Dec. 18, 2009 - Yummy Homemade Thin Mints
My son made these to give as gifts to his siblings for Christmas. Recipe is from Beth at I Should be Folding Laundry.
Dec. 18, 2009 - Question of the Day: Did You Enjoy Your Public School Experience?
Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to spend some face to face time with 2 other homeschooling mothers. And our children were at home with a babysitter, so I could focus on the conversation!
I always relish time with other homeschooling mothers. We have different family circumstances, but we all are living the same “peculiar” life. It’s kind of like finding another English speaker while traveling in a foreign land. I have many friends who do not homeschool, and we can certainly relate and love one another. But there is a special bond of understanding between homeschooling parents, just as I’m sure there is a special bond between parents of very gifted athletes, or parents of children with similar disabilities, etc. Shared experiences are precious.
Anyway, one of my friends said that an acquaintance commented that she (the acquaintance) had LOVED high school. The same lady said that she thought many mothers homeschool partially because they didn’t like their public school experience.
And you know, this lady is probably right. On Wednesday night, all three of us mothers spent some time discussing how much we disliked our public school years. For me, there were years that were close to Ok, years that were depressing, and years that were absolutely loathsome. The only good years I remember were when I was attending a tiny missionary school in
It is really sad I had such a hard time in school. I know that there were and are good people in the public school system. I had a few dedicated and devoted teachers from whom I learned a lot. I had a few friends. Nevertheless, when I look back, I mostly remember being depressed and discouraged. I remember my peers' focus on unhealthy romance, and the tremendous peer pressure, and how I felt terribly awkward in a community that focused intensely on looks, popularity, and athleticism over character. I remember frustration at never being able to learn at my own pace. I remember the discouragement of trying to live out a life for
Naturally, I have no desire in the world to expose my children to similar problems, especially since I believe the problems have grown more intense in the last 25 years. There are things going on now in the public schools that were not going on in our day.
But back to the question of the day. Did you like your public school experience? How many mothers are pointed towards homeschooling because they had such a difficult experience in the public school system? How many don’t even think about homeschooling because they had a good time in school?
I am absolutely convinced that homeschooling is the right decision for our family. I have plenty of logical reasons for it. I’m just trying to get a handle on understanding my own motivation, and the motivation of others who have made the same or different decisions. Because yes, if a mother has lots of warm fuzzy feelings about her growing up experiences, why would she deny her child those same opportunities? And if she had a rotten time, she may think (as I do) that her children will go to public school “over her dead body.”
So, just some things I’m pondering…
Dec. 18, 2009 - Miriam Update
She's doing quite well. The doctor did hear wheezing in the lungs and put her on an antibiotic and a steroid. Right now she is perky as the steroid tends to rev her up. We are praying these meds will head off serious problems. Thanks for praying.
Dec. 18, 2009 - Guacamole
Fresh Guacamole
1 tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped
1 garlic minced
1/2 lemon squeezed
Mix all together and eat with your favorite Tortilla Chips.
Serves 2 or 1 who is very hungry.
Dec. 18, 2009 - Heading home
We are heading home today! Noah's GI issues are not resolved or even really improved, but the doctors agreed to give us a chance to manage them at home. His care will be a lot more complicated, and we'll be in very close (daily) contact with the doctors and almost daily labs with his home health nurse. It makes me a little nervous, but if we don't try this at home, Noah will be in for quite a while longer. I feel like I owe it to him and the rest of the children to try.
It's a pretty sure bet that I won't update again for a couple of days unless there is a problem. We had scheduled our annual cookie decorating day with friends for last Saturday, but Noah was in Abbeville so we had rescheduled for tomorrow. Since we are coming home today, I'm going to bite the bullet and proceed with the fun for tomorrow. I just hate to disappoint the children since they put great stock in this tradition. (I can always sleep when my children grow up, right??) Between a pretty complicated new regime for Noah and a bazillion cookies to bake, I'm going to be busy - happily busy AT HOME!
Please pray that we will manage Noah's care well and that we can do a good enough job that he can stay home and not have to come back in. If you get this quickly, please also pray for him - we are heading to the treatment room in a few minutes to do a dressing change on the new line and the cauterized old line site - these dressing changes will really hurt and he is already pretty emotionally fragile from yesterday.
Thank you all so much!
Blessings,
Kate
Dec. 18, 2009 - Apologia
Last year's Crew members had the opportunity to review several Apologia science products. You can read those reviews here. If you'd like to learn more about their science curriculum choices, you can see the elementary curriculum choices here and the junior high and high school level choices here.
This past year, Apologia Educational Ministries has undergone some changes and has added some new features to their ministry. One new addition is the Apologia Academy, which offers online classes for your students in the areas of Bible, Apologetics, and Worldview. Apologia Press offers curriculum and parent resources.
The entire Crew will be receiving The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell from Apologia Press. Here's some information about the book (taken directly from the website):
Debra Bell's best-selling manual has been revised and updated for a new generation of home educators! This indispensable resource belongs on the shelf of every family taking part in home-based learning. Inside you will find:
- Six ingredients of a successful homeschool
- Subject-by-subject guidelines and program recommendations
- Keys to unlocking your child's learning potential
- Ten ways to motivate the reluctant learner
- Creative solutions for burnout, budgeting, and managing your time
Read the reviews of this book here:
Dec. 18, 2009 - Kregel Publications
In my work with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine over the past several years, I've come in contact with various book publishers that I've come to know, trust, and love. Kregel is one of those publishers.
Many of our Crew members have received a copy of Bertie's War - a new title from Kregel. Barbara Tifft Blakey's name is familiar in the homeschool arena, as she is also the author of the Total Language Plus series. No matter how hard she tries to do and say the right thing, Bertie keeps tumbling into embarrassing--and sometimes dangerous--situations. Her stern father has too many rules, her know-it-all sister won't stop teasing her, and her mischievous younger brother keeps getting into trouble. But what makes her really afraid are those Communist missiles pointed right at the U.S. As Bertie starts seventh grade in the fall of 1962, news of these missiles throws the nation into a panic and Bertie suddenly feels completely out of control. Can Bertie confront an ugly truth about herself and face her fears--once and for all?
Please take the time to visit Kregel's website and check out all the great books they have available. Then, check back to see what the Crew members have to say about Bertie's War.
Dec. 18, 2009 - Kinderbach
We at the Homeschool Crew LOVE our repeat vendors! Kinderbach is one of the vendors who has returned to work with us again for Year 2. (If you would like to see what the Year 1 Crew had to say about Kinderbach, please click here.)
Kinderbach is an online music curriculum for preschoolers and early elementary-aged students (ages 2-7). All you need to effectively use Kinderbach is your computer and an inexpensive keyboard or piano. There is no musical background required to effectively teach this course. And your child will learn to play real, familiar tunes! This photo montage will show you a sampling of what you can expect from Kinderbach:
KinderBach teaches by video but does not let the children become mind-numbingly complacent. Each session gives an opportunity to participate in a variety of ways often with activity pages. Games, puzzles, puppets and music are played through hands-on printed PDFs. Learning is concrete and tactile.
Dec. 18, 2009 - MathScore / Accurate Learning
MIT graduates set out to create an online program that would provide adaptive math practice to students. The result is MathScore, a mastery-based program that has been proven to raise test scores.
MathScore targets grades two through Algebra I, though it can be used by first graders, and certainly can provide drill to older students as well. There are suggestions for topics by grade level, but you (or your student) can choose which topics to work on.
Looking at the Grade 3 topics, there are not only your standard math facts, but also topics such as weight conversion, unit cost, and quadrilateral types, for a total of 57 topics. Grade 6 includes math facts, plus proportions, decimals to fractions, restaurant bills, congruent and similar triangles, batting averages... 86 topics in all. High School includes a total of 69 topics covering basic math facts and algebra I topics such as absolute value, trinomial factoring, applied linear equations, and nonlinear functions.
MathScore's pricing starts at $14.95/month for the first child and gets significantly cheaper beyond the first child. With a 9-month commitment, the first child's price can be locked in at $9.95/month.
A really nice aspect of the pricing is that you can freeze your account (over Christmas break, or while on vacation) and activate it again when you return, which means you aren’t paying for time that you are not using.
There is a free trial available, so you can test it out for yourself here. Each member of the Crew will be trying and reviewing MathScore. Be sure to check back and read what they have to say about it.
Dec. 18, 2009 - Prayer Request for Miriam
Our almost 4 year old daughter is having breathing problems again. We have a cold running through the family, and she gets asthmatic when she gets a respiratory illness. This morning she woke up wheezing badly, but a breathing treatment calmed things down. I'm taking her to the doctor today to have them do a blood oxygen check and listen to her lungs.
Thanks for your prayers.
