Great recipe from fellow Homeschoolblogger, Donna @

http://millersgrainhouse.com/store/index.php?main_page=specials

Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 Cups Organic Rolled Oats 

1/2 Cup Roasted Peanuts
1/2 Cup Almond Slivers
1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Wheat Germ
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2-3 tsp Butter (some for pan)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Semi-sweet Choc Chips (optional) or 1/4 Cup of Golden Raisins ( YUM!)

Butter or spray 9X9 glass baking dish and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread first four ingredients on a cookie sheet or half sheet pan. Place in oven for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, peanut butter and salt in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cook until all sugar has dissolved. Mix in vanilla and remove from heat.

When toasting of oat/nuts mixture is complete add cereal or wheat germ to dry ingredients.

Lower oven heat to 300 degrees F.

Immediately add the oat/germ/nut mixture to the cooked liquid stirring to coat evenly.  Add optional chocolate chips.

Turn mixture out into prepared 9X9 pan. Press to corners and pack in to evenly distribute mixture.

Place pan in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool completely in pan (may wish to pack down as it cools) Once cooled completely, cut into squares or bars and store in an airtight container for one week (if they don't disappear first).

 

Enter to win a free copy of Dr. John Medina’s new book, “Brain Rules.” If you were to create an education environment directly opposed to what the brain is good at doing, you would design a classroom. Read the book and learn why home schooling is “brain friendly.” Visit www.brainrules.net.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment.  As always we appreciate it when you help to spread the word!  You must live in the U.S. and you must be at least 18 years of age to enter.  All winners will be chosen at random.  You can find full contest rules HERE or here:

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Resources/Contests.php

Contest ends May 4!

Here is what we are reading:

DD 12 - Andrew Lang's "Legends of King Arthur" - Quote when asked for a review: "It was very Informative!"

Me - Jane Austen's Unfinshed Novels " Sanditon" and  " The Watsons"

It was not easy to start these knowing that she never completed them. I was not sure how frustrated I would be not knowing how the stories end. I enjoyed her characters as much as I have in her other completed works and I found myself trying to discern which characters I thought  would end up interacting with each other and who would end up as "couples" etc. I enjoyed them in spite of myself ;0) Of Course, these are a  "must read" for Jane Austen afficianados!

I just finished and highly recommend "Agnes Grey" by Anne Bronte - Good Story which glorifys wholesome Character. Your Teen Daughters could read this with no worries, Mom. Anne proves to be a good solid writer.

DS 8 - The Box Car Children Series " The Mystery of the Star Ruby" ( just finished) Now reading "The Treehouse Mystery". The boxcar children are up to their old tricks again, solving mysteries! My boys tell me that these stories always end up making them as hungry as "Benny" with the detailed desription of the children's meals ;0) Predictable, but fun reading for Nerd Families like us who prefer books to TV.

Current Events we all read - World Magazine and God's World News

History Read Aloud (Yes, we are still in Ancient History) "Adam and His Kin" by Ruth Beechick

This is a Biblical resource in story form. It gives an account of creation, Noah's Flood and the Tower of Babel using cited resources in addition to the Bible in order to "fill out" some of the details we surmise from information we have from the other reliable sources. We are enjoying the discussion it provokes.  

I found this editorial about writing and it gave me a chukle today.

James Kilpatrick just cracks me up!

I hope you find the article amusing as well. My DH is always joshin' me about my excess of words and my love of Charles Dickens ( He's a dead writer not a rival for the affections of hubbie). He says that Chuck takes 20 words to describe something that could be described in just a few words. I happen to thrive on the use of adjectives, and " Benign Redundancy" so I couldn't agree more with Mr. Kilpatrick's take on this.

But enough about me, here is the scientific proof that others ( quite respectable folk even) in the writing community believe it is acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition! What is this world coming to???? 

DEFENDING THE DOODAD ON THE LAMB CHOP

By James J. Kilpatrick

Here is a newsletter I just received from the Institute for Creation Research. Some of you may be more familiar with AIG ( Answers in Genesis) but ICR is the group that published some of the first information I ever received to explain how the Biblical and the scientific "mesh" together.  

This decision by the "Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board" is another case exemplifying the way that our intellectual freedoms are being curtailed in education today . One has to wonder why they are so determined to silence and/or stigmatize any group who questions the established way of thinking! 

INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

www.icr.org

April 25, 2008

From the desk of Dr. Henry M. Morris III
Chief Executive Officer

Dear Friends of ICR:

As you may have heard by now, the ICR Graduate School's application
to grant degrees in Texas was rejected yesterday by the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board. Many of our friends and constituents
have been praying for us during this time, and we thank you for your
intercession and your help.

Below is the statement that ICR has released to the media regarding
the state's decision.

# # #

Dallas, April 25, 2008 - Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
(THECB) Commissioner Raymund Paredes on Wednesday recommended that
the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School (ICRGS) be denied
a Certificate of Authority to grant degrees in the state. On Thursday,
the Board voted unanimously to accept Paredes' recommendation.

Paredes issued his recommendation, formulated in advance, despite
the approval of both the THECB Site Team, which evaluated the ICRGS
in November 2007, and the THECB Advisory Committee that affirmed the
Site Team's approval in December 2007. He rejected both reports as
"flawed" and instead convened a separate panel of scientists and
science educators that advised him not to approve the ICRGS
application. ICRGS scientists and faculty were not included in or
allowed to respond to this panel.

On Thursday, Joe Stafford, Assistant Commissioner for Academic
Affairs and Research, read into record a Texas Education Code statute
about preventing public deception in the face of "fraudulent" or
"substandard" college and university degrees. ICRGS representatives
present at the meeting were not allowed to respond to this
mischaracterization of the graduate program.

The manner in which the hearing was conducted was characterized by
viewpoint discrimination. Prior to Wednesday's consideration of the
ICRGS application, THECB committee chairperson Lyn Bracewell Phillips
allowed public testimony for 30 minutes on the ICRGS application.
Several political activists, including Steven Schafersman--who had
evidently not reviewed the ICRGS application materials--launched ad
hominem attacks against the credibility and reputation of the ICRGS
and its faculty.

Critics have attempted to draw false associations between the ICRGS
program and attempts to introduce religion into taxpayer-funded
public schools, even though the ICRGS is a private postgraduate
institution seeking to train science educators for private schools.

Questions have surfaced concerning the treatment of the ICRGS
application by THECB officials and whether Commissioner Paredes and
his agency altered the normal process of application review because
of external pressures based on ideological biases against the ICRGS.

Under Texas law, the ICRGS may appeal the decision of the Commission
or seek other remedies as appropriate.

# # #

Please continue to pray for ICR as we consult with our Board and
experts in the field regarding the next step to take in this process.
Be assured that ICR is committed to cutting-edge scientific research,
advanced education in the sciences for teachers, and the passionate
communication of the wonders of God’s creation.

May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you as you seek to serve Him.

Dr. Henry Morris III
CEO, Institute for Creation Research

Blog Contest!

It's time for the Spring/Summer 2008 TOS Promotion!  We'd love to offer YOU a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store.  All you have to do is post the following information and banner ad on your blog.  Then come back here and leave a comment with a direct link to your blog post, and you'll be entered to win the $50 gift certificate.   

It's Spring and time to be thinking about next year's curriculum.  With a $50 gift certificate the Schoolhouse Store, you could get a great head start on your shopping!  Remember, purchases at the Schoolhouse Store always include FREE SHIPPING, so you won't have to spend any money out-of-pocket!

Copy and paste the following on your blog:

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Spring Promo is in full bloom.
Subscribe now to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and receive
25 BONUS gifts valued at over $550!
The Winter Promo sold out, don't miss out on the free gifts this time!
The HSB Front Porch is having a contest
and you can win a $50 gift certificate
just for blogging about the Spring Promo
before midnight April 30, 2008.
Click HERE for details.

They are also giving away a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store. All print subscribers (new or renewing) between April 3 - 30, 2008 will be automatically entered into a drawing. No purchase neccessary to win. To enter without subscribing, please send a postcard with your name, address, telephone number, and email address to:
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Spring Promo Contest
PO BOX 8426
Gray, TN  37615

Used to be a "contest on the front porch" would mean my brother and me trying to see who could spit the watermelon seeds the furthest! But in this case it means HSB is giving something away - oooo, aaaahhh! Here is the link so you can get in on the fun:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hsbcompanyblog

I wanted to share about the "Heart of the Matter"  online Magazine and Mom's Day Giveaway! This is just such a great Mag! You can read their issues online or print out an article to keep for later or share with someone who just might need the encouragement.

 They are giving away some great Homeschool stuff to bless a Homeschool Mom. I already know who I am nominating ( no- not myself ... O.k. I thought about it but ... no that would be tacky lol!) ... she could really use a boost right now. I'm sure the Lord will bring someone to your mind who could use a blessing too.

http://heartofthematteronline.com/2008/04/mothers-day-giveaway-2008.html

So here is the link to their web page where you can read or send in your nomination, or you can just magically click on my sidebar.

If you want to send in your nomination  you can do it at this email address:

homeschoolinghearts@gmail.com homeschoolinghearts@gmail.com

Have a Wonderfilled Week - Blog at ya again soon! MeritK

From MeritK @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CreativeLearningLifestyles/

Turn off that TV  and discover some more free time

Hey there - It's TV FREE WEEK! Time to get intentionaly creative this week. Even if you don't watch much TV, take the time you would ordinarily spend watching the news (I promise, someone will let you know if a war starts!) or PBS, and do somthing you have wanted to do.

Spend time on a hobby that you have neglected or take up a new hobby.
Pot a cheerful plant for your kitchen, or spend a few moments weeding or planting outside in the garden.

If you are feeling "creatively challenged", let your kids pick out a craft item you can all do together. You can easily fit this in if you  do any shoping at the local Walmart Store.

Make a special trip to the library at the beginning of the week for books! Mom, don't forget to take out a "grown up book" while you are there and take some time to read just for yourself.

Have the kids draw and make some stick puppets (card stock works well for this) and then "act out" one of the books you read from your library trip. A card table with a cloth over it makes a terrific puppet stage.

Thinking creatively involves thinking of different uses for everyday items. Try getting together a bunch of items from your house that you could "recycle" such as egg cartons, plastic bottles, and plastic lids. Let your kids make a sculpture or a birdfeeder, from those items.

Make a special dessert or snack with your kids and teach them how to clean up ;0)

For some of us, being creative takes a little planning so put it into your Homeschool schedule. Your children will be glad you did!

Here are some more good ideas from:

http://www.knowledgehouse.info/njfktv.html

All across the country, children and their families will leave their
television sets turned off for seven days during National TV Turnoff
Week in April. Millions of people all over the world have
participated in TV Turnoff Week since it began in 1995. Children and
adults, rich and poor, people from every background and all walks of
life take part through schools, churches, and community groups, as
families or individuals.

These families will spend the week being together while they read,
explore nature, enjoy neighborhood potlucks, make music, play sports
and games, tell stories, and so much more. They will discover that
life without TV can be rewarding, fun, and relaxing. Most families
enjoy the peace, quiet, and increased family togetherness with more
creative play time, time to talk, time to read, and less arguing.
According to follow-up surveys, 90% of responding participants
reduced their television viewing as a result of participating and are
glad to have tried this experiment.

The National TV Turnoff event is sponsored by TV-Turnoff Network, a
national non-profit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to
encouraging children and adults to reduce the amount of television
they watch in order to promote healthier and more connected lives,
families and communities. TV Turnoff Week is supported by over 80
national organizations including the American Medical Association,
American Academy of Pediatrics, Family Research Council, National
Education Association, and President's Council on Physical Fitness
and Sports.

How can you and your family participate? Find out if your local
school, library, scout or church group has organized a community
turnoff campaign. Contact TV-Turnoff Network at 1-800-939-6737 or
email@tvturnoff.org. Visit www.tvturnoff.org for more information
about this year's TV Turnoff, including "Six Easy Steps to a Great TV-
Turnoff" and an Online Activity Book with 30 pages of fun activities
for kids of all ages. If there is no TV Turnoff scheduled in your
area, you can still show your support anyway. Talk with friends and
neighbors, and especially your own family, about turning off the TV
for a week - and turning on the creativity!

TV Facts


On average, children in the U.S. spend more time in front of the
television (1,023 hours) than in school (900 hours).
Kids spend more time watching TV than they do studying.
Forty percent of Americans frequently or always watch television
during dinner.
TV viewing causes obesity and is related to increased cardiovascular
risk.
Kids who don't watch much TV tend to be happier than kids who watch a
lot of TV.
Kids absorb and mimic televised violence.
Commercials promote unhealthy habits.
TV affects body image and lifestyle, and reinforces stereotyping.
Reducing TV time means that kids will ask for fewer toys.
Television programs - even supposedly educational shows like Sesame
Street - develop "habits of mind" that put children at a disadvantage
in school.
TV watching can actually restrict children's imaginative and
cognitive abilities.
How to TV-Proof Your Home


Don't have more than one television set in the house.
Move the TV to a less prominent location where it won't be so
tempting.
Hide the remote control.
Cancel your cable subscription.
Don't put TV's in bedrooms. (TV in the bedroom draws children away
from family activities and distracts them from homework, thinking,
reading, and sleeping. Plus, it's difficult for parents to monitor
what the kids are watching.)
Keep the TV off during dinner so the family can have a conversation.
Place clear time limits on television viewing, such as restricting it
to one hour a day.
Speak in positive terms. (Rather than saying, "You can't watch TV,"
say "Let's turn off the TV so we can…".)
Avoid using TV as a babysitter.
Involve children in household activities.
Designate certain days of the week (such as school nights) as TV-free
days.
Don't use TV as a reward or punishment.
Don't fret if children claim "I'm bored!" since boredom often leads
to creativity.
Don't let TV displace family conversations, exercise, play, reading,
creating, thinking and doing.
TV-Free Activities


Read a book
Plant a garden
Go to the library or bookstore
Write a letter
Take a walk
Ride a bike
Play baseball or basketball
Organize and de-clutter your stuff
Listen to the radio
Read a newspaper
Start a journal or diary
Make a scrapbook or photo album
Cook a meal
Start a club
Play dress-up or a make-believe game
Play outdoor games like hopscotch, hide & seek, tag
Learn about the native animals and plants in your area
Play chess or a board game
Put together a jigsaw puzzle
Play a computer game
Study the stars
Tutor a child
Draw a picture
Play with your little brother or sister
Put on a magic show
Attend a play or sports event
Listen to music
Do yardwork or household repairs
Do a crossword puzzle or word search
Sit down for coffee or tea and conversation
Visit the zoo or a museum
Learn sign language
Create a new invention
Go on a hike
Go to the park or playground
Memorize a poem
Put on a play
Write a story
Ask a grandparent to tell you about life in the old days
Do community service or volunteer work
Bake cookies
Play a musical instrument
Sing songs
Do a science experiment
Go on a scavenger hunt
Re-decorate your room
Play a memory game
Play charades
Set up a lemonade stand
Make a cereal box city
Make paper airplanes
Make up a secret code
Have a spelling bee
QUOTES

"I find television very educational. Every time somebody turns on the
set, I go into the other room and read a book." -Groucho Marx

"Television is a chewing gum for the eyes." -Frank Lloyd Wright

"Television is no substitute for a parent. It doesn't help develop
language skills; it's simply background noise." -First Lady Laura
Bush

"Given our national television habit, it is no surprise that we are
raising the most sedentary and most overweight generation of
youngsters in American history. As they grow, these children will run
increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other health
problems -- unless they turn off the tube and become physically
active." -US Surgeon General David Satcher

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

365 TV-FREE ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR CHILD, by Steve and Ruth
Bennett, 1996. (430 pages, all ages). Enjoy a year's worth of indoor
and outdoor TV-free activities with your child. This book is a
wonderful resource for busy families looking to spend some quality
time together. It contains lots of fun activities that are quick and
easy to do using simple things found around the house. Topics
include: Arts & Crafts, Creativity, Memory, Recycled Household
Materials, Group Play, Fantasy Play, Older Kids Play, Math & Numbers,
Food Stuff, and more.

BETTER THAN TV, by Sara Swan Miller, 1998 (Ages 5-8). When a power
failure deprives them of television on a rainy day, two children and
their dog entertain themselves by creating and acting out their own
television show. Soon the whole family is enjoying a better-than-TV
day!

TELEVISION: WHAT'S BEHIND WHAT YOU SEE, by W. Carter Merbreier with
Linda Capus Riley, 1996 (All ages). An entertaining look at how
televisions work, the TV business, how programmers plan the day, how
shows are filmed, and what happens behind the scenes.

ENDANGERED MINDS: WHY CHILDREN DON"T THINK AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT
IT, by Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., 1990. The author examines how
television, video games, and other media compromise our children's
ability to concentrate and to absorb and analyze information. She
clearly conveys the relationship between language, learning, and
brain development, then explains why television viewing and a fast-
paced media culture sabotages language acquisition, thinking, and
educational success. This book explains why increasing numbers of
children are being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, why
children today are less able to think than the generations that
preceded them, and tells how parents and teachers can make a critical
difference by making children good learners from the day they are
born.

THE PLUG-IN DRUG: TELEVISION, CHILDREN, AND THE FAMILY, by Marie
Winn, 1985. This is the classic book on how television affects our
children and families. Although this book was originally written
almost two decades ago, the author had a great perception early on
about how harmful television would be to children and their families.

THE PLUG-IN DRUG : TELEVISION, COMPUTERS, AND FAMILY LIFE, by Marie
Winn, 2002. Winn's classic study has been extensively updated to
address the current media landscape, with new sections on computers,
video games, the VCR, the V-Chip and other control devices, TV
programming for babies, television and physical health, and gaining
control of your TV.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES

www.tvturnoff.org (TV Turnoff Network's Official Site.)

www.limitv.org (Excellent site on child development and television.)

www.turnoffyourtv.com (Kill Your Television Home Page.)

www.growsmartbrains.com (Information on raising children optimally in
a media age.)

www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/TV.viewing.html

(What Parents
Need to Know About Children's Television Viewing, from the U.S. Dept.
of Education.)

www.aap.org/family/tv1.htm

(Television and the Family.)

www.aap.org/family/smarttv.htm

(Smart Parent's Guide to Kids' TV.)

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/tvkillguide.html

(Teacher's
Guide: Does TV Kill?)

www.onemillionmoms.com

(Moms can let the entertainment industry know
they are upset with the messages being sent to our children and the
values -or lack of them - that they are pushing.)

www.afa.net (An organization devoted to the preservation of
traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of
television and other media.)

I received the note below today from Urban HomeMaker. Please pray for Marilyn. She has been an inspiration and a resource and an encouragement to many a homemaker. Please encourage her now if you have been blessed by her business and if you are able.

from Marilyn Moll:

Dear Friends, Readers and Customers,

With the deepest sorrow imaginable, I must tell you my dear husband Duane passed away
suddenly and unexpectedly Sunday night.  We are all in grief and shock as he was only 56
years old and we had no indications ahead of time.
 
The Urban Homemaker will continue to serve all your needs for products and information in the Spirit of Titus 2.  The Urban Homemaker started out as my hobby and later turned into our family business through Duane's vision and hard work.

My assistants Sandy Tuin and Laura Rogers will do their best to continue a high level of service in the meantime.  I expect to return to the office next week.  Please be patient with our transition.

My children have grown up in the business and will be able to help me carry on with the highest level of service you have come to expect.

My daughter Laura is flying home from Iraq as I write.  She has a very long almost two day flight, prayers are appreciated for her as well.

 I am totally unprepared to becoming a widow at the relatively young age of 56.  Duane was a wonderful husband and daddy and will be desperately missed by myself, my children, my church family, and you my customers.

I have written you all twice in the last year about how life is fragile, embrace with thanksgiving the smallest of everyday blessings.  Unfortunately, now it is my turn to understand in a personal way the truth of these words.

Your prayers for a smooth transition and God's provision are most appreciated.  Cards can be directed to our PO Box 72, Paonia, CO  81428.

With deep sorrow and grief,

Marilyn Moll
The Urban Homemaker