Good quote

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I am currently reading The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling, by Debra Bell. (More info on this book will follow in a week or two.) I read a passage yesterday that grabbed me and was a perfect reinforcement of one of my New Year’s resolutions. Here is what I said:

“2. Smile more. Make an effort to have and be more fun with the kids. Take time to stop and enjoy the moment instead of worrying so much about checking the next item off my mental list.”

Here is what Debra Bell says,

“Is She Happy?”

Probably the key factor in those homes that have happy, motivated children who are achieving at the level of their potential is Mom’s attitude. Is she happy? Are we having fun yet? Does she enjoy homeschooling and maintain relatively consistent enthusiasm?”

I think this is both well said and very true. Mom’s attitude has a tremendous effect on how smoothly things run in a household. Yet so easy to forget….

Bertie’s War (Kregel Publications)

  Bertie’s War, by Barbara Blakely, is a story told by a twelve-year old who is growing up in the early sixties. Bertie is struggling to understand herself and her world in the context of an unaffectionate father and the Cuban Missile Crisis, both of which create irrational and even debilitating fears in her.

I  appreciated the time period in which this story was set and thought it was an excellent introduction to  an era that is seldom addressed in historical fiction.  The novel was very well written, giving a  realistic window into the mind of the main character. It is a Christian novel, and although Christian principles are woven throughout the book, and it ends with a faith-filled message, it is not at all preachy. The book does have a fairly heavy feel as it deals with Bertie’s fears and feelings of isolation, so I wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers. It would be an excellent read for a child or 11 or 12 or older.

Bertie’s War can be purchased at Kregel Publications for 7.99.

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.  To read more reviews, please visit the TOS Homeschool Crew site!

Where is God, by Henry Townsend

I have been surprised many times in the past few months by God sending a book my way with a message that was just what I needed to read at the time. Where is God? by Henry Townsend is yet another example of this.

People around the world, in all situations and walks of life ask themselves every day, “Where is God?” Through our struggles to understand our lives, our world, and our purpose, this is a question that most of us ask at one time or another. Some want to know if God really exists; some are struggling with a tragedy that God might have prevented; others are standing at a crossroads in life, desperately trying to discern God’s will. In this book, Townsend helps the reader to more fully know God’s character, to convey how much God does love us, how he hurts when we hurt, how he acts in our behalf even when we don’t see it. Where Is God is packed with scripture and personal stories that help the reader more fully understand the nature of God and His goodness as well as help to understand trials and live through them without losing faith.

Where Is God? contains insights about faith, God, and the Christian life that I haven’t read elsewhere. This is definitely a book I will come back to over and over again.

I received this item free from the Thomas Nelson Book Blogger Program in exchange for my honest review.

Bowling

We decided to go bowling last Saturday before school started back and Allison went back to college. As Katie would say, a “fun family bonding time.” Now, we are not bowlers—we go bowling maybe once a year at most. The idea was sparked by a “free bowling” coupon that arrived in the mail. It wasn’t quite so free, since shoe rental wasn’t included--$4.25 a pair. I think I remember when shoes were $.50!  The fine print on the coupon did assure me that the “shoes were worth it!” OK…

 

 

 

The excursion reminded us that we are really bad bowlers (although we did enjoy ourselves). Katie earned the high score of 103 points Woo hoo! I won’t mention anyone else’s score! We brought one of Emily’s friends along as well who had a very interesting ball release technique that involved skidding on her knees—very entertaining, to say the least.  

 

 

 

Giveaways

 

My Four Monkeys is sponsoring a “Flirty Apron” giveaway on her blog. They are really cute!

Kiddie’s Corner has a giveaway for a 6 lb container of Tropical Traditions oxygen bleach.

Mission Mommy is giving away Ritter Sport chocolate. Yum!

Mission Mommy also has a Crystal Light giveaway and a Popsicle giveaway going on now.

The Sweet By and By, by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck

 The Sweet By and By tells the intertwined stories of Jade, a young woman on the brink of marriage who needs to make peace with her past and her mother, Beryl, a member of the “flower child” generation whose ideals, morals, and selfish behavior wreaked havoc on her children’s lives. Jade seeks to leave the past behind, but when her mother shows up to her wedding, she realizes the necessity of being honest with both herself and her fiancé and of learning to forgive.

I liked the way the author told this tale through flashbacks, gradually revealing the characters’ stories and motivations. The characters were believable and engaging, exhibiting both virtues and flaws.  The Sweet By and By is a story of hope and new beginnings and an enjoyable read!

I received this item free from the Thomas Nelson Book Blogger Program in exchange for my honest review.

Goals for the New Year

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This is still a work in progress :), but here are some goals I have for the coming year:

1. Get up earlier to begin my Bible/prayer time. I am consistent about doing this nearly every day, but I would like to start about 30 minutes earlier, so that I can finish before Emily is up. I tend to let her oversleep or make her wait for breakfast and school because I am still having my quiet time.

2. Smile more. Make an effort to have and be more fun with the kids. Take time to stop and enjoy the moment instead of worrying so much about checking the next item off my mental list.

3. Relax and trust God. My life in in upheaval right now, and has been for the past couple of years, but I spend way too much time worrying about what might happen and trying to “fix” things myself rather than trusting God to work everything out for good in His own time.

4. Put more time and effort into preparing good and nutritious meals instead of throwing something together at the last minute. Reminder to self: It really doesn’t take that much longer to plan ahead!

Molly’s Money-Saving Digest (January 2010)

Molly’s Money-Saving Digest is an e-book series published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Each monthly issue is packed with money-saving tips for shopping, organization, decorating, and more.

1. The focus of the January 2010 issue is “evaluate, prioritize, organize”—a great theme for those of us who are eager to turn over a new leaf for the start of 2010!

This issue includes dozens of tips and tools to help you organize your money, time, and stuff. Numerous record-keeping and organizational forms are included to get the new year off to a good start. Each issue of Molly’s Digest this year will have additional forms to add to your household organizer notebook.

The “Begin With the Basics” column for this month features a pie-baking tutorial, complete with several crust recipes, including one that freezes well. I love the idea of having  up to 8 pie crusts ready to use in the freezer! Learn how to avoid runny pie fillings, how to roll out a perfect crust,  how to make special pie crust toppers, and how to make turnovers. The recipes for Mother’s Strawberry Pie and German Chocolate Pie sound delicious as well. I can’t wait to try out the recipes!

Another monthly regular feature is decorating ideas—my favorite idea this month is using a kitchen cooling rack as a jewelry organizer. Easy, cute, and practical!

Molly’s Money-Saving Digest sells for $4.95 at the Schoolhouse Store. The January issue can also be purchased in a bundle with “Molly Gets Organized,” a compilation of all of the organization related articles from Molly’s Digest 2009 for $9.95.

For additional tips, freebies and frugal decorating ideas, visit Molly’s blog at www.econosavers.com. I have it bookmarked and visit regularly!

I received a free review copy of Molly’s Money-Saving Digest as my only compensation for this review.

Kinderbach

Kinderbach is an online music and piano instruction program for 2 to 7 year olds. Emily is 9, so she is outside of the recommended age range, but I had her go through the program to check it out. The entire program, which costs $95.88   for a one year subscription or $19.99 per month, includes 60 lessons. Throughout the 22 hours of video and interactive coloring pages, children will learn about the Grand Staff clefs, play simple songs, rhythm notes and their beat value, hand and finger position and staff note reading by pattern.

I found Kinderbach to be very child friendly and fun. I loved the way concepts were explained and practiced in a pressure-free manner. The lessons were very short—Emily typically did a week’s worth in one sitting. Of course, a younger child would go through the material more slowly, possibly doing each lesson more than one time. The presentation reminded me of Blue’s Clues or Dora the Explorer, so if your kids enjoy these shows, then they are probably just the right age to benefit from Kinderbach.

As children watch the brief videos in each lesson, the children  are encouraged to play along, using rhythm instruments, a keyboard, and coloring pages that are printed from the site.

Emily enjoyed using Kinderbach and I think that it reinforced her beginning piano skills. It was obviously geared toward preschoolers, though, so I would not recommend it for children over 7. I would have LOVED access to this when she was three or four, though! I think the annual subscription is an excellent value and would be a great introduction to music for any preschooler as well as providing a nice head start for future piano lessons. 

If you are interested in Kinderbach, you may use the code, “KBFriends” for a 10% discount.

 I received a three month subscription to Kinderbach in return for my honest review. Also, I just joined the Kinderbach affiliate program, but that in no way affected my review.

Christmas Cruise Photos

We are back from our Christmas cruise. Chris chose not to join us, but we had a great time with all the rest of the family. It was wonderful to escape the cold weather for a week and to spend time with my sisters and their families.

 

 

All the cousins (except baby Lydia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing at Fort San Cristobel in San Juan.

 

 

 

 

Katie has one day of cell phone service in San Juan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the beach in St. John, Antigua.

 

 

Cruising for Christmas

We are leaving Saturday morning for a Christmas cruise with my parents, in-laws, and my three sisters and their families—a big family reunion! We have always been home for Christmas and I know we will miss our Christmas traditions, from the candlelight Christmas Eve service to our annual photo on the stairs to stockings, but we’re all excited about the trip and eager for a week of warm weather!