The Young'ns

Daily Photo–Kahlen and Shane

2012-05-24T08:38:00.001-06:00

Couldn’t help post these too. These two love each other mucho gusto!

Wordless Wednesday–Shane with his O-Ball

2012-05-24T08:33:00.001-06:00

Linking up at:

TOS Review–Go Science from Library & Educational Services

2012-05-17T22:55:00.001-06:00

Recommended for ages 5-11

Even kids who claim an aversion to science will be engaged by the high-energy science demonstrations of Ben Roy! Ben teaches science methods at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is the former director of a science program on television. With this expertise, Ben captivates, motivates, and inspires students to be excited about science, while providing effective instruction based on science phenomena. Each spectacular demonstration of physical or chemical science has a spiritual application and points to our Creator!

More information about Ben Roy can be found on his website www.gosicencezone.com and Facebook.

We received two of these Go Science DVDs from Library and Educational Services, and have enjoyed watching them. Each DVD contains several short demonstrations to illustrate a principle or science phenomena.

The DVDs are very well done. Each segment is a good length, between 3 and 6 minutes, to keep the kids’ attention. The quality of the filming is good as well. Ben Roy is engaging and entertaining, although a bit cheesy.

The website states that they are appropriate for ages 5-11, but I did find them a little confusing for my 5 year old. She really enjoyed them, but had no idea what was going on. Also, the title of the segment, such as “The Bernoulli Effect”, is not really explained in most of them, just stated in the opening credits before the demonstration begins.

Given where we are in the study of science right now, these DVDs are not very useful, but they are entertaining. I feel like if I had time to come up with some accompanying material, such as a study guide, a do-at-home experiment, or some kind of follow-up, that these would be much more useful.

Each DVD retails for $8.97. There are 6 DVDs in the series. Library and Educational Services offers many other products as well, which you can see here.

See what other crew members are saying here!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Wordless Wednesday–Riding Bikes

2012-05-16T22:22:00.001-06:00

And one of the baby, because he’s so stinkin’ cute! (Nate has a matching shirt, but he got katsup all over it from lunch before I could get a good picture)

Linking up at:

Tasty Tuesday–Red Beans & Sausage

2012-05-16T22:09:00.001-06:00

Welcome to another week of Tasty Tuesday here at The Young'ns!
There’s a recipe index under the food tab above if you’re ever looking for a recipe I’ve already blogged.
Every Monday, I plan on trying a new recipe. If it goes well, that’s what I’ll be posting on Tasty Tuesday. If not, I’ll post a tried and true (i.e. something I don’t have to think about too hard) ;)

I got this “recipe” from a friend, who brought it to me after I had Shane. I love receiving meals from friends for many reasons, but one is to get new food ideas for my family.

Red Beans & Sausage

{Ingredients}

{Directions}

Make Zatarain’s as directed. Cut up half of sausage. Put into red beans. Eat and be amazed.

Simple and delicious. Cheating? A bit, but ever so tasty. Thanks, Kayt!

Menu Plan Monday–May 14th

2012-05-16T21:56:00.001-06:00

Late is better than never, right?

I think I may need to revise my weekly schedule, as I’m not really following this one anymore. But as long as I still have a menu plan, that’s good, right?

So, here’s what I’m making this week:

Mix-it up Monday (something new) ~ Shipwreck (Haven’t used this exact recipe, but something like it)
Taco Tuesday (Mexican or Oriental) ~ Baked Chicken Parmigian
Wow Wednesday (Date night or something like restaurant food) ~ Texas Roadhouse date night
Simple Thursday (Crockpot or less than 30 min prep) ~ Italian Meatballs (1/2 are going in the freezer) and spaghetti
Favorite Friday (A family favorite) ~ Tacos
Lazy Saturday (leftover buffet) ~ Zatarains & Kielbasa
Saucy Sunday (Italian) ~ Dinner at Dad and Stepmom’s, their turn to cook :)

So, what are you having for dinner this week?
Link up at Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie or leave me a comment!

I have a recipe index, just for recipes that you can find on my blog. You can also get to it by going to the food tab above.

Wordless Wednesday–May 9th

2012-05-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Kahlen ran in a 1 mile fun run last weekend. It’s the first in a series of nine sponsored by Poudre Valley Health Systems. She had a great time and can’t wait for the next one. I’m hoping to be able to run with her next time, but Daddy got to run with her for this one.

The crazy girl wanted to know what else there was to do when we were done. When I told her nothing, she wanted to know if she could go for a bike ride or go roller skating. Shouldn’t she be a bit tired after running a mile?? I guess it’s a good thing we’re already planning on taking her to run the Fire Hydrant 5K with us at the beginning of June.

And I couldn’t resist taking some pictures of my boys too…

Linking up at:

TOS Review–Homeschool Library Builder

2012-05-08T23:39:00.001-06:00

Your resource for affordable literature-based homeschooling.

Offering quality new and used living books at bargain prices -- selections recommended by your favorite curricula such as Five in a Row, Sonlight, Beautiful Feet, Tapestry of Grace, Ambleside Online, and others.

Homeschool Library Builder is co-owned by two veteran homeschool families dedicated to Christ-centered education. Our desire is to help homeschool families affordably collect books for their literary-based educational needs. We stock both new and used books found in popular literature-based homeschool curricula, as well as select titles to supplement your unit studies. Whether you're looking for educational or leisure, inspirational or reference, self-help, activity, or classic reading, we are committed to providing wholesome materials that will enrich the entire family.

This online vendor is one that I wish I had found at the beginning of the year, and am glad that I now know about! Given that we are using the Tapestry of Grace curriculum, this retailer will be very useful to me.

They offer both new and used books at reasonable prices for several literature based curricula like Tapestry of Grace, Sonlight, Five in a Row, Heart of Dakota, and more as well as offering vintage & hard to find books. Also, for the month of May, they are having a site-wide sale of 25% off your entire order! They have a free membership where you can get points for your orders as well as being kept in the know about specials and other news.

See what other crew members are saying here and be sure to visit Homeschool Library Builder this month for 25% off your order!

Disclosure of Material Connection: As part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew I was asked to write about the Homeschool Library Builder website. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Daily Photo–May 8th

2012-05-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Kahlen is taking Gymnastics lessons from a friend who used to be a gymnast. She likes it much better than dance, and it’s much cheaper for me than sending her somewhere (and easier too, this was in my back yard). They’re semi-private lessons, so it works well all around.

This is Nate’s version:

Daily Photo–May 7th

2012-05-07T22:40:00.001-06:00

Yay, Shane is almost big enough for my ErgoBaby!

(he’s not yet a fan…but he will be)

Menu Plan Monday–May 6th

2012-05-07T22:36:00.001-06:00

I was feeling bad that I haven’t posted it over a week, but then I realized that I’ve taken 125 pictures in the last week. Must have been busy :-)

So, here’s what I’m making this week:

Mix-it up Monday (something new) ~ Freezer meal from Sam. Tasty Greek Chicken with Lemon Pistachio Rice, mmm.
Taco Tuesday (Mexican or Oriental) ~ Southwest Chicken Burritos
Wow Wednesday (Date night or something like restaurant food) ~ Pappardelle with Snap Peas
Simple Thursday (Crockpot or less than 30 min prep) ~ Shipwreck (Haven’t used this exact recipe, but something like it)
Favorite Friday (A family favorite) ~ Graduation party for a friend. Congrats, Shanole!!
Lazy Saturday (leftover buffet) ~ Leftovers or Chicken Couscous
Saucy Sunday (Italian) ~ Baked Chicken Parmigiana if I can find my recipe :)

So, what are you having for dinner this week?
Link up at Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie or leave me a comment!

I have a recipe index, just for recipes that you can find on my blog. You can also get to it by going to the food tab above.

Speak Up Saturday–Book Review–Downfall by Terri Blackstock

2012-04-28T23:29:00.001-06:00

There are a few authors whom I love to read and get excited any time they come out with a new book. Terri Blackstock is one of those.

From the publisher:

Emily Covington has turned her life around after a drug addiction, but her family still has trouble trusting her. Though Emily has committed herself to a year-long treatment program and has been sober for almost a year beyond that, even her mother walks on eggshells around her, fearing she'll relapse. After her behavior during her drug years, Emily realizes she has a lot to prove. When police discover a homemade bomb under Emily's car, and she then learns the wife of one of her friends was murdered that same morning, she knows things are deadly serious. But who wants Emily dead? And why? A conversation she had with two men, an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and a plan for a double murder all conspire for one explosive ride ... and Emily is the only one who can identify the killer and save the life of the next potential victim. As she frantically works to solve this ever more complicated puzzle, Emily finds herself playing right into the killer's hands.

I haven’t read every single one of Ms. Blackstock’s books, but the ones that I have read, I’ve enjoyed. She falls into the Christian/Mystery/Suspense/Romance books. My husband likes to poke fun at these books, but I enjoy them as engaging and fun reads. This book was no exception.

I have not read the other two books in the Intervention series, but I was able to pick up enough of the story to still enjoy it. I plan on reading the other two in this series as soon as I can get my hands on them.

The book draws you in right away and keeps you engaged in the story and guessing who the bad guy is until the very end. The book is full of mystery, good character development, and interesting plot twists. I enjoyed the ending and the way that she tied up all the loose ends from the entire series.

A definite must-read for anyone who enjoys Terri Blackstock or Christian Suspense books!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Wordless Wednesday–Mmm, sprinkles! and frosting!

2012-04-25T15:35:00.001-06:00

Linking up at:

Tasty Tuesday–Bread Machine Pizza Dough

2012-04-25T15:13:00.001-06:00

Wow, how can it be that I have not posted this recipe yet?!? This is another great tried and true bread machine recipe, although I bet it would work without the bread machine too. We like pizza around here, who doesn’t? But we like it to be a tiny bit more healthy, so this is my light wheat version of the crust :) This recipe makes enough for two large pizzas or four individual pizzas.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

{Ingredients}

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 warm water (microwave for 40 seconds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

{The rest of the ingredients}

Cornmeal
Olive Oil
Sauce
Toppings
Cheese

{Directions}

Place in bread machine pan according to your manufacturer’s directions (or your preference, I actually do mine backwards from what my machine says to do)
Wait 45 minutes (or whatever your machine says) for some tasty goodness. Roll out on a surface lightly dusted with cornmeal. Brush dough with olive oil before adding sauce, toppings, and cheese. Have you tried mixing cheeses, like mozzarella and cheddar? How about adding cream cheese chunks as a topping? So many choices!!
Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, depending on your preferences and the amount of toppings. The kids’ plain cheese pizza cooks for 10 minutes, mine with a few toppings cooks for about 12, and hubby’s cooks for 17 (he likes his crust *well* done plus he puts on a lot of toppings).

NOTE: This recipe works great where I live at high altitude (~5000 feet). You may need to adjust yeast, liquid, and flour amounts by a bit to get it to be perfect for you, especially if you live at lower elevations.

What’s your favorite pizza toppings? I get stuck in a rut with chicken and pineapple, looking for some creative ideas; I’d love to hear from you!

Linking up at Beauty and Bedlam and It’s A Blog Party

Menu Plan Monday–April 23rd

2012-04-25T14:57:00.001-06:00

Okay, I know it’s Wednesday, not Monday, but I do have a plan this week, honest! I’ve just been doing other things besides blogging like going to a work out class for the first time in about a year, and having dinner with friends that I haven’t seen in almost two years.

So, here’s what I’m making this week:

Mix-it up Monday (something new) ~ Creamy Chicken Taquitos. Man, these are good. And super easy too. And they freeze well.
Taco Tuesday (Mexican or Oriental) ~ Dinner at a friends house. Made Funfetti Cookies (*gasp* from a box!) and Pure White Frosting so we could make it bubble gum pink and purple cow
Wow Wednesday (Date night or something like restaurant food) ~ Homemade Pizza
Simple Thursday (Crockpot or less than 30 min prep) ~ Chicken Couscous
Favorite Friday (A family favorite) ~ Some kind of pasta salad as we drive to a marriage conference in Estes Park
Lazy Saturday (leftover buffet) ~ Frozen Mexican Lasagna. I <3 freezer meals. I usually make a double batch of at least one meal per week and put it in the freezer either for us to eat later or to be able to bless a friend with it. So many of my friends are having babies, or on bed rest, or someone in the family is having surgery. It’s been awesome to just be able to pull something out of the freezer to give to them!
Saucy Sunday (Italian) ~ Spaghetti with Meatballs from this recipe. Didn’t end up making this one last week, so we’ll try again this week! Good thing I put the sausage in the freezer…

So, what are you having for dinner this week?
Link up at Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie or leave me a comment!

I have a recipe index, just for recipes that you can find on my blog. You can also get to it by going to the food tab above.

Speak Up Saturday–Book Review–Mercy Comes Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren

2012-04-21T23:31:00.001-06:00

There are no second chances. Or are there?
Krista Mueller is in a good place. She’s got a successful career as a professor of history; she’s respected and well-liked; and she lives hundreds of miles from her hometown and the distant mother she could never please. It’s been more than a decade since Alzheimer’s disease first claimed Charlotte Mueller’s mind, but Krista has dutifully kept her mother in a first-class nursing home.
Now Charlotte is dying of heart failure and, surprised by her own emotions, Krista rushes to Taos, New Mexico, to sit at her estranged mother’s side as she slips away. Battling feelings of loss, abandonment, and relief, Krista is also unsettled by her proximity to Dane McConnell, director of the nursing home—and, once upon a time, her first love. Dane’s kind and gentle spirit—and a surprising discovery about her mother—make Krista wonder if she can at last close the distance between her and her mother … and open the part of her heart she thought was lost forever.

I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. The book is more, um, touchy-feely than I read. I would call this a good girly book, which is actually not what I usually enjoy. But, like I said, I did enjoy this book.

The book flips between Krista’s memories of growing up and the current time. It kept the book interesting and flowing well. However, I felt that the character development was a bit shallow. The story just jumped in and did not provide very much history to the powerful emotions that the characters were experiencing.

I enjoyed the ending and enjoyed the book. I felt like all ends were tied up, and it was not rushed.

I would recommend this book to others who enjoy a nice easy read, very relational in nature, but not too deep.

It would be a great help to me if you would please rate my review. I get the chance to review more books based on my rating, and there are cool contests and such. Thanks!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

And the winner is...

2012-04-20T12:10:00.002-06:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for all who entered my giveaway for The Last Plea Bargain!
~S

Wordless Wednesday–Look, school!

2012-04-19T23:34:00.001-06:00

Hey, look at that! We actually did some schoolwork this week!

Linking up at:

Menu Plan Monday–April 16th

2012-04-17T22:17:00.001-06:00

So, here’s what I’m making this week:

Mix-it up Monday (something new) ~ Cassolet from my stepmom
Taco Tuesday (Mexican or Oriental) ~ Enchiladas and Black Beans accompanied by Chateau St. Michelle Merlot
Wow Wednesday (Date night or something like restaurant food) ~ Lentil Stew with Chicken
Simple Thursday (Crockpot or less than 30 min prep) ~ Roast Chicken and Veggies in Crockpot
Favorite Friday (A family favorite) ~ Shepherd’s Pie
Lazy Saturday (leftover buffet) ~ Dominos Pizza. Going to the drive in for the first time this season. We’re going to see The Lorax with the kiddos.
Saucy Sunday (Italian) ~ Spaghetti with Meatballs from this recipe

So, what are you having for dinner this week?
Link up at Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie or leave me a comment!

I have a recipe index, just for recipes that you can find on my blog. You can also get to it by going to the food tab above.

TOS Review–AIMS “It’s About Time”

2012-04-16T09:01:00.001-06:00

Young children are eager to learn how to tell time and to understand the mysteries of analog and digital clocks. It’s About Time uses a series of investigations not only to build an understanding of how to read a clock, but also to provide a solid, conceptual understanding of time and its measurement.
A unique exercise within this book has children literally building a human clock, an activity that provides a powerful visual understanding and connection of time and its sequence. They are introduced to one color-coded clock hand at a time, and they also see the special relationship between the benchmark numbers 3, 6, 9 and 12.
It’s About Time will have students sequencing events, measuring duration of time, and reading clocks. Time is read in hour, half-hour, five- and one-minute intervals. Several playful practice activities are also included in this book -- from a cake-walk game to a version of Bingo called “Time Out” -- that reinforce the students’ new abilities to tell time and make them successful clock readers.

We received this activity guide from AIMS that is designed for grades K-2. It contains 22 different activities to help young children learn how to tell time.

The book is written for use in a classroom, so I had to modify the activities to work with homeschooling. The activities are laid out well, but there is a lot of preparation for the teacher, aka me, for each one including copying, cutting, printing, and getting other materials ready. The activities are age-appropriate, and I think they will be helpful in teaching Kahlen how to tell time. We’ve only had the chance to do a few of them so far, partially because I’ve had to sift through which ones are needed and which ones are too easy for her and partially because of the modifications and prep time needed, I just haven’t been able to do very many yet.

Overall, I think the book is useful, but because of the formatting toward a classroom and the time-consuming nature of the preparation for each activity, I give it three stars.

You can purchase the book or a PDF download for $21.95. AIMS offers other books that integrate math and science including What On Earth?, Fabulous Fractions, and many more.

See what other crew members are saying here.

Daily Photo–April 13

2012-04-13T21:03:00.001-06:00

Ultimate Blog Party 2012–Hi and welcome!

2012-04-12T22:58:00.001-06:00

Wow, is it time again already? Can’t believe I’ve been blogging / reading others blogs for two years already!
If you’re stopping by from the party, welcome! I’ve been a little preoccupied in the last few months with the birth of my third child in January (and being so tired from late pregnancy before that), my blogging has been a bit light. I’m trying to get back on track, but it’s taking some time. I still do reviews, both for The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew and various book publishers, and I’ve been pretty faithful with Wordless Wednesday posts. I hope to get back to posting Menu Plan Monday, Tasty Tuesday, and some kind of school related posts.

Take a look around. Leave me a comment with your blog link so I can come visit you too. And remember to enter my giveaway for The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer!

To see more about me, you can go here for the long and short of it or here for last year’s party post.

Looking forward to partying with you this week! Go here to see more mom blogs joining the party.

Daily Photo–April 12

2012-04-12T06:58:00.001-06:00

Daddy and Shane at church on Easter

Wordless Wednesday–Happy Easter!

2012-04-11T12:27:00.001-06:00

Here’s a few pictures I took on Easter. We had a pretty low key day. I wanted to get pictures of all of us, but it just didn’t work out. I made my boys (all three of them) matching ties with my new sewing machine, but didn’t manage to get a picture. Nate was his new cranky self most of the day :( This picture was taken just after nap time, so he was doing better.

She looks like such little girl. Not my baby anymore!

Linking up at:

Remember to enter my giveaway for The Last Plea Bargain!

Daily Photo–April 10th

2012-04-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, we made it to Pump It Up finally. Kahlen has been asking to go since her 4th birthday party, but it just hasn’t worked out. My crazy girl loves the slide especially. Nate would only go down with me. He tried to go down once by himself, and the look of terror on his face was one I wish I had captured.

~S