4H 2010- first year entries

I'm posting this now because we're gonna be outta town- again- and I don't want to forget.

Here are Lee's entries into the county fair this year:





And Fox: (he was going to decorate a cake but it's too hot and he didn't feel that he'd had enough practice in the time we had)



We will have to wait until we return to see how they fared :) Even if there were no ribbons or prizes, they did wonderful :)

Happy Birthday, Fox! 11 years today!

Wow, time does fly...today my youngest turned 11. E-l-e-v-e-n years, that is. It just seems like it's so absurd that eleven years ago he was just a wee little thing. He was 4 weeks early and weighed 5 lbs 13.8 oz. He was a tall guy at 19 1/2 inches (compared to his sisters 18 in at full term). He caught up quickly and hasn't stopped! Just like a weed ;)

Here he is when he was still at the hospital. He had to stay a few days because they were making sure his lungs were functioning as they should because of being premature.

After being home from the hospital.

Few months old, maybe 4 months. Lol and that's me at 21...

About 6 or 7 months here.

Having fun on a trip with Grammy. He's about 2-3 here.

And with his sister in 2004/5 (around abouts anyway).

And today!! Almost 5 feet tall...told ya he was growing like a weed! ;)
He has been so excited for his birthday to get here for the last 5 months! Last night as I was giving him his hug and kiss I joked with him (in as serious of a manner as I could) that he really was born on the 29th and would have to wait for 4 more days... LOL. He knew I was joking but his eyes got wide at the thought of waiting any longer. I found it to be hilarious myself :)

I made a poster and a 'birthday' chair for him :)

He liked the poster but I'm not so sure he was crazy about the chair lol! Lee helped me decorate the poster more later but I don't have picture of just the poster- the rest have friends of Fox's that I don't want to put on the internet.

Time goes so fast! Enjoy it, savor it, cherish it...milk it for all it's worth! And it's worth A LOT!!

Savone Vitamin E Soap *WINNER*

Thank you to all that entered my very first Giveaway!

The winner for the Savone Vitamin E Soap is .....

KIMBERLY

Her comment was:
"I love trying new soap"

**Kimberly, will you please email me at northlaurelschool@gmail.com with your address so I can send you your prize?**

I had a lot of fun with this Giveaway. It was my first but not my last! I have another one coming the first week of August. Stay Tuned!!

New links on Links by Subject for Schooling page

As with all sites, check them out to see if they will be helpful for you or appropriate for your children. I've not checked these extensively. You can find these and more on Links by Subject for Schooling page.

Sites of Interest for Learning/Teaching
+Education Place Houghton Mifflin Harcourt site, Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spelling, Pre-K, K-6

Art
+Jan Brett's Art videos

Computers
+Free Education for Children Globally- Computer Skills
+Microsoft Lesson Plans K-college
+Free Computer Training And Online Courses older children and adults
+Hewlett-Packard Learning Center- list of all classes offered, upper grades and adults
+Free Computer Training Goodwill Community Foundation- probably for older kids (grades 4 and up?)
+Computer Connections: Inside and Out by Carol Welch Kaboose- some of the comments on this particular article are not appropriate otherwise good information :)
+Learning About Computers Windows tutorials and basic articles

Foreign Language
+Free Online Language Courses (the website is word2word) there is a plethora of language resources at this site

Math
+Math Tricks math games, teasers to make you use your brain!
+Math Moves U great site for math games
+Math Apprentice grades 4-12 approximately, site to show kids that math is everywhere and necessary (for when they say "When am I ever going to use this?")

What to do when they just don't want to do much of anything school-wise...

I haven't figured exactly how to do Charlotte Mason methods (we have narration down but... the rest, eh, not so much). I don't like worksheets and textbooks but can use them on occasion when it calls for it.

But what am I to do when every day is a challenge to get my kids to do what I want them to? I am slowly slipping away from the CM way. It's bothersome to me though because I think it is wonderful and can see the results. However, it does seem to be 'boring' in a few subjects that we do. Examples: Birth of Britain and Life of the Spider for Lee and with Fox it's just about all his subjects. It's not that they are truly 'boring', I don't think but that maybe there aren't enough 'exciting' aspects. If that makes sense. It seems that they do much better with the 'traditional' methods and by that I mean textbooks and worksheets.

I'm a little stumped by 'why' they do better. Perhaps it is just that they dislike monotony. The same things each day, the same way. I mix up our schedules so that not all reading is done at the same time nor is all the math or science type subjects. It's varied. But perhaps sometimes they want something different. It could be also, and this is what I think, that they want things to be spoon-fed to them again. It takes effort on their part and mine to keep at the CM way.

I guess I am just feeling a bit discouraged at the moment. They don't want to push themselves and when I try to get them to challenge themselves, they push back- makes for a long day!

Lee is working on her own in Japanese and that is great. Some of the subjects I mentioned earlier she can't stand. I am going to break down and let her do a different book for History but at the same time I feel that I am letting her down by giving in. It doesn't do any good for her or me to have to plug through something that is just not working. There's nothing wrong with the books though, it's the mindset that they have that is the problem.

I am glad that next week is a break week. We are taking a wee bit of a family vacation. Perhaps that is just what we need to break up the monotony. It's funny because they read all the time...unless I tell them to. Then it's a chore. You can bet that they will both be buried in their books while we are traveling to and from home this next week.

One thing is for sure, I am not buying any 'new' or 'new-to-me' curriculum! We are going to make due with what we have and I guess I will just have to try to figure out a way that they dislike it less. I'm not sure how I missed cultivating their love of learning so horribly. I think, at times, I have to realize they are responsible for their own attitudes and actions.

Build & Tie Dye A Noah's Ark "Color Burst" Teddy Bear

Review: TOS Travel Kits

The Old Schoolhouse offered a great ebook for me to review for the Homeschool Crew. By Donna Rees, you can find this ebook at the TOS Store for $12.45

Travel Kits: A Simple Way to Bless Others is chock full of great ideas for simple to put together baskets of gifts to give to others for time in the car. The purpose is to make car time more fun- for everyone! The age range for this is ALL. You can do this no matter what your age or who you are making a Travel Kit for.

In our family we take quite a few trips and we have always taken along a bag with items such as books, toys, paper, crayons (though mostly not), pencils, etc., that they might like to fiddle with while we are spending time in the car. This ebook gives so many ideas that go way beyond our simple tradition. But not one of the suggestions would cost much.

The 93-page ebook is full of photograph examples of travel kits that were put together by the author or suggestions for future travel kits. I really like how Rees lets us in on some of the circumstances of how she came up with some of them. She also shares where she got the items, many times as footnotes but also in the paragraph. It sounds like the Dollar Tree is a favorite and it makes perfect sense to me! It is set up wonderfully as well. It is very logically put together. You have to know what kind of car that the recipients of your travel kit will be in. If it's a small car and you plan on putting together and giving something that requires space...that's not going to go over so well, and may even be left behind on the trip!

This ebook has 14 chapters that cover absolutely everything you could think of that have to do with putting together, choosing items for boys/girls/mom/dads, presenting the items, when and how to distribute the items. I was just amazed at how much was put into this simple idea. The main theme throughout this ebook is the way that it is a blessing that you can give to others with so little actual effort.

We went on a two-day driving trip to see family and friends not long after I received this ebook for review and so I didn't get to try it out on our trip. But lucky for us (and yes, I mean lucky) we are taking another one soon and the suggestions in this ebook will be so useful. I have already begun mental lists (that really need to be physical lists) for others that I know who would benefit from this. My pastor and his wife often travel to other cities when he preaches at other churches. A friend of mine has two young daughters that would love to have a travel kit--I'm sure she would like one too!

The price of $12.45 is well worth it. There are 'bonus items' at the end of the ebook. I'm not sure I am allowed to share what they are but...if you check out this ebook at the TOS Store, they have some sample pages. This is truly a great resource!!

See what other Crew Members have to say about Travel Kits at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog

**Disclosure: I received this ebook free from The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew for an honest review. I received no other compensation for this review. See my Disclosure/Policies for more information.**

Taking the Plunge! My Home Based Business & a Fundraiser

It's been awhile since I have thought and thought about it but I have decided to take the plunge with a home based business. I just cannot take working for someone else, plain and simple. I have had various different jobs since I first started working in 1995 (a few years ago, huh?) from fast food, to housekeeping, to customer service, to bus driver. My ultimate career choice is to be a teacher and what do ya know, that's what I do with homeschooling :) But I also want to contribute to finances without leaving behind homeschooling.

I actually 'started' my business in 2005, with Stuff-A-Friend traveling parties. The timing was all wrong and although I was still an independent contractor I did not promote my business. In 2007 SAF was bought by Noah's Ark Animal Workshop. Because I was a previous member with SAF, they rolled over my status to NAAW. It was great news for me but again, the timing just didn't seem right again.

Recently there was a great deal for Party Leaders (my title with NAAW) and I just had to act on it. That is what got me to really thinking about this home based business that I started (but did nothing with) in 2005. It is a great opportunity. It isn't just about making money for me; it's the actual job- working with kids and a diversified clientèle. There isn't inventory to keep (unless you want to), the hours that are available are totally up to the 'owner' (aka: me) and the company is great with support and service.

If you haven't clicked on the links yet that I've included here's what I'm talking about:

Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop was founded in 2003 when founder, Dina Amico-Kriescher, enthusiastically joined the birthday party entertainment industry with a personal Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop business, conducting party workshops throughout the southwest suburbs of Chicago. With her workshop party business booming, along with support and professional assistance from her family in 2004, she launched the national opportunity to entertain children and guests of all ages by creating magical, life long memories through hands-on party entertainment, while offering independent representative a home business that is fun, flexible, and profitable. Today over 5000 independent Party Leaders have jumped aboard Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop making it one of the fastest growing party plan companies in the nation.

There are a lot of opportunities available now for working from home, or a home 'based' business. I think this one is wonderful.

*Fundraiser*

I would love to do a fundraiser for my local public library (they are in need of expansion, more activities for children, and more variety for the different reading groups). If you would be interested in helping out a library continue to grow and provide more opportunities for their patrons, please check out my website: Blossom's Noah's Ark Animal Workshop. I am contributing 20% of all sales to go to the library. I'm not marking up prices to make that 20%...it's all going to the Goshen County Public Library (you can find them on Facebook also!).

Just really quick I am going to post a few of the cute, fluffy animals that are available from NAAW:

Hope Bear. This is one of the first stuffed friends I personally bought when I became a Party Leader with NAAW. She is soooo soft! And those dots, those are hearts! One of the bigger cuddly friends at 18", she's great!



Hip Hip Hippo! This is a very new one this year. Hippo is a 14" stuffable friend. Isn't 'he' cute? *I say he but who says it can't be a she!?*

Sox Cow. This is one that I am sure would be a great hit here in the Midwest...who doesn't want a cow? And such a cute, cuddly one! Sox is 15" and ready for stuffin'


You can check out the online flipbook at my website, where the cuddly friends are organized by themes, or parties.

Available also is "Noah-to-Goah", for when you don't need a Party Leader to host a Noah's Ark Animal Workshop for you. Say you only have 1 child, or maybe 2, that would love to stuff their own cuddly friend. Order a "Noah-to-Goah" and it comes with everything that is needed to stuff. You can find these through the Flipbook and click on the name or image to add to your shopping cart.

If you know anyone that would love a new cuddly friend to stuff themselves (new meaning for 'make new friends') then take a look at what NAAW has to offer.

**If you live in the area of Torrington, WY, I am available to do in home parties, or at a location of your choice. I am not able to offer mascot appearances by Mojo & Cuddlez. If you are outside of the area of Torrington, WY, please check for a representative near you, or visit NAAW home website to be put in touch with one near you. I apologize for any inconvenience.**

No More WWATs...Refocusing

I have decided to stop putting up What We've Accomplished Today... for homeschool because I think that I may be doing a disservice to my kids. I don't know how, I just have this feeling that I am and feel it's best to stop until I can either come to terms with the feelings or decide that it is what I need to do permanently. My original purpose was to keep track of what they do in a day so that we would have a record. But I use homeschoolskedtrack.com for that and I also have a place that I keep all my notes about the day. As far as I know HST doesn't have a way to put down notes...not entirely sure.

Anyway, for those of you who have enjoyed following along with what we have done, I apologize. If you would be interested in still being in the loop, let me know and I will give you access to the place I have stored our WWATs.

I'm going to still be posting about random things that we do during the day, schoolwise and other, but not the full account of their school day. Also look for my reviews to be posted here- one's coming tomorrow! And of course, I will still be posting great things that I come across online and otherwise :)

What We've Accomplished Today...07/20/10

Both:

Spanish: Parte Primera: Leccion Primera: 4. Ejercicio y 5. Cuestionario.
We use Poco A Poco (found through Google books) and it says it is 'an elementary direct method for learning Spanish' but that doesn't necessarily mean 'elementary' as in K-5 grade! I am guessing these are for high school or upper grades. We are doing alright with the book (I have the Teacher's Manual, also found at Google books) but I also have some experience with Spanish. I've taken a couple classes (one in high school and one in college, will be doing another in the Fall) and can recall or guess what it is that we are supposed to know/learn. It is somewhat a little confusing sometimes, but I am thinking we will be okay. I am going to be using some of our supplements (aka fun things like coloring and singing songs) the next few times we do Spanish.
Order & Reality:
1.3 pages 16-20 aloud with mom; narrate. Answer questions under Brain Drain and Thought Provokers. Discussed Environment Explorer on page 17. We took turns reading and narrating. We are still going to do the actual 'explorer' activity. We are going to go down to the North Platte River to collect some dirt, as well as from our backyard and our gardens. Using three separate jars we will watch the dirt separate from water and observe and discuss what we see.

Lee:
Bede's: Read Week 3 section, Chapters V & VI. She was supposed to keep a list of unfamiliar words as well as locate place names on the globe/map and also fill in the timeline with people and events...she didn't do any of those things :( Did tell me briefly about what she read.
LoFPA: Chapters 5-7; looks like it is getting more challenging for her. Perhaps I am a mean mommy but I'm glad! It seems that she was just zooming through her stuff without even having to think about it. Now she had to ask for help in how to set up some of the problems. She knew how to do them, just had a memory lapse at the time.
TFD: Lesson 16: Loaded Question. Just 'thought about' her reading today... she had a problem with writing 'dunno' on a lot of the questions from last reading. Perhaps she didn't like when I said, "you need to figure out an actual answer to the question; 'dunno' does not qualify as an answer."
Writing: Today she started My Access writing online. Her assignment is on whether or not teens should have an allowance. Her choice... Perhaps I will get to publish her writing. I liked her argument ;) (Psst: she's against an allowance!)

Fox:
LP510: We conveniently have misplaced his Unit 509 LIFEPAC. I corrected the Self-Test that he did last and *poof* now it's gone! So, we are just skipping the rest of 509 and moving onto getting 510 done with. It is review over all of grade 5 math. He did 3 pages of almost complete pages of nothing but problems! He totally hates that type of math. He used to like timed math (5 minute math) but he doesn't like to spend more than 10 minutes on math at all. I require that he do x-amount of work or x-amount of time. Usually it is a mixture. If he knows he only has to do x-amount, he rushes through and is done within 15 minutes (and not done well). Or if I say x-amount of time then he drags out 2 problems for the entire time. I did allow him to go onto MathMovesU.com for some fun with math. I like it when they enjoy what they are supposed to be learning.
Reading: Abraham Lincoln's World. I would like for him to read from the other books he has on his list but he seems to really enjoy this one more than the others. Okay with me :)
Tomorrow he will start his Writing assignments with My Access online. It will help his writing skills, I hope.

We are making cakes today to decorate the remaining 3 cakes- of 5- that are mandatory to do for 4H. The first picture is from two days ago; Lee is making a shell border. The one below is Fox making 'dots' on top of the cake. He was going for red frosting but pink is what he got :) As soon as it cools off (well, even if it doesn't!) we are going to decorate some more cakes!

They are also working on their posters. Lee is doing a poster on "Tips on Tips" (for cake decorating) and Fox is doing his on "Parts and Jobs of Robots" (for robotics). Lee is done with her Photography entries. Fox still needs to decorate a cake for his entry (a 'fake' cake, that is- I think we will use an upside down cake pan). Later tonight- about an hour- we are going to a pool party with the public library for summer reading :) Fox is the only one that participated in the reading program. But we all get the rewards :)

Blog Walk with the TOS Crew July 19-23, 2010

This is Week # 6 of the Blog Walk with the TOS Crew. So where's the previous 5 weeks you ask. Well, I didn't know about it :) That's my story and I'm sticking to it! I will have previous walks up soon, I think...maybe... I might just go from here. But I'd hate to miss the rest. We'll see how it goes! These are homeschooling bloggers but that doesn't mean they only talk about homeschooling. You'll find lots of interesting posts at these blogs. So, grab a cup of ice tea (it's hot!) and a comfy cushion for your chair and take a 'walk' with us on the Blog Walk with the TOS Crew.

1. Deanna’s Corner
2. Light, Liberty, and Learning
3. Bunny Trails
4. Flowers N Plaid Homeschool
5. Gadow Ohana
6. His Wonderful Works
7. Expand
8. Confessions of a Homeschooler
9. The Sojourner
10. A Full Heart

Be on the lookout for next week's Blog Walk with the TOS Crew :)

FREE Legos!! For Educators

Have I mentioned how much I like Freely Educate?? This blog is like no other! Seriously. She has brought to our attention free DVDs, free timelines, free websites with great resources and now this: FREE LEGOs!

See all the details at Lego Education . From their site:

Now through July 2010, LEGO^® Education is inviting K-12 teachers and home educators from across the United States to register as contestants for the 2010 LEGO^® Smart™ Creativity Contest, challenging classrooms coast to coast to become LEGO Smart!

The 2010 contest, including prize information and contest rules, will be emailed to all pre-registered contestants on Monday, August 2, 2010, starting at 8am CST.

The deadline to order the kit is July 31, 2010. Emails will be sent out August 2, 2010, letting registrants know that the contest has begun.

I just love it!

Check out both Freely Educate and LEGO Education. Great!

Here's some cool posts from Freely Educate:

Practical Skill: A Unique Geography Idea

Free Math & Science Simulations for All Grades

Free Assessment Tests

Free Genetics Curriculum from the University of Utah

She wants to learn Japanese...again...

All things Japanese: drawing, reading, writing, naming our cat, changing the commands in her cell phone... Dd Lee wants to learn Japanese again. I say again but not that she learned it once and now wants to 'again', rather we began Japanese during the school year last year and she decided that Spanish was going to be enough for now. Well, she has had a renewed interest. She visited her friends in Oregon for a few days and they (sweet girls that I love!) are all about Japanese everything! I should have seen it coming! :)

So, now I am trying to put together a 'curriculum' for her with what we have. I cannot buy anything else for the school year, because it's all been bought based on what we planned on doing. We have quite a bit so I don't think that we will be lacking, however, the ability to teach it is another story for another time perhaps.

The books that we have I have found from used book sales or on paperbackswap. Here is a run down of our books:

• Japanese for Beginners. Yasuo Yoshida. ISBN 4050506475. Published by Gakken Co., Ltd. Copyright 1976
• Kanji & Kana. Wolfgang Hadamitzky and Mark Spahn. ISBN 0804813736. Published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc. Copyright 1982
• Japanese for All Occasions. Anne Kaneko. ISBN 0804815674. Published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc. Copyright 1990
• Pocket Japanese Dictionary. Periplus Language. ISBN 0794600484. Published by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. Copyright 2003
• Living Language Conversational Japanese. Revised by Hiroko Storm. ISBN 0517590662. Published by Crown Publishers, Inc. Copyright 1993
• Living Language Japanese Dictionary. Revised by Hiroko Storm. ISBN 0517590670. Published by Crown Publishers, Inc. Copyright 1993

The Living Language Japanese books also have audio tapes with them. Good assortment of good books, in my humble-and-uneducated opinion :) Now I need to figure out how to make a curriculum and schedule to help her learn it. She is pretty good at doing things on her own and I honestly have no clue about Japanese. I used Byki for a while for all of us to try and learn various languages...Japanese was hardest!

I am going to be taking the advice found at DonnaYoung.org for lesson plans to try and make this work. Unfortunately, Lee may have to do this mostly on her own. If she really wants to learn she can do it. I will try and post the lesson plans when I am done as well. Also our/her progress ;)

And before I forget, there are a ton of links for Foreign Language sites that are free (as well as some inexpensive to expensive lol) on my Links by Subject for Schooling page. Scroll down to Foreign Language.

* Here is the tentative schedule we have started. I explained to Lee that she will most likely have to do this mostly by herself. She was receptive to the plan :) I will of course be here for her in any way that I can. It is only up to Week 6 (which is the second review week) but it will be continued/revised as we go. *

What We’ve Accomplished Today…07/19/10

Today went much more smoothly than did Thursday and Friday. Although school was 'done' both of those days, it wasn't done the way we usually do and not very uh, thoroughly, I might add. Today was better :)

Latin:

Started Lesson 2, text pages 12 & 13, did Latin Saying (Stabat Mater- The Mother is standing), imperfect present tense ba (imperfect in Latin means 'not finished'), vocabulary, and worksheet 1 & 2, sections I-III.

Lee:

2Corinthians 5:17

BoB: Read pages ***45-49 (last full paragraph) aloud with mom. Tough to stay focused with this book...

LoFPA: Chapters 1-4

F&WM: Second half of chapter 11; growth.

Writing: Wrote a couplet poem.

Our Family

This is a poem about our family

Which is quite silly, don't you agree?

The dad of the family is Mike

Who is someone you can like.

And then there's the mom, Blossom,

As far as moms go, I think she's awesome!

As for the children, there's Colleen

The big sister who's not too mean.

The little brother is Jeffery

Annoying, but such a sweet pea.

The pet is a cat called Kawaii

Who we got last year in July.

Now you know about everyone

and this poem is done.

I thought it was cute :)

WHtPC?: Chapter 5- Revolutions, Elections and Printing Presses. In her words: "In countries where they do not have democracy they do not raise taxes to raise more money for fear of revolutions. In the US, with the elections, they promise whatever the people want so that when they are elected, they increase the prices of things to try to make the money to make the promises come true. And about printing presses they use the Federal Reserve, but it didn't explain how that worked..."

Reading: Watership Down.

Fox:

Psalms 1:1-3

TCoO: Jackson-"Liberty and Union, Now and Forever"- Van Buren- Hard Times. He didn't read all that he was supposed to so next time there will be more...

OUC: Read pages 38-40 (?) it wasn't what was scheduled but we misplaced his schedule at just that moment coincidentally... He narrated after.

CBoM: Chapter XV: Iguazu Falls; didn't do his notebook page this time.

TGSET: Read chapter 9 -Command From Rome

LoFP&D: Chapters 3 & 4

What We’ve Accomplished Today…07/15/10 & 07/16/2010

Totally unsure why I didn't post these...OH! just remembered (how could I have forgotten!) that I was staining my front porch for those two days and although school was done, I didn't record it then.

WWAT: 07/15/2010

Lee:

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People: Read Week 2 section. Keep a list of unfamiliar words.

LIFEPAC 710: pages 49-50

Circle of the Seasons/Life of the Spider: COTS: July 5-11. LOTS: page 54-56 (to "Other stratagems...); keep a list of unfamiliar words. Turn in list. (didn't turn in her list...)

Reading: Watership Down

Fox:

Oliver Twist: Read and written narration.

Reading: Abraham Lincoln's World

LIFEPAC 509: pages 11-13

WWAT: 07/16/2010

Lee:

Brendan Voyage: Read second third of chapter 7; pages 116-125. Written narration- minimum of 1 page, typed single space.

Life of Fred: Decimals and Percents: Chapter 33 & Final Bridge

Fox:

Reading: Abraham Lincoln's World & A Passion for the Impossible

Life of Fred: Decimals and Percents: Chapter 1 & 2

Magazine Subscriptions...#2

So I forgot to include 2 more magazine subscriptions that I have. One thing I feel I need to mention about all these subscriptions that I have: I waited until they brought the prices way, way down before I subscribed. I actual got one of my subscriptions for under $10 for 2 years...what a deal!

The first added subscription is Home Educating Family. I came across this magazine when I was following a link for the Well Planned Day Planner. I requested a sample issue of the magazine and really appreciated what they have to offer. It is a smaller magazine than my other homeschooling magazines. It is Christian based, as all my others are as well, but it has a different slant or tilt. By that I just mean the writers are different than the other magazines. I find it very helpful and refreshing to read the different ways that people present a topic. In the latest issue that I have (2010 Issue 1) features some great articles. If you click on the "Current Issue" tab at Home Educating Family website you can see a list of articles.

The one I appreciated above all else is the one entitled "Three Lies Young Women Believe about God" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh. This is actually an excerpt of their book Lies Young Women Believe. I'm not so young anymore but these are 'lies' that I have believed myself. #3 "God is Not Really Involved in My Life" was a big one for me. However, as they bring to our attention, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12:6-7)

There are other articles that are useful in homeschooling and education, not just 'life'. Perhaps you have been wondering about the benefits of the performing arts for children. There is an article by Jay Younts entitled "Performing Arts in Children". Or maybe you are a little leery of teaching history-it's too boring, you think. Check out the article "History is Basic, Yet it Can Be Fun" by Rob and Cyndy Shearer. There's a lot of great information and uplifting articles in this magazine.

My other magazine subscription, I can't believe I forgot. I have been subscribing for 10 years or so now. It's Family Fun Magazine. My first subscription was a gift in 2000/2001 from my mother in law. I've been with them ever since!

This magazine is useful for young parents, older parents, parents with newborns, parents with teens and in betweens. This is also great for grandparents.

My kids actually love this magazine. They like it way more than I do and that is the biggest reason I have kept it. It is not a Christian magazine although I do suspect they at least try to keep it neutral. We don't celebrate Halloween here and that is probably the only issue that I don't particularly care for. Even in that one, there are still great bits to be found.

I just got my latest issue, August 2010, two days or so ago. I haven't had a chance to look through it but it's well worn already! Some articles/crafts in this issue are: "Neighborhood Nation", "Road Trip Car Games", and the kids' favorite "Cool-off Treats". There's also "8 Summer Keepsake Crafts".

One thing I don't particularly like about this magazine is that it seems to be getting smaller and thinner...with more advertisements throughout for Disney. I know that Family Fun is part of Disney (it says it right on the front) but I don't like to be reminded constantly of that fact while I am looking at the magazine. Disney isn't all that it's cracked up to be lately...imho.

I do love the reader submitted photos, stories, and tips. It gives a lot of ideas to myself and my kids. We like to read through the articles and look at the craft ideas but sometimes we just don't have the creativity that others have to tweak it so that we can do it. That's where those reader submissions are handy. So many people send in things that there is bound to be one or more activities that we were looking at, that someone else did in a bit different way that suits us better.

Here's an example of a reader submitted tip:

"Better Book Keeping. How do you keep track of your family's library books?"

• Be Shelf-ish: We store library books on a special shelf on our bookcase and tape our checkout receipt there there...As due dates approach and we return books, we cross off the titles on the receipt. - Juli Warther, Dover, OH
• Tuck Them Into a Tote: I decorated sturdy canvas tote bags for my sons' books. The boys keep the bags in their rooms, so they always know where to find or return a book. When we're ready to visit the library, we grab the bags and go.- Penny Williams, Park Ridge, IL
• Flag Them With Notes: My son...and I write "library" on Post-it notes, then stick one of these flags to the inside of the back cover of each borrowed book. This reusable system makes it easy to identify library titles among our own.- Cristin Boyd, San Jose, CA

*Disclosure: I have not been paid or compensated in any way for these 'reviews'. I personally subscribe to the above magazines and the opinions I have stated are mine alone. See more about my Disclosure/Policies.

Magazine Subscriptions..lengthy post on mine :)

The mail came today and most was for dear hubby. He gets all the good stuff ;) and the bad (you know, the bills!). However, there was one thing with my name on it: Creation Illustrated Magazine. I love this magazine. It is put together beautifully and it glorifies God by studying His creation.

As I was looking through it I was wondering just how many magazine subscriptions I actually have. So I decided to make a post about it. I will list the ones I have, why I subscribe to them and why I like them.

Since I just got the Creation Illustrated today, I will start there. I mentioned a couple things already. On the front cover it says "In Nature, In Scripture, In Living". On the inside, first page, they put their purpose up-front, for all to see:

Our Purpose is to share the wonders of God's creation. By revealing fresh insights of His infinite wisdom, gentle touch, undeniable justice, redeeming love, and flawless design, pure truth shall bring renewed peach. Each part of this publication is offered as a reprieve from the daily rigors of life so that all can look to the future with unbridled gratitude and hope.

Isn't that a great purpose? The magazine is broken into the three themes that are stated on the front cover (Nature, Scripture, Living). For instance in this issue, Summer 2010, Volume 17, No. 2, under In Nature, they offer "The Perfect Mix" by Patty Mondore. In this article Patty talks about the ecological wonders of some of the most beautiful places I have seen in photo in a while. Specifically she talks about the meromictic lakes Green Lake, in New York, and Mono Lake, in California. I didn't know what a meromictic lake was until I read on. They are lakes that do not 'mix', as in the minerals and nutrients, because the water is fairly still. The lakes remain stratified, or in layers. She talks about the applicability of this naturally occurring phenomenon to the Body of Christ.

In Scripture has the article "Creation Day 2" by Edmond W. Holroyd, III, PhD. This series on Creation started in the last issue and will continue through all the days of Creation. Here is what it says in the margin about this series:

This article is the second part in our seventh series of features that focus on the Creation week. Some days are divided into segments, and in the next issue, we will explore the third day of the Creation week when God created the dry land and the plants. Each series of stories varies with new writers and fresh photographs. We hope you enjoy this closer look at God's handiwork aimed at inspiring you to study His Word in depth.

Focusing on the second day, this article talks about how God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters that which were above the firmament (Genesis 1:7). The flood is a controversial topic in many spheres of scientific professionals. I like how Dr. Holroyd points to what Peter has to say: "For this they will willfully forget; that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water (2Peter 3:5,6)." And of course, there are beautiful photographs in these articles.

In Living has many great resources, such as "Genesis Cuisine" (one recipe is for Watermelon Gaspacho) and "Children's Story" (God's Night-Light; can you guess what that is??), as well as an "Instructional Guide" for the entire magazine.

You can go to Creation Illustrated and request a complimentary copy of this magazine to see for yourself some of the wonderful articles and beautiful photography.

Next, I have beside me on my 'box' end table (yea, it's just a stack of three small boxes placed by my chair- works well for me!) is the Answers Magazine. If you've heard of Answers in Genesis then you probably have seen or heard of this magazine. This issue is Vol. 5, No. 3 July-Sept 2010.

I tend to see the editors and contributors of this magazine as aggressive conservatives (to me that is almost an oxymoron...). They present their case with such force that it makes it almost seem pushy. Of course, this is coming from someone that doesn't like to be told what to believe or how to believe it; regardless of who says it. (Yep, another fault of mine). But I love this magazine as well!

This issue's 'main' article, I guess you could call it, is titled "Life in the Extreme" and it is presented in three different perspectives. By perspectives, I don't mean that they talk about evolution being acceptable. No, definitely not. They may include some talk of how others say that evolution has been shown because of the extremes but they quickly and effectively dispute the evolution theory. The perspectives are of "Animals in Madagascar", "Life in Toxic Deep Sea Vents", and "Dinosaurs in Antarctica". Three very different places! All extreme.

There is also a Kids Section in every issue, which I just love. This one goes along with the 'main' article of "Life in the Extreme" by helping kids discover "Amazing Madagascar". Lemurs! Lots of lemurs ;) If you go to the Kids Answers website, there are activities and articles that go right along with what's in the magazine.

I came across this magazine at my local library's used book sale. They had been given a gift subscription the year before and were selling their old magazines for 10 cents apiece. I took all the magazines they had for less than a buck :) After reading them over and over I decided I wanted to have more. There are various shorter articles in the magazine that deal with current topics (and some that date back to long ago that are still being talked about!) or interests such as "Do You Believe in Ghosts?" in this issue.

Home School Enrichment magazine I came across accidentally. I went to a get together for local homeschoolers in April or May of this year and as we were leaving, a mother came in with her two kids to work on some school. She was nice, friendly, asked some questions about how things were going with us as new homeschoolers (and fairly new to the area as well). She had in her hand the HSE magazine and I asked to look at it. I don't recall which issue it was but I liked what I saw.

The subtitle of this magazine says "Enriching your life, your family, your homeschool." And since I have received my subscription, I say that it really does those things. I haven't had a chance to read the current issue but one of the previous issues had an article "Whose Standards Do We Follow?" (or something like that) that really got me thinking. I wrote a post with the same name because of it; read it here if you would like. It is a Christian based magazine, like most of the magazines I subscribe to but it has useful information for homeschooling in general.

The current issue, #46, Jul/Aug 2010, has in big letters "Raising Entrepreneurs: Should a Business Be in Your Child's Future?" that I am looking forward to reading.

My favorite magazine subscription is The Old Schoolhouse magazine. Years ago before I started officially homeschooling I saw this magazine somewhere and just loved it from the start. The front cover alone is great. Who says you can't judge by a cover?? ;) Here is a sample issue online. Why do I like this magazine so much? Well, don't tell anyone but I don't know! It is a great resource, many great articles and great writers. But I really don't know what draws me to this magazine more than any other I have. I have back issues that I got from the same library book sale as other magazines. Perhaps this is the one that helped me to see that, yes, I could homeschool. On page 6 of the most current issue, Spring 2010, there is a very helpful resource that as far as I know, has always been there. It is titled: How to Begin Homeschooling. On the sidebar of the same page there is a brief list of different philosophies, methods and styles.

This particular issue has features articles and resources on World War I. For instance Jennifer Steward shares a lesson plan, adaptable to all ages, in her article "World War I: The War to End All Wars". Or there is "Ten Fun Ways to Study World War I" by Cindy Downes.

Here's something that I totally did not notice: For the Field Trip section the article is "Travel Kits: A simple way to bless others" by Donna Rees. If you've been following along with my blog you'll know that I was accepted to be a Crew Member this year for TOS Homeschool Crew (which I am totally completely stoked about!). My 'final' review is going to be out, on my blog for all to see July 22. The item I reviewed? "Travel Kits: A simple way to bless others" ebook. You'll have to wait- patiently- for the review I did. I totally did not make the connection that the article was in the magazine...sheesh. Observant am I ;)

Okay, but other features of the magazine that are great: study of nature, drawing, writing, across-the-curriculum advice, and practical life advice. How about the article "Teaching the Fidgety Child"? Bet there are some that could use some help in that area. (Hey, it's me too!) And in pointing out all these great things, I'm only half way through the magazine! And another thing, I usually dislike advertisements in magazines but the ones in this magazine are some of the best that I can think of. I have come across some great businesses through these ads.

Side note: I missed at least two more magazines so I will write another post another time...

*Disclosure: I have not been paid or compensated in any way for these 'reviews'. I personally subscribe to the above magazines and the opinions I have stated are mine alone. See more about my Disclosure/Policies.