Our Adventures in Learning - Homeschool Blogger

We've moved!

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 11:41:00 -0600

Blogs that is. :) Our new blog is over at Blogger...

http://ourhomelearning.blogspot.com

There's not much there yet, but hopefully it will fill up as quickly as this one did.

And a question for those of you with your own blogs... is there a way to move some of my posts from this to the other? Cut and paste? Or is all hope gone?

I'm ok, just busy!

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:53:00 -0600

De'Etta and Jodi... thanks for thinking of me! We're doing fine. We're just monstrously busy. I didn't realize that it had been quite as long as it has since I updated last. It's been a crazy month. I looked on the calendar, and the last day that I had at home was when I was sick on the 5th and I stayed home from church! We've done some fun things though, and others were just hectic and icky. We're home tomorrow so I'm going to try to spend some time catching up with this and other things. (Can you say laundry!) We were able to see the exhibit From Abraham to Jesus this week too. It was just absolutely marvelous. If it comes to your area make sure that you go! The audio tour is amazing, and for a history junkie like myself it was wonderful to see so many pieces of our religious heritage. It's very well done. We've also been to the zoo for a homeschool program on repitles. I touched a monitor. This is big news as I don't like reptiles. (I'm ok with bearded dragons because of their personality and geckos because they can't eat me!) Thankfully I left the snake touching to others. Oh goodness..... what else.... We saw the Chihuly exhibit at our botanical garden. It was rather disappointing as I was expecting there to be more additions to the collection than there were. Dale Chihuly is just one of the most amazing artists alive today in my opinion so even the standards that live at the conservatory are wonderful to see but I really would have loved to see more. Next up on my cultural calendar is the Degas exhibit at the art museum. They have his dancer there. I'm a sucker for Degas. Well, any impressionist really but Degas and Cassatt especially!

School has been going well when we can get it done. We've had a bit of an attitude outbreak but I definitely see the connection between my attitude and her attitude. (Thanks for some conviction, De'Etta. Good parenting posts! I need to read more about your study and probably do a bit of my own.) We're back to using HOW and whatever we pull together... some Truthquest, some Diana Waring if I can ever get my tape player to work again! On the top of my list is her ancient history pack on CD. Maybe I should make my own Chritsmas list. Works for the kids, right?? We're knee deep in Biblical geography right now, and surprisingly enough C really loves it. This is the kid that used to tear up and beg to get out of doing a map at times, so I guess it goes to prove to me that all things do come in their own time. I'm still really weighing what we need to include. I know that we've been rushed too much lately but I am also wondering if we aren't focusing on too much.

OH! Jodi! I found file folder books and math game books for the big kids! I've got two but there were many, many more at United Art and Education, so you might want to check out their website. I'm not sure if they let you order online or not. If you want the titles of the two I bought this week let me know. I haven't cracked them open yet with C but she likes what she saw as she flipped through them. I'm going to get copies and such together this weekend. One is all about "real life projects" for math that the kids love. Now, one project is on Fantasy Football (to teach statistics I believe.) I'm not quite sure how that is a real life project since it has fantasy in the name, but if it works it's all good! I really like the idea of using the stockmarket game, and this has a version so I don't have to figure it out on my own. We're moving into a new section in our math book shortly. I think I've run fractions in the ground. I'm trying to remind myself that it's understanding that is the goal, not spending as much time as I think the other kids/ps kids/whoever's kids did.

I've decided that I never really learned how to study the Bible the way that I want to study, so I'm thumbing through several books to see what I want to tackle first. I've got How to Study the Bible for Yourself, a few Kay Arthur books, and something else with a name that escapes me. I was never taught how to use references in Biblical study, and in using HOW we've just become hooked on using references. Yet another thing to add to my grown up Christmas list.

I'm also ..... are you ready.... thinking of switching over to Blogger.com instead of keeping the blog here. I like that it seems more secure. Jodi - your search results experience scares me. If you haven't noticed I tend not to name people or really identify anything for some personal reasons, so anything that is more secure really makes me happy. (Yeah, I know I identified where we live loosely by where we go on field trips, but the area is big!) I've actually got a blog registered at Blogger now, so if I play around with it this weekend you might get a note telling you that I've moved.

Other than that, I'm still burning the candle at both ends. I've decided to start reading the HOW Teaching Approach again and unfortunately I have been taking it slow since we're so busy. We had our monthly meeting at church today to plan out the lesson framework for next month and through the holiday focus, etc. Our children's pastor has had the lessons written out for large group for ages, but we now have a plan for the Advent focus, small group lessons and projects (which I help write) and special things like the Lottie Moon focus, etc. We're going to also use portions and pieces from the Lisa Whelchel advent/traditions book. I can't wait. We'll use it at home as well. It really makes you feel like you accomplised something when you have several pages of notes and check marks in a notebook! What else... I started working as a Lia Sophia advisor on top of working with Usborne, and it's fast becoming a good investment already. But, it's something else to juggle. I feel like the people with the spinning plates some days! There has been more, but for the life of me I can't think of anything. I can tell you what I haven't gotten done quicker unfortunately than what we have done at this point!

This next week should have things slowing back to normal. I know that it sound odd that things would be normal during a holiday week, but it will actually be so this year! I'm really looking forward to the holidays. However, as much as I love and adore the Christmas season I just don't understand why people have the Christmas music/lights/decorating bug already! Thanksgiving used to be my start point and now it seems that I'm sorely behind. Maybe I'll take a stand and be the one lone hold out in the neighborhood. :)

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

A need for prayer...

Sun, 5 Nov 2006 21:39:00 -0600

There is a missionary family in Benin (West Africa) for whom I would like you to pray. We've only met Barbara twice, but each time has been more than memorable. She's touched the lives of so many and has made a permanent impression on me. If you ever have the chance to hear her speak, RUN to it. She spent time with us at our women's retreat last year while she was on an extended leave, and I still look through her study notes. I receive email updates on their work in Benin through their prayer network email list, and in the latest one she shared that their two dogs - both pet and protection - passed because they were poisoned. Please pray for the Singermans and their heartache but also for their protection, and that this is not a threat that will be taken farther. It sounds like they have extra guards on duty around their home, but they have been attacked and robbed in the past so prayers for protection are always a good thing.

Thank you!

Another quiet day

Sun, 5 Nov 2006 17:15:00 -0600

Today was another quiet day which suited me just fine. I woke up with the same headache and after trying to shower and not get too terribly dizzy I decided that it wasn't a good day to drive to church by myself. (Well, with dd but as the only adult. ) I spent the rest of the day being lazy. I did manage to make sure we had books on reserve at the library. I think it's very funny when I have lists for the following few weeks that are long enough to max out my reserve allowance! Tomorrow is the first day of our Mesopotamia study. We're also going to start HOW's science unit on Light. I think it will be a lot of fun. It will lend itself to a lot of hands-on work and also some good researching which I'm convinced we need to start now that C is in 5th grade. I'm sure she'll not be happy but I think I'll plan a fun little research project for the lesson on Thomas Edison...

Mesopotamia looks to be really exciting as well. I think that part of the fun of homeschooling is getting to learn about the topics that we want to study as well! I'm thinking of picking up a few books of my own on the topic. Title suggestions appreciated. :)

This week will hopefully be a week where I can finally get some of the things done around here that I need to get done (like cleaning carpet and bathing dogs.) I've got a zoo field trip marked for two weeks in a row which isn't right, so that mystery will have to be dealt with tomorrow. I'm trying to find someone to cover a book fair for me that I won't really be able to take for multiple reasons, but if I can't I'll be doing that toward the end of the week as well as a home show and open house on Saturday. At least the first part of the week is really quiet!

C spent the day playing at a friend's house behind us though they both just returned to play in her room. I'm amazed that they've been together since noon with no fighting or tears. C is always good with younger kids though, so I think that helps. I know that the neighbors think I'm strange that I encourage her to play with the younger kids (well, not too young, she's 7) as well as to keep playing with dolls and such, but why rush it! After seeing some of the outfits on some neighborhood girls Halloween night I am just shaking my head that some parents don't seem to mind their kids growing up WAY too fast. When did 10 become a teenager?

Supper is ready so I'm off to grab my sweetie and watch some mindless TV. I have a video called Connections that sounded wonderful on the Netflix review so we might have to try that. From what I understand it takes some type of idea or invention (such as Napoleon needing to have food preserved for his troops) and trace it through connections to something that is cutting edge today. Well, I think this is from the 80s so cutting edge back then.

Off to munch some veggie soup on this cold night...

Random thoughts and late night rambling

Sat, 4 Nov 2006 23:12:00 -0600

I can't sleep at the moment and with just a few days till election day we're down to ten minutes of political ads every ten minutes so tv isn't an option. I don't watch a lot of tv anyway, and this just cements why I don't like watching it. Well, one reason. :) I'm still working on how I will vote for a few things but for the most part I am ready. I love election time! My dd asked me if it's a law that you have to vote, and we had a great conversation that came out of that. I think that she might be old enough to really study how the whole shebang works when the next presidential election comes around. We talked a bit about it with the Bush/Kerry election (and we had quite a few funny political cartoons that popped out of her school work too) but I think she's nearing the age where she is able to really dig in. I can't wait! I was the kid that participated in trips to DC with the Close Up Foundation (www.closeup.org) during my junior and senior years of high school, and the one kid that didn't fall asleep in PoliSci my freshman year too. I couldn't wait to get into the AP Government class my senior year. It turned out that it was scheduled at the same time as another AP class so I didn't get to take it, but I lived viacariously through my friend who was in APG and was able to be on the Constitution team. (Yep... I was a band geek too!) I tend to get really worked up and excited around election day so I've got opinions on the brain that I'm doing very well at keeping as inside words as my husband calls them - vs sharing everything with outside words that others can hear. lol I did slip and comment in a very unkind way about one candidate who supports something that I find to be reprehensible and my kid reminded me that even this person deserved grace. OUCH! Just another lesson that my Father used my daughter to teach me.

It's been quiet otherwise around here the last few days because I've been fighting a migraine since Wednesday. I actually stayed home from a church event tonight (I was supposed to teach) because I just can't seem to shake it. M is convinced that something is eating at me since I usually only get migraines with weather and stress, but I honestly can't think of anything. Maybe it's the stress over making yet another curriculum change! Honestly though we haven't jumped a lot. I don't know why I thought I needed to tweak things from how well they worked this Spring. I'm still convinced that AWOA was perfect for us for Egypt because it got C in love with it again. She's writing up a storm now even choosing to write more, and that is purely because of the gentle writing assignments in the last unit.

After finding time to discuss it today M really thought that I was making the right decision to put together our own units again. With that said, I bought the ebook version of Heart of Wisdom's Mesopotamia unit today! They are very open to tweaking though so it's a good framework to use to start. C has been very worried about skipping several civilizations so rather than have her keyed up for the rest of the fall we're going to stop Greece and go back a bit to cover Mesopotamia, Sumer, Babylon, Persia, Israel, and something else that I can't think of at the moment before starting Greece again. We're only a week into it so I don't feel bad stopping. She just couldn't seem to shake it, and it bothered her each and every time she got out the history encyclopedia or the time line book. (No, I don't do well with time lines either, De'Etta. It's literally a book called Timelines of World History by Usborne.) I think it's similar to how we have to give warning for transition and change of routine. Skipping a region to her was a change of routine with no warning of transition. <g> I have a friend that doesn't quite understand when I mention my kid's need to have her ducks in a chronological row, and it's not something that I can really explain. In the scheme of things though I think this is a little concession that I can make easily enough. It was all worth it to literally see my kid's face relax tonight when I told her that we could shift gears. (And, afterall, Ancient Greece is one of her favorite civilizations so she reads about it in her free time year round!) I do think that we'll be blessed by learning more about Biblical geography with this unit. It's all good.

We found out that a neighbor will need me to start watching their youngest in the mornings before he boards the bus for K at lunch time. He was originally going to start coming here this fall but his dad has been training at home for a new job. He's going to start coming a few days here and there over the next two months and then once school starts again after the holidays he'll be here every day. I think it will work out though because he's a good kid who can easily entertain himself. I'll probably have some fun games or art bits and pieces around for him to have in the mornings. (His parents think that he'll watch tv. I guess they don't realize that not only do we not have anything above very basic cable we don't turn the TV on till after supper as a general unspoken rule.) If all works well C can get her lessons done while E is here in the morning. They can eat lunch together, E can get on the bus, and we still have the afternoon for errands, field trips, play dates and park days. Of course, this is all theory... I'd love to hear if anyone has ever had a similar situation and if so what they charged as a weekly rate. I'm clueless especially since he's not a child that will need constant watching like a toddler or infant. Here's hoping that it doesn't throw off the routine like I just mentioned above!

Wednesday

Wed, 1 Nov 2006 10:57:00 -0600

I love how things come together. In all honesty, though I said that this year I was going to use our TruthQuest history guide along side AWOA I haven't been. I've thumbed through it but haven't used it like I planned. But, today we did. We had a reference to the book of Titus in the introduction of Ancient Crete, so we read it. I really needed it today, and though I never thought of reading it to C it fit perfectly with some things that we've been talking to her about lately. Once again the timing was perfect and it has nothing to do with me. Let go and let God, right? I feel so much better about all of this already.

We've cooked a bit, read together, discussed some things, daydreamed, and made some herbed yogurt cheese (or rather mixed it all up to sit in the cheesecloth overnight.) So far it's a successful day. We'll see if it continues this way.

Break time is over... off to eat and study the body. We haven't figured out just yet what body system we're talking about today, but I'm guessing we'll head for the skeletal system since C really wants to play the skeleton game in our game book. I've also got some fun projects in the Anatomy Lab that would tie in nicely, so I think it might be just the place to start with a new topic.

More later -

Finally... a quiet day coming

Wed, 1 Nov 2006 06:19:00 -0600

We've been swamped lately so I'm really looking forward to a quiet day today! Granted, I have to teach tonight and my co-leader isn't there which leaves me dealing with ten very loud, very rowdy girls, but I think mom is going to help me. It does however mean that I really don't have to go anywhere today if I don't want which is a big improvement over the last week or so.

Last night was trick or treating, and the kids braved it even though it was wet and a bit chilly. We didn't have quite as many heading our way, but it was fun to get to say hi to neighbors and such. One of our older girls came by to have dinner and spend the evening so it was really nice.

I finally got C signed up for Upward Basketball! www.upward.org She's so excited. I've been driving around with the paperwork in my purse for the last week but we were never able to make it over at the church. It is at a church less than a mile away which will be wonderful! Practice starts in December with games running January through early March. C has never played an organized sport, so I'm hoping that it will be fun for her. I'm also hoping that it will help with some of the winter issues that we have when she can't go out and run! (The diet changes that we have made this year should also help with that... hopefully!) We were able to meet the coach, and he seems like he really has a way of connecting with the kids. He really seems like his heart is in this.

I've also started yet another business as an advisor with Lia Sophia jewelry. I'm determined that I'm going to make it where I can continue to be home with the kid. Things are still iffy with the company, and I'm sure that they will be for a while. It really took a hit with what happened earlier this season. (I don't know what I should or can say with the lawsuit... just think dirty underhanded fraud and general backstabbing of employees that crossed the line into illegal.) But, I have confidence that we'll pull out of it. I just want it to be easier in the meantime and I don't have many other options that would allow me to still keep C home. I think I'll really enjoy it. I'm still going to keep Usborne going, but the commission structure is so much better with LS, not to mention more people are apt to buy jewelry than books! Sad, but true. I've been working a lot on that the last two weeks trying to get it ready to really kick off. We'll see how it goes. Needless to say my online time has been cut drastically!

After a week of chewing on whether or not we should change around our curriculum we decided that tweaking was in order. C really enjoys Aesop's Fables, but not when we read them each and everyday. It's amazing what you learn when you simply ask your kid what they think. I was really annoyed that I couldn't let this drop so I started praying and listening as well as thinking. Funny how sometimes I forget that part. I really don't like feeling like I can't change something. It goes against everything that I've gotten beaten into my head for the last six years, and not to mention everything that I tell new homeschoolers. "Don't be afraid to change." I was convinced it was a contentment issue on my part (not like I don't have those!) but the more I chewed on it the more I didn't like feeling like it was mastering me. So, I went out on a limb with C yesterday and handed her a piece of paper divided into two sections front and back. I asked her that I just wanted to do a little experiment... I had her write what each subject area would look like if it were exactly as she would want it so that I could make sure we were on track with how she saw things too. (She's like her older sister... give her some input and she'll be committed to following through. Tell her what she's doing and she'll fight you just for the sake of fighting.) C told me right off that math was perfect and not to mess with it. Gotta love that! She had language arts, history, science, and Bible to think about. I made sure that she knew that I wasn't saying AWOA wasn't right but rather I just wanted to make sure we were on the right track. Wow was it a surprise.

She said that wants to go back to TOG. I was shocked. She seemed a little burned out after a few years of it, so we talked about what she missed from it. It wasn't really the program but rather the way we handled reading while using it. She doesn't like having the specific topic information guided for her each day. She likes having a book that is an overview for the week with lots of choice built in. I thought that I was trying to make our reading time that way with AWOA but I guess not! She said that we did more projects last year though I find that hard to believe, but never the less she wants more. I was even more shocked with how she wants to handle language arts. (This is all news to M because we didn't have time to talk about anything last night with company and a differently scheduled evening.) It seems that after one unit of the wonderfully gentle LA program in AWOA she... gasp.... loves writing! Everything has been worth it for that one little thing. On her own she's been looking at the Write Your Roots and Learn to Write the Novel Way programs that I have on the shelf. She really wants to use Novel Way but after some discussion I think we'll use Roots. It will tie in more naturally with her project for 4H, and it's also based on short stories which will be easier for her at this stage.

Some other things we're going to change...
History will lean a little more on our TruthQuest guide and some Heart of Wisdom things like last Spring though we'll likely go back to AWOA for the Medieval unit while following it loosely until then. We might just take some leave of it for Greece and Rome. I'm not sure yet. We're adding in more on some areas that she feels like we skipped. She's a walking oxymoron... she wants things fluid and filled with rabbit trails yet she needs to follow a time line. I think this comes from using A Story of the World loosely when she was younger and following it with TOG. (I've been secretly having my same issues since we started this school year. It didn't fit the mold with chronology but I've been telling myself it's ok to hit the major civilizations. Now it's not ok if my kid misses it too.) We're going to go back to our two year plan that I blogged on a LONG time ago. I think. lol More notebooking like last year and less lapbooking.

Science won't change much. We'll use the basic framework in AWOA but add in more experiments and hands-on bits and pieces. It's basically not changing at all.

Math - same; Art - same with more projects; Music - we're jumping to flute because we've still not had it in the budget to replace the guitar that we lost when the company blew up. Funny how when you have to fire someone they don't want you using their guitar anymore. <snort> I'm going to see if C's arms are long enough to handle the flute this year, and if so we'll add that in.

She actually wants to go back to the Bible being the focus as much as it was in HOW. We went from using it for everything to having it integrated, and she really wants it integrated in everything. I might look at picking up the HOW units (ebooks) that I didn't get for this year just to have going along side as yet another guide, but first I'll see if TruthQuest will be enough.

Oh, and to top it all off I've started helping in a different way in our children's ministry department at church, so now I'm also writing lessons for the 4th and 5th graders. Next year I won't teach on Wednesday nights so all I have to do is balance things until May. Pray. lol

Lots of change in many different areas at home. We'll see how it all pans out.

Off to exercise and get some breakfast. M just left for the office and C is waking up so the day begins! Hopefully I'll be able to start writing shorter blurbs more often, but I have a feeling that I'm getting ready to enter a season where I don't have nearly the time unscheduled and online as I did. We shall see!

A new unit!

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:47:00 -0500

Today was lesson two in our new unit on Ancient Greece. So far I am torn about how I feel about it. I love the time period because my kid loves the time period, but I'm not so sure that really like having all of the lessons based on Aesop's Fables. I'll have to see how we feel about it next week. It will transition into using several Greek myths so hopefully by the time we're wanting more we'll get something different.

For science we'll be studying the human body, so C is very excited. They have managed to take two of her favorite subjects and put them together. I mentioned that she could do some reading on the history of medicine along with some gory stories I thought she was going to twitch herself out of the chair! (I'm thinking something along the lines of the funny/icky Horrible Histories, but I'll have to dig for titles. Suggestions welcome!) We're armed with some really cool experiments thanks to a Wild Goose Anatomy Lab kit that I found CHEAP at Tuesday Morning. I can't wait to start with experiments! C really wants to disect something - anything! - but I think I'm going to get her to hold off until our oceanography unit this next summer so that the windows can be open. Then again, if I can bring myself to do it I might grab a beef tongue and maybe a cow's eye for her to look at. I might toss that over to a "father/daughter" weekend project. Hmm.... that might be an idea. Can you tell that I was the kid that had a hard time in biology? I almost didn't make it through my AP class in high school. lol Now, C does want to work on some genetic lessons because she saw a really cool spread in a science encyclopedia (Usborne of course!) about genetics so she's asking all kinds of questions about hair color, eye color, etc. IF I could convince M to let me try a fruit fly experiment with her might give it a go, but somehow I think they would fall under the category of living, and he's put a ban on us bringing anything else home that is alive and not a member of the plant family. I might just test the water anyway.

This leads me to think AGAIN about why I can't just leave something alone. I have to tweak everything! I was telling my very dearest friend J this weekend that I just have the strong feeling to doink and tweak making my own unit for Ancient Greece and the human body using what I know the older girls liked along with what I know C would like and what we do like from AWOA. But, I am not unhappy with AWOA. Why can't I just leave things be! I'm making a concious decision to just leave it alone and think of something else when the urge hits. lol So far it's working, but I feel the mortar starting to crumble. What is it with me! I think it goes back to actually enjoying the hours and days... or more like weeks... that I would spend putting together a unit. I love the idea of following rabbit trails and camping out where C needs to be for a while. I love AWOA. I really do. But I also love sitting in the stacks pulling together resources and searching online for activities or ideas. Ugh. Is this where it points out that I need to work on being content? Tell me that I'm not the only one. I need to hear that I'm not the only one. Maybe I need an SHS post...

C has been a reading machine this week! She's finished Alice in Wonderland and started in on the new Illustrated Stories for Boys treasury from Usborne. She decided that the Stories for Boys sounded more interesting than the Stories for Girls volume. (Really, it came down to pirates vs princesses, and who can resist a pirate?) She's almost done with it. I hear rumblings that she is going to start either Jason and the Golden Fleece or The Trojan War. I really love the idea of "strewing" materials out. Glad you blogged on it De'Etta! It's working around here. I get books, happen to have them on a table or my desk, and inevitably she will ask about it. I just hope it keeps working! Then again, I think she'd grab anything remotely involved with Greece anyway since she does even when we're not studying it, but let me think my strewing is working!

Let's see what else I need to mention... Oh, we went to the halloween activities at the zoo this weekend. I love seeing C with her friend Q. They were Luke and Leia (spelling?) from Star Wars this year. Too cute! We had a ball. It was a very hectic morning a I had a Lia Sophia jewelry party that morning at a local Panera Bread before heading to the zoo. It was a blast. I'm thinking of picking it up as well so that I've got my foot in a few areas. I'm determined that no matter what the new year brings I'm going to still be at home with my kid. Never underestimate the power of a determined homeschooling mom, right?

Off to make dinner. My sweetie is coming home soon and it's Enchilada Night. Mmmm.... Oh - I finally started a bean jar (behavior) for C after reading about it last month on the Creative Homeschooling blog. It's going well. I'll write on it later. - S

What we've learned this week...

Bible: Ecc 6:9 and 9:10; I Peter 3:9; Matthew 15:14; Deut 23:21-23 (I'm also thinking of adding in some study from the Voice of the Martyr's kid's program, Kids of Courage. I just got it in the mail today - it's free - and I am just so impressed. I might have to blog on that later tonight...)

Memory work: Psalm 139 - This one will be a good bit of work! I'm so glad that we're really pushing memory work this year. We've not done more than verses in the past, so it's nice to see passages come out of her.

History: Free reading on Ancient Greece, which has been mostly on myths. She's also reading the Ancient Greece portion from the Vistor's Guide to the Ancient World.

Science: Body basics (cells, organelles, tissues, systems basics) as well as the Integumentary System. We did a really neat fingerprint exercise today where she made two copies of each finger print with only one marked as to what finger it was. Shuffle them like cards and try to match the marked with the un-marked cards. She loved it!) We also watched some Brain Pop movies online and played with some websites.

Math: More work on adding/subtracting fractions. We are still in Chapter three of Math Smart Jr. I've also picked up a few more fraction books at the library. We've been really lax on our math lately with too many math movies and and too little moving forward. So, today we moved forward.

Language Arts: A new spelling list, a new spelling rule (silent e), and practicing note taking so that she can re-write passages in her own words using her notes. She actually enjoyed it! Writing has always been an argument if it wasn't for fun or a comic book story, so I'm thrilled that she likes this approach.

Literature: The Town Mouse and The Country Mouse; The Hare and the Tortoise; The Lion and the Mouse; The Fox and the Stork. Free reading.

Fine Arts: Free craft time with some Ancient Greek project books. I LOVE the books that Chick Fil A gave out last summer. I hear they have a new series that I have to go get... Also, today we discussed the themes in Minoan art and some trends that started appearing in Greek art.

Catching up on comments

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:55:00 -0500

Sorry I'm so far behind! Here's hoping I can catch up on everything on line and in real life this week... I usually try to post a reply in the comments section, but since I'm so far behind I didn't know if you'd look there! So, you're making it to front page. <stealing a "snort!" from De'Etta>

To Jodi:

Sounds like a full but great week! I must get the polar bear fractions book because we're studying antarctica and fractions, LOL. Having said that our library is so bad it probably won't come in until we've all learned fractions and are studying Africa or something! Maybe I'll check PBS.

He he... that's what I have trouble with sometimes with the good books only it's because all of the local homeschoolers have them checked out. It's a massive raid on things when someone mentions a title on a local list, but I bet it's like that everywhere. We're lucky that we have a large homeschooling community here locally, but it puts a crimp on my library reserve list! <snicker> I say all this in jest (partially) though because we're really lucky to homeschool where the library system was voted the nation's #1 system several years in a row. Got to love that!

Thought I'd let you know, in case you're mass deleteing on the lapbook groups, a new lapbook from HOAC has just been released and it is about multiplication.

Oooh.... Going to look....

It's great hearing about your weeks, you add so much detail to your posts, I sometimes forget to be detailed, or forget what I had wanted to post by the end of the day. I'm working on it!

I'm glad you think so! I feel like I drone on and on sometimes. But, I keep thinking that the point was to let friends and family know what we're doing, and this is what we're doing! Personally, I think your blog is wonderful. Visit it all the time. I go to your blog and De'Etta's first before anything else so I'll have time to read them. lol

For De'Etta....

I've been looking everywhere for a pumpkin patch, corn field etc. I was finally told "De'Etta this is cotton country - or maize!" I guess I should have known that. :::snort::: I finally have accepted that I am not going to find an apple orchard, pumpkin patch or corn field in W TX. I dreamed of those things for three years in AK - because we were always snowed under when the rest of the country was doing "fall things". Oh well.....God knows I need extremes I suppose. LOL

I'll trade you some pumpkin patches and apple orchards for some sun. I'm having serious reaction to no sun! I went from GA peaches to the land of corn, and though I wouldn't have thought that there were extremes oh did I notice them when I got here. (I guess you could say that I had adjustment issues. lol) I decided about two - or three? - years ago that I was going to like it here if it killed me, so I dove headlong into the local things like apple picking and such. I love fall because it's my last ditch effort to hold on to decent weather and a little sunshine till Spring. Choosing joy, right? In my "catching up" project this week I finally got about 20 pounds of apples made into sauce. I've got 20 more to do, and I'm wondering if it was enough. I think next year I'm going to have to go up another 10 pound bag. (Yep... this is for THREE of us. You should have seen what I made when we had our oldest here!) Here's hoping that you found some fall things to do... and that your computer's fixed! I talked to my dh last night about your computer troubles (again... note the late factor of being behind lol), and his response was just what he said to me when I had troubles.... switch to Linux. lol At least he's consistent, and God knows I like consistent so He gave me M.

It sounds like you are having a fabulous year.

I can honestly say that I think we are having a great year. Though, it had to be better than last year. We were months away from trying either an online charter school or just tossing in the towel and having her in ps this year because I was so frustrated. Thankfully my husband has a calmer head than me. I think that's why I'm SO excited about this year and have that "shout it from the rooftops" attitude. I'm thankful that God gave me the strength and the path to follow. It's going well. I know that some of my family might think it's silly when they read this, but it was all bathed in prayer this year and boy was there a difference! But, I know YOU already know that it makes a difference.

PS we had a cold front come through today and it got down to 76* - which was WELCOME!

<sigh> Choosing Joy again..... how long does it take to get happy about overcast and cold? lol

Hugs and laughter to both of you... Too bad we're spread across the country because I sure do think it would be fun to have a cup of tea with the two of you!

Steph

Read All About It! October 2006

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:15:00 -0500

Let me know what you think of this month's newsletter. This is only #2 for me so far, so I'm still "field testing" some of the ideas. I'd love comments. I got a bit wordy this month which I try not to do (and is oh so familiar if you know me!) Next month will be a tad shorter!

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Read All About It!

October 2006

www.whatshalliread.com

I'd like to apologize for getting this month's newsletter to you a bit late. It's been a busy month around our house! I hope that you enjoy this issue. I've added a few new things, and as always if there is something that you'd like to see here (or see disappear!) please drop me a note to let me know!

In this issue you'll find information on how to earn even more free books and kid kits from Usborne Books as well as information on our new titles! New title time is always an exciting time of season in our house. My daughter thinks it ranks right up there with birthdays and several national holidays! Read on to find out about some of our new titles and additions to established series in our catalog. I've given a much larger selection for review than I originally attempted to include. It's just so hard to choose between them all! You'll also find some quick information on how reading aloud to your child may be more beneficial than you once thought. Also, make sure to read about using our Wish List feature on my website as a way to help family and friends know exactly what to get for your children and grandchildren at holidays and birthdays. What better way to take the guess work out of gift buying!

In this month's newsletter:

Hot Tip

Bonus Days and Specials!

Why Reading Aloud Benefits Your Child

Making Wish Lists Work for the Holidays

Brand New Titles from Usborne Books!

Coming in November...

Hot Tip

If you're interested in hosting an Usborne Books home show, workshop, or event of any type consider having it take place in the community room of either Panera Bread or Donato's Pizza. These rooms can be reserved for free and include ample space for a perfect event with less stress and disruption to your home's routine!

Bonus Days!

What are Bonus Days? Bonus Days are made to benefit you! By holding a home show or workshop on specific days in October not only will you earn FREE books and kid kits for your family but you will also receive additional BONUS money! You might be wondering why I would do this... Being an Educational Consultant with Usborne Books is wonderful for me because it allows me to control my schedule and time away from my family. By offering a bonus for choosing certain days over another I am able to have just a bit more control over my schedule. It allows me to fill set days, and it allows you to benefit from that request! And remember, workshops are also eligible for Bonus Day scheduling! These amounts are in additional to any merchandise allowances earned at your event, and they are NOT dependent on sales totals! Just for hosting the event you earn free books! Here are my upcoming bonus days for the month of November...

Thursday, November 2, 2006 = an additional $15 in merchandise allowance!

Saturday, November 11, 2006 = an additional $15 in merchandise allowance!

Saturday, November 18, 2006 = an additional $15 in merchandise allowance!

Plus, a SUPER Bonus Day! Because of a change in scheduling I now have Friday, October 27^th available for a workshop or home show. Because of the short notice, if you find five friends and have a minimum of five orders, you'll earn $25 in FREE merchandise allowance regardless of sales totals! This is in addition to any merchandise allowance earned as part of the hostess benefits package. If you're interested please contact me to talk about how easy and quick it is to find five friends and five orders to earn $25 in free merchandise! Use your merchandise allowance to your advantage and get a head start on your holiday shopping!

Bonus Days for December will be available shortly. Please contact me if you are interested in these.

October's Specials

October's Hostess Special is chock full of bonuses! With 2 bookings dated within 4 weeks and minimum retail sales of $450 in October, you'll earn an additional $50.00 in book merchandise allowance, plus $30.00 in Kid Kit merchandise allowance! That means that you will earn a minimum of $160 in books/kid kits! Pair it with a bonus day and earn even more!

All customers and hostess who purchase a minimum of $35 or more at a home show, Kidshop workshop event, or through a website order are eligible to purchase one of the following special packages making an encore appearance from September...

Special #1: This special for our little ones includes two popular titles - Goodnight Baby and Hide and Seek Baby - for just $12.55 (regularly $17.94.)

Special #2: Our early learners will enjoy Daisy the Doctor and Lift the Flap On the Farm. Regularly priced at $18.90, you'll purchase this special for the low price of $13.25!

Special #3: Readers early elementary ages will enjoy three titles at an amazing price... The Big Bug Search, Gulliver's Travels, and Titanic (a gift book binding!) for only $16.05 (regularly $22.89.)

Special #4: A great reference tool... the hardbound Book of Knowledge is internet linked to extend learning and build interest through the use of family friendly websites. Purchase this $19.95 book at a reduced price of $13.95!

And, for those of you who are thinking of becoming part of the Usborne family of Educational Consultants, you are in for a treat! Join in October and you�ll receive 8 of Usborne's most popular titles and a full set of business supplies! The October Starter Kit also includes a 6 month E-Commerce Web Site and a 60 day subscription to Belinda Ellsworth�s Success Express, an exclusive resource training center that provides on-going education, motivation, inspiration and recognition to direct sales consultants. This fabulous kit is an incredible value for only $39.00! Contact me if you're interested in learning more.

Why Reading Aloud Benefits Your Child

We're all familiar with the wonderful memories that are built as your read aloud to your child. As parents we remember snuggling together on the couch, in a rocking chair, or in bed at night while our children repeat the words to that familiar favorite, or sit wide-eyed as they listen meeting a new friend for the first time. We have heard about the bond that it creates between parent (and grandparent!) and child. But, were you aware that you were also teaching emotions and coping mechanisms? Did you know that you were introducing the basic of story structure? Did your children realize that they were forming the foundation of their pre-reading skills?

Reading aloud allows us the chance to share so much more than a visit to another world, or a tea party with a family of woodland creatures. By showing your children the basics of reading from left to right, top to bottom you are introducing the most fundamental of all pre-reading skills. You are also sharing with them the structure of the story by discussing the beginning, middle, and end as well as the characters and action. You are helping them understand that there is a rhythm and flow to each story. Reading comes alive! Also, with every word spoken you are helping to not only cement but also expand their vocabulary helping them build a database of words from which they will draw for years to come. Through your voice they hear the correct way to use these fascinating new words. Studies show that children with a strong vocabulary early on perform better in school as they age.

In addition to the reading skills you are imparting to your child you will also be showing them how to deal with various emotional situations as you read about characters who are happy, frightened, or angry. Your involvement in the story will allow you to gage when your child needs some extra conversation about the subject. You are able to help explain why certain emotions should be handled in various ways. You can take advantage of these opportunities to share with your child what your family or culture finds acceptable. Reading aloud becomes another way to impart your morals and beliefs to your children.

And most if all, reading with your child is fun! It benefits you BOTH as you form those lasting memories of imagining yourself flying high to play On The Moon, or diving deep Under the Sea. Your children become more creative and able to think �outside the box.� A vivid imagination makes life much more colorful, and you'll be there to share it!

Making Wish Lists Work for the Holidays

How many times have you had a relative ask you what your child would like for Christmas? How many holidays have you gotten something from Aunt Jo or Cousin Stan that just wasn't your idea of what you wanted young Johnny to play with? Usborne Books has your solution! And it's free! The next time you visit my website, www.whatshalliread.com, take a second to set up a Wish List for your family, or one for each child if it suits your situation better. It's fast, easy, and safe to use. From the main catalog page on my website choose the Wish List link on the upper, right hand side of your screen. You will be prompted to submit your email address, password (used by you to edit your list), and shipping address. No need to be worried.... visitors to the website can not access this information. Once your wish list is established you can go on a virtual shopping spree! Search through our categories or by title as you would if you were shopping. To add something to your wish list simply click the �Wish List� button next to the sales price of the item you wish to add. It's that easy! You can use your password to log into your wish list at any time to update or edit your selections.

Ready to shop? When your family and friends are ready to shop for your family simply have them visit my website again, and after choosing the Wish List link they can search by either your website address or name to locate your selections. Upon purchasing wish list items they will be given a choice of either shipping to your specified address or to their own address for personal delivery. It's simple, easy, and private! Allow children to choose books, kid kits, puzzles and games that they will love, or add some choices that you know will be fast favorites. To see how easy this is take a look at my wish list which shows some of my favorite Usborne titles. Simply click the Wish List link and search on either my name, Stephanie, or my email address, stephanie AT whatshalliread DOT com. (Replace the words with the symbols and remove the spaces!)

However you decide to use a Wish List it will make less work for you and your family as the holidays approach. It's great for birthday and baby shower gifts too! Let Usborne Books help make your gift buying easier. Contact me if I can be of help as you create and maintain your personal Wish List!

Brand New Titles from Usborne Books!

I'm so very excited to announce that we have NEW TITLES to share! Typically the bulk of our new titles are available at the release of our new catalogs in January and July. Because we know what it's like to want something faster than that Usborne Books gives us a smaller release of new titles several times a year! I've highlighted a few of my favorites, though you can view these and other new titles on my website www.whatshalliread.com by choosing the New Titles link at the bottom of any page on my online catalog. And remember, many of our titles have �sneak peek� pages in our online catalog!

New books in our Make and Do series! In addition to our other titles in this series you can now become a knight with a drawbridge castle in Knights and Castles Things to Make and Do, or make dangling monsters or funny pop up cards in Monster Things to Make and Do. (Don't worry.... these monsters are not scary monsters!) Each new member of the Make and Do family is only $6.99.

New sticker books for our emerging readers! Our new sticker book line features a rebus puzzle story that is centered around a classic fairy tale such as The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, and Rumpelstiltskin. These books are $6.99 and perfect for children ages 4 and up.

Animals at War... This new book is a Series 3 gift book which is hardbound with a satin ribbon bookmark. It tells a touching history of the role that animals have played in some of the most well known battles in history. Mine detecting dolphins? Parachuting dogs? Your children ages 8 and up will love to read about this fascinating part of history that few have learned. $8.99

What little girl doesn't love playing with stickers? With Sticker Dolly Dressing Dolls and Sticker Dolly Dancing Princesses they can dress dolls and princesses again and again while creating their own stories of magical balls, days at the beach, and friendship. Perfect for ages 4 and up (though my 9 year old is requesting these for her personal collection as well!) $8.99

Just in time for Christmas! The Very First Christmas is the most recent addition to our outstanding picture book series. The artwork is just breathtaking! It is sure to become a treasured part of your holiday tradition. $9.99

For all of your history buffs who love our True Adventure Stories comes True War Stories. From zeppelin raids to spies and secret plots these stories from the First and Second World Wars will thrill and amaze. You'll be glued to each of the 432 pages! Be aware that because of the nature of these subjects this and other books in this series are best for mature children (typically ages 10 and up.) $12.99

Time to plan ahead! If your family enjoys using an Advent calendar at Christmas you'll love our new Advent Nativity Book. This original design allows you to build your own nativity as you bring the Christmas story alive. A wonderful memory for children ages 5 and up. $14.99

Under the Sea Jigsaw Book and Pirate Jigsaw Book... Two more BEAUTIFUL additions to our jigsaw book series! Sail the high seas... dive deep below an ocean of blue to swim with creatures old and new... Get lost in two new worlds! This is absolutely one of my most favorite additions. Children ages 5 and up will love these. Even my 9 year old loves the books in this series. She's got four on her shelf already!

Illustrated Stories for Boys and Illustrated Stories for Girls are destined to be a beloved addition to any bookshelf. (Though, I have to admit we purchased IS for Boys for my daughter because she thought it sounded like more fun!) Each edition contains classics such as Treasure Island and The Little Mermaid as well as a collection of new and original stories perfect for children of any age. These hardbound books of over 300 pages each are a value at $19.99.

Coming in November... Kidshops and an Open House!

Next month I'll bring you information on the Kidshops workshops that I'll be hosting at different area locations as well as information on my Holiday Open House! Join me for a relaxed afternoon with several other vendors where you will be able to see the latest and greatest available for holiday gifts and treasures. November's Kidshops will educate, entertain, and supply your child with one of our wonderful Kid Kits! I'm in the final stages of finalizing my topics now, so you if have a particular request please let me know no later than October 25^th. Keep your eyes on your inbox because you won't want to miss these! I'll also highlight some of our best selling titles and holiday ideas since Christmas is just around the corner.

As always, I thank you for allowing me to share with you what Usborne Books can offer. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you, or if there are titles that you'd like to preview.

Wishing you all the best this fall...

Stephanie

UBAH MISSION STATEMENT:: "The future of our world depends on the education of our children. UBAH delivers educational excellence one book at a time. We provide economic opportunity while fostering strong family values. We touch the lives of children for a lifetime."