Wife & mommy to the Pool family! I love my job...full-time mommy/teacher ...it's hard, but fun! I pray that this blog encourages you as you point your children to Christ...our only hope!
Here are a few pics from Halloween. We went 'trick-or-treating' at Daddy's office. Katelyn was with a friend and I did not get a pic of her. Cason was Darth Vader (again!). The little girls and I were dressed in our '50's Outfits'...Chloe was our little poodle. When Katelyn was 5, I made she and I matching poodle skirts to wear for Halloween that year. Now Carrie is 5, so I pulled out my poodle skirt, but I could not find the one I made for Katelyn. :( A few weeks ago, I found one at a resell shop AND I also found the cute little poodle costume for Chloe!
When I was given the opportunity to review a membership to ABC Teach, I must admit that I was not thrilled. Why, you ask? Well, I *thought* ABC Teach was a website that only offered a bunch of worksheets and I'm not a worksheet fan, so I just did not think it would have anything I needed. BUT, boy was I wrong! I'm SO thankful I was given the opportunity to review the membership and to experience all the incredible items ABC Teach has to offer!
The membership site has over 35,000 items! The materials are for PK-8th grade. The website is organized well and it has a Directory to help you find items [I'm still finding neat things daily!]. Okay, so if I do not like worksheets what does this site offer? It does have LOTS of worksheets (on every subject imaginable), but it also offers hands-on materials that I can use in our workboxes. Here are some of my favorites:
File Folder Games! Over 1000 print-and-make games to reinforce learning.
Art Lessons based on famous artists work [Van Gogh, O'Keefe, Picasso, Seurat, Monet, & more].
Book Units [vocabulary & reading comprehension activities] for the American Girl books! & many other books like Charlotte's Web, Flat Stanley, The Door In the Wall, Peter Pan, Treasure Island...lots!
Lots of Pre-K items: Letter Posters, patterns, booklets, cut-and-paste, etc....
Science Experiments/Investigations...perfect for my science center!
Mini Offices [see picture below] are SO neat!
ABC Teach graciously gave me a six-week free trial to their membership site and it has been a treat! In fact I loved it so much, I bought a yearly membership to keep my account active. The membership is $40/year. AND you can get 50% off HERE...yes a whole year for only $20! It is well worth it!
To read more reviews on this terrific site, go see what my crew mates had to say on the TOSHomeschool Crew Blog.
My hubby found out that the Flying Fortress, a B-17 Bomber, was making a stop at our local Flight Museum, so last Tuesday, October 27th , we went to tour it! The B-17 changed history in WW II when 1000's flew, but now there are only about 100 left and only 4 that can still fly!
From the website:
Between 1935 and May of 1945, 12,732 B-17s were produced. Of these aircraft, 4,735 were lost during combat missions.
We climbed up into the plane and explored it. It was very neat and exciting. We have not studied this area in history yet, but won't it be super when we do to remind the kids of this experience! The kids loved it, especially our boy!
They might be coming to your area...check out the tour schedule HERE! You can even fly on the fortress for $399/person...that was not in our budget, but the tour itself was only $15/family and well worth it! :)
I'm enjoying my year on the TOS Crew...I never know what will show up in my mailbox. A few weeks ago I received a package with wonderful soaps in it! I love yummy smelling, homemade soaps, so this truly made my day!
The package came from Virginia Soaps & Scents. The Spargur Family, from Virginia, make the homemade soaps. From their website:
We are a homeschooling family with nine children living in rural Virginia. Our interest in soap making began with a history lesson and developed into an artistic passion.
My package included the following: 3 soaps [Fresh Orange - Smells fresh squeezed!, Oatmeal, Milk & Honey - A warm scent with real oatmeal, & Coconut Lemongrass - Light and tropical].
My 11-year-old, made some cute soap dishes in her art class, so I put one in bar in each downstairs bathroom and the Coconut Lemongrass by my kitchen sink. Here are some pictures of the soap after using them for approximately 3 weeks...they last! Look close and you will see the cute soap dishes that my Kate made, they are in the shape of fall leafs. So cute!
The Fresh Orange was moved to the bathtub [the girls decided this was going to be their bath bar!]. The other item I received was a shampoo bar in the Cherry Almond scent...heavenly! The shampoo bar went fast...ALL of us loved it! I have *normal* hair with a natural slight wave in the back. It gets dry in the winter, but stays pretty much normal (no oil problems) throughout the year. It worked GREAT on my hair and I did not need conditioner. It left a 'squeaky-clean' feeling. My oldest daughter has thick, long hair and she loved it as well. She tends to get oily [pre-teen] hair, so I am going to order her the Oily Hair Clarifying Formula in Tangerine Grapefruit...yummy!
I know you will LOVE these soaps as much as we have, so go take a look at all the wonderful products Virginia Soaps & Scents offer. It's time to start thinking about Christmas...
it will be here soon! LOOK at the pretty Christmas soaps...don't you love the smell of Christmas!?! And check out the gift sets available HERE. Oh, and LOOK at these extra~yummy Gourmet Soaps! Fun, useful gifts for everyone!
Recently, I received an Amazing Bible Timeline, to review for the TOS Crew. We are studying the old testament [via Grapevine Studies] this year, so I was excited to review this timeline...I felt it might be helpful in our bible study lessons.
The timeline ships in a nice tube, for protection. Once I got it out and unrolled, I realized that it is HUGE! It is a 37" by 45" wall chart [see pic below] printed on sturdy, durable cardstock with a nice protective coating. Great quality!
According to the website, you can See the Whole Bible At Once! It covers 6000 years of biblical and world history from Adam to present day...it has over a thousand references! The timeline is in a circular format and works like a clock. This made it hard for me to read and understand [gave me a headache trying to read in a circle]. I like a linear time line with blocked sections. I understand that it would have to be much larger to be linear, but that is just my preference.
Even though it seemed overwhelming to me, I think bible students would enjoy all the information. You can go look at their website and see if it is something you might enjoy. They have a full page of 'Bible Questions' HERE. I would like to point out that there are Mormon references on the timeline [only a few] and this may cause you to not want to order it. I know I would have been surprised and a little upset if I had paid for it and then found out, so I wanted to let you know.
You can purchase the timeline from Bible Charts and Maps LLC for $29.97 plus $6.00 shipping and handling. Order now and you will receive free extras including the Interactive Maps of the Holy Land download, a digital copy of the Amazing Timeline, and two PDF versions of the genealogy of Christ. Also, you can order two for $49.97 and they both ship for $6!
Sue Patrick's Workbox System has helped me bring order to my day. As a laid~back, Charlotte Mason homeschooler, I sometimes lack order and focus. I was in need of a system that would help me stay on track with the day-to-day items that need to be accomplished. I had heard of the Workbox System and wondered if it would help me with my daily schedule? Would it fit with my CM style? Could it bring order and focus to my days? Yes, yes, yes...the system works and it's easy to implement into any homeschool style!
Sue Patrick, a homeschool mom, developed the Workbox System out of necessity when her son was diagnosed with autism. She has helped countless families, that have children with developmental disabilities. She now offers the Workbox System User's Guide, $19 [ebook] on her website, to help ALL families implement her system.
The Workbox System User's Guide is a 122 page manual that includes 12 helpful chapters like...What is the Workbox System?, Who is this System For?, & How a Day Works to name a few. The guide does an exceptional job of detailing all you need to implement Sue's Workbox System in your homeschool. The guide includes great pictures and you will also receive basic forms to download, when you register your purchase online. Her website has lots of good information on it.
Likes...
My children enjoy seeing the work in the boxes and knowing what they will need to accomplish during their 'seat work' time. They each have 6 boxes to work through. They have also enjoyed the file folder games and the individual centers that I have incorporated into their daily learning. As a former public education teacher, I know the value of centers, but I forget to include them in my lesson plans. With theWorkbox System it's easy to plan the activities into their schedules! Another thing that the children enjoy is our new science center. I set up a science area and once a week [or more] I set up an experiment and they go to the center to complete the experiment and record their findings. It's fun, new, & adds excitement to the classroom.
Dislikes...
One thing that I do not like about the Workbox Systemis the fact that it puts a big emphasizes on 'school time'. I believe that ALL we do everyday...every minute is tied to learning and we do not 'have school'. I follow Charlotte Mason's philosophy and most of our learning is gained through reading and discussing good books. Time spent on the reading couch...well, you cannot put that in a work box! So there are a few things in the User's Guide that I will not follow. For example, we will not 'clock in to school'. Life IS school! Also, the system puts a huge emphasizes on 'independence'...where children are to work quietly and on their own. One thing that I absolutely love about homeschooling is the fact that we are all together...talking, laughing, and learning together! It does not bother me for my children to talk to me, and each other, while working. It does not bother me if they ask for help. And it does not bother me if they help each other or work together. Independence will come~ I want to cherish these fleeting days that we can all be together.
I do like that this system is easy to tweak and use according to your homeschool needs. Overall, the User's Guide is a great resource. It has helped me be consistent and intentional with the day-to-day items that need to be reinforced [math, spelling, copywork, etc...] and by incorporating review via file folder games and centers. I feel more focused, & on track with my children's learning. If you are looking for a system that will add structure and consistency to your day...try theWorkbox System!
