Nov. 26, 2009 - Happy Thanksgiving!
I got the idea from my friend Daisy , though I should have thought of it myself. Thanks, Daisy :)
I'm thankful for....
~ Jesus & being forgiven
~ my husband
~ my family
~ children still at home
~ homeschooling
~ cool weather
~ the holidays
~ friends
~ hot tea
~ our home
~ plenty of food
~ dark chocolate
~ popcorn
~ our church
~ my camera
~ my bed
~ good health
~ our books
~ our computer
~ laughing children
~ camping
~ the beach
~ the mountains
~ the giant trees
~ Thanksgiving at my house
~ and that I don't have to kill then pluck the feathers off the turkey like the woman in the picture is about to go do.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!
November 21, 2009 - Exercise + Math + Fun = Gymathtics!
Exploramania is the Company created by Carrie Scheiner (aka- Miss Carrie on the DVD) Carrie has a really inspirational story about how she decided to start her own company and how she overcame a disability to make the DVD which you can read in detail here if you would like: https://www.exploramania.com/TheStory.aspx
Miss Carrie’s story can inspire us to do some of things that we have only dreamed about, and her Gymathtics DVD will inspire your young children toward becoming, and staying strong and healthy.
In addition to helping in our quest to stay healthy by finding ways to make exercise a fun activity for our kids, scientific research shows that physical activity actually has a positive affect on our thinking skills. Once you know that, exercise and Math seems like the perfect combination.
We had a lot of fun with this even though the music was not the style my kids prefer - I thought the bouncy music was a little repetative too, but the workout was enjoyable and we can always wait until later to " rock out"! It was not a really hard workout and it was a neat way to start our day.
The simple exercises and simple math concepts keep the exercise program from being overwhelming to young children and yet keep some of the older ones interested as well. Oddly enough, my son had just asked for a definition of perpendicular lines and she covered it in the video! The Math concepts weren't deep, but I do think that the video effectively reviews some math skills, and gives active kids with active minds a a fun way to review.
If you are interested in adding some more exercise into your daily routine, this 30 minute routine would be a great and inexpensive way to do it and rev up your mind at the same time!
Gymathics is available here for only $24.99 along with some other cute products that follow along that same philosophy of bringing education and healthy activities together in a fun and creative way!
The Gymathics Video that was sent to my family by Exploracise was received in exchange for my review and opinion on this educational product and no other compensation was received - they are not even paying for my ibuprofen!.
Merit K
You will probably look as happy as me after you get in some comfy sweats and exercise with Miss Carrie!
Nov. 20, 2009 - 10 years old!
We had another birthday today! B is 10 years old! Here are a few pictures of my cutie pie.
Brand new. How 'bout that hair!:
8 months:
3 years old, camping in Yosemite:
Age 3 years:
6 years old:
7 years old:
Ten years old! Getting a Build a Bear puppy whom he named Dusty:
November 16, 2009 - Free Language Learning Resources for Home Educators!
I just received this from Catherine Fortin - she has been a real resource for Language teachers and Home Educators and she offers classes as well:
(see link for details on her classes: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/NorthCarolina/744124/ )
My colleague Diane Farrug & I are starting up an exciting resource for homeschooling parents: a free e-newsletter full of free ideas, activities, and printables supported by clear "how to teach" tips for parents.
We realize that what we do, teaching a foreign language takes so much training and experience, and we want to give this to homeschool parents. We also include free videos on how to teach and how to do specific lessons and activities. The days of giving children a Spanish or French handout and not really knowing what to do with it to maximize it are over. We're here to help.
Here is the link to the sign up for the free homeschool e-newsletter:
http://foreignlanguagefun.com/2009/11/free-nativity-mini-book-in-french-and-spanish-for-homeschoolers/
Catherine F Fortin
http://foreignlanguagehouse.com
This looks Great 
- Go Sign up!!!! Merit K 
Nov. 16, 2009 - Baptized!
Our youngest got baptized today! She is 7 years old, and she decided to follow Jesus in August. Almost right away she asked about being baptized all on her own. So when our church announced the first baptism day since then, we signed her up. She went to a class to make sure she understood that it wasn't being baptized that saves you, only Jesus can do that. But it is an outward symbol of becoming a Christian, and obedience to God. So here are a couple of pictures.
Going down....
Coming up, a new beginning!
November 15, 2009 - Craft Ideas that Remind Us to Be Thankful!
This is a time of year when as a family, we focus on the virtue of Thankfulness. We have been studying American History this year and how even though the colonists suffered greatly in this land they had travel to, they remembered to give thanks to the Lord for the things that they did have- especially their freedoms!
One of the ways that we have always loved to use to help us remember to be grateful, particularly at this time of year, is to make a "Thanksgiving Tree".
I haven't done it this year, since the kids are a little older now, but I used to make a "tree" with branches out of a pattern and some brown construction paper and cut out "leaves" from colorful paper similar to the ones here:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/leaf/leaftemplate.shtml
An easy way to do lots of these leaves is to print them on the computer. You can buy colored paper for the printer. Then have your little ones work on some small motor skills by cutting them out with you.
We put the Tree on the wall with "sticky tack" and then every day, the kids would write something that they were thankful for on a leaf and we put the leaf on or around the tree. When they were small, I made this part of their handwriting practice.
Here is a site that has a craft idea for a really cute Thanksgiving Tree using "handprints" from your kids instead of my leaf idea:
http://www.familycorner.com/archives/familytime/2.shtml
Another clever way to make a "Thankful Tree" is with branches or trimmings from your yard and a bucket or large plastic butter tub. You will need plaster of paris for this tree. Mix the Plaster of Paris according to directions and then fill the butter tub with it. Place the branches into the tub and let the plaster harden (about 1-2 hours) You might need to hold them up for a little bit until they stay upright on their own :0 )
Once this is fully hardened, cover the butter tub with colorful tissue paper or burlap fabric so that it looks "Fallish"
Then attach the leaves by punching a hole in each one and tying them to the tree with a ribbon, yarn or raffia.
The fun thing about the plaster of paris tree is that you can change the covering on the butter tub for lots of different occaisions and make it a Christmas tree or a candy tree, an Easter Tree (you are getting the idea)... so it makes a nice decoration and learning tool in the future seasons as well, depending on what creative ideas you come up with for using it!
Have a creative week full of Thanksgiving!
(and try not to be a turkey)
Merit K
Nov. 10, 2009 - The Cox Chronicle--Latest Edition
I'll try to put all the "new news" in one post, for convenience' sake.
In recent weeks, we'd battled a chicken thief--a red, furry chicken thief. He made off with one, and we caught him in the act with a second, but he sagaciously dropped the hen and made his getaway. (Hubby had to doctor the poor chicken by stitching up a huge gash in her back. He had a surprisingly able assistant in Anna Kate.)
So, in addition to reinstalling and improving the electric fencing around the chicken yard, hubby's taken up yet another side hobby: trapping. To make a long story short, he's downstairs tanning the thief's (or his relative's) hide as I type.
We do have pictures of the skinning process, but I'll spare my sensitive readers. :) The older children were fascinated, and Anna Kate even got a little biology lesson (identifying organs, checking stomach contents, and other gruesome "extras").
We caught the fox on Halloween, and that same day added a new friend to our chicken yard.
He's a handsome Rhode Island Red, same type that fathered our Golden Comets. Once we find an incubator, we will be able to add to our flock!
We had a fun holiday. We went to a little dress-up activity with some homeschooling friends, planned brilliantly, as usual, by the super-amazing local homeschool mom, R.
Indoor marshmallow toasting:
Cowgirls, soldiers, fairy princesses and froggies, oh my!
Ian went as "Guy in a Flannel Shirt":
Anna Kate, as usual, went as Mom's right hand.
Don't know what I'd do without her, and neither does Aidan. Both my big girls are hugely helpful.
Making mask cookies...
We went to the pumpkin patch right down the road a couple of days later and bought carving punkins. Here is Dad's barfing pumpkin:
Lights on...
Lights off...
Once again, I tried roasting the seeds, but even though I boiled them first, the shells were quite crunchy. I liked the spicy recipe better than the sweet.
Last Friday marked week 10 of Classical Conversations. Hard to believe we are almost done with the first semester! We have memorized a large body of material. I say "we," but the children easily out-memorize me. Here is the timeline they have mastered so far:
(FYI: Those last few are not in order, I discovered later. :) )
Eight cards per week! And that's in addition to history sentences, science facts, Latin declensions, math facts, and more. The history timeline is repeated yearly in CC, and I do hope my younger students will be able to stay with the program through the three years' cycles to benefit from repetition (we are in Cycle 1 this year). It's an expensive program (for a family our size) but so very worth the investment!
Of course, my three older students are also mastering grammar and writing in the afternoons. I am thoroughly enjoying sentence diagramming, something I missed out on in school. Anna Kate and Olivia are taking ownership of their writing now, and really blossoming.
We are learning the tin whistle, along with basic music theory, as part of the CC fine arts segment. I was inspired by this gentleman's lessons to take up the tin whistle myself. So far this week, I've gotten in daily practice. I've mastered "Dawning of the Day," but still stumble through "Peg Ryan's Polka." It's fun and motivating, starting right out with traditional tunes. My limited experience with the recorder has helped a bit. Unfortunately, our only remaining computer speakers are on the fritz, so I'm not sure when I'll get to the next lesson.
In other news, we snagged a used woodstove last week, and hubby is preparing to install it to specs, and have it inspected (for insurance purposes). It's a cast-iron stove. We want a soapstone, eventually, but this one will keep us toasty warm and prevent nasty electric bills this winter. Pictures of installation to come...
Yesterday, I thoroughly cleaned and de-cluttered the master bedroom in a desperate search for missing tractor keys. We later found the keys outdoors, but I sure was glad to get a clean bedroom out of it. I can actually relax in there now that the clutter's gone. Naturally, anything I couldn't get rid of went straight to the junk room, but at least it's out of sight. The "decider" can deal with it whenever he sees fit. :) I'd love to tackle the schoolroom next.
The big girls are still involved in riding lessons. We'll take a break when the weather turns truly cold, but we've had nice weather here, for the most part. Mondays ordinarily are riding days, but this week's lesson (Olivia's turn) is on Wednesday. I'm so pleased to see them gaining confidence with the horses. Like our CC work, proper horsemanship takes much practice and repetition. It's starting to pay off! I'm even learning a bit, since I typically catch the tail end of the lesson (literally, as the girls lead the horse back to corral or pasture).
We're eagerly expecting a visit from Mama Cox and Uncle Barry tomorrow. That probably means I should tackle the guest room before the schoolroom. Heh! It's a tangle of clothing containers right now. Our CC family presentation is this Friday, and I hope all our family members will be able to come and see it, as well as introduce themselves to our CC friends. :) We're hoping Daddy can steal a bit of time from his work schedule to be there as well.
Until the next update...God bless you friends!
November 9, 2009 - I am Thankful for Freedoms and Free Stuff!
Free Homeschooling History Curriculum – really!
Some of you know that I am a member of the Old Schoolhouse “Crew” (a homeschool product review team). We were recently sent a CD of an American History Curriculum product called “
We were asked to examine and use it and then to post our opinions of it so that you could decide if it was a resource that might work for your family.
“The Miracle of
In only a little more than 200 years, our ancestors transformed this country from a wilderness into a great nation. This nation demonstrates what can be accomplished by free people who create a government limited to serving the people rather than being their master. The moral and ethical basis of good conduct was derived from the faith that built
As I mentioned, the
It seems to be geared towards a classroom setting, but it contains some great kernels of information that both public school students and those that learn at home can benefit from. My daughter and I both loved that the curriculum included the wording of some of our original documents, such as the Mayflower Compact and the Bill of Rights. It did a good job of trying to relate the rights and responsibilities we have today and those original writings which have so clearly enumerated those rights for us throughout our History.
In my opinion, the lessons are a bit dry, but they can really be spiced up by using this along with some living books and the internet. Overall this could be used as a good framework around which you and your student can hang some additional discussions and research.
Did I mention that the American Heritage Education Foundation’s High School American History Program is FREE? You can also request a CD to be sent to you, (also free). If you would prefer to have everything already printed out, this excellent resource is available in a printed our binder format for only $19.50.
It is simple to pay that online: http://americanheritage.org/online_pay.html, or you may mail them a check.
If you just want the free stuff (and there is some good stuff in there) you can download the pdf files or request a CD Here: http://www.americanheritage.org/
Celebrate American Heritage Month in November!
“American Heritage Month gives us all an opportunity to reflect on our roots as Americans from a fresh perspective. It is a time to remember that we Americans have brought with us many different heritages, but we have joined together in this country as one people.
The Declaration of Independence sets forth our fundamental values, and the Constitution serves to protect those values. Our schools, teachers, students, and other citizens help preserve and strengthen the miracle that is
The American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc.
I truly am Thankful at this time of the year, for the many blessings of faith, freedom, friends and turkey!
Merit K
November 9, 2009 - Uniting America's Story, Piece by Piece
The History text we recently reviewed, has this eye catching phrase as it's subtitle:
"Uniting America's Story, Piece by Piece"
That thought provoking phrase caught my attention on the shiny cover of the lovely new book in front of me.
It is true that puzzle of our relatively young country continues to come together, and there is only one who can see the complete result. But surely, one way we can improve our chances of making sure that the future result is a thing of beauty, is to understand our past and to trust in God with our future.
This History curiculum is one great resource for giving your students the ability to do that. The author truly brings to life the people of the time periods that we are learning about. Being able to read about how things began is an exciting way to relate to some of the things that are happening in our culture in the present era!
For the purpose of this review, our family received this History textbook set free from Bright Ideas Press.The History Textbook's title is ” All American History, Volume One- The Explorers to the Jacksonians” by Celeste W. Rakes.
We reviewed the entire set which includes the Student Reader, Activity book and the Teacher’s Guide. It is available for purchase as a set, for $68.00.
This is a complete curriculum, intended for grades 5-8. The 32 weekly lessons in Volume One can easily be modified to meet the needs of your family or classroom. The accompanying Teacher’s Guide offers many ideas for adding value to your student’s learning experience with creative activity suggestions and research ideas for your older students, as well as suggestions for adapting the material for the younger set, so it works very well either for a Home educator or a classroom teacher.
This book is also perfect for use with a timeline! It includes some of the figures you will need in the back of the Teacher’s Guide – your students can add them to the pages in the activity book and then put those into a timeline notebook, if they like. Bright Ideas Press also sells additional timeline characters in a separate package which are very nice (I use them)
The Teacher’s Guide contains Lesson Plans, including activity ideas, additional resource suggestions, timeline dates and even a checklist for materials that lets you know which materials are optional and which materials you will be required to have on hand to teach each lesson. The Answer Key for the Student Activity Book is also found in the Teacher’s Guide.
The Student text includes a very good amount of information about the people, places and events that began our American History. The material is organized in an easy to follow chronological format with clear maps and Student Activity Pages in the Student book which make it simple to create your own timeline or American History Timeline Notebook. We found that the Student text is written in a way which is not just informative, but creates interest in the historical events and the people who lived at that time period. We are enjoying this curriculum very much. (not just because the cover is shiny :)
The Teacher’s Guide offers the teacher guidance in how to use the text as a framework for further research and exploration.
I especially love that the activities included in this extensive Teacher’s guide are more than just “busywork”- they involve them in more learning! There are game ideas, geography and map work, quality book suggestions which are conveniently listed by age groups, and writing assignments which allow for integration of writing skills into your history curriculum.
I have always believed that integrating subjects is a great way to increase both retention of information and enjoyment of the subjects! This textbook does that very well. If you are looking for an American History program for next year, I would suggest that you look into this one. It is very creative and yet logical!
Two thumbs up from Mom (who is not typically a textbook kinda gal) And two thumbs up from the kids
Here is where you can find more information or even purchase these books (There is also a Volume Two)
http://brightideaspress.com/?page_id=6
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AllAmericanHistory/
Timeline Guide and figures can be seen here (I really do like these too):
http://brightideaspress.com/?page_id=132
November 2, 2009 - A Resource for All Seasons!
According to their website, they are a teacher’s site that, “With high quality content added on a weekly basis, abcteach is considered a world-class educational resource by its many members across the globe, and one that exceeds the offerings of other websites while offering unlimited access at very competitive prices.”
Membership to “ABC Teach” gives you access to over 35,000 pages of printable worksheets and activities, to abctools, our exclusive custom document generators- plus 
really cool clip art (my favorite)!
I believe that I may be addicted to their clip art section!
Our family's learning style naturally tends to be “non-worksheet” oriented. We lean towards “Hands On” activities, living a Lifestyle of Learning, as well as using lots of "Living books" and natural learning as the framework of our educational plan. Ruth Beechick and Charlotte Mason are my heroines, so you can imagine that I began by thinking that "it just wouldn’t be my “cup of tea”. Although most of what was available, I wasn't able to use, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had a lot of nice things on the site (Wow- not just boring old worksheets -lol!).
I did enjoy exploring a lot of their membership areas and I found that just browsing, seemed to inspire my creativity.
I came away from the website with some really good ideas to ‘tweak’ for my homeschool! The worksheet generators were easy to use and I liked the idea that you could customize them to use with whatever curriculum or books you choose. A lot of what they had was below level for my kids or I would classify as a little too close to "busy work" for my students. But much of it would be great for a classroom teacher and some of the things would be great for Homeschoolers too.
You could save a lot of money using this website to create your own tests and worksheets for your child, from any textbook.
In addition, they have many ready made worksheets available in all the subject areas:
Oh how I wish I had access to this stuff when I was a substitue teacher!
They have some really great things you can try FREE on their website as well, so I would suggest that you might enjoy a look around and if you find that you use a lot of worksheets or especially would like to create your own worksheets, you might like to obtain a membership at this award winning site!
The yearly membership fee for ABC Teach is $40.00.
Just to let you know, the “Homeschool Buyers Co-op” offers a Group Buy price of $20.00 per year (plus the Co-ops’ processing fee of $2.00- it is free to join the co-op). This is available until
https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/index.php?option=com_hsbc_epp_order&Itemid=1203
Many thanks to my fellow “TOS Crew” member, Lisa, at the Berry Patch, http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/ for the update on the group discount!
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