You know you’re exhausted when…

 

It has been a tough couple of weeks in our house (post on that to follow).  I spent the night in the hospital with Punkin Monday night – she was released to come home late Tuesday.  To say we were both exhausted would be a huge understatement.

Wednesday morning (late) I had my first shower in 48 hours.  As I’m shampooing my hair, it occurs to me that my shampoo smells sensational this morning.  I chalked it up to being grateful to get clean hair.  Next thought was how wonderful it was going to feel to open and use my brand new tube of Pear Raspberry body wash.

Oh.  So that’s why my shampoo smelled so spectacular this morning – it wasn’t actually my shampoo.

FYI, body wash does an incredible job as shampoo.

It’s always good to find humor in times like this.  I’d love to hear your faux pas that occurred as a result of exhaustion.  Let’s share, and share the laughter!

How can today be Tuesday?

 

Better question – how can it be August 2?  Really, August 2?  2011?

My how time flies.

Wasn’t it just Easter yesterday?  And Christmas the day before?

Wasn’t it just last year that I brought a blonde, long-awaited bundle of joy home from the hospital?  And another much-wanted, brunette bundle of joy six months ago?  How can they now be 11 and 9?

Where did the time go?  How did it sneak past me so quickly?

Did I read to them enough?   Did I play with them enough?  Did I make enough forts and play-doh figures and mud-pies?  Did I play dress-up, barbies, and princesses enough?  Did I play in the sprinklers with them enough? 

Did I snuggle enough?  Did I tell them I love them enough?  Did I hug them enough?  Have I taught them enough about God and faith and love and manners and friendship and courtesy and generosity?

No.  I fear I haven’t done any of those things enough.

Did I work too much?  Did I worry too much about how the house looked?  Did I buy them things to replace the time that I couldn’t…didn’t…spend with them?  Did I focus on myself too much?  Did I….do too much of all those things that distracted me from the most important, precious things?

Yes, sadly, I think I did.  And I’m still doing those things.

Why can’t I just be still and enjoy them?  They grow so quickly.  11 years has gone by in a flash.  I’m sure the next 11 will pass equally as swiftly. 

Is it too late?

I choose to believe it’s not too late.  I have to believe that.  The little girl in me – the part that never grew up - still likes to color and play dolls and make mudpies.  It’s pure, unstressful fun.  And don’t we all need that, whatever our age?

Why is hindsight always 20/20?  My Mama always told me that the older I get, the quicker the time will pass.  I didn’t believe her then, but I do now.  When I tell my girls that, do they believe me?  Or will the pattern continue – will they realize I was right when it’s too late for them to  recapture that time?  How can I make them understand now, so that they don’t have to live with regrets later?

My big 5-0 birthday is this month.  Maybe that’s why I’ve been so focused on the time that I feel has been lost.  Facing my own mortality, I guess.  Will I live to see my children graduate college?  Will I live to see them find their Prince Charming and their Happily Ever After?  Will I live to see my grandchildren, and be able to just sit and enjoy them, now that I know how fleeting time is?

I don’t know, but God does.  And I’ll rest – try to rest – in that. 

And for now, I’m going to go color with my girls.

Meet the 2011-2012 TOS Homeschool Review Crew!

 

I have the honor and privilege of serving on the 2011-2012 TOS Homeschool Review Crew for the second consecutive year.  I began last year thinking it would be a simple matter of using and reviewing products, and that’d be it.  Thankfully I was wrong. 

The TOS review crew leadership provides a number of resources through which the crew can communicate.  Over the course of the year  I used those resources – and found a wealth of knowledge in like-minded Christian homeschooling men (yes, men!) and women.  But more valuable to me were the friendships I made and the encouragement, prayer, love, acceptance and understanding I received.  What a gift!

I encourage you to click on the button above and meet these special folks.  Join us this year on the crew journey as we use and review homeschooling curricula and other products that might just be a great fit for you and your family.  Most importantly, know as you read the reviews that behind them are a group of homeschooling moms and dads who are precious to me.

Enjoy meeting my friends!

Mad Dog Math (TOS Review

 

Mad Dog Math is a program that was developed by one person to solve a specific problem.   The creator, Julie Kotoff, developed the program as a third-grade teacher to help her students with their  multiplication and division facts, and eventually also added addition and subtraction.  The program started out as a “paper and pencil” program, but has since evolved into computer software.  Turns out that more than just one person had the same problem, and one person’s solution has helped many.

Product Details

Mad Dog Math is not a comprehensive math program but is to be used as a supplement for grades  K – 5th grade (although I think it would also be appropriate for older kids still struggling with their math facts).   Mad Dog Math at Home is available for purchase and download here in three ways – a one-year license for $19.99, a two-year license for $29.99, and a perpetual license for $39.99.  Note that it is only available for Windows, and prior to ordering you need to know whether you need the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version.

There are three levels, plus a challenge level.  The intent is that you take a school year to cover each level.  The worksheets in levels one and two contain 20 problems each of addition or subtraction; the worksheets in level three contain 24 problems each of multiplication or division.  The “Mutt Math” portion of the challenge level also contains 24 problems for each worksheet and is a combination of all four operations.  the “Kennel Trouble” portion of the challenge level is true to its name – challenging!  You’re given a grid of numbers, and asked to “add, then multiply by ___,” “add then subtract ___,” “multiply then add ___,” and “multiply then subtract ___” (and the program specifies the number for the blank).

Level one covers addition and subtraction and begins with the 0 – 3 fact family.  “Fact family” in addition includes problems that have answers between 0 – 3; “fact family” in subtraction includes problems using operands which are between 0 - 3.  There are 28 fact families included in this level, with the highest being 12 – 18.

Level two covers addition and subtraction using 11 fact families, the first two being 0 – 6 and 7 –9.  The subsequent fact families are individual levels covering ten through eighteen. 

Level three covers multiplication (using 15 fact families, including four “range” fact families (i.e., zero to eight)) and division (using 11 fact families), with the highest fact family for each operation being twelve.

Each level has an ample amount of review built in. 

You start your student at the appropriate level, and set the timer for 2 minutes (the student must click “time me” to start.  Once they’re in the “2 minute club” for each fact family (meaning they can complete each worksheet in 2 minutes or less), you start them over with the same fact family, setting the timer for 1 minute.  Once they’re in the “1 minute club”, you repeat the family again, this time setting the timer for 30 seconds.  To pass to the next level, the student must master the facts in the current level and be part of the “30 second club” for each fact family.  The student can “pass” with two or fewer errors.

For whatever fact family they’re working on, pressing the “fetch” button will bring up a new set of problems in that fact family.

Parents can check progress by clicking the “progress” button.

In case my explanation is “clear as mud”, here’s a video that will give you a little more information on the program.  Note that the video is primarily geared toward classroom use (including the pencil/paper option), but I think it will still be helpful to you.

What I like

Gives good, solid practice on math facts.

There’s just enough color and graphics to keep kids interested, yet not too much to overwhelm them.

Gives my girls a challenge (the “clubs”) which motivates them to memorize the facts and get faster in answering.

I have competitive children, and whenever they compete against each other it’s usually disastrous.  This program allows each girl to compete against herself to get faster.  That’s a win for me!

I really like that the answers to the problems aren’t always the sum or difference of two operands.  Often the problems are things like 3 + ___ = 7, where the student has to fill in the blank.  I think that also keeps the interest level up for the kids.

I wish…

There was a way to hide the timer countdown. 

I wish there was a parent log-in so I could see how both my girls are doing at the same time.  The way the software is set up now I have to log in individual as each child to view their progress.  Just a minor inconvenience, but for long-term use it’d be nice to be able to see all students at once.

Watch out for

Remember that “fact family” in this program appears to mean different things depending on which operation you’re working on.  In addition, the fact family of 0 – 3 includes problems that have answers between 0 – 3.  For example, the problem 3+1 would not be in the “0-3 fact family” because its answer is 4.  In subtraction, the fact family of 0 – 3 includes problems using operands that are between 0 – 3 (in our experience of using this level, on worksheets using fact family 0 – 3 there were no subtraction problems that resulted in an answer of 3 and I found that true of other fact families in

Note that if you have a child that shuts down when being timed, there is also a “no time limit'” option.  Some crew members have used the timing feature and simply placed a sticky note on the screen to hide the timer.

The creator stresses that daily drill and repetition is what will solidify math facts in the student’s mind.  Daily.

If you have an extremely competitive child (like I do), watch out for frustration when their time on a set of worksheets increases rather than decreases.  Feel free to use my line: “the problems were different on this worksheet than the last!”

Again, the software is currently only available for Windows.  Mac users will be glad to know that an online version is in the works!

Be sure to

Download a trial version here, which will give you access to the first fact family in each of Levels 1, 2 and 3.

You can read more about her story here, including who the “mad dog” really was.

Click here to read more about using the program at home.

Check out their other offerings here (including a handy timer and motivation certificates).

Company contact info

Mad Dog Math
4562 Ocana Avenue
Lakewood, CA 90713
(562) 533-5772
julie@maddogmath.com

www.MadDogMath.com

You can also contact them online here.

Final thoughts

Knowing math facts is such an integral part of future success in upper level mathematics that I jump on any opportunity to reinforce those facts in my girls.  This is a simple yet fun program that accomplishes just that.

Thoughts of my crew mates

To see other reviews of this product, click here. For giveaways, other product reviews and other fun things, follow the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Crew blog at:

Disclaimer: As part of the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I received the product described in this review at no cost in exchange for my fair, honest and unbiased (and not necessarily positive) review. No other compensation was received.

WonderMaps by Bright Ideas Press (TOS Review)

 

Have you ever wished for a set of maps that was completely customizable?  One set of maps on which you could isolate geographic features, rivers, boundaries, cities, etc., instead of page after page (or atlas after atlas) of different maps?  Wish no more – Bright Ideas Press’ newest product provides just what you wished for!

Product Details

WonderMaps by Bright Ideas Press is a customizable set of 350 maps (60+ world maps, 60+ USA maps, and 125 historical maps (including 25 Biblical maps), and the complete (yes, I said complete!) map sets from Volumes I – III of The Mystery of History (“MOH”) and Volumes 1-2 of All American History).    WonderMaps is available from Bright Ideas Press in download and/or CD format for $49.95.  If you’re a TOS subscriber, check your most recent issue for a discount code.  (If you’re not a TOS subscriber, why not?  It’s an awesome homeschooling magazine!)

How does it work? 

First, you choose the type of map you want (World Continents/Regions/Nations, USA, Historical Maps, or Thematic Maps). 

The above picture results from a choice of World Continents/Regions/Nations.  Next, choose the particular map you’d like.  On this map, clicking on the blue text will zoom in, and clicking on the black text will open a new map.  Let’s choose Oceania, then choose Australia – here’s what we get:

The map appears with all “layers” selected.  Deselect individual map components to start peeling away the layers.  From here you choose to delete information regarding state borders, state names, city/town locations, city/town names, rivers, river names, terrain, etc.  Each click of a button displays a new map.  You can also choose from color or black/white overlay.  Click away every item, and you’re left with an outline map of Australia.

That explanation may have been a bit confusing, so here’s a tutorial video that will help explain how WonderMaps works:

 

What I like

My girls like to sit at the computer and click the optional “layers” on and off to see what the maps look like with/without certain features.  While they’re doing that, they’re absorbing geography knowledge without even realizing it.

Love that I can print the MOH maps and don’t have to cut up my MOH books!

With the click of a button, I can have a different map.  Quick and easy.  For instance, we can review the names and locations of USA rivers, then I can off the “river names” layer with one quick click, print the map (or view it online), and do a quick test to see what they remember. 

Bright Ideas Press has proven they have great customer service.  Crew members have pointed out some errors, and they’ve been quick to respond.

We’re studying American History next year.  I can choose “Thematic Maps”, “American History”, and with one more click I can see a map of the 13 Colonies Original Land Claims, or the Atlantic Slave Trade, or American Civil War Battlesites, or the Missouri Compromise, or….well, you get the idea.

Indexes of maps.  Both the World Continents/Regions/Nations maps and USA maps offer an alphabetical index; the Historical Maps have a chronological index; and the Thematic maps have a thematic index.  The indices make it quick and easy to find what you need.  Note sometimes it takes a little time to adjust to what will be included in World maps and what will be included in historical maps.

I wish…

I wish they would call Australia Australia!  On some maps that show continent names, Australia isn’t shown and instead is “lumped in” with “Oceania”.  I think that’s really confusing for a child studying the continents.

The icon that is placed on your desktop at installation was a map-related image.  Maybe I did something wrong, but my icon looks like a blank page with an arrow.  A visual cue to help more easily find the desktop icon to launch the program would be great.

Watch out for

WonderMaps is an interactive, pdf-based program and requires Adobe Reader version 9.1 or above.  If you don’t have this version, you can download it for free here.

Watch out for geography.  With WonderMaps, it will become addictive.

The Mystery of History and All American History maps are not customizable, as they are identical to the maps included in the MOH and AAH volumes.

Not all maps have all “layers.”

Be sure to

Check your most recent edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for a coupon.  If you don’t have one, don’t worry – WonderMaps is worth every penny of the full price.

Check out the other offerings of Bright Ideas Press – Illuminations, Mystery of History, All American History, Christian Kids Explore…  Click here to go to their online store.

Read a little bit about the Bright Ideas Press gang here.

Check out the articles, e-zine archives, workshop handouts, and other great offerings here.

Check  out the Bright Ideas Press blog here.

If (when!) you purchase WonderMaps, be sure to register with Bright Ideas Press – that will make you eligible for free updates.

Company Contact Info

Bright Ideas Press
PO Box 333
Cheswold, DE 19936
Toll-free at 877.492.8081
Office hours: Monday - Friday. 8:30am - 5:00pm EST
www.BrightIdeasPress.com

You can also contact them online here.

Final thoughts

Love this program.  I foresee using it for years to come.  WonderMaps is….wonderful!

Thoughts of my crew mates

To see other reviews of this product, click here. For giveaways, other product reviews and other fun things, follow the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Crew blog at:

Disclaimer: As part of the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I received the product described in this review at no cost in exchange for my fair, honest and unbiased (and not necessarily positive) review. No other compensation was received.

I Can Study 1 Samuel Alone With God (TOS Review)

  

When I heard I was on the list to review a product for Greek 'n' Stuff, I trembled at the thought of teaching my girls Greek.  I've long admired Greek 'n' Stuff for their quality language programs because I've heard excellent reviews, but wasn't sure I was ready to tackle Greek (especially on top of the Latin that we're already studying in our co-op).  I was pleasantly surprised (and, admittedly, a tad relieved) to discover that Greek 'n' Stuff also publishes a great line of Bible studies for children, written by Karen Mohs, titled Alone With God Bible Studies.

Product Details

The I Can Study 1 Samuel consists of 39 weekly lessons, broken into three parts, with assignments for each day (Monday through Saturday).  Each week a section of the book of  1 Samuel is assigned, and each day's assignment starts with a reminder to pray, then recitation of the memory verse(s) for the week (not necessarily taken from 1 Samuel).  Each daily lesson includes several questions to answer from the week's passage, and each weekly lesson also includes several thought-provoking questions (sometimes including a bit of knowledge about the time, culture or geography) and a "think and pray about it" section which serves to make the kids think about real life application of what they've learned.  The 1 Samuel study is available here for $21.95, and is available in KJV or NIV.

What I like

That each and every day's assignment begins with a reminder to pray and ask God to help you study his Word.  How often we just delve in out of obligation to do our "daily quiet time," without asking for wisdom and guidance in studying God's Word.  I'd love to instill in my girls the habit of seeking wisdom early in their lives.

I like that, as the name implies, my oldest was usually able to study the book of 1 Samuel alone.  The way the study is set up allowed her to do a little at a time, by herself, and she felt good about that.  Rather than having me instruct her on what she should study, she took the initiative and did it herself.  Granted, we never completed a week's lesson in a week, and she often needed help with interpretating the questions and sometimes searching out the answer, but that's okay with me - we should learn how to search the Scriptures.   She still did a great job, as this was her first verse-by-verse Bible study.  

Note that while this study is targeted to upper elementary, I think it can cover a wider age range it appears to me to be fairly easily simplified for younger students or beefed up for older students.

Watch out for

The study is entirely in black/white.  My oldest, who has a few sensory issues, was fine with it.  My somewhat hyper younger daughter, who likes all things brightly colored, sometimes had trouble focusing because it didn't keep her attention due to the lack of color and because most of  the pages are set up similarly.

If you have a younger child who wants to do this study, consider using the NIV for the simpler language.  The study is targeted to upper elementary-aged students, but my 3rd grader wasn't happy about being left out of a Bible study opportunity, so I ordered an extra copy of the study for her.  She had some trouble studying the KJV, an I suspect the NIV would have been a tad easier for her to use.

Be sure to

View the complete Greek 'n' Stuff catalog here.  

View sample pages for this study here (using KJV) and here (using the NIV). 

Check out the rest of the Alone with God Bible studies here. 

Final thoughts

I really liked this study, and hope that they publish more in this series.  What a great gift to our children to teach them to do independent Bible studies while they are young!

Thoughts of my crew mates

To see other reviews of this product, click here. For giveaways, other product reviews and other fun things, follow the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Crew blog at:

 

Disclaimer: As part of the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I received the product described in this review (in pre-production form) at no cost in exchange for my fair, honest and unbiased (and not necessarily positive) review. No other compensation was received.

 

See the Light - Art Class (TOS Review)

  

Like most kids, my girls love creating.  For some reason I find it challenging to make time for art - that's one reason I was excited to learn we'd be reviewing a sample of the art lessons from See the Light.  

We received the first DVD (Volume 1: The Basics) in the1-year Art Class DVD set, and immediately upon starting the DVD the girls were hooked.  

Product Details 

Art Class includes 9 DVDs, with each DVD containing 4 regular lessons for a total of 36 regular lessons. The first three DVDs also include a bonus lesson.  The Art Class set is available here for $99.95.  An online subscription is also available for $10 per month, which will unlock 4 lessons per month (you can also view prior lessons). Payment by Paypal is required for the online subscription. 

The lessons contain step-by-step instructions taught by Master Artist Pat Knepley.  Each lesson is approximately 15 minutes and provides follow-up activities for more practice on the techniques taught in that lesson.

The target age for this series is 6-10, but I think that upper age range is a bit low - since I enjoyed them and learned some things, I think older kids would like them too, especially those without any practical art instruction.

What's covered on each DVD?

Volume 1 - The Basics
Volume 2 - Shape and Space  
Volume 3 - Value and Color
Volume 4 - Color Blending Techniques
Volume 5 - Proportions for Composition
Volume 6 - Texture and Form
Volume 7 - Perspective for Landscape
Volume 8 - Balance and Foreshortening
Volume 9 - The Portrait  

You can see detail on the lessons included on each DVD here or here (click on each DVD for a summary of its contents).  The DVD that we reviewed (the first in the series) included:

Lesson 1 - Tools of the Trade: the basic things you need to have on hand to be ready to draw

Lesson 2 - It All Starts with a Line: instruction on different qualities of a line and about contour drawing 

Lesson 3 - Contours & Composition: how to train your eyes and hands to be in sync and work on a composition 

Lesson 4 - Draw What You See: how to draw a contour drawing of a shoe. 

Bonus Lesson - Chalk Artist Gloria Kohlmann teaches how to draw “Cross Hill,” the art shown on The Crossmaker DVD

Find out more about the Art Class lessons in this video:

What I like

Pat's teaching style - it's friendly and engaging and, most importantly, easy to undersatnd.

I like the step-by-step instructions.  I was very impressed with what the girls were able to do after only watching the DVD once.  Check out their very first attempts:

 

Apples!

 Shoes!

I like that it gives the girls confidence to draw- just look at those smiling faces! 

My favorite thing is that this is an art curriculum that we can and will actually use.  I have a couple others that sit on the bookshelf and taunt me. 

I wish...

There was an optional workbook containing more practice suggestions for each technique, and perhaps providing more information on the art history topics that were covered in the lesson.  I know they use "no workbooks ever" as a selling point, but we like workbooks!  I know I could find these things myself, but with my work schedule I like having the option to pay someone else to do it for me!  

While I love the Biblical application and devotions provided by the artist, I wish it could be done primarily at the same time she's illustrating the concepts, rather than separately.  The lessons are fairly short, so the girls wanted the entire lesson to be strictly art.  Don't get me wrong - I love any and all opportunities for the girls to hear the Word - I just wish the art instruction itself would continue during the short devotion/discussion.

I hope the rest of the DVDs (remember that we only received Vol. 1) include a bit more art history.  

Watch out for

Make sure to preview the lessons to make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand before you allow your kids to view the lesson.  (I learned this the hard way - please learn from my mistake!)  While most of the lessons can be done using only pencil and paper, it does add a lot to the lesson to have the suggested supplies

Be sure to

 






 Click here to request the first DVD in the series for free!!



Check out other instructional yet fun stuff here.  

Check  out the free lessons available here. 

Watch a replay of a recent webinar by The Old Schoolhouse and See the Light here - watch quick, as I believe this webinar will only be available for about six months.  The webinar will give you much more information about the course and the topics included, plus there's a discount code mentioned!

Be sure to watch the website for new products - I understand Art Class 2 (along with several other  is in the works! 

Check out the Bible story DVDs, containing a Bible story told through art and art lessons.  Available now are The Crossmaker (the story of Easter, which includes lessons on creative lettering, chalk pastels and water color) and The Gift of Love (the story of Christmas, which includes lessons on creative lettering, colored pencils and chalk-art techniques).  I understand more Bible story DVDs will be available soon.

Final thoughts

This is the first art curriculum that I've felt really comfortable with.  The girls can learn art techniques without waiting for me to get my act together (other than making sure I have the correct items on hand for them to use), so they're thrilled! 

I'm putting the complete Art Class series on my wish list.  When I get it, I'll bless another family by sharing the duplicate Volume 1 we'll receive with the set.

Thoughts of my crew mates

To see other reviews of this product, click here. For giveaways, other product reviews and other fun things, follow the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Crew blog at:

 

Disclaimer: As part of the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I received the product described in this review at no cost in exchange for my fair, honest and unbiased (and not necessarily positive) review. No other compensation was received.