Posts

Showing posts from August, 2010

Home Education and Technology

Image
It’s time for another TOS Blog Cruise.   This week’s question asks: “Do you use technology (iPods, Computers, Videos, Digi. Cams,etc.) in your home school?” Yes!  We do use technology in our home school.   Slowly, over the course of several years we’ve added more and more technology to our home school. We started with simple computer games to reinforce what we were learning.   The girls had games for learning math facts or playing with the idea of typing or even learning some spelling words. As we added more Sonlight Cores to our day, I needed help with reading aloud.  Technology to the rescue in the form of audio books!   I found myself checking to see which books were available on CD’s. More time passed and we discovered that the computer could be used to play downloadable audio books directly from our library using Overdrive.com.   So now we check Overdrive.com before checking the regular library. For the 2008-2009 school year we added a computer based curriculum to our home s

Making Homeschooling More Affordable

Image
There was a time when I really don’t know that I could have written this post.  We had the flexibility in our budget to not really need to worry about financing our home education plans.  I had the freedom to choose what I wanted, when I wanted and I could purchase it new.  Things are very different for my family now.   We no longer have the same level of income and the economy affects everyone.  Publishers must increase prices and consumers have less money. I am no less committed to providing the best education I can to my children but now I must work within the confines and restrictions of a budget so tiny it is almost nonexistent.  I must find a way to make homeschooling more affordable for my family. So what am I doing to make homeschooling more affordable? Using the library -  I prefer a literature rich approach to education.  This means that I like to use a lot of books.   I’d love to be able to own every book that we will use but that is out of my budget, but I can use the

Blog Walk Tour Week 7

Image
(Thanks to Debbie at Debbie’s Digest for the Blog Walk graphic.) All of the blogs in this blog walk tour belong to Crew First Mates.  FM’s are crew mates who have served on previous voyages of the TOS Crew.  As FM they are assigned a mini-crew and serve as mentors to those of us who are new to the crew. Though I prefer to give individual introductions to blogs in my blog walk posts, this group introduction will have to suffice.   1. One Blessed Mamma 2. El Cloud Homeschool: Busy Minds, Busy Hands, Busy Feet 3. Alive in Spirit 4. Ozark Rumblings 5. Army of 5 6. Fenced In Family 7. Debbie's Digest 8. Footprints in the Butter 9. Got Chai?

Soup Experiment: A Success Story!

Image
Even though it is August here in the PNW, today was not really a summer day.  It wasn’t cold exactly but it was a bit on the cool and dreary side.  It was the kind of day that almost cries out for a warm filling creamy soup. I had some leeks that needed to be used and a fennel bulb that was starting to look a little past due.  I’ve had leek and potato soup.  Could I make a leek and potato soup with fennel?  What about adding in some carrot and celery too?  I’m not much for measuring but Tailorbear tried to take some notes so that if we liked it, we could try again.  We liked it.  In rough format here’s what we used and what we did: 10 potatoes, peeled and chunked 6 carrots, peeled and chopped * 4  celery ribs (sticks.. not 4 whole stalks LOL) chopped * 6 leeks, sliced 1 small fennel bulb (also called anise) water to cover potatoes. plus a little more maybe… I think maybe 8 cups? vegetable broth powder (I just dumped… a couple of tablespoons or so?) salt and pepper t

Blog Walk Tour of the Crew Week 6

Image
(Thanks to Debbie at Debbie’s Digest for the Blog Walk graphic.) 1. Deanna over at  Deanna’s Corner is a member of the same mini-crew!  TOS Crew has small mini-crews assigned to a First Mate Mentor.  You can check out what her latest post is by checking my sidebar. 2. Denise blogs at Light, Liberty, and Learning .   She’s been experimenting with different templates and background designs.  I enjoyed reading her quotes tab. 3. At Bunny Trails , Diane posts about her “meanderings [as] a woman who often finds herself on life’s bunny trails.  She even has GPS: God’s Positioning System to guide her back!   I’ve enjoyed the pictures she has posted as part of Wordless Wednesdays! 4. Flowers N Plaid Homeschool   is the blog of Donna.  Donna lives in Australia and is the mother of 6 children.  I’ve been reading a few of her posts about her love of crafts. 5. Gadow Ohana --- this crew member is just getting this blog off the ground.  I enjoyed the post about her son wanting to do school.

At what speed does time fly?

“Time flies” is a common phrase.  I hear it often. I say it often. But I as I ponder the question “where did this week go?” I find myself asking “at what speed does time fly?” I’m familiar with the phrase “time flies when you’re having fun”, but I’m finding that the fun factor is only one part of flying time.   Sure, the more fun I am having, the faster the hands on the clock spin, but at 42 I find that time flies faster than it did when I was 12.  Why? Is it because I am more aware of the passing of time?  Or is it that I am more aware that I have less time now then I did then and I want to make the most of it while I still can? Really, I blinked and here I am with a blog that hasn’t had a new post in over a week.   Just where did that time go?  At what speed did it fly?  I’m sure it was faster than light.  (Oh.. great.. now I hear Simon LeBon’s voice from over 20 years ago singing “Faster than Light”.. that’s what I get  for showing Turtlegirl how to use you tube! {for those who d