Wisdom Begun

I'm Moving

2009-08-04T10:06:00.005-05:00

After five years of blogging, I am moving to my own domain. The blog is not pretty yet and is basic. I have been using Blogger for 5 years and wordpress for four days. It may take some time, y'all, but eventually it'll look nice.

I hope.

See you there!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-08-03T09:06:00.003-05:00

I have not participated in Menu Plan Monday in quite a while. My menus have been pretty plain of late. However, since I am currently working with Courtney on getting the Faithful Bloggers site up, as well as moving my blog, I thought it would be nice to take a little break from writing a post. We eat coffee cake and sausage, or oatmeal, for breakfasts. For lunch we have sandwiches or leftovers. This menu will consist of dinners only.

On to said menu. . .
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Monday -

Chicken Hash from Kate's site

Tuesday -

Pancakes (yes, we eat breakfast for dinner!)

Wednesday -

Rice, beans, and stir-fry veggies

Thursday -

Macaroni and Cheese

Friday -

Enchiladas (We have guests coming over this Friday, yay!)

Saturday -

Homemade pizza (What toppings do y'all use on your pizzas? I need new ideas!)

The Happy Housewife is guest hosting this meme today, so be sure to visit her and leave the link to your own menu!

Current Projects

2009-08-01T13:22:00.004-05:00

My list of projects has fallen woefully to the side. This is my sad attempt to redirect my activities to getting some of these projects done. I am considering taking a very belated part in the 101 tasks in 1001 days project. I know a lot of folks did this two or three years ago, but I now know not one single person in my small lists of contacts who is participating. Perhaps they have completed their tasks already and are moving on.

Anyways.

On to the afore mentioned list.

Finish skirts for girls and I. Maybe a few dresses along the way.
Get sewing machine serviced. That thunk-thunk noise? Can't be good.
Find a whole wheat bread recipe I actually like.
Learn WordPress. Okay. So that is a really broad task, but until I can break it up into smaller WordPress topic chunks, it will just have to stay like that.
Get blog redesigned.
Learn how to use my point and shoot Panasonic Lumix TZ5 camera.
Learn how to use my brand-new JVC camcorder.
Pick up bulk cooking again. This will be hard to do with my silly side-by-side freezer. But, as usual, I am sure I'll find a way to make it work.

Of course, I reserve the right to add or take away to this list. My brain is always coming up with ideas and then of course the inevitable crashing back down to earth takes place. We'll see what stays and what goes.

What is on YOUR to do list?

Web Design for Kids - Review

2009-07-31T08:22:00.004-05:00

One of the first products I received for review recently as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew was Web Design for Kids (...And Curious Grown Ups). This DVD was designed to teach children aged eight years and older the basics of building a website with html. Priced normally at $40, a 50% off summer special is running now at $19.99. This is not a downloadable product and comes to you in hardcopy form.

Mr. Richardson has created a very useful tool. While I already knew the content he covered, I sure wish I had had this DVD way back when I was starting to learn basic html. Step-by-step, he explains very clearly what every beginner should know about building websites.

In the video, Mr. Richardson instructs two children in building their own website. The children ask questions that would normally come to a young person's mind.. With the understanding, that he is teaching children something that can become very complicated, he will at times change names of some coding. Nestled tags, for instance, are referred to as sandwich tags. This gives a child an easy visual and helps them keep in mind what the tag actually does.

What is covered?

Ten basic lines of code
How to add backgrounds
Marquees
Headers
Changing fonts
Adding pictures
And more

Web Design for Kids has one thing going for it that many other web design instructional programs do not: all the software you need to begin a web site are already on your computer: Notepad and Internet Explorer (or TextEdit and Safari if you are on a Mac). There is nothing extra to buy and no expensive WYSIWYG - What You See is What You Get - software needs to be purchased.

I personally use Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer and so I did have to make adjustments. For instance, when Mr. Richardson has you view page source under View in my browser, Notepad does not automatically pop up as it would in Internet Explorer. It is very easy to just open up Notepad independently, so that was not a problem.

What this program is not

Web Design for Kids (. . . and Curious Grown-Ups!) will not teach you or your child all you need to know. It is not an all-inclusive video. Learning coding for websites can be very involved and there is much to learn. Web Design for Kids teaches the very basics, enough to get your feet wet. The great thing about this is that you can easily see if your child has the love of website-building fairly inexpensively. If your child does not like it, you have not spent a lot of money on a expensive program that will just gather dust on your shelves. If he/she does like it, then you can proceed accordingly.

I highly recommend this product. It is easy to use, the quality is professional, and the instructor knows how to teach the subject. This is one item that I am happy to have on my shelves. For more information, please visit the Web Design for Kids website.

Things Baby Eats

2009-07-30T07:45:00.003-05:00

You know, I really wanted to start writing today on my BlogHer '09 experience in Chicago. But first I wanted to share a story with you that is actually pretty gross. It involves something that my baby girl ate. So if you are eating any food right now, wait till later to read this post.

Anyways. So, before you become a mom, you have lofty dreams of how sweet and beautiful babies are. And they are sweet and beautiful. But what you do not realize is that these little persons carry with them the ability to do things that bring with them the "ewwwwww" factor.

And I am not talking about dirty diapers, folks. This goes beyond that.

My youngest daughter is not quite a year old. She is very curious and she does not give up easily. She is also walking now and so is very mobile. One thing children her age do quite a bit of is pick things up off of the floor and stick them straight into the mouth.

Well, my daughter does this a lot. More so than my other children. We sweep and vacuum every day and she still manages to find things. She has great eyesight, that one. I have picked out of her mouth lint and old pieces of sausage, as well as beads, paper, crayons, play dough, thread, and other things that I still do not know what they were.

That is all very gross and nasty as it is. Eating off of the floor turns my stomach. Unless it can be picked up and rinsed/washed off - think runaway grapes - it goes in the trash. The five-second rule does not apply in my book.

Back to my story.

Sunday evening I was picking up in our sitting room. My baby was toddling around doing the whole "Step, step, fall, get back up" routine. As I was picking up crayons I turned my back for 2.6 seconds. That was my mistake. As I turned back around, I noticed daughter again was chewing on something.

I walked toward her. She was standing there with a big grin on her face, the one that melts my heart. I call that her Mommy Smile because she does save her biggest smiles for mama. The closer I got I noticed more chewing and a little black thing on her lip.

I was inwardly complaining about having to yet again fish some unknown object from my daughter's mouth. Sticking my finger amongst all those sharp teeth is dangerous. And painful.

Sitting down next to her I discover horrifying fact #1: that black object on her lip? Yeah. It's a bug leg. My stomach turns at the memory.

I quickly realized that that leg belonged to a fly. A fly. Those things that eat rotting garbage and worse. Yes, a fly.

Gag.

I shudder as I realize she is still chewing on something.

I tell her "Baby, spit it out into Mama's hands." Okay. I was not ready for what came out though the fly leg should have clued me in.

Baby girl obediently spit out into my hand a fly body. No more legs or wings were attached. Just the body. I do not get sick easily. But this time I nearly did. I seriously thought I would lose my dinner. Of course, mama was running toward the sink with slobbery fly body in one hand, at the same time scooping up happy smiling baby, all the while yelling "SHE ATE A FLY, SHE ATE A FLY" to my husband.

That was a moment when I seriously wished that someone would invent a safe, non-toxic, edible version of Lysol. I would pay a lot of money for that stuff. I might even buy stock.

I am still recovering from that. The recovery will take a while. Actually, I don't know if I'll ever recover from that one.

Please tell me that I am not the only mother whose child eats stuff not made for human consumption. Please.

How to Meet a Famous Person

2009-07-27T08:37:00.005-05:00

Because my life would not be complete without a hint of weird added to my every day, I submit to you my little tips on how to meet a famous person.

1. First, win a trip from JVC to BlogHer '09.

2. Take a flight to O'Hare airport. It must NOT be an uneventful flight. No. Your plane must be sitting on the tarmac for an hour due to bad weather before it even takes off.

3. Land at O'Hare airport when the President of the United States of America happens to be landing at the same airport so that you again have to sit on the tarmac for quite a while.

4. Arrive at your hotel with a major headache and rush as fast as you can through check-in. Then, you must wrestle your suitcases that weigh more than you do up to your room. On the 28th floor.

5. Throw said suitcases into your room, brush your hair, and take amazingly fast hotel elevator down again to catch a taxi. You must be amazingly late to this dinner in which you will meet the people who paid for this great opportunity.

6. Alternately feel terrible that you are late while trying to give directions on how to get to the restaurant to the taxi driver who barely speaks English.

7. Arrive at Harry Caray's. Meet your fellow winner's of the sweepstakes and the sweetest PR gal. Because you haven't eaten anything in 9 hours, and you are hypoglycemic, order the first thing your eye lands on on the menu. It was Chicken Marsala, which I had no idea what that was. But it was so yummy. So all's good.

8. Sit there and talk to the other people at your table and then realize that lots of cameras are flashing toward the table behind you.

9. Find out that the person at the table next to you is Ernie Banks.

10. Say "Hey, cool! Ernie Banks." Then lean toward PR gal from JVC and ask "Who is Ernie Banks?"

11. Whip out your BlackBerry as you and your other friends at the table take out their portable devices and Google "Ernie Banks."

12. Find out that Ernie Banks was a baseball player and learn his whole life story from wikipedia. BlackBerries are amazing things, folks.

13. Take picture of Mr. Banks, who was very gracious talking to a young mom from Texas who had had no idea who he was just a few minutes before.

And that, folks, is how you meet a famous person.

Making Ancient Egyptian Paddle Dolls

2009-07-22T08:20:00.004-05:00

Continuing on in our study of Ancient Egypt in Tapestry of Grace, my three older children and I worked on some Ancient Egypt Paddle Dolls.

These were fairly easy to make and involved only cardboard, paint, pony beads and yarn. The kids take these everywhere with them. My son puts his on the back of his little John Deere ATV and rides around with it.

Thank you for looking!

Twitter's Secrets

2009-07-16T10:10:00.002-05:00

The news yesterday about Twitter's hacked information has brought out the either-or kind of thinking. Some are all for the public viewing if Tech Crunch does indeed publish "a variety of alleged documents including "financial projections, product plans and notes from executive strategy meetings," and the original pitch for Twitter's reality based television show." (PC World, "Twitter Hacked, Secrets to be Revealed?" July 15, 2009) Others, such as Michael Hickins who writes for InformationWeek's Digital Life Weblog, have pronounced that Tech Crunch's Michael Arrington has crossed the journalistic line and so "should have the decency to step down." ("Michael Arrington Should Step Down" July 16, 2009)

I do not normally write about stuff like this on my ol' blawg. Posts on dirty diapers, drinking nasty smoothies, and writing reviews of homeschool products is my general forte. But I had to deviate this time.

The population of news media - think CNN or FoxNews and the like - is a group I tend to shy away from. Unless I am offered a link to read from a friend or family member, I do not watch/read/or view mainstream sources for so-called newsworth pieces. We do not watch television at all, so even turning on the nightly news doesn't happen around here.

All that to say, I just really do not care for the so-called journalism that happens daily around the globe.

Stolen information is just that: stolen. They are not a gift handed to you to use in whatever way you want. Professional and moral decency has flown out of the window in Mr. Arrington's case. I'm with Mr. Hickin's in that a resignation, and even a public apology, should be in the works.

I am not personally privy to how news organizations gather their information. I am interested in what journalistic "lines" there are that should not be crossed, according to those in that profession. I am guessing that using stolen information as a news piece is crossing that line.

Thoughts? Convictions? Remarks?

New Website Coming Soon

2009-07-15T08:32:00.002-05:00

Courtney Chowning and I have partnered together to start a new website just for Christian women bloggers: Faithful Bloggers. We have been working hard behind the scenes to bring a much-needed site for those who would like to join a social community that strives to honor our heavenly Father. Please visit the page and sign up to be alerted via email of news and launch date information.

Our launch date is scheduled for around the first of August. We will be hosting giveaways from some gracious sponsors. If you would like to donate an item or service for the launch, please email me at wisdombegun@gmail.com .

You can also follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/faithfulbloggrs

If you would, please pray for Courtney and I as we build up this site, that it may be used to the best of His glory!

Thank you,

A Post About Buying Business Cards

2009-07-10T15:31:00.002-05:00

In less than two short weeks I will be at BlogHer '09. Pretty much everything is ready for this trip to be made. Except for a little thing that I kinda forgot. Sorta.

Business cards.

What's the big deal, you may ask? Who cares if you have business cards are not? And why do you need a business card? You have a pitiful, wannabe blog, not a business.

(Oh, if you actually said that last sentence to me, I might cry a little bit. And then get a box of tissues. And some chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better.)

I quickly found out after winning my trip from JVC that if you want to quickly exchange information such as blog and email addresses with other bloggers, you buy business cards. It is much easier to whip out a card to hand to someone you meet, rather than "Oh, excuse me while I dig in this bottomless pit called a purse to find a crumpled up piece of paper and half a pencil to write my info on." Unless you want the info written on baby socks. I seem to have lots of those in my purse.

Now, folks, I have had over a month to order some business cards. A month. More than. Yet, I like to live on the edge until there is less than two weeks. And so, this morning? Yeah, I decide that today is the day. I will easily pick a business card, fill in the necessary items, and have it shipped before I leave.

I love my dream world. It is such a fun place to be.

Did you know that if you wait to order business cards when you have less than two weeks before your event that you'll need to get 3-day shipping? And did you know that 3-day shipping costs a little more than *gulp* $30. Thirty dollars.

As I am sure you have guessed, I will not have beautiful, professionally-made business cards to hand out to those I meet at BlogHer. They were pretty. Had a little bird. And some pink. And brown.

You never know, though. I may start the next trend. Black and white home printed business cards will be all the rage before you know.

And hey? At least my business cards did not originate from a place with a goofy monkey.

Just sayin'.

Friday Links

2009-07-09T17:09:00.005-05:00

Forgive me, please, as I share this random list of links that I found interesting enough to bookmark. Want to share some of your interesting links with me? Add them to a comment!

"Pit to Distress" - I had never heard of this. And, frankly? It is just plain disturbing. Thoughts? *I cannot vouch for the rest of this site. I only read this article.*
From Shannon, It Gets Easier. For us young mamas.
This Website Grader gives you a good idea on where you might want to work on your blog.
Want to learn the basics of American Sign Language? We are going over some simple signs with the children.
I know it is July. And 500 degrees outside. And it doesn't snow here. But still, I found this site on snowflakes pretty helpful when I was making our weather cycles unit study.
Kindness. Blogging. But, kindness while blogging? With the sometimes nasty, mean-girl behaviour that occurs whilst mommy-blogging, Courtney reminds us Christian gals to emulate our Saviour.

Five Ways to Help Out a Young Mother

2009-07-04T13:41:00.007-05:00

It came to my attention from hearing a passing conversation that many people do not know how to help out young mothers. Being a young mother myself, I thought myself qualified to answer with a little list I made up. Feel free to leave comments on what you would add to my list!

1. Bring her meals.

A sweet lady from my church overheard that I had an afternoon dentist appointment on Wednesday. On Tuesday, she brought over some enchiladas she had made so that they could just be popped into the oven on Wednesday evening and I would not have to worry about dinner on an already too busy day. Another family brought meals to us every Friday the last couple of months I was pregnant with my youngest. When I do not have to cook dinner, that is one less thing to worry about!

2. Help her out once a week.

If you are an empty nester, here is a great mission of mercy opportunity for you! Call her up and tell her that you have Tuesday (or Monday, or Thursday, etc) mornings free from 9-12 and would love to come by and just help. Many young mothers are proud and may turn you down. For those who realize that accepting help is okay, however, this will be a welcome opportunity to get that list of items on her refrigerator done. Offer to help clean bathrooms or kitchens, sweep floors, do laundry, run errands, or make meals. Before you come over, mention that you are stopping by the grocery store and ask if there is anything you need to pick up for her. When you leave, ask her if she has any library books she needs you to drop off.

3. Come by just to chat.

Call first. Bring by an interesting article or book that might pique her interest. Ask her opinion or thoughts on a current event. Let her talk and make sure you listen.

4. Invite her over and her family over.

Let her see that your house gets messy, too. One thing that eases my guilt over my less-than-perfectly-organized-house is seeing that not every home looks like Martha Stewart lives there. A lived in home should look lived in. Period.

5. Offer free babysitting.

Give her and her husband a chance for a regular date night. One thing my husband and I miss about living near our parents is the weekly date nights. His folks or mine willingly offered free babysitting so that we could go out. This is huge, folks, in a busy parent's life.

What are other ways you can think of to serve busy mothers?

The Old Schoolhouse 2009 Planner - Review

2009-06-26T13:31:00.004-05:00

It is that time of year. Last year I enjoyed the maiden voyage of The Old Schoolhouse's Crew. I was blessed to be asked to stay on for another year as a First Mate. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on many different products this year. First up we have:

I am a planning, list-making type of gal. In order to find my way and do what needs to be done at the Wisdom Begun house, I organize to the best of my ability. It sure is a blessing when I am able to have the tools to help me in that organization!

This year I was given The Old Schoolhouse 2009 planner to download and review. This planner promises to help you

"prepare for the coming year the easy way."

My husband reminds me often that you cannot get things done the right way unless you have the right tools. It is like trying to bake a cake without an oven. It just will not happen. Homeschooling is similar, in that it requires some prior planning, with the right tools, in order to achieve good results. Does The Old Schoolhouse 2009 planner truly help in this planning?

Let me give you the skinny on what The Old Schoolhouse 2009 planner actually is.

Contains 375 pages of forms, recipes, calendars (both yearly and monthly), articles, educational helps, and a myriad of planning pages.
Forms are able to be typed in and saved.
Cost: $39
Monthly supplemental modules available to purchase.
Comes in an easily downloadable, straight-to-your-computer format.

What are my thoughts?

This is actually more than a planner. Sure, you have the usual calendars and weekly planning sheets. However. The planner includes more than most organizational tools geared towards those who home educating. There are daily schedules included that can go up to five children. Field trip planning. Nature journals. Co-op sheets. The forms alone are a huge benefit, especially for those who want planning sheets available to them without having to search the Internet or create their own. Everything is all right on your home computer. Each month features helpful articles and educational info, as are recipes. And the planner also includes plenty of household forms: garden planning checklist, prayer journal, address book, and the like.

I am not a huge fan of eBooks but one huge benefit to them is that you can print only what you need. If you are a huge fan of library books then you print out the library items sheet. Need a grocery list or meal planner? Print that out. And so on.

Overall, this is a great planner and a welcome addition to my homeschool journey. Feel free to check it out here.

See you soon for more reviews!

My First Vlog and Proof

2009-06-25T07:35:00.004-05:00

Yes, I can grow something!

Missionary Mindset - Guest Post

2009-06-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

When my husband and I were in seminary, we had a little joke to be able to tell the "missionaries" from the rest of us. Missionaries were the ones who wore flip flops in January. They spent more time outside in the grass than in the library. You could go to their houses and probably have to sit on the floor. They didn't want to acquire too much stuff before they went on the field. Missionaries are different.

With all the funny qualities we can talk about that missionaries have, here are a few we hope to instill in our children:

1. Missionaries love people. I mean really love people. Different people. Poor people. Smelly people. They love people because God loves people. All people.

2. Missionaries know that this world is not their home. You may remember missionaries coming to your church as a kid. They probably dressed funny, talked funny, and ate funny foods. You could tell that even if they called your home town "home," that it really wasn't home for them. They never get comfortable to the point of apathy.

3. Missionaries allow God to use their skills for His glory. You never know what talent or skill might open a door for you to do ministry. Missionaries know that you don't put God in a box. Preachers, Sunday School teachers, and musicians are not the only people God uses to do His work.

4. Missionaries know first hand the power of prayer. Ask them and they will tell you! It is prayer and their dependence on God that fulfill their financial needs, their physical needs, and their emotional needs.

5. Missionaries endure persecution. Persecution is a reality for many missionaries and believers. From teasing and discomfort, to false accusations and torture, missionaries must trust God. And they must be able to defend what they believe.

It's a hard thing as a mom to look at my three year old and one year old and know that someday they are going to leave. They will pack their bags, give us one last hug, and hopefully follow the path that God has chosen for them. Whether they are missionaries across the world or across the street, I want to encourage them to love people, know this world is not their home, allow God to use them, know the power of prayer, and be able to endure persecution. And, if they wear flip-flops in January, that's ok too!

Sandra Peoples is a stay at home mom and pastor's wife living in Pennsylvania. She blogs about women's ministry at her site, Heart for Him. She also blogs with friends at Today's Housewife.
photo credit: girlhula

The Blessing of Siblings - Guest Post

2009-06-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Siblings are a wonderful gift from God. God gave them to us for a reason and a purpose. They can be friends, a comfort, someone to laugh with, a shoulder to cry on, someone who will pray for you, someone you can count on, someone who loves you (even when it may seem like no one else does), and someone to cheer you on, to name a few. If I named them all it would fill pages. They can also help us better improve certain characters such as patience, self-control, and selflessness.

“No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from Heaven.”
John 3:27 CJB

Notice I said they could be all those things. They can if you want them too. They can if you both work hard enough at your friendship. That’s what makes sibling friendships so valuable- both people working hard and diligently at something worthwhile and admirable.

That’s not to say that once you both get to the point of friendship it will be effortless from there. If you both have that mindset, when you get to the point of friendship, it will only go down hill from there. It’s something that needs to be guarded carefully, watched over, and taken care of constantly. It requires selflessness it requires selflessness,

Selflessness is impossible for any and every human to obtain. It’s impossible. What we must also realize is that, try as we may, we cannot have a close friendship with our sibling(s) unless our relationship(s) with them are Christ-centered. We must know what the Lord wants for our friendship with them and what His definition of friendship is. We must know His heart. He wants us to have a close relationship with our sibling(s), but we must first know His heart and His definition of friends or friendship.

It’s a lot of work, but so rewarding and fruitful. And by your example others will be able to see the rewards of having a close friendship with your sibling(s). It’s a beautiful thing.

***************************************************************************

Hannah is a 13 year-old homeschool student, blogger at Reflections Of A Face, web and graphic designer, big sister to four, and daughter of Yeshua. She enjoys photography, graphic and web design, scrapbooking (digital, too), blogging, cooking, and baking.

Dirty Work - Guest Post

2009-06-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

My goal is to create one flower bed a year. Some goals fizzle. We bought our home four years ago, but only one garden graces our property. Life, literally, interrupted my plans the year I gave birth to a sweet little girl. Then, last spring, we bought a new septic system. Heavy equipment squishing around the yard wasn’t conducive to planting. This year is different. My waist bends, and the plumbing works. So I’m adding another garden. Most people start in the front yard; I do not.

Massive magnolia trees fill our front yard. A few bushes cling to life. Monkey grass spreads around the porch. And a shovel doesn’t go more than two inches into the ground without hitting roots. The roots that destroyed our plumbing. The roots that cracked the foundation. The roots that suck up all the water. Our front yard remains barren. Until we get dirt for raised landscaping, I’m working in the backyard. It’s easier to restrain the dog than break my back and shovel. I forgot how messy gardening is. Dirt is in my hair, under my fingernails, and on my clothes. I forgot how hard gardening is. The sod is shoveled scoop by scoop. My children help, but they want to plant the seeds without the work. They want to enjoy the harvest without the wait.
Their impatience reminds me of my own. I wince when I step on a Lego. I sigh while cleaning up spills. I fuss inwardly at the reminders repeated day after day. Preparing the soil in my children's hearts is the dirty work of plowing and pulling weeds.

Seeds of truth cannot take root and grow, unless our children’s hearts are pliable and sustentative. Scattering seeds upon impenetrable ground has little effect. With diligence, the ground is cultivated. With patience, the seeds sprout. The work we do sometimes seems invisible, but roots stretch beneath the surface giving life. Let’s continue preparing for the harvest, even though it involves daily scrubbing.

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Renae talks about reflections on family life, biblical principles, and home education at Life Nurturing Education

My Bloggy Break

2009-06-15T09:39:00.003-05:00

I am taking this week off from blogging so that I can concentrate on a few projects. I have asked a few bloggers to fill in for me this week with some posts of their own. Please make sure to comment on their posts and visit their own blogs if you have a moment.

The guest bloggers will be:

Tuesday - Renae from Life Nurturing Education

Thursday - Hannah from Reflections of A Face

Saturday - Sandra Peoples from Heart for Him

Thank you so much, ladies, for the blessing of your willingness to post for me!

Just putting this out there - Seeking BlogHer Sponsorship

2009-06-15T08:40:00.001-05:00

I am going to BlogHer '09 in Chicago next month. JVC is graciously paying my way! Yay! However, I want to take my husband with me and am looking for any companies that would be willing to sponsor him so that can happen. I am willing to advertise for your company in the following ways: ad space on this blog, handing out your business cards at the conference, wearing your logo on a t-shirt, using a totebag at the conference with your logo, etc. Keep in mind that this conference is HUGE, with 1000+ attendees. Great advertising!

For more information, please contact me at: wisdombegun @ gmail dot com .

Thank you so much for your consideration!

The Early Years - What They Rarely Tell you

2009-06-09T13:46:00.005-05:00

I am in the phase of life where life seems to revolve around diapers, training, endless hours of reading books aloud, and little to no time for personal hygiene. No complaints here, just "stating the facts, Ma'am."

Because my life is at this particular point, I get told often one of two things:

It gets easier, and
Do not miss out on the now. They grow up too fast.

This post is not intended to argue either of those two points. To be honest, I recognize the second statement often enough to not debate the first. My oldest is fast approaching young womanhood and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

What is never said to me, however, is one important fact that may help other young mommies as they deal with the here and now: the here and now will bring about much personal fruit. Not following me? I will try and explain.
I am not the person I was when I got married seven years ago.

The Kelly of Seven Years Ago was different on so many levels when compared to The Kelly of Now. When I married I was full of self, lazy, and had no idea what I am doing. While I would like to say that I am now selfless, never lazy, and have total realization of what I am doing, I can't. Only Jesus could claim those traits. Instead, I will just say that I am less selfless, less lazy, and have a smidgen more idea of what I am doing. What changed? What made the difference between the Then and the Now?

I take no credit for my change. It is by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit's work in my life through these early years that I can see any difference between who I was then and who I am now. These early years should not be wasted on waiting for the "easier" years and miring through the seeming drudgery of cleaning and child care. These early years are so much more.

What are they?

A time of learning. Being pulled at and stretched so thin - physically, mentally, spiritually. Running on your two feet all day long for days on end. Morning and night. With rarely a bathroom break or time to sit for 5 minutes.

The never ending demands of raising little children are not wasted moments. They are tools of change. You have a choice. You can either change for the better or waste the many learning opportunities feeling sorry for your lot in life. These years are a time of great opportunity. And you will never get these years back!

Let me encourage other young mothers to take charge of these learning experiences and enjoy them. These little ones are God's and yes they demand an awful lot from us. Realize how God is changing you through service to them and be joyful in the fact.

A few practical ideas:

When you are in the thick of things, take a moment to just step back and reassess. Where is your heart? How is your attitude? What can you learn and take away from what is going on?
Talk to your husband! Ask him if he sees any areas you are struggling in and how you need to change. Ask him if he has seen any positive change.
Read God's word daily. I cannot stress this enough. In the Scriptures you will find the energy you need to apply God's truth to your daily life. Reading about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is especially helpful.
Pray. Pray. Pray. Seek God in all that you do. Ask for His help and guidance and strength to not just "get through" your day, but to joyfully be molded and shaped during the day into the person that He wants you to be.

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

Photo courtesty of: allposters.com

Tapestry of Grace and Young Children - Part Two

2009-06-04T13:57:00.005-05:00

Welcome back! Have you read my first post on how to use Tapestry of Grace with the littles? If not, go check it out. I'll wait here, promise.

Are you back? Great! It is always important to gain a little background information on something.

Today we will be talking about why my husband and I chose to use Tapestry of Grace at this point in our home education.

Why not use something else?

Okay. So probably the number two question I get asked about Tapestry of Grace is "Why wouldn't I use something less expensive in the early years and then transition to Tapestry when they get a bit older?"

Good question. My brain pondered this very thing for quite a while last year. One day I would go one way and the next day I would feel differently. After all, choosing how and what to teach your child is no unimportant task. Very few of us would go about choosing curriculum without quite a bit of thought. At the same time, most of us are very careful where we put our education bucks. Dropping our hard earned dollars here and there is just not going to happen.

So. What to do?

First off, let me say that no two homeschooling families will ever be alike. So please read this with this in mind. Just because Kelly from that kooky blog thinks this way does not mean that you should. Understand? Okay, good, now please read on.

My husband and I knew from the get-go that educating our children classically was the route we were going to take. It fell closest to how we felt the Bible required us to teach our precious kidlets. That was the easy part. The hard part was: which curriculum would help us along that path.

I researched quite a bit and heard so many positive reviews about Tapestry of Grace. I downloaded the three-week sample and joined an online support group for other Tapestry users. I learned and wrote down and studied. I loved what I found!

These are the reasons why we chose to begin with Tapestry from the very beginning:

I, personally, as mama-teacher, will get lots of practice on how to use this curriculum when my home educating workload is the lightest. Think about it. When your kids are little and you are focusing on the Three R's, whatever curriculum you have chosen will be used very lightly. As they get older, you can add gradually more and more of the core elements. You aren't being hit with having to learn and teach something brand new at once.
The cost is spread out over a very reasonable time period. No big chunks of spending going on.
Tapestry of Grace is fun. And we love fun learning around here. And because I am not having to piece together a curriculum to fit our family's needs, I am spending less time planning and more time learning and playing with the kiddos.
You are teaching from a Christian perspective from the very beginning. We are studying Moses as we are learning about Ancient Egypt. This has made a huge impact in our home. Our discussions with our little ones have been rich in discovering God's presence from the beginning of history. This was a huge plus for us.

I hope this post has been helpful. In the next post in this series I will share with you how I actually use Tapestry in our daily life. See you next time!

*Note: I do want to add that although I am an affiliate with Lampstand Press, I am not getting paid to do this series of posts. I strive to write with honesty in all that I post on this blog.

Confirming the Rumors

2009-06-03T07:04:00.003-05:00

Many of you have heard that I was one of the four blessed winners of the JVC Everio/BlogHer Sweepstakes. You may also remember my post about it. I have gotten some emails and tweets asking if this is true.

Yes. It is true.

I, Kelly @ Wisdom Begun.

Who never wins anything.

Come July, you will find me blogging, tweeting, and videotaping - with my brand new camcorder courtesy of JVC - from Chicago.

Totally awesome, huh?

Tapestry of Grace and Young Children - Part One

2009-06-02T14:47:00.000-05:00

Ever since my review on Tapestry of Grace, I have received many questions asking "Is it possible to use Tapestry of Grace with young children?" Or, "Why would I use Tapestry of Grace with young children when there are so many other simple and less expensive options." My simple answer is yes! it is very easy to use Tapestry of Grace with little ones. And to the second question, you will find my answer in this series of posts.

What is Tapestry of Grace? Very simply put, it is a classical, chronological home education curriculum in which the whole family is learning from a particular historical era at the same time. (For a good idea of what classical education is, you can visit Trivium Pursuit or The Well-Trained Mind)

Why was Tapestry of Grace created? Many of my readers are mothers of many little ones. Many of my readers are home educators, as well. I know you can relate when I say that home educating these little ones can be overwhelming. Marcia Somerville experienced this as well and was intimidated by the myriads of subjects she had to teach on many different levels. It was too much! It needed to be more than that. She desired them to grow up in wisdom and able to face with godliness what the world would have us believe is right and good.

And so Tapestry of Grace was born.

Over the next couple of posts I will be covering:

Why I chose to use Tapestry of Grace at this point in our home education
The benefits of using this curriculum with little ones
How I personally use Tapestry with my own young children
Other ways to use Tapestry of Grace with the young folk

I hope that these posts will be helpful and will benefit those who are wondering if Tapestry of Grace is for their family.

See you soon!

*Note: I do want to add that although I am an affiliate with Lampstand Press, I am not getting paid to do this series of post. I strive to write with honesty in all that I post on this blog.

The Secret of Being Content

2009-06-01T08:29:00.003-05:00

Another wonderful Grace Gems for today:

The secret of being content!

(Letters of John Newton)

"Godliness with contentment is great gain!" 1 Timothy 6:6

August 17, 1776

My dear friend,
It befits every Christian to say--It is not necessary for me to be rich--or what the world accounts wise. It is not necessary for me to be healthy--or admired by my fellow-worms. It is not necessary for me to pass through life in a state of prosperity and outward comfort. These things may be, or they may not be--as the Lord in His wisdom shall appoint them for me.

But it is necessary for me to be humble and spiritual, to seek communion with God, to adorn my profession of the Gospel, and to yield submissively to His disposal, in whatever way, whether of service or suffering--that He shall be pleased to call me to glorify Him in this world. It is not necessary for me to live long--but highly expedient that while I do live--I should live unto Him! Here then, I would bound my desires; and here, having His Word for my rule, I am secured from asking amiss. Let me have His presence, wisdom to know my calling, and opportunities and faithfulness to improve them; and as to the rest, Lord, help me to sincerely pray,

Whatever You will,
whenever You will, and
however You will.

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want!" Philippians 4:11-12

Unwholesome Speech

2009-05-29T13:42:00.000-05:00

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. -Ephesians 4:29

This past week I have been busy weeding through those I follow on Twitter. Tweeting is fun and I enjoy the people I have gotten to know through it. Lately that enjoyment has been disturbed by uncouth speech. Curse words and flippant uses of God's holy name are thrown around like insults amongst politicians during campaign debates.

And it is not just the men who are guilty. It is also the women, whom God has called to have an "incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:4). Flinging around curse words has almost become chic in Twitterville and Bloggyland.

I really feel it unfortunate that I even have to bring this up. Do people realize how unprofessional foul language is? It is difficult to take seriously any person who talks this way.

And so? The answer?

Stick with those blogs and websites that are edifying. Find that a funny gal you follow on Twitter is throwing words around loosely? Decide whether or not the comedy is worth brain cells being used up on cussing.

In the end, you will be all the better for it.

Ancient Egypt Salt Dough Map

2009-05-26T10:59:00.006-05:00

Our adventurous journey into Ancient Egypt has allowed for many fun, hands-on opportunities. Our first activity using Year One Unit One with Tapestry of Grace was sculpting a relief map out of salt dough. The climate we live in hindered the drying process and so it took weeks to get to some level of having dried. Our patient waiting paid off. The kids had great fun! Here are a few photos of the painting process.

Mountainous ranges to the east of the Nile

The River Nile is surrounded by desert

River Nile Tributaries

The green around the River Nile shows vegetation that was plentiful around the river

And, the finished product: Ancient Egypt

JVC Everio BlogHer Sweepstakes

2009-05-25T07:46:00.002-05:00

We have a great video camera that seems to be on its last leg. I also want to attend BlogHer one of these days. What do these two sentences have in common? This: JVC is graciously going to give four blessed people a paid trip to BlogHer '09 (airfare, registration, food, and hotel taken care of!) AND one of their JVC Everio camcorders.

Awesome.

Want a chance to win this? Head over to the JVC BlogHer Sweepstakes and enter.

Nathan Clark George Giveaway

2009-05-22T09:36:00.002-05:00

Molly, over at Counter-cultural School, is one of my favorite bloggers. In addition to her already awesome blog, she has started a new blog called My Audio School. In honor of this new blog, she is giving away a Nathan Clark George DVD. This is what Molly has to say about it:

"There are two main parts to the DVD: a live concert and a documentary about Nathan's homeschooling family.

I was really encouraged by the 35-minute documentary. Nathan and his wife Patsy wanted to minister through Nathan's music without sacrificing family time, so four years ago they packed up their life and took it on the road. Homeschooling with babies and toddlers underfoot is a challenge, but what if you were doing it in a motor home while traveling the country? They call their RV an "incubator for sanctification", and they share honestly about the joys and struggles of living in such close proximity."

I do not know about you but I would love to win this. She gives you four different ways to try and win this. Head over to her blog to learn more!

The Beginning of My Green Smoothie Adventure

2009-05-21T14:51:00.004-05:00

I admit it. I have finally come to a stage in my journey towards healthier living that I just do not care for.

Really, really do not care for.

Green Smoothies.

Okay, okay. It all began when I blended up all the beneficial ingredients - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, water, and spinach - and found that the color was not green. Disappointment numero uno.

I would like to say that after reading quite a ton of literature on the health reasons for drinking green smoothies that I took my first sip and I was in love.

However, I was not in love. I was far from it.

Blech.

It tastes like spinach, people.

I know that Popeye loved it and probably so did that tall, skinny chick that hung around him. And it is green and green stuff is supposed to be good for you. You know the whole "the more colorful it is, the better it is for you."

But, really.

I am on my third glass of the day and it keeps tasting more and more. . . spinach-y.

So what am I doing wrong, folks? How do you all make your green smoothies? How do you make them taste more fruity and less spinach revenge?

And if you can let me know before tomorrow morning when I get to whip up another batch of this green-leafed goodness, I would so appreciate it.

Seriously. I Am Married to the Sweetest Man on Earth.

2009-05-19T13:41:00.003-05:00

I received these beautiful tulips today. In a pitcher from the Netherlands no less.

He is quite the guy.

I love you, honey.

God Wants No Hypocrites

2009-05-06T09:01:00.008-05:00

I am coming out from the fog of many sleepless nights caring for a teething infant. Yes, my baby who it seems only yesterday was born is working on three upper teeth. Her two bottom front teeth are so cute poking through when she gives us her beautiful smiles.

I am in the midst of an ever-constant range of motion. Our house is never still or completely quiet. Little children tend to add that to a home and many times I begrudge that. I want peace and quiet. And, of course, what I want is what matters. Right?

Oh. so. wrong.

As the oft-quoted catechism answers reminds us: Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

It does not amend at the end with an "Oh, by the way, you only have to glorify God and enjoy Him if you feel like it." That way creeps into our thinking as mothers more often than we want to admit. Or even acknowledge privately.

Mother's Day was yesterday and while I think it is just swell to honor our mothers and all of their hard and sacrificial work on our behalf, we tend to forget Who really gave up more than we will ever be called to. A perfect Son was killed for imperfect, horrible, evil people.

God gave in love. Are our sacrifices important and lovely if we moan and complain while we go about our day? Hardly. Romans 12:9-13 says

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. "

As wives and mothers, may we purpose to always "be kindly affectionate" with those who are closest to us. May we lay off our self-seeking ways and emulate that perfect Man. Only then will this past Mother's Day and any future Mother's Days have any meaning.

In His grace,

photo courtesy of: peasap

Memoria Press - Review

2009-04-29T13:54:00.004-05:00

You probably know by now that my home educating method is a mix between Classical Studies and Charlotte Mason. Latin is one thing that my husband and I desire our children to learn. Because of this desire, I was very eager to try out Memoria Press' products. I received Prima Latina, a Christian Latin curriculum for grades K-3 (includes Teacher's Manual and Student Book); the Prima Latina Pronunciation CDs; the Prima Latina Instructional DVDs; and their Primary Copybook Set.

I really was pleased with this Latin Curriculum. Designed as a precursor for Latina Christiana, Prima Latina is divided into 25 lessons that are meant to be completed weekly. Each lesson is set up the same each time which allows the comfort of continuity for those who may be a little intimidated to be learning (or teaching!) Latin in the first place. Nouns, verbs, numbers, and more are covered in the lessons.

I found the Teacher's Manual exceptionally helpful. A sample weekly lesson plan was given which gave me a good idea of how to structure our Latin class times. A Pronunciation Rules guide and Grammar Overview gave me the basics I needed to teach this. The Pronunciation CD allowed me and my child to pronounce with gusto this Classic Language. This is definitely a must to get if you choose this program.

The instructional DVDs. Wow. These are excellent. Miss Lowe teaches in a precise and thorough, yet easy, manner. Watching these together with my daughter gave both of us a better sense of what we were to be learning. And for those of you who have older children who can work on their own, these DVDs allow for self-instruction. Also, the illustrations really helped drive home the points of each lesson.

I will use this for each of my children and I definitely look forward to Latina Christiana.

*********************************************************************************

These copy books are awesome! Using poetry and verses from the KJV Bible, my daughter is rapidly and easily learning how to hand write in a very neat fashion. Really, these copy books are essential now to our home education. Beginning with tracing and copying, the student gets a firm grasp on how to correctly form their letters. They then proceed into copying and their is also an area in each section for them to draw their own pictures. I never did care for copybooks that provided illustrations as this kind of directed the students handwriting rather than the actual writing itself.

Another benefit to Copy Book is the fact that your children are memorizing. We all know that this is a time when they memorize so easily. And the short Bible verses and poems will stay in their heads a very, very long time.

These Copy Books have also made themselves a permanent home in our home education. I suspect that each of my children will use these. I highly encourage you to visit Memoria Press to learn about Prima Latina as well as the Copy Book set and the other items available.

**************************************************************************

This is my last review for the TOS Crew until next school year. I hope you have enjoyed my reviews as much as I have enjoyed writing them and using the various homeschooling curricula and products.

My New Sweet Ride

2009-04-28T08:20:00.002-05:00

I had this plan to write a post today that has been in the back of my mind for a while. Instead, I will be spending the morning using my steam cleaner to suck up water from my carpets. I am sure most of you have heard of the flooding down here. My husband is on his second try trying to get to work. He hasn't come back yet, so hopefully he is safely on his way there.

Do you all remember this post? I said, and I quote:

"15 passenger vans. I can tell it is in my future."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. My future is here, as of last Saturday. Instead of driving this:

I am now driving this:

And let me tell you, folks. I am in love. Other than the fact that it is not the color I would have liked, the thing is such a blessing to our family. It is huge and has tons of room. Everyone knows that babies and smaller children go hand in hand with lots of "stuff." Huge strollers ring a bell?? What about diapers and wipes and pack 'n plays and slings? This thing holds it all.

It is one sweet ride.

Obviously, I Am An Artistic Genius

2009-04-24T09:01:00.003-05:00

Painted at around 3 years old - which, yes, was a long time ago, thank you for pointing that out, husband - it is easily seen that I was born for greatness.

I apologize to my mother who gave me these a year or so ago. They were ~~literally crumbling into dust~~ gently losing pieces so I had to toss them.

- By the way, I hope you all get my sense of humor by now. I am in no way a great artist. In fact, I would say that if I tried to draw either Mickey Mouse or clouds today, it would not be improved at all over the attempts of my three-year-old self.

I make stick figures sick.

Sigh.

Tapestry of Grace Year 1 Unit 1 - Review

2009-04-21T13:39:00.001-05:00

Most homeschooling parents want more than a dry, text book-like approach to teaching their children. In fact, I can safely assume that this is one reason why many parents choose to home educate. My own family thrives best on a Charlotte Mason/Classical Education style of receiving information. Living books and relaxed, hands-on learning, a la Charlotte Mason, and the Classical Education step-by-step educational philosophy are melded beautifully in Tapestry of Grace.

I was given the Digital Edition of Year One Unit One to review.

Year 1 takes the students (and teacher!) on an adventure that truly is HIStory. We begin with Moses and Ancient Egypt. We have learned about the styles of dress, building materials, hieroglyphics, and geographic topography of Ancient Egypt. The discussion of ancient Egyptians and their false religion has led to much important talk about how the only truth can be found in the true God of the Bible. My children have had the opportunity to ask questions about our heavenly Father and have learned how easily people wrongly worship creation rather than the Creator.

The activities suggested in this curriculum are one of my most favorite components of Tapestry of Grace. We are just about ready to paint the various parts of our salt dough Ancient Egypt relief map. My children have loved this project and it is so much fun to "think outside of the box" and get your hands messy.

I have heard complaints of how hard Tapestry of Grace is to implement in one's homeschool. I find this to be the exact opposite. I took the advice of many well-seasoned mothers and veteran Tapestry of Grace home educators, and started very slowly. Week by week I added in a subject. This way, I was able to completely avoid the "four week fog" that many Tapestry of Grace users encounter. I do have it easier than many homeschools due to the fact that all of my children are in the Lower Grammar Level and I am not having to plan more than one level.

As I was giving this curriculum a trial run before committing to using it as our full-time method of choice, I chose not to buy the books right away. I used only what I could find through our local library system and substituted books when I could not acquire those recommended. As ease of substitution is one of the benefits touted for this curriculum, I was happy to find that this truly is the case.

Another benefit to Tapestry of Grace is all of the "meat" that is offered. Questions, books, activities and the like are suggested in abundance. A common mistake is made among new Tapestry users in which they try and do it all. I would offer this advice to those using it for the first time: go slow, and choose only the things that you want your children to do. Don't overfill your educational plate. Choose what you like, throw out the rest. Make this curriculum mold to you and your family, not the other way around.

My husband and I have chosen to continue this as our curriculum. We have liked it that much. That being said, there are some things we do not like. I do not like the digital edition. We will try and get our hands on the few remaining copies of print available or we will go the DE/Print route. Also, the price is hefty, especially considering the books we will purchase and the actual price of the curriculum itself. This is a huge drawback for many homeschooling families.

Some extras that are available are: Pop Quiz (involves the dad, which is super great!), Map Aids, Lapbooks, etc. These are not needed to use Tapestry, however.

I do want to mention that this is a historical perspective-type of curriculum. It is done chronologically and uses the classical methods lower grammar, upper grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages. If used from the earliest beginning of a child's education, they will be studying the various world and countries' histories several times before graduation. How neat is that?

I love Tapestry of Grace and I encourage you to check out their website. You will also find their forums and newsletter beneficial to the program. Any questions that you may have I will gladly answer or find an answer for.

A Great Way to Try Out New Homeschool Products!

2009-04-20T14:24:00.003-05:00

I have had a wonderful year on The Old Schoolhouse's TOS Homeschool Crew. The amount of varying homeschool curricula and helps I have been able to review have been amazing and have filled up the shelves in our homeschool cabinet. I know it would bless my readers to have the opportunity to review on this crew as well. Want to know how? This link will take you to the page with all of the details. Hurry, though. You have until April 30th to try and get a crew position.

Feel free to email me at wisdombegun at gmail dot com (remove spaces and replace "at" with @ and "dot" with a period) if you would like more information or just my thoughts on this experience.

WriteShop Primary Book A - Review

2009-04-16T13:44:00.002-05:00

Do you remember this review about WriteShop's Story Builders? I really loved that product! WriteShop also was gracious enough to send me a print copy of their WriteShop Primary Teacher's Guide and their Activity Set Worksheet Pack.

As someone who loves to write, regardless of my literary faults, I am so eager to pass on this love to my children. I wondered how I could do this in spite of the fact that my kiddos are so young. I decided to see if WriteShop Primary Book A, which promises to be geared towards readers and pre-writers, would work with my crew.

WriteShop Primary is "an incremental writing program." It works in small, easy-to-grasp steps. It is purposed that the parents will work with their children towards learning to write, rather than an independent approach. Given the fact that my children love working with Mama in almost activity, this was a large success almost instant with my crowd.

A very flexible writing curriculum, WriteShop Primary teaches using eight Activity Sets within each individual lesson. These sets help build up the creativity your child will need in order to write successfully. I found that this also reinforced the routine that children need and like.

Each lesson contains Guided Writing Practices as well as Pre-writing Activities. Since I have pre-writers for the most part, we focused mainly on those. I found that these activities really captured the attention of my children and brought them into thinking how a story could be told. I also used the guiding writing practices, even for the pre-writers. In that instance, I wrote and they dictated.

Also a part of each lessons are projects. The Story Kite was especially fun and helped reinforce what we had been learning previously. The teacher is also given a list of the supplies needed, as well as suggestions for picture books that can go along with each lesson.

The price is just write for this curriculum. I do want to make note that the worksheet pages and evaluation charts may be reproduced for single-family use. This is huge and is very economical. For the print version, you will spend $26.95. The e-Book version is $24.25, though when you factor in shipping, you will save about $7 as opposed to the print. The Activity Set Worksheet Pack is $4.95.

I encourage you to visit WriteShop! See you next time for another review.

My First Attempt at Container Gardening

2009-04-09T14:07:00.004-05:00

As we all know, I have admitted that my thumbs are anything-but-green. Yet my children and I have decided to make another go of it and plant our container garden. It was so precious to guide them as they pressed little holes into the pellets, dropped in their seeds, and then gently covered up the seeds with loose soil.

What are we planning on ~~killing~~ growing?

Basil
Chives
Cilantro
Oregano
Sage
Thyme
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
English Daisies
and Nasturtiums

We are using one of those little greenhouse thingamajigs and I know in this warm weather, they will be seedlings in no time. I am still trying to decide which containers will be best, and which plants should be grouped together. I did read that Basil is a perfect pair with tomatoes.

One book I highly recommend is Bountiful Container by McGee & Stuckey. It is a great, easy read and gives excellent advise on what is wise to plant in containers and what you had better not attempt. I have not found the need to buy any other book on the subject.

I'll end with some helpful links on the subject:

HGTV's ideas
Better Home and Gardens' page on Containers
Kids Gardening

Apologia, Flying Creatures - Review

2009-04-08T14:00:00.002-05:00

Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day is a book that my husband and I had longingly looked at at last year's homeschool conference. We chose not to purchase it at that time for some reason and I always regretted it. We needed a good science curriculum and yet we needed one that was very hands-on for my busy brood.

I was given this to review and I must say, that this is probably one of the best science curricula out there. We love it. And as far as being hands-on, it definitely is that.

Jeannie Fulbright has made every desire I had about teaching my children science available in one book. Sitting down on the couch together, my children and I are able to enjoy learning of those amazing creatures called birds. And in a true Charlotte Mason-like way, the learning is gentle and gradual and fun.

Each lesson - there are 14 - are designed to take about two weeks. Of course, you can adjust this to take longer or less time, depending on your home education approach. You will find in each lesson an experiment or two, projects, and notebook activities. Dads will especially love how they can be a part of their children's learning when they find projects like "Build a Birdhouse."

The notebook activities ensure your children are grasping the material as they are encouraged to record their findings and use drawings and picture cut-outs to fill the pages. How fun will this be to look back on these notebooks in years to come? And these notebooks just make learning more fun than boring, cut-and-dry textbooks.

God's creation comes alive in this book. Focused specifically on birds, the children and I learn about air pressure, identifying birds, bird behaviour, and feathers. It is absolutely amazing how God's perfect wisdom is shown through these little animals.

I highly recommend this book for any home education. I encourage you to visit Apologia's website to find a level-appropriate science curricula for you to use for your children. I know you will be blessed by it as I am.

Need Spelling Software?

2009-04-08T13:43:00.002-05:00

I wanted to make my readers aware of a product called SpellQuizzer. Spelling is an important part in learning to read and write and improve one's vocabulary. It can often be a chore to constantly update spelling lists for each child, but SpellQuizzer makes this easy to do.

I have not personally used this, but I will give a brief summary of what this software does.

The teacher (parent) inputs the child(ren)'s spelling list(s) into the program. Using this list, the software quizzes your children on those words. If you have a microphone, you can also record your own voice saying each particular word. Your child will then type in the word and any words missed will be quizzed again at the end.

If you visit SpellQuizzer's website, you will notice it has:

Software Demos
A free trial
100% satisfaction guarantee

If you try it, let me know how you like it.

See What My Girl Made?

2009-04-06T15:11:00.005-05:00

My oldest daughter, who just turned 6, made this yummy cherry cobbler this afternoon all by herself. Doesn't it look delicious? I just had to share because this was such an encouragement for me and shows how children can be such a blessing, despite what the world tries to tell us.

In His grace,

Move is Done

2009-04-02T13:41:00.003-05:00

I never mentioned this on my blog, but we moved from one home to another this past week. I must give all praise and thanksgiving to my heavenly Father for His immense blessings! The move was amazingly simple and we were surrounded by the love of our church family. We had so much help we were able to get moved all in one day. God is good!

Until the dust settles around here and I can get back up to my regular blogging posts, please visit me here at Blissfully Domestic and at Pinched Pennies.

Blessings!

Photo: glass window

TruthQuest - Review

2009-03-27T08:51:00.004-05:00

As I have mentioned before, we love the study of history in this house. My husband especially, has a love for early American History. We also enjoy reading. TruthQuest History is a curriculum that strives to mesh together reading and history.

I was given American History for Young Students I (Exploration-1800) to review. While I believe the approach used may be too broad for many homeschooling parents, this history is perfect for parents who use the Charlotte Mason method. The book is set up with pages upon pages of living book recommendations that help with the study of various time periods and important events in American History. Also included are a few tips and ideas on how to help conversation flow while you are reading these books with your children.

There are no question and answer sections, no tests, and no real study guide. Instead, the intent is to leave it open as much as possible to allow each individual family to learn the way they learn best. You can take as long or as little as you would like to learn each history period. You, as the teacher and guide, can read with your children which books that you prefer, have on hand, or can easily find at the library. And that is the beauty of TruthQuest History. You are not bound to what many curricula require: purchasing extra books that are required in order to be able to correctly use the curriculum. I was able to find many of the suggested books through my local library or through Inter-Library Loan.

I do personally desire a bit more structure. In order to have that, I had to sit down and spend a few hours to plan out how I would use TruthQuest History. This can be a major negative for those who want something "ready" to use. Also, as with any living book-driven curricula, you will have to spend extra time getting the books from your library if you choose not to purchase some.

Overall, I like this History and I plan on keeping it on our home education shelves. Priced at $24.95, I feel this is a valid option for many homeschools. Visit TruthQuest for more information!

Schleich Toys - Review

2009-03-26T13:39:00.003-05:00

There were no happier children than the ones in the Wisdom Begun household when we received the box from Schleich. Schleich is a company that makes animal toys and action figures. They even make Smurf action figures, if you remember that sort of thing.

We received not one or two, but six toy animals and my children love them. In no particular order, here is what we were blessed with:

An Okapi (which I had never heard of, by the way)

A Young Lion

A Chimp

A Piglet

A Rabbit

And a Dressage Horse

These toys are well-made and are very affordable. You can choose from farm animals, knights and ladies, wild animals, etc. You can find most of the Schleich products at toy stores or they are available for order online. My middle daughter loves them especially and I know she will be getting more for her birthday.

Because of the quality of the figures, I highly recommend them. I do want to make note that this company sells elf figures as well. I know some of my readers may not appreciate that, so I wanted to give a heads up.

Critical Thinking - Monday Review

2009-03-23T07:34:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for a mathematics program for your three- or four-year-old, The Critical Thinking Co. may have just the thing for you. Designed as a spiral approach towards learning basic math principles, Beginning Mathematical Reasoning is simple and easy to use. The price of $29.99 is also a great deal, considering that the authors have graciously allowed for each home to create as many copies as needed to be used in their homeschool.

Having used the spiral approach for the most part in our home education, it is the the method I am most comfortable with. I found that each concept was presented and then gradually a new one was added, giving my child a firm foundation. The process is not rushed or hurried in this book. This was great as my middle daughter learns in a more gentle, relaxed atmosphere.

This book is filled with bright, colorful illustrations. While I have no problem with pictures, I did find it to be a bit of an overload. We prefer to tone it down visually in our house so that they do not come to rely on pictures to process information. However, that is how we work and since every household is different, Beginning Mathematical Reasoning would be a perfect fit for some.

A big plus for this math book is that it does require the child to use his brain. It is not a "memorize and then spit out" type out of learning, but the child has to use his reasoning skills to figure out the problems. Because of this, it may work very well for those who use the Classical Education approach in their home.

I do want to add, in closing, that while the book is geared towards the ages of three and four, I will probably begin using it with my two-year-old. As I said before, the gentle spiral approach does not allow for too much information overload. At the same time, a five year old would find this book useful as well.

The Critical Thinking Co. has many other useful educational products. They do occasionally have sales on their products. Beginning Mathematical Reasoning is currently offered for the sale price of $24.99. Check it out!

Links I am Digging

2009-03-19T14:43:00.007-05:00

I am enjoying a rare treat at this moment: a cup of coffee. Since the beginning of the year, I have limited my coffee intake to weekends only. I have taken up drinking tea, which has great health benefits. Still, I do prefer coffee.

During this time of warm beverage enjoyment - how is that for literary description? - I am browsing some of my new favorite links. At the same time my ankles are dodging one of the most dangerous machines around.

The baby walker.

And yes, I know there are lots of nasty things said about this device, but I am pretty sure all of that pales in comparison to the bruises any part of my body calf down is sporting right now.

Moving on.

With my nifty new Nutrimill and the three hundred and twenty pounds of grain sitting in my school room, I have become a mama on the search for the perfect loaf of bread. The fortunate recipients of my great and not-so-wonderful results? My family, of course! Many loaves have turned out blah. The recipes I have found obviously are not intended for warm, humid climates. But with some help from my fellow MOMYS, and some pretty wonderful women and girls from church, I am pretty sure that soon my quest will be victorious. And with some pretty yummy results.

For those of you who may need a little help in the bread area, you have got to check out The Fresh Loaf. Their video on how to shape a sandwich loaf is extremely helpful, and pretty cute, too. This site is great, folks, so go check it out. Once I perfect this household's bread recipe, I am moving on to some more of their tempting baking treats.

And for those homeschoolers out there, as well as any parents who would like to supplement their child(ren)'s current spelling routine, make sure to check out today's Homeschool Freebie of the Day: First Spelling Book. Be sure to check daily at the website. They often have some really great resources.

What else?

Oh! My baby is now enjoying food introduction. While carrots and sweet potatoes are a no go, butternut squash is a hit with her. This site was helpful in various baby food recipes. I am not hip to all of the ideas on here, so don't shoot the messenger.

That is it for now. Blessings to all of my dear readers!

photo: alex-s

Alphabet Alley

2009-03-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

With all off the junk that is readily available for children to play with today, it is such a blessing to find toys geared towards reinforcing Godly values. Alphabet Alley provides fun Christian toys for young ones. While I have reviewed a few products from them before, I would like to briefly remind my readers of this company. It is so very important for believers to support one another, in all ways.

My children are still playing with the card game and memory game Alphabet Alley so graciously provided for our review last year. The quality of the games is superior. They really do hold up to all that my very busy children demand of them.

I plan on purchasing these Noah's ABC stacking blocks as my children love to build things. How fun will these be for my youngest as she learns hand-eye coordination? And for my middle daughter, who adores puzzles, I know this puzzle will be a hit. And for my sticker collector, aka my oldest child, these sticker packs will be great as rewards for schoolwork well done.

I do want to add, in closing, the follow quote that shows just what great lengths this company goes to make sure their products are safe.

All of our products are fully tested in Europe and certified to be safe and non-toxic. We work very closely with our manufacturer in China and have an associate who personally travels to the factory. The toys are then sent to Europe for testing. They contain no lead paint - in fact, the graphics are actually printed and then applied to the blocks. The ink is safe and non-toxic. We know that there have several recent scares related to toys made in China - we assure you that our products are very safe for children.

Visit Alphabet Alley and support a great Christian company through your purchases.

Molly’s Money-Saving Digest April 2009 - Monday Review

2009-03-16T14:07:00.003-05:00

If you have received any emails from The Old Schoolhouse lately, I am sure you have seen a wonderful new digest offered by Molly Green. I jumped at the chance to review this and I am so glad I had the opportunity. A growing family such as mine can use any frugal tips offered and Molly's Money-Saving Digest is full of them.

April's digest is not just another frugal tips newsletter. It contains great recipes, useful ideas, as well as an article on parenting. The theme, of course, is Spring. Spring is my favorite season and Molly offered up great suggestions as to how to accomplish the usual Spring Cleaning project we all find ourselves in.

It just so happens that my husband and I are going to be holding a garage sale in the near future. In April's digest, Molly gives wonderful guidelines to follow so as to make any yard sale venture profitable. For instance, do you know about "Free Boxes?" We didn't but I know we will use that idea for sure. Also included for April is an article on how to shop at yard sales and make it worth your while.

Home organization, re purposing items, and starting basics are also included for April, as well as prior months. Like I said, this digest is chock-full. I highly encourage you to visit Molly and see if adding her digest to your computer library would be beneficial for you family.

One last thing I appreciate is the digest arrives straight into your email inbox. Not only is this totally green - no trees were harmed in the making of the digest - but it arrives as soon as you can download it. No waiting for the postal service to do its job!

See you next Monday for another review!

Kelly's Super Easy Yummy Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2009-03-13T14:17:00.003-05:00

Gather together the following:

Chopped up chicken. We like the chicken in chunks, not ground up or pulled apart with a fork.
Celery - as much as you like. I do not care for celery but hubby does, so we add only one stalk.
One red apple - red due to the sweetness factor. I do not think tart would be nearly as good.
Salt
Pepper
Curry Powder
Mayo

I never measure on this type of thing, so let your tastes dictate how much of each ingredient you put in.

Directions:
Chop up apple and celery and add to chicken in a bowl.

Spoon mayo into bowl and then add curry powder, salt, and pepper.

Mix thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Project Time!

2009-03-12T08:27:00.003-05:00

Okay, so do you see my right hand side bar? Yes? Okay. Now scroll down and you'll see a section labeled "Ambitious Projects."

I'll give you a minute to look and then come right back. Promise?

Waiting. . . patiently . . .

You are back? Great! Good to see you again.

Now, did you notice what it said under "Ambitious Projects?"

Yep. Coming soon.

Well, folks, that is about to change. Kelly has got her organization and project caps on and though she has never looked good in hats, she wears them anyway.

I am a lady-of-lists. I make lists for everything. Seriously. My hubby makes fun of my lists.

Poor lists.

Whether it is a trip or for grocery shopping or cleaning or whatnot, I make a list. You will find lists posted in quite a few places in my home. I am even going to make my wonderful Mother's Helper a list.

So, without further ado, here is the beginning of a running list for my "Ambitious Projects." Feel free to share with me your projects. I might become inspired and add them to my lists.

Kelly's Ambitious Projects

Finish sewing two dresses that I cut out last year (yes, I said last year)
Cut out and sew together 9 skirts and 1, possibly 2, dresses
Create an inventory template for our pantry. Something to go on the outside so that I can easily see what we have/don't have
Create another inventory template for fridge and freezer
Finalize schedule (I love schedules; they are uber easy to fit them into your life)
Work on cleaning up blog. Just like my life, I am trying to unclutter this here ol' blog o mine.
Start some kind of garden. Any will do. My poor herb garden was killed unceremoniously by my two year old.

That is all I can think of for the moment. I have a few other major things that I could add to the list but will not at the moment for privacy's sake. What are your projects planned? Are you getting ready for spring by fixing your porch or deck? Do you sew? Share with me!

One2Believe's Noah's Ark - Review

2009-03-11T08:15:00.001-05:00

I am sure that many of you remember my rather blunt review of One2Believe's Nativity Set. Thus, I was rather surprised that they chose to send me another toy set to review. In this case, it is their Noah's Ark set.

I honestly do like this one a teeny bit better than the nativity set. This is quite possible due to the fact that my children loved playing with this and that no pieces broke off. The set comes with an ark (of course!) as well as a figure of Noah and 14 animals, or 7 pairs.

I'll break down this review for simplicity's sake.

Likes:

The boat is big enough to house all the animals and Noah himself. This keeps play toys off of my floor.
The toys are the perfect size for little hands.

Dislikes:

Where in the world is Mrs. Noah? (And does anyone else wonder why toys companies continuously leave out Noah's sons and his sons' wives?)
Noah looks like a cartoon character. All of the animals look like cartoon characters.
The price. At $29.99, I feel this set is way overpriced. Especially considering you can find some characters at some dollar stores.

All in all, I would not recommend this. While I am sure One2Believe is sincerely trying to give Christian kids better alternatives in the toy area, I feel this is a poor substitute. My kiddos did like to play with this, and my daughter insists on carrying around the goofy looking camels. However, they have another Noah's Ark set that I feel is far superior.

Artistic Pursuits - Review

2009-03-05T14:29:00.001-06:00

I can draw stick people. I can draw decent trees. Beyond that I have no artistic capability. Because of this, the thought of teaching the subject of art to my impressionable children left me a bit queasy.

Even my stick people were queasy.

I can set aside the chamomile and ginger tea now, however, thanks to ARTistic Pursuits and their K-3 Book Two: Stories of Artists and Their Art. I was given the choice of which book to preview (they have many more books to offer, which I will go into more detail later). I chose this particular book because as the mom of a family who talks and writes and discusses history, I know this would fit right in. This particular book covers some works from the Gothic and Renaissance periods, as well as some Academy Art from the 18th century.

This book is excellent. This is an art curriculum in every true sense of the word. In each lesson, the background of an artist is given which includes smaller versions in the lesson of some of that artist's works. Following that lesson, you will find a project that involves the elements the artist used in his artwork. The project is simple enough to prepare to teach and easy enough for the student to follow through with.

A list of materials are grouped together in five different sets. Especially helpful is the guide that indicates which groups are required for a specific lesson. You can purchase these supplies either through www.artisticpursuits.com, or you may find them at your local craft store. I chose one group and did the lessons that went with that group so as to not have to purchase lots of supplies from the get go.

Another thing I love is that I have the freedom to choose which lessons I would like to do with my children when I feel it is most profitable. It is not necessary to follow the lessons in order. Because of this, it is possible to choose an art concept with the particulars of what may be going on in our family's life at any time.

Some projects that your student will do when following this book are:

Layering Oil Pastels
Frescos
Monoprint

I will update this review as my children do more projects and share their results with you in photos.

I found that this book encourages my children to learn from the masters. It is easy for anyone to get discouraged when they read about an artist and get fired up to create a similar masterpiece and quickly find out that they just cannot recreate it. Instead, with ARTistic Pursuits, your child is given an effectively easy project to do that shows them how to create in similar fashion in their own way.

ARTistic Pursuits offers books for all grade levels, beginning with preschool and all the way on up to Senior High. They are priced at $42.95. View their website and see what you think! You can also reach them on the phone at (303) 467-0504. You may just find that this is the perfect addition to your own home education. Enjoy!

Math Mammoth - Review

2009-03-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

Math Mammoth kindly let me review their Grade 1 Lightblue series. It is a complete math curriculum that I was able to download directly to my computer. Since I have only used a spiral method when teaching math to my children, I was eager to see how Math Mammoth, which approaches mathematical concepts topically, would work.

The curriculum I currently use is also heavy on the manipulatives. It requires lots of teacher prep work. Math Mammoth is almost the direct opposite, in that it uses very little outside manipulatives and requires very little teacher preparation. Instead, it uses pictures in the lesson and work-sheets to drive home what needs to be learned. I usually steer clear of the whole work-sheet style of learning, but found it was very efficient in the way Math Mammoth presented.

I like it better than what I have been using. Things my children had been struggling to learn were better explained in Math Mammoth. And while my middle daughter really does need the manipulatives to better anchor facts in her mind, my oldest does not and works better with a more straight-forward approach. Math Mammoth is directly to the point when it teaches concepts.

Included are sections entitled "Helpful Resources on the Internet." These were especially helpful to have on hand when I felt certain facts needed better grounding for a particular child. It was also such a blessing to not have to find these on my own. Less time spent browsing google and more time learning!

The topics covered in the 1st grade curriculum are:

Addition within 0-10
Subtraction within 0-10
Addition and Subtraction Facts
Place Value within 0-100
The Clock
Shapes and Measuring
Adding and Subtracting within 0-100
Coins

I did notice that Math Mammoth's Grade 1 are topics that are covered in the Kindergarten math I taught my oldest. I chose Grade 1 instead of 2 so that I could review it on my two oldest daughters. It was more like a review drill for my oldest and just at the level for my middle daughter.

Also included are cumulative reviews as well as Chapter tests.

Pricing on this curriculum is as follows:

Downloads

Part A alone: $15.50
Part B alone: $15.50
A & B $29.70

CD alone $32
CD + A & B printed worktexts $54

Printed copies

Part A worktext $11.90
Part B worktext $11.80
(+ shipping; sold at Lulu)
Supportive materials download $15 (at Kagi)
(includes answer keys, cumulative reviews, tests, worksheet maker, and Soft-Pak)

I give Math Mammoth Grade 1 two thumbs up! It is affordable, efficiently teaches mathematics, and gives various ways to use it (eBook-style, CD, and print). I encourage you, as always, to visit Math Mammoth and look at this product as well as the others they offer.

Sonlight - Review

2009-03-03T13:45:00.002-06:00

I literally jumped up and down for joy when I found out I was chosen to review Sonlight's CoreK curriculum.

Really, there was lots of jumping involved.

And maybe some screaming, too. I cannot recall.

I was given their Core K with Readers K - 5-Day to review and I would like to share my thoughts on it with you.

Quite simply, this program rocks. It is so easy to use and implement into a homeschooler's daily life. After opening up the huge box of books I found on my doorstep, all I really had to do was put together the Instructor's Guide and that was it. I was ready to start teaching my child!

Using living books, this Core package includes History, Geography, and Literature. Some of the books you will use as you snuggle on the couch with your child are:

The House at Pooh Corner
The Hundred Dresses
The Boxcar Children
Hero Tales
The Real Mother Goose

For a complete list of all that you would receive if you purchased this exact curriculum, visit here.

One of the first books we picked up to read and learn from was The Boxcar Children. My oldest daughter now adores this book and being read to in general, thanks to Sonlight. The discussion questions were right on target for her age group, and I was able to draw my middle two children into the conversations as well. And the ease of using the Instructor's Guide made Mommy happy. All the work is basically done for me. No going to the library or searching through an online book store is necessary.

Sonlight also provides suggestions on Field Trips and Practical Life Skills, as well as Developmental Activities, that go along with the books and subjects you are studying. And while my particular Core did not include the books needed for the suggested Bible readings, I was able to use the provided Bible verses to base the needed Scriptural background for what we hoped to learn that week. What a blessing!

There is so much in this curriculum I might have to write for hours, so I will highlight just a few more great things about Sonlight:

You can choose from a 5-day school week, or a 4-day school week. Regardless of which one you prefer, they are both provided.

I appreciate that the books chosen are not twaddle. They are meatier books chosen for a specific age group that encourages my children to think and use their noggins.

The books are fun and interesting, thereby making school fun and interesting. No textbook learning here!

I am still able to use my preferred math books, as well as science, and grammar, though Readers are included.

All in all, I would highly recommend Sonlight. It is a well-rounded, exciting approach to school. Visit Sonlight yourself to learn more about it!

Five in a Row - Monday Review

2009-03-02T08:16:00.000-06:00

Five in a Row is one of the most enjoyable curricula I have been able to review. Geared towards the ages of 4-8, this easy to use book packs a lot in such a small book. All you need it this book and your local library and you will have everything you need to start learning with your child.

I received Volume 3 to review and as I had never looked at this program before, I was not quite sure how it would work. After all, the description on the back states that

". . . Five in a Row provides a step-by-step, instructional guide for teaching Social Studies, Language, Art, Applied Math and Science. . ."

How does it work? Set up as unit studies, Five in a Row utilizes childrens' books to draw the child into learning. Most of us moms know that a child loves to be read to. They will sit on the couch with us for as long as we are willing to read to them. This creates a beautiful time of learning if we are mindful of how to teach it.

Near the front of the curriculum, you will find a Table of Contents which lists fifteen different books. You have the freedom to choose whichever book you would like to start with. This was probably one of the things I loved the most about Five in a Row; it gave me freedom to start where I wanted to start. Most of the books were available at my library or could be obtained via Inter-Library Loan. (For help on how to get books via your local library, Mrs. Lambert has provided a small section in the back addressing that very issue).

One of the neatest unit studies was from the book by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Paul Revere's Ride. The illustrations in the book are beautiful. We were able to:

talk about the American Revolution
Learn the geography of Boston
Learn a bit about poetry
Understand lots of new vocabulary (how many young children know what grenadiers are?!)
Study Colonial architecture
Learn about fog

And quite a bit more! It really is beautiful how you can use a simple child's book to teach so much. My children love this and I wish I had found it sooner. The books chosen for the unit studies are excellent and worth to be found on any home library shelf.

The price of this is affordable. The standard binding for Five in a Row V. 3 is $25 and they also offer a "lay flat" spiral binding for $35.00. You will also find in the back of the book a reproducible lesson planning sheet, as well as tips on how to integrate Five in a Row with another curriculum. I love this program and I think you will, too. Be sure and stop by their website for more information.

I Kill Plants

2009-02-24T15:50:00.004-06:00

Did that title grab you? No, it is not some gimmick to entice people to read my poor blog. And no, it is not the name of my new band.

Besides, I do not have a band, new or otherwise. So why would I name one?

I digress.

Anyways, over the years, I have tried to grow living plants. I have wanted to feel the fruits of my labor and the wonder that is eating what you have carefully nurtured from seedling to the end product. Lofty dreams have filled my head since I was teenager of becoming my own gardener.

And that dream, dear friends, has yet to become fulfilled.

You see, it all started when I was probably around fifteen or sixteen. My mom had granted me permission to start a small garden in the back of our home. Armed with all kinds of tools that looked garden-y to me, I headed towards a peaceful spot on the berm.

Remember those lofty dreams I was talking about? Yep. Those were filling my girlish brain. I thought of tomatoes and corn and potatoes and watermelon while I tilled and hoed and threw out rocks. Then I laboriously made rows that my precious baby plants were going to be cradled in.

Then one day, it happened. Someone, who shall remain nameless, ran over my garden.

Sigh.

Now he, I mean, this person, did not know I had a garden. And this ~~parental unit~~ person did not know as he backed up his pickup truck over the berm that he was crushing seedlings and ruining rows. Poor things never got a chance.

To this day I have managed to kill 99.9 % of everything I have tried to raise that involves photosynthesis and dirt. Their was that one year where I managed to grow several different herbs and actually use them in our food. But that hasn't happened since.

My husband jokes that when people give me plants as gifts, that the plants are screaming on the inside, yelling "HELP! Please don't let us go to THAT woman!"

And yet, here I am again, planning for something new: container gardening.

I wonder what will come of it. And will I turn over a new leaf?

Sorry. I couldn't resist that last sentence.

Look out for further updates. . . .

Heads Up! - Review

2009-02-24T10:20:00.001-06:00

This was one of my favorite resources to review, by far. Heads Up! sent me:

Large Heads Up Frames in six colors
Small Heads Up! Frames in six colors
Heads Up! Readers in six colors and a clear Reader
Heads Up! Double-Time in two colors
Heads Up! Top of the Line in two colors

Before I go any farther, maybe I should take a moment to explain just what is Heads Up!? Heads Up! is

"a company designed to provide expert information and products for struggling learners. [Their] goal is to provide materials and information for homeschooling families, occupational therapists, speech therapists, teachers, and specialists who work with children who have developmental delays, learning disabilities, autism and other special needs."

Now what are those items I said I received to review? In short, these readers, frames, and so on, provide help with visual tracking. Because I do not have children with the above quoted problems, I was unsure how I would be able to use these items. I quickly saw that they are very beneficial in providing my oldest, and even myself, a wonderful way to stay on the right line while reading.

And that, my friends, is a great thing.

Another great thing? The price. Folks, at $1.00 a piece - yes, I said a dollar - most everyone can afford these.

Want to check these out for yourself? I urge you to pay the folks at Heads Up! a visit at their homepage.

Math Tutor DVDs- Monday Review

2009-02-23T14:53:00.001-06:00

Struggling to teach your child mathematical concepts? Wondering what mathematical aids are available to help you in that teaching? Math Tutor DVDs are affordable, helpful supplements for those in home education. Math is not my strong suit so I am grateful for these DVDs. I received both The Algebra 2 Tutor and The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor to review and I would like to share with you a bit about them.

Obviously, since I have younger children, neither of the DVDs were something our homeschool was ready for. I took it upon myself to watch them and found them to be well done. For sure, there are a few things that bothered me. The biggest problem I had was Mr. Gibson's saying the wrong number on a problem. That should have been caught and may confuse some students. The mistakes are not pressing enough to be a reason against purchasing these math aids, however.

I appreciated Mr. Gibson's approach to teaching Math. I was able to understand easily what he was trying to convey and follow without confusion the problems as they were solved. I know I will take these out, as my children get a bit older, for any mathematical problem areas.

Some topics covered under The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor are:

Multiplying and Dividing Decimals
Adding Fractions
Multiplying and Dividing Fractions
Percents
Ratio and Proportion

On The Algebra 2 Tutor disks you will find topics such as:

Writing equations of lines
Solving systems of equation by graphing
Simplifying radical expressions
Solving polynomial equations

These products are ones that I highly recommend and will use in my own home. I encourage you, as always, to check out the website. MathTutorDVD

You Are What You Eat

2009-02-20T14:07:00.004-06:00

You know, something struck me as funny several months back. While rocking one of the kidlets I came to the realization that I protect my children from quite a lot. What they watch, where they go, how they spend their time, etc.

Then it hit me.

I was not protecting them from what they put in their mouths.

Huh? you say?

Quite simply, my kids, as well as my husband and I, ate a lot of junk. What we put into those precious little mouths was not wholesome, or even natural.

Seriously, have you looked at the ingredients of most labels? Do we really know what that stuff is?

As parents we need to be super-duper careful about what we allow our children to eat. I am still trying to wrap my mind around why it took me so long to realize this. We can blame food manufacturers or our government, or even doctors, but when it really comes down to the nitty-gritty, it is us, as parents, who are ultimately responsible for our children's nutrition.

I know I am not the only one who has been struck by my own lack of foresight. Blogs and websites abound with tips on "how to get your children to eat healthy." Some even go so far as to hide vegetables in casseroles or smoothies. And while putting vegetables in casseroles and smoothies is not a bad thing, it is ultimately beneficial to teach our children now how good is the stuff that God made.

I have admitted before that I am not big on vegetables. When they are fresh, I do not mind them so much, but they sure are a lot of work to prepare. Not to mention, they are not something I can buy during my twice monthly shopping trips due to the fact that they spoil within days.

This may seem like a meandering post, and I'll grant you, it pretty much is.

But I just want to encourage my friends and readers, as well as myself, to be more vigilant in what we put in our children's bodies. Let's ask ourselves if what our sons and daughters are about to eat is worth the time it takes to chew. After all, we are responsible for those little ones and it is serious business.

How are you making sure your children are eating healthy? What ways are you striving towards in respect to changing their eating habits? I want to hear from you. I have a lot to learn and I sure will appreciate your comments!

Phonics Road to Reading and Writing - Review

2009-02-19T14:00:00.003-06:00

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to be chosen to review this. I had had my eye on this curriculum for a couple of years at least. I just did not know how it would work with my kiddos and because the price seemed quite hefty, I was not sure if I wanted to make the jump.

What is The Phonics Road to Reading and Writing? If you visit their webpage, you will see that it is called

"a complete K-4 curriculum offering the parent a comprehensive video teacher training text with an emphasis on accurate speaking, spelling, writing, reading, grammar, composition, and preparation for The LATIN Road to English Grammar."

And it really, truly is.

Folks, this is not some namby-pamby, learn-your-ABCs program. This is thorough, well thought out learn-to-read curriculum. More importantly, it teaches how to learn to read correctly. From the very beginning, a parent can instruct their child(ren) in the right way to learn to read.

And it is worth every penny.

I received Level One. In my box were:

Foreman's Construction Guide (Teacher's Guide, if you will)
Brief History of English (I loved this. It gave a great simplified history of our English language and why we spell and read things the way we do)
Plot Plan
Blueprints
Rule Tunes
Building Codes
Tool Drill Cards
Apprentice's Building Manual
Apprentice's Blueprints
Building Codes
Composition
First Readers
Handy Dandy Clipboard (How cute is that?!)
Student tool cards
Pencils and Pens

Can you see the neat theme here? We, as the parents, are the foreman, and our children are the apprentices.

Here is what I loved about this. The instructions on how to teach this to your children are not something you just read and figure out how to go about teaching. Instead, your Plot Plan is a series of 10 DVDs that you can pop in. Mrs. Beers gives instructional tips and guides you in the proper way to write the letters and form then. I learned quite a bit, myself.

My daughter loved the Handy Dandy Clipboard. It was her very own and made her feel that she had a very important role in this journey towards reading and writing. The cute tunes and activity ideas were a plus for her and made the lessons enjoyable, rather than just work.

This is a great curriculum and I recommend it for anyone who truly wants to give their child a great start in the correct way to read and write. To visit The Phonics Road website, click here.

Onion Soup Recipe

2009-02-17T09:22:00.004-06:00

I was asked to share the onion soup recipe I shared here. I will share the recipe exactly how it is written and then add my own suggestions at the end. Onions are great for colds and building up your immune system so this soup is perfect for all the nasty bugs going around. It comes from my MOMYS cook-book.

Golden Onion Soup
from Jane Purdy

Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 T. Brown Sugar, packed
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Large Onions, cut into fourths and sliced
2 (10.5 oz) cans Condensed Beef Broth, or equivalent in beef gravy broth
2 cans Water, using soup can

Prepare Parmesan croutons and reserve (see recipe below). Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees F. Heat butter in Dutch oven until melted. Stir in brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Toss onions in butter mixture. Bake uncovered about 2 1/2 hours, stirring every hour, until onions are deep golden brown. Stir in broth and water, heat to boiling over high heat. Serve with croutons.

Parmesan Croutons

1/4 c. Butter or Margarine
3 slices Bread, cut into 1" cubes
Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat butter in baking dish in oven until melted. Toss bread cubes in butter until evenly coated; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

********************************************************

Kelly's Suggestions

I followed the recipe as written, in my cast-iron Dutch oven. I would suggest lowering the temp of your oven when you are cooking the onions, as my onions ended up burnt and had to be tossed before we could eat the soup. I cook in a gas oven, so those using electric ovens may not have that problem.

The soup is very strong and I made sure to provide lots of croutons for my kids to add to their soup in order to make it more palatable. I will make it again when they are not sick and add shredded mozzarella to the tops of their bowls, kind of like a French Onion Soup. I opted not to use mozzarella this time around due to not wanting to include dairy in their diets while they were sick.

I also added a bit of sea salt write before serving. And right before I took Dutch oven out of the oven, I added lots of minced garlic. We like garlic here, and because of garlic's healthful properties, I decided it would be wise to add that.

Enjoy!

Rocket Phonics - Monday Review

2009-02-16T10:25:00.005-06:00

Phonics-teaching programs abound in the homeschool world. Teaching our children to read and write is an important facet for most parents. I know it is in this household and so I was pleased to be able to review Rocket Phonics.

In the box I received: Volumes 1 and 2, Treasure Hunt, Play and Read cards, Bingo chips, and more. It is geared for ages 4-9, or for K-3rd grades. This set is available for $159.99.

I have likes and dislikes in regard to this program. One thing that Rocket Phonics has going for it is the games and pictures incorporated into the curriculum. I mostly used this with my preK/K child. She is big into hands-on activities and I knew she would benefit the most from the program. She did pick up the letter sounds fairly easy, though the cards also seemed to confuse her.

The jury is still out on what I think of their ITA (or, Initial Teaching Alphabet). While I can see how this would work in order to for a child to learn in a speedier manner, the classical education part of me prefers for them to learn the alphabet in the more traditional manner. Basically, the ITA is a 36-sound alphabet utilized "to help the child associate a symbol (such as a) with a sound, by picturing a common word like apple." My concern is the confusion this may cause when the child is asked to understand the actual 26 letter alphabet.

This curriculum is useful for a parent who needs to teach their child to read quickly. Many of us may not have the time to use the more involved phonics programs that are readily available. Rocket Phonics also fits the bill for those who have a reluctant learner that may need a bit more than the usual method of learning.

The teacher's guide gives two ways to start teaching your children using their method: The Quick Start way, and a more in-depth teacher's portion that will equip you as you guide your children to learn to read. The Quick Start way actually seems to be quite efficient for most parents to start on the way to teaching reading. At one page in length, Quick Start is feasible for most busy parents.

I will most likely continue using this and will update the review in a few months. Until then, I encourage you to check out Rocket Phonics on your own and see if it would be a good tool in your home education.

See you next Monday for another review!

WriteShop - Story Builders Review

2009-02-13T14:26:00.005-06:00

WriteShop graciously sent me two of their products to review: StoryBuilders, World of People and World of Sports. Formatted as eBooks, these easily downloadable card decks are intended to give your young writer a creative jump start. Priced at an affordable $7.95 a piece, these would make a great addition to any homeschool.

World of People

World of Sports

Basically, the concept is that you will print out the cards and your child will use them to spur creativity in their writing assignments. There are four classifications of cards: character, character trait, setting, and plot. By picking one from each deck, the student will use those as the building blocks to their stories.

I personally love this product. My children are not yet old enough to write their own stories. However, my two oldest were able to use these to help them as they told me stories out loud. I also intend to print these out on sturdier card stock so that when they are ready, my children can use these as helpful supplements to whatever writing program I will be using with them.

Some of the suggestions on the cards may be over their heads. "Monk" was a word that they did not know, yet it opened up our conversation to another learning opportunity. You can also print out some blank cards and fill them with words of your own desire.

Another great idea for this is to print out these cards and use them as a game on family road trips. You could also use this product in class-room settings, like you would find in a co-op. There are many different ways you could use these. WriteShop has a Christmas version of this as well that would be perfect for around the holidays.

I encourage my readers to visit WriteShop's web home and see if these products would make a great for their families.

Bible Story Songs - Review

2009-02-13T12:45:00.001-06:00

Moses, Volume 1 - The First 80 years, from Bible Story Songs, arrived in our mail one day and I skeptically popped it into the CD player. I have heard my fair share of children's Bible-focused music and I admit that none of it is very palatable. If it isn't corny music or dumbed-down lyrics, it is often fluff-'n-stuff with very little theological content.

This Moses CD definitely surprised me. The songs are not hokey or pieced together. The theological content is sound; in fact, the stories are taken straight from the Bible and done in a timeline-like manner. I am very pleased.

My children really like listening to this music and they can be a tough crowd. I have heard my oldest singing a few lines and then she will bring up the topic of the song in conversation around the dinner table. This is what "impressing on our hearts" is all about.

Priced reasonable at $9.99, this CD will remain in our home and I venture to guess that a few of its siblings will find their way here as well. I am looking forward especially to purchasing the Matthew Volume 2. I encourage you to check out all of the Bible Story Songs music CDs.

You can also purchase downloadable e-format songbooks, which include guitar chords, sheet music featuring the songs from the CDs, and puzzle pages. Bible Story Songs is also availabe in mp3 format. You can find more info on that on their homepage.

You can find Bible Story Songs products here: Bible Story Songs.

What's For Lunch?

2009-02-11T14:01:00.002-06:00

We have some colds going around right now, so today was onion soup and sandwiches. What did you have? We are getting sick of the same ol', same ol'. Inspire me, please.

Homeschooling ABC's - Monday Review

2009-02-09T14:01:00.003-06:00

Those homeschool parents who are new to the art of home education often wonder how to get it all done. Starting anything new can be frustrating, and undertaking our children's academics is huge. To help, Terri Johnson from Knowledge Quest Maps has put together a twenty-six lesson course on the basics, and not-so-basics, of homeschooling.

Here is some info on this class:

One email weekly, covering the A-Z of homeschooling how-tos, for twenty-six weeks
Awesome curricula and other freebies included in many of those weeks
Cost is ten dollars monthly for the duration of the six month course
Bonus gifts just for signing up
Only 500 homeschooling families can sign up
All done electronically, so no waiting for delivery in the mail for either the course or the bonuses and other freebies

There are two different kinds of homeschoolers: those who are 2nd-, 3rd-, and so on, generation homeschoolers, and those who are doing this on their own with no prior experience or exposure. While this course is beneficial for either group, those who feel as if they are floating around with no paddles will find Homeschooling A-B-C's exceptionally useful.

One of my favorite lessons was Lesson L: Living and Learning at Home (Keeping Up With Life!). My readers know I am a very busy mama of four young kidlets, and throw education into that mix, and the situation can become unorganized chaos very quickly. Mrs. Johnson helps put fresh perspective on how to run a household and homeschool without losing your mind.

Other topics covered are:

How to choose curriculum
Teaching various ages at the same time
Socialization
Teaching Science
Connecting with other Homeschoolers
And much more

I highly encourage you to visit Homeschooling ABCs and purchase this course. If you are not a new homeschooler and you do not feel this would be something you could use, pass along the link to a new homeschooler you know. I know they will thank you for it.

What are you learning, Kelly girl?

2009-02-06T15:03:00.003-06:00

I think it was my grandpa who used to call me that. Kelly girl.

That girl is learning a lot.

Since January 1 of this year, our family has been on a journey towards healthier living. We started out with the just the plan of eating in a manner the provides us the best health, but have moved on towards improving all aspects of our living. Towards that end, I purchased Sloan Barnett's Green Goes With Everything. What an eye opener.

One thing this book has brought to my attention is this: chemicals are everywhere, y'all. When I read: "the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that levels of organic pollutants are two to five times higher inside our homes than outside," you can be sure it makes me think. And think hard. Everything I have been using in our family's everyday living has been laden with chemicals. And for a family where 4 out of the 6 of us are asthmatics, that is just not a good thing.

Nope.

I am loving this book big time, so expect a review on it in the near future.

Changing gears here, did my awesome bloggy readers here this about this bit of loveliness?

Report: High Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated With Mercury

Two new papers look at the presence of mercury in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). An article in Environmental Health finds mercury in commercial HFCS. An IATP study finds mercury in common foods and beverages.

That just ain't cool, y'all. You can read the rest of the findings here.

What say you?

Doctors Over-Diagnosing Food Allergies

2009-02-03T10:02:00.002-06:00

Due to our four year old daughter's severe eczema and serious food allergies (right now we only have it pinpointed to lentils) we are going to be doing the elimination and challenge diet with her. Has anyone done this? If so, I would love for you to leave me a comment or email me at wisdombegun at gmail dot com . I need some info and advice.

Anyways, this article in the New York Times from yesterday was especially helpful in affirming our decision to do the elimination and challenge diet, rather than the testing. I hope some of you who find yourselves in the difficult and sometimes scary position of being the parent to a child with food allergies or sensitivites will find it helpful.

Being Smart With Our Money

2009-01-26T11:05:00.002-06:00

Find me over at Blissful Home today, with a tutorial for you on how to make new out of old. See you there!

All About Homophones - Monday Review

2009-01-26T08:11:00.003-06:00

All About Homophones is a fun way to teach correct word usage to your children. I was given the e-Book version of this product; the print version will be available this month.

Geared towards the 1st-8th grades, you will find:

Graphic Organizers
Homophone Worksheets
Crossword Puzzles
Card Games
Record sheets
And more

This book is one of the neatest and helpful learning tools I have to date. At 240 pages, it will "grow" with your child or children. The list of homophones and their corresponding worksheets grows with each learning level. At the back you will find a mega-list of homophones which I found helpful and made sure to print out.

We found this chock-full of activities and my daughter especially appreciates the card games. Mom loved the riddles and tongue twisters at the end. We love puzzles and thinking type games in this family, so the crossword puzzles inspired us to use our newfound homophone knowledge.

One thing I love is the book list Mrs. Rippel provides. You can check out these books at your local library or purchase them and they are very helpful in teaching homophones to your children. I know my kiddos are excited to be checking these out.

This is a great supplement, folks, and I urge you to get a copy. It adds a little important variety to your school days and is done in a fun, useful way.

I am not yet sure of the price of this product so I will update this review as I find that out. Until then, you can check out Mrs. Rippel's other products at All About Spelling.

Come back next Monday for another review!

The Fight for the Unborn

2009-01-22T15:16:00.004-06:00

Our new president's posted agenda on the White House webpage states that he:

Supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.
Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: President Obama was an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods. The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide compassionate assistance to rape victims.

This man is supposedly for civil rights. Read about his civil rights agenda here.

The following video was shared with me and I would like to share it here. Abortion is wrong, no matter what way you look at it.

The Beauty of Three

2009-01-21T14:37:00.005-06:00

Since I am struggling at the moment to find clarity of mind to write a post (baby hasn't been sleeping well), I thought I would bring out and dust off a blog post I wrote April 24, 2007. I find it helpful to go back and read what I have written and marvel at the way God has changed me. I have grown up in a few short years and I owe it all to my heavenly Father.

At the time I wrote this, I had a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 17-month-old.

Enjoy.

The Beauty of Three
Written April 24, 2007

I remember someone asked me once - and I cannot for the life of me remember who it was, so if you are reading this and it was you, please forgive me! - if it was harder to transition from having only one to having two children, or from having only two to having three children. I believe I replied that it was much harder to transition from one to two. Boy, I must have been off my rocker when I said that. I believe at the time my youngest was only a couple of months old and so life then with three was not much different from having two.

Cut to the chase, plain and simple, here is how it is with three: h-a-r-d. I believe I have forgotten what it is like to be able to brush my hair every morning, or have time to fold clothes. I no longer wear contacts because, believe me, any couple of minutes required to put those things in is non-existent. I am on my feet all day long. Really. All day long. Sometimes, I am unable to sit even for breakfast or lunch, and instead eat hurriedly while wiping jelly off of a two-year-old, filling up a cup with milk for the 4-year-old, and bouncing a baby on my hip. The most relaxing time of my day is when I am able to sit down for a precious few moments to nurse the baby. Even then, I have to lock myself in a room and leave the rest of the house to the mercy of my other two children, just to keep my baby boy from being so distracted that he can't nurse. Oh, and that pile of books by my bed I used to be able to read through? Now I am blessed to get through a book in half a year.

Laundry now is taken from the basket to be worn, not neatly folded from a dresser drawer. Bathrooms are cleaned in five minutes or less - often less - and are not nearly as sparkling as I would have them. Dishes are done quickly, in between opening and shutting of the dishwasher drawer by my two-year-old. Oh, and cleaning my floors on hands and knees? They are happy to be cleaned by a paper towel now. Thankfully, I have utilized the wonders of freezer-cooking, otherwise my dear husband would have to be manfully wolfing down peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every night.

It used to be, with only two, that I could catch a nap in the afternoon if the baby had kept me up all night before. Not any longer. While it is possible to get all three of my children to nap at once, I have to use that precious time to utilize the latrine or toss a load of laundry in the washer.

It also used to be that my dear husband and I were fairly matched. Now we are outnumbered. Going out to dinner is a miraculous feat with three littles, though I must say it is probably more of a chore because of all of the rude stares we get. "How dare they have more than 1.7 children! They should be reported to social services!" "Don't they know what causes that?" "Good grief, what a bunch of religious whackos, overpopulating the earth."

You may be wondering after reading this just why I do have more than our 1.7 children. Well, rather than answer that in a long, Biblical dissertation, I'll just answer with a Mommy-type answer. We love our children. (And no, I am not saying that anyone who has less children do not love their children. One loves their children despite the number of them) It is true that with more children there are more hugs, more kisses, more cuddles, and more shining faces and outstretched arms to be hugged. More calls of "Mommy! I love you!" and more toothless grins as they rapture in the fact that you, Mommy, are there with them.

These are all wonderful benefits to having a somewhater larger family, though I still think it ridiculous that three children is considered a lot of children. The list of wonderful, mushy, emotional wonderments of having three children would honestly go on and on.

But that is not what I appreciate the most of having three little ones. If anything, I have learned the awesomeness of having to trust the Lord fully as I work so hard every day. Before I had three children, I was super-mom (not really, but visions of capes and pink tights with an adoring crowd of fans and a super huge trophy may have flitted through my dreams at some point). I could do quite a bit. I got things done. Laundry was worn without wrinkles, the kitchen floor could have been eaten off of, and I was able to talk to my husband every night with no interruption. I was able to do a lot more, oftentimes thinking I could do these things of my own volition. But now, wowee! I am smack-dab in the middle of an extremely wide river without even a boat to use those oft-remarked about missing paddles. I have learned to cling to His Word like never before. Instead of just "getting through" my days, I am learning to experience joy in them. I have learned that yes, the Lord does supply the strength that I need despite my human fraility. And let me tell you, that realization is one of the greatest moments in my life.

I am but a creature, made by a perfect Creator. I can do nothing without Him. I must lean on Him or I will falter.

I find that His strength gives me the physical energy to go about my days. This strength is more perfect than any exercise, any vitamin, or any amount of night's sleep (though those things are very important.)

I am able to sing praises to God, knowing fully that if I fall, He will pick me up. Despite being buried under a mountain of unfolded laundry, He will give me the strength to get done what He has me to do that day, even if it means the house is not immaculate. I am raising young children for Him. Lord willing, these children will bring glory to Him. And yet, I must remember, I cannot go it alone. It must be by His strength. Praise God!

"God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect." -2 Samuel 22:33

Where be you, Lady?

2009-01-13T13:17:00.005-06:00

I. am. bizzee.

Here is a run down of my life since Thanksgiving:

4 colds. All four children. Same time. 'Nuff said.
Teething baby.
Homeschooling.
Beginning to bake all of our bread. Will soon throw in grinding our own grain as well.
Participating as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse's Homeschool Crew.
Using my love of homemaking and writing and throwing that together to become a contributing writer for Blissfully Domestic {Home}.
Starting a column entitled "Pinched Pennies" for Debbie over at Bird on a Wire.
Continuing to read through the Bible; I am working through this slowly and am only now getting close to finishing up 2 Chronicles.
Learning and trying to bring into practice more natural ways for our family to stay healthy.
Cloth diapering.
Baby wearing.
Snuggling cute children.
Doling out kisses in abundance.
Playing Blokus with Hubby, oldest daughter, and middle daughter.
Trying to figure out nicknames for my kiddos for this blog.
Contributing writer for upcoming e-Book.

So, yes, to say I am slightly busy is an understatement. While my focus is solely on Christ, through His grace, I am yet able to care for my blessings and my darling husband. For those of you who have asked me how I get things done with 4 young kiddos, I have but one answer: God. I cannot do it. His strength, not my own, carries me through.

And when the day is done, and I am snuggling down for sleepy time under the sheets, I am happy and at peace. Not because of all that I am doing. But because His strength is never-failing. It cannot wear out like my earthly body does. His strength never ends. His strength alone is my rock, my staff, my guide.

God is good. In all things.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. -Psalm 118:1

First Impressions

2009-01-09T09:28:00.003-06:00

While I am busy writing posts for my little blog here, please visit Blissfully Domestic for my new article on how your home can make a good first impression.

First Impressions: Your Front Door

More Bloggy Love

2009-01-06T14:19:00.004-06:00

Christy from Mercy Every Morning is one of the sweetest, most sincere bloggers I know. I value her blog posts and appreciate the thoughtful comments she often leaves me here at Wisdom Begun. I consider her a blessing!

She recently gave me two blog awards and I want to share the love. Here is the first one and I will share and pass the love later on this week with the other:

The Kreativ Blogger Award stipulates that I must award this to six other bloggers after I share six things I am thankful for. You will find my award recipients after my "thankful for" list.

I am thankful for . . . .

The grace and mercy bestowed upon me every single day by my heavenly Father. I am nothing and He is everything.
My husband. This man is my best friend. He loves me as the Bible commands him to. He works extra hard, doing even household chores, so that I am not overwhelmed by all that God has asked of me. I love him
The four precious kiddos that keep me on my toes. I love their individual personalities and figuring out just "who they are." They are my adorable sweeties.
I am grateful for the job my husband has, especially in these tough times where many have no employment. I am thankful that we see him for breakfast, he gets to come home for lunch, and is home by 6 PM most every night.
My home. During these chilly past few nights, I have been thanking the Lord for His goodness in giving me a warm, pleasant home over my head.
For all the things I have learned, am learning, and will learn in the new year.

I would like to share this award with following six bloggers, in no particular order:

Mona, from Blessings of a Keeper at Home
Heartfelt Homemaking
Kimba at A Soft Place to Land
From The Rubber Room
Carolyn, the Scrapping Servant
Michelle, from Raising Little Women

Kinderbach - Monday Review

2009-01-05T21:44:00.001-06:00

Kinderbach is a preschool program that aims to teach young ones lessons in piano. Using the internet, dvds, or their provided curriculum, children can be taught by parents who have little or no music background. The program is geared for the 2 - 7 age group. I was blessed to be able to use their curriculum via the web.

A few neato keen things about Kinderbach:

My kids loved Miss Karri. They enjoyed her enthusiastic approach to teaching and appreciated her ability to relate to their age group.
The lessons are short and simple. You go at your child's own pace and are not rushed into moving onto the next lesson.
Children are not just sitting there like a bunch of rocks while they learn. They are often engaged in exercises where they have to be up and moving about.
The different media available in which to learn this curriculum.
The program is geared for the young ones, so even if piano teachers will not teach your child until, say, age 7, you can start something when you know they are ready.

Some things I did not care for:

The music and words were very hard to hear on my computer in most of the lessons. I had my speakers turned all the way up, and still my children were having to sit almost next to the speakers in order to hear anything.
Due to the fact that I was classically trained in piano from age 5 to age 16 or 17, I may expect a bit more than the average parent. This program was cutesy and catchy and enjoyable for the children, but it did not seem to be a solid approach for beginning piano. Thus, I believe this program would be better as an early musical appreciation curriculum, rather than a curriculum to start learning to play on a piano keyboard.
It does not conform to our educational philosophy. We are more heavy on theory and note reading than pictures and videos.

This is not a bad program. It was not a fit for our family, but I could easily see how it will work for many other families. Especially for those parents who have no musical background, Kinderbach would fit the bill.

Kinderbach currently only has one level of two pricing plans: $7.16 a month/billed as a one-time annual payment of $85.95 or monthly payed out to be $14.95 a month. The site also reflects two more levels, silver and gold, coming soon. These prices are much lower than one would pay for piano lessons at a studio.

I encourage you to check out Kinderbach for yourself and see if it would do well in your home education.

My New Year's Resolution

2009-01-01T16:00:00.001-06:00

This year is the first year I will be making a New Year's Resolution. It actually involves the whole family and not just myself, so the undertaking is pretty big. At the same time, it is such a blessing to be able to make the New Year's changes with others.

2009 will be the year that the Russell family drastically changes our eating habits. Yes, we will be attempting to eat in a healthier manner. With God's grace, we can do it.

We started by using January 1st to literally go through the pantry and throw away anything with sugar and most of the processed foods.

We ended up with a pantry that is almost empty and a couple of garbage bags full of stuff we don't want to consume anymore. Some will be tossed, other items will be given away to charities or freecycled. I hadn't gone through the pantry in a while, so many of the items had said good-bye to their expiration dates some time ago.

One major change in this whole eating healthier "thang" will be that we will be making our own bread and grinding the wheat needed for that at home. I'm not sure when we'll start start this as we have yet to purchase our grain mill and the wheat will take a few weeks to ship. All the kinks need to be worked out as I am such a newbie at this.

Also, more raw fruits and veggies will be consumed in this household. This will be the hardest thing for me as I really am not a raw vegetable lover. And I do not like salad. I might be grumbling a lot on the inside until I get used to it.

We stopped purchasing breakfast cereals about 6 months ago and have been eating either oatmeal or toast for breakfast. We also buy butter and not margarine (yes, I know, there are great arguments on either side, so I really don't want to go there). These small changes have been the necessary baby steps towards what we feel is the best way for our family to eat. We would rather start small than take on too much and feel defeated.

I am going to try my hand at container gardening this year. I am hopeful to have some homegrown vegetables and fruits and herbs to add to our Russell Family table this year. I have no green thumb and usually kill plants so this is a major undertaking for me.

What are the changes you have decided to take on this new year? Let me know in the comments section.

**************************************************************************

Other changes coming for me this new year will be the finishing up of my reviews for the TOS Homeschool Crew. I will also be starting a frugal tips column on another website (more details coming on that soon) and you will find me contributing to Blissfully Domestic in there Blissful Home section. I am excited at all of the opportunities and give all praise to God for His goodness in my life.

I look forward to this year and hope to grow in the grace of God as He molds and shapes me to be what He wants to be. Trust and obey is my motto. Do you have a new motto?

Links I Like

2009-01-01T09:08:00.000-06:00

Below, you will find some of my favorite places to visit whilst I traverse the online world. Please note that by adding these sites, I am not necessarily endorsing them.

Amy's Humble Musings

Group Recipes
Homeschool Share
There's No Place Like Home
Lapbooking on Squidoo
Revive Our Hearts

Tammy's Recipes

Bloggy Awards - Thanks, Y'all!

2009-01-01T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Power of a Smile

2008-12-30T09:15:00.000-06:00

I was recently at one of my least favorite grocery stores. While I will not disclose any names, the store is notoriously known in our family as the store with some of the worst customer service. However, this post is not about customer service.

Though there seems to be a lack of great customer service these days.

Oh yeah, the post isn't about customer service. Anyways.

While in the checkout line of said store, the person ringing up my purchases did not say a word. Or look at me. Until she told me the amount of my purchase, I do not think she even knew I existed.

Sad.

This has happened many times at this particular chain of grocery stores. And more than once have I left fuming mad, ready to call the manager, his boss, and the higher ups to let them know of the just-plain-terrible customer service. The lack of even a small word or some sign that I, the customer, was there.

I have tried a new thing. Well, to me a new thing. I am sure many of you have already done this.

I have smiled.

"Hello, how are you today?" said in my cheeriest voice.

It amazes me how this small thing, this sentence of but five words, in addition to a heartfelt smile, will open up the grumpiest of grumps. I try it now every time I am somewhere and it is amazing the snowball effect that follows. The person behind me gets a much happier check-out lady than the one I had.

I am backing away from the ever-elusive title of Super Mom, and working now towards Happiest Lady on Earth.

We'll see what happens.

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. - Proverbs 15:30

Peterson Directed Handwriting Review

2008-12-30T02:00:00.001-06:00

Peterson Directed Handwriting is a handwriting program that focuses on on "teaching fluent print and cursive handwriting skills." I was given a couple of months ago their PreK/K and 1st grade levels and I'd like to share with you a little bit about those as well as my own personal thoughts.

1st Grade Level

My five-year-old was the first child I tried out with this. The lesson plans were done for me (and if you know me, you know this is a big plus) and were designed to last 10 minutes long. Included in the packet were a larger pencil that makes for easier gripping for smaller hands. Also included was a large sticker to put on table or desktop that showed the proper angle in which to position the writing paper, based on whether the student is left-handed or right-handed. I found this very helpful in teaching her, though I do want to add that the sticker easily comes off. This can be remedied by affixing over the top with clear packing tape.

The first lesson went well. My daughter likes the short and simple and the lessons are certainly that. The next day was a little frustrating as she just didn't get it. After that, each lesson became too much of a struggle for daughter and mother, thus we took a short break.

PreK/K

We tried again and the same happened: more frustration. I have since set it aside.

My middle two, however, have appreciated the Peterson approach. The kit comes with great reproducibles and my little ones have been learning which was is the right way to hold a pencil, how to sit correctly, and which way to hold the paper when writing.

I think one of the best things about this, however, teaching them to write in the air, using their arms and hands. Not only was this hugely fun for them, the book included has very big letters and numbers they can trace with their fingers as well. I have some pictures, I'll have to share those later.

I wanted to give a quick breakdown on what comes with each kit.

Grade One Complete Kit

Teacher handbook
Student book
Two large barreled pencils
CD that animates the rhythm and proper motion in which to form letters
Table/Desktop position guides

Preschool and Kindergarten

Same as Grade One, though the work is at a different level

How it works:

The PreK/Kindergarten level start with basic strokes. Various exercises introduce the necessary motor skills that will be needed later on when the begin to write fluently. 1st grade level builds upon that. Process skills are learned using "rhythm based activities" and correct directional writing. It was especially helpful at the beginning when my oldest daughter learned the direction that we read and write. Naming the the top, middle, and bottom lines were critical in instilling in her important foundations of writing.

Also, open chatroom times are available to get help needed for your budding writer/reader. LOTS of informational resources are on the website and this was very helpful as my oldest is left-handed and I am right-handed. I had no idea how to teach a lefty to write properly but the info on the site guided me in the best way to handle it.

What I think:

I think this program is great. At $44.70 for the PreK/K complete kit and $38.55 for 1st grade level complete kit, these resources are very affordable. They also can be reused and only one complete kit is needed when buying for multiple children, even in various age groups. This is a huge plus.

I do think that the program may be too much for some. My oldest daughter just was overloaded and we had to stop. It worked fine for my middle two. Peterson Directed Handwriting is actually a great way for those who are struggling with handwriting and need extra help.

All in all, I DO recommend this resource and will be happy to answer any questions about it.

Alphabet Alley - Monday Review

2008-12-29T13:34:00.005-06:00

Alphabet Alley Christian Toys provides quality educational toys and gifts for the younger crowd. Given that my children are 5 and under, this product was a perfect match for us. We were given the Two-By-Two Matching Game as well as the Noah's Ark Go Fish game to review.

My children really loved these. The graphics are just so cute and grabbed even the attention of my busy two year old son. He put down his fire engine toys long enough to play with the matching game and that is saying a lot.

I love how heavy duty the matching game cards are as well as the Go Fish cards. With young kids, I often find that games made for them are not durable enough to withstand more than a few tries with my rowdy crew. These made the cut, however, and that means more meaningful play time. The chunky matching game cards held up to normal wear and tear and were the perfect fit for chubby hands.

A big deal to me is the fact that this company is faith-based. Many companies market their educational products well to young children, but the fact that they are secular shines right through. Alphabet Alley strives to teach the youngins how to play and learn biblical principles at the same time.

Priced at $5.99 for the Go Fish Cards and $10.99 for the Matching Game, the game is perfect for those children who are not ready for games that require reading.

I highly recommend this company for those looking for quality products for young children.

See you soon for more reviews!

All About Spelling - Review

2008-12-23T14:48:00.004-06:00

I just want to begin by saying: I love this spelling program.

In words that my husband would be oh-so-proud to hear, "It rocks."

Being a homeschooler usually involves teaching in various ways to suit your particular children. My oldest daughter is more of a auditory and visual learner, while my middle daughter is more of a hands-on type learner. All About Spelling fits both. And that is nothing short of amazing.

Quoting from the All About Spelling website

". . .the All About Spelling series . . . bring(s) together the three pathways to learning—auditory (hearing), visual (seeing), and kinesthetic (touching). "

Using the Orton-Gillingham approach to spelling, your children will learn how to correctly say and learn phonograms, learn necessary spelling rules and concepts, and master homophones. And that is only a tiny, itty-bitty list of what all this program introduces and drives home.

My daughter loves the bright, colorful letter tiles. As we sit at the school room table, she is able see the letters as I say out loud their different sounds. In fact, she would consider it a fun afternoon just to put the tiles in alphabetical order. At five she has learned correctly each sound a vowel or syllable makes, and she can tell you exactly what a vowel or syllable is. It does this Mother's heart good to hear her tell Daddy that no, N is not a vowel.

Six books are planned for the All About Spelling. Levels 1 - 4 are available now and Level 5 will be available in 2009. Also up for purchase are spelling games, a phonogram sounds CD-Rom (which I love because it ensures that I am saying their sounds correctly), phonogram cards, and letter tiles and magnets for those letter tiles. You will also find articles that are so helpful on learning how to make it all work.

Levels 1 and 2 are priced at $29.95 and levels 3 and 4 are $39.95. All in all, those prices are excellent considering the material you will be covering and the fact that lesson plans are done for you. What? I didn't share that wonderful bit of news with you yet? Yes, lesson plans are done for you and that is such a huge plus for this busy mother. And considering the fact that you can use this for 4 year olds on up to adults, the price seems a bargain.

Another thing I wanted to point out was that you can spend as little or as much as need be on this program. We use it daily for 10-45 minutes, depending on how well my daughter is grasping the concepts. It is perfect for shaping to your own child(ren)'s individual needs.

One plus that goes over well with me is that everything is so well organized. You are instructed to set up a index card box with the provided dividers. You then put the flashcards in the appropriate place and this enables the teacher to find what he or she needs much faster and with a smoother transition between concepts.

I encourage you to visit the website, peruse the information offered or email Marie if need be. This is an excellent program and I would be happy to share my thoughts with you on it. Feel free to email me at mamarussell at gmail dot com .

Motherboard Books - Monday Review Part Deux

2008-12-22T13:05:00.004-06:00

As someone who hopes to someday become a web designer/developer, I was grateful to receive the eBook Let's Make a Webpage, created for 8-12 year olds.

Step by step, The Computer Lady (aka Phyllis Wheeler) shows young people how to make their very own page on the internet. I love how simple and easy it is to read and learn from! Some of the things your young web designer will learn are:

Making a Table (and no, not the kind you eat on!)
Adding photos and sound
How to upload to the internet

You do have to upload a trial version of CoffeeCup to follow her instructions exactly. This is the one downside. The trial version lasts 30 days, so make sure you read the entire eBook before you download CoffeeCup. An introductory price of $19.99 is now running on Let's Make a Webpage, which is an excellent bargain if you are looking to supplement for your homeschool.

She also gives a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

Overall, this is an excellent resource for teaching your 8-12 year olds how to make their own web page.

It's That Time of Year . . .

2008-12-21T07:40:00.003-06:00

Note to germs: Go away. I do not like you and never have. Why you must keep invading our home I will never, ever know. I am sure you have better things to do. Like go on a long, slow lifeboat to nowhere. Please. Go away.

Yes, after a bout of the cold virus a few weeks ago, my four-year-old is now doing the whole runny nose, sneezing, coughing thing. Again. Baby just got over a double ear infection due to said virus. Oh, and yes, this is the week of Christmas. If we get sick, this will make the 3rd year in a row that we have been sick on Christmas. My poor little guy has not know a Christmas when he was not sick. What a way to remember the holidays, eh?

Yet through the stress and thoroughly-bummed-out-ness, I am striving to remember that Christ obeyed even to death on a cross. Can I obey amongst a few sniffles and coughs? I sure hope so, though I know it will not be because of my own strength, but because of the grace of our God. Worry not . . .

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? -Matthew 6:27

Puppetools - Monday Review

2008-12-21T06:00:00.001-06:00

Puppetools touts its purpose as "advancing the science of play in education." While I believe play has an important part in home education and life in general, I found Puppetools fell a little short in promoting its objective.

In a nutshell, Puppetools is a website that educates parents/educators and students on how to make creative puppets. Many puppet patterns and ideas are on the site, giving some who are creatively challenged an idea on how you might use this in education. The site is priced as follows:

$20 for a trial subscription of 60 days.
$99 for a regular subscription of 1 year and up to 30 users

Unfortunately, the site is hard to find your way around and you are left with the feeling that you really don't know what you have paid for. The quality of the movies are not the best and will be difficult for those on dial-up to use. I found that very little of the info I could actually find was beneficial to my particular homeschool.

However, for those who love puppets and would be able to use them in a group setting, such as a co-op, this may be a good fit for you. The cost is prohibitive to using it on just one family but that could be offset by a number of families sharing. The forum is also a good place to get ideas on how one could use puppets in education.

Come back often for more reviews!

Misc.

2008-12-18T14:27:00.002-06:00

I have gotten quite a few great responses on Christmas menus. Keep them coming!

Oh, and someone reminded me that I never did really say how old I was. At least not in a post.

For those who care, and those who don't, I am 28.

I did want to relay that no, this blog has NOT become a place for reviews only. While I welcome the chance to review products, this blog is mostly for me to just be, well, me. This month is busy with review posts. I have had many vendors and their products that I am trying out and once January is over, the review posts will be a lot farther between.

A few blog posts I am working on are:

My New Year's resolution
Why "Wisdom Begun," Anyway?
Why I Schedule My Day
Learning from Older Women
Obedience

I'd love to hear what my dear readers are planning to post about. Feel free to leave comments or to email me at mamarussell at gmail dot com .

Trigger Memory Systems Review

2008-12-15T08:57:00.004-06:00

Jennie von Eggers, MJ Flanagan, and Dena Wood have been able to do what many others have not: make learning the times tables fun and easy. Written on the front of of their Times Tales is "Learn 'Em Fast - Have A Blast!" and I found that to be completely true.

Times Tales is a mnemonic-based system used to teach young ones how to learn multiplication facts. From their information page:

- Covers the most difficult to memorize times tables: 3x6,3x7,3x8,3x9,4x6,4x7,4x8,4x9,6x6,6x7,6x8,6x9,
7x7,7x8,7x9,8x8,8x9,9x9

- FAST - most children learn in two 45 minute sessions!

- Non-consumable - can be used by the whole family.

- FUN - kids love this learning method and ask for more!

Using this system was a blast! My five-year-old, and even my three-year-old, were able to pick up the facts very easily and loved the kooky pictures. The flip chart format made it easy for me as the teacher to manage without a lot of awkward maneuvering to enable both teacher and student to see at the same time. That is a definite plus in my book.

When I received this in the mail I looked over the flip chart before reading the instruction manual. I scratched my head and even said aloud, "This makes absolute no sense. HUH?" I took up the instruction manual and the authors suggest not getting bogged down trying to figure it out. I am glad I took their advice and did just that.

The memory story guides in the Instruction Manual involve one sentence which help "explain" the pictures in the flip chart, a discussion guide, and some questions and answers to go over with your student(s). Each lesson can last as long as you want it, though little time overall is needed. Another plus is that very little teacher prep is needed which is good for this busy mom! You can see a sample of what you will find by clicking here.

You also receive a Roll'Em Cube game, Crossword Puzzle Challenge, Division Flash Cards, Practice Tests and regular Tests, and Answer Key.

This is priced at $29.95 for Time Tales and $34.95 for the Time Tales w/ Mini Flip.

We also were blessed by being sent Trigger Memory System's Clean 'n Flips. I LOVE these. If you are looking for a method to help train your children to be responsible for cleaning up around your home, these will be such a great tool for you. Available are:

Laundry for Kids

$7.95

Bedroom Cleaning for Kids

$7.95

And, Zone Cleaning for Kids
$17.95

Fully-laminated, with the exception of Laundry for Kids, kids can use the pictures in these flip charts in order to remember how to properly clean, sort, wipe down, and pick up all on their own. I especially love the step by step instructions and pictures that help my girls clean the kitchen on their own. These Clean n' Flips are invaluable tools to help our children become productive members of a family.

You can buy the whole set of three for $29.95.

Come back soon for more reviews!

Little Man in the Map - Monday Review

2008-12-15T08:10:00.004-06:00

Are you wondering how to teach the United States geography to your children? Stumped by creative ways to get them to remember which state is which? Published by Schoolside Press, Little Man in the Map is one man's answer to learning the geography of our country.

Even now, as an adult, I have a hard time figuring out where each state is located. And honestly? I had never really thought of taking the time to learn or teach it to my children. Thanks to E. Andrew Martonyi I will not have to spend a second worrying about. My children loved this book and I did as well.

Based on shapes and visual clues, children are led to recognize the states and their placement based on the correlation to other states. The central figure in this book is MiM (Little Man in the Map) and he cleverly uses rhyme to teach readers, young and old a like, how to find the 50 states on a map. The book is also just a fun read and a nice book to add to your home library.

Priced at $19.95, you can also purchase separately The Little Man in the Map Wall Map for $21.95. A combo of the book and wall map is also available for $35.00. Free shipping is also available for a limited time during the holidays.

*Note* While I highly recommend this book, some of my readers may find the content on pages 50-57 objectionable, due to the the words "magic" and references to elves. The word is not used in the occult sense. I just want to make you aware!

Tomorrow you will find a review for another great memory program.

Christmas Menu

2008-12-10T11:09:00.004-06:00

I have made out our family's Christmas Eve/Day menu and I am so excited about all of the cooking that is going to ensue in this household over the next couple of weeks. I love cooking and baking and my kiddos do, too. Of course, the hubby will never say no to my cooking.

Unless it involves beans.

That's another story. Moving on . . . .

What is on your Christmas menu, dearest bloggy friends?

Here is my menu, though of course what we actually have depends on how many people we will have here. It will be less if it is just us.

Drum roll, please?

Pretty please?

Christmas Eve

Dinner

Enchiladas (cheese and chicken)
Tamale Pie
Tacos
Rice w/ Cilantro

Dessert

Cheese Cake Cupcakes
Coffee
Wassail

Christmas Day

Breakfast

Pancakes
Egg and Sausage Casserole

Big lunch

Turkey
Brisket or ham
Green Beans
Sweet potato casserole
Slow cooker mashed potatoes
Sauerkraut
Stuffing
Fresh Salad
Honey Ginger carrots
Rolls
Gravy
Homemade Italian Dressing

Dessert

Bet you can't leave alone bars
Apple Crisp
Cake (chocolate)
Pie (not sure what kind yet, maybe pecan??)
Coffee
Tea

Evening

Chips and dip
Fresh fruits and veggies with corresponding dip
Pimento cheese finger sandwiches
PB&J finger sandwiches

Okay, I have shared my menu so now it is your turn! Please share in the comments section what your menu is, or leave me a link to a blog post that lists your menu. You can even email it to me at mamarussell at gmail dot com

Spears Art Curriculum

2008-12-10T00:37:00.003-06:00

The Lord was so good, y'all, when I was accepted as a participant in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. There were a number of subjects (namely art and science) that I just could not decide which method or curricula I wanted to use. I was sent the K-8 Christan Art Curriculum CD by Diane Shields Spears and I know this was God's hand in our lives as I really love this program.

I honestly do not like to have to read material on my computer and I prefer it in hand, so it a little awkward at first to try and figure out the curriculum. That is not the case for everyone and I know that many people love having an electrical version. Call me old fashioned. I did figure it out eventually and I really appreciated what I saw. You can buy it in print form, just so you know.

Laid out to be used thematically based on seasons, Dr. Spears has designed a curriculum that strives to teach children art from a Biblical worldview. Art projects are made to coincide with holidays, weather, and whatever else may be going on in any particular month. Each project is geared towards a certain grade level, thus you will not have young kindergarteners or 1st graders trying to paint masterpieces.

You will find in your teacher's manual a scope and sequence which helped me get a broad overview of what I would be teaching. General rules for presenting lessons are also included as well as a glossary that defines artistic terms. A supply list at the back is given, though it is rather difficult to use as you have to search through each lesson to ascertain which supplies are needed.

Each week is laid out as follows:

Objectives
Scripture verse
Vocabulary
Motivation and Focus
List of materials needed for that week
Activity(ies)

I especially appreciate the focus on Scripture. Your child will learn artistic values and methods through the way God intended. No humanistic garbage is thrown in. I did find that I would add another scripture verse or replace one she included because I thought it would better explain the concept she was trying to convey, but that did not happen often.

My daughter loves the hands-on activities. She especially loved learning about the primary and secondary colors and filling out the color wheel delighted her to no end. My other children were also able to get involved to a degree.

One thing that I just absolutely must rave about is the fact that because each week is based on a theme, children of all ages can be included and you can do this together as a family. Instead of different themes for each different child, which may result in a very harried mother, everyone can focus on a common concept. This simplifies learning and does not make it more burdensome than necessary.

You can view some sample art lessons here (scroll down to almost the middle of the page.) Prices are:

$39.95 for the K-8 teacher's manual on CD-Rom in PDF (full color pages in PDF booklets)

A combo of hard copy in black and white on a three ring binder and CD-Rom for $134.95

These prices include shipping.

She also has a CD-Rom special going on where you can purchase the K-8 and older grade level CD-Roms and receive a free Beginning Calligraphy Workbook CD-Rom for $69.90.

I could go on and on about this program, but I'll end for now. If you would like to know more, please email me at mamarussell at gmail dot com .

Visit Spears Art Studio curriculum here.

Salem Ridge Press Review - Great Christmas Ideas

2008-12-09T10:00:00.006-06:00

With Christmas so near, I am sure some of us are scrambling for some gift suggestions. Here is an idea that I think many of my readers will appreciate: books.

Who's with me?

Books make the best gifts and I must admit that I do not mind receiving them.

Salem Ridge Press is a republishing company founded by Daniel Mills. Begun in 2005, the aim of Salem Ridge Press is this

"Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8)."

If you ask me, this is a pretty good premise to anything having to do with books.

Our family was sent:

Mary Jane - Her Book by Clara Ingram Judson

The American Twins of the Revolution by Lucy Fitch Perkins

and, Glaucia by Emma Leslie

I love these books. Each one was written in the 1800's or early twentieth century. There are no filthy words or compromising situations displayed. This is a great comfort to someone who is trying to keep that type of yucky stuff out of her home.

My oldest absolutely loves the Mary Jane book. She begs me to read it and after I have finished a chapter, I'll set the book down, and she will bring it back to me and ask me to read more. That rarely happens, folks. The story is told of Mary Jane, a little girl, as she goes about her family life. You'll find cute stories and mishaps and simplicity that captures the attention of young children.

Glaucia was my personal favorite. It was such an awesome thing to read about the two slaves, Glauca and her brother Laon, who found out that there was a God who loves even them. What a blessing to be reminded of WHO God is and WHAT He does for us! It also presents an accurate portrayal of Rome and Greece as they were in ancient times. I look forward to using this book in school during later years.

I highly recommend this company. These books are definitely one of a kind and not the typical type of reading material you will find on a bookstore or library shelf. If you are looking for something different, go no further than Salem Ridge Press.

Rime to Read - Monday Review

2008-12-08T09:54:00.006-06:00

What is a "rime?" Many of us could easily give the definition of the word "rhyme" ( identity in sound of some part, esp. the end, of words or lines of verse) but the word "rime" seems foreign. I know that I had never heard of it.

Rimes are virtually the same as rhymes with one exception: while rhymes sound alike, they do not always look alike. Rimes do look alike. Some examples of a rime are Pat, Sat, Cat.

Rimes are the premise for the Rime to Read program, a program for beginning readers, Rime to Read is designed to teach by using "color-coded . . . rimes (word families)." Sold as twenty separate virtual books, the focus is on simple booklets using simple word to teach children to read.

I was blessed by being able to review all the books. Each book is short and sweet and has clickable words you can press with your mouse in order to hear that word. This helps drive home the riming concept to your child.

Here are a few words from the Rime to Read website that will help clarify on how the program really works.

The program is carefully structured to ensure success for the youngest readers as well as students needing remedial work.

Each of the twenty books, four per short vowel, highlights a specific rime or word family (e.g., bat, cat, rat). Each rime is color-coded throughout the series with a different color.

The color-coding of each rime encourages students to use visual similarities and differences to decode,a strategy employed by successful readers.

The color-coding also helps students develop phonological awareness by providing cues for sound discrimination and categorization.

As I used this with my oldest daughter I found that the books were short enough to not overwhelm her with too much information. The cute pictures gave her the ability to associate them with the words in a more clear manner. She really, really liked these! She especially enjoyed book #1, "Pat."

I honestly do not believe that she would be able to use only this to learn to read. She needs more "meat" and I feel that more grammar should be involved. I have printed some of these out to help assist her in learning what she has already learned. However, I think that this might be perfect for my three-year-old when she is ready to learn to read. Different learning styles make this program a must for some families.

The prices for these run from 4 books for $9.99 or 20 books for $44.99. You can either view them from Adobe Reader, or print them out in booklet form. I did have a problem printing these out but I believe that is more operator error than layout. I am sure the more computer savvy of my readers will have no problem with this.

I will be doing many more reviews this week, so stay tuned!

Mothering is Serious Business

2008-12-04T09:39:00.001-06:00

Those are not mothers--but monsters!

(William Secker, "The Wedding Ring" 1658)

"Train up a child in the way he should go--and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

The goal of the godly mother, is that her children in the flesh--may be God's children in the spirit. A mother should be more careful of her children's pious breeding--than she should be fearful of her children's worldly bearing.

Take heed, lest these flowers grow in the devil's garden! Take heed, that though you bring them out in corruption--yet do not bring them down to damnation! Those are not mothers--but monsters--who while they are teaching their children the way to heaven with their lips--are leading them to hell with their lives!

You let out your efforts to make them great--lift up your prayers to make them godly; that before you die from them--you may see Christ live in them. While these twigs are green and tender--they should be bowed towards God.

Children are in a family--as passengers are in a boat. The husband and wife are as a pair of oars to row them to their desired haven!

Let these small pieces of timber be hewed and squared for the celestial building.

By putting a scepter of grace into their hands--you will set a crown of glory upon their heads! "Train up a child in the way he should go--and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
_________________

From Grace Gems.

2008-12-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

2phviczuar

Time 4 Learning - Week of Reviews

2008-11-30T14:49:00.003-06:00

Schoolwork has become more than just pencils and paper. With the advancement of the home computer, many new curricula have come to the educational market. I have always been a little leary of using the computer for home education subjects. Why? Because, while I heart my computer, I am a book-in-hand type of gal.

My three older kiddos and I were given a trial membership of Time 4 Learning. In a few words, it is "Fun online learning. . . " Like I said, I like using books for learning, not computers, so I had a biased view coming in to this program. After letting my children use it for a while I have a healthy respect for the computer's use in a home education environment.

Besides the fact that I am amazed at how my three- and five-year-olds can aptly use my laptop, I appreciated how well Time 4 Learning drew them into an enjoyable learning experience. They were so engaged in the Math and Language Arts portions. While it was all a little over my two-year-old son's head, he loved watching big sisters' while they learned counting or shapes.

Here is the run-down on what Time 4 Learning is:

Designed as "Homeschool Curriculum, After School Learning, Summer Use For PreSchool, Elementary, & Middle School Students"
It uses educational teaching games to relay important educational concepts for Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
Can adjust reading and math skills to match each individiual child
Can be used as a core curriculum or as a supplement to what you already use
Each child has their own account which is controlled by the parent. The parent can track the child's progress and view what their child has been learning.
Priced at $19.95 a month for first child and $14.95 monthly for additional child(ren)

I think this program would be extremely helpful for a child who does not learn well in the traditional book sense. Some children are more visual, hands on learners and Time 4 Learning definitely fits that bill with visually pleasing graphics. My middle daughter enjoyed the game where counting seed packets and matching them with the correct number was the main focus. A game where you matched items together correctly was fun for both older daughters.

While the program is a bit pricey, it would be well worth it to consider how much you are actually spending on your current language arts, math, science, and social studies curricula. If you really want to incorporate the computer into your homeschool, this may be a good way for you start.

For more information, please visit Time 4 Learning.

I hope to be able to update this review as we continue to explore its many options.

On Why TXU Has Lost Our Business

2008-11-25T14:24:00.002-06:00

Warning: Italics used quite often. Please forgive.

I was so good, y'all, about opening up windows and keeping things turned off last month. I followed everyone around and ~~harped on~~ gently reminded those who forgot to turn off the lights when they left the room. I did everything except for taking cold showers.

Really, people, I have to draw the line somewhere.

Anyways. So, we get our last bill and were pleasantly pleased to see how low our wattage usage was.

Yay us!

We looked up towards the dreaded Payment Due area and I seriously considered fainting.

The payment, according the wattage, should have been about $92. Pretty good, huh?

How's about $400?

Yes, you read that right.

I'll take a break while you faint. Here, have some water.

Anyways, my sweet hubby calls up and after speaking to someone in India for over an hour with no results, he asks to speak to her supervisor. He is put on hold. For an hour.

Turns out, our contract expired in May. In May. Not October. And they decide to set us up on some plan where they estimate our bill. All this, of course, without our knowledge.

How kind of them.

While he goes back and forth for another half hour with the supervisor, the young man tells my husband in the voice of one who is so happy to bestow some mercy on us poor unsuspecting customers, that he will gladly give us $50 off of our next bill. Fifty dollars. Off of our next bill.

Again. How kind of them.

So, TXU, next time you want to steamroll a customer who has paid their bills on time for over a year and a half, I suggest you at least send flowers. At least a card.

One 2 Believe Nativity Set - Monday Review

2008-11-24T09:37:00.006-06:00

It is that time of year when many people pull out their nativities. We received the Tales of Glory Nativity Set from One 2 Believe to review and it seems fitting to review it so very close to Christmas.

Here are the nitty gritty details, with my own personal thoughts following.

The set comes with seventeen pieces, including a stable.
Designed for little ones, aged 3 and up.
Includes a tiny storybook, in several languages.

Okay, so, I was not really impressed with this set. To be fair, I really am not crazy about nativity sets in the first place. Because of this viewpoint I chose to review the product on quality and safety.

The characters in the set are made of PVC. PVC has been linked to cancer and birth defects and I really have a problem with toys being made from them. A plastic that is safe would have been a better choice.

The star on the stable broke off within a day and is not fixable. My kids were not throwing the stable around or standing on it or using undue roughness. The star falling off became a huge choking hazard and had to be tossed.

The characters are cheesy looking. I'm all up for fun looking toys in moderation, but when baby Jesus looks like He is 15 . . . However, the goofy-looking donkey did make me laugh.

I can always use a good laugh.

The price is a bit unreasonable. $24.99 is not a good price for a product that lacks quality. Maybe $14.99 would be a bit easier for families to swallow.

I don't want to give a totally bad review. This set is not for my family. This doesn't mean that it another family might not get a big kick out of it. The price may not be a hindrance. I encourage you to check out the review from my other Crewmates and get their viewpoints.

See you next Monday for Monday review.

My Shortest Post Ever

2008-11-20T08:59:00.002-06:00

I'm tired.

I'm sleepy.

I just finished a writing project.

Going to play with the kiddos today.

That is all.

Media Angels - Monday Review

2008-11-17T00:06:00.001-06:00

It is not often that I am able to pick up a book to read for funsies any more. Usually my reading material focuses on the spiritual or physical well-being of my family. When I received The Missing Link: Found in my mailbox, I was more than ready to sit down with a cup of joe and melt into the land of fiction if even for just a few minutes.

The book was obviously written for teens. This can make it hard for an adult to review. Written by then-seventeen-year-old Christina Gerwitz, her lack of experience leads to the overuse of adjectives in the story as well as the unbelievability of some of the story line. At first, this kept me from wanting to go further into reading the book.

I prefer to finish a book once I start reading it. And I am glad that I finished this one. What started out as difficult to read turned into a pretty good story, especially when considering the age of the author.

This story follows brother and sister, Anna and Christian, and their father, Dr. Jack Murphy, as they uncover the mystery surrounding the finding of the supposed "Missing Link." As the story progresses, one finds that they are learning arguments from both sides of the Evolution and Creation viewpoints. This makes this story more than the average teen book.

The story continues and you often find the children and their father petitioning our Heavenly Father in prayer. Written from a Christian perspective, you will not have to worry about inappropriate language. The children are homeschooled and are part of a family that has more than the usual American family's two children.

And frankly, I find that quite refreshing.

This story presents an interesting, easy read for Christian teens and blends together fiction and actual facts. By clicking here you can read more about the story and the author behind it. I also suggest you visit the website Media Angels for other books in the series as well as resources for home education.

As with anything, I do encourage you to research for yourself the facts presented in this book.

Join me next Monday for another Monday Review!