Preparing for Great Lent: Forgiveness Sunday.

Although Great Lent doesn’t begin until Monday (tomorrow), we’ve been in a pre-lenten mode.  Last Sunday was meatfare Sunday also known as the Sunday of Final Judgement.  The following day we began the meatfast or cheesefare week.  Orthodox Christians abstain from meat (except fish) during this but may partake of dairy, eggs and fish. 

Lent is so much more than just a fast.  It is a spiritual journey: an opportunity for reflection and a time of renewal.  We all stray from the path.  We all get caught up in the daily cares of the world.  Lent provides the framework for re-training our flesh to seek first the Kingdom of God.  The fast isn’t just about abstaining from certain foods.  It’s a training ground for taking back control of our flesh. 

Today is Forgiveness Sunday.  It is the day we remember Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden.  It is the day we stand before our brothers and sisters and ask for forgiveness.

I would like to ask all my dear readers to forgive me for any offenses or hurts I may have caused.  Please forgive me, a sinner.

The Guardian Duke (Book Review and Giveaway!)

Through a book, I can travel to places all around the world and through a book I can visit the past. When it comes to reading novels, I think the Regency Era ranks as one of my favorite time periods. Especially if it takes place in Great Britain or Ireland and even more so if the characters are nobility or have titles.

I just finished reading The Guardian Duke, a regency era romance by Jamie Carie.

About the Book: The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie’s most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet. Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind. When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

I always enjoy a book more when I know more about the author and her background. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Jamie Carie home schools. I didn’t need to read more about the author to know that her faith and her walk with Christ is a part of her identity.

About the Author: When she was six, Jamie’s parents met Jesus and soon after started a church. It changed everything. Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch. As Jamie’s relationship with God grew, she discovered her heart was filled with songs and poetry. During high school she wrote lyrics for her brother’s band. (And she sang them too!) After college, Jamie married, had two sons and decided to stay home with them. While she homeschooled she wrote skits, poems, plays and short stories for school and church. When her eldest son turned five she dove into the world of novels. She’d read romance novels for years, but couldn’t relate to the flawless, saintly heroines in Christian romance novels. So she decided to write her own. Jamie and her husband Tony have been married for twenty-one years and live in Indianapolis with their three sons and a giant of a dog named Leo. If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”

I love the plot line! I enjoyed the intrigue. What happened to her parents? Where are they? Will she find the clues that will lead her to her parents? I love that the characters are real. Alexandria loves God, has faith but is far from perfect. She struggles with her own sins.

I did enjoy reading the book and I look forward to continuing the journey with His Grace and Lady Alexandria, however, I’ll be reading it for the adventure. The romance part is a little over the top for my taste.

I do have to note that personally, I had difficulty with Ms. Carie switching back and forth between using Lady Alexandria and Lady Featherstone. It felt inconsistent with my understanding of peerage and titles and the Regency era. That said, I have passed the book to my oldest daughter who loves anything to do with the Regency era. She’s not yet finished the novel but she is enjoying it!

Does the plot line intrigue you? Do you enjoy historical Christian romances? Then you’ll want to enter my giveaway! One dear reader will get to win a copy of this entertaining novel.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

A is for Apples!

A friend of mine is starting a new meme this week called Blogging through the Alphabet. I make no promises or guarantees that I will post every week but this looks like a lot of fun so I wanted to make sure I jumped in this week.

But A? I knew my friend Debra from Footprints in the Butter was going to use Ancients for her topic so I put that idea aside.  I pondered and polled my children.  “Annihilation,” a sleepy 16 year old stammered. (She was still in bed.  I woke her up. Oh not to get an idea.  Just it was time to get up and since I was there already I had to ask!). Annihilation? Nope that didn’t work for me.  Too negative for a first post about blogging through the alphabet.

Lent is just around the corner (For Orthodox Christians Lent begins on Monday, though I know it has already begun for my Western friends.) Almsgiving! That’s an A word and it has to do with Lent! Almsgiving? That’s a pretty serious topic for a for a first post.  I put that idea aside as well.

While looking through the refrigerator (I forget why because I’m getting ancient.. see Debra, I could have used that topic too! )I spotted some fruit!  That’s it!  Apples.  A is for Apples!

When I was growing up my mother only bought one kind of apple.  Maybe that was the only kind of apple available in Minnesota when I was growing up? Well there were two kinds available: Granny Smith and Red Delicious.  Mom only bought Red Delicious.

I learned two things about apples: green was sour and red was supposed to be sweet.  I also learned, I didn’t like apples. Or at least I didn’t then. I liked applesauce and I liked apple crisp and apple flavored things but I did not like eating an apple.

Over the years, I discovered that it’s not APPLES I dislike. It’s Red Delicious apples I can’t stand.  I’ve learned that there are so many more varieties of apples.  Good ones! Not mealy yucky ones. Around here we most often eat Fuji or Gala apples but I really adore Honeycrisp and my new favorite apple is the Junami. I was recently introduced to this extremely juicy, delicious apple through the Bountiful Baskets Co-Op.

Here you can see my Junami apples along with some strawberries, Asian pears and red bell peppers. (I love Bountiful Baskets!) We still have a couple of Junami apples left.  This past Saturday though we got some Braeburn apples. Did you know they were discovered in 1952 in New Zealand?  I didn’t.  I do now but that’s cause I had to search to make sure I spelled it correctly because spell check keeps saying it is wrong.  Braeburns make excellent cooking and baking apples. 

Now that I’ve been thinking about apples and cooking with apples I’m craving some apple crisp.  Not with the Junamis though I hear it makes fabulous apple crisp but with the Braeburns.  I like eating the Junamis as is too much to want to use up the few I have left in an apple crisp.  Hmmm, I wonder if I can get the girls to make some apple crisp today?  Do you have a favorite apple?

Go check out Marcy’s post over at Ben and Me, you’ll find another A is for Apples post and A is for Amazon etc.  You can also link up your own Blogging Through the Alphabet post!

TOS Review: All About Reading

Some children need little to no reading instruction and just seem to teach themselves to read. Other children, when developmentally ready, only need a little instruction and they take off with reading.  And yet other children struggle. Some struggle for a short period of time; maybe they just weren’t ready. Others have learning difficulties or even learning disorders.

I have four daughters. My oldest struggled.My next two readers basically taught themselves how to read. Supergirl, my developmentally youngest, has special needs and cognitive impairments. I often worried about whether she would ever be able to read. She requires a multi-sensory, multi-style approach to learning. We’ve been using All About Reading Level 1 from All About Learning Press. This has been an amazing and wonderful fit for her. 

But before I get into how great this has been for her (for us really!) let me tell you a bit about the program. Written by Marie Rippel, All About Reading is a complete comprehensive program based on the Orton-Gillingham approach.  It is multi-sensory.  Lessons are mastery-based and customizable, so children can learn at their own pace. The program uses an “open and go” format which allows the teacher to relax and teach with little, it any, prep time.

All About Learning provided All About Reading Level 1 Kit ( $99.95)and the Deluxe Reading Interactive Kit ($48.95).  Just look at what that includes!

The Level 1 Kit includes the Teacher’s Manual, The Student pack and all three volumes of readers.

 

 

The Deluxe Reading Interactive Reading Kit includes three components that the basic interactive kit does not: the Tote Bag, the Reading Review Box and the Star Stickers.  You will need at least the Basic Interactive Kit and a some type of index card storage box if you do not purchase the Deluxe Reading Interactive Kit.

In addition you will need some basic craft supplies such as crayons, scissors and glue.  It is highly recommended that you purchase a 2’x3’ magnetic white board.  I’ve been using the back of a cookie sheet for now but I will be upgrading to a magnetic white board when we add more letter tiles and run out of space to work.

This program claims to have an “open and go” format.  For the lessons this claim is true.  I have little to no prep work at all when it comes to teaching the lessons.  It does require some time investment before starting.  If you want to use magnetic white board (or in my case cookie sheet) you’ll want to take the time BEFORE you start to put the magnets on the letter tiles.  You’ll also want to tear apart the phonogram cards and word cards. 

I love this program. I love that it has everything laid out for me. I really appreciate that Ms. Rippel has planned everything. I don’t have to decide which activities to do; I don’t have to decide which word cards to use and which ones I should be reviewing (and her indexed box makes storing so easy.  Words to review in one section, words mastered in another and a third tab for words not yet taught).  

Even though it is scripted and mastery based, I have room for flexibility and I can slow down a lesson.  For example, for the first several lessons my daughter could easily complete an entire lesson in one sitting.   Now, though, it is better if we break down many of the lessons into two sessions.  I’m even considering take one day a week to just do review and practice fluency pages.  Her pile of “words to review” has grown quite large.  I appreciate that with All About Reading I can follow the suggestion to review the word cards at the beginning of every session but I can choose to just focus on re-reading fluency pages or re-reading some of the short stories.

We do not always color the activity sheets.  Here Supergirl colors an activity sheet from a previous lesson while I do something else.  She reads the words and it reinforces the past lesson. 

 

I wanted to get a picture of our cookie sheet with our magnetic letter tiles so I put it in front of her and went to grab the camera.  When I came back I found she had started pulling tiles down to make a word to read.  I was so thrilled to see her spell dog and then read it!

Supergirl enjoys the stories in the readers.  Here she reads about Kip the Pup.

I think it is important to note that a child must be ready to blend to be successful with this program. The timing of this program has been phenomenal for us. Supergirl knows her letter sounds, she’s blending sounds and she is ready to master fluency.  If she was just starting to blend, I think we could have still used this program but we would have had to slow it down. That’s the beauty, I think, of All About Reading.  I can go as fast or as slow as Supergirl needs.  However, I think we would have been very frustrated if she was not at least able to grasp blending.

You may be thinking that All About Learning Press or All About Reading sounds familiar.  That may be because Marie Rippel is the author of All About Spelling, another terrific program from All About Learning Press.

Because of the multi-sensory approach, I highly recommend this reading program. 

Click on the banner below to read what my fellow crew mates had to say about All About Reading from All About Learning PressAll information is correct and accurate as of the date of this review.

Disclaimer: As a TOS Crew member, I received this product free of charge to review. This review is my honest opinion with, hopefully, enough detail as to why I liked or did not like a product so that my readers can make an informed decision. I received no compensation.

All About Learning Press generously provided me with the complete All About Reading Level 1 Kit and a a Deluxe Reading Interactive Kit.

Goal Planning Monday 2/20

I haven’t done a Goal Planning Monday post in several weeks (month? months?)

Right now I have to say my primary goal this week is survival.  We all started to feel like we were coming down with something so I made “virus killing soup”.  That was over a week ago.  I think all I did was push off the illness.

One by one, yes, like dominos, the members of my family fell.  All sick of us are fighting this cold/virus thing but the stage varies from person to person.  Turtlegirl was hit first closely followed by her father.  Next Supergirl went down followed by her mother (that would be me!).  Tailorbear fell hard today and close on her heels is her sister BooBear.

So this week is survival.  We’ll get done what we get done.  A serious goal is to not get too far behind where we want to be for school but as Great Lent approaches I would rather we spend the week taking it easy and getting our strength back so that we can participate right away in the extra church services.  I especially do not want to miss Forgiveness Sunday.

Do you have any goals this week?  What are your plans for the week? Check out Mama Manuscripts Goal Planning Post for this week.

“No Tuna, No Jack”

While making the grocery list and discussing how many cans of tuna we want, I suddenly burst into song “no tuna..” and before I could finish my 12 year old jumps in with “no jack” My husband looks at us oddly and then says “oh the song”.  Not A song but THE song.  My favorite song from my favorite resource for teaching skip counting.  This particular song teaches skip counting by 7’s  (The Fisher of Men catches a Fisherman)and is based on the gospel story from Luke 5:4-11. Peter has been fishing all night but has caught nothing.  He hears a voice from shore that tells him to “throw once more on the other side.” “And because it was the Lord, Peter said ok.” In the 7’s song, Peter is counting the fish that he caught after he threw the net again.  

My husband’s favorite song is the 6’s (Martha Martha)which is based on Luke 10:38-42.  It starts out “Martha in the kitchen starin’ at the dishes, starin’ at the bones of the picked over fishes.”  She’s disgruntled and the song counts the dishes: “there were 6,12,18,24 and 30 dishes on the counter and man weren’t they dirty…”  Jesus comes into the kitchen and finds her “strangling a broom.”  She changes her tune and the song counts “6, 12,18, 24 and 30 dishes on the counter and now they didn’t seem so dirty.” 

I’ve been thinking about the CD and my girls have been encouraging me to post about the 100 Sheep Skip Counting CD but when Marcy announced that this week’s Blog Cruise topic was “share your favorite free or cheap home school resource”, I knew I had to post. This isn’t free, but I’ll let my readers decide if it is cheap.  I think spending $12-$14 for a resource used by multiple children and continues to bless them even after they’ve learned to skip count is cheap but that’s just me <grin>

So why has the CD been on my mind?  Why did I start to sing “no tuna, no jack”?  Supergirl. After BooBear, Turtlegirl, and Tailorbear had moved past skip counting we put the CD aside.   In the last couple of weeks, I realized Supergirl needed some help with skip counting.  My first thought was “100 Sheep" 

I don’t just love this resource because it teaches all the numbers from 2 through 10, nor just because it uses Bible stories but because it is something we all can listen to in the van and we all can enjoy it.   I don’t have to cringe whenever Supergirl asks for it.  I like the songs.  And I’ve improved my skip counting skills, too!

This is a fabulous CD.  One Hundred Sheep by Roger Nichols and published by Common Sense Press.  I know it is available through Christian Book Distributors and Rainbow Resource.  You could also try Amazon. 

Check out other free or cheap homeschooling resources recommend by my fellow crewmates.

Disclaimer:  This is NOT a review. I know it looks like a review.  Ok so maybe it’s a review with a really strong recommendation.   I did not receive this product for free.   No one has asked me to write this post. I just wanted to share my favorite CD for teaching skip counting. 

A Vegetarian Cat?

Well not really.  George does really like meat.  But he doesn’t discriminate.  Sometimes we eat in the family room and Supergirl has her little “table” (it’s a footstool).  If we don’t pick her plate up right away and if we’ve been eating green beans it is not unusual to find the cat eating her vegetables.  (Doesn’t touch her meat though just her veggies!)

A few Bountiful Baskets ago we found George trying to nibble on some lettuce.  Since then we’ve tried to be careful not to leave our baskets where he would be inclined to snack.

This morning we left the basket unguarded and we found him nibbling away at some lettuce.

Here is photographic evidence of his nibbles.  It shouldn’t surprise me that he likes lettuce because he likes green beans.  But it is a tad bit disconcerting to find the kitty eating a salad!

A full, satisfied, contented kitty who now needs a nap!