On particularly rough days.....

This is my quote of the day- I found it on facebook and searched for the author but only seem to find "author unknown".

Educents

I like to be "in the know" when it comes to new homeschooling resources and feel that there are so oh so so many great programs that sometimes it is overwhelming to figure out what might work best for my family (and fit in my budget). I've been thankful to have the opportunity to try out some of the products available through educents and love that they are such amazing deals!

If you would like to see what i'm talking about - https://www.educents.com/#researchedparenting here is the link!!

The most recent product i've been able to sample (in order to write about it on my blog) has been Digital Creativity Box for Kids  m and I'm amazed by how many different types of products are available. This is designed for the busy mamma as an organized set of suggestions for activities pertaining to specific themes- for example if the theme was hot/cold then there might be a game, a craft, recipe and a coloring page.

Personally I ENJOY coming up with different activities and crafts and encourage my children to come up with them as well for topics that interest us- but i know many mammas who dread it. This is for you.

Super Excited - Games For Language (AKA maybe my kids will learn German in spite of us)

My children *should* be bilingual. My husband is German and his family live in Germany. He moved to Canada so we could be together. A more romantic love story I've never heard. I imagined I would quickly pick up the language and we would raise bilingual- no multilingual children who would one day follow our love of travel all over the world. Sadly i was mistaken - even though we go to Germany at least every second year- my children somehow are NOT multilingual. They are not even bilingual - I feel like we've failed them. So I have purchased German books, dvds and cds. I have done German language programs one after the other and somehow it just doesn't click. If I'm honest- I lack the consistency required for language learning.

I was asked to do a review for Games for Language. I have to admit i wasn't even a little bit hopeful. It started out so slowly- I was sure my daughter wouldn't keep with it- but i was wrong!! This is so exciting. They started off so slowly- building confidence, teaching how the different games worked and now my daughter (age 7 but a strong reader) is hooked! Since this is something she can do on her own for 10 min a day i am now wondering- could this be it?

I AM SO EXCITED

And i'm learning too- you can repeat a lesson as often as you wish so we're both doing them- she does them first and then later i do them as well.

I love online subscriptions- it means no curriculum taking up space- it means we're super flexible- even if we're on vacation and need some quiet time we can log in and continue and it is usually reasonably priced so you can start a program and see what you think before committing.

Try the demo here http://www.gamesforlanguage.com/?_source=4ab06fcedff321355

BUT the most exciting part? Well......it is on SALE RIGHT NOW- so today try the demo- fall in love and then tomorrow it is on sale - HERE -  https://www.educents.com#researchedparenting you can purchase a 6 month or 12 month subscription for up to 43% off a great deal!!

French- German- Italian and Spanish are all offered!


I was given a sample in order to try and post about it on this blog- but the opinions stated are my own. I have included my referral links as well and appreciate your support. Have a blessed day.

Rock N Learn

This week I've been given 4 preview DVD's from Rock N Learn- and as some down time after a park date today was the perfect time to try one out. We watched Letter Sounds http://rocknlearn.com/html/letter_sounds.htm

And now you can get a bundle of two DVD's for the price of one- http://educents.com/national-deals/deal/words-sounds-bundles#.UdM9B_lQLoI

I was excited to start the DVD as it looked interesting and informative- as a homeschooler we are always looking for "educational opportunities" and if my kids are watching television then I certainly hope they are learning something positive! It was long- just over an hour- but the kids were glued to it the whole time- which I found surprising. It was engaging and enjoyable. The age range suggested was 4-7 and my 3, 4 and 7 year old were watching with interest.

It was really too young for my 7 year old to watch more than once, and my 3 and 4 year old were a captive audience- however it went a bit too quickly at times for them to actually be reading the words on the screen (there were pauses but they were not quite long enough) .Although the benefit of the dvd is that you can watch it again and again until they are able to!

I appreciated the opportunity to review this DVD and am looking forward to watching the other DVD's with my children.

Never Ending Quest for Home School Resources!

I've been given a Premium Membership to VocabularySpellingCity.com for a candid, personal, online review.

VocabularySpellingCity helps students study word lists using 25 different learning activities such as Unscramble, Hangman, WordFind, and Crossword Puzzle.  Parents can create their own spelling lists, find published lists already available on the site, or use any of dozens of  free teaching resources on topics such as Analogies and Syllables.  Be sure to come back in three weeks to read about my experience.

There might be more free memberships available for bloggers.  If you're interested, find out how you can review VocabularySpellingCity.com.

Look forward to an update soon once my girls have a chance to try it! 

UPDATE: well......we've not used it as often as we should have- it is an amazing resource- but a bit older for my children. 

Surprise Visitor

A most unusual  thing happened today. 

I was in the kitchen making snacks for my children and their friends- when the front door bursts open. Since it is snowing and the wind is howling I assumed it was the wind. I was wrong. Instead a little boy - who looked not even 2 years old was running full tilt into my living room. In pj's and socked feet that were soaking wet. Sobbing. Wailing. Snot flying. 

The friend who was over was closest and scooped up the little boy and I rushed to the door and then outside looking to see- where was the mother? Someone must be looking for him. Yet it was silent and no one was there. Rushing back inside I called 911 and we try to see if this little boy is ok. He is wet and I run to get some clean socks and pj's and a diaper. His diaper is soiled and wet and heavy . We check again to see if anyone is calling him- no one is. We try to get him warm, offer him something to drink (he refuses) although he starts asking "cookie" and I hesitate. With all of the food issues we deal with each day I hesitate and make a mental note to buy our little PKU child a medical bracelet-we've been avoiding it but at this moment I realize that food is a natural thing to give a child who is upset. 

My friend wraps the little boy up in a blanket and just holds him while I run get some trucks and books. He settles down , although he's still shaking. I wonder how long he's been outside. It is not really spring here yet- snow was falling and the windchill this morning was below freezing.  

 The police arrive- question us for a few moments, start knocking on doors and find where the child came from down the street.

The police come back and forth- each time politely knocking- and my children seem to find it funny- calling out- " I bet it is the police again" time and time. They take the little boy home and dealt with it however they saw fit. 

And now I'm left wondering- was that a sign? Of course it was a sign. A child doesn't just march through your front door into your living room. 

My husband and I have been talking adoption for a long time now. We've talked fostering. I'm not saying this child shouldn't be with their parents. Perhaps it was a truly innocent mistake- apparently the mother was asleep and the child walked out the front door. Perhaps the mom was ill. Those things happen. But for a brief moment as I watched this little boy sit on our couch and play trucks with my children I thought - maybe another would fit into our family- maybe we're not really finished. 

Boston Marathon Tragedy

This morning my mother called me to tell me that she and my sister had booked to run their first 1/2 marathon together later this year. My mom is a seasoned marathon runner and so it was exciting to hear that my sister would join her.

This afternoon there were at least two explosions that went off during the Boston Marathon. An 8 year old  died. Over a hundred injured- the numbers keep increasing. My little baby will be 8 this year so this really really hits home.

I didn't hear about it right away- I was at a field trip chatting with other homeschool mothers - we talked about social media and technology and the world our kids were going to grow up in. A world where there was uncertainty and violence and information- lots of information- but sometimes not enough wisdom.

My children won't know about this tragedy. We do not watch television and they are not online on their own.  And I am thankful I can protect them from this- thankful that I can shield them - even if only a little bit for a little while- from some of the ways evil portrays itself.

One of my go-to parenting books that is in my shelf is Simplicity Parenting  and I love this book for so many reasons but i think my favorite part is when the author Kim John Payne discucsses why it is important to shield our children from the evil and the ugly in the world- since it is so elequently expressed in this book I will not try to restate it here- but basically the idea is that childhood is a special opportunity and should be cherished as they will grow up too soon. The wonderment and beauty of the world should not be tarnished for them by the grown up fears and issues.

So I will not tell my children- but I will hug them a little closer and read and extra story tonight. I will pray for those who were killed and injured and their families.

And I will wonder- what has happened to our world? Another senseless tragedy- it is just so heartbreaking.