I crocheted my Halloween costume! Normally, I don't dress up for Halloween, but my BFF had a fabulous family Halloween party this year, so I HAD to dress up. I had a plan, but I didn't get to it until the night before the party! I still managed to make my mask and tail out of black chenille. They came out pretty cute. Here's me in the mask:
I was a cat. I got the mask pattern from a magazine, but I made up the tail. I simply crocheted a long tube that was closed at the beginning. Then I tied the end around a belt loop at the back of my pants. To make the tail:
ch 2
turn and SC 6 SC in second ch from hook
without turning, SC in the first SC and SC in each SC around until the tail is as long as you would like it to be.
I used 2 strands of black chenille, so I didn't need to stuff the tail, it was quite thick. If you need to you could jam a little stuffing down the tail with a long knitting needle to get it to be puffier or more solid.
The finishing touch of my outfit (I wore a black top and black pants) were the shoes. I will NEVER wear these shoes again because they were quite painful. BUT they did make the outfit.
We had a great time. The kids had a scavenger hunt and bobbed for apples. They made carmel apples, and painted pumpkins. They even played pin the nose on the pumpkin! It was a lot of fun even for us adults. I'll leave you with a pic of my gypsy-BFF and me!
About a month ago, we got to drive through Herhsey's "Sweet Lights." Sweet Lights is a drive through light show offered near Hershey Park. I wanted to give you a short pictorial tour through Sweet Lights as we saw it. This is by no means all that could be seen, but it was truly beautiful. If you are one of those people who love driving around at Christmastime looking at lights in the neighborhood, you would love Sweet Lights. Enjoy!
The arm moved and the notes drifted upward as you drove past. Also there was a radio station you could tune your car radio to to listen to Christmas carols as you drove.
As you can see the lights were very detailed and ornate.
A very happy pointsetta!
They modeled this one after our house! LOL
The boys' favorite part was afterward when my dad bought ice cream sundays at Dairy Queen! I loved the lights. It was a great way to start the season.
Last year, a friend of the boys' told them about Gamemaker software. He said that he made a game and they should check it out. They downloaded the free version of the software and tried to make a game, but got nowhere except frustrated. So I was excited when I received a three-month membership to Tektoma, Inc.'s website for tutorials using the game maker software.
Tektoma declares that their tutorials are useable by ages 7 to 17. The boys have spent a few hours using the tutorials and I would be hard-pressed to see a seven year old complete this tutorial with no assistance. Our youngest is 11 and our oldes is 13 years old. They have been able to follow the tutorials and create their games without assistances. I had to install the game maker software and the "extras" pack. The installation was easy, but needs to be done by an adult.
Our guys are very adept at video game and computer useage. They didn't have a problem following the instructions in the tutorials they tried. They said that it was a lot of information to take in and they'd like to complete each tutorial more than once so that they can really grasp the concepts learned in order to branch out and create their own games, not replicate the games taught in the tutorial. It was very exciting for them to learn to use the gamemaker software. They love video games and have talked for years of designing their own games. Learning this software using Tektoma's tutorials has been a dream-builder for my two enthusiasts. I'm really pleased with Tektoma's approach.
Subscribing to the tutorials is a little pricey for the year ($140), but you can pay $14.95 per month, which is a little more reasonable. There are also ways to earn free time by recommending Tektoma tutorials to your friends, so don't disregard this website if you are pressed for money. AND Tektoma has a 14-day free trial. I love free trials! You know what you're getting before having to pay.
If you have a gamer in your house, check out Tektoma. My two guys have really enjoyed what they've learned. I'm grateful that they have offered a way for our boys to learn game-programming. And I don't have to worry about the content!
For more information:
- Contact Tektoma by email: info@tektoma.com
- Check out the reviews of other crew members here.
- Check out their website and try them free for 14 days.
I received a 45-day membership for our sons to 3P Learning's Mathletics website in return for the following review.
If you read my blog with any regularity, you may know that I love math. It's a sickness really. My boys, even though they are great at math, don't love it. It's because when I formally taught them in the early days, I was impatient, which caused them to hate math-time with Mommy. Earlier in this year we were given the opportunity to review an on-line math program, which we all enjoyed. Several weeks ago, we were given another opportunity to review a different on-line math program from 3P Learning. The site is called Mathletics.
This is a very entertaining website. It is very graphic intensive, so an older PC with a dial-up connection might give you problems. They do have system requirements on their website so be sure to check those out before trying out this program.
Although I received two sign-ons, one for each of our boys, one sign-on had already been assigned to a girl in Canada. When I contacted customer service I never received a reply. As a result of this, only our youngest son used this program for any amount of time. He enjoyed using it because it is very gamelike. Our boys do play video games and computer games and we don't limit it too much as long as it doesn't get out of hand. So our guys are really familiar with on-line gaming. The graphics were good and there was opportunities to play games when certain lessons were complete. Of course our 11-year-old T-Bone LOVED the games. When setting up his sign-on he got to design a little person to represent him on-line. He liked doing that too. All-in-all he liked using this program, but had no problems when I told him it was time to return to what we have been using this year.
I found this to be a fun program, but the math level was a little lower than what we use typically. In other words, when we put in his grade level, the math-work that was required of him was more review and less challenging than I like. (which is why T-bone liked it so much, I think) I never received a response to my customer service concern, so I can't recommend them in customer service.
This webiste/program is known for having great parental controls and check-ups, but I would prefer to have those land in my email in-box. I didn't receive any updates from Mathletics after T-Bone signed-on and began using the program. As any busy homeschool mom, I didn't think to get on-line, log into the program and check on his progress. I was watching and sitting in the living room as he worked on-line so I knew what he was doing. I recorded his time for our records, but it would have been nice to get an email updateof his progress.
It's a good program, you could solve the level problem by simply bumping your student up a level when registering. There are opportunities to compete against other students using math-skills you develop while using this program, which can be very appealing to children. Unfortunately there is no free-trial so that you can get a taste of Mathletics. But check out their website if you're interested in learning more about this program. It is available for Kindergarten through grade 8.
Mathletics is relatively inexpensive as on-line math programs go. The cost is $59 for a one-year subscription. But while subscribing, if you enter "the human calculator's favorite number" (it's 9) you can get your subscription for $49.95. You can see subscription information by hitting the "purchase" button on the mathletics website. One drawback is that there is no discount for multiple students, so for a large family this could get pricey.
For more information about Mathletics, check out their "about" page by going to their website and clicking on the "about mathletics" button. And, as always, here's the link to the other crew members' reviews.
A few weeks ago I received Level 1 and Level 2 of "All About Spelling" in exchange for the following review. Even though our guys are beyond the basic spelling programs, being 11 and 13 years old, I chose to use it as a review for them. Early in our homeschooling days, I read about Charlotte Mason from a few homeschooling speakers. In their interpretation, our boys would be great spellers simply because we read great literature. Well, that didn't happen. Our boys are not what I consider great spellers. In annual tests, they are on grade level, but to me, when every other test is at least a few grades above grade level, spelling is lacking. So, I decided to begin at square one with the boys using All About Spelling Level 1. BOY was I surprised at what I found!
I was pretty excited to review this product because I had read about it several years ago. The idea is that there are very specific sounds or phonograms in the english language that are used repeatedly. (think shun for "tion") If you learn these phonograms and how the sounds are spelled, your spelling improves. When I did try to instruct our boys in spelling years ago, I used the old spelling rules that I was taught. We all quickly learned that all these rules were made to be broken! This made our spelling careers very frustrating. Using the methods in All About Spelling, we aren't learning or teaching rules, but sounds. It's quite brilliant.
I received the starter kit, available for $26.95 and Levels 1 ($29.95) and2 ($39.95), of All About Spelling. On the Sunday before I planned to begin the program with the boys I sat at the kitchen table to assemble all the materials in the Starter Kit. There were several laminated sheets of color-coded letter squares. I had to cut out each square to make 105 individual letter tiles. Also included in the kit are two sheets of magnetic squares with adhesive backs. I put one individual magnet on the back of each letter tile. Then I had to separate the perforated flash cards which are color coded for different skills. All of this preparation took about an hour and a half. I spent another hour reviewing the lessons and getting prepared for the week ahead.
Because the boys are older, I bunched several lessons together into one lesson to move them through the program. Surprisingly, we did find challenges in this program! I thought that since this was such a beginner level, we'd breeze right through it. But even I was challenged to write the letter based on the sounds it makes. For instance, if I made the sounds "ssss" as in snake and "zzzz" as in zither, would you write the letter S on your sheet? Or if I just made the sound "k", would you know it was the letter K, when later I made two sounds "sss" and "k" to indicate the letter "c"? Learning the basic phonograms was really interesting.
I loved the concepts used in All About Spelling. The tiles are colorful. The flash cards are color coded. There are colored see-through chips to use for some activities. The children have to move tiles and chips to do certain reviews and some new activities. They are not just sitting and spelling, but touching and moving as well. By using more than one sense or brain function, the spelling lessons are solidified in their minds. It's an excellent way to learn.
All-in-all I think this is a fabulous spelling program. It is logical and makes sense to learn. It did take a lot of time to prepare for our initial outting, but after that, getting a lesson going took no time at all. You organize once and you're set for the next 6 levels. (level six will be released soon) It is not a program that is easily used for multiple students. I have always taught my boys at the same grade level in everything except math, so I may be a huge exception in the homeschool world. But the script and activities are set up for one on one instruction. I have managed to tweak it so that the boys and I could all do it together. If the material was more challenging, such as in the upper levels, then I may have to work with each boy individually. However, for this review, we are managing to complete our spelling lessons as a group.
If you would like to see all the products that All About Spelling has to offer, check out their product page. This is a really great spelling program. I highly recommed it. You could begin using level one for a first-grade child or use the early levels as review for struggling spellers like mine. Using each level would take you through all the elementary grades. But again, if you have a remedial speller in the highschool level, this is a great program. Just make sure to schedule enough time to get it all prepared ahead of time.
For more information, All About Spelling's contact page can be found here. And as always, please check out the review of my fellow crew members here.
Today I'm grateful because...
1. It's snowing!
2. Our boys are in A Christmas Carol this weekend.
3. We have made some new friends that we are enjoying.
4. Our van was in the shop and the bill was LESS than we expected.
5. Our guys got home from deer camp safely.
6. Big Dog got an opportunity to do a survey that will help us with Christmas expenses.
It's time to get back to Featured Blogger again! It's been a nice break and it was nice to have Amanda Bennett on the HSB home page for two whole weeks, but there are so many other bloggers to meet!
This week I want to introduce you to the PearceFamily of Planted Oaks and Little Acorns. This fun family takes time to enjoy life and homeschooling.
We've been talking about preparing for Christmas here on the Porch but how about preparing for a baby? Lori is one blessed mama! Her oldest daughter gives her a pedicure before the new bundle of joy arrives. What a special treat!
Have you joined the workbox craze? Then meet another mom who has fallen in love with this way of doing homeschooling! She has a whole category dedicated to workboxes.
Now here's a fun idea for blessing other families this Christmas! Give them 12 days of gifts that fit with the 12 Days of Christmas song. Lori blogged about it in 2 separate posts, days 1-4, and days 5-12.
Go wish the PearceFamily a Merry Christmas!
Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB
- Turning Points in Homeschooling offers ample support and incredible insight that will help answer many of the troublesome questions you may have.
- Fiesta of Freebies 2nd Edition offers incredible organization of the many Freebies that were offered throughout 2008 in the Freebie Friday E-Newsletter and The Homeschool Minute.
Comfort and Joy
for Christmas
Just in time for Christmas!
A link to the free E-Books will be available upon checkout.
Are you worried about gift-giving? Get excited about giving to others! Make some spectacular gifts yourself quickly and easily. Enjoy phenomenal tips to keep the holiday season stress-free right into January as you put Molly's ideas to good use!
Tucked neatly within the pages of Molly's Digest, you'll find:
- Ideas for teaching your children gratitude and generosity.
- A beautiful, decorative use for last year's calendar as the year comes to a close.
- Great suggestions for family gifts, generic gifts, and even food gifts.
Would you like to be more "PC"? You can be practical and cost-conscious this Christmas season when you use Molly's ideas! Be "pleasantly confident" this year when using these inspirational gifts. Discover . . .
- When socks are a great Christmas gift.
- How to use popcorn as a gift to strengthen families.
- Practical gift options you can give to everyone by simply making small variations.
- Begin the countdown to Christmas with Eat a Red Apple Day.
- Include discussing tree decorations with Mitten Tree Day.
- Make your card deadline day December 9.
- Study worldwide celebrations on International Children's Day.
"In this edition, you will also find recipes as well as ideas for special days during the month of December. For example, I had no clue that December 8 was a National Brownie Day. Mmmm! Sounds delicious and good to me . . . My favorite article was definitively the "Eight Frugal Family Crafts." It gave me special ideas not only for extended family members but for my own family as well. I really love the Movie Night and the Super Sundaes ideas. Very creative and fun to put together . . . For me, I would love a Book Lovers' Basket or a Scrapbook Box of Surprises--anything to brighten my holidays. Once again, I think that Molly's Money-Saving Digest for the month of December 2009 is wonderful. Thanks Molly for this full year of your wonderful ideas!"
Monthly Feature--"Comfort and Joy for Christmas" will be exactly what your family feels when you simplify and minimize. Be courageous this Christmas and eliminate obligation and guilt, consider family gift-giving, agreeing to end gift exchanges or to make homemade gifts--Molly tells you how!
- Eight Frugal Family Gifts will ignite creativity in your entire family as you gather to design gift baskets for a Movie Night, Snacks and Desserts, and gaming fun for other families this Christmas.
- Twelve Generic but Sensible Gift Ideas could bring everything from safety to convenience into the life of the recipient and are incredibly fun to choose and personalize!
- Ten Fabulous and Frugal Foodie Gifts provide the thoughtfulness of both time and taste to friends and family with ideas to dress up cheesecake, present incredible bread as a present, and give the gift of baking fresh cookies in a two-part gift experience!
- Let's Get Together! Foodie gifts create incredible opportunity for a get together and can make hosting a holiday brunch much simpler than you ever imagined!
- All the Trimmings includes tips for decorating, wrapping, and all the holiday trimmings with a thrifty perspective. A quickie list will help keep your holiday sanity as you get it all done.
- Great Expectations for Kids helps you develop a lifelong attitude of gratitude in your children with five guidelines you can easily implement.
Do you love details? Check out each and every part of the December Molly's Money-Saving Digest right here:
- Molly's Minute--Year-end blessings from Molly remind you to focus on family, friends, and faith this Christmas season--regardless of how you choose to celebrate. The first full year of Molly's Money-Saving Digest is complete with this December issue, and more great things are coming in 2010!
- Begin With the Basics--"Candy Making 101" will warm your heart and pleasantly fill the tummies of friends and loved ones. As a frugal art, candy making gets off to a great start, and this article brings recipes, tips, and wrapping ideas. Even some historical reading is thrown in for good measure! You'll love making homemade toffee and mints, and you'll learn what important piece of equipment will help most in your candy making.
- On Sale This Month--With all the Christmas shopping going on, you won't want to miss the list of sale items this month. The list goes far beyond Christmas gifts to items you'll be thankful you found on sale now--you'll use them all year long.
- Keeping it all Together--"Staying Sane During the Holiday Season" isn't just a great title for this article--it is possible for you! This section offers perfect direction for staying on track this season and will prevent you from doing too much. Links galore will also save you time and money!
- Feather Your Nest Frugally--What 6-foot-by-2-foot decorative item could you be working on that will be enjoyed all year long? It isn't your Christmas tree. This great idea will call for you to "pull the tubs from under your bed, dance through the garage, and send your husband up to the attic." Aubrey Lively shares this project she and her mother haven't even officially named because it is too fantastic and beyond words! Pictures and instructions will motivate you to completion as Aubrey walks Molly readers through the entire process with a specially made item just for the Digest.
- Pull Up a Chair--Another great gift idea awaits, along with the usual week's worth of weeknight menus. From tasty Mandarin Almond Salad and old-faithful meat loaf that makes a house a home, to elegant but frugal meals the children will love, Molly's meals have you covered. The Turkey Noodle Leftover Casserole will make the whole house sing--perfect for caroling preparation! Recipes include an ingredient list, easy-to-follow instructions, and even a few more great gift ideas will be found sprinkled within this week of menus.
- Parenting That Pays--Dividends are great when you invest in your children; find wonderful ideas for serving others while instilling consideration and generosity in your children. Get motivated as Jennifer Sikora shares ways her family chooses to serve others, and she encourages your family to do the same.
- Something Old, Something New--"Old Calendars to New Art" will close the 2009 year in style as you learn about a great recycling idea for calendars. Get long-term use from the pictures you loved in your calendar far longer than one year!
- Goal-Getter Spotlight--"Today a Laptop, Tomorrow a Castle" takes you into the life of Aubrey Lively as you hear from an all-around goal-getter. She shares her heart for writing and her story of a small-step process to reaching big success!
- Readers Write In--Molly opens this section this month to fellow readers sharing family traditions. Exactly what did happen to Paula's disappearing gingerbread man's arms and legs? Enjoy her story with a recipe for cinnamon ornaments. Delight in Lisa's very creative final hidden gift that will help your family when it comes time to tear down the Christmas tree. Perfect personalized gifts, tips for gift-giving, even tips for opening gifts can all be found in wonderful advice from fellow Molly's Digest readers.
- Molly's Question of the Month--Are you signed up for Molly's free, weekly E-Newsletter? If not, you are missing out on tips and creative ideas to stay frugal throughout your household. You don't want to miss it!
- Words Worth Saving--Perfect for a monthly memorization activity, Scripture is found throughout Molly's Money-Saving Digest. Enjoy God's Word as you celebrate this Christmas season and all of December.
- Directory of Links--Count on this directory of the links found in the Digest, enabling you to instantly reach websites while viewing your Digest online. Or print the list for a great resource of money-saving sites to refer to again and again.
New Molly readers, veteran Molly readers, homemakers, homeschoolers, and moms very much like you have previewed the December Molly--what did they say?
"As always, there are money-saving tips and recipes in the pages of the latest Digest. An entire week's worth of menu-planning meals for suppertime are shared, including a terrific recipe for frozen meat loaf. There are a few recipes for making your own candy, along with links for others and how to turn the goodies into great gifts. In addition, there is fantastic idea after idea for low-cost gift-giving--much appreciated in my household this year! . . . And there are ideas for decorating too, such as yummy-smelling cinnamon ornaments, as well as some non-Christmas decorating ideas for your home. I'm going to be referring to this copy of the Digest often as the Christmas season approaches!"
"Knowing that this issue was December and would be directly linked to the holiday season, I was so pleased to read that the writing for the Digest would be directed towards Christians with diversity in convictions and beliefs and traditions in mind. With that said I was able to grab the Digest and sit to glean cheerfully from its contents without worrying about whether or not to avoid or pass through any of the writings . . . I got my cooking thinking cap back on in the recipe section and am making my lists for cooking up those extra meals for the freezer. Once I'm in the habit of doing it, boy, does it make life easier in the kitchen on co-op and errand days for us. On a personal note, it always makes me wonder why people only decide to help out others during the holiday season. Is Christ not in our lives EVERY DAY of the year, EVERY month as well? Setting our children up for service projects and helping the homeless and families in need should be a part of our everyday living, not just the last month of the year. I enjoyed reading all the gift ideas, and I think I might even do those year 'round, especially to families with multiple siblings--giving is so much fun! I love the idea of giving for the body, soul, and spirit; wow, what a great concept to teach with as well! All in all, another wonderful Digest full of ideas and encouragement for the homeschooling Christian family."
"December's Molly's Money-Saving Digest is perfect for this year. I had already been stressing over how to still celebrate a meaningful Christmas with less money and less time. Molly's Digest has so many great ideas to de-stress my Christmas time. I had to grab pen and paper to write down recipes and ideas. The candy-making section inspired me to try something new. The family gift ideas are a great way to make someone know they are special without having to spend too much. I also thoroughly enjoyed the ideas from readers on new Christmas traditions--at least new to me. Now I can hardly wait for the holidays to begin."
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This is not say that I get uptight and overwrought for the holidays. I have done that before and as much as I would like to say it's not going to happen again... I just don't know. I have found a calm that helps me deal with the season.
Part of the calm comes from an acceptance of what can and cannot be. My husband and I have collected small Hallmark ornaments for years. The past 5+ years they cannot come out. We tried they were broken. So now we stow them away knowing that a time will come later in our life when we can put them out. I read an article in a country decor magazine that sung to me. The lady being interviewed had two children on the spectrum. She had made all her ornaments out of rolled stripes of cloth, very country looking, and nice when one of her sons flung one across the room!
Another one that hurts but is necessary, is that we cannot schedule everything and meals with everyone. In the holiday season it seems that there is a place to be every weekend and many week days. We could get a babysitter but is that truly what the season is about? For us no. We choose what we can do reasonably and then in the end if we have to we are ready to cancel. I don't like be so soft about meal commitments and events. It can be hard for others to understand but I know that my responsibility as a parent to a wonderfully special child comes before my social calendar.
As for diet restrictions I make a meal for us ahead of time. We bring a portion of the meal. We quietly load up the kids plates with the good stuff. I also go understanding that we will most likely have some contamination of glutens or caseins. It happens. I am not happy and I do not take that as a reason to break our diet in a big way. We get right back to work doing the best you can and eating the best you can.
All of this happens the easiest if I have a grand plan for the month. I mark out on a calendar, we hang on the wall, the whole month. The kids and I go over it repeatedly. As my son says,"If you don't tell me. I don't know and I get icky feeling inside when you jump up and say it's time to go." That was such a perfect insight into how he sees a change in schedule. It isn't an inconvience for him, it is a physically unpleasant response. Be clear about your plans!
Your holiday season can be wonderful! Carefully and thoughtfully think about your expectations. Plan the season accordingly. Get the whole family involved in keeping a calendar for events. In the end talk about and live out what is the most important part of the season. I believe if you do that you will feel fufilled and at peace! May the Lord bless your holiday season!
Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 8 years. Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Heather is also dealing with personal health difficulties. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal! Visit Heather's page at www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/ or at Special Needs Homeschooling.