Something to think about

Our extended family Christmas celebrations have already wrapped up for the year, and now we look forward to a couple relaxing weeks off of school and work. Lots of time together as a family, lots of laughter, sleeping in, playing, and down time.

I received an email with this video that got me and the rest of my family thinking.

Really made me think, once again, about our priorities and choices at Christmas time. God gave His Son to save us, and to set the example for us to follow. Selflessness, humility, people-focused, service oriented, giving.

Made us think . . . What else can we do to show God's love to other's this Christmas?

What can we change in our Christmas habits and traditions to bring greater glory to God?

My son, 12 years old, especially recognizes that he doesn't need much. His basic needs are met, and he won't get much benefit from new or more video games, gadgets, or other temporary gifts. He asked for gifts for others. He received $490 of clothing, two soccer balls, Mosquito netting, and school supplies, of course all sent on his behalf to those that really need those things.

My daughters got boxes of stuff for the American Girls. Great gifts, they love them. But, what will really last longer? I pray I can be as selfless as my son when it comes to receiving gifts.

I can usually think of something that I "need." But, when I put that into the perspective of people dying from lack of clean water or warm clothing, it changes a bit. Or, people dying without a saving knowledge of the gospel. WOW, I don't need anything that I don't already have, and I could survive without half of what I already own.

This Advent Conspiracy group (that made the above video as well as an updated one for this year) doesn't take donations, they are just urging you to get involved, somewhere.

Who can you help?

Where can you volunteer?

What ministry can you get behind? So many of them are facing serious shortfalls right now.

Follow God's tugging on your heart, and scrape together some extra money, or return that gift that you or someone you know doesn't really need, and instead give a little more.

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TOS Crew Review -- Maestro Classics

As long as I can remember I have loved classical music. The sound of an orchestra tuning up, the rich french horns, the beat of the timpani, the shrill piccolos, the conductor losing himself in the piece. Between piano lessons and attending concerts, my parents encouraged this interest.

The Tortoise and the Hare

I was quite excited to receive The Tortoise and the Hare from Maestro Classics. This CD, just one of many that they offer, combines music from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and professionally narrated tales in a way that children will enjoy and learn through listening.


Bonnie Ward Simon and Stephen Simon have created these sets to help children learn about instruments, classic tales (including Casey at the Bat, Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel, and Swan Lake), and the joy of great orchestral music.



Product: The Tortoise and the Hare by Maestro Classics
Details: A CD combining music from the London Philharmonic Orchestra with a re-creation of the classic tale, "The Tortoise and the Hare." The CD repeats the performance twice and includes explanations of the tale and the music, a fun song called "The Pretzel Vendor of Paris," and a music-only version of the Pretzel Vendor song so kids can sing along on their own.
Price: Generally these CDs sell for $16.98 each, but they often have sales, especially when purchasing more than one. At this time they have a deal for 3 CDs for $45.

What we loved . . .

• Very professional productions. From the music to the narration to the interesting facts shared in the other segments of the CD, this is a high quality production.
• The CD offers a great introduction to the instruments of the orchestra, awareness of tempo and the feel of various types of music and instruments, and music appreciation.
• Easy for young ones (preschool) to understand while not sounding too babyish for lower elementary kids to listen along and learn as well.
• Endearing graphics. The conductor, the animals, and the other images are well done and memorable.
• Your child will probably get the most out of it by listening through it with you and discussing what is being played and taught throughout the CD, especially the first time.

Things to keep in mind . . .

• Some kids just don't enjoy classical music, at first, or even for a while. As much as I loved this CD and wanted my kids to feel the same, it didn't keep their attention the way I had hoped. Maybe it was because the story was too familiar, maybe it was the music, I'm not sure, but this unfortunately wasn't something they requested to listen to on their own.
• The tale itself is 20 minutes which we found a bit long for the preschoolers to sit and really pay attention to. They don't mind having it on in the background while they play.
  

The Maestro Classic website offers bios on the creators, listening samples, lists of available products, and even a few lesson plan ideas for a couple of their musical stories.

If your child enjoys music and stories, or if you want a simple tool to help introduce them to orchestral music, the Maestro Classics definitely will fill that role.


For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This CD was provided to me free of charge from Maestro Classics as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

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Happy Birthday, Brooke!

Today we return to all even number status. Our kids are now 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4. For five months I have a relatively easy time remembering their ages.

In honor of my dear little six year old's birthday, she wanted a gymnastics cake. So, of course I did my best.


Really fairly simple. Butterfinger bar held up with pretzels for the balance beam, skewers for the uneven bars, and Polly as the star of the show. Of course, after I wrote "Brooke 6" and thought I was done she asked, "Where does it say 'Happy Birthday'?" So, we squeezed that in, too.


Happy birthday, Brooke!


My 7-11 baby. All births are memorable, but yours was a bit over the top. Just Daddy and me, the front seat of Grandma and Grandpa's car on a cold dark Sunday morning.


My ballerina gymnast. You are amazing to watch in your small class of older girls. You really hold your own and rise to the challenge.


Lover of green. I need to occasionally remind you that all shades of green don't necessarily match.

Loving older sister. You are so sweet with Nathan. Although he is just 18 months behind you, you show such love and care for him even in the midst of the precious friendship that you share. Of course you have some great older sisters to imitate as well.

Your big eyes and contagious smile are a blessing to our home.


Happy birthday, to a very special little girl.

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Verse of the week - Ephesians 5:1, 2

Children love to imitate their parents. "Cooking" their favorite meals in plastic cookware with child-sized utensils. Clomping around in shoes ten sizes too large. Beautifying themselves with makeup. And, helping with adult jobs whenever allowed.


We don't criticize them for their clumsiness. They don't shy away because they can't quite do it right. They keep trying, and grin up at us in their childish innocence seeking our approving smile or words.


My Christian walk should look similar. Ephesians 5:1,2 says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ²And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Sometimes in working out my faith the shoes might seem too big or the sleeves a touch too long. Sometimes, I might try to imitate God and I don't really understand what He is doing, but I copy and mimic, and humbly follow, knowing He knows best.


Lord, Help me to follow you as a simple child. Not always seeking explanation, but trusting You completely, and knowing I will slowly grow into the wisdom and habits that You lead me through. Thank you for coming to live it out for me in human flesh -- Emmanuel. It still doesn't all make sense, but it helps having that tangible picture to follow after. Thank you for accepting my feeble attempts at following. When I grow up I want to be just like You. ~Amen

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
²And walk in love, as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

~Ephesians 5:1,2~

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TOS Crew review -- Mathletics

Product: Mathletics
Details: An online subscription to a site featuring math competitions and teaching.
Price: Right now this is $59 per year per child. And, knowing the Human Calculator's favorite number is 9 should get you an additional discount.

While I didn't know that we really needed another math product floating around the house, I quickly learned that Mathletics was not just another math product.



This became a common site on our computer screens, as my kids raced against kids from around the world in real time. But, the real competition was against their previous scores. The rewards poured in as my kids' math abilities continued to thrive in this lightly competitive and highly rewarding environment.

In addition to the speed drill type races against other kids they also boosted their math skills. Mathletics offers nine levels of math teaching and practice, from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students learn about various topics and again receive recognition for increasing their math knowledge.

I was surprised to see my kids highly motivated by the characters they chose and getting to "buy" new hairstyles, backgrounds, etc. as they completed more problems correctly.


What we loved . . .

• Friendly competition. While the drills take place against other students, you really compete against your own best times. You receive rewards as you improve your personal score.
• International involvement. My kids loved seeing what countries popped up in the races. New Zealand, UK, Canada, Australia, Puerto Rico, UAE, etc.
• Many levels of material. Topics cover mathematical concepts from kindergarten through eighth grade. It is not just speed drill material. A couple times now, in our "regular" math time, my daughter has said, "Oh yeah, I learned that already on the computer." It is definitely more than just playing games, but the kids don't need to know that.
• Lots of recognition of achievement. Students receive points for topics mastered and improved skills, and printable certificates are available as well.
• Easy to change levels. If you feel your child is struggling or having too easy of a time, you can easily change their level to one more appropriate

Things to consider . . .

• Not a complete curriculum. While Mathletics offers a great supplement to math and definitely presents the material in an interesting and engaging format, it does not offer a thorough math teaching for each level. They seem to present it as a curriculum, but I do not feel it is as thorough as most texts we have used.
  
• A little pricey if you have multiple children. While in general the price is reasonable, it adds up quickly with many school aged children.
• Parents should check in on their student now and then. You will want to take some time now and then to see what they have worked on, how much time they spend on various topics and activities and check up on them. While the student can easily work independently, you will want to stay involved to make sure they make the most of the time online.

Mathletics is another great math resource. It definitely kept my kids' interest throughout the time that we had the subscription and they were sorry to see it end. It offers entertainment and motivation for a student to learn and practice their math skills even outside of the regular school day.


For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This web membership was provided to me free of charge from Mathletics as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

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WFMW -- how do you measure up?

Time passes so quickly that I try to find any simple way possible to hold on to the memories. Not to keep time from moving, but to not forget where we have passed together, to capture the moments that have built who we are as individuals and as a family.


A wonderful garage sale find nearly five years ago now helps us record the simple passing of ages and growth in our children.

We have one for the boys and one for the girls.


Each birthday and half birthday we measure them to see how they have grown. We all gather round, grab the nearest book, and put a new mark on the appropriate panel.

My oldest son now likes to make sure that this gets done first thing in the morning, since you are tallest right when you wake up. :-)

Although I did not have to create these boards since I found them very inexpensively, you could easily make these yourself. I love that they are simple, sturdy, provide plenty of room for each child, and when we move, we simply take them with us, and reinstall them in our new home.

Here's the specs:

• They are four feet long (from 2 feet to 6 feet) and just about three inches wide.
• A simple yard stick, ruler, or tape measure can help you mark off the inches.
• Then, either free hand if you are able, or grab a couple fitting stencils. Remember not to pick anything too babyish if you want to use them for years to come. Or you could do progressively "older" graphics as you go up the chart.

Simple memories in the making. Definitely works for us.

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Weekly wrap up -- December 11

This week provided a great balance of fun and work, but unfortunately no pictures to show for it. Of course, lots to get done this time of year, but with homeschooling we at least get to tackle it all together.


The fun . . . Before the temperature dropped on Wednesday night we did get some time to enjoy our first significant snow fall of the season. The girls especially loved it and spent every spare minute outside on Tuesday. They built a snowperson nativity scene, complete with baby Jesus on a broken snow shovel.


Wednesday we ducked out for a couple hours of sledding in the morning before buckling down with our school work in the afternoon as the temps began to plummet.


Despite the single digits on Thursday we enjoyed an open swim time in the afternoon. We met with some other homeschool friends we don't see often enough. They met us at the swim time and we all had a great time (moms talking, kids swimming, doesn't get much better than that!)


Friday we wrapped up our truly productive school week. Despite the various excursions we still got five pretty full days of school in, just not during "normal" school hours.


Books we are reading . . .

• Right now we are listening to The Call of the Wild and The Endless Steppe. The Call of the Wild is a book I have never liked, and I'm not really enjoying it any more this time through. But, it was not a book I picked because I thought I would enjoy it. Others seem to be liking it.
  
• The Endless Steppe on the other hand I am definitely enjoying. It tells the challenges faced by Polish Jews deported to Siberia during WWII, mostly from the perspective of the daughter in the family. It is high quality historical fiction. Clear glimpses into their difficult lives and unforgettable characters to take you there.

Some websites that have caught our fancy . . .

• My son came across this one. You can listen to air traffic controllers at various airports, and see graphics of flight patterns from today and months past. He found the re-creation of the flight we took out to Hawaii last year . . . wishing we were there again, especially after this week's weather.
• Grace Gems offers downloads and online readings from various authors and pastors of years gone by. Lots of rich encouragement and spiritual nourishment.
• With the gazillion homeschool sites out there, and many of them great ones, too, I could probably easily find a new site each week. I enjoyed looking through Sunflower Schoolhouse. They have lots of links to free homeschooling resources and if you use workboxes they link to a number of other blogs that use that as well.

This coming week will wrap up our schooling for 2009, bring our children's ages back in line (all even ages again, for 5 months anyway), and lead us right into the hectic season of the Christmas parties. Then we get to breathe for a couple weeks.

How was your week? You can see what other people are up to at the Weekly Wrap Up.

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