Few Links to Share ("Green" Edition)

I'm not feeling so hot this morning so I am working on school work (probably should be in bed). But while working on my schoolwork I decided to have a look-see at the blogs I follow. Here's a good one for 'going green' (and although it might ultimately be about helping the environment, it really helps us individually):

Home Grown Families 365 Days to Green #30 The Fourth R of Going Green REFUSE 

Honestly, this is something I must work on. I love pens, paper, notepads, key chains, etc. They are just clutter and trash really. Many never even have the privilege to be used.

Here are some other links you may (or may not) be interested in:

EcoHearth- Ecology News, Blogs, Zine

& from that site, here is a list of the Top 10 Things You Can Do to Save the Earth (and recycling isn't one of them).

An article on eating fresh produce that is in season.

And last but not least, is the Organic Consumers Association Green People Directory Buyers Guide. Find what you need, where you need it (of course, for wee little towns like mine, you most likely won't find it local).

Changes in the Homeschool Realm

So I've decided to give WYVA a try with Fox.

And I'm nervous about it. 

I'm not sure when it started but there have been days when I have talked to dh and have lamented about some issues that are present with homeschooling. Of course, there are days that are absolutely completely without a doubt horrid. What kind of person would I be if I lied and said it is always peachy? But those aren't the days I'm talking about. Of course there are days that are beautiful and wonderful and make me think I am dreaming. I'm not talking about those days either. 

There are times that having an outside source tell you that you have to do something a certain way or by a certain date or time that motivates you more than if it is someone close to you. Granted the fact that a parent telling a child to do something should result in immediate action (without murmuring and complaining, I might add, and even with a smile) is beside the point. *that was ever so slightly sarcastic, by the way ;) *

Fox has a tendency to rush very quickly through subjects that I've set up for him and designed specifically for him. But he doesn't have a desire to learn about whatever it is that we are studying. He simply wants the check mark or the passing grade (which for some reason to him can be a low C; he'd be just fine with that). He enjoys the freedom of homeschooling- he can quickly complete his work and move on to some thing he wants to do. I'm fine with that as long as his work is done well. But he just doesn't care about learning or doing it well. 

We recently reviewed TenMarks (you can see my review here) and he just wants to finish the worksheets so quickly that he will not try to learn the concept first. The questions are all multiple choice (not a fan of that) so he could easily go through, get them all wrong and just 'correct' his work by choosing a different answer until it is right. Thankfully he doesn't do that but there have been a few that I caught him simply clicking what looked like the right answer to be done. 

He says he does not like any of the books that I have chosen for him for school. But even when we have sat down and talked about what we would use (and when I gave him a choice) he still later complains that he cannot stand the books. We have been 'fighting' about this since we first started homeschooling. I feel that he is falling behind because of his lack of motivation to move ahead, really. I can't change that but I can try to give him other opportunities to change it himself.

So I talked with him today about enrolling him in WYVA and he says he thinks that it will be a good thing. 

I've been looking over the site over and over again, and talking to others who have used k12 at some point and those who have only heard from others about it. I don't know anyone in Wyoming that uses it right now or I'd be talking to them, too. I am still in the enrollment/registration phase but that has to be completed by the 3rd of February, I believe.

K12 is an online public school, really. Just because it is tailored to each child and is done at home doesn't mean I can choose any more what he does and does not have to do. And he will be required to take the yearly standardized testing which Lee will not have. I'm not sure at the moment how this will affect our daily routines and our school year. But I hope that by the end of next week we will be settled into a new routine (or in the process of settling perhaps) with Fox going to online public school (but still at home) and Lee continuing on with homeschooling.

Yep, I'm nervous. To say the least.

Weekly Wrap-Up...01/28/2011

Hosted by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

How has your week gone? Ours has been great! I am looking over the kids' school schedules for the week and I'm impressed :)

Monday was the first day of co-op. It was nice to get back to it. The kids really like that socialization with others (although, honestly, they don't socialize much- we are more like wallflowers lol) and I like them learning things that I hadn't thought of or that I don't/can't teach them. 

Tuesday was pleasant as well. With the small exception of poor attitudes during parts of the day. You can read my blurb on Monday and Tuesday here. Something I had forgotten to write on that post was that Fox and dh worked together on putting together a rocket that Fox had received as a Christmas present. If you know our family, this together time is very very rare and it was so cool! They spent Tuesday (or was it Wednesday??) and Thursday working on it. Fox (and dh) are looking forward to launch!

Wednesday went well as far as I can recall (lol see, I can usually forget the week's happenings before this post!). 

Thursday was good up until about 5pm or so. We were late getting school finished (but Lee had got up very early [yea, that means about 8 am for her] and started on chores and school- without any harassing!!) and the BAs came out. Procrastination does that sometimes. It still has to be done...just it gets done later and often that means in place of something we would rather be doing. So it goes.

Friday (why that's today lol) was good as well. Fox was the go-getter today :) He made me coffee and had done 2 subjects by the time I got upstairs. I slept in today until 9:30 -insomnia problems again. By 11am he was done with the subjects he does independently. Only a few attitude adjustments were needed today. It seems like it was a great week :) Right now they are watching Lilo & Stitch for the Friday Night Movie :)

And on different note (from school- but not life): God is totally and completely awesome. There are so many times in my life that I feel that things are going wrong but when I let it go and give my worries to God, it comes together. Since this is the last of the month, I'm down to the last bit of my pocket change (literally, paid for something with pennies today). I've had to use my powdered milk to make milk and we've had breakfast (pancakes and eggs) for dinner because we're running down to the wire. Sometimes I think that God tests us to show us that we can rely on Him- not ourselves. Today, when I was thinking we would have to have scrambled eggs for dinner (nothing wrong with scrambled eggs!), I received a payment that was over due. I had gone from stressing about money and the food (obviously forgetting what I am supposed to do) to the place of letting God provide and being content that He will. When we do things His way, it all comes together. I was able to buy a few items at the store for dinner tonight and tomorrow! It was just a great feeling that when we give it to Him, He takes care of it. Our worry is for nothing and it comes down to not trusting in Him. Just thought I'd share that bit of praise today:)

The week in review for school:

Bible verse and reading: Lee: 1 John 4:16-21; Leviticus 4-6 & Luke 2 & 3. Fox: Psalms 119:1-8; Leviticus 11-13 & Luke 9 & 10. This week hasn't been great for verses. They will continue with them next week.

Math: Lee: LoFBA Lessons 7-12. Fox: LoFPA2wE Lessons 6, 7 & Bridge (passed with 90%) and TenMarks 3-4 worksheets and 1 test (passed with 80%).

Writing/Grammar/Lit.: Lee: Jensen's Lesson 11-14. Fox: TWF Lesson 7 (he has an acrostic poem due by Tuesday). Lee and I didn't get to HoEL and Fox did not finish his research paper (it's been edited just not finished).

History/Geography: Lee: Constitution class at Co-Op; WS chapter 9 Chapter Review, Chapter 10 pages 258-263 SR, did Timeline also; TBV pages 205-216; IFC chapter 7 & 8. Fox: SoTW chapter 18 & 19; CBoM chapter 13-15; OCU- finished it! Finally! :)

Science/Health: Both: CKEP Lesson 11-12; Astronomy and the Bible class at Co-Op. Lee: F&WM first half of chapter 19. Fox: Physics class at Co-Op.

Economics/Gov't/Logic: Lee: WHtPC? chapter 13 & 14. We decided that she is done with this book- moving onto WHtJ? and I can't wait :) TFD Lesson 33 & 34.

PE/Choir/Band: Both: Choir at Co-Op; Wii Sports and Machine.

Foreign Language: Both: FFL Lesson 13; first half of Lesson 13 test (Units I & II); Lee: Greek Lessons 14-17.

Other Subjects: Both: Free reading each day and Fox did Art on Thursday (his idea of art ;) and Lee did use her tablet to draw but she didn't consider it 'art' (to her if we don't use the curriculum then it isn't countable...or something like that).

Check out others Weekly Wrap-Ups at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers ...and link up!

Time for Accountability and Support :) Fit Mommy Friday, Week 1 (for me)

I decided that I just am not happy with my current physical uh, condition. It's not just that I am not happy that I wear a certain pants size; no, it's the fact that I walk to the post office (which is not very far) and I am out of breath and sweating. I have always wanted to be a runner, wanted to join track in high school but never did. 

I've been seeing Fit Mommy Friday posts for quite awhile (probably about a year now) and have been tempted to join up - but never have. But I am now! My motivation actually has come from my mom's 'diet' journey. The progress she has made has gotten me thinking that I can do something as well. I'm a very busy person but it isn't a busy in the sense that I am gone or on the go a lot. Most of my busy-ness is sedentary.

I am going to go with Level 1:

Level One: The Beginner level. This is for those of you who are brand new to exercise or for those who are not already participating in a consistent fitness program. Your goal should include at least 1 mild form of exercise per day (walking, low impact cardio) as well as one nutritional goal; drinking 8 glasses of water per day, keeping a food journal, eating a small salad with dinner, no chocolate for the week (did I say that?), etc. 

Week 1:
So here are my goals for the past week and the coming week:
Use the elliptical machine for at least 15 minutes on level 2 each day. Drink at least 32 oz of water (that is about 2 full water bottles) per day.


This last week I think I did okay since I started it on Wednesday. I used my elliptical machine each day; 19 and 15 minutes each time. I also have been trying to drink more water. That is a difficult one for me. I dislike water and I am opposed to using drink mixes (because of the nasty stuff in them). Someone suggested green tea to me awhile back and I might try that next week. I drink plenty of coffee but that's counter productive.

I still need to use it today. I will do that after my Spanish class most likely. I don't plan on using it over the weekend but hope to drink more water. 

**edited: I decided to do some walking outside today. It was up in the low 60s today and beautiful! Much better than staring at a wall or reading a school text while straining away on the machine. I walked to the post office after my Spanish class (from home, not the college! whew, that'd be a nice walk!) and took the long route. It took me about 15 minutes total walking. The fresh air was nice.

It felt so good when I was done exercising. The first day it made my legs feel like jello, sort of but it was nice to be doing something. Here's to another good week (or even better)!! If you would like to be a part of the Fit Mommy Friday, link up at Got Chai? 

TOS REVIEW: Ten Marks Math Practice & Learning

What is Ten Marks and why might you want to use this program?

It is "a better way to help students achieve their potential in math, and supplement and enrich their classroom learning." Ten Marks is an online 'tutor'. This program allows your students to learn new math concepts, review previously learned concepts, complete worksheets and tests that show what they have learned as well as have some fun. It was designed for grades 3-12 and fits well with children in public school or those who are homeschooled.

The price per student is as follows:

• $10/month
• $49/6months
• $89/12months

The TenMarks approach to effective math learning is based on 3 simple principles.

1. Personalized Learning Makes All the Difference.
2. On-Demand Instruction Provides Help When You Need it.
3. Practice Builds Confidence and Improves Achievement.

Parents can determine what worksheets and concepts that will be assigned via the Parent account. But students can also choose to practice any concept for any of the available grades.

Students can see their progress in different concepts on their homepage.


When they are completing worksheets they can ask for hints or watch videos to help them recall the information. 

After finishing so many worksheets successfully Ten Marks lets the student play a game as a reward. This is one of the features that both of my kids liked the most. 

If a worksheet comes up that the student doesn't recognize the math concept (such as in the screenshot here Estimating Square Roots) they can click on "Learn" to watch a video on the concept. 


Bottomline:
I have two kids who are using this program and one loves it; the other tolerates it. The one who 'loves it' figured out how answer the multiple choice questions based on process of elimination (good skill to have...but not for this!) and would try to just guess at the correct answer. I really do not like multiple choice work. We are using this in conjunction with a math book and it has come in very handy.

Personally, I think it is a good supplementary program. The price is very reasonable. I like that they can review any grade, any math concept.  The information is very good- challenging but with the ability to back down if it's too challenging. The videos are okay. The instructors voice is a little different (both of my kids have mentioned that the person talks 'funny'- it's just different). There are some instances where the worksheets have incorrect answers but if that happens, click on the Feedback button that's always on the right of the screen and report it. We have only come across one error. 


I would recommend this program to others as a supplement for math. For those who are not too math intensive, I think this could even be used as a core math curriculum. It is a good deal for the price and for the quality.

If you are interested in what other TOS Crew Members had to say about Ten Marks, visit the TOS Crew Blog.

**Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to try Ten Marks free through the TOS Crew. I received no compensation for the review; all opinions and statements are my own and my family's (unless otherwise stated). A positive review was not required in exchange for the free trial. See more Disclosure/Policies.**

Food for Thought

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:12-13) Public Domain

I am so glad that we have the Bible, God's Word, to help us through this world.

Is it just my generation? I'm afraid not...

Today while catching up with blogs I follow I came across one that just got my blood boiling (actually I didn't get mad but felt so horrible for her). There was an exchange posted between a prospective company and a prospective reviewer.


Lee was reading over my shoulder and she couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with the exchange. I'm not going to recap the post because it's not mine. But to put it bluntly the person who owns the business that was sending emails was unprofessional and in my opinion rude. 

I checked out the website for the product that she was offering to review and clicked the bio of this person. Apparently this man is almost exactly one year younger than I am. Perhaps that has something to do with his behavior and lack of respect for others. 

Is it just my generation? It seems that those who are in my age group tend to have a couldn't-care-less attitude about others. It just struck me. Would he talk to people like this in person? What kind of person is he, anyway?


Unfortunately, I do not see this as being something that is exclusive to those in the 25-35 age range (I think that would be 'my' generation...). It's widespread from the littles to the elders. It's sad.

You would think that people would think it through a little bit better. In one of my college distance education classes (where absolutely everything is electronic), my instructor warned us all to write as if the entire world would read it. And it is true, isn't it? Eventually everything we write in an electronic form can reach around the world.

What an affect that could have on this person's business... 

*edited to eliminate the appearance that I was picking exclusively on this one individual because that was not my intention. However, it was this particular person/incidence that got me thinking about this in the first place. And I also edited it because this can get around the world ;)

Book Review: Soul Print by Mark Batterson

Soul Print: discovering your divine destiny by Mark Batterson
Price: $14.99 (paperback or ebook)
Publisher: WaterBrook Multinomah
ISBN: 9781601420398
Religion- Christian Life



A book that is described as a self-discovery book, not a self-help book. As Batterson points out in the opening to this book, self-help books are aimed at the self; raising oneself high. He calls it 'idolatry dressed up in a rented tuxedo'.

That may be what Batterson would like the readers to think when reading this book. It isn't about you really, it is about God. But I for one had a difficult time truly picking apart what was about God and not oneself. Granted there are many references to people from the Bible (and more modern Christians as well) that used their own uniqueness to glorify God but really, if this book weren't about the 'self' there would be a lot less in terms of thinking inwardly about oneself.

In the back of the book are some discussion questions that I would think would be meant for a study group but these could very well be done alone. There are many references to David and his life as well, with questions following.

If it seems that I am just putting the book down, I don't mean to, but if the author is stating that it isn't a self-help book because of his definition it, then calling it a self-discovery book doesn't change what it really is: a self-help book. 
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10)


**Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Soul Print from WaterBrook Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are my own. See Disclosure/Policies**

Blogging for Books

Kindle Lending Club

Well, it's amazing where the internet will take you! I'm doing my paper on what forces/experiences were the greatest that shaped the US Constitution and some how (okay I know how I got there!) I end up at Kindle Lending Club! It's still in the beta phase and I hope that it will soon allow for more than one lend/borrow but for right now I am so excited about this! 

You'd have to read all the FAQ's to get all the nitty gritty details (which I will do another time). But thought it was a great find :)

And in case you are interested in my bunny trail, here it is (all of which has nothing to do with the paper I am working on in the background lol):

searched: how to go plasticless

clicked: How to Reduce Plastic Usage- My Top 10. Ok, 15.

clicked: here (talking about produce bags in #4)

went back to search page and clicked: Martin Higgins (PlasticLess) on Twitter

clicked: KindleLending tweet (Will you purchase more than 40 books over the life of your Kindle? It may be the greenest option: http://t.co/gdkR4kH)

clicked: @KindleLending view full profile

followed KindleLending on twitter

clicked: http://www.KindleLendingClub.com

Before I forget...because I will!

Yesterday, Monday, was the first day back to WNHEN co-op. It totally ate up my day and it's only 3 hours! 

I began the day getting up at 7:00 (I fully intended on getting up at 5:45 or 6:15 at the latest lol). I showered, dressed, ate breakfast (or wait, did I eat?), and made sure the kiddos were prepared. I made sure I had my materials for my class that I am teaching. We left about 7:45 so that we could stop at the eye doctors office before co-op because my right nose piece fell off somewhere some time ago. I have a spare pair that I wore the first day that I discovered they were broken but it gave me such a headache I decided to endure the poking into my nose. The eye doctor staff is rude and annoying so I have no new nose piece. Yea, grrr.

Once at Co-Op all went well. I spent the first 1 1/2 hours hanging out with another "Jeff" (his name is Geoffrey) :) I'm not sure how old he is but he likes balloons! And he knows the color green well. He was the only toddler at co-op that day and the parent that was going to be in the nursery was sick so I got the privilege. Had to change a diaper- ick. Haven't done that in probably 8 years!

Both of my kids are taking the Astronomy and the Bible class. Fox worries that it is a little above his head but I hope it isn't. Lee chatted away last night while doing dishes about the class. Very interesting views being presented. They both thought the lady doing the class was funny. And they were given junk food- that's always an incentive to say good things lol!

My class went okay. One of the kids in the class was excited to do 'writing' while the others were nonchalant. There wasn't a whiteboard in the class so I had to improvise an activity (the kids I'm sure wouldn't have minded either way). We started on rewriting Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with synonyms from the thesaurus. They are supposed to bring the finished work back on Monday. For an added challenge I asked them to do it with antonyms as well. We were cracking up with the way some of their lullabies were turning out. (Fizzle, sparkle, teeny fireball... lol).

I had to rush home to get to my class and didn't get lunch (I'm pretty sure I ate breakfast- an egg maybe??). My brain was in a fog though at class. Instructor speaks in Spanish at the start of class and I couldn't understand what he was asking me. Just drew a blank. I am liking the class though. It is very well done. The fact that Mr. Nesbitt is also an English teacher helps us to understand the system of Spanish. He shows/tells us how it would be in English sometimes and then we learn how it is in Spanish. 

Today, Tuesday, has been okay but for the 'give them an inch, they take a mile'. Lee slept in until almost 11 am. Neither of them get started on school without my harassing them. Yes, harassing is right. We did get to Weekly Goal setting though today. We plan to do that on Mondays but it didn't happen. They looked at their previous goals and discussed if they were reasonable and obtainable or simply outrageous. All of them were obtainable but they forgot to work towards their goals. This time I suggested that they put the goal sheet in a place they will see every day. One of Fox's goals is to finish school everyday (strange? not really for us!) but today he didn't feel to motivated to work toward the goal. Unfortunately, since they did not work towards completing school, they were not able to do the things they wanted to.

Tonight I finally took care of the turkey that has been sitting in the bottom of the fridge thawing. It was a slightly smaller turkey than the last (14 lbs instead of 16, I think) so I only got maybe 2 lbs of ground turkey out of it. I can't seem to get the meat off of the legs though so it goes to waste. I'm not happy about that but I just can't get it off! I decided not to make broth this time but now I wish I had of. I still have a small jar and a large jar in the freezer from last turkey :) Tonight we had a casserole type dish that consisted of Campbell's Cream of Chicken condensed soup, 1 and some cup of turkey broth, 1 1/2 cup of water, about 2 cups dry shell noodles, frozen peas and chunks of turkey on top. That could be why I didn't get 3 lbs of ground turkey this time. Oh, well, it was a good dinner anyway :)

I'm not entirely sure why I felt compelled to write all of this down. Perhaps because when Friday rolls around and I do our Weekly Wrap-Up I don't want to be like "Um, uh, well, uh" like I do so often. If it's not written down, I can't recall it, it seems. So now it is after 6pm and we've missed 4-H (to the horror of Fox who says we need it more than we need dinner). Both of the kids still have school to complete also.

Well, guess I better get to it then!

Giveaway at FreelyEducate- Friendly Chemistry!

While at Freely Educate I saw a giveaway for Friendly Chemistry. 

The publishers want to offer one of you a free set of Friendly Chemistry curriculum, which includes:

• Student text
• Teacher text
• Manipulative text (a 74 page booklet to be disassembled by the end user)

Current retail cost is $49.99 for the student edition and $24.99 for each volume of the Teacher's edition (Two volume set).  The manipulative set retails for $9.99.  Total retail value:  $109.96

Admittedly, I want to win this giveaway- but I'm sure it will go to someone that can use it either way! So what are you waiting for? Go enter!

MightyBookJr FREE... Grades K-6

From Freely Educate to me to you :) If you don't follow Freely Educate yet, I highly recommend it!

Mightybookjr.com is giving away a yearly membership for free! This normally costs $99... what a deal!

mightybookjr

Click on Subscribe and put in learntoread in the coupon box. Put in your information also of course, but you shouldn't need to enter payment information. 

It's awesome to have so many resources! Don't forget that there are still a few days left for the free Funnix download also (a two-year course that retails at $249)!

Timberdoodle Review: Editor-In-Chief B1 and Building Thinking Skills Book 2 (Critical Thinking Co.)

**Edited: I mistakenly posted that the Editor In Chief B1 was for grades 9-12; I was incorrect. I knew it was for grades 6-8 when I chose it but for some reason unbeknown to me at the present, I mislabeled it.**

Recently I was given the opportunity to review two books from Critical Thinking Press, through Timberdoodle.

I chose Editor-In-Chief B1 for Lee, who is in grade 8 right now. I know the book recommends grades 9-12 but*Edited: This book is for grades 6-8 and she is really keen on correct forms of writing. I thought this would be something she would like to use. I'm not sure I did so good on my guess. 

The book is really good- it has interesting entries that the student is to 'correct'. According to the description at Timberdoodle, the student will develop correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and attention to detail using a standards-based thinking approach rather than drill and practice. Because it is geared more toward real-life application (as opposed to say, multiple choice or fill in the blank) it was of interest to me. I find it is always easier to retain information when we are actually doing what we are learning. 

First we tried to let her do it on her own but there are no set instructions on how to use the book. Then we would sit and look at the passage together. After we thought we had figured all the mistakes or made our corrections, we checked the answers in the back. Well, after doing some of these, I see I am in need of some grammar and attention to detail study!

The book is difficult for her, to say the least. Definitely not a bad  book! But I think this will need to set until next year. We've not doing enough with editing to jump in with this book yet. It is not a light editing book- they mean business!

For my son, I chose Building Thinking Skills Book 2 (based on the grade for this one!). This book is huge. I did not pay close enough attention, I suppose, to the page count when I was contemplating which books would be a good fit for my kiddos. But the size of this book is great! This book is one that both of my kids can get use out of- now. From the description, you get the idea that this is going to be a book that will jog and tax your brain. It is! The description says that students will be working on problems dealing with deductive reasoning, map skills, Venn diagrams, mental manipulation of two-dimensional objects, and much more. Fortunately for me the book includes answers, objectives, and focus questions. Even without flashy pages and being simply in black and white, somehow this book makes you want to keep going. Or at least that is the experience we've had.

This is a great book to have!

You can find these books at Timberdoodle, by publisher Critical Thinking Co. Or if you are interested in thinking skills games they have plenty of those, too! They even have entire curriculum for all years.

Editor-In-Chief B1 $16.99
Building Thinking Skills Book 2 $29.99

Click here if you would like to request a free catalog to browse. Or you can check out the entire 2011 catalog online!


**Disclaimer: I received these books from Timberdoodle free as part of the Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own. See more Disclosure/Policies**

Some Writing Resources

Since I am going to be teaching a Creative Writing class this semester at WNHEN Co-Op I decided I needed some online resources. And I've found quite a few worth sharing. 

First, the class is geared towards grades 3-5 but without knowing what levels they are at reading wise, I'm searching high and low for ideas. What I've come across just recently:

List of Adjectives and at the bottom are links to other 'list of's

Ten Creative Writing Activities

7 Science Fiction Writing Projects for Kids

I had a lot of websites open the other day when I was looking for short stories and writing prompts but unfortunately I did not save the sites! Of course if you just google Creative Writing, it generally brings up a bit.

Well, that's about it for tonight. I'm off to finish up my last bits and then off to bed. Tomorrow's Monday and it's gonna be a loooooong day.

Book Review: Love- Cultivating Spirit-given Character by Calvin Miller

Fruit of the Spirit: Love

ISBN: 978-1418528416

ASIN: B004A90BTW

120 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Available in Paperback or for the Kindle at Amazon. It is also available in other ereader formats. Check you favorite book seller :)

From BookSneeze: Best-selling author Calvin Miller has written an in-depth, biblically based study on the Fruits of the Spirits (Galatians 5:22). This unique study guide, part of the Fruit of the Spirit Study Guide Series, which is focused on cultivating Spirit-given character can be used as a personal study or in a small group setting. Companion Fruit of the Spirit Study Guide Series that are available include: Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodnesss, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

Features include:

• Lesson overview of each 6-week study
• Questions for reflection
• Character studies
• Bonus parable study
• Questions for small group discussion

Recently I chose to review a book from Booksneeze that I may not have ordinarily chosen. This book is one of a study of the fruits of the spirit and how to cultivate love. I requested this one for reading on my Kindle. Two reasons for this: 1, so I could receive the book sooner & 2, so that I could see how it looked on the Kindle. One thing right away about the Kindle formatted book- it still has a page at the back of the book for a Prayer Journal. Um, you can't 'write' on your Kindle. Just something I felt didn't belong.

The book itself is a 6 week study guide. Each week starts with a memory verse. The plan for the week is set out at the start briefly. Each day has a Bible reading, some commentary by Miller and then a few questions at the end of each day. At the end of the week is "Group Discussion". This has a little bit more commentary and then more questions to be asked. Each day of the week is themed: Day 1 Love _____; Day 2 The Purpose of God in My Life; Day 3 My Relationship with Christ; Day 4 My Service to Others; Day 5 My Personal Worship; Day 6 A Character Study on __________; Day 7 Group Discussion.

I didn't use this in a group but appreciated it by myself. It is easy to take just one day for each of these or to take two days. The content is good but a little shallow perhaps in areas. It could have gone more in-depth at times. Overall, this is a worthwhile book. I would be interested in reading the other books in the series.

**Disclaimer: I received an electronic version of this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. See more Disclosure/Policies.**

Revisiting "Bethel"

What a wonderful Sunday! It is beautiful outside (albeit windy). I have quite a bit to get done on my weekend still but wanted to share the message from church this morning. It was a very good one- one that I needed to hear.

Our reading came from Genesis 35:1-15

At first I couldn't figure out where Pastor was going to go with this reading. I would type it out for all to read but I hope you have a Bible or you can use biblegateway.com to read it online. 

Bethel means House of God. Or it can be thought of as where we first met God. Pastor asked us to recall that place we were when we first 'met' God; when we realized we needed Him. It could be a physical place (many recall kneeling at an altar, or beside their beds, asking Jesus to be their Savior) or just the memory of the time. In verse 6 of the chapter we read that Jacob was in Luz, which is Bethel. This place he named many years earlier, in chapter 28 of Genesis. This place, Bethel, is where Jacob had first met God. In his talk, Pastor refers to Bethel as the place were we first met God.

It is good to go back to "Bethel" because when we do that we are refreshed, reminded, reassured and reconnected. (Yes, he likes to use alliteration to get his message across- I like it myself)

When we go back to "Bethel" we are refreshed. In Genesis 35:2 we see Jacob telling his family to get cleaned up and to put away their strange gods. A nice note here is that back in this time, bathing was not a frequent occurrence. But when Jacob was instructed by God to go back to Bethel he felt the need to clean up; to be fresh. Jacob's actions were in anticipation of going to back to Bethel but I think that when we think on that day and/or place, it helps us to purge out the unclean. It refreshes.

At our Bethel we also are reminded of the distress we were in when we came to God. In chapter 28 of Genesis, Jacob was on the run from his brother Esau, who wished to kill him. Jacob was distressed; he slept with his head on a rock. You have to be pretty low to sleep on a rock... (of course the Egyptians used them all the time... I wouldn't wish to!). God came to Jacob in this time of distress and Jacob made promises to God. This was a point that Pastor made sure to reiterate. The vows we made when we first met with God are just as relevant now as they were then. We should have them in the front of our minds. They should not be forgotten. When we go back to Bethel, we are reminded of our distress- why we needed God- and also of the vows we made. We are also reminded of the wonderful salvation that was given us by God.

If we think back to the distress we are also reassured that God can handle anything. There is nothing too large for God to handle. We cannot do it on our own. In Genesis 35:11 we read "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty..." Jacob was reassured. We are reassured that God will be there for us.

Finally, we are reconnected with God when we go back to Bethel. When we first were at that place the fire and passion we felt for God was intense. The closeness we wanted was wonderful. As time goes on though, we may separate ourselves from God. He never turns from us but often we do from Him. We are reconnected with God and His plan for our lives when we revisit Bethel. In Genesis, Jacob had gone back to Bethel and he was refreshed, reminded, and reassured. The reconnection though was something that was so important for Jacob because in verses 16-20 we read of Rachel's death. Jacob had to endure something horrible but because of God, he was able to come through it. 

That was the lesson in church today.

This was a great lesson today. And timely. Just last night I kept thinking on the word complacency. I think that in the United States we are complacent. There is a danger but we have such comfortable lives that we fail to see it for what it really is. We are like the Laodicean church in Revelation. We are in need of nothing and therefore do not call on God any longer. We in America are lukewarm. 

It is a tough thought- being complacent, lukewarm. It means that more is required of us. It means stepping out of our comfort zones. Doing more for Jesus. Doing more to declare the God of heaven. It isn't something to take lightly but I'm sure that it will definitely cause turmoil. Jesus said he did not come into the world to bring peace but instead to bring division.

Personally, it is very tough. It makes me want to do so much more but at the same time, I must say, it makes me somewhat sad to think of all the comfortable things I've become used to that I need to give up. Tough indeed. 

Weekend Plans

I'm guessing I won't be 'here' this weekend because I am going to be busy. Nothing major. Just usual.

The following paragraph I wrote before this one but it doesn't mean that those things are more important than what I am going to write in this paragraph but I admit I feel a wee bit guilty for writing it second. I hope to be able to spend some just relaxing time with the kids and dear hubby this weekend. I feel that perhaps we are all feeling the blahs? maybe. Lee is almost always down on the weekends because she has no friends to visit here in town. Fox found out he cannot go to his friends either this weekend. Dh is a little down in the dumps lately but for other reasons. And I have my 'weekend' headache. It hasn't been around for awhile but it seems that it always hit me on Friday or Saturday. It might be a melancholy weekend but I hope not.

In addition to having general every day life to deal with I have a 3+ page paper to get done by tomorrow night (oops, did I forget about it?!), have some Spanish to study, have kids' school schedules to get figured out (only going with one week at a time from now on), would like to cook some stuff for the freezer, and of course will have church on Sunday (I hope we can make ourselves go to both morning and evening). I also need to make sure that I have all of my handouts for my creative writing class ready for the first class of co-op on Monday.

And there are those other things that need to be done but honestly I don't care if I get to ;) Like the downstairs bathroom or mopping the kitchen floor. Nope. Don't care. I would like the sink to fixed finally. My job didn't work so I had to pass it off to dh. Fortunately, the dishwasher soap I bought not long ago (and on sale woohoo!) works great and smells good. So the sink really isn't that big of a priority either.

Mostly, I am going to try to focus on my family. My lovely little family. 

Hope all have a great weekend.

And here is a photo from Christmas that my mother in law took while we were in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I like it :) 

Weekly Wrap-Up...01/21/2011

Hosted by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Friday! Yippie!! It's before 11 am but figured I'd get this out there. It won't take too long- I think :) You can read what Lee had to say about her week and trust me, this recap won't even be that exciting (but it sholdn't take long lol- mostly because I can't remember it!).

Monday was just another day. Except for the heartbreaking fact that there was no mail. We love getting mail at our house. It's a highlight of our day :) I think that being part of the TOS Crew has something to do with that...or maybe it just brings more excitement because we've always loved getting mail. Interestingly, Wyoming (the equality state!) does not recognize Martin Luther King Jr day as a holiday worthy of closing for. Not that I have a problem with not closing stores and what-not but it just struck me as odd that the 'equality' state doesn't recognize the day. Of course, the post office was closed- boohoo. 

I sent an email to the WNHEN coordinator (I think that is her title) with the kids' class registration info. Lee will be going Constitution and Fox will be taking Physics. Both will be in choir and Astronomy. 

Tuesday it snowed- again. The kids shoveled snow (I did a path on the back porch). I tell Fox that 'juvare' in Latin is a good word to derive the English word 'juvenile' because it means to help. Kids are meant to help! haha! He doesn't think it's so fitting. Heehee. I don't mention often that when I was a kid I never had to shovel the snow...just don't think that would be a motivator. 

Ah this was also the first night the kids were doing shooting with the 4-H club. They had to go through orientation (which pretty much just let them know the commands that will be given and went over some information that had been learned in Hunter Safety). Both did well and had an enjoyable time :) They can't week for next week. They get to shoot once a week.

Wednesday- was there a Wednesday this week?? Oh yes, this day it snowed- again. But this time it was pretty and white outside so I decided not to take my car out in it for my Spanish class. I had to take the car to have an alignment earlier in the day and although the car did alright I could actually see. By the time class rolled around- nope- it was like a mini blizzard out there. The kids really spent most of this day reading although I did manage to get them to do some school work.

Thursday Lee started on her What's Great About America essay. She was really into it when I made her get off the computer. I think that if I were not here, both of my kids would not die (did you think I was going in that direction?) but would eat the bare minimum, especially the unhealthy type of food, as well as spend their time on the computer or with their nose in a book. When they move out on their own (thankfully still 3 years 9 months and 6 years 7 months away lol) I wonder how they will do it! I'm sure by then they will be just fine...I've given them the skills they need to be productive members of society (really, I have lol) and so it will be up to them to use those skills. They'll be fine...just fine... *Whatever I need to tell myself to help me sleep at night!* 

Friday- yay! It feels like it's been two weeks wrapped up in this one but as you can read, I cannot recall much of what's been going on that would make it feel that way. Dh was able to sleep in this morning (he needs the sleep) but it caused me to sleep in and miss a Skype appointment with my capstone advisor :( I was late by 8 minutes. I can't officially start my capstone until April so I still have time, but I hate to be late to appointments and definitely feel bad about missing it altogether. 

And now for the wee little recap for school (but we did do some!) :


Bible reading and verse: Lee: She is still working with her verse from last week because she didn't quite get it down. She's read Leviticus 2 and Luke 1. Fox: Psalms 119:1-8 (but first he has to get 1-4 down!), Leviticus 9 & 10.
Math: Lee has done a few worksheets on Ten Marks because we couldn't change her level on ALEKS without erasing all her progress- no sense in making her start completely over. We didn't get to work more on LoF but it was a plan. Fox: He did 2 or 3 worksheets on Ten Marks. Also didn't get to LoF :(
Writing/Grammar: Lee finished her research paper and did lesson 9 and 10 of Grammar.
History/Geography: Lee: She has done The Brendan Voyage to page 205, World Studies pages 241-247 and the settings/section review and In Freedom's Cause chapter 5. Fox: Story of the World chapter 18, Of Courage Undaunted (hmm no pages/chapters recorded) and chapters 12 & 13 in Complete Book of Marvels.
Science/Health: Lee: Unit 2 Review for CKEP.
Foreign Language: Both: Latin Lessons 11 & 12 Lee: Greek Lesson 12. Fox: Greek Lesson 11.
Economics/Logic: Lee: WHtPC? lesson 30 (?I think this might be lesson 31) and The Fallacy Detective lesson 31. 
Other Subjects: Fox: TGSET chapters 64-67 (this might not be right since he is just about done with the book- I think our records might be a little off- oops).

Check out what others are up to at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Free for January! Funnix

Looking for a reading program? Funnix is a program that is free for the month of January!

The two-year program is free for download until January 31, 2011. That still leaves about 11 days :) If you have beginning readers or struggling readers this could be for you. When I went searching on the site, I discovered the authors of this program are some of the top dogs of reading readiness education! From the site: 

The authors of the program are headed by Siegfried (Zig) Engelmann, a professor of Education at the University of Oregon (one of the top schools for education), and senior author of more than 50 instructional programs, most of which are available through SRA McGraw/Hill.- Authors page on Funnix.com (information added based on my research)

Simply put "the goals of Funnix are to teach all the skills your child will need to learn to read and enjoy reading, and to teach these as efficiently as possible." From the website.

Is this something that you would be interested in? Something that would be useful for your school? If so, you'll want to hurry over to Funnix for this free download.

Stossel Essay Contest and How to Write An Essay in the first place!

No, I'm not going to outline how to write an essay in this post :) I can write one but I don't do so well with trying to explain it to others.

You may recall my post(s) about Stossel in the Classroom free DVDs (and if you don't recall, that's okay, click on the link to go to Stossel in the Classroom). These come in handy for social studies. The only problem I personally have with the Stossel videos is the journalistic slant. I am more of a just give me the facts type of person. 

Until February 28th students ages 13-18 (including homeschoolers!) can enter an essay contest on What's Great About America. Prizes range from $50 to $1500 with the first and second place winners heading to New York for a recording of Stossel. There will only be 122 prizes awarded and I am sure the turnout will be quite large but I think this is a great topic to write on in the first place. The award possibilities are just an added benefit. 

So Lee has decided that she would like to enter the essay contest but we've not officially been working on essay writing. She has been doing research papers, which do entail some of the steps of essay writing but she felt she needed more instruction.

As mentioned earlier, I'm not one to teach how to write essays. I can write them but I've never actually taught how. Never really put much thought into it. So I went searching for free online help (because free is good and online is at my fingertips!) for writing essays. 

The first came from a search: Basic Guide to Essay Writing -this one is by Kathy Livingstone, a member of a few of the Yahoo! Groups I follow and user of Ambleside Online- small world :)

And the second from just reading posts from blogs I follow :) Writing Skills FREE Resources (thanks to Jodi at the Homeschool Desk!)

I've bookmarked the sites myself and have emailed the links to Lee so that we can start the process of strengthening her essay writing skills. But first she has to watch the Stossel video. That should be interesting.

Organization...what's that?!

What do you use to keep yourself organized? I'm to the point that I think I might just go through my entire house and alphabetize everything. Okay, that might be a  bit extreme... But am I the only one that starts the year (and by 'year' that can be the beginning of whenever I feel that "now is when I get organized!") with everything in its place and by oh, I don't know, a few months later, its all in shambles?

I'm a list maker, but not a list follower. I'm a perfectionist, but also a procrastinator. I'm also a pack-rat. There is no counter for that one- it is what it is! I'm thrifty but buy a lot of 'inexpensive' things. I buy many things after careful deliberation but then fail to use them. And of course, that goes back to the pack-rat bit. Do you see the pattern here?

I have been putting together my creative writing lesson plans for co-op and I know I already have tons of great resources. I know I do. I have to- after all I have a page with websites that is organized by subject (and some are even referenced by grade/ages). I even have a few spots on a few bookshelves that are dedicated to writing books and such. But wouldn't you know, when I went looking for these resources, I often cannot find them or I find something else that I think is so great (but come to find out later I already have it). Something that is absolutely amusing to me is when I have a document or website open in front of me and it has what I need, right there, but I go looking somewhere else and forget about what I already have.

Organization is obviously not my best character trait (yea, I won't be putting that down on my resume). I would love to have a program on my computer (since I pretty much am always on it) that catalogs all my magazines, DVDs, CDs, files, documents, books, resources, etc. into a database that will allow me to search by subject or topic, or simply random words to find where it can be found in my already owned items. Do they make such a thing?

And of course, I understand that in order to have all those things cataloged I would have to input the information first. Did I mention I am a list maker? Another thing I love to do is fill out forms and input data into fields. Lol it's using the information afterward that I have such a problem with.

So, what do you use to keep yourself organized? 

Food for Thought

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” (Philippians 2:14-16) Public Domain

The scripture is on my sidebar today (a few more hours) but I wanted to have it where I can easily see it again. I think this may be a memory verse in the near future.

Dear Insomnia

Dear Insomnia,

Well hello! It's been a while since you've been around. Since you've been gone I've been able to accomplish some things I have been wanting to. Like what, you ask? Like sleeping for 8 hours a night and waking up without a raging headache. Interestingly, with you gone I've also gotten an entire week of schooling done with the kids (oh those few days/subjects we've missed don't count...) with only the slightest lack of motivation on my part. I've also been happier. I put my makeup on and fix my hair. I'm sure it's because of the full nights sleep I have gotten when you are gone. Oh, and how could I forget to tell you: I've been saying my prayers each morning and night before sleeping. I'm sure this is because I am thinking clearly and am not so tired that it all jumbles together.

So you see, I've been doing well without you. But I can see that you miss me. That is why you've visited me tonight. And it was nice- tonight- because you helped me submit a school assignment and take a quiz. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. I have also come across some very good blog posts. Perhaps you were checking up on me, making sure I am hanging in there okay. Yes, I was doing well.

Sometimes, a visit isn't so bad, I suppose. But, Insomnia, I must admit, it's nicer when you do not come around. Life goes smoother. I do not have to fight with who to spend my time with: husband, kids...sleep. I manage my time much better.

So, I appreciate your visit tonight but, please, do not come back any time soon. Sometimes it is better to just move on.

Yours truly,

~Hoping tomorrow I sleep all night~

Book Review: The Faith of Ronald Reagan

The Faith of Ronald Reagan by Mary Beth Brown

ISBN: 978-1-5955-5353-9

Retail: $15.99 (buy at Amazon for $11.51)

256 pages

Paperback

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Not everyone will be happy with a President. The President may have a high approval rate at the beginning of their term but have it fall very low by the end of their term. There are good and bad traits in all Presidents. None are perfect.

This book isn't necessarily about the Presidency of Ronald Reagan. It does have a lot of reference to the time when he was President, however, and that is because that was a large part of Ronald Reagan's life. This book is about the man that Ronald Reagan was before he was President, when he was President and afterward. This book takes readers on a different path to understanding Ronald Reagan. Mary Beth Brown strives to show readers the spiritual side of Ronald Reagan; his faith.

The book isn't difficult reading but it does jump around- a lot. If one is not aware of certain aspects of the former President's life, then some parts may not make a lot of sense. Brown doesn't detail them out for those who do not know. I think the book was written for those who know something about Ronald Reagan to start with. For those who are unsure of the man in general, this book will give some information about what he did in his life- but not a lot.

What I enjoyed about the book is the perspective. It doesn't take political sides. Brown is attempting to portray Reagan's faith and how it molded his entire life; his choices, his career, his marriages.  I really appreciated the first hand knowledge and writings we are presented with such as Reagan's own words as well as friends and family members of Reagan. It helps to see Reagan more than just a political, untouchable figure.

Growing up I was taught (and believed) that Reagan was the "Teflon President". It seemed that no matter what policies or actions he enacted/committef while in office never managed to come back to him- when it was a negative outcome, the opposite is true when it was positive. For instance, the Berlin Wall incident will forever be connected positively with Reagan but what about the poverty level and the policies that were enacted under Reagan? Not so much. (Well, of course, if one is predisposed to disliking Reagan in the first place, this might be something they think of first).

Overall, the book was okay. As mentioned, I didn't like the setup of the book but I did like the subject matter. I feel that it helped me learn a bit more about Ronald Reagan; more than simply the secular view. However, the 'feel' of the book, I didn't like. All that was bad or wrong in Reagan's life was fairly sugar-coated by Brown; as if she couldn't or wouldn't allow herself to think anything but good about Reagan. It would be nice if there were nothing bad to say about anyone but that isn't the case and I feel that it makes this book seem almost like a fairy tale, not a real biography.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Weekly Wrap-Up...01/14/2011

Hosted by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Good week, I think :) I'll give a quick-ish recap. I didn't post any What We've Accomplished Today because I felt I wouldn't have time. And I was right.

Monday I went to Scottsbluff to meet with some other parents for the WNHEN Co-op, to plan for Spring classes. Somehow I signed up to teach a creative writing class for grades 3-5 (ish). I think that aliens abducted me and made me do it ;) I'm very unconfident that I can do it. I think it really will be fine... really... heehee (nervous laugh there...). For the kids' school, they did quite well. Even though I was gone for a few hours (from about 9am until 12:30, I think), they managed to do work on their own :) It's always nice when they do that. The only things they did not do were math and subjects that required me to be there.

Tuesday went fairly smooth as well. This entire week really has gone smoothly. Interestingly, math didn't get done on this day either. Hmmm, don't ask me- the aliens abducted me again.... This was the day of my first Spanish class for the next year (of course, not really- ends May 2) and it went well. We have 'recitation'- or conversation- at the start of class and we are not to speak in English. Um, yea, right! I fumbled it big time. My instructor made sure to point out that we only speak in Spanish for this little exercise. No entiendo. That's my favorite phrase, but it gets me a frustrated look in return! On this day the kids went to the library's used book sale with an allocated amount of $2.50 each. They came home with $1 in change. And to my disappointment, Fox used $4 and Lee used none. Perhaps I didn't stress the allocation well enough... but I'm guessing Fox is just a good negotiator.

Wednesday the sink in the kitchen decided to spring a leak. Fox noticed the garbage bags for the kitchen garbage can were wet. We store them under the kitchen sink. When I investigated further, the drain coming from the sink is leaking around the seal. The dishwasher in our house is a reject and the batch of dishwasher soap I bought last was also so we've not been able to use either. Perhaps I could take a photo to show the mess it's causing...but no, I'm sure you get the idea ;) Counters are full of dirty dishes (that can't be rinsed either). I dried the sink out and made sure that the drain pipes were dry and clean and putting caulking around it on Thursday. I tested it today (Friday) and no, my wonderful seal job was a failure. Sigh. Another job for dh. That's about all the excitement for that day lol.

Thursday. Just another day. The kids and I did do some math though on this day ;) Wait, now that I am reflecting back on it, Lee hasn't done any math this week. Oh, I'm a bad mother/teacher. Sigh. There's next week, eh? Lol.

Friday- thank goodness! I actually let the kids have the day off from school. For no reason other than I'm stressed I think. Too many irons in the fire so to speak. My Spanish class is going well. The kids' are doing just fine in their subjects (lol when we cover them...). I had an appointment with the local community college's community education director about a class/course for my senior project. He thinks it is a great idea- the only problem he can see is that the timing may be bad and the interest can never be accurately gauged. Understandable. So, I have dinner planned (crispy tuna tortillas [simply tuna, mayo, mustard (maybe), dill relish, Mrs. Dash, cheese mixed, in a tortilla and 'toasted'] with spinach salad) and need to find an alternative for washing dishes. The snow outside is melting and it was a beautiful day the last two days. The weekend isn't supposed to be very nice. But it's Friday. Yay. Ah.

Recap of kids' school, by subject:

Bible: both verses (Lee: Isaiah 40:28-31; Fox: Psalms 119:1-4); reading (Lee: Exodus 40-Leviticus 1 & Mark 15; Fox: Leviticus 6, 7 & Luke 7)

Math: Lee: none; Fox: LoF chapter 5 (having a difficult time with cross canceling and word problems...)

Writing: Lee: Grammar Lesson 5-7 & Test 1, revised her research paper (still needs more revising- due 01/18/11); Fox: worked some on his research paper.

History/Geography: Lee: The Brendan Voyage to page 199 and written narration (which are good, just not very descriptive and shorter than I would like- can tell that she doesn't enjoy the subject/book), World Studies pages 222-240, In Freedom's Cause chapter 3 & 4; Fox: Story of the World chapter 16, Complete Book of Marvels chapters 9 & 10, Of Courage Undaunted to page 126.

Science/Health: Lee: none; Fox: Christian Kids Explore Physics Unit 2 Test

Foreign Language: both Latin Lesson 10 quiz and Lesson 11, worksheets 1 & 2; both Greek lessons 9 & 10

Economics/Logic: Lee: The Fallacy Detective lesson 29 and Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? chapter 10; Fox: none (he doesn't have this subject- yet)

PE/Band: Lee: Wii Sports 30 minutes + (one day); Fox: 13 minutes on the machine (one day). Both no band.

Other Subjects: Fox: devotional/bible study- The Greatest Story Ever Told chapters 53-63

To see others' week in review, head to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.