Posted in Life in the Crazy House

Hello Blog Readers!!!

I just wanted to tell you that my prayer for all of you is to have a wonderful and productive 2009.

I'm sorry that I haven't had much time to blog lately, aside from all of my product reviews, but we have been enjoying lots and lots of nasty, germy sickness here at The Crazy House.  It's been crazier than ever with all the boogers and vomit oozing around here.  How's that for a visual?  Well, trust me, it's been a real challenge just to get by.  Thankfully, we were all spared on Christmas day and were able to enjoy it at home with our family.  The puking didn't start until 2:30 a.m. on the 26th.

Here's a quick glance at this year's highlights:

First Born got his first job, first car and driver's license, and took his first college class where he got an A.  He won 2nd place in a media contest and got $200.  He also was an assitant coach for the homeschool basketball clinic, volunteered at library for the summer reading program, made get out the vote calls for the presidential race, and was a stage hand for "The Gospel According to Scrooge."  In his spare time he did a lot of skateboarding and practiced guitar.

Renaissance Man also took his first college class and got an A.  He won 1st place in the media contest, earning $300 for his computer animation.  He also did an animation for a local FIRST robotics team. Not being just a nerd, Renaissance man also participated in the homeschool basketball clinic, played first base on a local baseball team, and spent hours on his skateboard.  He also volunteered this summer at the library and as a stage hand for "Scrooge." Lately, he has been practicing his bass.

Mr. Personality also participated in the homeschool basketball clinic.  He also ran for, and won, his first political office, and is now the president of the Teen Advisory Board at the local library.  He attends as many meetings and programs there as possible.  He also volunteered there this summer and particated in the summer reading program.  Mr. Personality volunteered for the presidential campaign too and worked as a stage hand for "Scrooge." 

Woggit also participated in the basketball clinic and played baseball with Renaissance Man this summer. He loves to be on the computer and is teaching himself 3D modeling.  His life's goal is to get his own lap top.  He participated in the summer reading program and read over 100 hours. Lately he has been spending a lot of time on the phone talking to his friend Nicky. 

Princess participated in homeschool gym this year and also in the homeschool American Girls club.  She also read around 100 hours for the summer reading program.  She is doing really well with her crocheting, and this year she has taught herself to play the recorder.  She loves to rollerblade, write, draw, and play with her sister, her friends, and sometime even her brothers, in her spare time. 

Dode Man participated in homeschool gym and read lots of books for the summer reading program too.  He also gets on the computer every chance he gets.  He loves to play outside with his brothers, sisters and friends and looks forward to spring.

Bear did homeschool gym, American Girls and the library program too.  This is the first year she read the books herself.  She loves to draw and cuddle with her stuffed animals.  She also loves playing outside with her siblings and friends.  This year she learned to make pot holders to give as Christmas gifts.

Baber did homeschool gym too, though sometimes he just wanted to sit with me.  He also did the summer reading program.  He had to be read to this year, but he's learning to read now, so maybe by next summer he'll be reading all by himself!  Baber loves to play with his siblings, and he is also making lots of friends around the neighborhood.  He loves to draw and create.  He LOVES tape. 

God willing, Sane Man still works as an engineer.  He has been "temporarily" laid off for the last seven weeks.  We are just hoping that when he goes back to work, he isn't told to turn around a go back home.  Have you heard?  The automotive companies are having a bit of trouble lately. Right now he is remodeling the basement.  Well, really just cleaning it up and moving a wall and finishing up some stuff he started long ago.  The hope is to have a little more space and a little more sanity.  Don't worry, though, we'll still be The Crazy House.  It would take more than a finished basement to change that!!!

As for me, I am just trying to survive!  Being The Crazy Mom ain't easy.  Sometimes I think I am going to really go nuts around here with all the noise and commotion.   Of course, as you know if you read this blog, I am working, well, volunteering really, as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.  I have been getting all kids of homeschool products, most of them really great, to review and blog about.  It's the perfect fit for me because I get things to try for free, my favorite price, and I get to blog about them to all of you.  Because I love to write, I can have a little something to do "for me" and still be benefitting my family, hopefully the product vendors, and all of you our there who homeschool.  It's a win, win, win, win situation. 

Of course I can't end this list of highlights without mentioning our big vacation!  We all packed ourselves into a motorhome, along with my in-laws and the dog, and visited Pike's Peak, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, the Grand Canyon, Hollywood, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore.  It was three weeks of fun and insanity, the Crazy Fam way.  We drove through flat country, the desert, up mountains, in the fog, the wind, the sun and snow.  We even rode through Vegas, Reno and down Rodeo Drive.  We spent most of our nights in Wal*Mart parking lots and ate a lot of sandwiches.  We saw a lot, did a lot, and spent a lot on gas.  I can tell you what, though, I could go a long time without another vacation!  It's too much like work!  LOL

Hope to spend lots of time with you all out here in the blogosphere in '09.  Until then, God Bless you all!!!

Posted in Reviews

About the product/service:

KinderBach is a piano program for kids aged two to seven.  The lessons are taught either online or by DVDs, Activity Books, and CDs. Children learn the notes on the piano and staff by characters, rather than letters, so they don't have to know how to read before they learn to read music. 

KinderBach not only teaches piano, it also teaches music theory, note reading, rhythm, ear training, hand position and much much more!  Experts suggest that children start lessons very young, but many piano teachers won't take preschool students.  This is why Karri Gregor develped KinderBach.   Now, even children as young as three can benefit from music lessons, and in the comfort of their own homes!

What are the pros of this product?  I found the website very easy to navigate.  You can tell a lot of thought has been put into the program.  It's put together in a way that is entertaining for very young children.  Plus, they have used fun ways to help them remember things, that a young child might otherwise have trouble remembering.  There are also activity sheets to reinforce what they've learned.  Karri Gregor (the founder of Kinderback and also the lady in the video) is very animated and has that "Kindergarten Teacher" personality that kids seem to gravitate to. 

What's not to like?  Well, Karri is way too perky for me!  LOL  Seriously, I thought it moved a little slow.  We did over ten week's worth of lessons and only got around to learning one note.  However, since it's made for very young kids, I suppose it moves at a reasonalbe pace.  You could move though it at your own pace, if you like.  That's what we did.

The Crazy Mom take:

We had a lot of fun with this.  I know it's supposed to be for younger kids, but I had my 12, 10, 9, 7, and 5 year olds doing it.  (Admittedly, my 12 year old son was not thrilled, but I had him watch anyway.  I can't say I blame him, it is VERY much geared for much younger children.)

Anyway, every Tuesday we would do our music time.  I did a few weeks at a time so I could really get a feel for the program before writing the review.  The kids sang and clapped and stomped and banged on pots and pans.  They also practiced some on the piano.  We really didn't get far enough to do any real piano playing, but I did catch my five-year-old making musical notes on a piece of paper.  All of them at least learned where the "D" key is on the piano.  They also seem to have a bit of understanding about how to read music. 

Now, as I said, none of my children can sit and play the piano at this point, far from it, but I'm sure if I had them do the entire program they would learn quite a bit.  Since I know piano a bit myself, I probably wouldn't buy this program for my own family.  However, it's been fun to do and I would recommend it for someone who wants their child to learn about music but has no musical experience.

What's the bottom line?  There are many ways to buy and many packages available.  To get an idea, here is the information for the Bronze package which is the online course:

Access to all web lessons (over 300 sessions!)
Accompanying PDFs

$7.16 a month - Billed as a 1-time annual payment of $85.95.
(SAVE over 50%)
or
$14.95 a month - Billed monthly.

I am going to give Kinderbach 3 out of 5 smileys!!!
*

Check it out!
http://www.kinderbach.com

Click here for FREE lessons!!!

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/606978

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product/service.

 I doubt this product/service would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product/service, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

KinderBach Guarantee

No Hassle Return Policy
There are no bad decisions with KinderBach
All Products carry a 30 day Money Back Guarantee
We want you to be totally delighted with our products

Posted in Reviews

About the product:

The Kid's Wealth Money kits contain all that you see above.  You get a money kit case in purple or blue, five account wallets, kid's guide, parent's guide, kid's pay calendar, colored pencils, calculator, kid's pay agreement, Kal and Pals sticker sheet, and kid's pay sticker sheet.

If you know anything about the "envelope system" you will have a good idea of what the Kid's Wealth Money Kit is all about.  Basically you have five wallets per child.  You have one wallet for each of five spending categories.  The categories are Wealth, Plan, Learn, Fun, and Angel.   The Wealth wallet is for long-term savings, the Plan wallet is for short-term saving, the Learn wallet is for educational spending, the Fun wallet, well, that's obvious, and the Angel wallet is for giving to others. 

To get started, the parent decides how much is normally spent in these areas by the parent and then pays the child the money on a monthly basis.  The child is then taught to budget and spend the money on his or her own.  This way, when the child wants something, the parent can simply ask if they have the money.  If not, then they don't get it.  If the do, the child can decide whether or not to spend it.  In the words of Kid's Wealth, the Money Kit "will help your child learn the value of money, how to manage their money, and build smart money habits for a successful future."   

To supplement the Kids Wealth Money Kit these Trackers are also available:

What are the pros of this product? 

Well, you have to teach your kids about money.  Period.  This is a good tool if you need something "tangible" to do this.  The quality of the kit is great, and it's set up to be very colorful and fun.  The program is simple to set up and it is made so that families can tweak it to fit their own needs. 

What's not to like?  Well, with the way it works, you have to decided what you spend on your kids' wants and be willing to hand it over to them to spend as they see fit.  This may not be feasable for some families.  Also, in reality, if you really sat down and thought about it, you could come up with something like this yourself using paper envelopes.  However, sometimes, I admit, having a "kit" makes things easier.  I am guessing it would help motivate a lot of kids to have a fun looking, colorful kit.  However, just getting cash might be motivating enough!  LOL

Also, the program pushes the "pay yourself first" philosophy.  If you are a Christian this might not set right with you.  However, there is no reason that you can't change it to say "give back to God first."  There really are no hard and fast rules.  I mean, they're your kids, and it's your money.  This is just a tool.  Like I said, it's totally "tweakable."

The Crazy Mom take:

For us, with Sane Man being laid off, I couldn't actually give my kids any money because right now all we can spend money on are needs.  Actually, even when we are getting a regular paycheck, we spend very little on wants.  There is no way we could give each kid, say, $50 a month.  That would mean shelling out $400 a month!  Now I can promise you that we don't spend that much on wants. 

Actually, I am, by nature, very frugal.  I come from a long line of frugal people.  My husband's family is more of a spend-now-figure-out-how-to-pay-for-it-later kind of family.  I think together we do pretty well being balanced.  I could go for a stricter budget, but we pay our bills and have excellent credit, so I can't complain.  (Now, hopefully we can keep it up!)  I have to say that our kids have picked up on our good habits.  They are all a bit tight with money, but they are generous too.  My oldest now has a job, and he is very good at budgeting his cash.

So for us, we really don't need it.  I do like the wallet system, and when my kids get some cash I will have them use it.  They love the kits!  We don't give them money, but they do earn it working for their grandparents, doing yard work, or doing occasional extra chores around here.  We don't buy them games, candy or things like that.  If they want those things, they already know they have to pay for it for themselves. 

However, f you're the kind of parent that is always handing cash over to your child, this would be a GREAT tool.  You will be amazed at how little your child actually thinks he or she "needs" when he or she is the one shelling out the cash.  I remember a story when Sane Man and his sister were out with the kids, and the ice cream man came by.  Her kids put out their hands, and she shelled out the money for the ice cream.  Our kids put out their hands and Sane Man said they would have to pay for their own.  They all opted out of the ice cream!  LOL 

What's the bottom line?  Kids Wealth Money Kit $39.95  Kids Wealth Trackers $7.95

I am going to give the Kids Wealth Money Kits 3 out 5 smileys!!!*

Check it out!

http://www.kidswealth.com

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/622240/   

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

100% Money Back Guarantee

The KidsWealth Money Program works and the results are 100% guaranteed, You will see changes in the first 30 days and you will be amazed at how smart your kids become managing their own money. When it’s your money it’s one thing, when it’s theirs, everything changes.

Posted in Reviews

About the product:

There are really lots of products from Math Mammoth.  No matter what your elementary child's needs are, I'm betting that Math Mammoth can help!  Whether it's a full curriculum, or just some needed review in one or two areas, Math Mammoth has it.  Do you like downloads or CD's?  Math Mammoth has both.  Prefer a hard copy?  Many of their products are available in book form.  And best of all, their prices a great!  For example, I checked out a download for Addition and Subraction practice, and it was only $4.00!  That was for a 75 page book out of which 57 were actually work pages.  Then I checked out the first grade full curriculum.  There are two books, A and B, which cost only $14 each.  That's only $28 for a whole year of math.   The author, Maria Miller, a former college math instructor, has made it her goal to make math instruction reasonably priced for everyone!

Here's a breakdown from the website that explains the different products available:

Posted in Reviews

About the company:

Alphabet Alley is a faith-based, family-run business that sells products for early childhood.  They sell magnetic toys, wooden toys, stickers, and games.  All products have a Christian theme.

For the purposes of this review I was sent the Two By Two Matching Game (right) and the Noah's Ark Go Fish Game (below.) 

What are the pros of this product? 

The two products I was sent were very cute, colorful, and durable.  So far my son, Baber, 5, has really enjoyed them, and has not detroyed them.  The only other thing they could do to improve them, is to put in a sensor to find them when they are lost!  LOL  (Can you tell we tend to lose things around here?)  Seriously, though, these are nice, quality products.  The little matching tiles are very thick and the illustrations are really cute.  So cute, in fact, that Baber took out his paint set and proceeded to copy the rainbow picture from the back of the tiles!

The Noah's Ark Go Fish game is a classic with a twist.  The cards are illustrated with cute Noah themed picutures.  They are bigger than a normal deck of cards, and quite sturdy.  If your little one doesn't know the numbers, he can ask if his game mates have any lions, cows, or whatever.

What's not to like?

This is one of those times where I can't really think of any negatives.  I mean, you can get other products like these just about anywhere.  However, these are good quality, and you gotta appreciate that your kids will be thinking about a Bible story while they are playing games!

What's the bottom line? 

Of course, the prices vary, but the Matching Game is $10.99 and the Noah card game is $5.99.

I am going to give Alphabet Alley 4 out of 5 smileys!!!
*

Check it out!  http://www.alphabetalley.com

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/621337/

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Posted in Reviews

About the product:

This is a spelling program that is very different from anything I've ever seen.  Now maybe I don't get out much, but most other programs I've seen seem to revolve around getting a list of words to study and then studying them for a test later later in the week.  The difference I see with All About Spelling is that it's more like a spelling program and a phonics program all wrapped into one.  Another difference is that you aren't simply given a list and dictated words to spell.  You learn spelling orally, with letter tiles and by writing the words down.  There are also flash cards that you use to go over letter sounds, rules, etc. 

What are the pros of this product?

You can use this program with any child because they have incorporated all learning styles into the program.  So, if you have kids that learn differently, which you probably do if you have more than one child, you can use with all of them.  Also, it's not set up for grade levels, so if you have a child who is a bit "behind" he/she won't have to feel like they are working below their potential.  I really hate grade levels anyway!  They simply label each book Level 1, Level 2, etc.  Right now there are four levels, with a fifth being developed right now. 

The lessons don't really take that long at all to do.  It might take you maybe a half hour a day to do the lesson, but, remember, you are incorporating your phonics lesson too!

What's not to like? 

There is a lot of prep up front.  You have to cut out and make the magnetic tiles yourself and cut up the flashcards.  However, because several members of the TOS Crew mentioned to the people at AAS that the task was a bit daunting, they have decided to start making the flashcards perforated.  Now, I think they are doing this with the first level to start, and I don't know if this includes the tiles, so I can't guarantee that you won't have to do a lot of cutting when you first get the program.  Still, my daughter and I spent roughly two hours one evening doing this for level one, but now there is very minimal prep time before doing each lesson.  It takes us about as long as it takes to get it off the shelf and get the number tiles out.  Five minutes, maybe?

The Crazy Mom take:

I have used two spelling programs in the past, Spelling Power and AVKO.  I liked both programs and will most likely continue to use them in my homeschool at some point.  However, I do like this program.  I am using it with four of my children, ranging in age from 6 to 12.  My 12 yo is dyslexic and has never mastered spelling.  It's great that we can all do it together.

Now, according to the directions, I am sreally supposed to teach each child seperately.  Being the rebellious Crazy Mom that I am, I do not do it this way.  I have been teaching them all together and it has worked out just fine.  My youngest is just learning to spell at six and my 12 year old needs all the help he can get.  Even my nine and ten year olds are benefitting from the review.  I've even learned a few things!

My problem has always been that I am a good speller, and it came very naturally to me.  I have been quite perplexed at how to teach someone who actually needs to be taught.  So far we have almost completed the first level.  The younger three are doing great and I am seeing small improvements with my dyslexic son.  We were given four levels to review, and I fully intend to go through all four levels with my kids.  If it continues to go well, I will purchase the next level when it becomes available. 

What's the bottom line?

All About Spelling Level 1 or 2 Set: $29.95
All About Spelling Level 3 or 4 Set: $39.95
Additional Material Packet Level 1 or 2:  $12.95
Additional Material Packet Level 3 or 4:  $17.95

Letter Tiles:  $9.95
Magnets for Letter Tiles:  $5.95
Phonogram Audio CD-ROM:  $14.95

I am going to give All About Spelling 4 out of 5 smileys!!!  *

Check it out! http://www.all-about-spelling.com/

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/605392/

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Posted in Reviews

Today I'm going to introduce you to an E-book from Motherboard books called Let's Make a Web Page!

About the product/service:What are the pros of this product?

Let's Make a Webpage is a 60-page e-book by Phyllis Wheeler that is a tutorial for young children (ages 8-12) that will take them through the process of creating a webpage, step by step, using free trial drag-and-drop software.

Here's what's in Let's Make a Web Page:

Table of Contents

Introduction for Parents
Lesson 1: An Interview
Lesson 2: Download and Set Up the Pogram Lesson 3: Add Text
Lesson 4: Make a Table
Lesson 5: Add Photo
Lesson 6: From the Internet, Add Animations
Lesson 7: Browser Check, Backgrounds, Photos
Lesson 8: Sound
Lesson 9: Links
Lesson 10: Post Your Work
Appendix: How to Upload to the Internet

It's really simple.  You don't have to know, or even learn, any HTML to do it!!!  You would have to work really hard to make a mistake as there are screen shots for pretty much everything.  You can see exactly what you're supposed to be doing.

The writing style is perfect for children, and the author does not talk over their heads, nor does she talk down to them.  Also, Wheeler not only teaches about making a web page, she discusses internet safety and cautions kids against using unfamiliar sites. 

What's not to like? 

Well, you will have to buy the software (Coffee Cup) if you are going to want to keep using it to make websites after the trial is over.  However, my son has made several sites and has never had to pay for anything.  Once you learn how to make a website, I'm sure you can do a little digging around and find a way to create your page for free.

Also, even though it's created for kids, I did have to help out my daughter a few times, so your children may not be able to do everything by themselves.  Then again, spending time with your kids is hardly a negative!

The Crazy Mom take:

I have my 10 year-old daughter working on this project, and she's been having a lot of fun with it.  Her website is not quite done yet, but she is working on it.  The author suggests you do an interview with someone for your site, so she is "interviewing" the dog.  I'm not sure what the dog thinks!  LOL

I am getting used to the whole "E-book" idea.  For some things it doesn't work for me, but for something like this, it's actually preferable.  I mean you are working at the computer anyway, and as you read along, you simply click on the links as you need them.  We created a folder for the project and we keep the E-book, as well as all the other website related files, all together.  It couldn't be easier.

I've also used other products from Motherboard Books.  We have Computer Science Pure and Simple Book 1 and Book 2.  We also have the LOGO software.  I would recommend them highly. 

What's the bottom line?  Only $19.99 right now, regularly $29.99

I am going to give Let's Make a Web Page 4 out of 5 smileys!!!  *

Check it out!

http://www.motherboardbooks.com/letsmake.htm

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/620169/  

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Posted in Reviews

About the service:  Hi everyone!  Today I have an new service to tell you about.  It's called puppetools. 

Puppetools is basically a website put together by Jeffrey Peyton for the purpose of what I would call the advancement of "puppet culture."  Okay, that sounds a bit wierd, but that is pretty much exactly what it is.  Peyton's theory is that children learn best by play and that puppets are the perfect means to get them playing, and in doing so, learning.  The idea is that kids, even teens, will see things in a whole new light and will even open up in incredible new ways when puppets are introduced into their lessons.

I looked all over the website and here is what I found.  First, there is a lot of information about the need for play in today's educational system.  Of course, as homeschoolers, we are not part of that system.  Personally, I think my kids probably have a lot more time to play than the average public school kid.  Still, I have to admit, I don't incorporate play into my lessons as often as I should. 

The other thing I found were lots of ideas for puppets made out of heavy construction paper.  First, there are directions for making a "hinge."  The hinge is the base of all the puppets on the site.  It is basically the mouth, and the rest of the puppet is built around it.   While there are lots of ideas and templates, Peyton strongly encourages parents and teachers to come up with their own ideas.  I did a simple Google search and found tons of ideas for puppets made from not only paper, but material, socks and more.  (That being said, I suppose you could just Google puppets without being subscribed to puppetools.)

There are also forums for people to share stories about how they are using puppets in their own classrooms and homes, and lots of videos of puppets in use.  This might be the best part of the service.  While you might already be convinced that puppets are a great learning tool, and while you can find lots of puppet making information on the internet, sometimes you just have to see how someone else does something to really get the feel of it.

What are the pros of this service?

Well, as I stated above, if you are into puppets and want to incorporate them into your lesson plans, this is a good place to "hang out" and get ideas and/or templates for your own puppets. 

Here's the company's list of the benefits of subscribing:

Subscription Details

* 1 year to train and master Puppetools - the "Language of Play"

* Access Puppetools' online Educator Work Area

* Access Puppetools' exclusive practitioner video library

* Access extensive research on play and education

* Access hundreds of puppet images, concepts, and patterns

* Access readings from the 200 page Puppetools Manual

* Access our global community forums - learn with teachers around the world

* Put Puppetools to work in just days--for many it's just overnight

* Learn fast, flexible puppet design and construction--in just minutes

* Discover how a single paper hinge creates a limitless resource

* Engage playful, energized conversation for lessons and activities /all grades

* Use puppet know-how and techniques without acting, scripts, or theater

* Effectively harness Play and spark motivation, participation, and receptivity

* Discover the deep impact of play on students and teachers

What's not to like?

I think the site could be organized a little better.  Also, it seems that once you are convinced that puppets are the answer to getting your kids excited about learning, there is not all that much there to make it worth paying for.  However, if you are creatively challenged, it might be worth it to subscribe to puppetools to get some ideas and maybe brainstorm with some other parents and teachers about ways to use play in your homeschool.

The Crazy Mom take:

I have to be honest and say this is not something I would use.  My kids have made puppets before with things like paper bags and socks (boy do we have a supply of unmatched socks!) and have enjoyed it, but I can't imagine myself using them all that often in my lesson plans.  I am not that fun, I guess!  LOL  I spent quite a bit of time looking at the website, and I just never got drawn in.  You might not be like me, though, and you may find great value in puppetools.  Now that I've told you a little bit about it, I think you should simply check it out yourself!

I'm going to give this products 2 1/2 out of 5 smileys. 

 1/2*

I am going to explain this rating.  I normally don't give half smileys, because, well, you can't make half a smiley, and most products simply fall into one category or another.  I went back and forth on this one.  I did not feel puppetools would do much to enhance my homeschool.  I don't think it would for a whole lot of people, but somehow, I think it deserved more than two smileys.  There is a lot of information there, and lots of cool puppet ideas and I would not want to keep someone from at least checking it out.  So...

What's the bottom line?  *TWO TYPES OF SUBSCRIPTIONS*

*1) $20.00 INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIPTION:* Designed for individual users. Get complete access to all resources for a full year. Upgrade to the group subscription any time for $79.00. Ideal for individual users/households.

*2)* *$99.00 GROUP SUBSCRIPTION (Habitat): *Designed to be shared among small & large GROUPS such as families, home schoolers, classrooms, scout troops, 4-H, entire schools, and non-profit organizations with educational missions. This is the best way to derive the greatest benefit as the group subscriptions as up to 30 people can share the cost and enjoy the ride. Need access for more users? No Problem -- you can simply add more users anytime in lots of 50 or 100 and the cost can be as low as $2.00 PER USER. The purchaser (account owner) may assign up to 15 administrators per account --all users receive access to all resources for a full year.

Check it out!  http://www.puppetools.com

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/620634/

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Today I'd like to introduce you to Core Learning, an excellent resource for homeschool products.  As crew members we given a copy of Crayola Art Studio from Core Learning, as well as three CD-ROMS with samples from many of their other products.  First I'll tell you a bit about the Crayola Art Studio.

Crayola Art Studio is a totally cool product.  I decided that Baber, my 5-year-old, would be my product tester for this software.  He has totally LOVED it!

This product is a lot like Paint that you get with Microsoft, but it is just so much cooler.  I just love the way it works. For example, when you are using yellow paint and then you go over it with red, it turns orange.  Now, when I say it turns orange, I mean it turns orange in the way that it would if you were using real paint.  I can't really describe it, it just looks totally real.  Like it kinda has a streaky effect or something.  I guess you'll just have to buy it and try it!  You can also use crayons, color pencils, markers, stickers and more. 

My dear son is constantly sneaking off downstairs to our printer to take (OK, steal) our printer paper.  He then makes tons and tons of drawings and wants to save every one.  Now (when the computer is free) I can sit him down and he can be creative all day and there is no waste of paper or mess!  He also can't break the crayons or lose the marker caps which is a plus! 

What are the pros of this product?

It's just plain fun!  It was easy enough for my five-year-old, but my older kids still enjoyed it.  I think anyone could have fun with this product.

What's not to like?

The only problem my kids had was that it took a while for them to figure out how to erase.

What's the bottom line?  $24.95

I really like this product.  Since I have the full version I am going to give it a smiley rating seperate from the company rating.  I am giving is 5 out of 5 smileys!!! *

Like I said, Core Learning also sent three demo disks so we could check out their other products.  The have four main subjects that they specialize in.  They are math, language arts, health and art & creativity.

I checked out the math and language.  These are not games, but serious reviews of all the basics you learn in elementary school.  When I checked out the math, I saw that they reviewed an area, had you print out practice worksheets to do on your own, and then had you come back to the computer to do a quiz that was immediately corrected.  I have to say, it's nice to get instant feedback.  Around here sometimes the teacher gets busy with life and it can be a while before theings get corrected! 

My son checked out the Health for Kids Series demo.  It was colorful and fun and he was learning all about his body.  There is also the Family Health Series that deals with things like illnesses and injuries, staying healthy and emotional health. 

The art tools are great from what I can see.  For example, with Corefx you can draw, paint, animate and even edit photos.  As I said before, I can't say enough about the Crayola Art Studio.

I also saw that they had products for older kids that stressed critical thinking skills.  It seems like they have something for everyone! 

What are the pros of this company?

From what I can see this company is trying to produce software that will help you teach the basics to your kids in a simple, yet effective way.  If you like to try before you buy, you can check out the software FREE for three days before buying.

What's not to like?

This does appear to be a secular company, so if you prefer to weave a Christian message into every subject, this may not be for you.

The Crazy Mom take: 

Based on my experience with the Crayola Art Studio and what I saw on the demos, I will be checking out Core Learning again when I am looking for software to supplement my kids' education.

What's the bottom line?  The cost of the software is $16.95 and up.

I am going to give Core Learning 4 out of 5 smileys!!!  *

Check it out!  http://www.core-learning.com

Check out what my fellow TOS Crew mates have to say @  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/620165/

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

According to their website ALEKS is a web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system.   It stands for "Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces."   Sounds very intellectual, does it not?  We'll, it is!  LOL

ALEKS is a web-based math program for grades 3-12 (they also have some higher level courses.)  I really like the way it's set up.  Your child first does a series of problems from whatever level you choose.  Once this is done, the program assesses your child's strengths and weakness and sets up a program tailored to your child's needs.   Then the work the child is to do is represented in a pie chart.  For example, I have two kids in Level 5.  The pie is divided into five sections: whole numbers, fractions, decimals, geometry and algebra.  As your child completes problems from each piece of the pie, it's shaded in so that he/she can see exactly where he/she is at.  It's fun to see your pie chart filling up!

What I like most about the program is that once your child does a type of problem correctly several times, they move on.  No need to do pages and pages of problems that your child can already do.  My kids hate that and they start to get bored.  Sometimes I let them skip ahead and then they get too far ahead.  With ALEKS, it's all done automatically.  The kids don't have a chance to get bored.  They do review occasionally, but if the child is doing well, they will continue to advance.  Of course, if a child hits a snag, he or she can spend as much time as necessary until that type of problem is mastered.

This is not one of those "fun" programs.  There are no fancy colors or dancing dogs, or belching babies.  It's all business.  I think for the serious scholar, or the easily distracted child, this would be perfect.  I doubt they will beg to do their math, but most kids will get a sense of satisfaction as they see thier pie "fill up."  My kids don't seem to mind.  Of course my daughter Princess, 10, is much more agreeable than Woggit, 12, but he is not agreeable to changing his socks, so don't let that sway you! 

What are the pros of this product?  I love that it's so automated.  I can see at a glance how much they've done, plus I am e-mailed a weekly report for each child.  I also like that it's very comprehensive.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a stand alone math program.

What's not to like?  Well, it can be a bit costly.  Cheaper than a tutor, but more expensive than most math texts.  However, if you can afford it, I think it's worth the cost.  (See the numbers below.) 

The Crazy Mom take:  I would have to say, I think I like this program the most out of all the online programs I've seen.  It has been great for my daughter, Princess.  She is the one who was my "test student."  I wish now that I'd have had them all using it.  I just signed up three of my other kids for 30 days.  I am seriously considering using it for my son Woggit (maybe this summer) as he needs to just be able to do the work and move on.  He is always saying that math is "boring" because he knows it all.  This program knows what he knows, so it will put him exactly where he needs to be. 

What's the bottom line?  The cost is $19.95 per month/$99.95 for 6 mos/$179.95 for a year.   

I'm going to give ALEKS 4 out of 5 smileys.  *

Check it out @ http://www.ALEKS.com

For a free 30 day trial go to http://www.aleks.com/webform/eb3-104

Check out what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/620062/

*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

 This is great, and I would