Give Away: Big Happy face Pocket Chart (a $32.99 value)

I am giving away one Big Happy Face Pocket Chart!

I love pocket charts, and a while back I found these on sale and grabbed a few with the intention of giving them away to friends, since they were such a good deal.

I gave away a few of them and I still have one left that I thought I would put it up for a giveaway so that one of you could get a chance to have one too!

**All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment, maybe with an idea of how you use your pocket charts, (I love to get ideas), and you will be illegible to win!
(Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you.)

For additional entries:

Follow my blog, or let me know that you already follow (1 entry)

Post about this giveaway on your blog or group (1 entry)
If you post about this giveaway, leave me a link to your post , or let me know that you posted to your group, in the comment section for your additional entry

This is a $32.99 value. You can check it out on Amazon.

This contest will end Friday, November the 5th, 2010 @ 12:00 noon.
The winner will be contacted Friday afternoon. If the winner does not get in touch with me by Sunday night, November the 7th, a new winner will be chosen on Monday, the 8th.

Official Rules for this giveaway:

1. Eligibility. Giveaways are open to readers with US shipping addresses only, unless otherwise stated.

2. How to Enter. Entry is made by leaving a comment on the giveaway post. A limit of one entry is allowed per e-mail address. You may only enter once, please do not use multiple emails to enter.
You may, however, obtain additional entries on a particular giveaway through other channels when applicable.

3. Disclaimer. I will not be responsible for any lost or damaged items, or any lost or late entries, any technical issues, or anything beyond my control.


Good Luck and thanks for stopping by!

*The Winner is Kristi, with comment number 10! I used Random.org to pick the winner.*

November 2010 Gratitude Challenge.

I am joining up with Brenda Emmett, over at Garden of Learning, for the 2010 Gratitude Challenge. 

We will be posting each day of November something that we are grateful for, and doing this in gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Join us if you like and link up over at Garden of Learning each day.

Hope to see you join in!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

This is one of my favorite verses in the scripture, and it is also one of my key verses that I look to in learning how, and what to teach my children.

I have started to take this verse a little more literally lately.

I have been trying to start and end our day with bible reading, and trying to incorporate more scripture and talk of scriptures throughout the day.

As homeschoolers you have the great opportunity to actually follow these verses.

I want to challenge you to take them a little more literal in your home too!


 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 

 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 

 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 

 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 

 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 

 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

My new blog

Hi guys. I want to let you know that I have created another blog.
Don't worry I am still doing this one, it is just that there are a lot of things that I like to write about that don't really fit this one.

I have tried to make multiple categories here, but I want to keep it more in line with what it is, and post the rest on my new blog.

So, I may take a few categories off of here, so that I can keep it more about raising and teaching kiddos, and post the rest on Homeschoolin, Homemaking, Homesteading.

I would love for you to come check it out. It is just beginning, so it is not perfect yet, but I am so excited about it.

I would love if you would come follow me and learn along with me.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it.

The Old Schoolhouse Now Has Student Planners!

  

I recently had the opportunity to review one of the New TOS Student Planners.

I chose the Middle School Planner, as I have an eighth grader this year. 

I will admit that when I first saw these come out, I didn't immediately think "we need these", BUT, after I actually got to see what all was in it, and how helpful it would actually be to my daughter, I was in love with it!

My daughter is loving having her own planner. 

She is even going to plan some chores, and she will do them because they are written in her planner!

So, parents, if you are having trouble getting your children to do their chores, maybe getting them their own planner and letting them plan it out, they would be more apt to do them. 

If you have seen the original TOS Schoolhouse Planner, you already have a feel for what this planner is like. 

It is very similar in the fact that it has several different calendar layouts to choose from,  and many different types of sheets. 

I love that even your children can have their own planner, and one that actually incorporates home and school together. 

Some of the sheets you will find in this student planner include:

• To-do lists (today, tomorrow, next week . . .)
• Audio/Visual log
• Log sheet
• Marking period planners
• Wish list (stuff to buy later)
• Science lab sheets (use to gather all the supplies and record the experiment too)
• General book reports
• Early elementary book reports (with room for pictures!)
• Chore charts (includes tasks and pictures for primary and secondary grades)
• Loaned and borrowed lists (no more lost books, CDs, DVDs . . .)
• Important phone numbers and contacts (never forget a phone number again)
• Address book (from A–Z)
• Family tree
• Community service record (college and scholarship applications may require this information)
• Dates to remember (birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, important events)
• Website login/password reference (handy!)

My daughters favorites sheets are the calendar, book report and books read pages,  the sign language page, and the wish list. (She is already filling that one out!)

I love the fact that she now has a place to keep track of things such as the field trips  that we go on, the books we read for a unit study, the books she wants to read, the activities that we do for our unit studies, and much more.

I've never had a place to keep track of all of that before, and I am just thrilled about having it now.

This planner has so many sheets that work perfectly with unit studies!

Oh, and they have the sheets called the "Must Know Lists" that are awesome!

They even had some that went along with the unit study that we are currently doing!
(The Thirteen Colonies)

We also love the kitchen conversion sheet.
We are gonna print that one out and hang it in the kitchen! lol

Another neat thing about this planner is that you can use it on the computer, print it out, or type it up and then print it out.
So it works well no matter how you prefer to use it.

I strongly recommend that you get your students their own planners.
I thought that my own planner was enough, and the we could just schedule it all through mine, but now having used it, I see the benefits to the children having their own.

It gives them some accountability of their own, they are more willing to accomplish something that they have scheduled out for themselves, and it is just plain fun for them to have one of their own.

If you would like to bless your children with one of the new Student Planners you can find them here:

Primary Student Planner $9.95
Middle School Planner $19.00
High School Student Planner $29.00

I hope you and your children enjoy your planners as well as we did!

Oh, and mom, don't forget to check out your planner too!

*I was given a copy of the Middle School Student Planner in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given me. *

Fit Mommy Friday - 10-29-10 Challenge Week One

I lost 2 pounds! YAY!!!

That's the good news.
The bad news is that I did not do everything on my list for this week perfectly.


I had said I wanted to have one pop a day, and I had 2, one with lunch and one with dinner.

I actually did not do a formal workout this week, but i have been working around the house a LOT and getting a lot more activity than I am used to.

I have done really well on my eating however. NO DESSERTS AT ALL.
YAY! LOL


So, while I have not attained my goals yet, I am happy because I am doing better and will keep it going.

I will stick to my original goals until I attain them fully, hopefully next week!!

OK, see you then.

TOS Review/ Buckets-O-Fun! YUCK!

We recently had the opportunity to review 4 different products from the Buckets-O-Fun company.

We received 4 YUCK products, Chunky Yuck, Saucy Yuck, Sticky Yuck and Snowy Yuck.

I am sure just by the name that you can figure out that kids love this stuff! LOL

Each of these products start out as 2 tsp. of little granules, and they expand into something else.

I took pictures of the stuff as my kids did them so that I could show you what I am talking about.

This is the Snowy Yuck. It was my favorite. 
 

We all really enjoyed this one! It was so pretty! It looks like real snow!

This is the Saucy Yuck.

This really felt like applesauce!

This is the Sticky Yuck! This was my kids favorite!

And this is the Chunky Yuck.
This is how it looks before you add water.

And this is how it looks after.

Needless to say, the kids had a blast making all of this Yucky stuff.

For the most part, I enjoyed it too.

It got a little messy for me at times, so I say, just do this outside, and you'll be all good!

Oh, and you don't want to put this stuff down your drains either. Wash your bowls and hands outside!!!

When you get this it comes with a pamphlet that tells you how to do everything, so you needn't worry about how to make it.

It also comes with a list of ideas that you can use for science experiments and games.
You can download the Yuck Games ideas PDF here.

You can get a free sample by emailing the company at orders@buckets-o-fun.com.

This way you can try it out too!

When you do purchase this stuff, you purchase it by the pound.

Here are the descriptions and prices from the website.

Chunky Yuck
It looks like rock salt when dry and hydrates to the size of machine ice cubes. Great for wrestling and games where items are hidden in it, and much more. Use Yuck Tints and add some color. Allow 24 hours for best hydration.
1 pound makes 35-60 gallons of Yuck, not water*.
1 pound is $16
5 pounds is $70
50 pounds is $400


Saucy Yuck  "As Seen on Letterman"
It starts out as a powder and when hydrated has the consistency of applesauce. Try it on a Slip-N-Slide™, or put a pinch in a water balloon. Shoot through a Yuckzooka for a real "Yucky" time. Add Yuck Tints and have team colors. One pound makes 35-60 gallons of Yuck, not water*. Usually much more depending how much water is added.
1 pound is $18
5 pounds is $80
50 pounds is $475


Snowy Yuck
When dry this has the consistency of sugar. Just add water and you've got slushy snow. It's great for a Christmas in July party. It can be formed, but not hard packed. Works for wrestling, Slip-N-Slide™ and other "winter" fun. Makes 25-50 gallons of Yuck, not water*.
1 pound is $20
5 pounds is $90
50 pounds is $600


Sticky Yuck
This Yuck is by far our stickiest. Yes, it has the consistency of…well SNOT! Use it by itself or mix with Chunky or Saucy for interesting results. Makes 5-10 gallons per pound of Yuck, not water*. 
1 pound is $20
5 pounds is $90
50 pounds is $600


As you can see, this stuff makes a ton!
And kids and adults of all ages will love it!


Buckets-O-Fun also has many other fun toys for kids such as water toys, inflatable toys, and much more.

I definitely recommend this to any family.

It is always fun to make messy stuff, at least for kids, right?  HA

There are some really neat experiments you can do with it, such as sprouting beans in it! 

Don't forget your free sample!

You can see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about the Yuck products here. 

*I have received a sampling of the Yuck products, free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given to me.*

Oh, there are too many ideas out there.

I have been searching for ideas on how to implement work boxes, ideas on teaching the letters and sounds, and I have come to the conclusion that I can not follow anything anyone does! LOL

There are some really great ideas out there, especially over at Confessions of a homeschooler.
She has great ideas for implementing work boxes and she has her own letter of the week curriculum too!

I am just going to have to be creative and not worry about getting everything perfect, and just do it.
I am going to have to just use my own imagination and make stuff up! HA

I don't have time to look and print and and get supplies, etc..

So, I need to just be creative and start my own letter of the week system.

It will be better than nothing, which is all that I will accomplish, if I just keep looking and never start doing, right?

I am thinking of making an alphabet tree, like the one I saw on someones blog, I think it may have been over at confessions, but not 100 percent sure.

Anyhow I like that idea and I think that will work a little better for my son to make smaller letters, rather than big.

I guess I will use my imagination as to the activities.

I will ask my 5 year old for input, and I think that will be fun.

I don't know, I just hate all of the workbooks, and flashcards and stuff and want to make it fun.
He struggles with this area, so I do not want to push it at all.

I will let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!!!

Fun Opportunity with Purchase of TOS Planner!

  Hi guys! I want to let you know about a special offer on the purchase of a schoolhouse planner. 

This  is taken from Heidi's website. She is the creator of the TOS Planner, and I just copied it directly from her blog. 

Here  is the direct link to the post on her blog. 

 Don't miss out on this fun opportunity!

"Special Offer to those who purchase a Schoolhouse Planner this week . . .

Do you have your Schoolhouse Planner yet?  If not, why not?  What’s holding you back from taking the plunge? 
As co-creator (and now creator) of the Schoolhouse Planner, I’m very close to reaching a bonus level in sales.  But, I need YOUR HELP! 
So, if you purchase a Schoolhouse Planner THIS WEEK ONLY (through October 31st) and e-mail me to say that you did so, I will put your name in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card (or other store or restaurant of your choice).  If more than 20 people purchase, I’ll up this amount to $50!
In your e-mail, please put Planner Purchase in the subject line and be sure to include your full name so that I can verify your purchase.
*If you already have a Planner but refer a friend to purchase one, I will include you in the drawing as well.  E-mail me with your friend’s full name, put Planner Referral in the subject line, and you’re in! "

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 3

Your First Love

Hmmm, I don't know how I feel about this one. 

Let's just say that in my life right now, my first loves are Jesus Christ and my wonderful Husband!!!

Tomorrow is the Day...

Tomorrow is the day that I truly put into practice what I have been wanting to do for a long time.

I am teaming up with a group of ladies and we are going to keep each other motivated in our weightloss/ health goals.

I am a little nervous about sticking to it as I have tried this many times, but I will do it.

I need to do it for health benefits, and I am wanting to get into shape so that I can have another baby, and there is some, great unknown prize to be won!!! LOL

OK, feel free to post me some motivations along the way, and check up on me to see how I am doing!
Thanks guys.

How Old is Too Old to Learn to Read?

I asked my 5 year old son, almost 6, this morning if he wanted to learn to read now?
he said, "No way, maybe when I'm 15!" lol

Then a few minutes later he said, "well, maybe you should teach me before we move, because after we move, I will be outside all the time catching, bugs, crickets, lizards, and green snakes, and I will be too busy to learn to read!"


He is too funny!!!

So, is 15 too old to wait to learn to read????   HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Fit Mommy Friday

OK Ladies, I am going to put it out here and say that I am going to join the Fit Mommy Friday's Ten Week Challenge.

Basically we are going to put our goals out there for the week and work on this together.
You can read all about it here.

OK, so my goals for this week are:

1. Be mindful of how much I am eating. This is a problem for me. I tend to eat it all whether or not I am still hungry.

2. Limit my pop intake to one a day. This may not sound like a big deal, and you may think that I should just get rid of it totally, but I know myself, and I want to be reasonable.
And, remember this is just for this week.

3. To work out 3-4 times this week for at least 2 miles ( I do the Leslie Sansone videos)

4. To drink at least 4 glasses of water each day. I know it should be more, but I am going form basically no water and all pop, so it will be a big increase.

5. To only eat out for lunch during the week once. I do this way too much.

6. Be mindful of what I choose to eat.

7. And, I hope that if I do this, I will lose at least 2 pounds this week.

OK, a little background on me.
After I had my first baby I was still pretty small, but I got the depo shot and gained 30 pounds in less than a month. ( I do not use birth control now, I did not know then what I know now. )

Anyhow, I kept gaining weight every time I got a shot.

After I got off it, I lost some but not too much.
After my last baby, I decided to really do it. And I did.
I did a 12 week program where I had no pop, no junk, worked out everyday, and I losr 36 pounds in 12 weeks!
Needless to say, I gained it all back.

I have tried countless times to do it again, but can never stay motivated.
I really want to have more babies, but want to get some weight off first, and I don't know why that is not enough motivation for me. It should be.

Anyhow, at the end of this ten weeks, my ultimate goal would be to have lost 15-20 pounds, have more energy, be eating healthier, and to PLEASE, have my heartburn be gone. This is SOOO bad for me.

For me staying otivated has been hard, but I need to do this, and now is the perfect time.
If you would like to join us, go here and read all about it.

Upcoming Review for CSN! Stay Tuned

Hey everyone!
I am pretty excited today because I have been offered an opportunity to do a review for CSN stores!

Now, to be honest, I have never heard of them, but I have seen their name around.

Well, after being contacted, I checked out their sites, and I am very impressed.

They have really good prices!

Oh, they have everything from toys to pots and pans, furniture, such as console tables, dutch ovens, of which I have been wanting one, oh, there is much to choose from.

Why do I sound so excited about this particular site?

Well, they have really good prices, and they also have free shipping on most of their items! Yes, free shipping.

Anyhow, I have not ever had any first hand experience with CSN, but as I mentioned before, I was offered an opportunity to review a product, so I will try it out and let you know all about it.

Sound good?

No, I don't know what I will be reviewing just yet, but I have a few ideas! HEE HEE!!!

Stay tuned and I will soon let you know what I picked and how I liked the company!

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 2

Day 2: Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

The meaning behind by blog title is simply that as a mother, my biggest priority is to train my children up for the Lord, and lead them in that direction. 


Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

So everything I do as a child of God, a mother, a wife, is all to help train my children up in the way they should go.

Pretty simple.

Laundry Tip - Sheets

Do you have problems with your sheets not being completely dry the first time you dry them?

Well, I found the solution! HA HA sounds like a mystery! lol

Anyhow...If you will open them up and shake them out before you put them in the dryer, they will dry the first time, because they are not being put in the dryer like a ball.

You all may actually already know this, I don't know, but I just figured it out a week or so ago, when I had the brilliant idea pop into my head! HA

I wanted to share this with you all in case you didn't know and had the same problem I have had for all of these years.

Yay! No more having to dry my sheets twice!

Soli Deo Gloria Resources - Young Hearts Longing for God Bible Study

Young Hearts Longing for God, by Soli Deo Gloria Resources, is a Bible study of the Psalms for children.
 It is targeted for the 4th to 8th grade range, but I think it could easily be used for children who can read and write all the way up to adult.

There are 30 Psalms, or portions of Psalms in this workbook.
You can get it in a printed version or an e-book version, whichever you would prefer.

I found it very easy to implement this study into our already busy lifestyle.
It really only takes a few minutes each day, and I think it really helps to hide the word in our children's, and our own, hearts.

Basically, you would read one Psalm, or portion of a Psalm, each day for one week.
There are a handful of questions that go along with the Psalm, usually about 7-10.
There is a checklist that comes with it for your child to mark off the days they read. 
The Psalm for the week is already written down in the workbook for your child.

It is written in the NIV version.
We just used the KJV and read straight from the bible for this study instead, because my daughter liked how the Psalms sounded better from the KJV, more poetic.

To be honest I wondered how we would fit another bible study into the ones we already do, but it takes no time really, and is very beneficial.

There is no teacher prep which makes it very doable.

I am thinking about doing it along with my 13 year old daughter.

You could easily use this with all of your children no matter the ages.
You would need one workbook per child, unless you answered the questions out loud.

At first my daughter didn't like the idea of writing things in a journal, but I figured out that it was because she thought it might be embarrassing for me to read her personal praises to the Lord, so I told her I would not have to read it if she didn't want me to,  it could be personal between her and the Lord.

I really like this product. It is very simple, very easy to do and implement into what ever you may already be doing.

I would very much recommend this to anyone looking for a simple bible study for the kids to do on their own, or together with you or their siblings.

If you are interested in this bible study you can find the information here.
You can find it in the printed version for $16.00.
Or, you can find it in the e-book version for $14.50.
You can also find many other unit studies for Bible, History, Science and other.


You can find out what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about this product as well.

*I have received a copy of Young Hearts Longing for God, Psalms Study, free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given to me.*

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 1

I have seen this going around, so I thought I would join!
Basically Katies Journey started this and many of us are joining her.
We will blog each day for 30 days, and each day will be a new topic that let's you get to know us better.
OK, here goes my first day.

Day 1: introduce, recent picture, and 15 interesting facts

1. I am a Christian, trying to raise my family for Christ.
2. I knew i was going to home school while I was pregnant with my first child, even though I had never heard of it before.
3. I was married at 16.
4. I have a 13 year old and  5 year old.
5. I am just now learning to cook.
6. I have been married for almost 14 years.
7. I am wanting to move to some land and be a country girl!
8. I love to read homeschool, parenting, and marriage books.
9. I love to read in the tub.
10. I have 4 brothers and sisters.
11. One of my sisters is 20 years younger than I am!
12. I love to take pictures.
13. I love to scrapbook.
14. I love to teach my children.
15. I am so grateful to the Lord that He has blessed me and allowed me to be able to stay home and be the kind of wife and mother I should be.

Tag, Your It. I Want to Know!

Guiding Light has tagged me in this game where you tag others and you have to answer 8 questions, and then tag 8 others and ask them 8 questions as well.

So here goes.
these are the questions I am supposed to answer:

1. Do you dye your hair and if you do what is your natural color?  Ummm, yeah, sometimes. I used to color my hair blond all the time when I was younger, and I periodically color my hair sometimes. I hadn't colored it in a while though until I found gray hair at only 30! Yikes! So, I colored it, but I am tired of coloring it all the time. I am goin to try just pulling them out as they come, cause I don't want to color it all the time. My natural hair color is brown, and I usually color it either blond, or a reddish brown.
2. What is your favorite book from the Bible and why?  Well, I love Proverbs, because it is just almost a little guidebook to live by. I am reading Deuteronomy right now though,a dn I am loving it as well.
3. What is your favorite verse from the Bible and why?  Hmm, this is tough, but I think I particularly like Romans 10:9 and Romans 8:28-30
4. Why did you decide to homeschool and are you happy with that decision?  Well, honestly, I got pregnant at 16, and married at 16, for obvious reasons, and we were literally just out of school, and we knew what went on in schools, and my husband and I were both like we are not sending our baby to school! HA I asked my husband what we could do though, because we had to, andhe said we could homeschool. So, while I was still pregnant, I was researching homeschooling, and we knew before she was even born that we would homeschool. Now, I know that God has actually told parent to teach their own children, and I would never stop doing what we are doing. 

     5. Dog or cat and why?  DOG! I am allergic, very allergic to cats!

     6. What is your favorite food? Watermelon

    7.What is your favorite time of the day and why?  When I do make it up before the kids, it is so quiet, and I can spend time alone in the Word, and I love that time.

    8.Did you enjoy participating in this?  YES!

OK, so now I am supposed to tag 8 other ladies, so ladies, please don't be mad!
Here are the ladies I chose to get to know more about:

Walking Home
Cavins Siberian Huskeys
Lamplighters
Delighting in His Richness
Homeschooling(and thensome)
Ruby Slippers School
The Cow Queen
Mama Manuscripts

Ok, these are the questions I want to ask. Some may be similar to the ones I answered, but they are good ones!

1. Why do you homeschool?
2. How do you make time for reading the scripture?
3. What is your favorite subject to teach to your children?
4. Do you like to cook?
5. Do you have a home business?
6. How do you incorporate family bible time?
7. Do you have a specific verse that you hold to for your home or homeschool?
8. What is your favorite thing to do as a family?

Thanks guys! Look forward to your answers!

WE Had an Earthquake Today!!!

I am still in shock. We actually had a pretty big earthquake this morning.
About 9 o'clock I heard this loud crazy noise that sounded like there must have been some big machinery outside of my window dropping something huge on the street or something.
I don't know how to explain it, but it was loud, and the house started shaking, and then the ceiling started shaking, and I thought our house was going to collapse. So we ran outside, and all of our neighbors were out there too!
It was a 5.1 earthquake.
They said they thought it was a 4.5 but were waiting on the official measurement, and they upgraded it to a 5.1, I heard.
Anyways it was pretty scary. I have never felt an earthquake before.
Well, technically I have but I was asleep, and I woke up because i felt the bed shaking, but I thought it must have been a dream, but later they said there was an earthquake, but this was a much bigger one.
Kinda scary, kinda cool.
I think I feel a unit study coming on!!! lol

TOS Review/ Talking Fingers - Read, Write, and Type!

 

Read, Write, and Type by Talking Fingers is a program that does just what it sounds like.

Your children will start off learning the sound of a letter, while at the same time learning how to properly type that letter on the keyboard. 

They will get a chance to put their typing skills to use a little more while typing more than one letter at a time. 

Here is an example of how it works. If your child learned the letter T, they would have learned it as the sound "t", not the letter. 

Then the computer would tell your child to type "t" and show them how to properly type it. 

After they have that down, your child would move on to the next step which involves looking at pictures and saying the word to see if it has that particular sound. Sometimes they ask if it begins with that sound, or sometimes they ask if it ends with that sound, etc. 

Then they will really put their typing into practice by typing something like this:

t, space, t, space, t, space. (Space is the space bar.)

It gets a little harder too, such as:

cat, space, cat, space, cat, space

a cat, space, a cat, space, a cat, space, 

a fat cat, space, a fat cat space, a fat cat, space. 

You get the idea. 

My son that used this is 5 and it is a little too difficult for him, so we haven't been able to fully use it yet, so I can not completely give you the best overall description of this program.

I can tell you about what we have been able to do though. Sound good?

Basically the program goes pretty much as I described above. 

There is this little green guy, who looks like a slime ball, that gets angry when you get the answers right, and he is trying to eat the letters.

My son doesn't like this. He says the green guy is a scary monster who tries to eat all of the letters! lol

I think it can be a little scary, and honestly, when I first logged on to get this going, I wasn't too pleased to see that either. 

It is not something that I would normally buy. I don't really like to have scary looking things on the stuff that my kids do on the computer, or anywhere else for that matter. 

I think the concept is really good however, and I love that it combines reading, writing, and typing in one program. 

I do think that your child needs to be already acquainted with the sounds because this program moves really fast and expects the child to be able to type and spell multiple letter words really soon. 

If your child is familiar with their letters and sounds, and is beginning to read or is ready, I would consider this program. This program is intended for ages 6-9.

It has a really good concept, I just wish they would change the scary green guy to something a little less scary. 

Also if it had more for the younger levels that wold be good also. 

I suggest trying out the free trial first, so that you can see if it works for you.

                     

If you are interested in trying this program you can try it first for free.

Prices start at $35.00 for 1 user.  You get your subscription for 5 years.

You can get this in a down loadable version or on a CD. 

You can see what other moms thought about this product here.

*I have received a free one year download of Read, Write, and Type, free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given to me.*

Should We Teach Nudity as Art?

I have been thinking about this as I flip through art books that I have found at garage sales.


I know that some say it is "Art", but, frankly I am not comfortable with that.

I would never let my kids look at pictures of naked people for any other reason, so why would I let them just because someone calls it "Art"?

We are supposed to keep our hearts and our minds pure.

Philippians 4:8 says,
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I just don't think naked people, unless it is your spouse, really fits here.

Romans 12: 1-2 says   

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.


And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.


1 Corinthians 9-20 says:

9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
 ¹⁰Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
 ¹¹And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
 ¹²All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
 ¹³Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
 ¹⁴And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
 ¹⁵Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
 ¹⁶What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
 ¹⁷But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
 ¹⁸Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
 ¹⁹What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
 ²⁰For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's

Again it says that we are to glorify God with our body, and that our body is the Lord's.

As parents we try to keep our childrens heart pure. If we let them look at pictures of people who are nude, how does that help them keep those feelings in check?

Personally, I as an adult, do not want to look at pictures of naked people no matter what form it comes in.
I am uncomfortable with it, and I can not imagine that my children would would not be as well.

It just seems to go against everything we try to teach our children otherwise.

I say it is fine to omit that part of "Art" for the sake of keeping our childrens, and our own minds and hearts PURE.

Please really think about this and what it might awaken in your child's mind and heart, before allowing your child to look at this type of Art.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God

Pot Roast Disaster.

HMM, I obviously don't know how to make a pot roast. I have only made them in the crock pot before. I tried to make it on the stove top, and I put too much oil  in the pan to brown it, my friend told me, and then I can not figure out the right temp. to keep it on, as I keep haveing to add water, and I don't think you are supposed to have to do that.
And then it just keeps bubbling up so much that it is splattering out of the lid down to the fire.
ARRGGG, I have to figure this out! LOL
Any tips?

Guiding Light Giveaway

Guiding Light is having a giveaway to celebrate 100 followers!

To celebrate she is giving away 2 books!

Saving Freedom by U.S. Senator Jim Demint

AND

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp

To enter head on over to       
http://guidinglighthomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/10/100-followers-giveaway.html

2 Year Subscription Special to TOS Magazine!

Final hours for two-years, the Cranberries & Cream tote bag, and more.



Oops . . .

If you tried to order the $19.95 Cranberries & Cream subscription special early this morning, you may have noticed a pricing issue in the Schoolhouse Store.

So, we're extending the $19.95 for 2 years of TOS special!
You have an extra day to grab this great deal--that's midnight PST on Sunday, October 3!

Here's what you receive for only $19.95:
TWO years of TOS Magazine AND
The FREE gorgeous Homeschooling with Heart tote bag,
A FREE Fall 2010 Issue of TOS Magazine,
The FREE E-Book: Cranberry Christmas!

Please read the below for all of the details.
Again, this $19.95 price is extended through Sunday, October 3 at midnight PST. 

A homeschool math equation--can you solve it?

Fact 1: For $19.95 TOS Magazine is offering a TWO-year subscription, FREE Cranberries & Cream Homeschooling with Heart tote bag, FREE Fall 2010 Issue, and FREE Cranberry Christmas E-Book until midnight PST
on October 3.

Fact 2: For $19.95, after October 3, they offer only a ONE-year subscription, FREE Cranberries & Cream tote bag, FREE Fall 2010 Issue, and FREE Cranberry Christmas E-Book through midnight PST on October 6.

How many years will you have on your subscription if you succeed in ordering this great deal before
midnight PST on October 3?


Answer: If you order before midnight PST, you'll receive TWO full years of TOS Magazine. Plus, you'll receive the gorgeous Cranberries & Cream Homeschooling with Heart tote bag, E-Book: Cranberry Christmas, and the Fall 2010 Issue.

On October 4 we remove a year!Order before midnight PST on Sunday, October 3.

The gorgeous Cranberries & Cream Homeschooling with Heart tote bags will be shipping mid-November--just in time to enjoy during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays or for gift giving.

This offer is good for U.S. and Canadian residents--new and renewing subscriptions. (Renewing customers--we'll add the two years onto your existing subscription.)

Buy Some of These for Friends! Look at all they get
for under $20. A GREAT GIFT! 

Grab the two years before it's gone--a two-year subscription is normally $39 for U.S. residents!

Purchase your two-year subscription NOW, and toss some
Cranberries & Cream over your shoulder!
You now have until midnight PST on Sunday, October 3!

If you haven't purchased The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner, we've bundled  the Planner and two-year subscription together to SAVE YOU MONEY. Plus, you'll also receive the FREE Cranberries & Cream tote bag, Fall 2010 Issue, and E-Book: Cranberry Christmas!  Click here to get this over $95 value for $49.95!

PS: Here's a sneak peek at E-Book: Cranberry Christmas--over 48 pages!

Order before midnight on Sunday, October 3, and enjoy the very best deal!