Monday, November 28, 2011
Making December Birthdays Special: Decorating
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Making December Birthdays Special: An Apology
I have no excuse except that life got the better of me. I had every intention of this series being posted on the our Mondays in November. I actually have three half-prepared posts in my head and only one partially drafted. Unfortunately, they won't be available this week. This week I am cooking and baking and hanging with my fam.
A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers. I hope you are spending your holiday with those you love.
I'll be back with Making December Birthdays Special next week.
A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers. I hope you are spending your holiday with those you love.
I'll be back with Making December Birthdays Special next week.
'Grace Effect' Giveaway Winner
And the winner is .....
The book is on its way, Saralyn. Congrats! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.1 Hey Dawn! I'd love to see this book. :) saralynmcd@....
November 16, 2011 4:38 PM
Review: FFH One Silent Night
We love Christmas music in our house. So when I was given the opportunity to review a Christmas CD, I jumped at it. (Look at that album cover. So precious!! Totally got me in the Christmas mood. And I so wanna make one of those kissing balls too now!!)
FFH released their latest album, One Silent Night on October 18, 2011. A group who originally formed in 1991, FFH is a group I have listened to since my college days. They produced six independent albums before being picked up by Essential Records. After much success in the Christian music scene, they took a break from touring in 2006. It was during this break that the members of FFH experienced lifechange. That lifechange pours out through their music and their passion for telling the world about Jesus is even stronger than it was before.
Monday, November 21, 2011
TOS Review: Time Timer
The Time Timer is exactly what the name implies. It's a timer what shows the time counting down with a visual cue of how much time has elapsed and how much is left.
Music Man still struggles with the concept of time - it is too abstract for him. We have had various therapists recommend using a timer for different activities throughout his life when he struggled with getting ready or eating too slow etc. I have use numerous timers in the past but they never really worked for him. He just didn't get it. And now he does. :)
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
TOS Review: Math Mammoth
I became familiar with Math Mammoth last year when it was recommended to me by a friend. At first glance I was impressed by the ease of the website and the cost of the curriculum. We ordered a couple of ebooks that we thought would be most helpful to round out our first grade year (Money and Clock.) Once I started really looking into them, I was thrilled that I had found such a great thing at such a bargain price! Sunday, November 13, 2011
Book Review: The Grace Effect
It has been a long time since I have read a book I did not want to put down. The Grace Effect took the honor as the only book I have done that with this year. Reading like a novel, but so much more, author Larry Taunton chronicles his journey of the adoption of his daughter, Sasha, from Ukraine.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
TOS Review: Bower Books The Person I Marry
The Person I Marry is a must-have for anyone with children. Perfectly suited for any age, it is never too young to think about the type of person you should marry one day. My boys have already begun hearing about "love" and "girlfriends" and ask all kinds of questions about marriage. This book has helped me steer them on the appropriate path in thinking about marriage (even at the tender ages of eleven and seven!)
Throughout the book, characteristics of the qualities on that page are beautifully reinforced in the background. Each double-page spread deals with a certain aspect of marriage and gently confirms what a person should look for in a husband or wife.
Written and illustrated by husband-wife team Gary and Jan Bower, this book strengthens God's design for biblical marriage. I think it also allows to open the conversation towards only dating (or in our house, courting) one who displays these characteristics.
I've read many children's books by authors who aim to rhyme just because they think a children's book "should" rhyme. But then the rhythm and flow doesn't work out and it seems forced. The Person I Marry has perfected rhyme and rhythm. I can only assume the other books follow the same rhythm and rhyme! The story comes alive within the words on each page.
What's It Gonna Cost Me?
The Bright Futures Series
$11.99
Other Products
Throughout the book, characteristics of the qualities on that page are beautifully reinforced in the background. Each double-page spread deals with a certain aspect of marriage and gently confirms what a person should look for in a husband or wife.
Written and illustrated by husband-wife team Gary and Jan Bower, this book strengthens God's design for biblical marriage. I think it also allows to open the conversation towards only dating (or in our house, courting) one who displays these characteristics.
I've read many children's books by authors who aim to rhyme just because they think a children's book "should" rhyme. But then the rhythm and flow doesn't work out and it seems forced. The Person I Marry has perfected rhyme and rhythm. I can only assume the other books follow the same rhythm and rhyme! The story comes alive within the words on each page.
What's It Gonna Cost Me?
The Bright Futures Series
$11.99
Other Products
The Bright Futures Series
There's a Party in Heaven!
The Jingle in my Pocket
What do Heroes Wear?
Mommy Love (board book)
$8.50
Daddy Love (board book)
$8.50
I'm a Michigan Kid!
An Artistic Tour of the Great Lakes State
$17.99
Over Land & Sea, A Story of International Adoption
(written by Steven Layne and illustrated by Jan Bower)
$15.95
Check It Out
Visit Bower Books to take a look at the beautiful oil paintings of Jan Bower. Her paintings are amazingly lifelike and capture such detail!
Final Word
I want every one of these books in our home library. They are absolutely beautiful. The messages are timeless.
Legal Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a digital copy of The Person I Marry free of charge from Bower Books for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Making December Birthdays Special
Both of my boys have birthdays in December. They are the first and second weeks of December followed by Christmas the third week. When I learned that I was due on Thanksgiving with my oldest, I began researching how to deal with a birthday at the holidays. I wasn't too worried since he was due at Thanksgiving and he would certainly be here before Christmas was in full of swing. My due date came and went and he was born two long weeks later, a full week into December. Four years later, his brother was born in mid-December, coming a week before his December 20th due date.
I laughingly tell people we party all the month of December. And we really do. But the holiday season in full swing, I feel it is especially important to make my boys feel special even though everyone around them is focused on Christmas.
The Big No-Nos For Christmas Birthdays
- Do NOT combine presents (birthday/Christmas) since the child's birthday is during the holiday season.
- Do NOT wrap the birthday present in Christmas paper.
- Do NOT go to a Christmas function on the night of the child's birthday.
- Do NOT have a Christmas-themed cake, decorations or card.
Over the next three weeks, I will share how we do birthdays in our house. We are on a very frugal budget so I aim for big impact with little cost.
Next week we will talk about how to decorate for a birthday in the midst of the holidays.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
TOS Review: Apologia Educating the Whole Hearted Child
When I began homeschooling out of necessity, I had no idea what I was getting into. I knew I was fed up with public school not providing for my child and that I could certainly do better than the education we were told he would get in his local school district.
Little did I know how much our lives would change with homeschooling. It is a lifestyle, not just something we do for a few hours everyday to satisfy an education requirement. But I knew very little about the lifestyle when I started homeschooling. I focused on education and “catching him up” - laying a foundation that was not there. Had I known about Educating the WholeHearted Child when we began this journey, I think the first year or two of homeschooling may have looked a little different. (And perhaps it would have been quite a bit less stressful!)
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Mighty Macs (A Review)
I love a good movie. But I have loved very few sports movies. Mainly because I have seen very few good sports movies. And The Mighty Macs is a good sports movie. But there is so much more than sports in The Mighty Macs. Set in 1971, Cathy Rush is a recently married woman whose odds are against her. The world (and her husband) are still pulling her to stay home and be a wife. She wants to pursue a dream.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
This Blog is Not my Home
It's not my job either. I thought I wanted it to be my job.
I love writing. I love blogging. I love the blogging community. But I love my children more. I love my calling more. And my calling is my children.
A few months ago I began consciously noticing how much I was on the computer while my kids were awake. Then I noticed things that didn't get done because I was blogging. Or emailing. Or Facebooking. Or reading others' blogs.
Then I started thinking about the legacy I was leaving for my children. Did I want them to remember me on the computer? Or Facebooking on my phone? Or blogging?
I started listening to myself ...
"Let me just finish this post."
"I need to send one more email."
"After I finish reading this, we can do that."
Or do I want them to remember we played? And built forts. And created art.
Do I want them to remember that I was there for them - not just caring for their daily needs, but getting down and living life with them.
This blog is not my home.
This is.
And this.
Amy at Raising Arrows wrote on a similar subject this week.
It took me over a month to get this post ready since I am only writing now when my kids are not awake. I have some reviews and other commitments that will take precedence over more personal posts, however, know that I am not abandoning my blog. I just have more pressing things on my plate at the moment.
Like homeschooling my boys and building forts. :)
Friday, October 14, 2011
Cooper and Me
Friday, September 30, 2011
Raising Real Men
Being that I am a girl, raised by a single mom with only a sister, I knew nothing about boys.
And I am blessed to be the mother of two of them.
They are loud.
And rowdy.
And they can't sit still for anything.
And I love it.
Homeschool Mother's Journal 09/30/11
Today is my first entry for the Homeschool Mother's Journal. I hope to go back and add the past few Fridays in so I have a complete record of the year.
In my life this week…
Mimi came to visit. It was a quick visit centered around taekwondo testing.
In our homeschool this week…
We've been struggling with structure and getting things done on time. I am still working through our schedule and tweaking it a bit.
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
taekwondo testing
orthodontics appointment
My favorite thing this week was…
Watching my mom's reactions to how well my boys are reading now.
What’s working/not working for us…
Farm Boy is doing much better with his independent work. Still tweaking math curriculum and making sure there I'm not over-scheduling the workboxes.
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Carlito C. Caterpiller's MathHouse Games
Carlito C. Caterpiller's MathHouse Games is a set of full-color cards of 40 math games. The games introduce math abstractly through fun hands-on activities. In Carlito C. Caterpiller's MathHouse Games, there are three stages to understanding math:
- Stage 1: Quantity
- Stage 2: Numeration
- Stage 3: Operations
Monday, September 26, 2011
TOS Review: Games for Competitors Tri-Cross
Created by a family and based out of Atlanta, Tri-Cross, a Classic Game of Strategy for the 21st Century, is like nothing else (we totally agree there!) It is challenging and gets increasingly harder as desired for more challenging play. The creator describes Tri-Cross as a mix between Stratego, Chess and Checkers.
Because Farm Boy loves chess and checkers so much, I felt he would love Tri-Cross too. It was a bit challenging though as it is recommended for ages 10 and up.
Earning several awards, I think Tri-Cross is destined to a household favorite - it is here!!
Friday, September 23, 2011
REVIEW: Visionary Womanhood Gatherings (and a GIVEAWAY!)
Twenty years ago I didn’t even realize what I didn’t know. Visionary Womanhood Gatherings (p. 22)
When I met my husband I was not even a glimpse of the woman I am today. My life plan had me graduating college (though I had no idea in what), moving to the big city (I thought Atlanta,) becoming an independent employee (again who knows in what kind of job!) and living up the simple life, advancing in my career and not being dependent on a man. I did not have any plans for marriage. Or kids.
And then I met him.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Ginny Owens CD Winner
I am still loving this CD so much! It wakes us up every morning as we have it set for our alarm. What a wonderful way to wake up (instead of loud, laughing DJs!!)
And the winner is .......
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
TOS Review: Before Five in a Row
I first became familiar with Five in a Row when my oldest was just a wee one. I was attending a MOPS group and one of my closest friends was planning to homeschool. I was fascinated by the concept of homeschooling but at the time had no idea I could since my oldest had special needs. (But THAT is another story!)
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