REVIEW & GiveAway: Cinnamon Burst Cheerrios ~woohoo! And Prize Pack!!

My kids LOVE Cheerios~and we were given the op to ck out the newest flavor~Cinnamon Burst Cheerios~and they loved them~in fact, the box didn't last the first meal with those two...lol!  They are crisp and sweet~just right so my kidos tell me~I was also sent a neat Fit N Fresh food carrier, the Fresh Start Breakfast Chiller~Love the color, a pretty soft orange/tangerine color and opaque with white trim~there is also aSpark People~Make Your Life An Adventure FREE (you know, SisterT loves FREE) fitness/food program link for tracking and tailoring a program to meet your needs! You will also get a set of four white sleek cereal bowls~just right for a healthy serving! Do you see that candle in the pic? It's a beautiful smell that we have really enjoyed! Totally a mind, body and soul prize pack!  I'm cking out SparkPeople.  I've used another site, but this one looks pretty good~Soo cool~

Included in the information is information so useful to me~appropriate serving size info~Did you know that fruit and veggies should be no bigger than your fist or a small baseball per serving? NO MO huge bananas for SisterT...or those great big apples that are so yummy! If you are attending to health, and we ALL should be, watch the portions~ AND go ck out sparkpeople.com for loads of great info and inspiration!  

Here's what they said about the cereal:

Made with real cinnamon, new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal will delight your taste buds! This newest edition to the Cheerios line-up allows you to provide your family with a delicious and nutritious breakfast that contains 20% of the Daily Value of fiber (or 5g per serving), has 9g of sugar, is low in fat, saturated fat free and naturally cholesterol free. Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal also provides at least 8g of whole grain per serving; at least 48g recommended daily. A true crowd pleaser, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal is sure to kick-start any morning!

I get to GiveAway a price pack to a fortunate reader~ALLLL you gotta do is leave me a comment for one entry~OR for five entries blog my giveAway and leave me the link on your entries~THAT'S IT!  ENDS 3/1 11:59 EST ;-))

I hope you can get out and try some of this great breakfast food with your kiddos~it's really good!

Disclaimer:  I received a box of Cinnamon Burst Cheerios along with a gift pack of the above mentioned items as part of the MyBlogSpark program in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation.  My opinions are my own.

Just Talkn'...

Sometimes you just gotta talk.  I do or else it will all bottle up inside and I fear I'll go MAD...mad at everybody~mad at life~just plain ole MAD~Today my world of green grass and fifty degree weather turned BACK into an ice/snow castle.  Oh it's pretty, but I'm longing for spring! And well, we are back to the dry dry heat running full force in our home~yeah, we're nice and warm...but...I WAS HANKERING for SPRING!

Yeah, the ice and snow HAD all melted away~all but just the tallest of PILES where those essential snow plows had done their job to keep the paths/roads/ways as clear AS THEY COULD~but today it's all OUT THERE again...a desert of snow with a layer of slippery slidey ICE~just enough to take one's life in a bad bad fall.  And falling would be really bad...but alas, Sister and her family so far have gotten to stay home and snuggle and cuddle up right in here~but I had sooo wanted to get out of this place~to be free and roam the wide green areas of terrain...but not yet...

Guess the old groundhog decided winter needed to hang around a bit longer...maybe he wanted a longer nap...Well, picture postcard winters are okay~but it's enough, now~ LET THE GREEN begin!

And it will...it's coming...I'm waiting... ...

SisterT's Talkin' About Her Kids and THEIR Dreams For the Future~

The TOS CREW Blog Cruise question this week is:  What do your children want to be when they grow up and what are you doing to help them pursue their field of interest?

When my children were little, I had BIG dreams as do many moms as they hold their little babies and look into their innocent eyes.  I dreamed of lofty things like doctor, lawyers, Indian Chief...mother, father, teacher, preacher, singer, dancer...well, you get the idea~I DIDN'T KNOW what the future would hold, but I did have some idea that our future would be tied very tightly to our past~and just what we did and do~day by day...tht would equal OUR FUTURE...

Sooo when they were little toddlers and so active and energetic, I would take them to story time at the local library that had a park just across the parking lot~it was shaded with tall, tall pine trees and had picnic tables and benches along with all kinds of climbing and pay equipment~it was fenced in and safe...a GREAT place to spend the days away~library and then play...before naps and meals/clean ups...I believe it was in this environment that the love of books and reading began~blossomed with an eye to the future and desire for MORE...today...

A love of books and STRONG reading skills has to be, BESIDES the love of learning, the greatest academic skill a person can CULTIVATE...oh my! And this is an area we have pursued with passion~all of us...save one...and I'm still working ON HIM...lol...but we have invested our time and energy in a vast collection of books and reading activities as well as goals~each summer my children have participated in the local library summer reading program~You can imagine what this did to my daughter~HER DRIVE to win along with her love of books took her to hold the county we lived in~to have read the MOST books ever~over 1K..NO LIE...and today, she boasts a reading rate of somewhere between 800-1K words per minute..and she WORKS at this...reading IS a huge key to her successes~I certainly don't read that fast, nor type as fast as she does...never will...but my son who has struggled with reading reads, but at a much slower rate~unfortunately he HATES to read~but we continue to persue this for him~

Soo I had to ASK THEM what they WANT to do...

GirlTHINGOne says, "I don't know, exactly.  I want to write a couple of books, and make big money."  Okaay~GREAT...but...of course she talks about everything from law, doctor to...uh...coffee shop proprietor...LOL...WHO KNOWS what will become outta this...LOL...she's putting tools in her arsenal for live~she's driven~she has stick-to-it-NESS~soo what ever it turns out to be~it will be something else! I'm sure!!

BoyTHINGone won't even talk to me about it~"It's none of your business," he's said...OKAY...well, yeah. Maybe NOT, but dude, as long as your plans are to GET OUT of my house at some point and support yourself in an honest and meaningful say~GO FOR IT....The choice IS yours...with love, Mom.

As the Mom of teens, life can sometimes be on the rocks~meaning it isn't always fun or easy~but their dreams are theirs~and it ultimately IS up to them...As for what I'm doing TODAY~I'm refraining from ... uh...lol... and letting them continue to 'live' here and mature..so that they WILL be grown UP...(just kidding!!) But seriously, I have enrolled them into the Virtual Academy k12 school and working to support htem in their journey hof homeschooling~which is QUITE different from what we've done in the past.  They had expressed a desire for a diploma so I am supporting this~also they want college~I probably will go back to work to support that too~in fact~our whole lives are changing.  With the improvement in my health and their change of methods for dreams (me totally schooling verses this online academy) things are definitely different~DIFFERENT..and changed~for the better...

Son HAS GOT to get it in gear...and let me say this...LOL...this ole fat mama is a believer in LOGICAL NATURAL CONSEQUENCES:  son will be old enough to get a permit soon...right??? Oh yeah, and of course HE WANTS to drive.  What 15 year old doesn't want that privledge??  Well, this will bring about a NEED for car insurance right?? Pricey~right??? Okay...Dad won't PAY for car insurance~UNLESS the kids have the good grades discount...KWIM????  LOL....NOWWWWWWW you get the picture...

When my son was little...very little...he put red fingernail polish ALL over his door knob to his bedroom AND on the wall~'gorgeous' art that HE was soo proud of...well, instead of taking it off right away, I left it...for a god wile and said, "Mama doesn't like that~boys paint ON PAPER!" and showed it to him whenever I was in that area of his room...well, fortunately he NEVER did that again...and a little paint took care of it...I've done this sort of thing over the years~my daughter cut her hair~SHE WORE IT for a looooong time..my son saved off his eyebrows...HE WORE IT...for a very long time...uh...seeeeeee the pattern?  LET THEM experience the consequence as much as it's safe to do...then teach around it...so I'm NOW allowing my son to find his way in his schooling~I've taught HOW and WHY~now HE HAS to DO...b/c I can't for him...and if I did~what a cripple I'd be creating...

I have GREAT FAITH and believe they are going to do VERY well~and in God's time and way...who knows but the LORD how it will all turn out...I'm trusting HIM in this...one day at a time~

The CREW is buzzing about this              Ck it out~and let me know what you're up to or what you think~BE BLESSED!!

REVIEW: Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solution

Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solution~

Ages: 1-6th grades

WEB:  HERE

PRICE:  $97 with 365 Day~Unconditional Money Back Guarantee

I say: Very useful to encourage reading with real life information and fun!

I received a download Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solution as part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew review team in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own.

 Reading is a great skill and the GREATEST academic skill besides a love for learning we can give our children!  Strong reading skills are a huge asset! And being a reluctant reader~a struggling reader is a challenge for a child. I know. My son is a struggling reader. Over the years, I have worked more phonics and speech with him~and my daughter~literally a speed reader and tonight she's showing me a site where she's practicing reading upwards of 1K per minute...I AM NOT kidding! But to let you know, I researched that the average reader for a teen is about 250 wpm....READING IS A MUST~literacy skills are one of the keys to a good future~Are you building that future for your child working with their reading skills? 

Kid Scoop is dedicated to enhancing kid's learning with activities, games, puzzles and all kinds of pencil grabbers to get kids to WANT to learn and to READ...  "Kid Scoop believes kids want to learn and that learning is fun!" The Site has a vast array of resources to make it fun for a kid and easier for parents! If you have a reluctant, struggling reader, help is here~

Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solution is a program of downloads that are a combination of reading activities, stories and fun in activity sets according to theme and ability.  Included are 365 fun Kid Scoop worksheets in sets of 5,6 or 7 by theme or chronology~these are awesome and are categorized by theme with a calendar or by chronology with a table of contents.  These work to get a kid who is having trouble to LOVE reading~with downloadable Kid Scoop News Online (12 issues)  and also the Fun Sheets! There are lesson plans included on the website to use the newspapers and also many other resources that you will want to investigate on the Kid Scoop site that are categorized by user~

The Kid Scoop News Online is a download beautifully illustrated 20 page action packed curiosity builder READ for your child~ha! The January issue even perked my interest PROMISING in Feb to TELL~how lead gets into pencils~HA HA! I wanna know, and I bet most kids want to know, too! There are jokes and riddles and challenges of ALL kinds~Definitely NOT boring!

The topics are:
backpacks
baseball
bees
big food
blooming creative
bubblegum
budgeting
butterflies
Cinco de Mayo
Clay day
Columbus Day

There are 365 topics with activities like word search, writing exercises and more!

The method to teach with these is to use the ADR method:
A~Ask questions about the content~let the things there perk your child's interest!
D~Do~let your child do the worksheet and look at the newspaper~let draw your child in...
R~Review the information on the page to reinforce learning~

Newspapers is the area where one can access the information about the Kid Scoop News which is a great tool for teachers, but also is included in many publications across the US as an enhancement for children. Let's face it, anything done to encourage kids to read HAS to be good, and I like Kid Scoop for its content as well as layout~it is appealing to kids! You can see an example:

These Kid Scoop News content can appeal to different learners~a younger child version which is My Kid Scoop, Spanish version as well as a regular version with a sample VIEW . There's also The Scoop, A Blog for Newspapers for those wishing to discuss Newspapers in Eduction to chat with Mrs. Whitting concerning Kid Scoop use in publications~this is very cool~a cool way to get kids and their parents READING! I love it!! You won't be disappointed with the resources available~HERE!  To access these, you will need to sign up for a free account ;-))

You can sign up for Make Reading FUN Daily eTip to help you know what to do to teach your child~With loads of resources, you will want to have your child  Sign Up for a free Kids Scoop E-Scoop Newsletter just loaded with fun learning teasers!  There are more FREE resources in theWebliography area where there have been collected many many FREE resources on various topics such as animals, craft projects, financial literacy, character education, government, history, language arts...Oh my! THIS IS a very cool resource! I like that there are professional websites as well as some blogger type sites with information on them which represents an array of knowledge! I like that they are really organized in a colorful and cheerful way too~easy to navigate! That's soo helpful to me!

In all, Kid Scoop Reluctant Reader Solution is a great add on to a reading program for a child who might be a bit older who would appreciate some fun, but who is struggling OR for the younger child who is advanced beyond Dick and Jane.   As you can see, they are loaded with images and are really engaging!

Go   to see what the Crew is saying! Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you think! ;-))

Fit Mommy Friday WK 7~Research Equals POWER and MOVEMENT; MY RESULTS

I've been doing water aerobics, but they aren't overly stressful, while I am gaining endurance. I'm NOT like the other Fit Mommys who have either NO weight to loose or who have 100 or less to loose, and their exercise/fitness goals are more maintanence than restorative~not so with ME...actually I have much more than that to loose, but the greatest thing I will loose is my life IF I  don't do something~so here I am ...and I want to reach out to those LIKE ME who think it's hopeless...it's not. HOPE comes from God~not ourselves.  Any problem we have is something HE can fix~and He does...but the biggest thing I'm learning is that a food plan alone is just a DIEt and it won't work for me.  I need something more~I need a focus on my spiritual health~mind and spirit~that helps my body~AND looking to God helps me on this path. He's my source and strength.

Recently, my son enrolled in an online PE course which is exploring all kinds of activities as well as the information on how to become fit and stay that way..WHAT A BOOST for me! I am so thrilled to get access or maybe not access~but to have this info put before me~AND I also won a fellow Fit Mommy's giveaway for a Denise Austin book...I'm MOVING ON UP, folks!! YAY!

Okay, so I want to link up and share what I am exploring. So beginning today I am going to give you these links and some highlights as I explore them.

Strength Training:  About.com Weight Training 101
This site is pretty extensive and exhaustive about lifting weights. Two tips would be to warm up and then do all muscle groups to prevent uneven building and possible injury. I also figure that I need a Workout Finder Suvey  to be able to know what level~or just HOW beginner I am ...I mean, I am way way out of shape~Also you can sign up for a FREE Exercise Newsletter via email on that same page~sounds great to me!

Okay~it put ME in theExercise for Beginners  page which looks pretty good. Some of it I have accomplished and others I can read and figure out...The part about gym intemidation is pretty good b/c while I go to the Y to swim, believe me, it's embarressing. I don't like *that* part...but~it's MY health...and I gotta DO IT!

Beginner Goals has some pretty good info on HOW to set attainable goals. Believe it or not~this is probably the area that FIRST we all need to address~HOW dumb would it be to set an unattainable goal for myself and then GIVE UP because I have *failed*!  Duh...WHAT did I expect, but to fail~and what's worse than failure AT my own hands? Not much! So in being kind to me and living in honesty, I know it will take some time to undo my damage. Death by Fork is one thing that will take some time to undo in my life...TIME is on MY side~I pray...


Okay~so here's my progress this week:

Exercise: I've begun putting into place some exercises here at home that are little five-10 minute repetitions of movement in between the swimming. I've committed to getting to the Y 3 times a week...I also calculated how many calories I am burning for this water aerobic exercise and at my size, it's pretty good....yup~I'm still going to do these! Yay!


My food continues strong, although I awoke from a nap on Sunday afternoon after DREAMING I had scarfed down three cookies in my sleep~YIKES! Well, I didn't praise God! I am still sugar FREE...and tomorrow makes 20 weeks! YAY!


Okay~I weigh in on Monday~don't think it's going to be a huge loss, but I am hoping for a good result based on my efforts and the way my clothes are fitting~

Thanks for stopping by and cking on me~You can read about the other Fit Mommys OR join up for encouragement and inspiration~Just click HERE OR on that button up top~Leave me a shout out~I'd love to hear from you! ;-))

The Homeschool Mother's Journal: WK4~Proof IS in the Pudding!

Well, not exactly pudding! But the proof of a good education and homeschooling is when our kids ARE put to THE TEST~and yeah, I've done that...it's called LIFE...and joining into the mix of second semester virtual academy K12.  Oh yeah! We have been challenged and put to the TEST~But I am feeling a little bit better about it all this week and last week's meltdowns are over~BoyThingOne has got to do his work on HIS OWN or FAIL and reconnoiter to figure out HIS OWN WAY~after the last 10 years of pushing, pulling, tugging and towing, I have learned that I MUST let him DOooo even if it isn't just perfect or WHAT I'd like to see...and surprising is how well he's doing~I am impressed with his strengths and that he's adapting and learning HOW to proceed with an education that HE WANTS~  Proof for my daughter is her tenacity and work. I am sooo impressed with her too~WHAT JOY to know that the time I've spent, my own heart's investments are returning full fold in my kids MAKING IT~and thriving,  not just surviving!

If you are interested, here is last week b/c I just figured OUT lol that these things go in on Friday~HA! NOT Monday...LOL...

Okay, so how did my week really go?

In My Life and In Our Homeschool This Week:
Well, I've stayed on my food & exercise plan, and I got to bump up my activity a good bit~loving that! My kids are doing better in virtual academy~we are still spending waaaaay too much time on this, but their time investments are paying off in good grades and they are becoming accustomed to the new routines.  It's definitely a  change~but for the better!

My Favorite Thing This Week was...

Hub and I went on a date to the movies on Valentine's Day and I laughed and laughed...it was a side splitter movie~too funny! Had such a good time! Want to laugh some more, it really changed my outlook and made all the ice and snow melt from my soul~good thing too~the temps have warmed and all our snow is now MUSH and SLUSH! Woohoo!  

What's Working/Not Working For Us...
What's working is the new routines and structure, but what's not working is the TIME involved. School should BE DONE by 5 or 6 at the LASTEST~but we are working loads longer than this most nights ALL week long..this has GOT to change! 

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...

Will I always want to do some of the things I am doing now in my life such as blogging and reviews? Just sayn' because life does seem to be more about doing...doing differently~I dunno...just sayn'...what's wrong with a little inside ck up?

A photo to share...(maybe a few...)

DNA model for Biology! Another meaning to CANDY!

self pic that HE sent to his math teacher...LOL...

MY valentine! LOL...

 












You can read more about homeschooling OR join up~just click on that box above! Thanks for stopping by~leave me a kind remark! THANKS!! 

The Homeschool Mother's Journal: K 3~PROGRESS Not Perfection~

In My Life and In Our Homeschool This Week:
 What's that saying, MODERATION in ALL things?  I'm beginning to wonder if our lives are going to settle down any. We're been on a marathon for a few weeks now~over a month since coming into the decision to change our homeschooling methods to a virtual academy online school verses ME doing all the planning, prep and execution (TEACHING LOL) of everything.  You can read about our progression
HERE where I've listed the links to the posts I made along our journey. You see, this all began with a poll I gave my kids back in December when I asked, ASKED them..WHAT they think about homeschooling and HOW we are doing~YIKES! Sometimes TRUTH HURTS and to have not addressed it would imho been criminal~sooo we have logged some SERIOUS changes and you can read about them: room gut and remodel, desk building and set ups, uh...revamp of the WHOLE deal...at the first link above...BUT~

We are NOW heading into week 3 of Virtual Academy and it's feeling pretty good except for the exhaustion.  We've had to adapt to changes and new routines. Not entirely fun, but very rewarding.

We've learned some things~ 
My children are prepared. 

I can praise God for this, and before, while I BELIEVED they were/are prepared, who wouldda known without putting them to the test? They didn't know, which was ONE of the big why to our change~they didn't have any confidence....NOW it's growing b/c they CAN...and DO...praise God!

There IS quality education beyond what I can offer~AND they will partner WITH ME...
I would have never believed it before, and somehow I sunk down into the mindset that I had a handle on it all~which is the first step to becoming a fool I might add~The Bible talks a lot about fools...GOOD to have avoided being a fool~for NOW...LOL...opportunity is ALWAYS knocking, isn't it?? LOL....But back to the help we are receiving~my son struggles in one area and my daughter in another. Both are gifted in other completely different areas~but to have teachers who LOVE to teach~I'm telling you, that I CAN TELL these people LOVE kids and LOVE teaching~it's showing and this skeptical mama WOULD KNOW...and I'd tell you, too...remember the name of my little blog here...I am Telln' It! Sure am!! LOL....With the difficulties of a learning disability and being thrown into the academic arena that we have never been in before~my children are demonstrating incredible courage, strength, character and abilities~AND...these teachers are recognizing my wonderful children and stepping UP to help when needed joyfully so...I could not EVER ask for more. NO! I couldn't! I am praising God for wonderful teachers and advisers...

I know it's just week two completed, but we are learning about ourselves too. Our Daddy has stepped to the plate and is helping in my weaker areas, and together this whole family is doing the job of living and loving while learning!  What a blessing! I'm figuring out, too that we can have some fun along the way~We're looking for moderation, as our days have been incredibly long thus far. It's taking THIS to accomplish the tasks and learn the information, but I am so well pleased by their tenacity. BTW~both children have said, "Mom, wish we had done this sooner!" WOW...WOW...and of course they know WHY we didn't, but that they wanted to despite this huge learning curve that has required LOADS of extra effort on their parts? I AM TRULY impressed...yeah, SisterT has GREAT KIDS~I am seeing and knowing this too!

As for me, I'm still working on ME~my health: mind, body and soul.  I'm learning that my physical is so related to my mental and spiritual self.  You can read about that HERE!

Places We're Going and People We're Seeing...

I made it out a few times this week and my kids and I got to go sledding and snowboarding on Wednesday at Youth Group~this is a hoot~We have a great group of kids my kids are apart of~WHAT A FUN TIME~also they went to the Y with me last night~this was fun too!  Last Friday night my daughter and a friend went to a youth square dance with other homeschoolers~Woot!  Otherwise, it was mostly a week of schoolwork dawn til dusk..but hopefully THIS WEEK will be better...here's hoping!  BTW~there is a Spring Dance (square dances~VA Reel, ect....) coming in a few weeks~The pic is from last year:

My Favorite Thing This Week was...

Seeing how wonderful my children's tenacity and efforts are producing fruit. I also got testing results back that are very encouraging~I can only give God the credit and praise! Also right NOW our Daddy is running the electrical lines to all the equipment in the new schoolroom AND had installed a shelf~NEW pics coming...What a joy for it to be coming together!

What's Working/Not Working For Us...

 How long it's taking to accomplish the days. I am worried that doc and dentist as well as extra curriculars will have to be on the back burner until Summer...not liking this~also our play, Charlotte's Web is in mid-April as well as Graduation Exams and so there are some scheduling/time challenges coming! NOT liking this at all~

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...

I am wonder HOW we are going to keep up this pace...so I am looking for help. I've already secured professional tutoring services for them both to come here weekly to help in their weak areas, but wondering HOW this will all work...I am just having to give it to God b/c I just CAN'T fix any of this...it's in HIS capable hands...thank You, Lord!

Thanks for coming by~How's your week?? 
GIVEAWAY:  for the film, MOST...ENDS (2-14 11:59PM EST) 
HUGS!

A photo to share...(maybe a few...)

Gotcha!

Our iced in snowed in home....LOL...

Girl's School desk~

Boys' approach to history...

Girl's DNA model build...

Grinning for GREAT grades 13/10~WOOT!

Genius at work...go girl!!

 

Blog Cruise: Grandma to the RESCUE and What Daddy Does~

Long past Winter FUN!

The last two week's subjects have not pertained to our homeschool AT ALL so I took those weeks off, but the question this week is:

How are your spouse, grandparents, or other family members involved in your homeschooling?

 There's an interesting story about my son.  When he was little, he was delayed in speaking and therefore learning to read. When a young baby fails to gain the necessary verbal skills early on, it shouldn't be surprising that these created delays that have been a hallmark in our educational process all along~we are playing CATCH UP continuously~But here's that story:

As part of trying to teach my boy HOW to read, I first began teaching the letters and sounds via ABeka Book curriculum K boxed curriculum. He loved it, and we also played with all kinds of manipulatives and did speech services as well...he also attended 3 and 4 year old preschool which he LOVED~and had speech services, but Kindergarten was the year I brought him home and we began learning to read together. Let me say also that I read to the children, memorized poetry, and did all kinds of stuff when they were littles~but he was difficult to understand~but he did try to BE understood~well, it was a challenge!  But anyway, we began working and learning, but it didn't seem to be progressing~at least not fast enough for me.  I also used Starfall.com for the computer games/interactive reading lessons and even the physical workbooks that they offer to NO avail~then I head about a multi-sensory Sing Spell Read and Write (SSWR) program by Sue Dickson.  Enter in some progress as there are songs, games and all manner of FUN with a race track for a race car to mark the progress like a game~this went on the fridge~the resources were colorful and fun! We worked and worked and played and played...still NO independent reading...very little...

We had begun living out of state from where we are originally from and my mother had come to visit~ENTER Grandma! Grandma began to read a loud with him~or RATHER, he read to HER.  This provided some wonderful bonding between them, but also gave my boy some intense one on one beyond what I was doing or had done AND speech therapists~what a blessing! Well, he showed her...something he wouldn't show me...he could read! His skills were stronger than I knew~ha! AND that booger was READING his online games on the computer too~no kidding! 

 

We were in AWANA at church, and my son was a Sparkie at the time which is K, 1 & 2nd grades...anyway, he was working to memorize his verses, and well, one day, I looked over at him~HE WAS READING AND independently memorizing his verses...Ha! WHAT A STINKER! and sooo from then on, I've known that Grandma has a special touch~and he DOES READ, praise God! Well, the upshot is that today, fluency is still an issue, but it's a speech issue, yet; however, reading is a skill he has/is still mastering. He's a freshman in high school and as such took a test to judge his ability and compare him peer to peer~GUESS WHAT? He's inline with the national average for his peer group~Okay, now, I don't know what THAT IS for the public school and it's a little frightening for me to think about it~BUT...he's in there with the whole lot!! Soooo dear reader, WE PRESS ON...(and this is a topic for another day...LOL!)

Daddy has always been part of our homeschool whether it is directly or indirectly.  Right now, he is serving indirectly as our FRONT LINE technical support, room designer, and  TOTAL principle and math and science tutor~oh yeah, I NEED help in these areas, and he's helped our children when it was beyond me~Of course he is absolute disciplinarian and also the leader of this tribe.  His attitudes quickly become theirs in all things whether it's spiritual or relational~he's our mentor.  Daddies are hugely important, and ours is here! I couldn't do this job without him for the good, the bad AND the UGLY parts of our lives together~oh, it's not all pretty~this thing called, LIFE...but we are in this together...teaching our children directly and INDIRECTLY!

Right now, he's out in a freezing garage (we've had teen temperatures these past few days) creating a book/printer shelf to go over my son's work space in the newly renovated (but not  perfectly finished yet) school area. He did that part too~you can read about that in Revamping and Remodeling  
New Method For Our HSing.
 First Day... 
 Change Ahead...
We're Workn' It...

State of the Union...!)  We are a total work in progress~

Grandma lives with us now and her part today is keeping the food rolling and doing laundry.  I clean and teach~Daddy works and builds...the kids work too~we're all doing it ALL together~each part. Grandma is also teaching GirlThingOne how to cook...BoyThingOne is learning this too...

There are some max benefits to having the family all homeschooling together, and since coming to Virtual Academy, the team work approach is even a better fit. Now we have teachers to help us too~and WHAT a blessing to find just how great this help has been!  

The CREW is discussing FAMILY involvement in homeschooling              ! Go CK IT OUT!! 

Thanks for stopping by~leave me a thought or two~how are you doing this day or week? HUGS!! 

REVIEW: The Curosity Files~QuickSand

The Curiosity Files:  Quicksand

Explorations with Professor Ana Lyze, Expert in Outlandish OdditiesWebsite:  HERE  (You can purchase this series in bundles too for a discounted price per study!)
Ages: K-HS, but I think that fourth-fifth grades boys would LOVE it!
Cost: $6.95
I say: Unique fun unit study!

I received a copy of Curiosity Files QuickSand by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine as part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Crew review team for my honest opinions without monetary compensation.  My opinions are my own.

I have encountered QUICKSAND and I never knew it until I read this Curiosity Files unit study!  Having grown up around marsh and beaches, I had no idea just what quicksand is, but found that I just couldn't put down Curiosity Files: Quicksand because it is written in such an interesting way~

HOLD YOUR HAT!

The Curiosity Files: Quicksand is a version of The Old Schoolhouse Magazines' newest line of unit studies for kids ALL ages~a whopping 80 pages that includes a very well written narrative and all kinds of activities for learning about quicksand.  There are alternative titles and if you are CURIOS, the subjects are actually listed in the essay subject suggestions area or of course, you can ck out the website, The Schoolhouse StoreHERE!

INSIDE:

Narrative
Bible Study
Games
Copy Work
Recreations
Safety Tips
Geography
MORE~

Basically EVERYTHING you could ever think about to learn of QUICKSAND is right in this The Curiosity Files: Quicksand!  You won't be disappointed~and what's really neat is that you can purchase this online and do an immediate download~You will need a printer but the study is set up totally interactive!  Pretty COOL~

I like it~There are extensions for high schoolers such as an enhanced vocabulary list and activities.  I can see that there are some solid offerings for young learners too, but overall, to get the biggest bulk of the information and use, I think a 4-5th grade boy would just LOVE quicksand! This format of these unit studies is to peak the curiosity and interest of kids about unusual and unique stuff~It does that~FUN!

Head             to read about a variety of Curiosity Files that the CREW chose to review!

Fit Mommy Friday: WK 6~Hitting a GROOVE~

Here's my valentine~no choco for me! 20 yrs and going strong!

I began this HEALTH journey actually back in April of 2010.  I need to loose a lot of weight and also to get physically fit.  Both are a health issue, so when I got the information about Fit Mommy I decided to join up~of course, I am at the beginner level~You can join up too~just click that button on top and read on~

But I've been faithful. I kept going. AND TODAY makes 19 weeks no sugar or white flour~though my wt loss is slow, it's extremely healthy.  I'm down the last weigh in 41lbs.  I am feeling great and while this past week has been stressful, I am going forward with my food and exercise plan.  Ppl can think they are being healthy ignoring the food aspect, but I tell you that I have weighed less than I do right now, but I was bigger. NO JOKE! The inflammation that not eating healthy caused my body actually put pounds on me too~in excess bloated swollen puffy body~but I've been literally shrinking since changing my FUEL and drinking water~I still struggle with that part. Water is just one of those hard things even though we have a distiller and drink only that!

Here's my week:

I exercised three days at the YMCA for water aerobics and it may seem lame, but I like it.  The HOT TUB afterward is a treat too!

The other four days I did stretches and more movement.  I can't wait for the ice to melt~Spring, you say??? LOL...

Thanks for stopping by and HEAD HERE  to read the other Fit Mommys!
PLZ don't forget my giveAway 
for a christian film~ENDS Feb 14th 11:59EST! Woot!

Review and GiveAway: MOST~the film: THE BRIDGE

MOST~"The Bridge"

Website:  HERE
Ages:  teens-adult
Release Date: March 1, 2011
I say: Inspiring!

I received Most from Propeller as part of a review team in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My views are my own.

MOST is a Czech Republic made and voiced film whose title means The Bridge with subtitles.  Not to spoil this for you, let me say that this 33 minutes will get you on the edge of your seat and nearly in tears.  Be aware that there are adult themes within the film as people with ordinary and extraordinary lives is shown.  Nothing racy in this film, but not suitable for young children.  I was moved by the acting of the character of the father~there are subtitles mostly, but the film moves in such a way that if you didn't read them it is still clearly understandable.

When the climax has occurred, and I began to settle myself just a bit~it became clear to me that there is meaning much deeper than what is simply viewed on screen~a picture of God, the Father and His love for ordinary and extraordinary people alike and how this love impacts them~NO SPOILER HERE!
You gotta watch this one~yourself!



Good new~I get to give one away to a fortunate reader:

Let's end this one on Mar 1st 11:59PM EST~
Leave me a comment telling me WHO you love~

For extra entries:
5~Share my giveaway on your blog, Facebook or twitter~be sure and leave me a link on each separate entry.
5~ BIG ONES~grab my widget or button and put on your blog~Leave me a link telling me you did on five separate entries
1 ~Join my friends list by Google Friend Connect or Linked Blogs~thanks very much!
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Thanks for stopping and entering. I believe you will be blessed!

FREE: Online Learning Games~Language Arts, Math, Social Sciences and the Arts

PBS KIDS Whiteboard Games

Inspirtational Film~

Sometimes all we need is something to lift us up~
The Power of Attitude

World Math Day COMING~Registration Closes Feb 28th

World Math Day
Imagine math games and competing with kids for all over the world~THIS IS AWESOME!

State of the Union~Homeschooling Virtual Academy Week 2

So this is our second week, day two.  Wow! We have really worked so hard and long! I had no idea how tough and what actual skills would be required to be successful, but after the first week, I definitely have a better idea!  I am truly amazed at the strengths my children are exhibiting! While I have felt quite a bit of distress last week, the strengths are definitely outweighing the weaknesses~Praise God!

Things I love about online virtual academy schooling:
1. Beautiful materials have been sent to us. I have been shocked at the brand new exhaustive supplies sent to each child.  We were sent brand new hardback books as well as a huge science kit~one for biology and one for physical science. It is amazing all the materials sent as well as a desk top calendar per child along with monitor, keyboard and headset for the coursework.

2.  Teacher involvement.  I would NEVER have guessed how much this is good! These teachers seem very engaged and want my children to succeed.  Oh, they aren't giving them grades, but they are willing to be called upon and help when we need it.  I've tested this out already! There's a definite learning curve coming in at the beginning of Semester 2 so it's been added to the difficulty of a change.  . . CHANGE is rough to begin with, but the attentiveness and positive attitude and help is amazing!

3.  The course work is good. It's pretty interactive~not exactly multimedia but it has buttons and drop downs, some multimedia (of what I've seen so far) and is colorful. There are textbooks to go along with the course work online.  I definitely am liking this.

4.  Class Connects are the white board class meetings with teachers where the students and teachers interact and teaching occurs. The teacher has a microphone and sometimes a camera, but mostly auditory so that the students can hear her/him and this has been really a neat feature.  Each of my kids has their own desktop area with computer monitor and so they are quite able to focus on what is going on.  The students are often allowed chat sessions with the restriction of it being within the rules of good taste so that relationships can be formed before and after "class."  It's loads of fun, and I've joined them often so that I am fully aware of what is happening with my children's educations.

5.  NO MORE GUILT~I have worried, oh Lord has I fretted for a few years now about how was I~little alone, and struggling I GET THIS JOB done of educating them to the level THEY WANTED (college prep) and prepare them for life. You have to know, dear Reader-Friend, that my influence as a parent is not diminished in utilizing this resource, but I feel it's enhanced. I am actively and still very much engaged. THIS IS the best of all the worlds...and they are still getting their Christian education as well~I'm praying with them each morning and making moral and Biblical/historical references when appropriate and useful.  I've NOT abandoned them, as I had feared I might if I did such a thing as hand some of the control over to THE SCHOOL...no indeedy~I've actually gained some allies and helpers along the way! Praise God!

Soooo.......WHAT do my kids say?

GT1  "I like it!  I like the fact that it's a little bit of a challenge.  I like the teachers and the learning environment too."
BT1  "I like it!  You have a schedule you have to follow and it can be flexible. I like not having unexpected things come up. I can make plans to get my work done!"

Here's the pics~

We learned about the Cold War and this was one of the supplements I found...I am still teaching~ha!

The Berlin Wall History

Soo this dude thinks kids don't need college? Maybe the don't really NEED high school...I'm just sayn...LOL.

FREE: SAT prep Vocab Site

VocabAhead ~vocab videos

Read my review HERE!