North Laurel Home School

Should it be Homeschool or Life in General??

I was sitting here, looking at so many sites on line and it dawned on me that I had not posted in my blog in...well, days. So when I thought of something to actually write, of course, I come to the conundrum of what category to put it in. Seeing that learning takes place at all times I figured that it should go under Life in General. But then I realized that one of the things I was going to post about is a Language Arts deal, so it should go under Homeschool. Well, I suppose Life in General won out cause thats where it is!

Life has certainly been taking us places. Well, not literally 'places' as in travelling but it seems that something has been going on for, hmm, the last month I suppose.

Dd started ballet class and soon will be playing trumpet. Ds is in the church choir and will be learning to play the guitar. Dd also (in September) joined a local church youth group and has been busy with that at least once a week. I was hoping to get ds in Cub Scouts again but he really does not seem to want to participate in it. Besides, it would cut into our Wednesday services at church and I really don't want to do that.

We have been chugging along with school; doing it each day. However, it seems that we have burned out... We do not have a routine any longer. It gets done but without the enthusiasm that we began with. I have heard that is normal and I don't really feel ashamed or really bad about it. But, I would really like to get back into our routine, just to feel a sense of normalcy that the habit had given me. To encourage us, and also to motivate as well, dh has asked to see the kids' best work and to hear what they have learned throughout the week. This will be a once to twice weekly time where they will spend one-on-one time together. It will be interesting to see what each child picks as their 'best' and why. There will be no negativity; no 'you didn't finish that' or 'I don't see how that looks like a duck'. There will be encouraging words; 'I really liked how you illustrated the life cycle of a robin' or 'can you tell me what this picture is, it is very colorful'. My kids are older (10 and 13) but honestly, this will something entirely new for them! As far as dh was concerned, school was at school. Now that it is at home, he wants to have a bigger part in it.

I think that we are all looking forward to it. Ds has told me of various things he wants to show his dad. Dd is more quiet about it but she will feel a sense of pride to have him approve of her work as well.

Okay, the thing that I really am excited to write about is .... NaNoWriMo! Have you heard of it?? I hadn't until Hiddendoors (from over at the Journey -it is the 5th post down) talked about writing a novel in the month of November. Oh, wow, a novel in a month! That is crazy! But it sounds so awesome! So I went searching for more information. I told dd about it and being a natural writing fool, she was like, 'Sign me up!' At first we only thought it was for 13 years and up...but not so! There is a Young Writers Program for under 17 years of age. Ds was ecstatic! Oh, before I forget and you have to go looking for yourself, here is where you find NaNoWriMo.

Dd thought about it and decided that 50,000 words was a bit much for her to take on so she also will be doing theYoung Writers Program. It officially starts at midnight, local time, in all time zones. So, as I write this I believe the East Coast is on their way. I personally am taking a class for college and it has been taking a bit of my time lately; it finishes in early December. I don't think that I will be able to complete a 50,000 word novel in November but, I am going to give it my best!

Back to the trumpet and guitar that dd and ds are going to be playing... does any one know of an absolutely awesome program that will help them learn to play? I played trumpet in middle school but my dd already knows more than I remember! And as far as guitar goes, I would love to learn along with ds! I expect it will be a wonderful experience  

Got Milk?

Milk drinkers, please stand up. Okay, raw milk drinkers, please stand up!

I just learned, from hanging out over at The Journey , that it is illegal to sell raw milk in the state of Wyoming. And Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, DC, and more! You can check your states laws here.

Here is the original post at Whistling Wind Farm blog.

It's a good thing I checked because I had just recently become interested in making my own cheese....(check out this blog site with pictures of cottage cheese made from goats milk)...and it explains why I have never seen raw milk any where in Wyoming in the year I have lived here. Pretty sad, if you ask me!

Sigh... well, it's off to bed with me.

Book Lovers!

This morning my son reminded me that today (this week actually) is the box sale at the library book sale. I said "We can go but I don't think we will buy anything."

We get there and he finds the biggest box that they have and heads off to find some books. Well, I said "Okay but I don't think we are going to fill the box." My daughter had joined us by then. She starts putting books in the box and I say "Well, make sure that we can find more than $10 worth or it wont be worth buying a 'box of books'."

I shouldn't have even worried (maybe I shouldn't have even let them talk me into going!) because all together we spent $10 on a box full of books. We got home and totaled our savings: $55!

If the books had been purchased separately we would have been looking at $65. So, I guess it was a good thing 
Now, as you can see in the picture, that's their plans for the day: READ 

Oh, and that blob/blur at the bottom of the pic, that's Kawaii, our cat, on my lap, with her ears all tweaked cause now she' gettin' ignored!

PDF Creator

Because I am all about Free, here is another 'freebie':

eWriterPro PDF Creator

I know there has to be a lot of individuals out there that use free PDF creators but this is the first time I have found a site that offers one! Maybe I was looking in the wrong place... could be.

I have downloaded this application and am hoping that it does what I want it to. I am trying to make an ebook but did not want to have the funds to purchase the full version of Adobe. I really like Adobe though, so I am giving this eWriterPro a whirl and if I just don't like it or it doesn't live up to my expectations, well, I may have to scrounge my pennies and get the full version of Adobe!

If anyone else knows of other free applications, please let us know! (I know you're out there!)

Wow, Where'd Fall Go??

Here is the picture I was working on...this is after two days of it not snowing! It was nothing but white outside when I originally posted this entry! Mother Nature must have forgotten about Autumn as a season! We may have had a small Fall season that was less than a month of tree's leaves turning colors but the temperatures still felt like summer. It started snowing on Friday and stopped last night (Sunday) and is supposed to be all gone tomorrow.

We just went from summer to winter!

For those of you that are still experiencing Autumn here is a free download from The Old Schoolhouse. I received it in my email and am passing it along for others to enjoy as well :) I'm including all the great text that was in the email, since they describe it so well!

Where Unit Studies and Lapbooks Come Together
Easy . . . Innovative . . . Effective . . .

An exciting, brand new, E-Book series by Amanda Bennett and The Old Schoolhouse®. Amanda Bennett is well-known for her groundbreaking unit studies that are popular with homeschool families around the world.

Download instantly! The learning process is on GO from that point on--let the fun begin!

Units are theme based and full of exciting discoveries and motivation to develop lifelong learners.

• Each study is one week in length, having five daily lessons with lapbook components for each day.
• Each student creates a complete lapbook--a finished capsule of learning. 
  
• All the research and preparation have been done!
• Hyperlinks are embedded right in the study--saving you time!
• Integrated studies include history, geography, reading, science, spelling,
  vocabulary, writing, art, and more.
• Units are reusable year after year--nothing is consumed.
• There are no expensive resources required!
• Includes a great list of books that you can use to enrich your study, but they are not required.

Check out some of the fun and unique upcoming themes for 2010:
Seasons                      Americans that Made a Difference
Places in the World     Toys and Gadgets
Presidents & Patriots   Sports
Ocean Animals             Literary Giants

Special Introductory Pricing. Limited Time Offer!

Get in on the special introductory pricing and save 20%! Purchase a semester--19 weekly studies--Regularly priced at $114--Click here for a Special introductory price of only $91.20!

Pre-pay for an entire school year--38 weekly studies--Regularly priced at $190--Click here for a Special introductory price of only $152! 

What a bargain!

When you take these two, outstanding, homeschooling resources (TOS and Amanda Bennett), along with the best learning components, you have a superior product . . . one that blends the unit study concept and lapbooking fun into
one great adventure!

Sociology dilemmas

I am taking a sociology class at Eastern Oregon University this term (SOC 338) and I am having a difficult time of it already! Perhaps I am wrong in my presuming to understand what sociology is. I thought it was pretty much taking what has happened in the scheme of things as it pertains to society, seeing how that has affected the way things are, and then brainstorming on ways to improve society based on this information. This particular class is dealing with families and society.

I am required to read Unfinished Work (edited by Jody Heymann and Christopher Beem) and I am finding it difficult to have an open mind about the views the writers are offering. For example, the first chapter is Changes in the Demographics of Families over the Course of American History by Donald J. Hernandez, and it talks about the difference between the American 'family' from the 1800s to the 21at century. It is pretty cut and dry; offers facts, numbers, graphs and charts to show the change in poverty, working fathers and mothers, children in two-parent homes, and mother-only homes. I can deal with that sort of information fairly well, even if the numbers are boring to read.  The second chapter, which is taking me awhile to read, is called Changing Work & Family Lives: A Historical Perspective by Eileen Boris. This chapter also offers a lot of numbers, charts, graphs and information about the difference from early families to more recent ones. However, these authors, it would seem, are of the opinion that the way to make work and family lives better is with government.

I am a conservative, I believe. I honestly have not really analyzed it too carefully. I personally think that "a government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have" (Thomas Jefferson). But I also believe that God does give us the command to care for the widows, orphans and 'the poor'. In Deuteronomy 14:7-11, God commands us to reach out to those that are poor and not have a hard heart. I do not believe that this means to provide for their every need so that they do not have to do this for themselves. It also does not mean to go without ourselves so that we can help them. We give and help when our family is provided for first (otherwise, we are not following God's command to provide for our family and what good would it do to disobey one command so that we could obey a different?).

I also am supposed to use 'critical thinking' skills, which I was not taught in public school but have been subjected to in college. I think that it is tough! Before I took a critical thinking class in college, I thought I was pretty 'smart' but I discovered I was led by the masses, the media and the institution of education to believe something as fact or truth. I enjoy using my brain to analyze things but I think it is difficult!

More Books & Today's "Notes"

The kids and I volunteered at the book sale today. I should have maybe left my wallet at home! Well, maybe not. I got a very good deal (steal?) because it was 1/2 off day.

Here are the books I got today

Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott (Copyright 1956, Nelson Doudleday)
Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott (Copyright 1955, Nelson Doudleday)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Copyright 1946, The World Publishing Company)
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe (Copyright 1945, Doubleday & Company)
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien (Copyright 2001, Houghton Mifflin Company "young readers edition")

And my largest purchase (really, it's in a box and weighs...well, it's a hefty one!) was the best and most expensive of the day: $2.50
Math-U-See set, includes Intermediate Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, Algebra I Student Texts, Teacher Manuals, Test Booklet (for Algebra I), VHS for Intermediate & Advanced Mathematics, a small folder with laminated lined papers and a bag full of manipulatives.

Altogether, $9. Not bad!

Other notes: We have been using Busuu.com for foreign language. I still want to use some of the books that I have saved from Googlebooks but the kids think they can learn it faster and better from online. There are a few sites that I am utilizing for FL. If you look here you can see other sites that offer free lessons; or here. Hmm, I will let them have a go at it because actually they are learning the basic conversation bits quickly enough but pronunciation and grammar aren't so focused on and aren't being mastered easily. They are enjoying it and I don't want to take that away from them. Another thing about Busuu is you have to be a certain age (at the moment, I don't remember what that is) so I had to sign up for the account but they use it. I am always right here when they are using it but it still makes me nervous I suppose, with who knows who online trying to talk to them, and in some other language no less! Paranoid? Oh well. I have to take care of them

Note not on school: I am trying out Google Chrome . I like it for the most part but some sites (such as this one) do not function properly in GC. I spent most of my 'computer' time today fiddling with it. I like the way it looks; you can customize your page's theme. It is very fast. And a little thing that I didn't notice at first is that it highlights where you are typing (such as the Title line on the Add Entry page that I am entering my entry on, or on the username field for email). It also automatically has spell checker. I am a member of The Journey and I post almost every day there. I have to watch out for my spelling errors, usually. But after starting to use GC, the errors are underlined for me! Something that I find to be awesome. I am a stickler for spelling correct and will proofread, delete, correct, proofread again my entries to make sure they are spelling error free (hey, I'm human--yes, I make mistakes and miss them sometimes!). It's neat that GC checks it for you.

Well, that's all folks...for tonight. Everyone else is in bed, I should head there as well.

Keep learning and leaning on the Lord ^-^

Library Book Sale! Gotta Love 'Em!

So this year I set aside some (ahem, *some*) money for the Library Book Sale. I went to the Spring sale and wanted so many of the books but had been unprepared moneywise for it. Well, this time, I was p-r-e-pared!

Here's what I got (although some, I really don't know why!):

The Outline of History by H.G. Wells c. 1920
Teacher Edition: Science: Order & Reality by A Beka Books c. 1993
Student Text: Science: Order & Reality by A Beka Books c. 1993
Son et Sens from Scott, Foresman and Company c. 1977
Scenes et sejours from Scott, Foresman and Company c. 1981
Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers by Douglas Bond from Christian Liberty Press c. 1999
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson c. 1935
Thomas Alva Edison by G. Glenwood Clark c. 1950
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens from Illustrated Classics c. 1995
Cliffs Notes Chaucer's Canterbury Tales c. 1964
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne from Apple Classics a Scholastic book
Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore from Landoll Classics c. 1993
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin from Charming Classics, HarperFestival book c. 2001
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott c. MCMLV (sorry, at the moment I am drawing a blank on those Roman numerals...)
Edgar Allan Poe from Treasury of World Masterpieces, Complete and Unabridged c. 1981 from Octopus Books Limited (this is a Christmas gift for...can't tell!)
Boy's Stories of Great Men by Elsie E. Egermeier c. 1931
Mark Twain Selected Works from Gramercy Books c. 1982
All-New Hammond World Atlas Vol. I & II c. 1993 (yea...not so 'new' wink, wink, but it will do for what we need it for)

And then I went to the used book store down the street and bought Basic Russian Book One by Mischa H. Fayer, Ph. D from Pitman Publishing Corporation c. 1959 and German Language/30 from Educational Services Teaching Cassettes c. 1975

I really don't know why I put some of the copyrights but some are very old. The Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain are collector type books. Very nice bindings and gilded edges.

Including the two from the used book store I spent $34... I think that is a steal!

Now I need a new bookshelf!

Free Curriculum

Stumbled across this today in my Homeschool Minute email from The Old Schoolhouse.

http://www.sas.com/govedu/edu/curriculum/index.html

I'm in the process of checking it out. I was looking at the Science at the moment... I am science-challenged (I dislike experiments!) and do not want my children to be also.

More Foreign Language Sites...learn for free!

German:

http://www.deutsch-lernen.com/ (this does not have sound as far as I could find, nor really pronunciation. If you already have the pronunciation down, this might work)

http://german.about.com/ (was difficult for me to navigate around this site. About.com is helpful...if you know what you are looking for in the first place!)

http://learngerman.elanguageschool.net/ (have not actually tried this one...but it looked like it could have promise)

Not free: http://www.goethe.de/ins/de/spr/kuj/enindex.htm (havent tried but if you were interested in paying for a language course this may work. I didn't look at the cost of enrollment because, personally, I don't think that we will need to pay to learn)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZAWygYoN30 (if you look on the right of the video, you can find the second lesson and other video lessons on learning German)

http://www.vistawide.com/german/german.htm (lots of information here but I am thinking it is not a completed website, or they want you to buy something to get the rest; is a good place as a resource)

That's all for German ...right now! I

ETA: I found a German book! I am not entirely sure what the age range for this book is but I think that it can be used with my older kids. I found it at Googlebooks here. It is a grammar book. Here is one that is a cumulative method for learning German. Of course, these are public domain books, and they were written over a hundred years ago (in many cases), so the need for supplemental resources is probably going to be present.

Japanese:

http://www.freejapaneselessons.com/ (some of the ads on this page are not exactly what I would recommend but the site itself does have have some good resources)

http://www.learn-japanese.info/ (sorry, but I haven't gotten to check out all that this site offers but what I did browse seemed to be a possible resource)

http://www.learnjapanesefree.com/ (I started to use this site but found one that dd seemed to 'like' more but I plan to incorporate it as well)

http://www.mamalisa.com/?p=840&t=es&c=85 (Japanese children's song, Rabbit)

http://www.byki.com/fls/free-japanese-software-download.html?l=japanese (free software to download to help learn Japanese-or other languages. We have not used this because I am scared of downloading!)

http://www.languagelearninglibrary.org/japanese/index.html (haven't checked this one out, either)

Books:

Modern Conversations in English and Japanese without a teacher

Easy Conversations in English and Japanese for those Who Learn the English Language

Freebie ... Again :)

Freebies are goodies

This is actually a 'free, you pay shipping and handling' deal. I don't usually like these because it seems I have gotten jipped so many times. But this one looks really good! It's Free Homeschool Software. I was checking some of the titles online to see how good it would be to pay $7.50 per item and wow! It is a good deal! There is a chance that you could find some of these on Amazon, but it is a great deal to find them all on one site. Occasionally there are titles that do have a cost besides shipping (such as this Spelling software) but look around and see if it is a good deal to buy from Free Homeschool Software. And no, I do not get anything from putting that on here. I will keep looking for an affiliate opportunity though!

That's all I have tonight... I was just so excited about that one!

Did I say we were 'back'???

Wow, we have been home for 4 days but you know, it doesn't feel like I am 'back' yet. I'm really not sure what it is but I just can't get with it. Tomorrow (or now if you wanna look at the clock) is Friday and the week is over. The school week anyway. Before I left I had printed out this week's assignments so that when we got back we could get down to it. The previous week we just sorta winged it... We are still 'on track' but well, we get distracted awful easy! So, yea, I had it all planned so that we could get back into the swing of things and it just has not happened.

I had intended on beginning our foreign language this week....psssh, didn't happen! I didn't/haven't even graded their week's work! I have skimmed it to make sure that they completed it but sheesh, what if it's wrong? I am up this late to get that part of my week done and plan next week.

I am seriously, seriously thinking of the on/off time... like 4-6 weeks on, and 1-2 weeks off for the school year.

But on the sunshiney bright side: the last 2-3 days have been so peaceful. The kids have been pleasant to each other and have played well together (quite a feat in itself!) and I just kept trying to prolong that. When I say, 'okay, guys, time for school,' the sour faces emerge and the short tempers flare....

My sister called this afternoon and asked how schooling was going...I said, "oh, it's going well (smile). We haven't even started today!" She gave a little disbelieving laugh and said 'that's one of the things with homeschooling, you can do it whenever you feel like it.' I am sure (well, mostly) that she did not mean anything by that comment but... you know that part of your mind that says, "you're not doing it right, not enough; are they really learning?" yea, it was very loud in my head when she said that.

Ah, well, I did do something school-related today. I printed 3-4 books for next year. Wow, I can't keep a handle on this year but I'm already jumping on next year? I have a habit of doing things that way... I get them done. Just out of order.

I have my booklist and schedule for ds for next year and have started on dd. Well, the schedules are from AO and OFE. I am mixing the books and schedules a bit. And one of the reasons I am printing books now is because I have the ink and paper now. I may not have it when the next school year rolls around and I want to be prepared as much as possible. I know the books are all online that I am printing out but what if I don't have internet (gasp! scared myself there for a sec...), I will need to have the materials accessible. The library here is uh, well, it has it's uses. I am going to use 3 books, I believe, from there but there is a very very limited selection here and interlibrary loan is too expensive to be used.

I suppose I am just typing this all up on this thing so that I can get it out of my head. I was tired when I went to bed at a little after 10 pm but bam! the thoughts started steamrolling through my mind and wouldn't let me rest. I am still tired... but there are things to get done. So I had better get them done!

Print & Bind your own books

I am sure there are many many individuals that do this on a regular basis but I just recently (like the last month) have really become interested in it. Next year for school we will be using a lot of public domain books but I have to print them out and bind them because they are not very easy to find in my town and I am not willing to pay for someone to ship them to me. Does that make me cheap? Or is it just frugal? Lol!

I am just here to put this quick link down that I found (am unsure how I came across it unfortunately...) to bind your own books. Also, on one of the yahoo group forums (3RHomeschooling) someone gave us a link to a font that saves on ink. Just as soon as I find that one, I will put it here too

Bind your books:
http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2006/03/fun-and-easy-how-to-guide-to-binding-your-own-paperback-books-at-homefast/

Build the press:
http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2006/10/how-to-build-your-own-bookbinding-jig/

Eco font:
http://www.ecofont.com

So far, I have printed out a Spanish, Science, History, Natural History  and Nature Study book. Total number of pages is probably under 200. The first book (Spanish) I printed on fast normal but the other two were on fast draft. I know that people say that this saves on ink but personally, I just do not like the way it turns out. I have an inkjet printer and that might have something to do with it but it looks splotched on the page; not clear as I would like the print to be.

Okay, until next time
Keep learning and leaning on the Lord

We are home!

We got back from Reno on Monday, the 21st. There were tons of things to see and do (no, we don't gamble or drink so those weren't worth doing for us) that it was crazy. Seemed like there were too many things and not enough time.
Let's see, what'd we do and see... First day we got to the hotel (Harrah's of Reno: I do not recommend!) late in the afternoon. We walked downtown. I saw a real-live hooker! Sorry! I was just surprised! Then we went to dinner at ... oops, drawing a blank...no matter. The next day (Wednesday) we went to Virginia City, Nevada. That was neat. There were so many things to see there that it could have easily been a 12 hour day there! We spent about 8 hours and didnt see all there was to see. The fireman's museum is what sticks most in my mind because the lady there knew everything there was to know about the history of firefighting in Virginia City. She was very animated as well.
Next day we went to Reno Air Races. It was HOT!! We only brought one bottle of water each. BIG mistake. The vendors booths were outrageously priced and there was only so much money that could be spent. We did get pit passes to see the planes that were racing up close. But without water and the heat the way it was, it was lost on a few of us... I do recommend the Reno Air Races 2010 if you are into planes. There was a stock Corsair this year. According to the announcer there are only a couple (?) left in the world from the time period. The sound of those planes is something else, you can feel it... pure amazing!
We went to the State Museum in Carson City on one of our days... but we were rushed for time and didnt get to stop and enjoy it. There are a lot of things there to. It looked like they were in the process of adding some exhibits because sections were empty and blueprints were up on the walls.
We went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum on Friday, I believe. It is one building only and not terribly much to see but with dh being in the railroad industry it was a must-see.
Saturday was back to the Air Races but this time there was a wonderful cloud cover and we didnt have pit passes and we figured out that you could bring in gatorade and a bag of food and water. Lol, it pays to ask before!! This day at the races was way better than the first. We were able to see more of the races because we were sitting most of the time There were two *maybe three* races that were so close. A couple of planes in 3, 4, 5 places were so close to passing, it made the crowd oooh & aaaah. It was really something!
Okay, enough about that...
We are home!! I am so glad to be home!! Our kitty missed us and we missed her. She is big now... amazing what 8 days will do!
We started back to school but yesterday I had to work from 12:30-11:30 so they had a lax second day back lol
My garden is kapoot (lol, is that a word!) because the lady I left a note for to water it, didnt get the note... oh well! I have an entire shelf full in my freezer of veggies... I guess I can let it go now. I am seriously thinking about that compost pile I want to put in the back yard. Thinking about it...
 I was without internet for 8 days! I am getting my fill now!
Okay, am gettin off of here! I hope everyone has a good rest of the day.

Foreign Language Links

For Spanish:

http://www.studyspanish.com/ 

http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/content/reference/VisualLink/spanish.cfm

http://arlingtonlibrary.org/research/tellmemore.aspx

For Sign Language:

http://asluniversity.com/asl101/index.htm

I know sign language isn't a foreign language but it is accepted at many colleges as a 'foreign language' (perhaps it is called something different than foreign). 

For Japanese:

http://www.japanese-online.com/

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~kanji/

Foreign Language Programs:

http://www.worldlanguage.com/?CalledFrom=210953

This one isn't free but it does have a lot of resources when you are searching for a foreign language program.  

I had these in my favorites for what seems like forever and I rediscovered them tonight. I am looking at Japanese and Spanish this year for languages. DD wants to learn Japanese. DS wants to learn German but I haven't found a resource that is free for that yet so we are going with Spanish. I hope to find a German one soon.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Sites, links, books, etc?

Road Trip!

Monday the 14th, we will be heading to Reno, Nevada, for the Air Races. It will be awesome I am sure. What I am not looking forward to is the 1 1/2 day drive there (and back!). Sooo, I went looking for fun things to include in a folder for each of the kids. I am sure that these are old news to a lot of people but I suppose I don't crawl the 'net as much as I could (but way more than I intend!). I found some nifty things for entertaining while on road trips.

Here's the one I am thinking most people know about: MomsMinivan.com
GREAT things on this site! I printed the Road Trips Battleships, Cootie Catcher (although I knew how to make these I completely forgot how fun- and distracting- they can be!), License Plate Game, Scavenger Hunts, and more! I got great ideas for when those no longer hold their attention, such as Alphabet Game, Virtual Hide N Seek, and others.

Another site that I stumbled on is geared for younger kids, I think. I found it here, but I think that you may find it, or more about it here at trucktown.com. I chose to print only two pages from the pdf file...Melvin's Mixer Maze and Objects On the Road. I just didnt think my kids would have be interested or perhaps challenged enough by most of the other pages.

And just because I have it on my mind: I requested a book from Paperbackswap.com
I love that site! It says I have saved over $110 by using the service. The book I requested was at first unavailable so I put it on my wishlist and this morning, my wish was granted! It should arrive about the time I get home from my road trip. Oh, the book is Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (click to buy at Amazon). I have never read anything but his Chronicles of Narnia series. I am looking forward to it's arrival :)

Okay, now I have to finish getting all our stuff together.
Have a great day and keep leaning on the Lord!

Just a quick late night entry...

Even though we have a curriculum that we are following this year, I am looking ahead to next year. We are going to be using Ambleside Online's curriculum. It is a Charlotte Mason style and it sounds so, well, peaceful! We struggle a lot with the boxed plan we chose this year. So much prodding and nudging, pinching and crying! Okay, I was kidding about the pinching but the crying...no joke! I loved school and workbooks and textbooks (I still do!) but my kids are just disliking this so much, I have to do something or we will all go insane.

Okay so what I really got on here to write was about a free Ebook from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. It is called The New School Year: Planning Your Course and Letting the Lord Determine Your Steps. I downloaded it and began reading (okay, skipping ahead and skimming) and it looks amazing! It will be very helpful for many people I am sure. Myself included!

Now..if I can just figure out how to put that little thingy on here... be right back!

Well, I really wanted to share it with everyone! But I cannot get the code to work correctly. If you want it, or haven't already gotten the email telling you that it is available, leave a comment and I can get it to you. Of course, this is from TOS- Who doesn't get it??

Night night all...or rather good morning! :)

Coupons

Just a quick little post for now:
Found this on Postcrossing.com ... on the sidebar. Might be good for some of you  I didn't find anything I just had to have lol.

http://shortcuts.com/?promo=0103422&ncid=dynaldusshor00000006

Here's some links...

I was directed to the following sites from A Minute With Molly (econobusters)  from my email. I recommend that if you haven't signed up for her newsletter, to do so. It is full of great things! This one takes you to Frugal Family Fun Blog. It is for making re-usable sandwich/placemat wraps and drawstring jean lunch bags. The directions are nice and clear and super easy looking. I can't wait to try them out! Click on the FFFB link or find it here.

Here are some sites for making books. Again, these were from AMWM email. She directs us to Jamin's Freebies. From there you can find a lot of different sites for making books.

This week's featured website from AMWM is HomeMaking911. I am sure there are a lot of good things on this site but what caught my eye was the The Difficult Child because I have one of those. When I started reading Part 1, I realized that this was going to be different than other things I had read. I personally contected immediately with the opening lines of, "You see, I did not really know how to be a godly mother, and in many ways, my own behavior is so shameful that I am afraid that by sharing it, you would come to despise me." Wow! I love my children, I would hope there is never ever any doubt but those words struck a cord with me that is close to home. I hope you enjoy this series, and find it as helpful as I have.

My last site from AMWM email: check out this writing prompt calendar. I know I am a newbie because everything is totally awesome. But really, this calendar is great!

And since I took all of this from A Minute With Molly... you really really need to get the newsletter to see all the things I didn't  put in here!

Have a great night and keep leaning on the Lord!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

It seems that days and days have passed since I was on here last... oh, wait! Days and days have passed!

On Friday, we skipped out on school and went to Miller's Farm in Fort Collins, CO., with a group of homeschoolers. It was very fun. It was a lot of work too! We came home with between 15-18 bags of veggies! Potatoes, beets, cabbage, carrots, did I mention potatoes?, bell peppers, hot peppers, basil *I found that one on my own and dont think anyone else found any of it!*, onions, and... it seems there was another but I cannot remember right now. On Saturday, we took care of all the carrots. It was so nice that DD & DS both asked to help! DH was so sure that they wouldn't help at all... nice surprise for him . They were pretty worn out after all those carrots so I took charge of the peppers and cabbage. The mild hot peppers burnt my fingers. Just a piece of advice that was given me before I did the peppers, yet did not follow: wear gloves! The beets were taken care of late on Saturday. I didn't even get dinner going until 8pm! Finally at about 8:45pm I got the beets put in bags and in the freezer. It was a loooong day. Sunday we started on the potatoes. We cleaned one bag of them. Some we shredded, some were sliced, some were cubed... But we havent actually taken care of them. We put them in vit c water solution to prevent browning. The other two bags we will put in the basement where it is cool.

This is the first experience I have had with 'preserving' food like this. I have dried fruit in small amounts before. I would like to know how to can. I am sure it isn't too difficult but I need to acquire the materials to actually can.

I would like to have some links to put in this post to things that are awesome and free, or just one or the other, but I have just been too busy to find any! I will work on that later and post again.

Have a great day and keep leaning on the Lord!

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