We don't "do" Santa Claus at our house. We hang stockings, and we watch Santa movies ... but we don't tell kids he's real or give gifts from him. All gifts are from Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Aunts, etc.
But despite that, every one of our children at 3 years old has wanted to believe in Santa Claus. We have books that talk about how Christmas is about Jesus, and tell the true story of Saint Nicholas vs. the make-believe Santa ... but they still believe.
The older kids know he is fake, but occasionally present me with "Letters to Santa" anyway. I received four letters yesterday (to be posted later in this article), right before my children tried to convince 3 yo L that Santa wasn't real.
But they didn't stop at saying he was pretend. They tried to convince her he was dead ... complete with photos they found on the internet of the hunter who shot Santa, and Santa's grave. (these photos are not gory or inappropriate in any way)
I then had a distraught 3 yo. She was already upset that we kept saying there isn't a Santa Claus and that Christmas is about Jesus. She would say, "But Santa is in Christmas, too, right?" with a pleading look. But after these photos, she was almost in tears. Leave it to teens to torment a preschooler like that.
I told the children to drop the subject and stop arguing with her. Next year she'll be older and more able to understand the difference between what is pretend, and what is real. For now, it's not worth upsetting her.
And now ... the letters to Santa from my kids who all know Santa isn't real ... well, except for 3 yo L.
Dear Santa C,
For Christmas, I want Barbie clothes, Barbie stuff, Barbies,Kens, Kelly dolls, Girl coloring books, High School Musical. I was very very extremely good this year.
From 10 yo C
(she even included a map to her bedroom and our house from the North Pole)
Dear SC,
I need a Nerf Toy, and I want it to be a Nerf Build Your Own Blaster! Or a The Largest Full Auto Nerf Blaster.
PS I was very good.
Love, 8 yo J
(maybe we need to discuss needs vs. wants again)
Dear Saint Nick,
I was very good this year. For Christmas I want Build Your Own Blaster.
5 yo M
(he drew a picture of a wii, although he didn't list one)
Dear Santa,
For Christmas I want a bouncy ball, a doll, a teddy bear, toy dishes, a crown, a coloring book, crayons.
From 3 yo L
(no more crayons, please -- we have too many already)
Now, if you're a family member reading this, and you've already received a Christmas idea list ... just ignore these. These are not necessarily Mom and Dad-sanctioned gift ideas.
Just sharing the Santa-related activities at our house this week, from a family who doesn't even "do" Santa.
The first thing my children did when the Exploracise Gymathtics DVD arrived in the mail, was to put it in the DVD player. They love exercise videos and were eager to test a new one. After their first test run, they were all worn-out. Only the 3 year old and 8 year old actually finished the 30 minute workout -- the 5 and 10 year olds both quit. My 8 year old son was intent on keeping up with the children on the DVD, and my 3 year old came to tell me how tired she was at the end. "And my head is weally tweating," she said. (sweating)
The Gymathtics DVD by Exploramania is more than just an exercise video. It also includes math concepts for 2nd - 5th grade students: basic geometry, counting, skip counting, and number patterns. As the children exercise, they learn about parallel lines, horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, polygons, skip counting, and patterns. You can see a more detailed list of the topics covered on the DVD HERE.
Combining math concepts with full-body movement provides a multi-sensory approach to learning that can be very helpful for the kinesthetic learner. The visual learners will also benefit from watching the DVD, and the auditory learner will benefit (to a lesser degree) from hearing and seeing the explanation. Exploramania has based their Exploracise program on scientific research.
I consider this to be more of an exercise video than a math lesson. The math is just a fun reinforcement of concepts already taught in your curriculum for most children. But for the kinesthetic learner, it can be very helpful understanding the concepts covered. The DVD appeals to younger children than 2nd grade, so it also serves as an introduction to concepts that will be taught later. Four of my kids (ages 3 - 10) enjoyed the DVD, although the 10 year old is already bordering on considering it silly. The four children who have used this DVD enjoy using it occasionally, but it isn't their favorite exercise DVD.
I was surprised by the voice-over of wellness thoughts in the stretching wind-down at the end of the DVD. It just reminded me of a New Age, pop psychology, positive thinking, meditation and relaxation recording.
"Relax your body and open your mind to think about good health and well-being."
"Be nice. Ride the "nice wave". "
"Eat healthy super foods with lots of vitamins and minerals."
"Be a dream stretch star. Stretch your dreams and reach for the stars. Stretch your mind to reach for your dreams with hard work and determination."
In the future, I think we'll be turning the volume down for the wind-down segment. There isn't anything overtly inappropriate in there, it just annoys us all. As Christians, we do prefer to place our trust in God and follow His direction rather than believing in the supposed power of positive thinking.
The Gymathtics DVD is available for $24.99, and they are currently offering free shipping. There is also a Gymathtics 2.0 DVD for 4th - 7th grade students. Exploramania has Exploracise Mats (educational yoga/exercise mats) and Exploracise Thumballs available to combine math with exercise.
Gymathtics DVD is a great way for young children to get the wiggles out and burn some energy on a rainy day ... and reinforce some math concepts at the same time.
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Nov. 18, 2009 - It might be a bad day at home if ...
It might be a bad day at home if ...
Mom makes a 2 page list of every single thing she does in the home, to manage it and care for the family and animals -- then posts it on the refrigerator.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - ~TOS Crew Review-GyMATHetics~
For review I received the following product for free as part of the TOS Crew, for the sole purpose of review.
Exploracise® Gymathics® DVD
The Award Winning Exploracise Gymathtics program is the Ultimate Brain and Body workout teaching math and healthy lifestyle concepts during a complete 30-minute exercise routine.
Gymathtics is a fun fitness learning experience that kids will want to do again and again. The exercise program is great for kids of all ages. The math facts target the 2nd to 5th grade levels.
The complete 30 minute program includes:
Shape Stretches Warm Up: Stretch your mind and body with line, circle, and polygon stretches.
Counting Calisthenics: Aerobic movements work your heart as fun counting concepts work your brain.
Pattern Power: Growing and repeating pattern exercise combinations challenge minds and strengthen muscles.
Well-Being Wind Down: Relaxing stretches cool down the body and open the mind to think about healthy lifestyle choices including the Nice Wave Stretch and Big Dream Stretch
As creator, Carrie Scheiner's children reached elementary age, she realized that they were spending a lot of time in front of the TV and computer. She decided to get them moving and incorporate math principles within her exercise for them.
A few screen shots to give you an idea:
In Our Home:
Elizabeth LOVES doing this exercise DVD, she begs me at the end of each school day to do it. Grace likes it too! The girls have both benefited from the math concepts that are reinforced within the videos.
The DVD pictured above costs $24.99 and may be ordered by clicking here.
To view other TOS Crew members review of this product, please click the link below.
About Thanksgiving
Background on the holiday - origin, history, and current celebrations.
When is Thanksgiving 2009?
Need to know the exact date of Thanksgiving this year? Here's a chart that shows what day Thanksgiving is celebrated from 2005 - 2014.
Thanksgiving Coloring Pages - Readers
Use your interactive crayon to paint these fun "talking" coloring pages of the Thanksgiving theme - The Mayflower, Native American, Pilgrims, turkeys, harvests, turkey dinners, cornucopias, prayers of thanksgiving. Coloring friends help beginner readers and ESL students! Click on the words under the coloring picture to hear the sentence that describes the picture.
Native American Activities - Native American games, songs and dances, short stories, poems, coloring pages, and plays. These cultural activities include Native American names and naming ceremonies.
Thanksgiving Crafts
Great ideas for Thanksgiving crafts, party favors, recipes, invitations, etc.
Thanksgiving Craft Books
Thanksgiving craft book reviews. Tons of craft ideas for Thanksgiving fun!
Thanksgiving Worksheets and Printables
Thanksgiving worksheets and printables include a word jumble, word searches and placing vocabulary words in alphabetical order.
The Mayflower Compact
A text copy of the original Mayflower Compact with the names of Pilgrims that signed it.
The wind howled around our house last night battering the vinyl siding and rattling the patio furniture. It whipped up in great gusts and then moved on while we held our breaths waiting for the next blast. The trees were tossed about, the tops bending almost horizontal before righting themselves. The power flickered a few times and I knew it was only a matter of time before it went out completely. And then it did...the whole house subsiding into absolute darkness and silence.
The stillness of a house without power is really strange. I sat in bed for a long time, journally by flashlight, and listening to the wind. A glance out the windows showed that the whole neighbourhood below and above us on the mountain was also plunged into a mirky quiet but I could see the lights of downtown twinkling in the distance.
This morning our corner of the world is quiet again and sometime during the night I heard the squeal of the smoke detector as the electricity came on. I'm always relieved to hear the familiar hum of the house coming alive again - the furnace kicking in, the refridgerator starting up, and the comfort of knowing that once again everything is back to normal.
Nov. 17, 2009 - TOS Homeschool Crew Review: AVKO Membership
AVKO Educational Research Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to helping teachers, parents, and researchers as they teach reading, spelling, and keyboarding to students with mild learning disabilities and dyslexia. Don McCabe began AVKO in 1974, and is the creator of the popular Sequential Spelling curriculum.
AVKO's website offers many free resources on their FREEBIES page (The Complete I Before E Rule, Latin and Greek Roots), but they also have an affordable membership option which provides access to many more materials. The membership options allows you to download many of Don McCabe's e-books for only a $25 annual membership. The following information on membership benefits was taken directly from their website.
Word Family Supplements 1-7 for Sequential Spelling
Spelling Remediation Test Kit
What do I think?
I've not used Sequential Spelling, nor do I have a dyslexic student, so I hadn't really looked at AVKO or its e-books before. But if I had a child struggling to learn to read or spell, then buying at least ONE basic membership subscription would be beneficial. To Teach A Dyslexic is sold for $14.95, but for only ten dollars more ($25.00) a member receives that e-book as well as many other helpful resources. The Patterns of English Spelling e-books are sold for $39.95, but members receive all ten e-books free.
If your child struggles with spelling or reading, or you are tutoring children with disabilities or dyslexia, then the AVKO membership is an affordable and helpful resource. Even if you only join once, in order to download and save the e-books, it can be beneficial if your child has a need. The website has a plethora of information, although it isn't always easy to locate.
In our home, this isn't something we need at this time. BUT if I suspected dyslexia in one of my children, I would definitely turn to AVKO for help.
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
The daily, sometimes hourly, musings of a homeschooling mom of four surviving on prayer, friendship and lots of Starbucks. Some days my cup runs over and some days it all spills out the cracks...and I wouldn't have it any other way.
