©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks ~ Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook ~ a TOS review
My girls are hands on learners! Give them something to color and put together and they will happily work for hours with no complaints. So when we were offered to review the Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook from A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks I knew it would be a perfect fit for Montana. She has been working through this science curriculum since last year in addition to her normal science rotation because she loves animals.
This lapbook is just one of the many Apologia Elementary titles available at the Apologia Curriculum page so be sure to check them out if you are working through any of the other Apologia titles. With over 160 pages this lapbook is choke full of hands-on learning that correspondes with the textbook. The lapbook comes in a PDF file with both color and black and white versions. Since I utilize an awesome printing service with my printer, I can print in color without worrying about ink costs. These are geared for students in grades 2-7 and go together with the 14 lessons that accompany the textbook.
Words like “hamburger folds” and “hotdog folds” might be confusing if you have never constructed a lapbook but thorough Instructions are given in the beginning of the PDF file if this is your first time assembling one. The Lapbook folder when take you through each of the 14 lessons in the book and includes mini books on specific topics in each lesson. The lapbook feature copywork, diagrams, flaps, wheels and more!
Montana thought she was just coloring and cutting and pasting but the knowledge is sticking with one dab of glue at a time. The best part is everything is planned for you! If you’re a busy mom like me, this is a big plus to my day. I simply print and give to my daughter and she checks in if and when she needs help. A full answer key is also provided at the end in case you get truly stumped.
This is a great lapbook and I plan to continue using it with Montana for the rest of the school year. I love that she will have a written collection of knowledge and work that she completed at the end of the year. Be sure to check out the other products that were reviewed by my CrewMates including:
This lapbook is just one of the many Apologia Elementary titles available at the Apologia Curriculum page so be sure to check them out if you are working through any of the other Apologia titles. With over 160 pages this lapbook is choke full of hands-on learning that correspondes with the textbook. The lapbook comes in a PDF file with both color and black and white versions. Since I utilize an awesome printing service with my printer, I can print in color without worrying about ink costs. These are geared for students in grades 2-7 and go together with the 14 lessons that accompany the textbook.
Getting started is really simple. Just gather your supplies including:
~ A printed copy of the Land Animals of the Sixth Day Learning Lapbook™ - Full Color Version by A Journey Through Learning
~ Land Animals of the Sixth Day book by Jeannie Fulbright
~ 14 manila or colored file folders
~ Scissors
~ Glue sticks
~ Hole puncher
~ Brads
~ Stapler
~ Crayons and/or colored pencils
Words like “hamburger folds” and “hotdog folds” might be confusing if you have never constructed a lapbook but thorough Instructions are given in the beginning of the PDF file if this is your first time assembling one. The Lapbook folder when take you through each of the 14 lessons in the book and includes mini books on specific topics in each lesson. The lapbook feature copywork, diagrams, flaps, wheels and more!
Montana thought she was just coloring and cutting and pasting but the knowledge is sticking with one dab of glue at a time. The best part is everything is planned for you! If you’re a busy mom like me, this is a big plus to my day. I simply print and give to my daughter and she checks in if and when she needs help. A full answer key is also provided at the end in case you get truly stumped.
This is a great lapbook and I plan to continue using it with Montana for the rest of the school year. I love that she will have a written collection of knowledge and work that she completed at the end of the year. Be sure to check out the other products that were reviewed by my CrewMates including:
Classical Conversations Cycle 3 JUNIOR Activity Book
Classical Conversations Cycle 3 Activity Book
Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day Lapbook
Apologia Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day Lapbook
Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Botany Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy (1st Edition) Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy (2nd Edition) Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Lapbook
An Overview of the 20th Century
The Greatest Inventors
Classical Conversations Cycle 3 Activity Book
Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day Lapbook
Apologia Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day Lapbook
Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Botany Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy (1st Edition) Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy (2nd Edition) Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Lapbook
An Overview of the 20th Century
The Greatest Inventors
Click the banner below to read the reviews!
Company ~ A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks
Product ~ Apologia : Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook
Format ~ PDF file
Price ~ $20.00
Ages ~ 2nd-7th graders
Social Media Links:
Hashtags: #hsreviews #lapbooks #lapbooking #historynotebooking #sciencenotebooking
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Weekly Check-Up: Week 4 ~ Eclipse, Field Trips, and New Schedules
So, I completely missed getting Week 3 posted last
week. Unfortunately, I cannot remember
anything significant that happened during week either. So I am going to progress
to week 4 and try my hardest to not let that happen again.
Week 4 was a busy week for us. I made the executive decision
to pull Mikayla and McKenzie from the gym for the week…yes, they both were
going through withdrawals but it was so needed for both of their bodies to get
some rest. Plus we had the Solar Eclipse, the first day of Tapestry of Grace History
virtual co-op, field trips, and taking our oldest back to University for her
Junior year. A full week for sure!
This week I also experimented with a new school schedule for
Mikayla and Montana. It is more of a block schedule having them complete our
necessaries daily and then having focus days for the rest of the subjects. This
schedule worked a lot better this week for both girls. I am still trying to
figure out how to get all the school in for Mikayla as homeschool 2-a-day schedule
starts after Labor Day. She will only have 2.5 hours to eat and do some school
work before heading back to training.
Trust me, the thought of pulling her from morning training has entered
my mind several times but I know she gets the
best training during the morning with the smaller groups. This year a group
of gym moms and I will be taking turns sitting with the girls during break
hours to make sure the girls stay on task and are not playing around. Plus,
Mikayla knows that we will be working from 630-930PM every night to finish her
daily work.
Below, this is what I have for both girls:
Mikayla
Unfortunately, I have not figured out how to get our Morning
Time Recitations in for September which makes me a bit sad…but I am still
thinking. If you have any suggestions, please do share! My weekly goal is to
only need to work with Mikayla on Saturday’s but I know that history progresses
it may be necessary to work with Montana to make sure she is well prepared for
Co-op discussions on Tuesday.
Madison and I check in daily. We do math together at 9AM and then I typically
make my corrections to her work she has already done for the morning right
before starting school at 930AM with my younger kids. In the afternoon, we check-in and she turns in
the rest of her work for corrections. Next week, her AP Language class starts
and I am so excited for her! Reading the syllabus, I know she will get the push
she craves along with having some great teaching. Her teacher is AWESOME
already and class has not even started! A lot of the students are from the
surrounding area, including having one boy in the next town over. AP Government
and Honors Physics with Dr. Wile start in September and they both are equally
exciting from reading the syllabuses!
McKenzie and Micah are my easy students, yay! They both love
to learn and this past week we spent learning through play. McKenzie’s reading
has really picked up which makes me happy! She wants to read now which is
great. She turns 8 on Monday and will be having her birthday party on Saturday
with many of her gym friends on Saturday afternoon.
On Monday, we watched the solar eclipse like the rest of the
country. We did not have glasses because I was weary of them, but we did
experience a darkening of the skies and saw the shadow. We watched on NASA TV
and I told Madison that we will go to TX when the next one occurs to be in a
section of totality.
Wednesday, we went on our first scheduled field trip to the
National Weather Station that is about 5 minutes from our house. It was an
awesome experience to see firsthand how they predict the watches and warnings
along with the weather forecast. We learned what to do in a Thunderstorm, how
they send out the weekly emergency test signal, and were even able to see the
approaching Tropical Depression that turned into Hurricane Harvey. Madison is
taking Meteorology as her elective science course and is working on her cloud
brochure project so this was all helpful information. She still wants to be an
Astrophysicist, but Meteorology has peaked her interest. McKenzie and Micah
were not old enough to go to the weather station so they went on a field trip
to the big park with daddy. They had a lot of fun and enjoyed the morning out
that ended with eating lunch out.
Friday morning, we headed back to Lynchburg to drop Marie
off for her Junior year. Sigh, it does get easier Mama’s but man it is still
tough. I know she is safe and she is excelling in her Graphic Design Major and
meeting so many new people. This year, she chose to work in the human resources
department in the Advising office. She starts on Monday morning and I know it
will be such a great fit for her! We won’t see her again until Thanksgiving
break, but I know the time will fly by!
Well, that’s a wrap for now! I am knee deep in prepping my
lecture slides for history class on Tuesday. I am teaching the first two weeks
of the curriculum on the Rise of Egypt and Pharaohs. The kids have
presentations to do on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and man the work
I have received so far is impressive! The new students have put a lot of effort
into their reports and I can’t wait. Montana is reporting on The Great Pyramids
of Giza. If I can figure it out I will link her report next week.
Until next week, be blessed!
Reviews posted this week:
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Everyday Homemaking: Everyday Cooking ~ a TOS review
As you know I have 5 daughters, ranging from 20 down to 7 (almost 8) and in our house I like to start my girls cooking when they turn 10 ½. Nothing fancy at that point, just to learn how to cook scrambled eggs without burning the house down. By the time they are 15 they have the knowledge to prepare a full course meal. I have several cookbooks to help the girls learn to cook, but recently we have been using and loving the variety of recipes from the Everyday Cooking cookbook from Everyday Homemaking because she cooks like me!
Vicki Bentley is the mother of eight daughters, foster mom to over fifty, and grandma to nineteen wonderful grandbabies (and great-grandma to one!). Everyday Homemaking is her website that she created to sell her homemaking products and is filled with practical ideas, tips, products, and resources to help families. Not only that, she also offers parents from all walks of life practical ideas and tools to help manage our time and households. Vicki believes in getting the kids involved and having them help.
Vicki knows just how busy a schedule can get and has great ideas to help combat the busy lifestyle and still get dinner on the table. This cookbook focuses on whole food without all the processed junk. With sample menus, low carb staples, pressure cooking basics, and shopping tips this book is choke full ideas.
The cookbook is available as a physical book with a glossy cover and coil bound pages or as a digital PDF eBook. We received the latter. Each book is exactly the same at 198 pages, except the print book features black and white photos while the digital includes color photos. Two cover designs are available in red or blue, but the content is the same inside.
What a great little cookbook this is to have! It is jam packed with quick and easy recipes that will make you feel like your Julia Child’s, just without having to spend all day in the kitchen. We made several recipes using this cookbook. The recipes are simple enough that I could have my children flip through and pick what they wanted to make.
With recipe categories like appetizers & dressings, main dishes, soups & sides, grains & breads, and desserts and snacks there is plenty to cook up and try. I love that this is perfect for using in a homeschool home economics class. Not only is there a checklist of when each recipe is made but time saving tips that are helpful to new cooks and seasoned ones as well. Also included is a helpful menu plan to give you a start if you struggle in that area.
The Everyday Homemaking website is chock full of great encouragement tips and tidbits for homemaking and homeschoolers, so be sure to check it out. There are several other books available for purchase on there and you can even find a copy of Vicki’s bread recipe. I highly recommend this cookbook! We have enjoyed preparing these recipes and I think this cookbook would be a great gift for a new wife, a young teen, or a homeschooling mom.
Right now you can get 10% off The Everyday Family Chore System and/or Everyday Cooking (print or e-book) through Labor Day! Use the code TOS10books -- apply it to as many books in your cart as you'd like. Just be sure to shop first and apply the coupon code last to get the best deal. Don’t delay though, the coupon code expires Sept 5th.
Be sure to click on the banner below and read the other reviews for Everyday Homemaking from my CrewMates.
Vicki Bentley is the mother of eight daughters, foster mom to over fifty, and grandma to nineteen wonderful grandbabies (and great-grandma to one!). Everyday Homemaking is her website that she created to sell her homemaking products and is filled with practical ideas, tips, products, and resources to help families. Not only that, she also offers parents from all walks of life practical ideas and tools to help manage our time and households. Vicki believes in getting the kids involved and having them help.
Vicki knows just how busy a schedule can get and has great ideas to help combat the busy lifestyle and still get dinner on the table. This cookbook focuses on whole food without all the processed junk. With sample menus, low carb staples, pressure cooking basics, and shopping tips this book is choke full ideas.
The cookbook is available as a physical book with a glossy cover and coil bound pages or as a digital PDF eBook. We received the latter. Each book is exactly the same at 198 pages, except the print book features black and white photos while the digital includes color photos. Two cover designs are available in red or blue, but the content is the same inside.
The Table of Contents include:
• Preface
• Introduction
• Time Saving Tips
• Breakfast Ideas
• Appetizers and Dressings
• Bread and Grains
• Main Dishes & Soups & Sides
• Desserts and Snacks
• Homemade Vanilla Extract
• Low-Carb and Gluten-Free Pantry Helpers
• Basic Measurements and Helps
• Meal Planning and Shopping Hints
• Sample Menus & Menu Planning Masters
• Basic Cooking Skills Checklist
• Basic Kitchen Accessories
• Kitchen Equipment
• The Tortoise and the Hare
• Pressure Cooker Tips and Favorites
• Index of Recipes
• Index of Practical Tips
What a great little cookbook this is to have! It is jam packed with quick and easy recipes that will make you feel like your Julia Child’s, just without having to spend all day in the kitchen. We made several recipes using this cookbook. The recipes are simple enough that I could have my children flip through and pick what they wanted to make.
With recipe categories like appetizers & dressings, main dishes, soups & sides, grains & breads, and desserts and snacks there is plenty to cook up and try. I love that this is perfect for using in a homeschool home economics class. Not only is there a checklist of when each recipe is made but time saving tips that are helpful to new cooks and seasoned ones as well. Also included is a helpful menu plan to give you a start if you struggle in that area.
The Everyday Homemaking website is chock full of great encouragement tips and tidbits for homemaking and homeschoolers, so be sure to check it out. There are several other books available for purchase on there and you can even find a copy of Vicki’s bread recipe. I highly recommend this cookbook! We have enjoyed preparing these recipes and I think this cookbook would be a great gift for a new wife, a young teen, or a homeschooling mom.
Right now you can get 10% off The Everyday Family Chore System and/or Everyday Cooking (print or e-book) through Labor Day! Use the code TOS10books -- apply it to as many books in your cart as you'd like. Just be sure to shop first and apply the coupon code last to get the best deal. Don’t delay though, the coupon code expires Sept 5th.
Be sure to click on the banner below and read the other reviews for Everyday Homemaking from my CrewMates.
Company ~ Everyday Homemaking
Product ~ Everyday Cooking
Format ~ PDF eBook
Price ~ $15.99
Social Media Links:
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Wordless Wednesday
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Veritas Press: Phonics Museum App ~ a TOS review
Teaching a child to read can seem like a daunting task. I have taught my three youngest daughters to read at home and now my son is in the beginning stages and learning his alphabet letters and sounds. Did you know that Veritas Press now offers their Phonics Museum program as a Phonics Museum App?
Veritas Press is a Christian publisher that is a leader in Classical education and offers literature based curriculum for classical education. They wholeheartedly believe that classical Christian education is the best way for children to reach their full, God-given potential. From this belief the founders and the company are dedicated to providing the best learning tools for educating your children . . . One Young Heart and Mind at a Time!
Now, we normally limit technology use during the school week as much as possible but I have to tell you this app is one that I do allow Micah, 3, and McKenzie, 7 to play daily even just for 20 minutes. This app makes learning to read and reading an engaging process. With fun characters and eye catching graphics your child will explore each level of the museum and begin to read.
Getting started is super easy! Just download the app and choose between Wendy or William to be your guide along with Percival, a young knight. To round out the cast of characters you are introduced to the museums curator, Miss Biddle, who always has a catchy song to offer or fun games to play to help teach all the rules of phonics in the English language.
This app works well for all types of learners including visual, kinesthetic, and/or auditory learners because of the wide variety of activities available within the app. With regular use of the app your child will learn all of the phonics rules with the help of Wendy or William, Percival and Miss Biddle. Your child can begin to read the included beginning reading books in as little as four weeks.
As I stated earlier, I let McKenzie (7) and Micah (3) use this app daily during our review period. They are both in the target age range for the app so it was a win-win for us. McKenzie already knows how to read so we used the app to review phonics skills were she is weak while Micah is just beginning to learn his letters and the sounds they make.
I installed the app on both my iPhone and iPad mini for them to use at the same time. When logging in for the very first time the child gets to pick a unique to them avatar, enter their name, and pick whether they want to be Wendy or William. After that you begin your journey through the museum, which is really awesome! Especially since we are studying Ancient History this year and their are ancient artifacts that show up around the museum.
Each child begins with learning the letter "A". Once a letter is mastered you receive an email in your inbox saying that they mastered the letter and are ready to move on to the next one. There were no complaints from either of my children when it was app time. The only argument was who got to use which device.
So does this sound too good to be true? Well, it's not! Membership to Phonics Museum includes unlimited access to the app on any device and allows you to have up to three students working through the program. Membership is just $9.99 a month if you like it, and trust me you will not only like it, you will LOVE it! You can even take a trial of the app for free access for two weeks! Membership fees are charged to your iTunes account automatically each month unless you cancel. For more information be sure to check out their FAQ page to have all your questions answered.
We love this app! I have no problem letting my children play this app daily. I love that I am sneaking in learning while they are having fun. I truly think you should check this app out for yourself, I think you will love it as much as we do! Also be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this app by clicking the banner below!
Company ~ Veritas Press
Product ~ Phonics Museum App
Format ~ app
Price ~ $9.99/month
Ages ~ 3-7 year olds
Veritas Press is a Christian publisher that is a leader in Classical education and offers literature based curriculum for classical education. They wholeheartedly believe that classical Christian education is the best way for children to reach their full, God-given potential. From this belief the founders and the company are dedicated to providing the best learning tools for educating your children . . . One Young Heart and Mind at a Time!
Now, we normally limit technology use during the school week as much as possible but I have to tell you this app is one that I do allow Micah, 3, and McKenzie, 7 to play daily even just for 20 minutes. This app makes learning to read and reading an engaging process. With fun characters and eye catching graphics your child will explore each level of the museum and begin to read.
Getting started is super easy! Just download the app and choose between Wendy or William to be your guide along with Percival, a young knight. To round out the cast of characters you are introduced to the museums curator, Miss Biddle, who always has a catchy song to offer or fun games to play to help teach all the rules of phonics in the English language.
Phonics museum comes to life with over 900 interactive activities and features:
~ catch memory songs
~ fun games and activities
~ early reader books
~ interactive finger tracing activities
This app works well for all types of learners including visual, kinesthetic, and/or auditory learners because of the wide variety of activities available within the app. With regular use of the app your child will learn all of the phonics rules with the help of Wendy or William, Percival and Miss Biddle. Your child can begin to read the included beginning reading books in as little as four weeks.
I installed the app on both my iPhone and iPad mini for them to use at the same time. When logging in for the very first time the child gets to pick a unique to them avatar, enter their name, and pick whether they want to be Wendy or William. After that you begin your journey through the museum, which is really awesome! Especially since we are studying Ancient History this year and their are ancient artifacts that show up around the museum.
Each child begins with learning the letter "A". Once a letter is mastered you receive an email in your inbox saying that they mastered the letter and are ready to move on to the next one. There were no complaints from either of my children when it was app time. The only argument was who got to use which device.
So does this sound too good to be true? Well, it's not! Membership to Phonics Museum includes unlimited access to the app on any device and allows you to have up to three students working through the program. Membership is just $9.99 a month if you like it, and trust me you will not only like it, you will LOVE it! You can even take a trial of the app for free access for two weeks! Membership fees are charged to your iTunes account automatically each month unless you cancel. For more information be sure to check out their FAQ page to have all your questions answered.
We love this app! I have no problem letting my children play this app daily. I love that I am sneaking in learning while they are having fun. I truly think you should check this app out for yourself, I think you will love it as much as we do! Also be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this app by clicking the banner below!
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Dear Homeschool Mom... You are ENOUGH
Dear Homeschool Mom,
I just want to tell you that you are enough. Enough for your God, enough for your husband, enough for your children. There may be days when that yellow bus that goes down your street looks so enticing... you may even want to flag it down.
But know that you are enough! You are doing enough. After all it is a marathon and not a sprint. You do not have to be Pinterest perfect, just be YOU! Because those who truly matter in your life know that YOU are enough. Stay the course and Do the Work of Homeschooling!
I hope this has made some kind of sense to you. I wrote it as a reminder for myself because even as a "veteran" homeschooler with 9 years under my belt, I struggle with being enough. And the weird thing is that as I am penning this blog I don't even know what "enough" is, but maybe, just maybe, I do.
This year I am following this adaptation of Charlotte Mason's motto: I am, I can, I ought, I will
Your "enough" is probably something totally different than mine but keep the faith that the One who called you to do this task of homeschooling will guide you through. The days may seem long but the time and memories will last forever in the hearts of your children. Thanks for joining me on the Back to Homeschool Blog Hop this week.
I just want to tell you that you are enough. Enough for your God, enough for your husband, enough for your children. There may be days when that yellow bus that goes down your street looks so enticing... you may even want to flag it down.
But know that you are enough! You are doing enough. After all it is a marathon and not a sprint. You do not have to be Pinterest perfect, just be YOU! Because those who truly matter in your life know that YOU are enough. Stay the course and Do the Work of Homeschooling!
I hope this has made some kind of sense to you. I wrote it as a reminder for myself because even as a "veteran" homeschooler with 9 years under my belt, I struggle with being enough. And the weird thing is that as I am penning this blog I don't even know what "enough" is, but maybe, just maybe, I do.
This year I am following this adaptation of Charlotte Mason's motto: I am, I can, I ought, I will
"I am a child of God.
I ought to do His Will.
I can do what He tells me.
By Grace alone I will.
Your "enough" is probably something totally different than mine but keep the faith that the One who called you to do this task of homeschooling will guide you through. The days may seem long but the time and memories will last forever in the hearts of your children. Thanks for joining me on the Back to Homeschool Blog Hop this week.
Be encouraged as you start your new year!
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Back to School Blog Hop ~ School Supplies
Do you know what I love most about Back to School time? Yes, you guessed it!
School Supplies
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| photo credit |
***the only affiliate link is for the Free month of Instant Ink. All other links are just for reference**
1. Printer ~ Hands down the most used item in my homeschool, besides my laminator, is my printer. This past Mother's Day the kids and hubby upgraded me from my old beloved HP Officejet 8600 series to the primo HP Officejet Pro 8730. I LOVE this printer! It's sleek, fast, and prints double sided like a pro. Well, I guess it is a Pro :-) With my old printer I use to worry about ink and even used generic because it was more affordable for my printing needs but now I have HP Instant Ink and it is a lifesaver! No more worrying about running out of ink because they deliver it right to my mailbox. I have the $9.99 plan that includes 300 pages per month. Don't worry if you go over your page limit, adding 25 pages is just $1.00. That is a steal! Normally, I imagine I would be fine with printing 300 pages, but with back to school prep I have gone over that amount. But you know what my bill is way less that the cost of just 1 cartridge of black ink so it's win-win for me! Guess what!? Right now YOU can get one month for free by signing up for Instant Ink yourself. Just click this link before September 30th and you will get 1 month FREE. In return, I get free ink too and Free is good!
2. Laminator ~ My lamination habit goes hand-in-hand with my printing. I am always printing activities for my kids to use. I use the Scotch laminator and laminating sheets weekly. Sundays are my heavy lamination days. This lamintor heats up really fast and does a super job. I have never had any trouble with it.
3. Binding machine ~ Now you didn't think I could print and laminate without binding did you? I love making spiral notebooks for keeping things nice and neat and this binding machine does the job. It's so easy to use and the end result is a perfect little notebook. I like to use printable assignment sheets for my students and this machine helps me do so.
4. External Hard drive ~ A few years ago I had catastrophic hard drive failure. It was an old external hard drive that my hubby had passed to me. It was a horrible experience and I shed a lot of tears over the memories and work that I had on that hard drive. Thankfully, I was able to get some of the digital curriculum I had purchased back by finding emails with purchase receipts, but my digital photos are only memories now. This hard drive is a biggie at 2TB and I actually keep a back up to this back up because I don't want to experience another failure again.
5. Prismacolor colored pencils ~ These are our favorite colored pencils hands-down. They color beautifully and we love them! Each of my girls has a tin set with 24-72 pencils depending on their age and usage for their notebooking needs. I got this set for Christmas last year, I love the color options!
6. Ink Pens ~ Zebra Sarasa and Pentel EnerGelX pens are my new favorite pens. 0.5 is my favorite tip as it provides a clean, sharp print. Tomorrow I will tell you how I use these to color-code my planning with my Apologia Ultimate Homeschool Planner.
I would love to hear about your favorite school supplies so leave me a message below. See what my CrewMates love by clicking the banner below.
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Back to School Blog Hop ~ Curriculum
Welcome friends! This week starts the Back to school Blog Hop and I am excited to participate with my Crew Mates! Today is all about curriculum. We are on week 3 of our 2017 - 2018 Plan of Study, slowing adding in subjects until Sept 4th when we will be at full force in all subjects. You can check out our Morning Time Recitation plans too. We have very loosely been doing these together as we find our groove.
Below is a snap shot of what curriculum we love to use in our homeschool:
Bible ~ Sonlight, Bible Road Trip
Math ~ Saxon: 2/3, 65, Algebra 1, Advanced Math
LA ~ AP English Language, Rod & Staff, Well Trained Mind writing
History/Geography ~ Tapestry of Grace
Science ~ Apologia Honors Physics, Apologia Honors Biology, Real Science Odyssey
Spanish ~ Homeschool Spanish Academy, Alpha Omega LifePac Spanish 1
Latin ~ Memoria Press: Prima Latina, Latina Christiana, Second Form Latin
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Saturday, August 12, 2017
Weekly Check-Up ~ weeks 1 and 2
Happy Saturday friends!
Another school year has started in our house and it feels good to be back in routine. Well, sort of a routine because we are still juggling summer gymnastics and cheerleading schedules. I'll be the first to admit that I am ready for September 5th to get here so we can get back into our real routine.
We are in our 9th year! WOW, 9 years guys! I remember the LCDR and I decided to homeschool our girls. Since then we have added two children, McKenzie and Micah, to our Academy and have graduated Marie, who is now a Junior in college! This year we have a 11th grader, a 9th grader, a 5th grader, a 2nd grader, and a preschooler to round us out. Check out our Plan of Study for the 2017 - 2018 school year, I made a few changes for the better just before we started school because I am dealing with meeting requirements for the U.S. Service Academies for Madison and NCAA guidelines for Mikayla.
Our first day of school this year was on July 31st much to the chagrin of a few of my students. As you can see from the picture, some were more excited than others to hit the books again. We don't jump full force into our year the first week, rather we do a few subjects based on the grade of each child and then continue to add in more subjects each week. By the week of Sept 4th I plan to be at full force schedule for everyone.
A lot has happened over the last two weeks including a few meltdowns but learning has taken center stage. I am still in the process of figuring out a schedule for me to teach each of my 5 school age children effectively this year. Our year end testing identified some gaps in some of my children's learning, I take full responsibility for that. I thought they could learn a bit independently, and I was wrong.
But you know what?! God is good and has shown me the error of my ways and already showed me how to get back on track. Is it going to be easy? No. Not in the least bit of sense. It will mean long days of schooling for me; but my children are worth it! Their education is my primary focus and I will "Do the Work of Homescholing" as I read from Brandy at AfterThoughts. We will be doing some extensive review and filling in gaps with fun and creative ways and also learning new things. Attitudes will need to be put into check at times, mine included. Since I am not one to back away from a challenge I say, bring it on and let's do this!
Micah is all boy and I love it! He is a 3 year old trapped inside of a 10 year old body, LOL! The things he says are hilarious at times. I am learning very quickly that he is not a sit down for long type of child to learn lessons. He likes to move, wiggle, and dance to his own beat so I have been tailoring and sneaking in learning time. One big change over the last few weeks is that he is sleeping through the night in his own bed! In turn, that means I am getting a great nights sleep too. Really, it's a win-win!
Madison has been hanging out with friends all summer and preparing for her upcoming AP and online classes. The process to get her IQ tested has fallen through because of loop holes, we still have the option to pay for the test out of pocket and we may or may not pursue that option. We are praying for direction as we go forward and hope that the online and AP classes she is signed up for will give her the challenge that her brain needs and craves. She was also just recently republished in the Homeschool Literary Magazine, The Phoenix.
You know the saying when one door closes, another will open? Well it's true! Two weeks ago Marie had an interview with what she thought was her dream job at school and after a good interview we found out she did not get the job. A few days after that she received another interview with another program and yesterday morning we found out she was hired! They are enthusiast to have her because she did community service last year with another division of the group and she left a great impression. The hours for this job are better and she will have her weekends free for spending time with friends and studying.
Montana started cheerleading with Pop Warner. She is enjoying it and this sport suits her personality to a "T". She comes alive when on the field cheering. Right now they are conditioning and selling products because the coach has every expectation that they will travel to Disney in December for Nationals. I am started putting a little bit aside from our monthly budget because apparently we will find out Thanksgiving weekend and will need to pay as soon as they make it. Our fall will be just as busy as our winter and spring, but I am excited to see my girl cheering!
Mikayla attended the NCAA College Showcase at Hills Gymnastics last weekend. It was an awesome experience for her and I. She was the only girl from our gym's location to be invited to go, which is a huge honor! Her session started on beam which is not her strong event and she kind of almost let her nerves get the best of her. I am so glad she has the training she does to cope with the fears that beam brings her and push past the fear. She was able to do her series, front tuck, and a jump series before moving on to the next event. If you want to see her videos here is a link on my Instagram. She had a few recruiter/coaches looking at her and making notes while she was on floor, which is super exciting! God has big plans for this girl, so excited to see them falling into place.
McKenzie loves school, hands down! She is a hard worker at home in her studies and inside the gym. The TOPs results came out yesterday and we are so happy that one of her teammates she looks up to is going back to TX for the 3rd year in a row for National Testing! This year was a training year for McKenzie, not to take anything away from her skill and ability, but we had no expectations she would make the cutoff score, especially since she started officially training TOPs mid-February. I can tell you this though, she is more determined now to make the cutoff next summer. After her birthday party, I am going to really try and change her diet for good. She needs to cut out the grains and refined sugars, as she has had many flare ups the last few months. It hinders her training and daily life because its not any fun with a bloated, hurting belly. The only thing is she is super picky! Like, seriously P-I-C-K-Y! Any suggestions?
Friday has been declared our new library day. We won't go every week, but every two weeks and bring home a gaggle of books I'm sure. Yesterday a little boy who was about the same age as Micah cleared two bookshelves of books! The librarian was visibly perturbed but she kept her cool when explaining to him that they would now have to re-shelve the 75+ books he put in a heaping pile on the floor. I am just glad it wasn't my son!
Next week we will be participating in the Back-to-Homeschool Blog hop with my CrewMates from the Homeschool Review Crew. Be sure to check out the site and come back and read what we will be sharing.
Happy schooling friends!
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
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