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Showing posts from November, 2011

TOS Review: Artistic Pursuits

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When my oldest was very young, she did not like to color.  She didn’t really like to paint either.  I even had difficulty encouraging her to just draw.  Perhaps she is just too much like me.  I’ve always wanted to be able to draw or paint.  It isn’t something that comes naturally to me. I don’t know how to make my hands draw the lines that my eyes see.  Because this is a weakness for me, I’ve had difficulty including art instruction in my home school.  For the past few weeks, BooBear (age 16) and Turtlegirl (age 14)have had the opportunity to use Artistic Pursuits High School Book 2: Color and Composition .  This book covers color and composition.  It is not necessary to have completed book 1. Brenda Ellis writes the lessons directly to the student, making this an ideal program for independent study . There are 16 Units and each unit focuses on one particular topic such as hue, value of hues,  neutral hues, balance, rhythm, or emphasis. Each unit consists of 4 lessons: Vocabulary

Gratitude Challenge: Thanksgiving Weekend

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Thanksgiving is over but the Gratitude Challenge continues (at least for me!) though the end of November.  I am thankful for the long holiday weekend. I didn’t realize how much I’d been pushing myself, or the girls.  I didn’t realize how much stress I had been heaping upon myself or my family.  It was wonderful to take several days off and just hang out as a family.  We didn’t have a fancy Thanksgiving. In fact I wasn’t too pleased with how my stuffing turned out and I messed up the cranberry orange relish but I loved having my girls helping out with the dinner process and hanging out and playing games. Tailorbear helps get the turkey ready!  She asked if she could do it and I was happy to let her do the job.  <shh> don’t tell her but it’s really a job that nobody wants.  She seemed to enjoy it though and I am grateful for her help. With all the cooking going on I did not want to make breakfast.  Turtlegirl and I picked up some caramel apple rolls for a quick light bre

On The Eve of Thanksgiving

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I love Thanksgiving.  It’s not the food (though I love the food!), it’s the memories.  It’s creating new memories and reliving old memories. I remember the very very long drive when I was very very little to get to Grandma’s house to spend Thanksgiving with Grandma Elsie and Papa.  I remember eating lots and lots and lots of olives.  I still love olives.  It isn’t Thanksgiving without a relish tray with olives.  After my grandparents moved “back home” to Kentucky, we didn’t spend Thanksgiving with them anymore but my parents still made it special.   My mom always made a turkey and to this day I still crave her stuffing.  My homemade stuffing is basically my tribute to my mother.  It’s simple but well loved. Each of the last 18 Thanksgivings have been wonderful even if I can’t remember each one exactly.   Honeybear and I had been a couple for nearly a year when we celebrated our first Thanksgiving together 18 years ago.  (Tomorrow will be the 19th Thanksgiving that we’ve had togeth

TOS Review: The Reading Game

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I think I've said it before and I know I wasn't the  first. Children learn through play. A child's job is to learn and their work is play. Learning to read is hard. It's work. The Reading Game by Kenneth Hodkinson "transforms rote learning into a fast paced game" (Teacher Guide). The Reading Game uses a concentration/memory game as fun way to drill whole words. You can use this product to teach phonic rules and patterns as well after the students have mastered the 180 word vocabulary. Suggestions for how to incorporate phonics into the game are included in the The Reading Game Rules and Teachers Guide.  Visit the How It Works page to learn more about the background and approach of this supplemental tool. For 2 players ages 4+ (one player must be the tutor), The Reading Game retails for $24.95.  The Reading Game also provides teachers and home educators assessment tools/worksheets. They also offer FREE downloads . What I liked:  Supergirl enjoys playin

Gratitude Challenge Days 18, 19 and 20

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  Another Multiple Day Gratitude Challenge post because I just can’t seem to make myself post everyday.  I think I have a good excuse for yesterday though.  It was my anniversary and I had lots of things to do.   So let’s see I posted on 11/17 with 7 Days of thankfulness.  18, 19, 20… that’s 3!    Day 18 (item number 1):  I am very thankful for the TOS Review Crew.  Through the Crew, I have the opportunity to review some really great products that I just would NOT be able to afford or justify the expense.  I think the Time Timer is a great tool for Supergirl but I don’t think I could have justified spending $30 to try it.  It’s good for her and I am thankful we received it through Crew.   Day 19 (item number 2):  I’m thankful for my husband.  November 19 is my anniversary.  I’m thankful for 17 years of marriage.   Day 20 (item number 3):  It was a frosty, cold, but beautiful day.  Someone at church labeled it “a perfect winter day”.   I was very appreciative of the beautiful s

TOS Review: Time Timer

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Supergirl struggles with the concept of time.  She’ll come to me and beg to be allowed to watch some program claiming that she hasn’t “seen it in years”.   When she discovered the word “weeks” everything was measured as 2 weeks.   Mommy and daddy have been married for 2 weeks.  It’s been 2 weeks since we last saw Nana.  Telling Supergirl that she needs to play quietly by herself for 20 minutes became an exercise in frustration.  I’d set the the timer and every couple of minutes she’d come to me with the timer to ask me how much time is left.  We needed something to help her grasp the concept of short increments of time.  To help her grasp the idea of time elapsing. I admit that I can be overly emotional at times but I don’t usually cry over a review product.  As I looked over the website for Timer Timer and filled out the form (for the Crew) expressing interest, I cried.  This sounded so perfect for us! From the website: The disappearing red disk allows students to "see"

2011 Gratitude Challenge Update (7 Days!)

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I missed so many days in this Gratitude Challenge that I started to think I would just give up and not bother finishing the challenge.  I think It’s been at least a week since I posted a Gratitude Challenge Post. Let’s see seven days so I’ll come up with at least 7 things to be grateful for! 1) I am thankful that we are two working vehicle family.  Notice the WORKING part the description.  A year ago we owned two vehicles.  Only one of them worked so we were basically a one car family.  I value having a working van so that when we run out of toilet paper (how did that happen?  UGH) I can run to the store.   Having two vehicles means the girls and I can participate in Bible Study and some weekday services at church.  It also means that the girls get to go to piano lessons. 2) I am also thankful that despite being hit so many times with illness in the past two months that the girls are working hard to get on track so that all our lessons will be done by the end of June.  They apprec

TOS Review Math Mammoth

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Thanks to some friends who have reviewed Math Mammoth in past TOS Crew years, I had heard some wonderful things about the math programs.  Knowing that a couple of my girls could use a different approach to math, I expressed interest in reviewing this vendor. I have not been disappointed.  Maria Miller, author of the Math Mammoth books, helped me to choose the best program for Tailorbear.  She also included some math for Supergirl.  Tailorbear received the complete worktext for Grade 6 from the Light Blue Series .  For Supergirl, Maria gave us Addition 1 from the Blue Series . (These are only TWO of the series available.  Click here to see all the options available!) The Light Blue Series is complete curriculum available for grades 1-6.  We found it challenging but engaging and easy to use.   By challenging, I mean that Tailorbear had to apply herself.  This, in my opinion, is a positive feature.  I don’t want a math curriculum that is hard to understand or hard to use, but I don’t

Announcing the Winner!

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I had stated that I would announce the winner by a certain date and time.  Unfortunately, I missed that date and time.  I have a really good excuse.  My family has been hit with yet another virus!  I’m feeling better today but the last two days I’ve been pretty miserable.  I’m still not over it but at least I am slightly less congested and my throat doesn’t hurt as much. But enough about me!  Congratulations to Carrie!  Carrie will be receiving a copy of the movie Christmas Lodge . I’ve already confirmed Carrie’s mailing address and notified my contact at Propeller (many thanks to Propeller Marketing for giving me the opportunity to review the movie and host a giveaway!). I used Random.org to generate a winning number.  It gave me number 11: The winning 11th comment: Congratulations, Carrie!  I hope you and your family enjoy the movie as much as my family has enjoyed it!

2011 Gratitude Challenge Days 9, 10 & 11

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It’s November.  The month of Thanksgiving.  Brenda’s Gratitude Challenge (over at Garden of Learning ) is not the only challenge happening this month.  I’ve seen 30 days of Thankfulness and a few others.  Same concept, different names.  I’ve even seen people participating on Facebook by posting thankful statuses. One of my FB friends made a comment about how we should be thankful everyday of the year and not just for the 30 days in November.  She’s right.  We should be thankful every day of the year.   Her “complaint” reminds me of my own criticism of Feed the Hungry type programs that only seem to operate for Thanksgiving and Christmas.   The hungry and the poor need to eat every day of the year not just on those two holidays.  So I totally get where it is coming from by reminding us that we need to be thankful every day of the year. So knowing that I should be thankful in all the months and not just November, why I am participating in this challenge and why doesn’t it irk me the

TOS Review:College Prep Genius DVD Set SAT Prep

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**This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!** For high school students planning on attending college, the SAT could be the ticket to gaining admission to the college or university of choice.  It can also mean money for college in the form of scholarships.  Because this test is so important, many students spend hours studying.  Being prepared to take the exam can relieve some of the stress of taking the SAT. As a member of the TOS Crew, I received College Prep Genius DVD Set to help my high school student prepare to take the SAT exam.  The complete program retails for $99.00 and includes: College Prep Genius 2nd Edition Textbook ($49.95), Workbook ($19.95) and DVD ($59.95).  Purchased individually these items would cost $129.85.   Thoughts from BooBear (age 16, 11th grade): I like how the program explains the purpose of the SAT test. The SAT is a logic or thinking test not a fact test. Knowing that helps me to understand how to study. I like how the program is

2011 Gratitude Challenge Day 7 & Day 8

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I missed yesterday.  So I’ll just give a simple one sentence for yesterday.   I am thankful for my husband.  He loves me.  Even when I’m not so loveable.  Ok so that wasn’t one sentence but it is pretty simple.  He loves me and I am thankful for him and his love. I am amazed at the sunshine that I have had this week.  Very unseasonable.  I think I said that already.  But still sun in November is a gift and so I say thank you! Today I am also thankful for lots of apples in the house and for teens who like to bake.  We’ll be enjoying an apple pomegranate crisp tonight. I’m thankful for Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (that’s where I got my apples and my pomegranates).  I am thankful that, although I missed out on the tangerines this week, I was still able to “order” two conventional baskets.  I wonder what yummy things I’ll find in my baskets when I pick them up on Saturday.. What are you thankful for today?  Check out Brenda’s 2011 Gratitude Challenge over at Garden of Learning .

2011 Gratitude Challenge Day 6

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I am thankful today for unseasonable weather.  Sounds bizarre doesn’t it?  November here is usually not so cold but it is dark, dreary and rainy.  Temps usually in the 50’s.   Today was cold .  On the way the church the bank sign read 31 degrees.  Yup.  It was below freezing.   On the way home from church the same sign read 47 degrees.  It had certainly warmed up! I didn’t mind the cold.  I wish I had grabbed a winter coat rather than my heavy fall sweater but I didn’t mind the cold.  I don’t like cold.  But there is dry cold and there is PNW wet cold.  I don’t mind dry cold.  Dry cold means I can drink hot tea and snuggle with blankets and I can find a way to get warm.  Wet cold?  That’s the kind that chills you to the bone.  The kind that gets inside of you.  Hot tea, hearty soups and other warm liquids help but even with layers of sweaters and fleece throws I can still feel the cold. Today was not a wet cold.  It was cold.  I didn’t like it.  But there was a wonderful reason

2011 Gratitude Challenge Day 5

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Today I am thankful for the short time that I knew Alla.  She was a very special lady and my family will miss her.   Though we only met her two years ago, she touched our hearts.   Memory Eternal, Alla! I am also thankful for funerals.  Alla’s funeral was this morning.  We had a chance to say good-bye to Alla.  I must have looked strange with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.  Supergirl didn’t quite understand what was going on, she would alternate between being sad “I’m going to miss Alla.”  and being absolutely ecstatic because her godmother was there.  We hadn’t seen her godmother in a long time.  It warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face to see my daughter so happy. It’s been a sad day and a very happy day.  Thankful to spend some extra time with a wonderful friend and thankful we had the opportunity to say one last good bye here on earth to a dear older lady. What are you thankful for today?  Come join Brenda at Garden of Learning for her 2011 Gratitude Challe

2011 Gratitude Challenge Day 4 and Read Aloud Challenge for 11/3

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I decided to combine two challenges into one post.  Partly because I am lazy and I do not want to do two blog posts today and partly because I want to challenge myself to see if I can connect the two memes. Today is November 4th.  That means it would be my paternal Grandparents wedding anniversary today.  I think they were married in 1933.   (I think they celebrated 50 years in 1983).   My grandparents were childhood sweet hearts.  My grandmother didn’t remember a day in her life when she did NOT know my grandfather.  They didn’t have an easy life together,  but they were together until death parted them on October 29, 1984.   I am thankful for my grandmother’s steadfast faith in God that carried her through until her death on May 16th 2008.   I’m thankful for my Grandfather who understood how much I loved to travel.  He called me his Travelling Tessie.  And he knew how much I loved steak.   The very last time I saw my Grandfather he handed my father some money and told him to “take

TOS Review: Ooka Island Adventure

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For children play is work.  Children learn through play.  Ooka Island  Books describes Ooka Island Adventure as “a downloadable hero-mission in 3D designed to teach young children how to read fluently and well.”  From the website : “The OokaMethod TM combines phonological development and language-rich text with comprehension activities so that children have the opportunity to achieve effortless reading”.   You can down a PDF Guide to Ooka Island Adventure by clicking here . My oldest daughter made this observation about Ooka Island: “This is designed so that the work isn’t separated from the games. She can’t just go on and play around and avoid doing the learning activities. And she has fun doing the learning activities.  This combines the fun of the games with the hard work of learning.”  For a detailed explanation of the learning activities click here (Ooka Island books also has a trailer you can watch at that same link.) Be sure and check out the FAQ’ s for Ooka Island Adventu

2011 Gratitude Challenge Day 3

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Some days are easier than others to find something to be thankful for.  Today is one of those days for me.  A couple of my daughters woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  We’ve had lots of tears. One of my daughters is even further behind in her her English studies than I thought.  Another daughter isn’t as far along in math and I am several weeks behind in read alouds. But that isn’t all.  The washing machine decided it just did not want to fill with water.  At least not when I wanted it to fill with water.  Turn the dial.  Pull knob to start.  Nothing happens.   Push in knob.  Turn dial some more.  Pull to start.  Nothing.   Push in, turn, Pull.  Water starts!  Oh wait.  Wrong cycle.  Push in, turn, pull and NOTHING. So today it is a challenge to find something I want to express gratitude over.   My daughter, who’s behind in English, said “you could be thankful that I got caught up on my Teaching the Classics homework.”   Yes.  She did set the timer for 45 minutes and work very

2011 Gratitude Challenge Day 2

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Today I am grateful for generous friends who bless me with things I need.   Today, I received a package in the mail from a good friend.  She sent me the Teacher’s Manual for a writing program I want to use with Tailorbear and she sent a literature book that I needed for Turtlegirl.  She also included a surprise for Turtlegirl So thanks to my generous friend, I got to start the Medieval History Theme based writing program by IEW today with Tailorbear.  I think we’re both going to love it! What are you grateful for today?  Brenda over at Garden of Learning is hosting the 2011 Gratitude Challenge .  Come check it out!

DVD Review: Christmas Lodge (and giveaway, too!)

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Recently my family and I watched a new Christmas movie. Christmas Lodge is a G-rated family movie appropriate even for the little ones. Here is the official Synopsis :   Thomas Kinkade presents Christmas Lodge: a place where a heart-warming past and loving future meet for one remarkable group of people. During a weekend trip to the mountains, Mary (Erin Karpluk) finds herself at the now- dilapidated lodge where she spent the holidays with her family growing up. She becomes determined to restore the building to its former glory. Inspired by her grandfather and guided by her grandmother in heaven, Mary throws herself into the project, and during the process finds herself drawn to Jack (Michael Shanks), a handsome man who loves the lodge as much as she does. Historically unlucky in love, this chance encounter allows Mary to renew her faith in life and discover her one true love. For an uplifting story about the importance of faith, family and the true holiday spirit, go to the Christmas

TOS Review: The Person I Marry (Bower Books)

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Product:   The Person I Marry written by Gary Bower and featuring oil paintings by Jan Bower. Vendor: Bower Books Format Hardcover, 32 pages, fully illustrated Cost: $11.99 Vendor Website: http://www.bowerfamilybooks.com/ This book is part of the “ Bright Future Series ”.  Other books available from Bower Book Series include “ Michigan Kid Books ”, and the “Little Loveable” Board Books. As a member of the TOS Crew I received a link to access a digital copy of The Person I Marry. (The digital copy is not available for retail purchase)   Because I haven’t seen a physical copy of the book, I can’t comment on the quality of the printing, the formatting or the binding, but I can say that the pictures are gorgeous.  This would be a wonderful treasure of a book to just sit and cuddle with a young child and look at the pictures. I had hoped to use this book as a spring board for discussions with my teen daughters, however, I really feel the book is better suited to younger children. 

Gratitude Challenge Day 1 ~ 11/1/11

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Last year my friend Brenda from Gardens of Learning hosted a Gratitude Challenge for the month of November.  This year she is hosting it again! A good friend challenged me to post everyday this month as part of the Gratitude Challenge.  This means that for this month,  I will often be posting twice in a day.  If I have a review I’m doing, I still want to post to the gratitude challenge.   Today I am grateful for sunshine.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, sunshine in the fall is a rare treat.   We receive the most rain in the month of November (according to Weather.com stats).   Today on this first day of November the air is brisk but the sun shines brightly.  I look out my window and mostly I see evergreens but here and there amid the green I see vibrant golds and reds.  I love fall.  I always have.  Today I am grateful for a fall that reminds me of my family back home in Minnesota. What are you grateful for?  Come join us at Garden of Learning for the 2011 Gratitude Challenge!