The Sixes

I used to do this thing called My Sixes once a week.  So, here is a Blast from the past...... 

Six things I could live without, but really wouldn’t want to:
Flat iron for my hair
Make up
Internet
Tivo
phone
Flip Flops

Six movies I’ve never seen before:
Star Wars....close your mouth, it's ok
Braveheart
Mission Impossible...any of them
Psycho
The Godfather Series
Scarface

Six of my pet peeves:
Hearing someone crunch chips
People who do not move when an ambulance is coming
The sound wrappers make when people crinkle them
When people think I mean something I don't and they want let me explain what I do mean
Stains on my shirt even when I am so careful when I eat

Six things I really love doing:
Playing games with my kids
Blogging/writing
Reading
Shopping
Having my hair done
Did I mention shopping!?!?!

Six things I was into as a kid:
Barbies
Strawberry short cake
Slip N Slide
My little pony
Coloring
Reading

Six things I was into as a teenager:
Music
Writing
Tanning
Football games
New Kids on the Block
Shopping

The Conversation~ REVIEW

 
I nearly broke my keyboard when I was filling out the request information to Review The Conversation($16 on sale for $12 at the time this post was published) written by Leigh A. Bortins from Classical Conversations.  I was so curious and excited I waited several days with crossed fingers until the book arrived.  Why was I a crazy mess?  Well, because even though I have already homeschooled one child through highschool and he is at the end of his 2nd year in college I'm still running scared half the time.  Mahala officially starts 10th grade this month.....she's so different, both in her learning style and her capabilities.  How am I going to do this again?  I ask myself that daily and it usually comes with a lot of negative self-talk.  That being said, this book couldn't have come at a better time.  We have had a difficult past 3 years to be perfectly honest and structure and planned education hasn't even been a thought around here.  But, a new season of life is among us and it's time to focus and do what I know the Lord has called our Family to do.  And that's to educate our children and guide them into adulthood with his word.  I want them to enjoy learning and see every opportunity as a new learning experience.  The Conversation is apart of a Trio of books, this one being the 3rd one.  It talks a little about the other books, but it's main focus is this last phase in Classical Education.....the Rhetoric stage.  It's not a big deal if you haven't read the other two books, but after this one I'm sure you will want to take a look at the other two.  I know that's how I'm feeling right about now. :)

Leigh A. Bortins shares that a Classical Education focuses on the art of Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric.  Being very eclectic in my schooling style I find it very interesting how appealing this approach is to me.  I'm running around and teach by the seat of my pants most of the time.  You could call it Chaotic Schooling at times.  Anyway it was great to also notice the things that we are already doing that would classify our schooling style a little more classical then I had thought.  Classical education immerses the younger Elementary aged Kiddos in the Grammar level.  This entails learning to read, memorizing dates, facts, grammar rules and so forth.  The Dialectic level is perfect for the Middle School aged Kiddos because this is the time when they naturally question EVERYTHING.  The last level in Classical Education is the Rhetoric phase and this of course begins in the High School years.  You know this is the time when speaking and writing properly become daily routine in and out of the school room. 

One of the things that I took from this book was what high school at home can and should look like.  I am sooooo guilty of trying to recreate the public school room or plan.  I will get caught up in the need to cross off everything on the list and getting wrapped up in that and not the beauty of learning that's going on right in front of me.  I have to remind myself daily that our world is the classroom.  That's where real-life opportunities and experiences happen, not behind a workbook in a desk. I love schooling this way, but growing up in the school system sometimes automatically steps in and I do what I was trained to think was right. 

Mahala is officially a High School student and I remember looking at Classical Education before and feeling really confused about what my role was and what it was supposed to look like for her.  Leigh goes into extreme details on what the Rhetoric phase should look like for virtually every subject.  She shares the five canons (as defined by Aristotle) that students in this stage of learning should work towards mastering.....Invention, Arrangement, Elocution/Style, Memory, and Delivery.  Do you even know what all that means?  I didn't, so don't feel bad if you just gulped really loudly. :)  But, don't worry she goes over everything in detail....the whole second part of the book focuses on how to teach reading, speech and debate, writing, science, math, government/economics, history, Latin and foreign languages, and fine arts during the Rhetoric phase.

Are you excited yet?  I am....I would recommend this book to anyone looking into Homeschooling or if you have been schooling for years like me.  I have been scratching my head a lot lately wondering what I;m doing wrong.  Within her book I have found encouragement, guidance and passion again to take my authority back and do what I know the Lord called me to do.  This book would be a great read no mater what your teaching style is.  

 
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Back to Reality

So much to say and so little time to say it.  That is truly the story of my life.  We just got home from 10 days of camping and softball Nationals.  It was a whirl wind of both fun and survival.  It was cold, rainy, hot, long peppered with loosing games and meltdowns.  All in all though it was a trip I will never forget.  There were lessons learned and courses in life changed.  A lot can happen in 10 days.....now I have garbage bags of clothes that are calling my name and somehow some way I have to try to get some Back to School pep in our step.  :)

UnLock Math~ Review

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

 

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!

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Expanders from SimplyFun~ REVIEW

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.  

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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.

Project Passport World History Study: The Middle Ages ~REVIEW

 

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 Woods.  The 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.

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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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!!!

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!

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.

Homeschool Planet~ REVIEW

I 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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