After finishing first grade our daughter wanted to start her own business so that she could have money.  I had been hired to keep a set of 3 Chihuahua while the breeder was out of town.  While there my youngest daughter decided breeding is something she could do as her business.  I told her that if she could earn the money for her puppy.  I also would match every dollar she saved with a dollar, and she could pay me back when her dog started having puppies.  I also said I would get the male dog.  Well all summer long she worked.  She cleaned up dog poop during the week at the breeder’s home.  She feed, watered, and played with neighbor dogs when the owners were out of town.  She vacuumed her father’s office.  She saved her Birthday money.  She saved her allowance.  She asked her grandparents and businessmen for money.  Well, sure enough in 4 short months she had enough money to buy that puppy, Jasmin Flower.   She has been our second grade project and will be part of our school from now on. 

So I was on the look for a male.  I found one and his mate from another local breeder was getting out of the Chihuahua business and wanted these to go to a good home.  So they come home with us.  Their names are JoJo and Cocoa

Cocoa just had puppies February 15^th

We only plan on having a few litters of Chihuahuas a year.  We are striving to breed high quality Chihuahuas.   Apple heads, small size, friendliness, and conformation are all important to us.. 

We predominantly breed short haired (smooth coated) Chihuahuas, but occasionally have long haired puppies, too.

learn more about this project http://www.freewebs.com/hapchihuahua/index.htm

Sheri Graham of Graham Family Ministries has put a lot of time and effort taking what she has learned over time and setting in a form most people can do taking one baby step at a time.  Her new ebook Baby Steps to Better Health will be out very soon.  As a busy homeschooling mother to 5 young children, Sheri started making changes to improve her family’s health.  If she can do it you can too!  She wrote this ebook in easy steps so that you can follow her towards a healthier and Godlier lifestyle.

Sheri has included great links that are easily accessible to more resources.  This ebook is filled with recipes that will help you improve your health and take the next step towards living a healthy life that God intended for you to live.  She has forms so that you can chart your progress and see what to do next.  She has pretty pages to encourage you to do what is right.  If you have purchased any of her other books you know she has poured her heart into her work, and this is no exception to that.

Sheri really has blessed us all with making things easier to take the next healthy step towards a better life.  This ebook is beautiful and full of useful information that will bless your family.  I would highly recommend you take the first baby step to a Godly and healthy life by purchasing Baby Steps to Better Health by Sheri Graham.  Sign up for her newsletter to know when this newest ebook is released!  Graham Family Ministries

Sher Birmingham is the wife to Bill. They have 7 children (ages 29 to 7 years old) plus 3 grandchildren (ages 6 to 1 years old).  Sher has managed health clubs and health food stores, but now she is a doula, homeschool mom, writer and church secretary.  She loves encouraging moms that they can successfully run a business, school, and keep house at Home! Her wbsite is http://www.sherbirmingham.com or look for her at Homeschool Estore

Please Tasha . . .  you emailed me and I have exactly what you asked for.  I would like to send it to you.  It isn't the pretty published ebook but it might just work for you. I have been trying ALL day to email you but it is bouncing back. 

Please Tasha email me.

The Passover and Jesus Ebook or the Resurrection Day Ebook was released Friday March 9th!  As I was working on the ebook the name got changed.   

 Passover and Jesus Ebook is now available on Homeschool Estore!   

Here is what other people are saying about the ebook:   

• "I love this book!  Thank you for putting it together." Kim
  
  
• "As I was editing this I wished my children were younger so that we could use it this year." Pastor Harriett Lane     
    
• "Thank you once again for yet another blessing.  I have felt lead to study the Passover for about 2 years now and went so far as to study a bit on my own last season. My intention was to celebrate the meal but I became overwhelmed with the language, food, traditions." Erika    
  
   
• "This looks like a great study.  Thanks so much for mentioning my site and our free pages.  I really appreciate it." Debra in MO   
  
  

You can still order the Volleyball Ebook at the prepublished price of $9.95 for one week only.  Next weekend it goes up too.  AND will be available on Homeschool Estore, also!   

My blog is designed for homeschooling families to teach their children with the Bible and Jesus as the center, the main text.  I will give you free ideas on how to do this as well as tell you of products that I have found to help me keep my focus on God.  Sign-up today to receive updates on what else I find.

Monday - I was in an auto accident.  I was the second car the man hit.  He was headed right towards me and I prayed.  "Oh God please don't let him hit me like that."  He hit and slid down the side of my van.  No damage to the van.   About lunch time I started having a bad headache and went to my chiropractors.   

Thursday - We had a bad storm here in Alabama.  No I am not in or near Enterprise, AL, but we did cancel all activities for that day.  My husband need me to work for him at Opelika Coffee Company.  By 5:45 I started getting ill, chills, nausea, dizziness, and headache.  I called my Pastor and he prayed for me to be able to drive home.  I did so and went to bed.   

Friday - am - I woke with a slight headache and a phone call from my husband telling me I had a flat tire that he saw as he left that morning.   After struggling with the air pump and tire I finally was on the road.  I started feeling better.   

Friday - lunch time - my head ache was back with a vengence.  But I got off work in 2 hours and felt that I would make it and then to my doctors appointment...follow-up from Monday.  By the time I got to the Chiropractors I was shaking with a high fevor.  I went home to bed and slept.   

Saturday - I have stayed in bed all day because it hurts to blink, my throat is sore and my ear is full.  We were to go to a birthday party for a friend of mine but I finally got up at 2 pm long enough to eat, shower and go back to bed.  Now at 4:30 I am on the computer for the first time in days.   

I am still planning on those ebooks to be out on time but I wanted to let you all know that our enemy has hit me hard this week.  My testimony is God is BIGGER and I am going to over come through His Strength not my own.   

My blog is designed for homeschooling families to teach their children with the Bible and Jesus as the center, the main text.  I will give you free ideas on how to do this as well as tell you of products that I have found to help me keep my focus on God.  Sign-up today to receive updates on what else I find.   

Ok my ebooks are at the editors.  We will see how much changing must be done.  I am also working on getting some more free gifts for you.   So purchase soon and get all the discounts and gifts for less!  

Also I have been pushed into working on the Hebrew - Alphabete ebook.  Pushed...lol Well in loved.  My dear friend reminded me that shewants that ebook and I told her it would be out in the Spring.  Well, Spring is almost here.  I will work on it maybe in May I can get it.  Wouldn't that be a nice Mother's Day gift...lol   

My grandson's Birthday is this next week.  And he and I are working on an ebook project.  We are going to split the money from it and he is going to buy a Build-A-Bear with his own money.  He wants so bad to purchase it himself with money he earns.  He is only 5 years old so he wouldn't be able to earn much working.  But he is doing some drawings for this Reader-Ebook.  It is about homeschooling and looking forward to being able to homeschool through the eyes of a preschooler.  

My youngest daughter is also working with me on some early Reader-Ebooks.  She wants books about life as a homeschooler.  Not life as a public schooler that she finds in many library books.  She too will be splitting the money for her own income.  She wants to purchase gifts for many of her friends.  I would love to see her giving spirit grow this year.  

My blog is designed for homeschooling families to teach their children with the Bible and Jesus as the center, the main text.  I will give you free ideas on how to do this as well as tell you of products that I have found to help me keep my focus on God.  Sign-up today to receive updates on what else I find.

Ok how is that for a shameless plug.  I told you all that I am working on my ebooks.  I want to offer them for sale now.  As a pre-published price and savings to you.  

The Resurrection Day Ebook will be about the reason why Jesus chooses to die on that Day in History.  And what it means.  With activities for the very young and old a like.  Copywork and cooking recipes.  It may take you all month to do it or just the planned 12 days.  But I am hoping it will be a life changing ebook.  I have most of this done.  I am including pages to do your copywork on.  But unlike my Christmas Blessing Ebook the scriptures won't be printed on the pages, yet there will be some great graphics on them.  

Resurrections Day for 2007 is going to be on April 8th, so you will need this ebook by March 25th. 

The price is now only $14.95.

The Volleyball Ebook will be just a fun ebook about the history of Volleyball and hands on activity learning about the game.  I am working on Copywork for this as well as jokes.  I have this mostly done.  I am still working on the artwork.  I have planned a few neat little worksheets.  And I have contacted a man who wrote an ebook about Volleyball that was published by Moody Press.  He has agreed to let me link a copy of his ebooks to all who puchases my Volleyball Ebook. So you will be getting 2 books in one!  Plus a few surprises.  Shhh!  

Hands of Child Blog has a code to get the Moon Unit for FREE!

To get your free moon lapbook, enter TOSMOON in the box for the coupon code and hit “update”, select check or money order as your payment type,  and you will receive a The Moon Project Pack absolutely free ($12.00 value)!s of a Child, the Premier Supplier of Ready-to-Assemble Lapbooks, I am asked a lot of questions about lapbooking.

Limited Time only

and also if you want to read great classical books online go to...

Classic Book Library

This Disney site had a contest for the Ultimate Narnia Fan and one of the six finalists.  The family were Christian homeschoolers (he's graduated and goes to Taylor now).  He has a cool video entry (his is the only video while the others all just have written entries).  The one with the most votes get to go see filming of Prince Caspian.  If you are interested, go and see his entry.  You can vote once a day until Feb 23rd. 

Randy of Griffin, IN

Have in the works a few ebooks.  One on Volleyball and the other one for the Resurrection Day Holiday...ok most people call it Easter.  But it is going to be less of an Easter lesson than you would typically think.   And a new line of the Homeschooling Readers for the youngsters.  

The Volleyball Ebook will be just a fun ebook about the history of Volleyball and hands on activity learning about the game.  I am working on Copywork for this as well as jokes.  I have this mostly done.  I am working on the artwork.  

The Resurrection Day Ebook will be about the reason why Jesus choose to die on that Day in History.  And what it means.  With activities for the very young and old a like.  Copywork and cooking recipes.  It may take you all month to do it or just the planned 12 days.  But I am hoping it will be a life changing ebook.  I have most of this done.  I am working on the copywork. 

And the Homeschool Readers.... These are books that you can read to your preschool looking forward to school or your young reader can read books about other homeschooling children.  You know the everyday things like going to co-op for the first time.  Or a homeschooling field trip.  Or other things that are a part of homeschoolers life yet not in books.  My children and grandchildren felt like they were missing something because they didn't get to ride the Magic School bus like other children they see.  These books will give them a look into school in other young homeschoolers.  So they can see that they are just alike.  

I am hoping you all will enjoy these books as they arrive on my ebook shelves.  

My blog is designed for homeschooling families to teach their children with the Bible and Jesus as the center, the main text.  I will give you free ideas on how to do this as well as tell you of products that I have found to help me keep my focus on God.  Sign-up today to receive updates on what else I find.

I want to encourage you that if you have a very tight budget for homeschool curriculum next year, please consider

 Cindy Rushton's "Virtual Seminar, Making the Charlotte Mason Approach Easy "

I was re-listening to "Introducing Charlotte Mason!"  I totally needed to do that.  I totally think that that one teaching of all that I have heard encourages every mother who is struggling to homeschool needs to hear. To hear that a Educator years ago thinks you are not only able to  homeshool your child but are the best teacher.  To hear that God thinks that I am the best teacher for my child.  Oh how freeing...how encouraging that is to know.  How special to know that God has equipped me to teach my children and has faith in me to do it right!  

Here is a clip of an email I sent Cindy Rushton...

"You are a most wonderful teacher of me...and thank you for your encouraging me.  I wish I could give that one teaching to all my friends with a link for them to purchase the rest of the "Virtual Seminar, Making the Charlotte Mason Approach Easy" and note that would encourage them if they are going to buy one thing this year for homeschooling.  Buy this "Virtual Seminar, Making the Charlotte Mason Approach Easy"...it is more important than any curriculum purchase you could make...it will destress, encourage, and make homeschooling more fun and doable than anything out there!"

HERE IS HER ANSWER!!!!

"Hey there!

Oh! You are such an encouragement!

Well, if you would like, you can share that one audio on your blog with that note. If they order before all of the audios are edited and online, they can order for only $25.00. It will all be $99.95 when they are all online. That would be a great way to get a lot for their money! :)

Thanks again for your feedback! I LOVE you!

Love,
Cindy"

So here is her teaching that is FREE for you only "Introducing Charlotte Mason!"       and if you want to hear the other wonderful things I was encouraged that weekend please purchase  Cindy Rushton's "Virtual Seminar, Making the Charlotte Mason Approach Easy ".  Even if that is the only purchase you can make for next year.  The teacher really needs to be encouraged by this seminar!!

Buying this "Virtual Seminar, Making the Charlotte Mason Approach Easy" it is more important than any curriculum purchase I could make...it has destress, encourage, and make homeschooling more fun and doable than anything out there!  And built up the homeschool teacher in our home...ME!  And now I am not making any money off your purchase...I just know what my purchase has done for me.

My Special Treats for YOU
This Month!

These files are in PDF format, so you will need the FREE Acrobat Reader to read, save, and print them. If you do not have Acrobat Reader on your computer, click here to go to the Acrobat Reader free download page.

To Download: Click on the link to open and save the PDF file OR right click, select "Save As" or "Save Target As" and then choose a location on your hard drive to save the PDF file.

Bible Study Workbooks
I ran across a series of Bible study workbooks a while back on the internet on the Old and New Testament. There are workbooks for almost every book of the Bible. I will be sending a couple more each month so that you can acquire the whole collection. Enjoy!

Download links:
The Church of Christ - Vol. 1
The Church of Christ - Vol. 2

Timeline eBook!
Make your own timeline book with this ebook! Simply print on card stock paper and either 3-hole punch or place in sheet protectors in a notebook! Enjoy!

Download link:
Timeline eBook

These materials can be FREELY distributed, but are copyrighted materials and cannot be sold. Thank you!

I know it is kind of late to start a unit study now...but I just found this...

http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/christmasunit.html

Use some this year and have fun next year...Merry Christmas

    How would you like for your children to learn about 4 historical people?  What if those same people overcame great odds and changed their world?  What if these same people did exactly what God told them to do in the face of many challenges that made what they were doing seem impossible?

    I was asked to review a project pack from In the Hands of a Child.  We have used many of their project packs (Bees, Butterflies, Pilgrims, Pigs, ect...) in the past and the kids really enjoy this fun way of adding a hands-on dimension to the topics we are studying.  And last month I reviewed Benjamin Franklin Project Pack. 

   Well, In the Hands of a Child asked again for me to review their project packs for both Disneyland and Christian Missionaries to Know.  The Christian Missionaries to Know is a great Multi-level hands on Lapbook pack with 29 activities to make Gladys Aylward, David Livingston, Amy Carmichael and George Muller household names.  Not only are there activities to make a wonderful Lapbook but also so much information, links and book suggestions.  They even give ideas for the kids to start mission projects right in their own neighborhood or town.

   There are 112 pages plus FULL COLOR pages showing you how they suggest putting it all together, GREAT help.  They cover things like vocabulary, what is a missionary, what skills or jobs a missionary might perform, and much, much more!

    The Christian Missionaries to Know project pack is designed to be a stand-alone unit on these great people of God.  You would just add some library books to give additional information or viewpoints if you want to.  It is also a great supplement to any curriculum you may be using to Mission work

     I love that all the mini-books are in the pack, ready to be printed and cut out. It is very easy to print however many copies you need for your family (if you have the ebook version or make copies if you have the paper version). I prefer the ebook style. We like to choose various colors to print the mini-books out on to make the final product colorful and attractive.

     On the Disneyland project pack we have a family history with Disneyland.  My mother was there on opening day in California.  And the love for Disney parks, movies, characters, ect… has been a family tradition.  So I jumped at the chance to review Disney project pack.

     The Disneyland project pack is designed for elementary to middle school aged children, although I learned many things I didn’t know.  It has 22 activities in its 69 pages plus FULL COLOR pages showing you how they suggest to put it all together, again GREAT help.  They cover things like vocabulary, timelines, geography, and much, much more!

      If you love Disneyland or its characters like we do this project pack is for you.  I love that all the mini-books are in the pack, ready to be printed and cut out. It is very easy to print however many copies you need for your family (if you have the ebook version or make copies if you have the paper version). I prefer the ebook style. We like to choose various colors to print the mini-books out on to make the final product colorful and attractive.

I have had a really busy week so I haven't blogged much.  I am wanting to let you know a few things...

One is you can save 70% now ... you need the code "CHEER" Shop today and save an additional 70% on Dining Certificates! Use code "CHEER" at checkout. Offer valid through 12/29/06.

I have for you is a full 26-episode series of the classic radio show The Cinnamon Bear.  My children are really enjoying the series, so I think yours will too.  Sign up for your free Cinnamon Bear downloads here:
http://the-cinnamon-bear.com

Last, but not least, I wanted to tell you about a brand new not-yet-for-retail sale item, Globalmania:  Master World Geography in Just 7 Months.  This is a new resource from Knowledge Quest and will be a big help to those of you that homeschool, plus those of you that just love to learn.  :)  The retail value is $12.95 but you can get it free if you download it this month. 
http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/globalmania.htm

I hope you enjoy these freebies! 

I am very excited about the lapbooks I have worked on this week.  I will post on that later.  But right now just enjoy the freebies I found.  I also have found many other things I hope to have posted by Christmas.

I also wanted to let you know that you can earn free 6 Flags tickets...it is only for students K-6th grades.  Comment on my blog or go to this sight for details.

http://weeklyreader.com/rts.asp

I have been telling you all about the online Bible studies I am on with Cindy Rushton.  They will be starting soon.  Go to  http://www.talk-a-latte.com/studies.html for more details.

My blog is designed for homeschooling families to teach their children with the Bible and Jesus as the center, the main text.  I will give you free ideas on how to do this as well as tell you of products that I have found to help me keep my focus on God.  Sign-up today to receive updates on what else I find.

Have you ever wondered what reading level your child is on?  Or what is a good book to get for them on their reading ability?  Or better yet do you have an idea to pass along to someone looking to answer these question...see below....

You know I am on Cindy Rushton's Bible Study.  She assigns homework every week.  A few weeks ago she assigned:  Homework: Mommy Reading List...Share Your TOP TEN Read-alouds (and WHY?)--in other words, tell us all about your favorites!

Here are my answers:

We find the old classics are fun to read like Little Women, Little House, Tom Sawyer, ect... We love to watch these movies and then read the books.  For my younger ones it sparks their interest enough to read with us.  Our older ones have already read it and find new joy and rehearing the classics and seeing them through the younger ones' eyes.

But back to getting books for the child to read on their level.... I have found another the perfect site for this.  It is called Classical Christian Educations Support Loop.

This 1000 Good Books List is by no means exhaustive. It is a listing of the books that 25 homeschooling mothers have come up with over the course of a year’s time through discussions of criteria to use in choosing a good book, and many other discussions about individual titles to include or exclude. If you know of books that are good that are not included in this list, by all means, do not let their exclusion stop you from reading them with your children. And similarily, if a book is included on this list that you just plain don’t like for whatever reason, then don’t read it. We firmly believe in the parents right and responsibility to have the ultimate choice in choosing reading material for their children. We have posted this list as a place to start, not necessarily as a place to end; since many of us did not have the benefit of careful discrimination in our reading material in our own childhoods and education.

The criteria we used to judge inclusion are: Does the book have literary value? Does the book re-emphasize a Biblical worldview or the Judeo-Christian heritage in some way? Does the book teach, through whatever means, what is moral or just or true? Does the book encourage to love and good works? Does the book exemplify warmth, tenderness, courage, humor, and other values and characteristics that we desire our children to be exposed to? Does the book nourish the intellect and fire the imagination? Does the book cross age barriers to be enjoyed by all?

The Bible, the best of the good books and the greatest of the great books, is the backbone of this good books / great books list. The books listed are offered in addition to the Bible, but certainly never in replacement of it.

The books have been divided into reading levels for your convenience. The reading levels are as follows: 1-3 corresponds to beginning readers in 1st through 3rd grades; 4-6 corresponds to fluent readers in 4th through 6th grades; 7-9 corresponds to maturing readers in 7th through 9th grades; and 10-12 corresponds to college-bound readers in 10th through 12th grades. The suggested reading levels are guidelines only and are not meant to be chiseled in stone. Individual children vary in their reading ability regardless of their grade; some will need easier books and some more challenging. The books listed with an “RA” designation after the entry are not-to-be-missed read alouds for young children. (Of course, any of the books will make wonderful read alouds, but the ones so marked are ones we feel are MUST read alouds that no child should grow up without hearing.)

A final note: one of the things that makes a good book “good” is its timeless quality, and its ability to cross age barriers from preschool children to great-grandparents. Please do not think that simply because a wonderful book like Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne, for example, is categorized in 4-6, that it could not be enjoyed by younger and older children. That is the beauty of the truly good and wonderful books.

Do you have a good book read aloud or a suggestion for certain age groups?  Please add it in our comment section of this blog! I asked if you had an idea...well for some one who leave a comment I am going to give a free gift.  Maybe if you post an idea you will be that blessed someone this holiday season.

My blog is designed for homeschooling families to teach their children with the Bible and Jesus as the center, the main text.  I will give you free ideas on how to do this as well as tell you of products that I have found to help me keep my focus on God.  Sign-up today to receive updates on what else I find.