sally Clarkson and who was homeschooled, first shares her story. Books were one of the most important aspects of her home education.

From the first chapter, Sarah speaks from her heart as she presents a case for wholesome books to be at the center of a child's life. I found this to be very valuable because the author, now an adult has seen the value of these books. She explains how a good book can be an "agent of awakening" that can prompt a hunger for things like beauty, adventure, courage, moral, etc.

Sarah talks about the state of America's literacy. Statistics show our generations are reading less and less and how its affecting even the workplaces across the country.

She gives ideas on how to begin implementing daily reading times for you and your family. Then the book transitions into an EXTENSIVE library of whole book titles. Each consecutive chapter focuses on a genre or subject and list hundreds of books. But these are not just lists of titles. She gives us a short review, age category and additional information for EACH title.

The books categories include:

*Picture books
*Classics
*Fiction
*Fairy Tales and Fantasy
*History and Biography
*Spiritual Reading
*Poetry
*Art
*Nature
*Music

I highly recommend this book! It is a practical addition to your home library. The book is available for purchase through Apologia Education Ministries. There you can view sample pages as well.

To read what other families thought of "Read for the Heart", visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog Tour.

Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge for the purpose of reading at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Caleb's WAM Spring Musical

2011-05-23T17:52:00.000-05:00

Our super cute kids! Caleb is in the front wearing his shinny "leather" vest. The video is not that great but the kids really did a great job and I was proud of Caleb. He sang all the songs and did all the motions. He stayed focused throughout the entire musical....a huge progress from previous years. :)

Quilt Fundraiser and Giveaway!

2011-05-20T21:48:00.002-05:00

Please, please take a minute tonight and go to a dear homeschool mom's blog to read about a fundraiser and giveaway she has going on right now to help bring a baby home through adoption.

Her website is Let's Fill The Van

Thank You!!!

Wordy Qwerty (TOS Review)

2011-05-20T07:20:00.004-05:00

Wordy Qwerty, by Talking Fingers, is an computer based program to help students ages 7-10 develop fluency in their reading and writing.

There are 20 lessons that include fun games and challenges in which the students are introduced to spelling rules and conventions of the English language.

Having basic typing skills is helpful but not required. I am so thankful we had the opportunity to review this program and use it with my son Caleb. He has struggled with spelling this year and this came just at the right time for him!

The lessons are the right amount of information for him, focusing on one spelling rule at a time, followed by some review from previously lessons. It has already improved his spelling skills and his confidence about what he is writing.

In the program, "Qwerty" and "Midi" (see picture above) are the main character that guide the students through the rules and games. As they move through the lessons they are helping Midi build his music machine. This is a motivation as the students want to see what the machine will look like in the end.

There is also a song for each of the spelling rules to help students remember them.

For the parents the program has a teacher log in section where you can see a detailed progress chart of your students.

There is a free demo for Wordy Qwerty on their website Talking Fingers. And lots of information about their methodology and assessment strategies.

Wordy Qwerty is available on CD Home Edition formart for $35. It is also available as online yearly subscription at different rates. For one student, one year subscription the price is $25

To learn more about Wordy Qwerty, visit their website Talking Fingers.

To read what to other families in the Crew thought of Wordy Qwerty visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog Tour.

Their sweet little faces...

2011-05-11T12:22:00.001-05:00

...are a daily reminder of....

His undeserving grace....

....His blessings beyond measure...

....His call to us to live for others...

....and that we bear His image!

She loves her daddy

2011-05-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

Sarah just LOVES her daddy so much and he always gets the best shots from her. She will pose and smile and do anything he says. Here are some cute shots he recently took of her.

Boys at Play

2011-05-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

Enjoying the beautiful spring weather here in Texas.

MonkiSee (TOS Review)

2011-05-09T22:58:00.003-05:00

MonkiSee is a series of DVDs, books and flashcards to teach babies as young as 3 months old how to read. Children up to 4 years old who are pre-readers can also use this program.

You can learn about MonkiSee by visiting their online website and store. You can read about their method for exposing babies and toddlers to the written language, see samples of their products and see some amazing testimonials from families who have successfully implemented this product. Click here for their site.

Also, be sure to visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog Tour to read what other families thought of MonkiSee.

The DVD we received is called " Baby's First Words". Through music, poetry, puppets, nursery rhymes and real children and babies, the DVD exposes kids to vocabulary words that include body parts and simple words. The video is 30 minutes long and it exposes the child to 40 words. If used as recommended your child, can learn to recognize these words.

We did not follow the recommended schedule as we limit the amount of TV our pre-reader (Sarah-26 months) is exposed to but I did let her watch it the video occasionally and she really enjoyed the music and the puppets. She also tried to copy the kids as they named and pointed to the body parts.

"Baby's First Words" is available at Monki See online for a special price of $19.95.

As part of the review, we also received a storybook "Know Your Monkey". This was a visually engaging small book that reinforced some of the words learned and also featured the monkey puppets that the child meets in the DVDs.

"Know Your Monkey" is available for $9.95

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge for the purpose of trying at home and writing a review. No other compensation was given.

Camping Weekend

2011-05-05T13:07:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago we joined our small group (ABF) for a camping weekend at Lake Sommerville, TX. We always look forward to leaving our routine and "unplug" for a few days. And going with wonderful friends is always a super bonus!

Southeast Texas is currently experiencing a serious drought. No rain for us for more than a month! So the grass/swampy areas were not as green, not many wildflowers were left and the lake levels were low but that didn't keep us from having a great time.

We enjoyed morning hikes on the trails, fishing and wading, lots of good food and resting time. On our first night we had barred owls hooting and calling away on the tree right on top of our tent!! This was such a neat treat for Caleb. The second night coyotes were roaming nearby. We could hear the "jip jip jip" for a while.

We ended our weekend with "church service" right there in the camp. How awesome to sing "Creator God you gave me breath so I could praise your great and matchless name" and "Our God is greater, our God is stronger" right there in the middle of God's amazing creation. We shared prayer and one of the dad shared the Word with us.

While we were packing, a man that was camping nearby came to Brad and said "are you all from a church?". He said yes and told us that he could hear our singing from his camp site and he was so "impressed" that we were not afraid to worship our God so freely in a public park.

Praise God for that story! It was a meaningful way to end our camping weekend and an encouragement to always be ready to offer a praise to our God, no matter where we are.

Noah's WAM Preschool Performance

2011-05-04T00:33:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday nights, the boys are part of a music program at our church called WAM (Worship Arts Ministry). It is a place for children to learn about who is God and how to use creativity to express our love and devotion to Him.

Noah is part of the Preschool WAM Program and last month he was part of a "mini-musical" titled Love Notes. These kids are ages 3-7 and absolutely adorable!

Here is a little bit of the program. You can sing Noah (on white) singing his little heart out. :) He even got to sing a little solo at 4:43. :)

Singer-Dancer in Training

2011-05-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

One Room Schoolhouse

2011-05-02T00:41:00.000-05:00

Last February, the kids and I joined our local homeschool coop on a visit to a one room schoolhouse from the 1800's. It was a wonderful experience for us, as we got to "attend" a day of school just like kids did back then.

Thanks for Five in a Row we knew about rules of conduct and more during this period in American education. The boys got to practice math and spelling from that time, do copywork on slates and use ink for writing. Also, got water from a well, used the "outhouse", played games of the time and saw lots of many old artifacts and toys.

Our teacher for the day truly played the part of the schoolhouse teacher. It was a wonderful learning experience for all of us. And we can't wait to go back!

Houston Rodeo

2011-04-30T14:02:00.000-05:00

Still catching up on our busy Spring. Another fun tradition for us in spring time is to go the Houston Rodeo. It is always so much fun for all. We get to see real cowboys compete, livestock shows and carnival rides.

This year Sarah was scared of most animals so we did not stay long inside the livestock part but we did manage to "pose" near a longhorn. The boys are thought it was so funny that we did not go in and pay to stand by the beast but just took the pictures close enough....gotta teach them to be thrifty, right? :)

And yes, I had to ride the pink elephant ride with Sarah and yes I almost didn't fit!!! (sigh)

Upward Basketball

2011-04-30T13:48:00.000-05:00

Noah is doing Upward Basketball at our church's program. He has been asking to play basketball since he was 3! Finally, he got a chance and again, this is such a perfect fit for my high energy boy! He gets to run back and forth with a ball for an hour...a dream come true. :)

He is such a good defender of that ball for his team and not afraid to get in there and block the opposite team....even when he is one of the shortest ones. We already knew his team mates from other church activities but it has been fun to watch them before closer and cheering for each other.

Upward Baseball

2011-04-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

This Spring the boys wanted a break from soccer and try a new sport instead. After a month of games now, it's been fun to watch how their choice truly matches their personalities. :)

Caleb chose basketball. This has been great for him because he loves a good challenge. Here he has to learn to bat and catch and work the field and run, etc. He enjoys the variety and concentration required.

It's our first time to join an Upward team and we have been very impressed with the program. I love the non-competitive approach because it focuses more on developing the skills of the players instead of the competition. It helps the kids grow in confidence and practice true sportmanship.

All of us

2011-04-30T13:19:00.000-05:00

My Pretty Princess

2011-04-30T13:17:00.000-05:00

My handsome boys

2011-04-30T13:13:00.000-05:00

The kids and the Bluebonnets

2011-04-30T13:10:00.000-05:00

Attempting again to load pictures from my computer. Here are some of the cute pictures I tried to post a few weeks ago. :)

Greek N Stuff (TOS Review)

2011-04-29T21:49:00.002-05:00

As part of the The OldSchoolhouse Homeschool Crew, I received a workbook and CD of "Greek N Stuff" 's Andrew Teach Me Some Greek! level 1.

Greek N Stuff provides very affordable curriculum for families interested in teaching Latin and Greek at home. They also publish Bible studies for independent readers.

To learn about this company visit the Greek N Stuff website.

Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! is their curriculum for learning Biblical Greek, also known as "koine" or common Greek. This is different from the modern greek.

There are eight levels on this program that progress from learning the Greek Alphabet (level 1) to translating short books in the New Testament (level 8).

I will focus on Level One since that's what we received. The workbook introduces the student to the entire Greek alphabet both written and sounds. Each lesson reviews previously learned material and presents it in a variety of ways. Matching, puzzles, dot to dot and flash cards bring variety to learning the 24 letters.

At the end of the workbook the student can read and write a simple scripture sentence in Greek.

I like that each lesson in the workbook was simply laid out and easy to follow along. An independent reader can do this workbook all on their own. The lessons are short. There is however a lot of handwriting involved as the student will be learning to write in Greek. The amount of writing might prove challenging to some younger children.

We also received a CD that includes a song to review the alphabet and sound bites for each letter. This is good for review and pronunciation.

Click here to see sample pages for Level 1.

The price for one workbook is $14.95 And the Pronunciation CD is $10.00. There are different priced packages for this program. Check out their online store for more information.

To read what other families in the Crew thought of Greek N Stuff curriculum check out the blog tour at the Homeschool Crew blog.

Disclaimer: I received this curriculum free of charge for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Reason # 15

2011-04-24T17:22:00.000-05:00

Christ suffered and died...to make us holy, blameless and perfect.

He has now reconciled (you) in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.

Colossians 1:22

"Because of Christ's death we are becoming holy-but we are not yet fully holy. The joyfully encouragement here is that the evidence of our perfection before God is not our experienced perfection, but our experienced progress. The good news is that being on the way is proof that we have arrived." (Piper)

Reason # 12

2011-04-24T07:14:00.000-05:00

Christ suffered and died...to take away our condemnation.

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Romans 8:34

"The death of Christ secures our freedom from condemnation. It is as sure that we cannot be condemned as it is sure that Christ died. There is no double jeopardy in God's court. We will not be condemned twice for the same offenses. Christ has died once for our sins. We will not be condemned for them. Condemnation is gone not because there isn't any, but because it has already happened." (Piper)

Reason # 9

2011-04-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

Christ suffered and died..for the forgiveness of our sins.

In Him we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of our trespasses.

Ephesians 1:7

"Forgiveness is giving away the right to get even. That is what God does to us when we trust Christ. If we believe in Christ, God no longer holds our sins against us. That is why Christ suffered and died. Forgiveness costs us nothing. But it cost Jesus His life." (Piper)

Reason # 6

2011-04-22T17:13:00.001-05:00

Christ suffered and died...to show His own love for us.

Christ loved us and gave Himself for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:2

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

"Jesus paid the highest price possible to give me the greatest gift possible". (Piper)

Thank you Jesus that you love me personally!!

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-22T07:32:00.001-05:00

#8...to my first born Caleb!!!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Christ Suffered and Died....

2011-04-21T21:59:00.001-05:00

I have been reading a short book by John Piper "The Passion of Jesus Christ:50 reasons why He came to die" and I'll be posting here some of the reasons mentioned in the book.

My challenge for you is that you will take time this week, before next Sunday, to meditate on Jesus and WHY he suffered and died. So that on Sunday you can truly rejoice!!

Reason #1

Christ suffered and died...to absorb the wrath of God

In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

Sin=dishonoring God by preferring other things over him, and acting on those preferences.

Propitiation=the removal of God's wrath by providing a substitute.

God commands us to love Him with all of our hearts, soul and might but we fail to do this. This is sin. We choose to love other things, instead of our creator and His ways. This becomes an immense offense to God that deserves punishment. He gave us life and we reject Him. Piper calls it "treason". God is just so He punishes what deserves to be punished but because of His great love for us, he provided Jesus to be the substitute of the wrath we deserved.

"...Jesus Christ, does not just cancel the wrath; he absorbs it and diverts it from us to himself. God's wrath is just, and it was spent, not withdrawn...we will never stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness of our sin and the justice of his wrath against us" (Piper).

Praise God today that Christ redeemed you and became a curse for YOU! (Galatians 3:13)

Fun Snack Creations

2011-04-21T20:52:00.001-05:00

Sarah enjoying a frozen star for before bed treat. She helped me make this simple and fun treat by pouring yogurt into a large cookie cutter on a plate. We put it in the freezer till ready to enjoy.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Color Sorting Cups

2011-04-13T10:15:00.001-05:00

Save your Easter egg coloring cups. They can be fun sorting cups for toddlers. ;)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

KinderBach (TOS Review)

2011-04-06T22:35:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to share with you all a wonderful resource for those who are looking to introduce their preschoolers to their very first introduction to the world of music.

Many here know that music is huge part of my life. I teach music to preschoolers in two different settings every week and so I was very glad to get a chance to try this at home with the boys.

KinderBach is a resource to learn piano for preschoolers. They are meant to be used at home with either DVD series or an online course.

We received access to the online course. Currently, there are 6 levels of learning. For the purpose of the review I will focus on Level 1.

Each online lesson includes an interactive learning time where he meets the characters, each of which represents one of the music notes on the piano. Dodi and Frisco are the main characters.

Through listening games, songs, following the beat and more the children are introduces to basic music concepts such as: notes can be high or low, music has a steady beat we can follow, the piano keys are grouped in black and white, each note makes a special sound, notes can be played quiet or loud and many more.

Throughout the lessons, the student participates in hands-on activities that are downloaded from their website, where they get to review and apply the musical concepts learned.

My boys really enjoyed the program. My almost 8 year old, thought it was too simple but he already has a few years of music theory under his belt. :) But that didn't stop him from participating in all the lessons. He had fun even when he already knew the material.

My 5 year old LOVED it! He loved the games and characters the best.

One thing I was very impressed with this program was that it is SO MUCH MORE than just a piano course!!! Your child is introducing to ear training, listening skills, music notation, 4 beat patterns, dynamics and even singing with the songs included.

It is very simple to use and any parent could use this at home even if they have no music background. I also appreciated that it makes sure the child has a good foundation on certain concepts, especially following the beat before attempting to play a song in the piano. This is always a frustration with young piano players, they know the notes to play but cannot follow the beat. It sounds so simple but it does makes a difference as the student progress.

If you want to learn more about this program, check out KinderBach's Online Store and website. There are tons of testimonials and information to learn about the program.

You start lessons for as low as $7.99 a month. If you decide to buy the DVD's the cost is $40.45 for the lesson DVDs and worksheets on a CD ready to print at home.

They also have free sample lessons and worksheets available in their site.

To read what other homeschooling families thought of KinderBach make sure to visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog Tour happening right now.

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge for the purpose of using at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Go Go Kabongo (TOS Review)

2011-04-04T00:35:00.008-05:00

If you are looking for a fun way to work on your child's pre-reading skills, you need to take a look at Go Go Kabongo.

Kabongo, is an online education game that follows a cognitive approach to learning and helps children ages 4-7 boost their pre-reading skills abilities like...

memorization

attention and focus

visual scanning

successive processing

phonics

and many more...

There are 3 habitats, on which kids play a variety of games to practice these skills. They are rewarded and encourage though their program. The students progress through 6 levels of learning for each game.

We are all about developing thinking skills in our kids so I was very eager to try this program. At first, the program looked a little simple but I have to say it then became challenging as the kids get better at it.

The boys had a blast playing the games and even Caleb who is already reading well benefited from reviewing some of these skills and was even challenged with some of the story comprehension games.

One thing I loved about this resources is the Progress Report, which is available in detail through their website but also a simpler version of it is emailed to the parent.It's great to read what your children are learning and how they are making progress thought the different levels. The reports give you also a good idea on what areas your kids need more practice. They are also very informative to the parent of a pre-reading child because it explains well how each of these skills will play a part later on in reading. The best part of this resource is that you can start using it for FREE today. One of their habitats is free and for a limited time you can get two habitats for free. The other habitat is only $4.95.

Visit Go Go Kabongo's site.

Learn about their cognitive approach.

Check out what other homeschooling families in the TOS Crew thought about Kabongo.

Disclaimer: I received access to this resource free of charge for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Expedition Israel (DNG Unit Review)

2011-04-03T22:23:00.005-05:00

As part of the Download N Go's Review Team, we received the opportunity to study Expedition Israel. Once again, DNG units never disappoint us!!

With so many wonderful titles to choose from, these hands-on unit studies are becoming our favorite thing to do!!!

"Expedition Israel" is our second DNG unit we do that studies a country. You can read about our adventures with Expedition Australia here.

The five daily objectives for this unit are...

Where on earth is Israel?

Special Places and People in Israel?

A Bit of History

Cool Things to Know About Israel

Fun and Games in Israel

Some of the things we loved about this Expedition Israel.... Me: As with other DNG units, I love the simple and easy to use format of this downloadable resource. I was very impressed with the beautiful images of the different landscapes of Israel. The vocabulary word lists and all the Bible references throughout the units were enjoyable and challenging at the same time. Caleb: Being my animal lover child, he really enjoyed learning about a different animal every day, some known and some he had never heard of. Also, making his very own map of Israel and being able to mark places like the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River on it! Noah: Learning to write his name in Hebrew! And also learning about the different foods from Israel and then reading scripture passages that mentioned them. More reasons why we LOVE all the DNG units....

Instantly downloadable PDF document with everything you need for one week study.

Hands-on learning activities that can be used with children ages K-4th grade.

Written by homeschool mom and writer Amanda Bennett. She understands the needs of homeschoolers and the way children enjoy learning best.

Daily learning objectives integrate a variety of topics to keep your student engaged. Geography, writing, spelling, vocabulary, science, math, art, Bible and more.

Two different ways to record and assess the learning: notebook pages and lapbook components. Both are fun and beautifully illustrated.

Lots of Internet links with videos, images, information pages, games, activities, crafts ideas and printouts that have already been selected for you so you know they are age appropriate and it will save you so much time!

Long list of family ideas to expand the learning.

Library list with book suggestions for every day.

All topics are just FUN to learn about. I find myself learning and enjoying these units just as much as my kids do.

And the price for the unit is only $7.95!

Check out a preview of this unit!

You can purchase this unit and learn more about DNG by visiting Amanda Bennett's site.

If you want to read what other homeschooling families thought of "Expedition Israel", make sure to visit the blog tour over Download N Go.

Disclaimer: I received this unit free of charge for the purpose of using at home and sharing and honest review. No other compensation was given.

Fun Lunch Creations

2011-04-03T13:18:00.002-05:00

Noah has been asking to help more around the kitchen as he calls it "make fun food". Well, I finally put some effort into make it happen for him. Quaility time is one of his love languages. :) This past week we worked on making our first fun creation for luch and this is the result. It was fun, healthy and yummy. He was one happy kid. Looking forward to make and share more "fun food" in the future.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Sarah's Birthday #2

2011-03-29T09:59:00.002-05:00

Another sweet memory for us was being able to celebrate Sarah's second birthday with my family in Puerto Rico. My sister Lizzy baked her a super cake with Dora decorations and Sarah was super happy all the time. All the cousins were there too. A few months later, Sarah still mentions her birthday party and cake from time to time. ;-)

...and here are the pictures....

2011-03-28T23:46:00.001-05:00

You can click on the screen to see the slideshow...these are pictures of my family: mom, dad, siblings, grandma, aunts and all the grandchildren. c

Christmas in Puerto Rico

2011-03-27T16:45:00.007-05:00

This past Christmas, our family returned to Puerto Rico to spend 27 days with my family. It was a very special time for all of us.

It had been almost 3 years since last time we were there. This was Sarah's very first time to meet her aunts and uncles, cousins and grandpa.

It had been also 9 years since the last time I spent Christmas time in my hometown.

We made so many wonderful memories in this trip. Christmas in Puerto Rico is LONG and full of joy and laughter. We start festivities after Thanksgiving and end in January 6 (Epiphany or "Three Kings Day").

We spent our time in the island, going from house to house, eating lots of great food and having long chats with everyone. We also got to spend lots of time at the beach (more on that later).

For the kids, it was a great time to get to know their relatives better. For Brad and I it was a time away from the every day routine and get an extended time away with no distractions. And for me, it was a time to re-connect with my family and my heritage.

Some pictures of our family time there...

History Pockets: Life in Plymouth

2011-03-23T11:06:00.001-05:00

Back in November, we purchased our very first History Pockets by Evan-Moor. We have enjoyed many of their resources before but never tried the "pockets". Now I can't wait to do another with the boys!

If you are not familiar with their materials check out their website.

We worked on Life in Plymouth the week before Thanksgiving. I never got around posting some pictures so here are some. The file has instructions on how to make your own pockets with construction paper and yarn but I decided to purchase these 8 pocket folders from Walmart and it worked perfect.

Each of the 8 pockets had a learning theme: the voyage, challenges in the new world, building a village, homes, jobs, schooling, clothing, lesson learned from them.

Each day includes words to know, a small booklet with information and fun activities to enhance the learning. Here's a picture of a "keep room" one of the boys made.

Some of the many fun booklets we made.

Stylish Blogger Awards

2011-03-21T22:38:00.006-05:00

My blog has received an award for "Stylish Blogger". How exciting!

Thank you, Marcy!

She is the super homeschool mom who gave me the award and you can read about her homeschooling adventures with her son Ben over at Ben and Me.

In order to receive the awards I must....

#1 Thank the person who gave it to me and link back to her blog. (check)

#2 Share 7 things about me. (just 7?....I'll try to keep it short)

#3 Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers (you gotta pass the love, right?)

#4 Contact them and tell them about the award.

Seven Things About Me

Well, since I have many new followers this will give you a chance to get to know me.

1. I was born in Puerto Rico, the youngest in my family. Moved to Chicago at 19. And then to Houston area almost 3 years ago. Since I was a little girl, I wanted to come to the "mainland" USA to do ministry here. Never thought I would end up making it a permanent residence.

2. I love working with children. Besides homeschooling my children, I teach music (choir) for preschoolers at church and also teach two music classes at our homeschooling co-op.

3. Before staying at home full time I worked with corporate housing and real estate development. I worked as a resident liaison and got to meet and interact with people from all over the world on a daily basis. It was a fun job and very unique opportunity to learn about other cultures while helping families assimilate to the American lifestyle.

4. At church, I have the privilege to lead worship for our Sunday services and women's events from time to time. It is a joy and very humbling experience to serve the Lord this way. And to see the hearts of His body turning toward Him in adoration. It always makes me think of heaven and the multitude of people that will gather there around the throne of Jesus to worship Him forever. It is also a great accountability tool. When your gifts are public, your character must follow along.

5. I love laughter! We have a lot of fun around our home and with family and friends. I try not to take life too seriously, unless it has eternal consequences. ;-)

6. I love cooking and learning to make new dishes. Loved trying new cuisines too. Unfortunately, I have not done very good at self-control when it comes to eating the last 3 years. So I've asked a few friends to keep me accountable and I'm praying this will be the year I go back to healthier lifestyle and loose 25 pounds by August!

7. I have a list of 8-9 "dream jobs". All self-employed big ideas. I hope at least one of them comes true one day. :)

And now for the 15 new recipients of this award....

Reaping a Harvest

The Closet Therapist

Sure Waters

Light, Liberty and Learning

Life at Rossmont

Changing of the Green Leaves

A Day in the Life of the Brown's

Training Hearts at Home

The Newsome Family

My Life as a Flores

Homeschooling on a Wing and a Prayer

Homeschooling in a Bilingual Home

Sweet Floweret

My Life on a Taffy Pull

Adventures of Noah J and Little Wy

Mom wants to blog...

2011-03-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

We've been so busy growing, enjoying suburban life in Texas, vacationing, playing and having fun that mom has forgotten all about her blog. But this week she is on a mission to put you all up to speed on the last 4 MONTHS!

What can we say?....we keep her quite busy. But now that sister has returned to a normal nap schedule and the big brothers enjoy having a reading quite time...blogging is back!!!

For now....here's us being silly..... :)

Kite Capers (DNG Unit Review)

2011-03-20T18:46:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we spent an entire afternoon flying kites with the boys. See my happy five year old? He just didn't want the kite fun to end. The boys already loved flying kites but this time around it was a little different because......

...we spent an entire week learning with Download N Go's Kite Capers!

If you read my blog, you know we just LOVE these units. Here are some reasons why....

Teacher/parent friendly format and instructions
Beautiful illustration and images that engage the children
Fun learning starting points that integrate ALL subjects
Great to use with multiple students and ages (K-4th grade)
Ready to download and print right after purchase
All the research work is done for you. The unit has an extensive list of activites, book lists, recipes, links to the internet for information pages, videos, etc. that are age appropiate.
Two formats to record and asses your child's learning: lapbook components you can add to a folder or notebook pages.
Learning is so much fun with these units!!!

The main learning objectives for Kite Capers are:

Day 1: What is a Kite?

Day 2: The History of Kite

Day 3: Kite People and Places

Day 4: Science Secrets of Kites

Day 5: Goodies and Gadgets of Kites

Here are some sample pages from our notebooks (trying to fix the crooked ones!). The sample pages show the parts of a kite, types of kites, kite design challenge (there was a daily challenge and the boys looked forward to it every time!), copywork for the Bible and biography page (we studied various famous people who used kites in their experiments).

This hands-on unit can be purchased by visiting Amanda Bennett's store. And the price for Kite Capers is only $7.95! You can also check out more sample pages at Download N Go's website.

To read what other members of the DNG Review Team thought about Kite Capers, check out the blog tour over at DNG's Blog.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this unit for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Kid's Scoop: Reluctant Reader Solution (TOS Review)

2011-02-18T22:20:00.002-06:00

As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a wonderful supplementary resource called "Reluctant Reader Solution" by Kid Scoop. You can learn more about this company by visiting Kid Scoop's Online Site.

I think the company very accurately describes the product when they say "a full year of fun-filled pencil grabbing activities that turn frustration into fun!"

Reluctant Reader Solution is a downloadable folder with 365 activity worksheets that will help your struggling readers. The sheets are grouped into 5-7 pages thematic mini informative newsletters. Covering a variety of topic such as sports, fitness, American history, national holidays, famous personalities, animals, creativity at home, body science and so much more.

Types of activities included in these fun sheets are: reading to decipher clues or secret messages or to solves puzzles, crosswords, new vocabulary words, helpful writing topic starters, mind puzzles and using other printed sources such as newspaper, dictionary and magazines.

This product also includes a guide for educators and parents on how to incorporate the worksheets to their curriculum, as well as suggested schedules to work on the sheets chronologically or by theme.

When you purchase Reluctant Reader Solution you also receive access to a monthly full color online newsletters for even more fun activities.

The price for this great resource is a one time payment of $97 for a full year worth of fun sheets. The company offers an unconditional money back guarantee if you try this product and your child is does not start enjoying reading or reading more.

You can learn more about this product and purchase by visiting at their online shop.

So what did my kids thought of this product? As I said in the beginning, these worksheets are definitely fun and the boys looked forward to them every time. I am not a big fan of loading our kids with workbooks and worksheets but these ones I really like because they are very purposeful and the kids are not only getting extra practice on their reading and writing but they are truly learning new concepts, new vocabulary and new skills.

These sheets can be a great educational "add on" to any homeschool coop, after school program and of course parents and teachers will love these too.

To read what others families thought of this product don't forget to visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

The Curiosity Files (TOS Review)

2011-02-11T22:29:00.006-06:00

As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a copy of the new learning series "The Curiosity Files" by The Old Schoolhouse. This is a series of unit studies for the 8-13 year old range that provides an opportunity to learn in depth about a specific animal and or wonder of nature, while integrating a variety of subjects.

The units are in a pdf format which I love because I get to print what I need for each day.
There are 9 units published so far and we got a chance to study all about "Quicksand".

With this unit we talked about the physics of quicksand...is it a liquid? or a solid? This was a fascinating starting point for the boys. We tried great experiments that covered surface tension, vicocity and even made our own quicksand goo!

For geography we covered and labeled in maps the places where quicksand can form. We also had fun with sand art.

This unit also gave us many conversation topics from what to do if we get stuck in quicksand to why is quicksand a good analogy for our spiritual life and how it is used throughout the Bible.

Everything is beautiful laid out and illustrated and many great printouts are included as well. There are also list of books and online links to enhance the learning and lapbook booklets to record what they learned. This is definitely a study you can use for multiple children at multiple levels.

If you want to learn more about this series visit the Old Schoolhouse Store. There you can see all the titles available and even take a peek inside each unit.

The price for Quicksand and the other Curiosity Files Units is only $6.95!! That is a very reasonable price considering all that you get and all the fun you will have using this unit.

To read what other families are saying about "The Curiosity Files" visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this product free of charge for the purpose of using at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

**NOTE: I have great pictures of our fun and learning with this unit but I'm having difficulty with photo uploads. I will add pictures as soon as I can solve this...help is on the way!

DNG's George Washington

2011-02-07T23:40:00.005-06:00

Did you know that George Washington before being General and President was a farmer and a land surveyor? Did you know he valued penmanship? Did you know he loved ice cream? Did you now his birthday was the first federal holiday to honor an American?

With DNG's "George Washington" unit study by Amanda Bennett, you and your kids will get to know this great American hero while having lots of fun and making memories.

Following a hands-on approach and integrating a variety of subjects, this unit study geared for grades k-4 will help your children understand why George Washington is remembered and honored to this day.

The unit is divided into five main learning objectives...

Day 1 Who Was George Washington

Day 2 People and Places in George Washington's life

Day 3 The Accomplishments of George Washington

Day 4 Lessons to Learn From George Washington

Day 5 Remembering George Washington

These objectives are just the starting point. A variety of subjects are integrated into the learning each day. Geography, creative writing, art, drawing, vocabulary, spelling, history and character lessons are some of the areas covered.

As in previous DNG units we've enjoyed at home, I appreciate the easy to use format of this unit. Everything is laid out in a way that is very "mom friendly". There is an extensive list of book suggestions, as well as links to videos and other resources online to enhance the learning. As a parent and teaches I love that I don't have to spend hours doing research, all the hard work is done for you.

There are also two ways to records your student's learning: the notebooking pages and the lapbook components. These are ready to print and use with clear instructions on how to incorporate them to your study and beautiful images and clip art on them . Family fun ideas include games, cooking, crafts and much more.

One of my favorite things in this unit was the journaling pages provided for each day of study. Following George Washington's example kids are encourage to do a daily journal entry with age appropriate topics.

George Washington offers so many lessons on character building. You and your children will have many opportunities to talk about what "character" means and what is leadership, integrity, diligence, honesty, perseverance, bravery and sacrifice.

The price for this unit is $7.95. And it's available to purchase at Amanda Bennett's online store.

You can take a peek inside this unit with these sample pages.

You can also read what other reviewers thought of this unit at the George Washington Blog Tour.

To learn more about Download and Go and Amanda Bennett by visiting their site.

Disclaimer: I received this unit free of charge for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. I received no other compensation for it.

Positive Action for Christ (TOS Review)

2011-01-03T19:39:00.000-06:00

I'm so happy to share with you all my first review of 2011 for the The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew!

If you have school age children and are looking to add Bible study materials to your homeschool curriculum you MUST check out this resource....

As part of TOS Homeschool Crew I recieved a copy of the Bible study workbook

Finding God's Promises, published by Positive Action for Christ.

This workbook is part of a school Bible curriculum for grades K through 12th.

Each workbook is designed to teach students to study God's Word and be challenged both mentally and spiritually. This is a very hard to find component in most children materials available out there. I can confidently say this company has suceeded in providing a great balance on both areas of growth.

Finding God's Promises is the 2nd grade workbook. It covers the life of Moses in the book of Exodus. There are 35 lessons covered in 5 units. The workbook begins talking about God's Promises, then it covers the creation and fall of man and then moves into the book of Exodus.

Caleb is about half way done with the study and already learning so much not only about Moses and the Israleites but also historical and geographical facts, character traits, vocabulary and life application.

He is learning to see the hand of God in the book of Exodus, his great promises, his faithfulness toward people and much more. He looks forward to the lessons and often asks if we can do more than one per day.

The questions and materials are age appropiate but without being "watered down". It really makes him think and ponder on the scriptures. I LOVE the application sections too. He is understand the Word of God is not just for knowing but for living also.

The workbook is beautiful illustrated in full color but without being too distracting. The type of activities are varied throughout the book so it never becomes boring or predictable.

The amount of writing is age appropiate. It takes us about 10-15 minutes to do a lesson at a time. We do the lessons together. We take turns reading the activities,etc. and he does the writing. He could read and do it all by himself but I enjoy the interaction time.

I think as homeschooling parents we get so caught in the "academics" that we can easily neglect providing our children Bible resources. Positive Action for Christ curriculum is a great way to make Bible teaching at home a priority.

The 2nd grade kit I received also came with a Teacher's Manual. It is designed for school teachers and classroom use but I still found useful information in it such as explanation of how to develop study skills on my kids. There are also answer keys for every page in the workbook. A schedule for Bible memorization for each weekly lesson and additional music curriculum. The music CDs are also available through their website.

I highly recommend this resource and we have decided to continue using it as our Bible curriculum with the boys.

The workbook's price is $12.95 and can be purchased at the Positive Action for Christ website.

There you can see samples of the workbook and teacher's manuals, view the scope and sequence and learn more about the large selection of Bible teaching materials this company offers.

To read what other Crew members think about Positive Action for Christ resource check out the Homeschool Crew blog.

Note: I'm having trouble uploading image into my blog today but will add them as soon as I can figure out what is going on.

Disclaimer: I received the materials detailed here free of charge for the purpose of using at home and writing and honest review. No other compensation was given.

Good Morning, God (TOS Crew Review)

2010-12-10T21:22:00.000-06:00

As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a free copy of the children's book "Good Morning, God", published by Apologia Educational Ministries.

This book is designed for the parents to read aloud to their children ages one through eight.

The story is narrated by a young boy who narrates in a one week period how he encounters God in every day things, like eating, playing, learning, at church, etc. The text is based on Deuteronomy 6:5-7 which commands the parents to diligently teach their children to love God with everything they have and to remind them of this command daily and at all times.

At the end of each day, the little boy says a simple prayer thanking God for different things like family, creation, Jesus and the gift of heaven.

The book is beautifully illustrated and present very common situations that a young boy will experience in their day. There's even one picture that shows the boy in his "school room" at home...yeah! My boys were excited about that. :)

At the end of the book, there are daily devotionals with scriptures and well thought questions for family discussion.

The book can be read in one sitting or can be split to be read in a one week period. There are guidelines for parents included regarding how to best use this book at home.

I have to say that we LOVE this book. The boys were laughing at many of the illustrations and they could truly relate to the character. We did some of the devotionals as well and the questions are excellent and appropriate for kids five to eight years old.

If you are looking for a new book to emphasize spending time with God each day and learning how to love God with mind, soul, heart and strength, you should consider this book.

The book is available through the Apologia's website for $14.00 Here's the link to their online store. You can also see a sample chapter on this page.

If you would like to read what other families in the crew thought of "Good Morning, God" check out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Family Portraits 2010

2010-12-05T21:16:00.000-06:00

Our Boys are Growing

2010-12-01T12:35:00.001-06:00

Some recent pictures of our boys. They are growing so fast. I love the stage they are in right now....growing in understanding of the world around them and of spiritual matters....developing socially and being independent learners.....developing godly character...and of course....growing to be such handsome young boys!

What a blessing and joy to have them both in my life and what a blessing they share in having each other. Praying that their brotherly bond will continue to grow through the years.

I love you Caleb and Noah!

My Animal Family-Nanuq (TOS Review)

2010-11-29T15:12:00.000-06:00

Nanuq is a book/DVD combo part of "My Animal Family" series published by Smart Kids.

The book follows the story of a baby polar bear and his family. The story is narrated by "Nanuq" the cub that tells us about his adventures growing up in the Arctic region with his mom and young brother.

From encountering seals and walruses, to learning to play and find food, this book is a delightful adventure for preschoolers. Perfect for a read aloud format. The illustrations are very beautiful and realistic. And the animals in the story are living and acting in their real habitat.

"My Animal Family" series currently has 5 different stories of young animals in their habitats and there are many more stories planned to be released in the coming months.

The DVD includes award wining live footage of real polar bears and narrated by a child's voice.

The book also comes with a membership card that gives access to online website with educational games.

The price for the book/DVD combo is $12.99 for hardback.

To learn more about "My Animal Family" series and to order Nanuq visit their website at "My Animal Family". There you can browse their online store, create a trial period account for the online games and preview a DVD included with the storybooks.

To read what others at the TOS Homeschool Crew thought about Nanuq, check out the Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received this product for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

ABCs of Handling Money God's Way

2010-11-27T21:06:00.002-06:00

This week we will begin an introduction to finances with our kids using a study published by Crown Financial Ministries titled The ABCs of Handling Money God's Way.

Can't wait to start this as our morning devotions with the boys. It includes topics such as "who owns everything", saving, spending, giving, tithing, honesty, sharing, diligence and more. I'm hoping to blog about it here as time permits. :)

You can visit Crown's website to learn more about this curriculum.

Long Week Update

2010-11-27T20:47:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving celebration!

We have been battling a lot sickness in our home but managed to still have a blessed dinner on Thursday.

This past week was also my wedding anniversay! Brad and I married 11 years ago! So thankful for our lives together. He really is an amazing husband and it's been so amazing to see how the Lord has worked in both of our lives, changing us and giving us more love and love for Him and each other.

The next few weeks are very busy for us in preparation for our...wait for it....vacation to Puerto Rico! Yeah! Last time we were there to see my family, our boys were 4 and 2 years old. Now they are 5 and 7 and of course we have little Sarah who have not met her grandpa and great grandma yet.

Back to blogging here....

KB Teachers (TOS Review)

2010-11-19T19:34:00.002-06:00

What is KB Teachers?

KB Teachers is an online tool for educators and parents that includes an extensive collection of worksheets and printable pages. Many of the sheets are available free of charge. But to have full access to the site you must have a paid membership.

What does KB Teachers offers?

There are worksheets and printables for a variety of subjects for different levels.

For preschoolers, there are many thematic coloring pages, simple math worksheets and the "Alphabet Factory" section with customizable alphabet tracing and handwriting sheets.

For elementary age students there are sheets for grammar, mathematics and science and social studies topics.

The site includes some additional resources I thought were different from what other similar places in the web offer:

Customizable sign language and morse code sheets
Seasonal printables with new ones being added periodically
Math worksheets generator (different math sheets are automatically generated! That's a huge time saver for teachers)
Free cliparts to use on your own printouts
Webquest section (where student follow direct internet links about a topic and then answer question on a worksheet to assess their learning)

Who would benefit the most from KB Teachers?

Traditional school teachers
Homeschool parents with children who love worksheets or need additional review on a particular subjects.
Homeschool parents that use the workbox system.
Parents who would like to have additional review done at home during school break but don't want to purchase a lot of workbooks.
Coop teachers and directors who are looking for free printouts for their classes.
Parents with older children who can use the internet by themselves and are fluent reading and writing.

What did you think about KB Teachers?

Many topics covered on this site, I teach at home without having the need of worksheets so in that sense I didn't find it to be as resourceful for our family. But I can definitely see myself using the math sheet generator as a review tool. As I mentioned above I see how this site can beneficial to many educators.

The quality of the worksheets is great. Well written, good clipart, well spaced so that's definitely a plus too.

Also having one place with printouts for so many different subjects is a huge help for teachers and parents. We all know what it is to search online for hours trying to find the right sheet or coloring page.

What is the cost to join and how do I learn more about KB Teachers?

The cost to join is $29 for one year and $49 for two years.

I think that is a great and a fair fee for the amount of material available to you.

The company also offers a 10 day unlimited free trial, where you have access to everything. They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

Visit KB Teachers to see and print free worksheets and to join.

To read what other crew members thought of KB Teachers visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received free full access to this site for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Corps of Re-Discovery (TOS Crew Review)

2010-11-15T11:30:00.000-06:00

As part of my year with the TOS Homeschool Crew,

I received a Tomahawk Craft Kit from Corps of Re-Discovery.

This company prepares and sells ready to use project kits for children to enhance their learning about Frontiersman, Pioneer American and American Indians. Their goal is to provide a way for children to "re-discover" their country's heritage using these hands-on packs.

I love these kits because many times when studying history I have instructions on how to make a certain item of clothing or tool from that period but I don't like having to go around looking for the supplies. This company makes it easier for parents to make memorable educational projects.

You can learn more about this company at their website Corps of Re-Discovery.

Our Tomahawk kit was such a big hit with our boys that I had to go online and order a second kit so each of them could have one!

Their service was very fast. My order was shipped on the same day. We will definitely purchase more kits from them in the future.

The kit comes with step by step instructions and illustrations on how to make the tomahawk. It also includes some information about their history and how it was used. Besides the coloring medium you choose for decorating your tomahawks, all other materials are included. The instructions recommend to use oil based paint or markers for coloring. We chose coloring markers.

Here are the boys at work on their designs. It was fun to see how they thought of a different way to decorate them. The rod is made of wood and the "blade" and cord are leather. When it was time to attach the blade both of my boys needed help. I would say an 8 year old and up could work this kit completely on their own.

And here is the final project!!!

One thing I would say, with little kids, you might want to stress "how" they are to use this tomahawk. I explain to the boys this is not meant to be a toy but a "school craft" instead. They know that we do pretend play with them but we have to treat them gently. We don't bang them against the floor or our brother's head! :) If treated that way it should last for a long time.

Also, you can't see it in the picture but it comes so your child can hang it on a wall in their room.

This kit sells for $5.50 and it includes all you need to make one tomahawk.

You can also purchased 10 for $40.00

It comes on two color choices: black or tan.

To purchase this and other great kits go here.

Also don't forget to check out the TOS Homeschool Crew blog to see what projects other families made!

Disclaimer: I received this kit free of charge for the purpose of trying and writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Fall Fashion

2010-11-14T19:52:00.001-06:00

The weather here in Houston is finally cooling off...yeah!!!
Time for some cute fall weather clothes.
Here's my cutie modeling her new boots...wish I had a close up...they are super cute and cost me $0.00!
Gotta love friends who are always giving us clothes for our kids....what a blessing!
Daddy was behind the camera so he got all great smiles from his princess.

Camping trip pt. 2

2010-11-08T16:57:00.000-06:00

The kids and I got to attend a park chat on alligators and got to see and touch baby alligators....very cool! The boys also enjoyed biking and riding scooters and on the trails and camp grounds. The adults played volleyball, Settlers of Catan, talked and ate a lot. :)

Camping Trip Fall 2010

2010-11-08T16:49:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we went on a camping trip with our small group at church (ABF) at Hunstville State Park. This park is part of the Sam Houston National Forest. We all had a great time with our friends and made some memories like sharing communion on Sunday morning together. We can't wait to do it again!!!

Dewberry Farm pt 3

2010-11-08T16:35:00.000-06:00

And more Dewberry Farm pics...here's for the grandparents and uncles and aunties....lots of new pictures....and more to come...

Dewberry Farm pt. 2

2010-11-08T16:31:00.000-06:00

More Dewberry Farm pics....

Dewberry Farm

2010-11-08T16:28:00.001-06:00

Today we enjoyed a sunny and cool day at Dewberry Farm on Brookshire, TX with our local homeschool support group. This was our first time at this farm and other than the fact my friends forgot to tell me to put sunblock on my face, we had a blast. :)

Here are some pics of the kids having fun...

Expedition Australia (DNG Review)

2010-11-07T22:50:00.005-06:00

Time for another review for the Download N Go's Review Team. And make sure you read through because DNG and The Old Schoolhouse are having a great giveaway and sale going on right now!

Expedition Australia is one of the unit studies part of Download N Go, a new educational resource created by Amanda Bennett and The Old Schoolhouse.

On a simple and easy to use e-book format, the unit includes a five day schedule full of hands-on learning for grades K to 4th grade. Download N Go units are always enjoyable for both parent and student.

All you need for a fun filled learning experience is included:

beautiful text with lots of interesting facts and questions
poetry
direct internet links to pictures, videos, worksheets, crafts, recipes, family fun ideas and facts-information all age related.
written activities in two formats: notebook pages and lapbook booklets

Your student (and you!) will learn about this beautiful country's heritage, their people's history, aborigines groups, marsupials, famous landmarks and diverse climates. You will also learn new Australian words every day and really neat geography facts and even study the stars!

You will get to watch a day in the outback and go under the sea into the Great Barrier Reef.

The unit has an introduction to the continents of the world. Noah (our 5 year old) loved this section. He enjoyed learning to identify the continents in different maps and marking them on his own world map.

He enjoyed learning interesting facts about Australia's flag and symbols.

This was one of the MANY fun activities for the younger kids available. Matching the "joeys" to the mama kangaroos.

Caleb worked on making his very own map of Australia that included some of the landmarks and regions we learned about.

Speaking of maps....DNG is having a fun giveaway going on this weekend . Visit the DNG blog and enter to win two political maps of Australia by National Geographic. The giveaway closes at 9PM eastern!
Here's the link to enter the contest.

And if you have not tried a Download N Go unit yet, this is your chance!
Expedition Australia is ON SALE for only $5.95!!! That is a great deal. But you need to hurry...the sale ends Monday night!
Visit the Old Schoolhouse Store to purchase.

You can also preview Expedition Australia and read more about it at the DNG site. Other "expeditions" available at their site include China, Ireland and Mexico.

And finally don't forget to check out the DNG blog tour to read what other families thought of Expedition Australia.

Fall Fest 2010

2010-11-07T22:47:00.001-06:00

A week late but had to post some pictures of last Sunday's Fall Fest at our church. Sarah went dressed as Minnie Mouse, well....what can I say? she looked adorable and loved her outfit. The boys wore Star Wars character costumes.They are already big Star Wars fans like their daddy. We had a beautiful warm day and the kids enjoyed playing lots of carnival games to earn their treats.

Thankful Thursdays- His Promises

2010-11-04T16:45:00.000-05:00

Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever

and His faithfulness throughout all generations.

Psalm 100:4

Have you ever stopped to think that of all the main "religions" in the world, Christianity is the only one who truly has reasons to give thanks?

In his book "The Cross of Christ", John Stott quotes W.M. Clow saying....

The great faiths of the Buddhist and the Mohammedan give no place either to the need for the grace of reconciliation. The clearest proof of this the simplest. It lies in the hymns of Christian worship. A Buddhist temple never resounds with a cry of praise. Mohammedan worshipers never sing. Their prayers are, at the highest, prayer of submission and of request. They seldom reach the gladder note of thanksgiving.

They are never jubilant with the songs of the forgiven.

What a joy it is for the believer that WE can always have a reason to praise and give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ no matter what season of life we find ourselves in!

Psalm 100 says to give thanks and bless the Lord because He is ever loving, faithful and good. As I start our yearly countdown to Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks for God's promises.

Here are just SOME of the many precious and very great promises that are granted to us through Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4)

These are just some of my favorites; these have carried me through difficult days and have moved my heart to gratitude. Hope it blessed you too. :)

He knows me and I am His- Isaiah 43:1
He is always with me- Joshua 1:9
He will never leave me- Deuteronomy 31:6
He is always good- Romans 8:28
He is my strength- Philippians 4:13
His power has no limits- Ephesians 3:20
He is in control- Proverbs 3:5-6
His love never ends and His mercies are always new- Lamentations 3:22
He protects me- Isaiah 54:17
He gives me victory over sin- 1 Corinthians 10:13
He is always watching- Psalm 121:3-4
He helps me persevere- 2 Timothy 1:12
His discipline will make me more like Him- Hebrews 12:11
His blood has covered ALL my sin- Hebrews 9:14
His grace is ALL I need- 2 Corinthians 12:9

Thank you Lord for your precious and very great promises granted to us through your son Jesus Christ. Thank you that His power in us gives us ALL we need for life and character.

Terrific Tiger Winner is......

2010-11-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

This morning my early riser and tiger lover son helped me pick the winner for the Terrific Tiger Unit giveaway. Thank you to those who enter to win.

And now for the winner.....hand in the bag....

and the winner is........

CHRISTI!!!

Congratulations!

Dust If You Must

2010-10-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, dear FIAR mom Celia, shared this poem with me. It came back to mind today as I stared at some dusty places around our house. I'm allergic to dust mites (true) and so dust around the house makes me anxious. Some days I feel guilty if I see too much dust around....well, maybe I'm not being a good housekeeper. I want to serve our family well and want to be a good steward of our home and be a good model to our kids about cleanliness, etc.

But today I was reminded of this poem and I was thankful for those dust bunnies lying around (although they WILL be gone by tonight!). I realized I've been busy with other things....good things.....reading to my kids...playing games with them....teaching them....visiting friends in need...serving our church family...enjoying time with Brad....singing to my Lord...memorizing scripture....

I do want a clean house...but sometimes a dusty house is still a well-loved home.

Dust if You Must

by Patsy Clairmont

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed
Ponder the difference between want & need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb

Music to hear and books to read

Friends to cherish and life to lead

Dust if you must, but the world's out there

With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair

A flutter of snow, a shower of rain

This day will not come round again

Dust if you must, but bear in mind

Old age will come, and it is not kind

And when you go and go you must

You, yourself, will make more dust

And now....I must dust! :)

Our Tot is all Smiles...

2010-10-28T21:43:00.000-05:00

Can't believe Sarah is just so close to be 2 years old!
She is always ready to smile for the camera these days and says "cheesee" very loud.

Here she is with big brothers, ready for our Friday School "Silly Hat Day".

And here looking pretty in pearls to celebrate mom's birthday last Sunday.

She even stopped drawing to give mom her best smile. :)

I love my sweet toddler!

Terrific Tigers Review (and giveaway!)

2010-10-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

Time for another great learning adventures with The Old Schoolhouse and Amanda Bennett's latest resource for homeschooling families...

This past week the kids and I "traveled" around the world from the mountains of Russia to the jungles in India and Africa to learn all about one of the most fascinating wild cats....TIGERS!

Terrific Tigers follows the same format as other Download N Go units we previously enjoyed. An instantly downloadable e-book includes lessons plans for 5 days of hands-on learning for grades K-4th. The learning is both fun and easy to follow for teacher and student.

Each daily plan includes learning objectives that are integrated to a variety of subjects. Spelling, vocabulary, handwriting, cooking, art, drawing, science, applied math and geography, Bible are all "sprinkled" throughout the unit studies.

The lesson plans includes two different ways for your student to record their learning. One is the notebook pages. Beautifully illustrated and well organized pages can be printed for each day and stored on a notebook or binders of your choice.

The other options is to make a lapbook; a series of mini-booklets that will be paste into a portfolio.

Some of my favorite features of these units are...
Direct internet links to informational pages, printouts, images, videos and more. This saves so much time!! We all know what it is like to sit down infront of a computer for ours trying to find a video or a coloring sheet to use at home. DNG has truly done all the work for the teachers.

Another thing I love is the easy format. Everything is laid out clearly and simple for any parent-teacher to use.

The units also include a long list of great family fun activities, as well as a list of recommended books to enhance your learning.

So what about Terrific Tigers....

I found myself loving learning alongside our boys all about these wonderful creatures. I confess that prior to this unit I had no idea tigers were on high risk of being extinct!!

We learned about all 6 main kinds of tigers, their habitats, behavioral traits, physical traits and the way they communicate. We also learned about where to find tigers around the world and the role zoos and zookeepers have on preserving these fierce cats.

My boys were fascinated by their size, speed, teeth and yes even the stripes. We studied all of these in detail and I'm sure our next zoo visit will not be the same.

More about Terrific Tigers...

The price for this unit is $7.95! (such a good deal)

You can purchase Terrific Tigers by visiting The Old Schoolhouse Store.

To learn more about Terrific Tigers and to take a peek inside the unit visit the Download N Go's main site.

To read how other families learned with Terrific Tigers visit the DNG's Blog Tour.

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!

I was given the opportunity to host a giveaway for Terrific Tigers so one follower will get a free copy of this unit!

Here's how....

1. Leave a comment on this email with your name and email for one entry.

2. Blog about this giveaway and come back and leave another comment letting me know for another entry.

3. Share on your Facebook or Twitter page for another entry.

4. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect for another entry.

Last day to enter is October 31st!! No TOS reviewers can participate.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this unit for the purpose of using at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Little Reader by Brill Kids (TOS Review)

2010-10-22T14:27:00.004-05:00

Brill Kids' ABC Little Reader is a learning software system to teach your baby and young child to read....wait....did you say baby to read?? Yes, this is a proven method that can teach a young baby as early as 6 months to recognize words.

You can see for yourself babies who have learned to read by checking out these amazing video testimonials from their website.

By doing a five minute lesson once or twice a day your baby/child will be reading words in a short time.

The method used on this learning system includes:

rapidly flashing words and images on the screen (working the right brain)
multi sensory approach (actions words invite child to participate and videos,images and sounds are used)
Intuitive Pattern Phonics (where child recognizes repeated word patterns)

Lessons are always changing and growing with your child so he will be exposed to many different voices, sounds and videos of the same word.

The software we received included a one year (two semesters) format that if used in the way it was designed it will expose the child to over 3,000 words.

This video will give you a quick tour of the complete system.

So what did WE think about this program?

Our 21 month old truly enjoyed watching the words and pictures flash on the screen. After a few weeks of using it, she started repeating many of the words on the screen. We have not been as diligent as recommended but will probably continue to use it on and off.

I like the concept behind this program but currently it's not the route I want to take with her. I believe this method can be very effective and can be a huge help for parents who would like to give their kids and early start in reading. Just have not decided I want to start teaching her reading just yet.

The software is also very easy to use and it has a lot of neat features like being fully customizable from videos, voices, pictures and words. The company also offers free add-ons to the program that are available through their website. There's also a forum for parent support and for sharing ideas and experiences with the program.

If this is something that you would like to try with your kids, I recommend you visit their website at Brill Kids and read more about the methodology behind this learning system.

The downloadable version is going to be available through their site very soon but for now you can take a free trial of the software here.

You can purchase the software ABC Little Reader for $149.00 and that includes the software, binders, program guide, schedules, customizable flash cards, storybooks and more.

To read what other families are saying about ABC Little Reader check out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received this software free of charge for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Our cute kids

2010-10-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

Some recent pics of our good looking kids. They are growing too fast!
I'm thankful daily the Lord has allowed me to stay home and enjoy time with them during these early years.

Soli Deo Gloria- Map Skills Unit (TOS Review)

2010-10-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a resource to help your kids have a good geography foundation, I recommend you check out Map Skills by Soli Deo Gloria.

I received a free copy of this unit as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew and I have enjoyed using this resource with the boys for the past few weeks.

The unit is for grades K-third grade and provides a schedule for three weeks of studies. Most activities are hands-on and with a strong Charlotte Mason influence.

The units covers basic map reading skills, supplemental math activities, language arts connections, geography and Bible connections.

The unit also suggest a supplemental workbook to enhance the learning. I purchased one workbook and my boys enjoyed doing some pages but I think it is not necessary...unless your child really loves workbooks. :)

The unit itself has plenty of activities to choose from and all you need is some maps, atlas, globes and a compass that you most likely have at home.

The unit also includes a list of suggested literature to supplement your lessons and four Bible worksheets that applies geography and language arts using the Word of God. I was very impressed with these worksheets.

There are also additional suggestions for older children so the study can be expanded through 6th grade.

The price of the unit is $14.00 and it comes on downloadable e-book format.

To view a sample of this unit and for purchasing visit the Map Skills page on Soli Deo Gloria's website.

Check out the main Soli Deo Gloria page to view samples of other units available.

Also don't forget to visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog to read what other families are saying about Map Skills Unit.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book free of charge for the purpose of using at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was received.

DownloadNGo's Rocking Robots

2010-10-12T21:48:00.002-05:00

As part of the DNG's review team I received a free copy of one of their latest unit studies Rocking Robots. Once again, as with previous units we've tried at home, we were not disappointed. This unit is full of learning and also full of fun.

Download N Go's is a new one week hands-on unit studies curriculum from The Old Schoolhouse and Amanda Bennett for the K-4th grade students.

All the units follow a teacher friendly format that includes everything you need for a thorough study of each topic: book lists, videos, Internet links, worksheets and lapbooking printouts, beautiful images and illustrations and much more.

The lessons are divided in 5 daily objectives. For the Rocking Robots unit the five main topics are:

Day 1 What is a Robot?

Day 2 The History of Robots?

Day 3 Peoples and Places of Robots

Day 4 Science Secrets of Robots

Day 5 Goodies and Gadgets of Robots

The students explore a variety of topics within each objectives including famous robots, the story of robotics, different places that robots go from space to the bottom of the ocean, their similarities and differences to humans and how robots help humans with daily and boring tasks.

Geography, science, writing, spelling, history and other topics are included on the daily lessons.

One of the highlights for our boys was the 'robot of the day'. They "met" some amazing robots from the past and present. The videos links on this unit are excellent and some are hilarious to watch, like the robots playing soccer or cooking breakfast.

We used most of the lapbook components for our week's study including writing a list of places robots go and learning the main parts of a robot.

The unit also covers how robots are made and the parts of a robot modeled after the human body.

The unit also includes fun worksheets like dot to dot, number coloring, puzzles and designing their own robots.

The price for this rocking unit on e-book format is only $7.95!!!

Ready to start your own Rocking Robots Adventure??

Check out the Download N Go website for more information about this unit and to take a peek inside.

To purchase Rocking Robots visit the Old Schoolhouse Store.

And to read and see what how other families enjoyed their Rocking Robots unit study go to the Download N Go blog.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-book format copy of this unit for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Read, Write & Type (TOS Review)

2010-10-11T22:59:00.003-05:00

This next resource I'm about to share with you all as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew it's definitely one of my favorites so far.

Read, Write & Type (by Talking Fingers) is a computer based learning system that incorporates reading, phonics, spelling AND typing, all in one highly visually engaging and multi sensory program.

The students are seeing, hearing and saying and typing sounds, words and sentences with the help of "Storytellers" (letters) and two "Helping Hands".

The program begins by introducing the Storytellers and Helping Hands, as well as "Vexor" , a computer virus that steals the letters to prevent them from writing their stories.

The student's job is help rescue all the letters back by doing reading, writing and typing exercises. The helping hands provide immediate support and help throughout the program, guiding the student to learn letters sounds, blends, etc. and of course, learning how to position their hands on the keyboard.

There are 10 levels on the program that can be completed as fast or slow pace as needed or desired. The recommended time for daily practice is 30 minutes.

After learning to recognize and type a few letters, the students begin to write simple words and sentences, and quickly progress to read and write simple stories.

As the level continues, the student gets to send emails, write their own stories and get extra practice on typing skills.

The parent also has access to progress chart where you can see what your child is learning and where they need more review.

The system is available both in CD and online formats. The student needs no previous reading instruction before using the program. The age recommended is 6-9. It works well for beginners as their first reading-writing instruction but also works just as well for older students that need review in those areas.

You can read more about this program here.

Click here if you want to access a demo for you or your kids online.

For purchasing information click here.

Prices vary depending on type of license you are purchasing. One year online version license for one user is $35. I think that's a fair price for what your kids will learn. If you purchase the CD version, the price is $79 (includes program CD, plus extra challenge CD, activity book, laminated keypad, stickers and access to online storybooks).

I received a one year access to the online version. This program was a instant hit with my boys! It worked well with both of their ages (5 and 7).

For Caleb (7) it provided a great way to review phonics, develop more spelling skills (he really needs it!) and strengthen his fingers with typing.

Notice how nice and relaxed his hands and arms are on this picture (and please ignore the messy counter!). This programs has taught him how to correctly position his hands at the keyboard, anchoring correctly and practicing to type without looking at the keypad.

On the student reports, he has definitely improve both spelling and phonetic pattern recognition with this program.

Noah (5) is just beginning to read so he is working his way through the it at a slower pace but still loving it. He is a hands-on learner so he really enjoys the typing part of it. In this picture he is doing one of the review games.

One thing I would like to note is that even when kids can do this program completely on their own, it was designed for the parent-teacher to interact with the student while in use. I suggest parents monitor from time to time the positioning of the hands on the keyboard as well. It takes practice and effort to maintain the correct position (remember when you first learned piano?).

I noticed one of my boys just using one finger to type because he had memorized the keyboard, so when he uses this program I stay near him. :)

Overall, I think this program is EXCELLENT!

To read what other crew members think about Read, Write & Type don't forget to visit the Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Lanschool Technologies- TOS Review

2010-10-06T22:40:00.002-05:00

Computer softwares and online programs can be a great tool to aid homeschool families with their children's education. But managing and monitoring your child's Internet use can be a challenge, especially for families with multiple children. But now with LanSchool Technologies software you have a wonderful tool available that will help the time your student's spend using the computer more efficient.

This award winning software comes with a teacher's license that is installed on the teacher's computer or main computer in the home or classroom, and a student's license for multiple computers.

Once installed on both the teacher's and student's computer, this software links the computers allowing the teacher to have full access to what the student is working on.

Here are some of the practical features LanSchool offers:

Show thumbprint or full screen shots of the student's computer.

Blank, block, shut down or remotely operate the student's screen.

Chat, send message, videos and more to the student's computer.

Block Internet use, specific sites or limit applications or printing options.

Send and receive files to other computers.

Take snapshots of the student's screens to save on your computer.

These features can help remove distractions, increase accountability and allow the teacher to assist more than one student at at time.

When I received this software I honestly did not know how we were going to use it at home. Our boys are still young and their computer use is very limited at their age. I could see families with older children benefiting more from this.

Shortly after receiving this software, our boys started using another software for learning to type. Well, that was it! Now with LanSchool I'm able to track their progress and see what they are working on at the same time. I can also send hints their way while they are practicing and can remotely access their screen if they clicked on the wrong place or got stuck.

It has definitely been a great tool for us. I can't imagine what it can do for parents who have older children (I'm thinking tweens and teens) and for those who use the computer as part of their daily school work.

For more information and to order your down loadable license visit

LanSchool's Main Paige for version 7.5

You can watch a guided tours, learn more about a specific feature and even sign up for a 30 day free trial.

Check out also this page for demo videos for their teacher's assistant console that run on the ipad.

The price for one permanent home license is $99. This price also includes 3 years of technical support and upgrades. The software can be used on Windows, Mac and Thinline.

For pricing information for multiple license go here.

And to read what other TOS crew members think about LanSchool

visit the Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I received this product for the purpose of trying at home and writing an honest review. I received no other compensation for it.

Tot School -Busy Time with Connect Four

2010-10-03T16:50:00.003-05:00

This week I did not do good with keeping the camera with me but one activity Sarah enjoyed was playing with her brother's Connect Four.

One afternoon she kept trying to take the pieces while the boys were playing so after they were done I sat her in the couch with the game to see what she would do.

She filled up one row with the chips and then moved on to the next row...

After that she got creative and dropped them in through different slots. From time to time she would point and call "Mama, see". She was so happy with this activity. Notice how she only used one yellow (I thought that was cute).

She was so busy playing she, of course, had no idea that her little fingers and eyes were getting a good workout. I love her concentrated look on this picture.

After 15 minutes she got tired of playing with the chips so she switched to the box. It was fun to watch her be creative and do a little bit of problem solving all on her own. Our Tot is growing!

For more great Tot School fun don't forget to visit 1+1+1=1

No Greater Joy

2010-09-29T09:02:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday, our son Caleb was baptized. What a joyous day it was for him and for us!

I was reminded of many verses that speak of the faithfulness of God and his promise to us as parents we raise them up in the Lord.

I love Acts 2:39

"For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

Thank you Lord for calling Caleb to be your own and for allowing to confess you as Lord of his life at a young age.

We had the privilege of leading him to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior last year. You can read the story here. At the time we didn't want to rush him into baptism. We wanted him to decide when he was ready to make that public confession.

Thanks to our friend Joey Hurtado for taking these pictures!

Tot School- Strong Little Fingers

2010-09-26T08:03:00.000-05:00

Time for another Tot School post. Our sweet Sarah is growing so fast. She is almost 21 months now and learning new things every day.

I'm sharing two activities that Sarah enjoyed this week and helped strengthen her little fingers.

#1 Lauri's Tall Stacker Pegs & Board

She is just getting strong enough to push the pegs into the board and this week she figured out how to stack one more peg on top! Yey for little milestones!

This is one "toy" she will definitely grow with.

# 2 LeapFrog Brightlings Matchers

My dear friend from Chicago Jennifer mailed these to us as a gift for Sarah when she was born and I am so in love with them. The set has 3 different colors and shapes matchers. When she snaps them together correctly one chimes, one glows and one spins. She gets a giggle out of it every time. I wish they had a set of 10-12 of these. She really has to work hard to separate and snap them back so that's good for her hands.

As always don't forget to check out more

Tot School adventures at 1+1+1=1

A Week of First

2010-09-24T15:08:00.006-05:00

This week has been so busy for us but so much fun!

Unfortunately I forgot to carry along my camera (boo to me for that).

On Tuesday the boys got to attend their first session at a chess club for homeschoolers in our area. The both did well, helped other kids learn the chess rules and Caleb even beat a couple of 4th graders! (we was so excited about that).

This morning was our first meeting with our new local homeschool coop. We joined a First Class group and it was a so good!

Caleb is taking health class, simple machines (with legos) and P.E.
Noah is taking a literature class, music and P.E.

If you have not heard of First Class check out their website...they might have a group in your area...or you could start the next one. :)

First Class Homeschool Ministries

And our last "first" of the week...our tot Sarah went to the body all on her own for the first time! Yeah! Looks like we are starting potty training all over again.

Back to blogging tonight....

Peace #6 Tozer on Meekenes and Rest

2010-09-20T23:25:00.000-05:00

As I seek God to show me how to seek peace, He faithfully continues to show me how much more I need to cultivate a meek spirit in my life. This week I had another reminder with A.W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God".

On chapter nine he examines the heavy burden that mankind experiences and then shows how the meekness of Jesus sets us free from it.

When Jesus calls us to lay our burdens on Him and receive his rest He is calling us to meekness.

This excerpt is from chapter nine. Hope it blesses you!

"The meek man (or woman) is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself.

He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than the angels.

In himself, nothing. In God, everything. that is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring.

He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous will shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father.

He is willing to wait for that day.

In the meantime he will have attained a place of soul rest. As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.

Tot School- Tot Books

2010-09-19T06:39:00.000-05:00

Well it's been a couple of weeks since we last shared our Tot School adventures.

Sarah is loving books these days. She already has her favorites and asks constantly for us to read them to her over and over again.

I'm grateful to see this important habit growing in her life. After 3 toddlers I'm pleased to share my top pics for the 18 months thru 24 months age group.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

by Bill Martin, Eric Carle

A classic and a must! Introduces rhyme, colors and animals.

Goodnight, Gorilla

by Peggy Rathmann

Funny and engaging. Very few words but great for observation and understanding the flow of a story. Learning new animals and introducing the zoo.

Hush! A Thai Lullaby

by Minfong Ho

A new take on lullaby books. This one is set in Thailand and also introduces new animals and the little baby who is "sleeping" is fun to spot on each page.

Eating the Alphabet

by Lois Ehlert

Super delicious way to introduce little ones to the alphabet and learn vocabulary and recognizing fruits and vegetables.

Ten, Nine, Eight

by Molly Bang

Counting down our way to bedtime is so sweet with this book.

Fuzzy, Fuzzy, Fuzzy

by Sandra Boynton

So irresistible to touch the pages on this silly book.

Fiddle I Fee

by Santiago Cohen

A well known rhyme/song with a twist. The illustrations are in bold colors and the sounds the animals make hilarious.

This Little Chick

by John Lawrence

One of the BEST books for a one year old! Beautiful rhyme, fun illustrations and a great book to learn animal sounds.

Have You Seen My Duckling?

and Silly Little Goose

by Nancy Tarufi

I love all her books. The silly ducks and goose and these stories will have your little ones smiling and pointing at the pages.

Goodnight Moon

by Margaret Wise Brown

What book list for little ones is complete without this book?

This is Sarah's current favorite. Her favorite part is to say "hush" when the "quiet old lady" appears.

For other Tot School post or to link your own please visit 1+1+1=1