Along the Way

2013-2014 Curriculum Choices

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 23:23:00 +0000

This post contains affiliate links.

We officially started back to school on July 29th. Our plan for this year is to do six weeks on and one week off. We will also be taking extra time off in December. This will have us finishing up our school year on May 16, 2014.

Emily is in 5th grade this year.

For her core curriculum we are using Trail Guide to Learning ~ Paths of Settlement.

We used Trail Guides to Learning Paths of Exploration last year and loved it so much that we are continuing on with the series.

No changes here for us this year. We are continuing on with Teaching Textbooks 5.

Emily’s core curriculum includes everything, but math. We decided Emily needed a little extra help with spelling and grammar. For spelling she is using Sequential Spelling 1.

For grammar we are using Easy Grammar 5 and Daily Grams.

Aiden is 1st grade this year. We will be using the following:

For Aiden this year I decided I needed to simplify and buy a curriculum that had it ALL laid out for me. We LOVE, love to read and our lessons have always been around books we are reading, so we decided to use Sonlight Core A with Readers.

This is another change for Aiden this year. We are switching from Math-U-See to Singapore Primary Mathematics and Life of Fred.

We are using the Language Arts program that comes with Sonlight Core A and adding Explode the Code 1, 2, and 3 and Getty-Dubay Handwriting 1.

This is another change, as we will be doing science everyday. We are using Sonlight’s Science A.

Whew! That’s everything.

Linking up with iHomeschool Network “Not-Back-to-School Blog Hop.

~Cindy

Our Updated Schoolroom

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 03:26:00 +0000

I am very excited about our newly painted and decorated schoolroom. It had been over 8 years since we painted this room and since we spend a large portion of our day in here doing school, crafting and playing it was time to spiffy up the space. The big inspiration for my room was my friend Jolanthe of Homeschool Creations. I absolutely love her schoolroom.

I agonized over the color and our walls looked like this for a while.

There was a big mix up with the paint and they store had a hard time matching the color sample. I have to put a plug in for Lowe’s here, because the person who helped me seriously spent 45 minutes trying to get the color exactly right. After mixing 3 different gallons of paint I told him not to worry about it, that it was close enough. He offered me the off color gallons for a discount and I ended up getting 3 galloons of paint for $15.00. SCORE! We took it home and mixed up the color in a big paint bucket and I loved the end result.

I was very lucky to find our Ikea Expedit Shelving Unit on Craigslist. It holds the majority of our books, reference books, some toys and things I want the kids to use on a regular basis, such as the microscope and Draw Write Now books.

We already had the Ikea Trofast System, which are using as a table in front of our futon. It holds paper, play doh, stamp pads, stamps, miscellaneous crafting supplies, and our extra school supplies (glue sticks, tape, etc.).

Our one big purchase was this futon, which we LOVE! Our schoolroom was lacking a comfortable place to snuggle and read together. The lovely owl pillow came from Etsy. The quilt draped over the side was made by my grandmother.

Anther comfy place for the kids to plop down and read. The beanbag chair came from Walmart and the curtains from here (make sure and check online for coupon codes).

We each have a desk. My desk has a magnetic white board on the back with our magnetic letters and numbers. On top of the bookcase are various globes and a human body model.

The bookcase behind my desk contains all of the kids curriculum for the year and things that I use on a regular basis. More on our curriculum choices this week.

Emily’s desk, Trofast storage system, and rail above her desk all came from Ikea. I ordered online since I figured the gas and all the extra things I would be sure to find would cost as much, if not more than the shipping.

Aiden’s desk is the same with things we use on a daily basis close by (calendar and world map).

The table is used for craft projects and when we are all working together. I painted our existing table white and the chairs red. Just an FYI for you folks, do not spray paint chairs red while wearing flip flops. My feet still looked sunburned after 3 weeks.

We started school last week and so far the updated space has been perfect for our needs.

~Cindy

It’s Been How Long?

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 18:10:00 +0000

Has it really been 18 months since I blogged? Sounds right according to my calculations. So, the tough question is ~ do I really want to start blogging again and what stopped me from blogging in the first place? If your curious, please feel free to read on.

I’m going to lay it all out there and be completely truthful. Our family has been through many ups and downs the past 4 years. We dealt with the death of my dad, the death of my husband’s mom, a job loss, and marriage problems. I didn’t even realize that certain things were bothering me or causing strains in our home. Ok, I knew there were problems, but I chose to ignore them. I know that sometimes as a homeschooler I put undo pressure on myself and I feel like I am the only homeschool mom struggling with marriage problems, etc. Well, I am a homeschool mom and I struggled with marriage problems and I realize that I am not alone and most importantly God doesn’t want me or anyone else to struggle by ourselves.

Things are getting better and the past year has been full of growth and healing for our entire family. God's grace and guidance have brought changes in our hearts and our household, specifically in our marriage. God showed me he can repair a marriage. Marriage is WORK people, hard work and I lost sight of the things that were priorities in my life for a while. Yes, I promise I will open up about this at another time.

Another reason for my absence was feeling inadequate and that everyone’s ideas were better than mine. Please feel free to laugh here. Anyone who blogs can tell you that you are just seeing snippets into a bloggers daily life and the pictures and words written usually catch the best and most memorable moments. I know this but, I was still feeling like a less than stellar homeschool mom.

Lastly, I chose to let blogging take a lot of my time (once again priorities, people) and didn’t plan a specified time for blogging.

So, has anything changed? Yep, ME. I’m happier being just little ole’ me. I’m more confident in my homeschooling abilities and that God will provide ALL that I need to homeschool my kids.

We have also made some changes, for the better, to how we homeschool. There has been less crafting and more actual school work going on in our household. *GASP!* We still craft, because I am a craft loving momma and it makes me happy, happy, happy, However, I don’t plan a craft for every book we read or to go along with every subject we are studying. The biggest and most beneficial change is that both kids are using more of a “boxed” curriculum with lesson plans, which has saved my sanity (more on this when I post about our curriculum for the year). This frees me up to add some fun things.

So the answer is yes, I am going to blog again. I really do miss blogging and God has laid it on my heart to open up about some of my struggles. I started blogging so I could record what we did during the homeschool year (this includes what works and what doesn’t). Most importantly, I love to look back at pictures of my kiddos and see how much we have accomplished. : )

~Cindy

Preschool Corner ~ The Snowy Day

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:28:00 +0000

This was a week filled with a few wonderful distractions. We watched our neighbors little girl one day and daddy, who has been working LOTS of overtime, was home most of the week. The kids thought they should have the entire week off since daddy was home ~ mommy disagreed!

We did manager to get in some school during the week. This week we had fun reading The Snowy Day and using Homeschool Creations The Snowy Day Literature Pack and 1+1+1=1’s Raising Rock Stars Preschool Letter S curriculum as our main sources for learning fun.

~Our Week~

Aiden who usually loves cutting, had a TOTAL meltdown because he was trying to cut a wavy line and he couldn’t keep his scissors on the black line. I ended up telling him to stop and not worry about it.

The same kid, later in the week was cutting away, making snowflakes out of coffee filters.

We filled our schoolroom windows with the pretty snowflakes.

We all had fun playing with our snow play dough and making a snow family.

Aiden who is still in robot mode, made a robot snowman.

Aiden also had fun playing in the Snowy Day sensory tub he helped me put together.

~iPod Apps~

This week Aiden played Snow Brawlin’ on the iPod

and Teach Me Kindergarten, which teaches addition, subtraction, spelling, and dolch sight words.

~FUN!~

We were very blessed to have just enough snow the end of the week for the kids to go sledding.

Aiden loves to wear sissy’s hat ~ and he looks so cute in it! : )

~Learning Links~

While I didn’t get ANY pictures of the printable work we did this week we do so some. Here are the links for what we used this week:

To check out more Preschool Corner posts, head on over to Homeschool Creations.

Amazon.com Widgets

~Cindy

The Sick Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Such a lovely topic, isn’t it. Come on you have one too, don’t you? Our container of choice is a plastic bowl that came with a cover.

Why I kept the cover, I don’t know but, I am glad I did. It seems when ever we have a bug floating through the house, I am out of all the required essentials ~ like ginger ale, popsicles, etc. The kids always seem to find my stash of said items and consume them. So I decided to stash the essentials in the “bucket” in a ziplock bag.

I like to keep the following on hand:

Ginger ale
hand sanitizer (which I keep by the door of whoever is sick)
Gatorade powder packets
freezer pops
Gin-Gins (these really help my kids when the have an upset stomach)

I also like to keep ginger syrup in the fridge. We use it in teas and to make our own ginger ail. It is super easy to make!

So far this works for me and I am prepared and ready should the kids get sick. What do you like to keep on hand for when you kids are sick?

~Cindy

Snowy Day Sensory Tub

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

To go along with the book we are reading this week, Snowy Day, Aiden helped me put together a Snowy Day sensory tub.

What We Used:

Insta-Snow in a jar (LOVE this stuff)
wooden blocks
wooden tree (I have wool roving on the tree but we took it off and put the snow on the tree)
Peter and his friend (made from Peg dolls)
snow plowing vehicles
white pom poms
plastic tablecloth to put your tub on

We poured the Insta-Snow into our container and I let Aiden add the water.

As soon as you add the water you can see the snow puff up ~ seriously, it is so fun to watch!

We added Peter and his friend

and some wooden houses. Aiden made it “snow” so the tops of the houses were covered.

The he plowed the street and we talked about how high the snow was on the sides of the road.

Aiden tried to make prints in the snow but you couldn’t see them so we grabbed some of our snow play dough and he made prints with his fingers.

Aiden found Peter’s stick in the snow and helped Peter hit the tree with it.

Peter and his friend then had a snowball fight (without the big kids).

Aiden had fun retelling the story and playing in the tub.

I will say that the plastic tablecloth or some kind of drop cloth on the floor is a MUST!! This stuff is messy. Another note ~ DO NOT put an air tight cover on the snow because it will mold. If the snow starts to dry out just add more water.

~Cindy

Snow Play dough

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:36:00 +0000

This week we are reading Snowy Day. Since we have had a warmer than usually winter (which I am NOT complaining about) and no snow in the forecast, I made a batch of “snow” play dough for the kids to play with.

To make the play dough I mixed the following:

1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of salt
1 tablespoon cream of tarter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 cup of water
lots of iridescent glitter
2 tablespoons of white paint

Mix in all together in a nonstick sauce pan until it forms a ball. Turn the dough out and knead it. Then all you need is some kids and some accessories. We used: buttons, a piece of orange pipe cleaner (nose) goggle eyes, sticks from outside, a felt scarf and hat, and popsicle sticks.

We used to popsicle sticks to hold our snowman up and keep his hat on his head.

Some of the kids creations.

May I introduce robot snowman, grandma snow, and Ms. Hollywood snow lady.

~Cindy

Preschool Corner ~ Robots

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:05:00 +0000

This week our theme was robots and what a busy week it was. I didn’t realize how much we accomplished until I looked through our pictures.

~Circle Time~

Carissa at 1+1+1=1 put together a Calendar Notebook, which we have started using. The notebook has been a BIG HIT with both of my kids.

We also like to add lots of singing and dancing during our circle time to get out the wiggles before we do any table work. This week we sang and danced to Robot Song from Preschool of Rock.

Aiden doing the robot dance.

For most of the learning activities we used the Robot Printable Pack from Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations.

~Alphabet~

Aiden worked on the letter Rr this week. He has his uppercase letters down so we focused on the lowercase letter.

He sang the ABC Song and traced the letter Rr with his light up pointer.

~Math~

Aiden was very proud of himself for cutting and putting his robot puzzle together (counting 1 –10).

He also worked on graphing different colored robots,

matching shapes to the correct word,

and we talked about fractions and he used our Guidecraft Fraction Cups ~ matching them to the fraction robots.

~Bible~

We recently started using Raising Rock Stars Letter printables from Carissa at 1+1+1+1 to go along with our letter of the week. I am loving this addition to our homeschool curriculum! This week the focus was Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

~iPod Apps~

If you ask Aiden what his favorite part of school is I feel sure he would say using my iPod. This week he played Toca Boca’s Robot Lab

and UmiNumbers.

~Getting Crafty~

Our big craft project this week was making a robot costume.

We also had fun making wind up robots. Aiden did most of the coloring and I assembled them.

Then we had a robot race.

~Snack Time~

I absolutely love a theme so when I found these cute robot cupcake molds I had to have them. The kids actually use them all the time for snack. This week they had chocolate pudding with sprinkles and graham crackers.

~Just for Fun~

We pulled out a favorite at house, robot stackers.

Aiden’s art work for the week ~ our family as robots (with some help from his sister). : )

~Robot Week Links~

Aiden’s work for the week PROUDLY displayed. All of the printables/curriculum we used this week is listed below.

Amazon.com Widgets

For more Preschool Corner posts, head on over to Homeschool Creations.

~Cindy

Robot Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:30:00 +0000

We have had a fun week talking, reading, learning, and playing with robots. Our craft project this week was to make a robot costume.

I cut the bottom, arm holes and a hole for Aiden’s head in a box. Then I let Aiden paint the box silver.

After the box was dry we made and added a fuel gauge,

a heart, which is hidden under a flap, and all sorts of shapes cut out of construction paper.

Daddy was nice enough to stop by Lowes and purchase some dryer vent hose for Aiden to wear on his arms. We taped the ends with silver electrical tape so Aiden would be poked by any sharp pieces. Then Aiden geared up and voile ~ his robot costume.

Super easy and Aiden LOVES it!

~Cindy

Little House on the Prairie Peg Family

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:44:00 +0000

Have you ever seen something on Pinterest and thought ~ I could do that! Well, I found two cute little Little House on the Prairie peg families (here and here) and decided to make a set since we are reading the Little House on the Prairie books and doing the Prairie Primer.

Emily painted the log cabin (which came from Michaels) and I got busy painting the family.

I still need to find a small peg and paint baby Carrie but, I love the rest of our Ingles family. I will admit that it took me over 2 hours to paint them due to a little mishap. I had just finished Pa and set him to the side when I bumped him and he went face first into white paint.

I think they will be a fun addition to our Little House on the Prairie studies!

~Cindy

Our Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 2011-2012

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:06:00 +0000

We are actually in our fourth week of homeschooling for the 2011-2012 school year, but I have been such a slacker about posting ~ I figured I should write about our curriculum choices.

Emily is in 3rd grade and Aiden is in doing Preschool (and some Kindergarten).

Emily ~ 3rd Grade

Emily is using the following daily:

In addition we are going to be studying subjects in blocks this year (including grammar and math).

2 weeks for drawing ~ we started out our school year doing 2 weeks of form drawing using A Little Flower Garden DVD set.
10 weeks Prairie Primer ~ we will reading Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie. During this time our main focus is going to be on preparing for winter, harvest, different fibers and handiwork.
2 weeks Native Americans/Thanksgiving ~ our focus will be on Indian homes and Thanksgiving preparation.
2 weeks telling time and money.
4 weeks (December) cooking/measurement ~ we are going to spend the month focusing on Christmas, baking and measurement (liquids and solids).
6 weeks Old Testament Stories ~ we will be using Christopherus Old Testament Stories Manual and Storybook.
4 weeks grammar ~ we will be using the World of Language books by Ruth Heller and lesson plans from Serendipity. During this time we will focus on grammar, sentence structure and cursive writing.
3 weeks math ~ focusing on multiplication and division.
1 week Easter
4 weeks Prairie Primer ~ we will be reading Farmer Boy and focusing on farming and planting. We are also going to do some building during this time.

Aiden ~ Preschool/Kindergarten

Our focus this year will be Before Five in a Row, along with the amazing Preschool Packs that Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations created.

In addition to Before Five in a Row we will be using the following:

All About Reading Level Pre-1
Language Lessons for Little Ones
Are You Ready for Kindergarten?
ABeka Arithmetic K
A Reason for Handwriting K
A Child’s Seasonal Treasury ~ which has seasonal poems, crafts and recipes.

We will also be doing circle time together, but I’ll post more about that later. I’m excited about our year and for once ~ I feel ORGANIZED and READY!!

~Cindy

3D Feel and Find World Icons {Guidecraft Mom Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 02:04:00 +0000

We are loving Guidecrafts 3D Feel and Find Icons!

This has been a fun sensory toy that BOTH of my kids are enjoying.

About 3D Feel and Find Icons

Guidecrafts 3D Feel and Find Icons canvas bag contains 20 different shapes with matching tiles. The pieces are chunky, making it easy for little hand to pick them up. Each piece is made out of eco-friendly rubberwood and stained with brightly colored dyes, which are child safe. The product is recommended for ages 3 and up.

Our Experience

We started out talking about the different shapes and colors. Then Aiden matched the pieces together.

We then selected a few tiles and put the matching pieces in the bag. The kids took turns turning over a tile and trying to find the correct shapes.

Aiden found this a little challenging at first. He kept trying to peak into the bag.

Emily had no problem find the correct pieces ~ without peaking.

My Thoughts

This is a toy that can grow with your kids. You can start out using it as a simple puzzle, matching the shapes to the correct tiles. Then talk about color matching, shapes and sizes. My 4 year old found it challenging, when he had to find the correct shape in the bag. My daughter, who is 8, had fun helping Aiden and picking tiles out of the bag. That being said ~ I can see that it would be fun and educational for a wide age range.

Find Out More

The 3D Feel and Find World Icons can be purchased from Guidecraft or Amazon.

Win It!

Xenia @ Thanks Mail Carrier is hosting the giveaway! Head over for a chance to win!!

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, this product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

~Cindy

Bead and Water Blocks {Guidecraft Mom Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:14:00 +0000

There are a few toys that I consider “must-haves” and building blocks are one of them. Guidecraft’s Crystal Bead Blocks and Shimmering Water Blocks add a fun twist to traditional building blocks.

Each set of blocks contains eight blocks ~ four rectangle blocks and four half circle blocks. My kids loved trying to find new ways to balance the half circle blocks.

I personally loved the beauty of these blocks and the fun noise the bead blocks make when you shake them. Yes, I will admit that I had just as much fun as the kids playing with these blocks!

The final verdict ~ we love these blocks! They have been a great addition to our building block collection.

You can purchase the Crystal Bead Blocks and Shimmering Water Blocks on the Guidecraft site. You can also purchase the Crystal Bead Blocks and Shimmering Water Blocks on Amazon.

Want to win a set? Jolanthe @ Homeschool Creations is hosting the giveaway this month! Head on over and enter to win!!

~Cindy

Mud Pie Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 21:38:00 +0000

I have many fond childhood summertime memories. One of which is concocting mud creations ~ beautiful pies and cakes made from mud, sand, leaves and berries. As soon as I saw the idea for a mud pie kitchen on one of my favorite blogs, Rhythm of the Home, I started gathering supplies.

Our mud pie kitchen has been up for a month and the kids have been spending lots of time, playing and creating. Would you like to see? Follow me. Our mud pie kitchen is hidden in a corner of the yard.

It is the perfect location on a hot summer day to “cook up” some fabulous mud pie creations! The two chiefs are busy preparing something in the kitchen right now.

I purchased two crates from Michaels for about $13.00 (using a coupon of course!). The rest of the items I found at Good Will or around the house. I probably spent around $20 for everything.

In the hanging wire baskets you can find stones and shells. The kids are using the bottom basket to place bowls and such as they dry.

The shelf has pegs, where you can dry plants, or hang supplies. The top shelf has a basket with tongs, spoons, etc. and provides extra space.

One of the kids favorite kitchen items is a mortar and pestle.

I had the perfect container for dirt, just sitting in the garage. Do you know what the container was original used for? If so, please don’t tell my kids ~ and yes I cleaned it with bleach! : )I planted some good smelling herbs (mint, lavender, and basil) for the kids to use. I have since discovered that we have a groundhog in our yard who is also thankful for the small herb garden.

One of the kids creations.

I just love summertime and mud pies!

~Cindy

Fraction Action Board and Fraction Cups {Guidecraft Mom Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:28:00 +0000

This month we have been playing with two fun, brightly colored math toys that we received from Guidecraft ~ an Fraction Action Board and Fraction Cups.

About the Fraction Action Board and Action Cups

The Fraction Action Board includes 18 pieces and a tray. The Fraction Cups has 10 pieces and 4 cups. The pieces all fit easily onto the board and into the cups and the pieces are big enough that they are easy for little hands to grip and pick up. Both of the sets are made of eco-friendly rubberwood and stained with brightly colored low VOC aniline dyes ~ so they are safe for little ones! The sets are recommended for ages 2 and up and included an activity guide with fun ideas to add to your math fun.

Our Thoughts

I love toys that naturally lead to educational learning! We talked about shapes, colors and fractions {a little}. Aiden had fun taking the pieces out and putting them back.

Of course there was lots of building and stacking going on!

My thoughts ~ this has been a fun math toy that I plan on using in our homeschooling for both my son and daughter.

Find Out More

The Fraction Action Board or Fraction Cups can be purchased from Amazon or Guidecraft.

Win It!

Mama Jenn is giving away a Fraction Action Board and Fraction Cups. The giveaway ends Saturday, June 25th.

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, I was provided this product to review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed in this post are mine.

~Cindy

Considering God’s Creation ~ Review

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:21:00 +0000

For my final review for the TOS Crew we were very happy to receive a product for one of our favorite subjects ~ science. I received Considering God’s Creation from Eagles Wings Education Materials.

About Considering God’s Creation

Considering God’s Creation is a natural science curriculum with a biblical perspective. It is designed for 2nd to 7th grade, although it is adaptable for younger or older students. We received the Student Manual, which has 268 pages, Teachers manual, and audio CD.

Considering God’s Creation contains 36 lessons which cover the following topics:

Creation
The Universe: Stars, Sun and Planets
The Earth
Non-Living Things: Rocks and Minerals
Weather
The Plant Kingdom
The Animal Kingdom
Animal Anatomy & Physiology
Man: Made in God’s Image

Here is a sample of what the workbook pages look like,

and here is a sample page from the Teacher’s Manual.

What I Thought

There is so much that I love about this curriculum! The lessons are broken down so you can teach one lesson per week. I didn’t have to buy a lot of extras ~ just a notebook. At the beginning of the lesson it gives you a simple list of what you will need during the lesson (crayons, glue, scissors, etc.). Each lesson contains:

Vocabulary
Introduction to the lesson
Song/Poem
Bible Reading
Activity
Notebook
Evolution Stumpers
Review
Digging Deeper

What I loved the most ~ I was able to pick up the Teacher’s Manual and get right to it and what I was teaching was from a biblical prospective! We are going to continue using Considering God’s Creation this summer.

Considering God’s Creation (including Teacher’s Manual, Student Notebook, and CD) is available from Eagle’s Wings for $29.95. Additional Student workbooks are available for $13.95 each.

To see what other crew members thought click here.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

~Cindy

Ministry of Motherhood Book Club ~ Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sat, 21 May 2011 22:03:00 +0000

I am very excited to be joining the Good Morning Girls who are hosting the read along of the Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. My friend Jolanthe at No Ordinary Moments has started a Ministry of Motherhood accountability group ~ so very glad she started this! This week we started reading assigned bible verses and using the S.O.A.P. Method.

The S.O.A.P. Method stands for:

S - Write out the scripture passage for the day.

O - Write down 1 or 2 observations from the passage.

A - Write down 1-2 applications from the passage.

P- Pray over what you learned from today’s passage.

John 15: 4-5 really spoke to me this week:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

So often I feel like I am alone and struggling with simple day to day things. This verse reminds me that he is ALWAYS with me. If I become stubborn and try and break away I will continue to struggle and most likely fail. I want my kids to see me seeking God in ALL things, not just when life gets difficult!

I can’t wait to see what God gives me as I start reading the Ministry of Motherhood.

~Cindy

Wet Felting

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sat, 21 May 2011 10:00:00 +0000

This is one of those ~ why didn’t I try this before crafting experiences! I found a wet felted water lily at Wee Folk Art I decided it was time to give it a try.

My first attempt at wet felting a water lily.

It was very easy to make and scrubbing the wool roving was quite relaxing.

Direction for making the water lily and reeds can be found on Wee Folk Arts website.

You can check out how I will be using the water lily and reeds in my What’s in the Tub? post Monday at Totally Tots.

The kids saw how much fun I was having and immediately wanted to join in so I let them wet felt soap.

What You Need:

hot water (as warm as little hands can stand) and dish soap
wool roving
bar of soap

What You’ll Do:

Wrap the bar of soap in several thin layers of wool roving.

Once you have the wool in place, hold the wool in place with both hands and dip it in the hot, soapy water a couple of times, gently squeezing the water out.

Once the wool is tacked down hand it over to the kids so the can rub, rub, RUB! You will need to dip it into the hot, soapy water occasionally. It may feel like it’s not working just keep rubbing!

Once the wool has felting, let the soap dry completely on a drying rack.

Next up needle felting!

~Cindy

The Homeschool Village’s Playdate

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome! I’m very excited to participate in The Homeschool Village’s Playdate. Let me introduce myself. I’m Cindy ~wife, mother, homeschooler, domestic goddess wannabe, and I am somewhat of a crafty gal. I’m currently homeschooling my daughter, Emily (8) and my son, Aiden (4).

Sorry, no family picture, I like to stay on the picture taking side of the camera!

My story as a stay at home, homeschooling mom began about 6 years ago. My daughter was almost 2, and I was working full time at a bank as an Assistant Vice President, in charge of Human Resources and Compliance. I put in LONG hours and I was dedicated to my job. In December 2004, my husband and I were so excited to find out that I was pregnant. At our second doctors appointment we discovered that we lost the baby. I was miserable! Work no longer seemed important, my daughter was growing up so fast, and our life was always in hurry up mode! I believe God has a purpose in EVERYTHING. He was calling me to rethink my priorities and stay home. My husband and I talked about all the pros and cons. A big con was the loss of a paycheck (1/2 to be exact). We decided to trust God and I put in my notice. Homeschooling was also part of God’s plan. He has placed some amazing friends in my path, who have helped me on my homeschooling journey ~ and maintain my sanity! I have bad days, days I struggle, days I long for just just 15 minutes of quiet, but I don’t doubt that I am following God’s plan for my family.

So my questions for you are:

Do you require your kids to take quiet time every day?
If so, how do you keep them in their rooms?
Have you ever locked yourself in the bathroom just for 5 minutes of quiet? (Not that I have EVER done this. : )

Thanks for stopping by to play!

~Cindy

Wordy Qwerty {Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Talking Fingers, the creators of Read, Write and Type (a product I reviewed last year and loved), have delivered another favorite in our household ~ Wordy Qwerty!

About Wordy Qwerty

Wordy Qwerty is intended for children ages 7 to 9. The program helps with reading and spelling by providing the following foundations for fluency:

Some sounds can be represented in several different ways.
Most words follow about 20 easy spelling rules.
There are many word families, (words that sound the same, or rhyme). By changing the first letter(s), you can make hundreds of words.
Some words are "outlaws". They don't follow the rules. They must be recognized quickly and automatically.
Writing to dictation develops vocabulary, comprehension and fluency as well as spelling skills.
Reading (and filling in missing words) develops vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency skills.

The program has 20 lessons (6 activities per lesson), which go over the following spelling rules:

Wordy Qwerty teaches these rules through the use of fun games and songs. You can hear a sample of some of the songs here.

Our Thoughts

This is have been a great addition to our language arts program. My daughter is not a confident speller yet and she tends to ask after EVERY LETTER if she is spelling something correctly. The program has been a blessing for me because I do not have to sit with her, therefore, she is not asking me constantly “Mom, is this right?” I have seen an improvement in her spelling and confidence! The games are challenging enough to keep her interest and the characters, Qwerty and Midi, are fun and quirky. My daughter’s favorite game is Pop-a-Word. You are given a sentence

and the you have to click on the balloons with the correct spelling of each word in the sentence in the correct order.

My only complaint with the program is the time it takes to load the games, which means my daughter has time to get sidetracked and distracted. Overall, we have enjoyed the program and I can see improvement in my daughter spelling and reading.

Find Out More

Want to give the program a try? You can download one free lesson (Silent E) and see what you think. Plus, if you join their mailing list you can get a coupon for 20% off your next order.

Wordy Qwerty is available online (a 5 year subscription) for the following cost:

You can also purchase the CD Home Version for $35.00, which includes the JingleSpells Songs CD. NOTE: This version NOT compatible with Windows 7 or Mac 10.6

You can read reviews by other TOS Crew Members here.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

~Cindy

Twister and Twister Curves {Guidecraft Mom Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Our latest construction toy from Guidecraft ~ Twisters and Twister Curves have been a hit in our household.

About Twister and Twister Curves

Each set includes 66 colored building pieces (blue, yellow, green and blue), 24 connecting rods, and a pair of pliers.

The sets are recommended for ages 3 and up.

What We Thought

Emily (and I) have had so much fun creating with these sets. She made a mask, although I’m not sure what creature she was suppose to be,

a lizard,

and a rocket.

Aiden loved the set however he got frustrated that the pieces came apart fairly easily. He did make a few structures and was very proud of his caterpillar ~ even though you can’t tell it by the picture.

Find Out More

Twisters and Twister Curves can be purchased directly from the Guidecraft or from Amazon.

Win It!

Carisa from 1+1+1=1 is giving away a set of Twisters and Twister Curves! The giveaway ends Sunday, May 22nd.

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, I was provided this product to review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed in this post are mine.

~Cindy

Our Memory Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Sun, 08 May 2011 01:44:00 +0000

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.

~From the television show The Wonder Years

The kids and I have talked about planting a memory garden for over a year and we finally finished it ~except for a couple more bags of mulch. We planted flowers and plants that remind us of loved ones (and pets) we have lost.

Over the past two years we have lost two very dear people to us. My dad died unexpected almost two years ago and then one year later my mother-in-law passed away. I’m not sure why but, the kids have been talking about their granddad a lot lately. Emily has a blanket and several toys that she recently put in a safe place because they remind her of granddad. Aiden, who was only 2 1/2 when my dad passed away, still talks about him all the time. I asked Aiden the other day if he had two wished, what he would wish for. His first wish was to have granddad come down from heaven. Can you tell what a influence my dad was in our lives?

Since the kids seem to need to talk about granddad and I need to let them know that it is ok to ask questions and talk about him, I decided it was time to plant our memory garden.

My husband and I bought the house I grew up in so finding the perfect spot for the memory garden was easy. I use to sit on this rock bench with my dad all the time.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ~ Psalm 18:2

Some of the plants and flowers we planted include:

Elephant Ears ~ my husband remember his mom planting these all around their house.

Dianthus ~ they just smell so good!

My dad loved orange, red and yellow so we planted some Marigolds.

Hostas ~ I just think of my dad when I see them. Probably because dad and mom planted so many of them in the yard.

Gerbera Daisies ~ these are one of my favorites.

The owls in my blog header represent my kids. This sweet little owl in our garden is in remembrance of the baby we have in heaven.

When I look at our memory garden I smile. I think of my dad, mother-in-law, and baby. I remember that God is with always with us and will bring us through all things.

~Cindy

Circle C Beginnings {Review} ~ Andi’s Pony Trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:00:00 +0000

When we received the package from Kregel Publications containing the Circle C Beginnings books Andi’s Pony Trouble by Susan Marlow, my daughter saw the horse on the cover of the book, immediately grabbed the book, and headed to her room to start reading it {insert gasp}. My daughter can read on her own however, it is not often that she will do so without my encouragement.

About Circle C Beginnings Series

The Circle C Beginnings Series published by Kregel Publications is written for children ages 6-8 and tells about Andi, a 6-year old girl who lives on her family’s ranch in 1874. These easy reader chapter books contain beautiful pencil drawings. Each story has free activity packs available on the author’s website.

In this particular story, Andi’s Pony Trouble, Andi wants a horse of her own more than anything in the world. Her mother thinks she is too young, so Andi is stuck riding Coco, a hand-me-down pony. Andi is determined to prove to her family that she's ready for a horse of her own.

Our Thoughts

I knew that I would be purchasing the other books in the Circle C Beginnings series before I even had a chance to finish reading the book. My daughter loved the story and I loved the attitudes of the children. The illustrations are beautiful and the story was engaging! The activity packs were a great way to expand the learning and I could make sure that my daughter understood what she was reading.

Find Out More

Andi’s Pony Trouble is available for $4.99 from Kregel, as well as the other books in the series. The Circle C Beginnings website has free online puzzles and coloring pages available. There are also free activity pages for each book to download.

You can read reviews by other TOS Crew Members here.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

~Cindy

Yesterday’s Classics ~ Review

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:47:00 +0000

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot

There is so much to be learned from classic books ~ you can travel the world, meeting presidents, missionaries, learn about nature, and go on exciting adventures. I am a true believer that my children have learned and retained more information during our family reading times than from all of the worksheets we have completed! My problem has been where do I find the classics without spending a fortune and just where do you put all those books? I received the opportunity as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew to review a package of 225 ebook titles (Kindle or EPUB format) from Yesterday’s Classics ($99.95 from May 1st – 31st).

Yesterday’s Classics republishes classic books for children which were originally published from 1880 – 1920. Many of the titles are hard to find or have been out of print for decades. Titles are available in paperback, Kindle or EPUB format.

The 225 ebook package includes books from 22 different genres (a few titles are listed in more than one genre):

World History
Children of the World
Nature
Ancient Greece
Fables
Ancient Rome
Kindergarten
Fairy Tales
Britain
Shakespeare
Faith
Early Civilizations
Poetry
Middle Ages
Legends
Renaissance and Exploration
Science
Readers
American History
Christmas Stories
Literature
Biographies

You also receive a list of all the books arranged by level, genre, author and title and a list of books with descriptions and thumbnails so it’s easy to find what you are looking for.

Many of the books available from Yesterday's Classics fit in curriculum plans such as Ambleside Online, Living Books Curriculum, and Pageant of History.

To view a full list of all the books included in this package click here.

My Thoughts

I will admit before receiving this package of e-books I use to think that there was nothing like the feel of a book in your hand, but this package has changed my mind! It amazes me that I can purchase 225 classic books for $99.95 and not have to worry about shelf space. I have 225 books at my finger tips and don’t have to worry about putting them away! The quality of the books and illustrations is fantastic (all in black and white). We have enjoyed several of the titles during family reading time, including:

This collection has been a great addition to our Kindle homeschool library and contains books that we will use for many, many years.

Find Out More

Yesterday’s Classics provides a very helpful explanation about e-reader software in their Guide to E-reader Devices and Software.

The 225 e-book (Kindle or EPUB) package is available for only $99.95 through May 31st, 2011.

You can read reviews by other TOS Crew Members here.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

Hideaway Country Kitchen {Guidecraft Mom Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:50:00 +0000

One of my favorite toys when I was growing up was a kitchen set. I remember playing with it everyday ~ daydreaming about growing up and having a family of my own to fix meals for someday. My kids and I were beyond excited when we received Guidecraft’s Hideaway Country Kitchen!

Pretty isn’t it!

About the Hideaway Country Kitchen

This beautiful wooden kitchen measures 30"W x 15.25"D x 38"H once it is assembled. What makes this kitchen so amazing is the ability to fold it it up.Once folded it measures a depth of just 6”, allowing you to store it easily.

The kitchen, which has white bead board on the back wall and doors, also has an adjustable clock, hooks to hang hot pads or cups,

a wooden shelf, and knobs that make a clicking noise when you turn them. The kitchen is recommended for ages 3 and up.

My Thoughts

I placed the kitchen on a small wall right beside our kitchen so the kids could “cook” while I am working in the kitchen. The colors of the kitchen are neutral and go with any decor.

We have a small house and I rotate our toys so the kids don’t have too much out at one time. This kitchen is easy to fold up, just lift the locking bars and remove one bolt, then fold it and hide it away in a closet.

Both of my kids (Emily who is almost 8 and Aiden who is 4) have played with the kitchen everyday since I put it together.

I will say that it took me about 1 1/2 hours to put the kitchen together. The instructions were easy to read and my only problem was attaching the 7 knobs on the front.

Find Out More

The Hideaway Country Kitchen is available from both Amazon and the Guidecraft website. If you are looking for a kitchen set with pink, blue and yellow, check out the Hideaway Playtime Kitchen instead. It features a pink, blue and yellow color scheme and is also available from Guidecraft.

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, I was provided this product to review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed in this post are mine.

~Cindy