{TOS Review} Amazing Animals by Design

Amazing Animals by Design was a delightful book to read with Emma. It certainly hit the spot for my young animal lover! And, while we read this book together, we had a lovely discussion about how God designed each animal in a special way to be able to survive in its environment. 

We enjoyed following John, Sarah, and their parents on their journey through the zoo. We read along as the zoo keeper answered all of their questions about the unique ‘design’ of each animal.

 

I will be purchasing a hard copy of this book upon its release on April 1. The 24-page book is available in paperback for $8.99, and the PDF eBook (which is what I reviewed) is available for $7.99.

To see what my fellow crewmates thought about this book, please visit the Crew Blog.

{Intentional} Week 1 (3/25-3/31)

Here goes my first post of ‘intentional’ goals. I think 5 is a good ‘do-able’ number. Don’t you?

• Clean out my bedroom closet. This entails packing up winter clothes, pulling out spring/summer clothes, and boxing up what doesn’t fit. I will date the box of clothes that don’t fit. If they don’t fit me one year from now, they are going to the Goodwill.  I will no longer look at those clothes longingly (if they are too small) or hold onto them just in case I need them again (if they are too big). If they aren’t being used intentionally, they are serving no purpose except to clutter my room and my brain! Everything that is worn, stained, out-dated, or just plain ugly will be bagged up now! Update:  Due to some water damage in Isaac's room, his room will be getting a new paint job and a new ceiling in his closet. Therefore, I will be working in his closet this week instead of mine.
• Pull all breakfast and bread recipes out of my overflowing recipe binder. I will put all of these into a new, smaller binder that will better serve its purpose. If I can’t find a recipe, I can’t use it!  UPDATE: I started working on this job, and it's a big job. I have TONS of recipes.  I have sorted them into categories, and just need to purchase page protectors to slide them in before putting them in the binders.
• Grade and file all of the kids’ work piled up on my desk and enter the grades in my grade book. If I assign it and never give feedback, it has no purpose! UPDATE:  I started on this one, too.  But it's not finished.
• Sort my printed photos by year/month so I can get them in my Project Life album in a timely manner. If I take a bajillion pictures and do nothing with them, we can’t relive the moments together.UPDATE: I didn't even touch this one!
• Get my garden sectioned off and the soil turned and filled in order to start planting my new veggies. If I don’t get my plants in the ground soon, I’m going to miss the growing season.Update:  I bought all my plants and soil this weekend.  I got two of the three beds done. The third bed is full of ants so we've treated it, and I will complete it when the ants are dead. Update #2 - This job is now complete, and I will post pics soon!

As you can see, I’ve listed my goals and the reason to accomplish the goals. To be intentional is to have a purpose. I’ll be back to update the list as I accomplish each goal.
What are your goals for the upcoming week? I’d love for you to leave me a comment or link up to your own to-do list for the week.

Better late than never!

 

“intentional”

Back at Christmas, I was chatting with my mom about my goals for the upcoming year. I told her I intended to be ‘intentional’ this year. That means having a purpose for everything I do. When I don’t have a purpose things get left undone and words get left unsaid. Relationships flounder. Chores go undone. Time is wasted. And, I feel all discombobulated. Or, I feel like I’m neglecting a duty. Either way, it doesn’t feel good.

I want to be intentional in my relationships. Intentional in how I spend my time. Intentional in how I use my talents. Intentional in how I keep my home. Intentional in what I feed myself and my family.

So, in my attempt to become more intentional, I’m working on setting small, attainable goals each week.  I’m posting the lists here to hold myself accountable. If I see it in writing, it’s more likely to get done. And, I’ll feel a sense of accomplishment to be able to come back and update a list with a ‘done’! I’m going to start posting my lists on Sunday for the upcoming week.  Hopefully, this will be just what I need to set my goals in motion.

Ugh!! Allergies!!

This is what my sweet girl looks like these days!!  In addition to the seasonal allergies that have her sneezing and blowing all day, she has strep. She’s had strep for 3 weeks now as the first round of antibiotics didn’t work.  So, now she’s on a new one that will hopefully knock it out.

Seasonal allergies get her every time! Poor thing is coughing her head off and blowing her nose all day long. We’ve put her on her seasonal regiment of Singulair, Zyrtec, nose spray and eye drops. To this, we added a steroid to help quiet the wheeze she developed this week.  

I. HATE. ALLERGIES. – just for the record.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I mentioned a few weeks ago that there may be some changes in our future.  One of those changes was that Isaac had asked about going to school next year.  Originally, I vetoed the idea simply because the local public high school was our only option.  However, I learned about a new charter school that was opening up right around the corner from us.  I did quite a bit of research, and had many conversation with friends who knew more about the school than me.  And, I decided to submit an application for Isaac to attend. 

The school is slated to open in August as a K-9 school (adding one grade each year until it is K-12).  Each grade will have 100 students EXCEPT 9th grade – which will only have 50! (Huge plus for me!)  These 50 will stay together until graduation, and each grade under them will fill to capacity.

Each grade, K-9, went to lottery this year.  The lottery was held last Saturday, and Isaac’s name was drawn! He is so excited!! 

The school is an International Baccalaureate school.  I’m excited about the small class sizes. The curriculum is said to be academically rigorous and college preparatory. They strive for an inquiry-based learning environment.  Many IB Diploma Programme graduates finish high school with many college credits.  I’m confident that this school will be a great fit for Isaac.

(Now, if we would just hear that Matt’s job isn’t moving us to PA, we could really celebrate!)

{TOS Review} Progeny Press

I have used Progeny Press literature guides in past years, but it’s been a while since I’ve picked one up. 

These guides are designed to help students better understand what they read. They concentrate on critical thinking, comprehension, literary analysis, and Christian application. Their goal is to “teach children to think clearly, to understand literature, and to rely on scripture for truth and values, and enjoy themselves while they do it!”.

You can check out the full Progeny Press Catalog, and view an interactive sampling of their study guides. The study guides are available at four levels – lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school – so there is plenty to choose from for each of your students.

The guides are available in three formats – reproducible paperbound booklet, PDF on CD, or PDF emailed to you. Many of the study guides are also available in a new interactive format which allows students to type their answers directly into the guide.

The Progeny Press Guides range in cost from $10.99 to $27.99.

Daddy-Daughter Dance

Two weeks ago, our dance studio hosted a Daddy-Daughter dance.  Emma was so excited about this ‘date’ with her daddy.  Of course, the dance meant she needed a new dress which also meant new shoes. She asked me to curl her hair, too.  I think she was absolutely beautiful!  And, hubby isn’t too shabby in his sports coat,either.

{TOS Review} Art of Argument

When I saw The Art of Argument on the TOS upcoming vendor list, I was so excited.  You see, I’ve been using this curriculum with Logan (a senior with no prior instruction in logic) all year. I wanted the opportunity to use it with Isaac (8th grader with a little bit of logic instruction).

I received the following items:

• The Art of Argument Student Book – $21.95
• The Art of Argument Teacher’s Edition – $24.95
• Disc 1 of the Art of Argument DVD Set – 5 DVD Set – $54.95

This logic curriculum is thorough in it’s coverage of twenty-eight common fallacies. It is written to the student so Logan has worked on it independently. 

 

In this text, each unit covers a series of similar fallacies – appeals to emotion, red herrings, fallacies of clarity, and more.  Each chapter gives all of the definitions and explanations at the beginning of the chapter. Toward the end of the chapter, students pictures, ads, and examples of the fallacies they are studying.

The teacher’s edition includes the entire student text plus the answers, chapter tests, and unit tests. As a teacher who received NO formal logic instruction in school, I wish the teacher’s manual provided more instruction on ‘how’ to teach Logic.

The Art of Argument; An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies can be found on the Classical Academic Press website. It is written for students in 7th grade and up. You can find a sample chapter from the student text and teacher’s manual and the videos. 

I received these products from Classical Academic Press as a member of the TOS Crew. All opinions shared are my own, and I received no other compensttion.

{P&M} Spring Break Craft Party

I am a Pinterest addict! I love that site and all the cool things I can find to make and do. However, it was high time I started making stuff that I was pinning.  So, I’m going to post a few ‘pinned it and made it’ (P&M) I’ve done recently. 

This week, I decided to throw a Spring Break Craft Party using several things I had seen pinned.  So, I invited several girls from the dance studio (plus the two I babysit), and we got busy!

I had the supplies all ready for the girls when they arrived.  Two moms stayed, and I put them to work helping tear tape strips for the girls.  The girls put the tape strips wherever they wanted on their canvases.  Then, the painting began. There was virtually NO mess (except the occasional elbow in the paint). There were LOTS of giggles, though!

Pinned from here

While the moms cleaned up from the painting, the girls munched on “bunny bait”.  It was certainly a hit.

Pinned from here

However, it was soon trumped by the s’mores!  These were so fun! The girls watched through the oven door as the Peeps began to puff up and the chocolate began to melt. They loved these, and I will be making them again – for sure!!

While the moms and I cleaned up from that adventure, the girls hit the trampoline to burn off some of that sugar. A lively game of “popcorn”, I believe.

Pinned from here

We helped the girls peel the tape off of their canvases, and let them showcase their beautiful artwork.  I love how individual they are!

What a great day!!

{Wordless Wednesday} Pin-spired Painting Party

I’ll be back tomorrow to post links and more pics from our “pin-spired” Spring Break Craft Party.

{TOS Review} K5 Learning

K5 Learning is an online reading and math program for kids from kindergarten through grade 5.   Our intent is to help kids build reading, math and study skills through independent study.  K5 is designed for use at home, after-school, on weekends and during the summer, and can also be used in conjunction with a homeschooling program.

K5 includes four reading and math programs which include the following programs:

•  K5 Reading - helps kids become strong readers and develop a love of reading;
• K5 Spelling – is an advanced vocabulary program which improves language skills one word at a time;
• K5 Math - an award-winning program which builds self confidence and a deep understanding of math concepts;
• K5 Math Facts – uses adaptive technology to help kids develop instant recall of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts

Pricing varies based upon the subscription you purchase.  K5 offers a 14-day FREE trial so you can check it out before making your decision. K5 Learning is $25/month for the first child, and additional children are $15 each.  An annual subscription is $199 for the first child, and $129 for each additional child.

Please note, K5 learning is not an all inclusive curriculum. It was created to be a supplement for students who struggle with math, reading and/or spelling. As such, it is also a great tool for public/private school children who need a bit of extra help in the evenings after school.

What we thought:  I really like this program. I like that it works systematically through basic grade-appropriate concepts. It teaches the lesson and then offers a chance to practice the concept. The immediate feedback is excellent. Emma was not as big a fan as I would have hoped. However, I think it’s because it was actually work – not fun and games like other ‘educational’ sites. I will have her to continue to log in and work on the site until our subscription ends. I will not purchase a subscription, however.  This is a very expensive ‘supplemental’ program which I don’t feel we ‘need’. 

To read what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about this program, please click the banner below.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a trial subscription in exchange for my honest opinion/review. No other compensation was received.

{Weekly Wrap-up} A Great Week!

We had such a great, productive week! I am thrilled with how much we accomplished around the house and in school. 

In Bible, we listened to Genesis 15-22.  This opened up a whole array of questions from Emma – 8.  The Bible is definitely not rated G, but I answered with just enough information to satisfy for now.

The boys wrapped up Module 7 (clouds) in their Physical Science book. We moved on to Module 8, and I implemented a new notebooking process which I’ll blog about at a later time. I think this is really going to help Isaac retain the information better. Emma wrapped up her unit on muscles, and we are heading into a study of the brain next week.

Logan interviewed a lady at the church this week for his Foundations in Personal Finance course. He had a list of questions to ask her, and then wrote an essay describing the different trains of thought about money and relationships today and when she got married in the 60’s. I haven’t read the essay yet, but I am excited to do so.

Lots of reading took place this week.  Logan is reading Of Courage Undaunted for history and The Screwtape Letters for literature. He was so excited when I assigned The Screwtape Letters, because he loves C. S. Lewis.  Isaac is reading All Creatures Great and Small for literature, and he is really enjoying that.  He’s also reading The Hunger Games before we have a movie date to go watch the movie in the theaters. Emma and I are almost finished with The Secret Garden, and she’s reading tons of books on her own. I’m reading Immanuel’s Vein by Ted Dekker and an essay entitled “Stop Stealing Dreams” about the public school system.

In history, Logan is focusing on the Louisiana Purchase. He began a project where he has to construct a map of the Louisiana Purchase and write a 2-page essay discussing its impact on America. Emma finished up Dinosaurs Before Dark, and she will be moving to Knights/Castles next week. Instead of history, Isaac does geography. He began memorizing the countries/capitals of Central America and the Caribbean Islands.

All of the kids are moving right along in their foreign languages (L= Spanish 2, I & E = Latin). Isaac and Emma are moving through the grammar, spelling, and math assignments, as well.

I had a pretty productive week, as well.  I did some freezer cooking over the weekend which meant I wasn’t scrambling for meals each evening.  That was a complete success! I got some crocheting done, as well.  Right now, I’m just dabbling on a few crochet projects, but I’m not in love with any of them. Therefore, none hold my attention for very long. 

This weekend, Emma and Matt are attending the first annual Daddy-Daughter dance being hosted by our dance studio.  Emma is so excited. So, we will spend Saturday shopping for a hot pink tie for Daddy (he promised he’d match her dress). I’ll also be giving her a mani/pedi and curling her hair for her big date! Logan will be working, and Isaac is hanging out at my sister’s for a bit. So, after I drop food off at the studio, I may get just a little time to myself! Yay!!

{TOS Review} Reading Eggs

From the Reading Eggs website:

Learning to read can be easy and fun!

Reading Eggs makes learning to read interesting and engaging for kids, with great online reading games and activities.

And it really works!

Children love the games, songs, golden eggs and other rewards which, along with feeling proud of their reading, really motivate children to keep exploring and learning.

Emma has had a blast on this site! She begs to get on and I have to drag her off.  Because Emma is a very strong reader, I did not have her take the placement test (sample placement question shown below) for Reading Eggs which is geared for readers aged 4-7.  I put her right into Reading Eggspress.  However, I caught her playing the phonics game on Reading Eggs one day, and she was having a ball! I let her continue moving through the map.

Sample of one part of a lesson on Reading Eggs

As I mentioned, Emma is using Reading Eggspress which is geared for children ages 7-13 (grades 2-7). There are over 700 e-books to read and 200 comprehension games.

Reading Eggs is perfect for readers ages 4-13(beginning and experienced readers alike).  Subscriptions vary in price from $75/year to $49.95/6 months to $9.95/month.  There is a 50% discount for additional children if you sign them up at the same time. Subscriptions are good for both Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress which is great for those children who are on the cusp of becoming fluent readers.

I was thoroughly pleased with our eggsperience with Reading Eggs/Reading Eggspress.  It progressed nicely and kept Emma’s attention. As I mentioned above, she begged for more.  Emma and I give it two thumbs up!

To see what my fellow Crewmates thought about Reading Eggs, click the banner below.

 

I received a subscription to Reading Eggs for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are my own.