The Homeschool Mothers Journal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my life this week…  it has been very crazy busy. Trying to prep for winter, enjoy time with my kids, get school done, and still keep my mind.  

In our homeschool this week… We had a very successful first week back.   I’m very happy with the way it went, and we had some great lessons with some new curriculum.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…  Walk away and come back later if something just doesn’t seem to be flowing well. Saves a lot of frustration.

I am inspired by…  All of the long time Homeschoolers that I flow on line, or have met through TOS Crew.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…  This week we are going on a field trip, hopefully having a playdate, and making some Applesauce with a friend.

My favorite thing this week was… Watching my son get so excited to learn Latin! He was super happy, and anxious to do more!

What’s working/not working for us…  Keeping our days to no more than 3 hrs. Then they don’t get to over stimulated.

Questions/thoughts I have…  Do you alternate subjects? Like we are doing Geography for the next 8 wks, and then we will switch back to History.

Things I’m working on… Getting 3 bushels of apples made into Applesauce, Apple Pie Filling, and Apple Jelly.

I’m reading…  The new Nicholas Sparks book, “Best of Me” that my hubby got me for our 10th Anniversary on Thursday!

I’m cooking…  Fish Chowder…. Love chowder in the fall

I’m grateful for…  My family and friends! They rock!

 

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Helen Keller: Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

Freschetta Pizza Giveaway…

As you all know October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Well did you know that Freschetta is a proud sponsor? They are presenting Freschetta Proud to Support Pink!
Running from September 25th- October 31st, when you buy specially marked Freschetta pizzas, and Artisan Pizza crusts you will help them reach their goal of $50,000 donation to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
How is this done?? Well, when you buy a specially marked packages are printed with codes that you can enter at www.ProudToSupportPink.com . For each entry code, the makers of Freschetta will donate a $1 to this center to support breast cancer research, up to $50,000!

Lots of us have had a friend or family member with cancer, and have wanted to help. Most of us don’t have a ton of money to send, so this is a great way to have a pizza night and help a person you know.  
You can also share your stories on www.ProudToSupportPink.com or on their facebook page (www.Facebook.com/FreschettaPizza) 
In addition to the donation they are also donating 50 pink iPod Shuffles each week in October to four Cancer Centers around America to be enjoyed by breast cancer patients during treatments.

I can’t wait to do my part! 


Ready for the best part??? 


I have one Prize pack to give away!

* I was given a prize pack for myself in exchange for this post, and review. 

ALl opinions are strictly my own.  

Looking for a laugh?….

 

 

Just cause I think everyone should laugh a few times a day.. you need to check out these new video’s from Betty Crocker. They are trying to sell the Fun da-middles.

Tell me which one is your favorite?

 

 

 

 

Tos Review: Visual Latin

 

 

 

 

 

So what is one of the biggest things you have difficulty teaching your kids when homeschooling???? I’m going to have to say mine is a Foreign Language. I’m always worried, I’m not pronouncing it correctly. Or am I teaching the right language, should I be using a different one.

Therefore, when I got the opportunity to review Visual Latin, I was super excited!! I had read about it many times, and wondered if it it would be suitable for my monkey boy. Would he take interest? Would he have difficulty learning it? So many questions were swirling through my head…

Visual Latin was developed by two fathers that had wives that homeschooled their children. One was a Latin Teacher and the other was a producer. Dwane Thomas taught Latin for 15 yrs. Thomas Purifoy Jr. is a producer and loves to create curriculum.

Our first lesson was a really big hit. I was so impressed with the way that my monkey boy responded. He was coming around to the idea.  Grandma also wanted to learn Latin, so he was excited that this was their class to do together.  

 

 

Another great feature of Visual Latin is that they have free online resources, such as worksheets to go with their lessons. As well as flash cards, and vocabulary words to study. Tons of valuable information and help.

 

Visual Latin is designed for 9 yrs old and up.. Monkey Man was the only one officially using this curriculum, but a lot of times my younger ones were listening and watching as well. I have to agree that, that I really don’t think younger than 9 would be able to grasp it as well. However, my girls were trying really hard at times.

 

Visual Latin is broken down into Latin 1 & Latin 2. Each one has about 30 classes, so you could do one class a week, and it would stretch out for a year. If you want to use it as a High School credit you would have to do both Latin 1 & 2.

You can buy Visual Latin 1 Dvd format for $80.00 for all 30 lessons, or you can buy them 10 lessons at a time for $30.00 .  Or as a digital download for $25.00 for 10 lessons. Downloads can be watched on your computer PC, or Mac. Also on an Ipod, Ipad, or Iphone. Which makes them great for travel.

 

I thought they were very well done, he went slowly and explained things very well. Another feature I really liked is that each lesson is broken down in 3 parts, Grammar, Sentences, and Reading. Plus each section is only 7-8 minutes long.  Just the right length to keep my Monkey Mans attention. I really think this will be something we continue with in this house. He and Grandma are really loving this time to do something together!

 

 

Monkey Man’s thoughts:

“I really like it, cause he teaches you sentences. He says it in English then Latin, and again in Latin, then English. I REALLY liked it!”

See what other Tos Crew Members have to say about Visual Latin.

*We were given a dvd with the first 10 lessons in exchange for our honest opinion to share as part of the TOS Crew.

 

Tos Review: Always Ice Cream

 

 

 

 

Always Ice Cream is a website designed for girls ages 7-12. Where they motivate girls to learn.

Girls can design a character to look like them, and this is called their Minime. Then they can play educational games and earn Ice Cream Scoops.

The educational games they offer are in Language Arts, Math, Advanced Math, Science, Geography & History, Music & Arts, Computer Skills, Foreign Languages, Religious Education,

 

I’m not going to lie, my first impression was not a very favorable one. It didn’t look to educational to me. So, before I let my daughter on to play I decided to get on and venture around the site. After digging a little further in, I found that it wasn’t all bad. The games are great to get their minds going, and to engage them without it feeling like work. Who doesn’t like that right???

My daughter is 8, and I found these were right on level for her. The first things she wanted to try was the states.  She likes to see how well she knows them.

Then I had her try the typing, cause I have been trying to find a program to get her and my son on. I figured while I was searching this would be a great start for her..  It was not super hard, so it is something she can handle without getting frustrated (that is a big issue for us).  The idea is to push the correct letter before the ice cream goes off the counter. Each time they hit a wrong letter, their accuracy goes down.

 

This site also has some fun games to it. Such as Pet World, which is free. The other games are paid by ice cream scoops they collect.

Like many other online learning sites, Always Ice Cream also emails parents reports of progress. So you can make sure they are learning, and not just playing games.

Girls are also able to make new friends and chat with other girls on the site. Parents can choose what they want their girls to participate in. Always Ice Cream tries very hard to make sure the site stays safe though.

 

Dr. Johannes and Swenja Ziegler are co-founders of Always Ice Cream. Having daughters of their own, they decided to create this site to help other girls. They gathered information from girls that homeschooled, and went to traditional school. Then they assembled a team to help create Always Ice Cream!

 

How much does Always Ice Cream cost? Well it is $4.99 a month, or $29.99 a year. They also offer a lifetime membership. If you have more than one daughter, you would need to pay for extra memberships. Parent accounts are always free! The reason for these costs, is because they want to be able to keep Always Ice Cream free of ads.

 

In conclusion.. after spending some time on this site. I have changed my mind and think it is a very nice place. I would be more apt to spend the small cost for this site, then a gaming site for my child. I think that it has a nice mix of games, and education. Middle Monkey says that she thinks it is very fun, and she has learned a lot!

 

See that the Tos Crew Members have to say about Always Ice Cream!

 

*We received a membership to Always Ice Cream in exchange for our honest review for the TOS CREW.

 

Star Wars Cereal Winner is….

 

 

 

 

#44

Barbara Montag!!!

Congrats!!!

Thank you to all that entered, and come back and check out some of the other great giveaways going up soon!  

The winner has 48hrs to reply, or I will choose a new winner. (so be sure to check your email)

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 

1. Have you ever been 'asked' to report for jury duty? Were you chosen to serve? If not, were you happy or disappointed?

No, I haven’t yet.. Can you believe that? It will probably come back to haunt me, after saying this. Lol!

2. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very), how mechanically inclined are you? Give an example to back up your answer.

I’m not sure on a scale.. I’d say probably a 7. My dad is a mechanic, so pulling things apart and putting them back together was a favorite pass time.

3. Beets-cabbage-cauliflower-butternut squash....of the four, which is your favorite fall vegetable?

Oh so hard.. Butternut Squash, and cauliflower, I can’t just choose one. Not a big fan of beets, but love beet greens. Also not a big fan of cabbage unless raw and in a salad.

4. What do you recommend to overcome self-pity?

Realize that someone is always worse off than you, and that you can help make someone else's life better if you try to find the positive in a situation.  

5. Do you enjoy classical music?

Its alright, but not a huge fan.

6. October is National Book Month...what's on your reading list this month?

Ohhh.. I love to read! I am trying to read through all of Barbra Delinsky’s, Debbie MaCombers, Diana Palmer, and Kristen Hannah’s books right now. Doing pretty good might I add. Plus I just got Nicholas Sparks new book today!!!! Oh, and I’m working on  The Lost Hero.

7. What is your idea of 'cute'?

Kids when they smile, a tooth missing, lots of things are cute.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today is my 10 yr Anniversary! I’d like to say I’m going on some great vacation getaway, or a night out, but that is not the case. Instead, my hubby is working, and I’m going grocery shopping. What an exciting life I lead huh? We don’t have the money to do anything big, but I’m ok with that. Spending it with family is just as important.