7.29.2015

UnLock Math~ Review


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I know I'm about to sound like a broken record, but if I was a Super Hero....Math would be my Arch Nemesis!  I have a huge mental block and that's not a good thing when you are Homeschooling a High Schooler.  That being said, Mahala suffers from the same mental block.  She get's overwhelmed, shuts down, gets angry and then gives up.  We have tried a few Math programs here and there and was happy to Review UnLock Pre-Algebra from UnLock Math.  ($299 a year or $49 each month)  Mahala's math history really started out smoothly.  It wasn't until Algebra that she started to have some difficulty.  And after a whole year of it she was 100% lost.  And we realized earlier this year that she had some definite gaps that needed to be fixed if she was going to see success.  And now enters UnLock Pre-Algebra.

Here is a little Sneak Peak at what your Kiddo will be learning......
Whole Numbers
Integers
Variables and Expressions
Rational Numbers
Fractions
Equations
Inequalities
The Coordinate Plane
Decimals
Percent
Polynomials
Triangles
2D geometry
3D Geometry
Analyzing Data
Probability & Stats
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At first we started using it a few days a week along with her Summer math that she has been working on.  But, after a week or 2 we decided to stop her current program afterwards to just focus full time 4-5 days a week on the UnLock Pre-Algebra.

UnLock Pre-Algebra is geared for Kiddos in 7th grade+ and has 16 Units that could take roughly 9 months to get through if.  Since some of this has been a review for Mahala she has zipped through a few sections a little faster then if it was her first time learning.  Though I have encouraged her to take it slow and store what she's learning deep into her Noggin! :)  Mahala does well with physically writing down new information and seems to retain it better when doing so.  One of the Fun extras with UnLock Pre-Algebra is the fact that you are able to see a fully explained answer for any of the problems your Kiddo completes and there are reference notes.  On new concepts that clicks with Mahala or that she has struggled with in the past she copies these in her Math notebook.  

So, let me tell you real quick how this looks....Mahala logs onto her Personalized Dashboard each day.  And then that's where she gets to pick what lesson she wants to work on and then begins a short warm-up session.  You know....to get the blood pumping to her brain!!!!  Afterwards she get's the "Meat" she's been craving, by watching one of the videos for that day's lesson taught by Alesia Blackwood.  These videos are captivating, energetic and not all sugary or watered down.  That's why I called it the "Meat".  After you watch the video your Kiddos will now be instructed to work on the provided practice problems along with a quick review and a challenge problem.

Will we continue using UnLock Pre-Algebra?  We will definitely continue this course and will be looking into UnLock Algebra and Algebra2.  Mahala and I both enjoyed that it was an actually person teaching and not a cartoon or just a voice.  She felt like it was easier to stay focused and actually connect with the concept being taught.  Another highlight was the process of learning the concept and that it's very independent.  Having everything divided into chunks or pieces made it flow and easy to keep up with.  And having the automatic grading and progress reports made my life insanely easier.  Did Mahala reach some sort of "Light Bulb" moment?  Well, I think she has been able to see where her mistakes are, her Dad and I have been able to see exactly where the hick-ups are.  I feel like with UnLock Pre-Algebra she will be able to get to where she needs to be to finish out the last few years of High School math....that's good enough for me!

Check out UnLock Math with Social Media.....

 
UnLock Math Review
Crew Disclaimer

7.23.2015

Expanders from SimplyFun~ REVIEW

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In our home we enjoy playing games as a Family, especially educational ones.  We probably substitute book work for a games 3-4 times a week.  This is easy to do with absolutely every subject and I find that it gives Kiddos the platform to use what they have learned and strengthen new skills.  Recently we decided to Review a Math game called Expanders from SimplyFun.  I remember looking at their website and smiling....they are passionate and committed to offering your Family quality, educational games.  You can't ask for anything more. :)  Expanders($34) is approved for ages 3 to 103...so it fits a broad audience.  I was pleased to see that I enjoyed it as much as Kaden did.  That's key when you are a Family that loves games, it has to be fun for everyone.  The best part about this game is watching your Kiddos learn Reverse Addition, Spatial Reasoning and Critical Thinking while having LOADS of fun!  SimplyFun has over 90 affordable products for your Family to enjoy, so you have to check out their website.  


The game is designed for up to four people, but so far it's just been Kaden and I to play it.  It comes in a sturdy box and has a cute little pouch to store all the brightly colored plastic tokens.  Setting up the game is pretty simple, you have a border and 5 "circuit boards" to arrange in the middle.  I was pleased that the directions were easy to follow and getting started was a breeze.  You do need to make sure that all players have basic knowledge of their addition facts before they start playing.  After you have your token color the game starts off with 3 set moves that have to be done before you have freedom to do 1 of 3 different actions.  Once all that is done then move 4 is the player's choice and they will need to use strategy to block their opponent's tokens.  The object of the game is to get rid of all your tokens by filling the board with your own tokens.  You want to find the most Expanded math problem possible to take up as much of the board as possible. 

For example, you could choose to cover the numbers 8 and 1 to equal 9.....that would be putting 3 tokens on to the board. But, we are looking to use up all our tokens, so you could place down 5 tokens on the board if you place a token over the numbers 2, 3, 3, and 1 to equal 9.  Remember it is better to expand the mathematical problem as much as you can. :) 


So, what did we think about this game?  Well, we loved it....it was fun, Kaden was able to practice everyday mathematics and we were able to spend time together making new memories.  It honestly can't get ANY better.  We played this game a few times a week, I appreciated that it was a pretty quick game.  I'll be the first to admit the longer 2 hour strategy games just don't always fit into our schedule.  We could set up and play a game between bath time and bed time, total time 25 minutes.  The other day he set it all up while I was cleaning up the kitchen.  After I was done cleaning we each had some yummy lemonade and played a couple games.  Fun times with my Kiddos....I live for it and the fact that I can add a little education makes Momma real happy!! :)  I think any Family should have this in their game closet, it will be a game that your Kiddos ask to play.  

Reach out on Social Media and connect with SimplyFun!


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Simply Fun Review

7.22.2015

Serenity Prayer....Courage

Courage to change the things I can.
By surrendering to God I won’t be ashamed while he guides me throughout my life.   And my heart will be confident and fearless as I listen for his sweet voice.  I pray for this every single day, sometimes it’s hard to find the courage…to be fearless as you live your life.  But, it’s so Beautiful when you do…..listen for his voice.

Isaiah 41:10  (HCSB)

10 Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.

7.21.2015

Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages ~REVIEW






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It's Summer time and we have many short and not so short trips planned.  I love to pack a little education in where I can as we travel.  I feel like it makes the trip even more interesting and fun.  Too bad I can't plan a trip back in time and learn along the way......or can I?  A few weeks ago I was given the chance to Review Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages from Home School in the WoodsThe downloadable version can be purchased for only $33.95 and if you prefer the CD it's only a tad more for $34.95 along with shipping and handling.  Let me just say now that this probably is a completely different way to learn History then you are used to, but after a few weeks into your "trip" you will understand the process and the excitement on your Kiddo's face will be all you need to confirm that they are indeed learning far more then a text book alone can teach them.
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What we received was a digital History Unit Study that I could download.  We Love Unit Studies and prefer to learn this way as much as possible. You also can get this study on a CD-ROM if that works better for you.  It works well for both your Windows and Mac computer programs.  Our Project Passport Study was geared towards Kiddos in grades 3 to 8, but it could easily work well for both younger and older Kiddos with just a few tweaks here and there.  If you work on the Unit Study 2-3 days a week it should take about 6-12 weeks to finish completely, but it does depend on how many activities you and your Kiddos decide to do at each stop.  They are going to have so much fun learning about old castles, Barbarians, Vikings, and so much more.  They will be completing their Unit Study while notebooking/lapbooking and completing many hands-on activities like crafting, games, cooking, even writing for the The Medieval Times newspaper.  Your Kiddo will need lot's of paper, card stock, a printer, art supplies, a folder, binder and a few other things that you probably just have at home.  My download came to me as a ZIP file with filled with SEVERAL files included that were pretty well organized.  But, there were sooooo many I was a little overwhelmed at first. :)  Everything you need to have a successful "Trip" through the Middle Ages is right there for you.  Everything from print outs, several audio files, activity ideas, instructions and itineraries.  Don't worry there is a Special 3 page Travel Planner that breaks down the stops and gives you a snapshot of what type of activities you have coming up.  There is a good amount of planning involved.
     
The whole idea behind the Unit Study or concept is that you are traveling back through time in an Era of your choice.  As you make pit stops along your journey you get to experience History in a hands on approach.  You will experience 25 different stops along the way during The Middle Ages Study.  While your Kiddos are at each stop they will listen or read the lesson for the day and participate in several different activities.  You are sure to find something for everyone to enjoy.  You will find that not only are they more interested in the topic, but they are going to be more engaged in the whole learning process and actually know what it is that they are supposed to be learning.  I've never been a big fan on the "learn all the right answers for the upcoming test and then forget it afterwards" routine.


So, what did I think?  I Love the whole idea and I know it works.  It engages and grabs hold of your child and causes wonder and excitement.  But, it is a Ton of printing....one page at a time printing.  I would rather pay more money for it already to be printed.  People like me with printer anxiety, this could be a nightmare.  Kaden is a facts only kind of kid....he thinks anything more is a time waster.  So, with that said some of the beginning stops included bigger craft projects and sorting out papers and building really cool things like a postcard rack was not his cup of tea.  I honestly was doing most of it by myself. :(  But, did he love the activities and the facts?  Yes, and he even played with some puppets we made that totally shocked me. :)  We spent an hour at least 3 times a day.  But, with the over stimulation with all the paper and craftiness we would sometimes have a little break in that hour.  I love that it's at your pace, so you can take out parts, add parts, stretch the lessons out.  It's yours to do what you want or need to.  Would I recommend it?  I would for sure if you are a family that doesn't mind going through a ton of paper.  If you have kiddos that like hands on projects or if you are willing to be a little more hands on if need be.  That is what I did, we needed to make a suitcase and he couldn't justify cutting up a perfectly good folder....(remember he is on the spectrum).  So, I did it along side of him and we moved on to the next lesson.  Would I use the Project Passport again?  Yep, I sure will.  Even though it's a ton of printing and a little overwhelming I think it is so worth it and I'm looking forward to the next Era....Kaden's choice too.  I will probably do all of the prep before I involve him next time.  He enjoyed the activities, especially the games and cooking.  Like I said before there is so much to choose from...you want be disappointed.



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Home School in the Woods Review

7.18.2015

The Road Less Traveled

I have been writing my life story for years….the abuse, the trauma, life on the streets and my total commitment to my God during it all.  People would often ask me how I keep my faith, how do I keep rolling with the punches?  While writing my story I wanted to paint a picture to show my “how”, my “why”.  But, I was never able to completely do that and be 100% happy with the picture my words were creating.  I knew something was missing, I just didn’t know at the time what it was.  And now I do….my Husband’s Addiction and Betrayal was the true test of my Faith.  The Devil planned it to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.  And you know what…..It didn’t break.  It was bruised and I contemplated collapsing to the ground and giving in.  

God had other plans for me, I kept my Faith and grew it stronger than it had ever been before.  I know a Love now with God that I never knew was possible.  The Bible says that the Lord will give you the desires of your heart when you are with him.…Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.…  I now have that Husband and Dad that I wanted and prayed for so desperately for many, many years.  My Husband is more than I even knew to pray for.  I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Now, I know how to finish my story.  I know what it is that God has asked me to do with my collection of stories that make up my Life.  I have witnessed a transformation in not only myself, but my Husband and our whole Family.  When you have spent so much of your life just surviving the day, it’s an amazing feeling actually waking up excited for what this new day may hold for you.  That is me now, I have my story to share with anyone who will listen.  I’m so thankful I didn’t give up on God, that I didn’t let go of my Faith, that I gave Sheila a fighting chance.  I can now share this whole Love that’s in my heart.  I want to give the world a glimpse of this heart I’ve carried around with me for almost 40 years.  It’s doable to protect and polish your battered heart and to uncover the true reason why your here on this earth.  My purpose has always been unclear, but now the answer is shining bright.  And to know that I had the key to happiness all along.  I just didn’t know that I was capable enough to put the key in the lock.  Wow, the Lord has Unveiled my eyes in such a BIG way….thank you Jesus!!!

7.17.2015

Dreaming of a Bungalow

We are looking at building Kaden a little space like this for him to relax and retreat when he needs to.  Problem is we live in a community that has a say in absolutely every thing you do in your front and back yard.  With that said if we do something here while we still live in this house we will need to do something on a smaller scale then the bungalow in the picture here.
Do we wait to move before we do something and then build exactly what we want for him?  Or do we do a smaller version, almost like a practice run?  I don't know, we are still going back and forth with it all.  But, we have started on our back yard.  We have an idea, a plan and a company we are excited to work with.  So, now we have to wait for the HOA to approve it, so we can build it.  Until then we will enjoy life out in our dirt and rock filled backyard.  Sipping iced tea in our camping chairs while we wait for our ribs to come out of the smoker.  Life is delicious!

7.16.2015

Praying for Serenity.....

The Serenity Prayer is so Special to me….There is not a day that goes by that I don’t reach out to God in prayer.  Over the next few days I thought we could take a closer look at the Serenity Prayer.
God, Grant me the Serenity to ACCEPT the things I cannot change…….

God does His greatest work when we surrender our lives and all that’s in it over to Him.   Especially things that are out of our control.  This was extremely hard for me to do before and after Discovery.  I had such an abusive childhood filled with trauma that as an adult it was hard to not feel like I needed to control every aspect of my life.  Especially after Discovery, I wanted to regain some sort of control of my life.  But, I learned that letting go and letting God is the only way to truly live in Serenity.  I choose Serenity over a chaotic heart any day!!!
  What can you surrender over to God today?

Job 11:13-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)


13 As for you, if you redirect your heart and lift up your hands to Him in prayer— 14 if there is iniquity in your hand, remove it, and don’t allow injustice to dwell in your tents— 15 then you will hold your head high, free from fault. You will be firmly established and unafraid.

7.15.2015

Homeschool Planet~ REVIEW

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/-2015%20CREW/Homeschool-Planet-Logo-Hi_Res%20872x_zpsirhewxf1.pngI am the most unorganized person in the whole wide world!  Do you relate at all to that statement?  I have tried many many different schedules, calendars, online programs...you name it I have tried.  Because I am literally a crazy person when it comes to being organized with my whole life.  A few weeks ago I was presented a Review opportunity to try Homeschool Planet for a full year from Homeschool Buyers Co-op.  Would this work for me?  Can I be less stressed and walk among the regular folks of organized town.  Or am I doomed for the slums of No name.  It's called No Name, because I can't remember the name of the town.....I lost it in one of my piles of papers.

So, let's take a little look here about Homeschool Buyers Co-op.  I had never heard of them before, because yes I live under a rock.  But, after learning about them and doing a little digging I've realized they are pretty darn Amazing!!!  They are the largest buyers club for Homeschooling families.  They offer the opportunity to get tons of different curriculum and resources at a discounted price.  When I first went online to their website I was there for over 2 hours...it was like seeing the castle at Disney for the 1st time. :)
Homeschool Planet is an online tool to help you not only organize your Homeschool life, but all other areas of your life as well.  I simply LOVE this, because I have found in the past where the planner or program was more designed for one or the other.  This is designed for both and there is no down-siding either one.  They offer a FREE 30 day trial of the online Planner and then afterwards you would pay just $65 a year or $6.95 a month.

Once I logged in for the first time I will admit I was a bit overwhelmed.  But, I watched the little video and easily downloaded pics of the whole Family and was on my way to setting everything up.  I started with the easier things first.  And for me that was the To Do List....I know I know simple stuff.  But, I'm a difficult case over here. :)  I also used the Shopping List feature also...baby steps for me.  

Afterwards I explored the calendar....I was super impressed with this. I actually was shocked how simple it really was to fill it out.  You click on the Day, decide if it's school related, a Holiday of some sort or an errand-chore-sport....you get the picture.  Then you type what it is, pick a color so you can color code if your into that.....(I am now!)  And then you click who is involved and then save.  I promise you that's it.  At this point I thought maybe I could tackle getting all the school stuff logged in.  Right now my calendar was just filled with appointments, errands, softball, you know all of that "Life" stuff.  School time was going to be much harder for me....this is always the part where I crumble, throw out the "system" and stay in crazy town.  Was this program any different??????  So, I clicked to add some stuff and this is what I saw.... 
 Let's just say I freaked and turned off the computer for the rest of the day.  :)  But the next morning with my coffee I set out to get the ball rolling.  And I was so pleased with the ease of it all.  I had really let the fears I had rolling around in my head get the best of me.  It was real simple and fast to type in all the school stuff.  Putting it all down actually gave me a little insight on why we tend to get overwhelmed mid week.  My poor boy has too much to do and not enough time.
I love that I can see our schedule as a Family and individual.  I can see it by the month, week, day and hour.  It's super easy to change things, push them back a day or a week and truly customize it to work for You....not cause You to work more.  You can even add website links right to the calendar, how awesome is that?  I'm a Paper person normally, because I feel I have more control.  Well, not here....I have just as much control, if not more.  And I'm Loving it!!!
I had the most fun printing of the chore and to do list.  We would print off each Kiddos schedule for the week and I would put it in the inside of their writing binder.  Super easy, right?  Well, they can also log on and have their very own profile.  You can customize what they can do and see.  I also loved being able to go on my phone and double check when we were available for an appointment or commitment while we were out and about.  And more then once I sent Skylar a list of goodies to pick up from the store.

So, do we LOVE it?  Yes, this in the 3 years of reviewing products by far has surprised me the most.  I was leery, didn't think I would like it or even be able to use it.  I was shocked at the simplicity and Power of this Organizational Masterpiece!!!  If you have a Life....You need this!  No mater if you have 1 kid or 20 kids.  No matter if this is your 1st year homeschooling or you are a sworn in Veteran.....You need this to keep your head on straight and you just might actually find the time to get those cupcakes baked that you have been promising your kiddos. 

I will fair warn you though.  With this program you will find out where your time is going.  You will see time patterns open up and you may be a little scared of all this extra time you may or may not find hiding here and there.  
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Homeschool Planet Review

7.10.2015

A Little Bit of Jesus will Fill You Up!

We were a tad late to church and the music was playing and I stood there like many times before alone in my heart.  But, this time was different, I knew who I was, I knew who created me and loved me.  This next hour wasn’t going to be about making me better to please a human man.  This was my time to connect with the one and only true living God and nothing was going to disturb my time at his table.  I was hungry and he was preparing a huge meal just for me!!!!  The next song caught me by surprise, but it assured me that I was where I was supposed to be.

At this one foster home I was allowed to go to this youth group club thing like 3 or 4 times…..And this song was played each night and sometimes they played it twice.  I still remember the room being thick with the Holy Spirit….I would leave that place floating and Nothing could take me down.  I remember that was the Summer I asked the Lord into my heart….they played this song at our church back in 1991, I fell to my knees in tears with a trembling heart as my soul cracked open and I received Redemption, Salvation and Everlasting Life!!!!  Thank You JESUS!!!!!!  Fast forward to yesterday I was standing and the music began flowing from the speakers and this song enveloped me like a Father’s warm hug and all my worries left me and I didn’t think of Anything except my Jesus.  Tears wouldn’t stop streaming down my face as layers and layers of the world were stripped away from me.  I became lighter as the words to this song lifted me up closer and closer to my God and it felt like a private communion.  I knew at that moment as the song continued on playing that this was a sign from God that I remember that closeness to him.  That he is there with me and has forever been right by my side.  I had put my Husband’s acceptance on a pedestal over the years, it became a priority to make life pleasing to him.  To put him before all other things, including God.  I longed for my Husband’s approval, his smile of acceptance and love.  I even saw yesterday how I put my Husband’s addiction on a pedestal, glorifying hurtful slip-ups and proud milestones.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m forever proud of my Husband’s hard work against his demon…..but, Man will disappoint you my Friends…..God never will.  And I was reminded of that yesterday, I will NEVER take my eyes off of him again.

7.09.2015

Teen Prasso ~ REVIEW

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Time with the Lord in Prayer and deep in the Bible is time well spent.  But, even though I may do it on a regular basis I haven't consistently included my children in this habit.  We do devotions, nightly reading here and there, but I'm talking consistency here.  It has been on my heart to tie my kids to the word every single day and I knew this next Review was an answer to prayer.  We were Blessed with a Teen Bible curriculum from Prasso Ministries.  We received the Teen Prasso Teacher’s Manual ($35) and the Teen Prasso Homework Manual ($15).  The Greek word Prasso means to repeatedly, continually and habitually practice.  I think it's the most perfect way to start off our Summer.

Prasso Ministries started offering adult and teen material back in 1992.  Their products can be used for men, woman or teens and can be used in group settings like youth groups, homeschool Co-ops or Bible studies.

We decided to use it in the morning before everyone else woke up and messed with our morning MoJo! :)  On Sundays I would read through the whole lesson and take a look at what Mahala would be doing during the week in her Student Journal.  Each morning we would start off with prayer and I would share the Story and message.  The real work happened in her Journal.  I loved how the questions were worded and how they added scripture writing in each lesson.  I know for my kiddos when they read, write and say it aloud they remember it. :)  Questions like What can you learn from these verses?  What observations can you make after reading this?  And many other questions that put your Teen into the question.  It's not just a fill in the blank....it's how do YOU relate to this passage, to this story?  This was an excellent Bible Curriculum to get us both in the habit to study God's important teachings together and on our own.


The Topics were right on the mark for what Teens today need to study and hear God's word about.  Here are a few of our Favorites....dealing with Lies, Pressure, Anger and Forgiveness.  Mahala experienced many ahhhha moments and the conversations that we had together were amazing.  It was Special for it to be just her and I, we even made muffins a few times just for us and enjoyed some fresh honey and biscuits.  I wanted to make it a rememberable time for her and I and we sure did. :)

 photo Capture_zpstzloihv9.pngMahala's favorite part of the program was the rethink it section that was on Day 6.  She would most of the time do extra work, so usually the rethink it and discussion questions were on Thursdays.  It's a place where you go back and write a thought or meaningful verse from the previous days.  She liked that it was just a line or two, nothing long and really difficult, just a meaningful thought that was impressed upon you.  The discussion questions had a place for you to write your personal answers, but we decided to do that part orally. 

This is the BEST Bible Program I have ever used.  It was a privilege to be able to use it with my Daughter.  It was super simple on my part to use.  They included everything you needed to do if you were using it in a group setting.  Their tips for asking Good discussion questions were very helpful and the outline was nice to have even though we kind of did our own thing.  It was still reassuring to have on hand. :)  Overall I would use this and many of their other products for our Family.....it just works and we are thrilled to share with you this Awesome program.  Make sure you check Prasso Ministries out on their Facebook!!!!


Prasso Ministries Review

7.08.2015

CursiveLogic~REVIEW



Do you remember learning how to write in cursive?  I sure do....all those beige pieces of paper with red and blue lines and the smell of smudged lead from my trusty number 2 pencil.  I would take extra paper and practice out on the playground during recess.  There was  a sense of maturity with learning cursive....I felt like a young lady, not just a kid in 4th grade.  To this day I prefer cursive writing over print, but it wasn't something I taught my 2 youngest until recently.  Kaden being on the spectrum has difficulty with just printing, so I was worried about teaching him cursive.  Boy was I ever so thankful to be able to Review the CursiveLogic Workbook($29) from CursiveLogic.

This product is durably made from cover to cover.  I love the top Spiral and the sturdy pages....nothing flimsy about this book! :)  With all of our products we Review for Kaden I get the most excited for a product that connects with the child intellectually and not with just a ton of characters, bright colors and flashy gimmicks.  This product reached him and captured his attention with their clean, nicely spaced wording.  The layout of instructions, examples and even the colors chosen are not over stimulating and very easy to follow.  I wish I could find ALL of Kaden's school materials like this. 


Founder, Linda Shrewsbury developed CursiveLogic when she had the desire to help out a 23 year old Student of hers that had some Learning Disabilities.  As you remember from your own past experience learning cursive as a child it takes several weeks to master all 26 letters.  Days and days of writing and tracing over and over.  That just wasn't going to work for this young Man....he wanted to learn how to write his name in cursive.  So, Linda started to develop a new method for teaching cursive that's both Innovative and Intuitive.  I was hooked the moment I explored her website and could hardly wait for our book to come.



So, here it is and Kaden has it in his hot little hands.  I wish I could tell you the whole program word for word, but that would be cheating you and your Kiddo on the sheer experience from opening up your new CursiveLogic Workbook to the writing of your Kiddos name for the very first time.  I will share that the program strings groups of letters together, uses a magnificent color coding system and they have Super catchy phrases that make learning even more fun and easy for your kiddos.  This program is intended for Students who can already write, so they have some fundamentals with writing.  So I would say 2nd grade to Adults, especially with the layout and quality of the workbook.  It would appeal to anyone eager to learning cursive.

Kaden finished the whole entire 95+ pages in about three weeks.  I love that it's divided up nicely to where you can do a few pages or a little more if you want.  Kaden was so impressed with how his handwriting looked that he would always do a little bit more then what I had asked each time we sat down to work.  His favorite part was the dry erase pages in the back.  He has it right now in his back pack to take with us on our next camping trip.  What can I say.....I think the program is successful, affordable and a must for every homeschool.  It's too effective for you not to give your kiddos the opportunity to learn cursive!  Do we Love it?  Yes, and if I needed to teach another student cursive this is the one program I would use.


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7.07.2015

Trauma Relief....bye bye Chatchkes!!!

The Nasties have taken over our house and not one of us has had more then 12 hours of peace within our body since we came back from Disney.  So, besides cleaning up puke, disinfecting and making boat loads of chicken noodle soup I have been weeding through the junk in our house.  Even though I’m congested and coughing like a chain smoker there is a sigh of relief in my heart.
I know I sound crazy, but I can reassure you it’s not the extra strength Dayquil talking.  You see growing up before my parents died I had EVERYTHING a child could ever want….minus the sexual abuse, the dying mother and the constantly deployed Papa in the Navy.  The night I became an orphan I was 12 years old and as I drove past my house on the way back to where I was staying those last few weeks before my Mom died I saw all the lights in the house on.  I couldn’t count all the cars in the driveway and up on the sidewalk.  Those cars belonged to Aunts, Cousins and Uncles….all going through my house and taking everything.  I literally was left with some clothes, a grocery sack of pictures and my cabbage patch doll collection….which later ended up being stolen from me by a Foster Parent.
After my parents died I had nothing to claim as my own and even if I managed to “have” something it was usually quickly claimed by someone within the Foster Care System.  Once I left the system and married my Baby’s Daddy….who was also in Foster Care with me I worked real hard to collect tokens from here and there to make our little place seem like a home.  My whole life I have longed to recreate my childhood home.  When my 1st marriage lasted less then a year I walked away once again empty handed….nothing but the clothes on my back and my Son.  For a few years we nestled along sides of buildings, shelters, abandoned houses and the occasional park.  I was partial to parks, because it was like Disney to my Son and I.  He could play until he fell asleep and at the crack of dawn be the first kiddo to go down a slide or be pushed on a swing.  It was a little bit of joy that I could give him and it beat waking up with a room full of strangers.
After my life changed even more and I met my Husband and started our Family with him, I once again collected little bits of hominess to bring my old Family feel back to me.  About 2 years or so into our lives together we found out we had a HUGE case of toxic mold.  We lost absolutely everything…..literally we went to Target, bought new clothes and dumped the clothes we were wearing.  I was back at square one once again….having this need to create a Family Home.  And so I began……and I filled it with stuff, all kinds of stuff.  I had useful stuff, not so useful stuff, new things, old things, decor, books, knick-knacks, pictures, dishes and truly everything possible.  If someone was giving something away I would be happy to take it.  If it was on sale I would buy more then one just because…..even if it was something I wasn’t interested in to begin with.
Some would call me a hoarder, but now because of all that I have learned during therapy and my Husband’s recovery I can see that there is a real reason why I have accumulated all this junk.  Many times in my life all of my personal belongings have been taken away from me without my consent.  And the reason why I’m collecting in the first place is because the last time I truly felt safe, loved unconditionally and right in my own skin was with my parents in my family home.  So, it’s just natural to want to recreate that environment.  That fear of loosing your belongings is no joke, it’s traumatic….especially if it happened as a child.
So, how can I get rid of the stuff now?  Well, because I’m healing myself from the inside out.  A Home is made by the People inside the House not the Stuff you can fill it with.  I know now why I do what I do, so when that need to save or buy hits me I recognize it, acknowledge it and then I handle it appropriately.  For instance I have this magazine disease…..at one time a few years ago I had over 27 subscriptions.  Sick, I know….but, I recognized the problem and I didn’t ignore it.  Imagine that I’m at the check out in the store and see a magazine…… I see it and know I want it, but I tell myself the only reason why I want this is because in the past you felt like a failure as a Mother and Wife.  You thought all of those ads and articles were going to give you the secrets to be a better person.  And once you read them you would finally be happy and all your troubles would disappear.  But, now you know the truth and you are the Mom and Wife God called you to be…..his word and guidance is all you need.  So, save your $5, smile and be happy about the person you are becoming as you lean more and more on God each day.  This works every time…..when I think about it all those years of reading magazines never helped, I didn’t change after I read them.  Life didn’t get better when I bought a new candle set or comforter.  And the reason is because my marriage was fighting the demon of Addiction.  No new floral arrangement was going to fix that…..even if it would have been a fresh floral arrangement! :)
So, today I can look at all my stuff….especially in our Homeschool room and say do I truly need this?  Does this item give my Family joy or is it weighing us down?  I have been filling up donate bags and garbage bags like my life depends on it…..and it kind of does.  It feels so good to be free from the shackles of stuff.  Because the stuff never gave me the peaceful feeling of Family like a way with Jesus does.  Thank You Lord!!!