Homeschool Hint #2–Babies Need You Too

Having young babies and homeschooling certainly can pose challenges. One of those challenges is simply that young babies take so much time. Babies seem to be born with a radar that wakes them the moment you sit down to do something like work on math or reading with a child, or sit down to eat a meal while it is still warm. Right that minute is when they decide they need you to feed them, change their diaper, or just hold them.

At my house it also is safest for baby if they are not laid down on the floor when they are content or sleeping, unless I can be in the same room. I have discovered with past babies that my toddlers love to try and help by picking up the baby or sharing a their pretzels. Sometimes toddlers just want to explore this neat baby – you know, open the eyes, poke fingers in the mouth, and generally pester what could have been a calm or sleeping baby.

So what is a homeschooling mom with a young baby to do? While taking a break from homeschool is always an option for a while, you can’t do it forever. Around my house it also pushes everyone’s sanity when we take too long a break from the homeschool routine. When I had Oliver in 2009 I discovered a wonderful solution, one I am using with baby Caleb now. It is called a Moby Wrap.

Just what is a Moby Wrap? Well, it is a long piece of breathable fabric that mom wraps around herself to make a cozy place to hold baby. I have tried many different baby carriers and slings over the years, but the Moby Wrap is my favorite for young babies. It is comfortable for mom and baby. Wearing your baby frees up your hands to cook, clean, or homeschool your older children.

Wearing your baby also simulates life in the womb. Remember, for months before birth your baby was all snuggled up in this warm, noisy, near constantly moving place. When they are born they suddenly have too much room to move and can’t control those arms and legs yet, so they startle themselves. They’re not snuggled up, warm, and being moved around. They will sleep better in the wrap as you go about your day. The noise of a busy family is not too much for a baby, they’re used to it being noisy.

Another neat feature of the Moby Wrap is that I can wear it all day long, whether baby is in it or asleep in his crib. It feels just like I’ve got a shirt on. I go about my day and when those baby interruptions happen, I am all set to snuggle baby back into the wrap after a quick diaper change or bottle, then continue what the family was doing.

One question I have had from new moms, usually on their first baby or two, is “Can you hold your baby too much?” Let me be extremely clear: NO! You can’t hold your baby too much. When baby has had enough holding and is ready to explore their world he will make it known, often quite loudly.

I have also often heard the comment, “They’re asleep, you should lay them down now.” To that my response is why? You can’t hold a baby too much. And with a baby sling or wrap, there is no need to put the baby down so mom can do housework or take care of the rest of the family members. Your hands are already free.

Yes, You Can Homeschool with a Newborn

That’s what my kids tell me, so that’s what we are doing.  I knew they would want to keep learning, so I prepared for it by arranging some ‘computer school’ that is relatively mom-free as well as a few other things.  This week Daddy planned two field trips, I’ll tell about those at the end. 

Makayla (4th Grade)

1. Math – She will alternate using Mathletics and Math Facts Now! each day.
2. Writing – She has officially begun the Student Writing Intensive A from Institute for Excellence in Writing.  This is a DVD based course.  I participate in the dvd lesson over 1-2 days, then she has independent writing assignments to complete over 1-2 weeks before we move to the next dvd lesson.
3. Bible Study – She’s doing a page a day in Building Life Castles, a 4th grade bible study from Positive Action for Christ.  This is a TOS Crew review item we’ll tell you more about at the beginning of January.  She likes this so far.
4. Reading – She’s a voracious reader, I don’t really have to assign anything.  I’ll try to write down what she reads and share it at the end of the week.
5. Astonishing Animals – This is a Download N’ Go unit she picked and will do on her own.  So easy for me and so fun for her!
6. Read Aloud – We’re reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as a family.

Joseph (Kindergarten)

1. Basics – Time 4 Learning Grade 1.  We’re reviewing this independently (not a Crew item).  He does math and language arts on alternating days and then uses the science section daily.
2. Reading – He alternates reading to mommy and working on All About Spelling cards with Emma and Mommy.
3. Read Aloud - We’re reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as a family.
4. Living or Nonliving? – This is a lapbook from Hands of a Child that he and Emma are working on a little each day.  They wanted to do this one for fun.

Emma (Kindergarten)

1. Basics – Time 4 Learning Grade K.  We’re reviewing this independently (not a Crew item).  She does math and language arts on alternating days.
2. Reading – She alternates reading to mommy and working on All About Spelling cards with Joseph and Mommy.
3. Read Aloud - We’re reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as a family.
4. Living or Nonliving? – This is a lapbook from Hands of a Child that she and Joseph are working on a little each day.  They wanted to do this one for fun.

Daniel (Preschool)

1. Basics - Time 4 Learning Preschool.  He’s having fun with this some days, other days he would rather do Starfall.
2. Starfall.com – He loves this site and can navigate the games, stories, and different areas on his own. 
3. Reading – He knows his letter sounds and is working on sounding out word cards from All About Spelling.
4. Math – Other than the counting and patterning on Time4learning he is using manipulatives.
5. Read Aloud – We’re reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as a family.  He also snuggles up with mommy, daddy, or a sibling to read books from our shelves.
6. Little Reader – Yep, still loving this one!  He and Oliver do this together.

Oliver (Toddler School)

1. Little Reader – He and Daniel love this.  It has helped his vocabulary a lot in the last few months, it is so cute to hear new words. 
2. Read Aloud – We’re reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as a family.  He also snuggles up with mommy, daddy, or a sibling to read books from our shelves.
3. Basics – He plays with math manipulatives, playdoh, crayons, etc.

Caleb (Newborn School)

1. Snuggling – He has many willing hands here wanting to hold him, lots of faces wanting to talk to him, and lots of napping time.

One of the blessings of this post-baby time is that my husband has been home with us.  He was able to save 2 weeks of vacation time to take now.  We are just beginning his second week home, and he is playing a large part in our homeschooling this week.  Jason enjoys helping, the only thing he asks is I give him a specific activity or goal.  That’s easy to do, and the children love daddy time. 

He also decided to plan two easy field trips for the week.  Tuesday we will visit The Works, a local history/science museum about 5 minutes from our house.  This is a small place that has an Ohio history museum on one floor and a science center on another.  One area they have is a K’Nex race track.  We’re going to build race cars, among other things.  There is a pretend farmer’s market the little ones will really enjoy as well.

Thursday we will take a trip a little further away into the nearby big city to COSI, a much larger science center.  While we have visited here before and are familiar with many of the exhibits, there is a new exhibit open called Adventure.  In this interactive exhibit our family will venture into the Valley of the Unknown to crack codes, uncover clues, and navigate mazes in a quest for knowledge!  It is going to be so much fun!  I am sure we will also take time to see a few of the other exhibits, including taking the little ones to the Adventures with Clifford area.

That’s the plan for our week.  A little bit each day and then we have hours and hours of free time to play, snuggle baby Caleb, and just be a family.  Yes, I feel completely blessed to homeschool!

Feast & Famine: Joseph in Egypt Game–Deseret Book Review

Welcome to another Deseret Book review here on Our Busy Homeschool.  Today I am going to share about a board game for the family called Feast & Famine: Joseph in Egypt ($35.99).  Listed for ages 8 and up, I have to say that like all games in this house we simply partner younger children with someone older so we can play together.  Still, this one really is easier with ages 8 and up.  The boards, tokens, and cards themselves are sturdy and beautiful, just like the box.  My younger children have asked several times to just play with the pieces.

I’m sure you remember the historical account of Joseph in Egypt, right?  Pharoah is warned in a dream that there will be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine so severe that the 7 years of plenty will be all but forgotten.  Joseph interprets the dream and is given responsibility to prepare Egypt’s food storage during the years of plenty, then dole out those stores in the years of famine.  During the famine he is able to save his family.

Feast & Famine begins with players using one side of the game board buying up different foodstuffs (oil, water, wheat, corn, fish, cow) over 7 rounds (years).  Filling their personal board with specific numbers of each item, or sets of items, earns them a Pharoah Token.  The person with the most tokens wins the game at the end of 7 rounds.

Well, they win if you stop there, but you don’t have to stop.  If you decide to turn the boards over you get to play through the 7 years of famine.  Those Pharoah Tokens are then used to try and save different members of Joseph’s family.  At the end of 7 rounds (years) the family members you’ve won are worth different points, the person with the most points wins. 

What We Thought:  The game is fun!  It gives opportunities for simple math as you spend labor points for food in the Feast years, is fun, and has an element of personal challenge as you try to fill your personal board with items you need.  We also love that it is a good ‘stopping point’ if you do not have a lot of time to play a sit down game.  Just playing side one is 7 rounds, period.  You’re not going to be there endlessly like on some board games.

The Famine side involves bidding on face-down cards that are Joseph’s family members during the 7 rounds, using your Pharoah Tokens.  Once all the family has been bought players add up the cards they ended up with (each have a point value on the card), highest points wins.  If you play both sides of the game you are in for about an hour of game play. 

The last thing we like about Feast & Famine is that it makes our children ask questions and want to read the scriptural accounts to learn more about Joseph in Egypt.  You can find this and other games, books, movies, and items for your family at Deseret Book.  Have fun looking around!

{Disclaimer:  I received Feast and Famine for free to enable this review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions presented herein are my own.}

In the Dark Streets Shineth–Deseret Book Review

In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story as told by David McCullough ($19.99) is a newly released title from Deseret Book that I get to share with you.  This little book and accompanying DVD is filled with historic photographs alongside the story.  What was happening on Christmas Eve in 1941, just days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?  Two leaders met together and shared a message of hope, of light shining in the darkness.  Two American Christmas carols are a part of that story, and their history is told herein as well. 

On the DVD two-time Pulitzer Prize winner McCullough tells the story, accompanied by the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  The choir sings both carols featured in the story: “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”.

What I thought: 

Honestly, the book was a quick read that left me wishing for more.  I enjoy reading about history.  Because this book was basically McCullough’s live performance written down in transcript, it did not have enough detail to make it a great book.  I would have loved to see the book take further his live message, telling more details, more of a history.  However, I enjoyed the DVD.  The combination of story, music, and occasional historic photographs was heartwarming, and much more effective than just reading the book for me personally.  My husband enjoyed the DVD as well, and we will share it with our children one evening during December as we get closer to Christmas.  They will like it, and because it is short (less than 18 minutes), it will hold their attention from start to finish.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews for Deseret Book, you might find something just right for your family!

{Disclaimer:  I received one copy of In the Dark Streets Shineth free from Deseret Book to enable this review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions presented herein are my own.}

Something We Listen To

You know we like books, reading aloud, and audio books, right?  I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before.  Well, last month I stepped out on a limb and made a big purchase.  I did not go into it blindly, I did what research I could, listened to samples, found a discount website and an extra 20% off coupon, and then went for it and bought this: Jonathan Park is a Creation based radio drama series that takes you on adventures around the globe exploring God’s creations, and refuting the claims of evolution.  Each album has 4 CDs inside with more than 5 hours of adventures, giving us 40 CDs.  We have volumes 1-6 (7 was released just after we bought this), as well as four special volumes on zoo animals, aquarium animals, animals of the Galapagos Islands, and a Behind the Scenes tour of the making of Jonathan Park.

What We Think about Jonathan Park:  How about I let some of my children speak for themselves this time?

Makayla – “I like how they have lots of detective-like mysteries and adventures.”

Emma – “I like the one where they learn about dinosaurs.”

Joseph – “I like to listen to them – they’re awesome!”

I have to agree, these are really fun to listen to.  Not only have we used them during quiet time, but many mornings the children ask to listen to Jonathan Park while we are eating breakfast.  You can listen to an episode each week here.  You can listen to samples of each volume on Vision Forum’s website in each product’s page. 

Just a Money-Saving Hint: If you want to buy Jonathan Park cds I suggest you do it through the Library and Educational Services website if you qualify for a free membership there(Resellers, Educators including Homeschoolers, Libraries, Churches, Schools).  You’ll save a whole lot of money buying at LES over purchasing directly through the Vision Forum website.  We got all of ours for less than $120.00 with our extra discount code, more than 50% off.  You can also watch for sales and discount codes for Vision Forum . . .

No, I’m not affiliated with any of these companies, so I get nothing for telling you about them, and I spent my own money to purchase the Jonathan Park CDs. I’m so glad I did!

Baby Love–In a Wrap

I promise my daily baby pictures will slow down here soon, but so far Caleb is just giving us too many precious shots to not share a few.  Today was his very first time in the Moby Wrap, my favorite baby carrier.  He discovered it was a great place to look at mommy from, and then when we began to walk (and I had his head supported by the wrap) he laid his head down and drifted peacefully.  I love my Moby Wrap!

Stocking Up on Food Before a Baby Comes

I am the one who does the majority of the cooking in my family. My husband can cook, follows a recipe well, and bakes a wonderful chocolate chip cookie, but generally the day to day meals are my domain. I am the one more likely to feed the kids a complete meal, meaning a main dish and sides, whereas my husband will make sandwiches and not think about adding a fruit, veggie, or even water. (Is it a man thing?)  Before a baby is born I do my best to get lots of easy and basic food supplies in the house. We are very much into food storage anyway, so if you walk into my basement you will see shelving units full of food, real food like you find at a grocery store. We also have the long-term storage items like wheat, rice, powdered milk, and dry beans that we cook with regularly. On the main floor we have a chest freezer that is stocked with food as well.

Before Caleb was born we took a few large shopping trips to stock up on food. We have two priorities:

1. Quantity - having large amounts of food on hand. If you’ve never been to my house you may not realize just how much food my 5 children can eat in a single day. It seems someone is always hungry!
2. Ease of use - because my husband will do his best to take over cooking duties for the weeks he is off work, and then I will become main cook again and need things that are quick to prepare in between the needs of 6 young children.

I know every family eats different things.  For example, we never buy fruit snacks, but we regularly bake cookies.  Still, I think it is helpful to see someone else’s lists to get ideas from, so I’m going to share ours.

In the snack department we stock up on the following:

• Pretzels
• granola bars
• dry cereal (generic versions of Cheerios, Raisin bran, etc)
• apples
• baby carrots
• crackers and peanut butter

To have the makings for some easy meals we stock up on:

• frozen lasagna
• boxed macaroni and cheese and some hot dogs
• frozen veggie mixes – we love to steam a side of veggies with each meal
• rice – my favorite is jasmine because it smells so yummy and is easy to cook in my rice maker
• chicken strips – these thaw quickly and cook quickly even from frozen
• spaghetti sauce and paste 
• peanut butter, jelly, and nutella for sandwiches
• taco frito supplies (watch for my recipe to post!)
• tortillas and cheese (which may be part of a snack, a side, or end up in a sandwich) with beans
• canned soups (tomato, bean with bacon)
• instant potatoes mashed potatoes
• roast cuts of meat to throw in the crock pot

I’ll be honest, not all of that is what I would call a healthy meal, but it is better than grabbing fast food, and much cheaper.  It is generally filling food, and most cooks quickly or goes into the crock pot or oven to do the work.  I also know we will have a few nights of cereal or homemade pancakes for dinner, as cereal is quick and pancakes are a favorite here on the griddle.  My husband will bake cookies, and I will try to make a batch of muffins or hand him the recipe.  All those recipes will be posting here on the blog in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out!

I would love to hear what foods you turn to for easy meals, especially if they don’t involve eggs (remember, we’ve got a food allergy and can’t use them at all!).  Leave a comment, or write a post about it and leave the link!

Our Thanksgiving Cooks are Cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!  This year at our house was a special year.  We have lots to be thankful for, including 6 healthy children, a marriage that is thriving after 10 years, food to eat, and a roof over our heads.  We miss the loved ones who are not nearby (you know who you are! we love you!).  Today Makayla and Emma got to be the cooks for our Thanksgiving meal, with Grandma’s help.

They mixed and baked a chocolate cake (egg-free!).

They even took turns! 

Aren’t they adorable in their aprons and braids?

The made all the yummy foods, including ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and more.  Working together as a team, like good sisters should. 

Of course, the boys were happy to have some time with Daddy. 

They got to watch a movie, and then they were on cleanup duty after we ate. 

And Caleb napped a lot and ate when he wanted to – no special dinner for him this year! 

FHE - A Shining Light

In this Family Home Evening we will be talking about being a good example, letting our light shine.  While there are many ways to get this message across, I encourage you to find a candle and do the activity.  Sometimes the simplest object lessons are the most powerful.  It will also be most effective if you do this lesson in the evening when it is already dark.   

Scripture:  Matthew 5: 14-16

Lesson for Little Ones:

Jesus taught his followers that they were like a light to those around them.  He said when you light a candle you don’t want to hide it under a basket, you want to put it on a candlestick so it can shine in the whole room.  He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

One way to let your light shine is by being a good example to others.  When they see you doing things Heavenly Father has asked us to do, like reading your scriptures, helping others, and listening to your parents they will want to be like you. 

Other ways we can shine our light include the ways we talk, being reverent in church, and dressing modestly to show respect for the body Heavenly Father has given us. 

We have a good example in Jesus.  He showed us the things we can do to be happy in life and to get ready to live with Heavenly Father again.  His light shines for us, and we can shine too.

Activity:

Light a small candle and cover it with a large basket or box.  Show your children what a difference it makes when we instead put that candle on a candlestick where everyone can see.

Quotes to Discuss for Older Learners:

1. "The small and simple things you choose to do today will be magnified into great and glorious blessings tomorrow. Living each day as 'an example of the believers' will help you to be happy and more confident. It will strengthen your testimony, help you to keep your baptismal covenants, and prepare you to receive the blessings of the temple so that eventually you can return to your Heavenly Father.

"May each of us strive to be 'an example of the believers.' May we live the gospel of Jesus Christ and do all that is asked of us, and may we do these things in faith, nothing wavering, with a pure and virtuous heart." - Ann M. Dibb, "Be Thou an Example of the Believers," Ensign, May 2009, 116

2.  "There is no end to the good we can do, to the influence we can have with others. Let us not dwell on the critical or the negative. Let us pray for strength; let us pray for capacity and desire to assist others. Let us radiate the light of the gospel at all times and all places, that the Spirit of the Redeemer may radiate from us." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Need for Greater Kindness," Ensign, May 2006, 61

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

We love a cup of hot cocoa, called hot chocolate at my house, all fall and winter long.  I tweaked recipes for a while before coming up with this basic mix, and some fun ideas for easy flavor variations.  A quick note, our favorite powdered milk is Provident Pantry Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk.  We buy it by the case and the whole family will even drink it plain – it tastes that good.  I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Basic Hot Cocoa Ingredients

• 4 c. powdered milk
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 c. plain powdered creamer
• 2/3 c. cocoa powder

Mix all the dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  To serve simply add 1/3 c. of the mix to 1 c. of hot water. 

Now, for the variations:

• Replace the plain powdered creamer with a flavored one.  Mommy loves hazelnut, while daddy loves french vanilla.
• Add fruity flavors with a packet of Jello powder.  Raspberry is mommy’s favorite, but the kids like all sorts.
• Add other special flavors with a packet of pudding mix.  Pumpkin Spice, white chocolate, caramel, or more.

Simple, but a favorite family tradition every year!

Baby Feet and Eyes–Caleb

Today Caleb is 3 days old and I thought I would give you two pictures from today of some of my favorite baby parts: feet and eyes.

Life with Caleb so far is going well.  He is eating and peeing and pooping and sleeping.  Of course, like most babies, most of that sleeping is done during the day.  It amazes me just how much racket from his siblings he sleeps right through. 

As for me, I am feeling pretty amazing for 3 days postpartum.  The only things not so fun are typical – postpartum bleeding (ugh) and my milk has started to come in (ouch – I’m not nursing, so things are backing up a bit).  Having my husband home from work for 2 weeks is playing a huge part because I’m getting daily naps, he’s here to help cook, clean, and keep the other 5 kids on their routine. 

I’m feeling so good that it is hard not to overdo.  Things I’ve caught myself doing already include:

• washing dishes by hand
• sweeping the kitchen floor
• homeschooling the kids – We started a new read aloud(A Christmas Carol by Dickens), they are doing computer school, and we’ve done some coloring/cutting projects.
• Sorting clean laundry so the kids can put it away

Of course, any time my husband catches me he sends me to sit down.  Sigh.  He’s right, I need to rest, it’s just hard to do when you feel pretty normal.  At least blogging is something I can do sitting down, even with the baby in one arm sleeping. 

Homeschool Hint #1–Seatbelts at the Table

To kick off the homeschool hints series I wanted to share one that has been a big help when I have toddlers in the house (and let’s face it, I always have toddlers in the house!).  There is a portion of my older children’s work that needs to be done at the table each day.  It is just the easiest place to work.  Over the years I have found that the big drawback to that is little ones who climb right up on top of the table to be in the middle of the fun.  They take one sibling’s crayons, stand on another sibling’s paper, and cause general mess and mayhem.  Everyone loses their focus, and mom loses her patience.

A few toddlers ago we introduced booster seats at the table for everyone under age 7.  At first this was simply because my preschool children needed to be able to sit at a good height to write and draw.  Sitting in the regular chair put the table at eye or chin level, not conducive to learning to write your letters!  However, I discovered that the new boosters had these lovely seatbelts attached.  We switched kids around until the youngest two were in the booster seats with the seatbelts and fastened them in.  In the picture above (from last July) you can see that 4 of the children are in booster seats.  Only the youngest two are actually seatbelted.

It was wonderful!  No longer could they get on the table and get into everyone’s things.  They were still right there with us, which helped make them happy.  I began giving my toddlers things to play with at the table.  It might be crayons and paper of their own, or with Oliver, who really was barely over a year near the beginning of this, it was wooden food, large toddler toys, and other ‘baby-safe’ things.  Daniel was able to have math manipulatives because he wasn’t going to spread them throughout the house for my youngest to choke on later. 

Now, let me warn you, this will take some adjusting on the part of the little ones.  They may not particularly appreciate being seatbelted.  As a matter of fact they may throw everything you give them onto the floor and have nothing left to do.  Keep going!  They will learn very quickly that it is more fun to use the things at the table than to sit there for the 10 or 15 minutes with nothing to do because they threw it all on the floor.  When you are starting this be sure to keep the time short that you expect them to sit with you.  As they get used to that you can lengthen the time they sit at the table with everyone. 

You will also have to accept the fact that those little ones will make a mess.  Oliver learned early on that markers are way better than crayons, and insisted he have his very own set.  He went through a period of time where he wore as much marker as the paper did, but he was happily engaged at the table with us the entire time.  It was worth it. 

Oh, and my secret weapon for those really crazy days at the table is to pull out a single can of playdoh and a few cutters for each of the littlest ones.  I’ll be sharing more about the wonders of playdoh in a later homeschool hint, so don’t forget to keep and eye out for that!

Scriptures for Kids: Kids Club Review

In this computer day and age it is not surprising that my children want their own things to do on the computer from a young age.  While we are careful to limit the amount of time our children spend using the computer, I have found a wonderful site that all my children are enjoying.  The site, Scriptures for Kids, offers many things for free, including scripture story books written at several levels so my beginning readers can enjoy the stories as much as my oldest child does when reading the oldest level.  There are some games, a music player, scripture videos, and printable activities as well.  

Scriptures for Kids now offers a Kids Club subscription area.  A 1 year subscription to the Kids Club is $60.00, which breaks down to $5.00 a month for the whole family.  Shorter subscriptions are available.  With all the free content on Scriptures for Kids, what makes the Kids Club so great?  That’s what I’m going to tell you today!

The Kids Club area has 40 Book of Mormon Flash games and more than 65 coloring pages.   My children’s wish for games is more than fulfilled in the Kids Club, and some of them have even become a fun family challenge during Family Home Evening.  We print coloring pages to keep little ones quiet and focused on the scriptures during church on Sundays.  Each game includes animations that teach gospel principles, and new games go live every month.  These are computer games for a variety of ages.  The navigation is simple, with games organized in several rooms. 

The Nursery room has games especially for younger players.  As you move your mouse around the room different items are highlighted that take you to a game.  The games in this room use scripture stories as a jumping off point for color, shape, and alphabet skills to name a few.  My 3 year old loves this room, and is able to do most of the games ‘all by myself’ he will tell you!

The Sacrament room has games for a mix of ages, each focusing on the Savior, music, prophets and apostles, and more.  My almost 5 year old and 6 year old use games in this room as well as in the Nursery room.  Some of these are more challenging than others.

The third room is the Primary room.  The games in here are targeted at children who can already read, giving them much more challenge.  There are crossword puzzles, games helping them learn the 13 Articles of Faith, scripture geography games to use their critical thinking skills, and math games, mazes, and more.  My middle children (the beginning readers)can do a few of the games in this room.  My 9 year old spends most of her time here, though she enjoys games in each of the other areas as well.

You can see descriptions of each game with screen shots here, so take the time to scroll clear through the page.  Over the next few months I will be bringing you reviews of specific games in the Kids Club area, so keep an eye out for my children’s thoughts!  If you think the Kids Club is something your children would enjoy you can purchase your subscription HERE.  If you are not sure yet, try out the free games on Scriptures for Kids right here first.

{Disclaimer: I received a free subscription to Scriptures for Kids Kids Club to enable this and future reviews.  I received no other compensation and all opinions presented herein are my own.}

Caleb’s Birth Story

I thought I would share a little bit of Caleb’s birth story here on the blog because one reason we keep this blog is to keep our family memories. So here it goes!

The Decision  Saturday morning Jason and I checked in at the hospital at 5:30 AM for a scheduled induction. The decision was made earlier that week to induce because with my past five births I have always ended up on Pitocin to have contractions, my body simply doesn’t do them on it’s own, even when my water breaks on it’s own. It just gives up.

The Easy Part  It was an uneventful beginning, I brought a pink nightgown from home to be comfortable. The nurse asked about 40 questions during check in, then gave me an IV (ouch!). They hooked up a bag of fluids and a bag of Pitocin, the medicine that gives my uterus that push to regularly contract. I started out dilated to 3 ½ cm, which meant I had nearly 7 cm left to go. 

One tradition we have when I am in labor is to bring a few new DVDs to watch while I’m in labor. This time we bought a season of the Duggar family’s show, 18 and Counting. They are quite a neat family, and having something new to watch helps pass the time and distract me from contractions.

By 9:45AM I was having regular contractions that were coming about 1-2 minutes apart but didn’t really hurt. I was now dilated to 4 ½ cm. We decided it was time to have the midwife break my water so we could get this labor moving along. One thing that breaking my water would do was get that baby head pushing down on my cervix to help me dilate. The other thing it would do, however, was remove that water cushion that was making labor nice and comfortable, so I knew the pain was going to really start.

Getting Harder  I was right, contractions started getting ‘stronger’, which is the nice way to say it started to hurt some more. Still, it was nothing unmanageable, and we just kept watching our DVDs. At 11:19AM I was dilated to 5 1/2cm. Less than an hour later, 12:07PM, I was still having contractions every 2 minutes without fail and was now 7cm, officially in transition. Another name for transition is pain and misery.  My husband was wonderful – I couldn’t do this without him!  He really knows just what to do to help me get through each contraction, and knows how to encourage me for what comes next . . .

Now it Hurts  I really felt fine in between contractions, chatting with my nurse and midwife, my hubby, etc. However it took some breathing to get through each contraction, and 15 minutes later I was really hurting. My midwife was across the hall delivering another baby – literally, and I was feeling like it was time to push – not good. My nurse was also down the hall, not in the room.

And Really Really Hurts  Thankfully, Loretta, my midwife, came over the minute she finished delivering the other baby. She said we could try pushing, and we did. I’ll be honest – it hurt WORSE. I had not had that experience before, and I didn’t really like it (who would?!). Here is where a small bit of humor comes in. I screamed, and my nurse came running down the hall yelling for Loretta. She didn’t know that my midwife was already there with me and was panicking. She got in the room, my contraction was over, and I cheerfully said, “Opps, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”  Yes, I still felt great between contractions and we were chatting. 

A few pushes (and more screaming) later Caleb was out and we were snuggling. The time? 12:53PM. Those last 3 cm of dilating, plus pushing, was all done in 45 minutes. Phew! And, as usual, the minute the baby was out I felt great. Gotta love the endorphins!

That was yesterday. Today we are home and I feel wonderful. Recovery looks like a nice easy one, I don’t really feel sore at all, which is a huge blessing!

Baby Homecoming

Here is Caleb with all his hair.We’re home from the hospital and I thought I would share just a few pictures of Caleb from today. 

Here is mommy and Caleb.

Here is a funny face he made for the camera.

See that yellow hat?  Makayla knit it all by herself for Caleb.

Okay, I’m off to snuggle him some more!

Christmas with the Prophets–Deseret Book Review

Christmas is coming, the days are counting down, and I have another wonderful book review to share from Deseret Book.  It came to my house at a wonderful time, as I was just finishing up reading a series of church history books on the Restoration and pioneers.  Christmas with the Prophets by Laura F. Willes shares a peek into the Christmas times and traditions of Latter-day prophets from Joseph Smith to Thomas S. Monson.My very first impression of the book upon opening was that it was a beautiful quality, something I could see giving as a gift.  The thick, glossy paper is rich with paintings and photographs to accent the stories told.  Each prophet’s chapter has a one page mini-biography, followed by stories of how they spent their Christmases over the years, and winding up with a message section quoting that prophet on Christmas, service, and the life of our Savior. 

I learned neat things along the way, including answers to the following questions:

• Which prophet gave away thousands of books for Christmas over the years?
• Who wrote poetry for friends and family at Christmas?
• Which two prophets spent a Christmas in jail?
• Which prophet liked to dance and held parties throughout the Christmas season?

The stories were often sweet, humorous, inspirational, and touching by turns.  I loved that the stories came from throughout each prophet’s life, including stories from their childhood, missionary years, parenting years, and beyond into their time as God’s prophet.  Several of these men were ones I had not read much about before, so learning about their life was something I enjoyed tremendously.

If you’ve read my blog for very long you know we enjoy reading aloud to our children.  A lot.  This year we are reading through Christmas with the Prophets each evening with our children.  We began halfway through November, and it will go along with our reading of the four Gospels in the New Testament during December.  We are reading two or three stories each evening, and each is short enough to keep the children’s interest.

If you are looking for Christmas books or gifts for your family be sure to check out Deseret Book’s website – they carry things for every age!

{Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of Christmas with the Prophets to read and review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions presented herein are my own.} 

Caleb Alexander is Here!

Caleb arrived  11-20-10 at 12:53 pm and weighed in at 8lbs, 6oz, 20.5 inches long.  He has a full head of light brown hair.

Baby is Coming . . . and. . .

In preparation for baby’s arrival I have prepared a couple different series of blog posts so you all still have something to read while I enjoy my new baby.  I am being induced today, which means I get to start using them!  I promise to share pictures of the family and other things, but honestly, I wanted to be able to collapse over here for a while and just snuggle my baby without thinking about the blog.  Pray for me while I’m in labor today. 

So just what posts can you look forward to in the next month?

Recipes from my House – This series is all recipes that we make at our house. 

Homeschool Hints – This series will focus on some things we do or have done that made homeschooling easier.  They may not be things we do all the time, they may only fit a specific season of life, but they are things that have helped me homeschool and stay sane. 

Family Home Evening – this series will offer a scripture, lesson for little ones, simple activity, and quotes to discuss related to the topic for older learners. 

There will also be other posts that don’t fit those series, including reviews of products, a Christmas post or two, you get the idea… a little bit of everything!  I hope you enjoy it all, be sure to grab a warm cup of cocoa and stop in every day to see what is posting!  Now I’m off to the hospital!

Week in Review #73–Computer Time

This week we have all been learning with the computer as our helper and enjoying it. 

Makayla is pretty independent for her computer learning.  I moved her up to a higher level on Mathletics that is challenging her, much to her dismay, but I can see the difference it makes when she is really earning the credits and points on the program – she is proud of her work.  She did typing this week as well, something she had not done in a while, and is doing just fine where she left off.   

In non-computer learning she has read several Magic School Bus chapter books as well as working on her new Bible curriculum “Building Life Castles”.  (We both like this so far.)

Joseph has spent his computer time on Time4Learning.  After a week I see that the first grade level is pretty much right on target for where he needs to be.  He has mostly figured out how to use the program.  It has four major areas with tons of lessons and games to work through in order: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.  He really likes the science sections.  One big thing he is learning is to listen to the question or instructions and not just click on the first answer he sees.

Emma, too, is using Time4Learning.  She is comfortable at the Kindergarten level, and while it is slower (as it explains and shows how to do each lesson/game before turning over control to the child, and can’t be skipped) I do think it is the right level for now.  It only offers Language Arts and Math sections.  She really wants science too, but some of that, at least, is incorporated in her sections as themed activities.

Daniel has used both Time4Learning and Starfall.com this week.  On Time4Learning preschool I still help him navigate to each activity, but I think in another week he will be mostly independent on this.  He has favorite activities already, liking the painting and matching games the most.  On Starfall he is independent and this week has done most of the seasonal themed games, such as building a snowman, a gingerbread man, or a pumpkin.  He has also participated in Little Reader with Oliver.

Oliver’s only computer time is Little Reader.  Honestly, he doesn’t even touch the computer, he snuggles on my lap as we watch the lesson.  He is starting to use more words as the come up in the program, and makes a few funny sounds for different animals too.

Everyone has also spent time on the Kids Club at Scriptures for Kids.  Check back Monday to read my review for that!

That’s all the review you get this week – I’m off to pack for the hospital and finish a few things around the house.  Tomorrow the baby arrives!! 

KB Teachers

As part of my journey with the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free subscription to KB Teachers so I could review their website.  I was unfamiliar with KB Teachers, so let me share with you what I have learned about the website.

KB Teachers is a worksheet filled website that is for a variety of ages, from preschool through high school.  There are varying amounts of items available for each age range.  They offer a selection of clip art to members as well, in color and black and white.  KB Teachers features worksheet generators for math and alphabet pages that make it easy to create themed pages for your children.  A 1 year membership is $29.00. 

KB Teachers is always changing.  New content is added each week for members, so I found that subscribing to the weekly newsletter was important.  The holiday content is also always rotating.  For example, when I began my subscription the Halloween section was linked under the “For This Season” sidebar.  However, now that it is November Halloween links have disappeared, being replaced by Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, KB Teachers does not keep holiday content available year-round.  That meant when I wanted to plan ahead activities related to Thanksgiving and Christmas for my children in October, before I had baby #6, none were available on the site.    

The regular categories in the sidebar seem to be:

• English Language – Alphabet Factory and a Cursive worksheet generator are here, and grammar and writing pages for grades 3-10.
• Math Activities – includes time, money, and pages for the four basic math operations, as well as the worksheet generator.  These include answer keys generally, which is a time saver for mom.
• Science Workbooks – Right now there are three themes, astronomy, geology, and weather.  These contain evolutionary content.
• Biology Worksheets – human anatomy, nutrition, marine biology, and plants/microbiology are the available sections here.  Most seem to be for grades 3-7.
• Social Studies – The worksheets and maps in this section are exclusively for grades 7-12.
• More Activities - Clip art dinosaur worksheets, seasonal sections, and a small selection of arts and crafts activities.

One unusual thing on this website is the lack of a search feature.  They address this in their FAQ, stating that “on a well designed website you should easily find your way around and find what you need in 3 clicks or less”.  Unfortunately, I disagree.  I would rather do a single search and have items immediately relevant pulled up instead of trying to figure out just where I would look to find something.  I often use websites similar to KB Teachers when my children make a request for something to do.  They are not willing to wait around while I click my way through a website trying to find a printable in the theme they are interested in at that moment.   

The final con for me was the lack of a save feature.  Again, I’m a planner.  I like to work ahead, getting things ready weeks and even months in advance.  I create a folder on my computer with all the saved pages to print later, when we’re ready for a unit.  This takes zero shelf space, I’ve already been able to sort through and find the right activities for each child’s age and abilities, and all I need to do is print everything the weekend before the unit study begins.  KB Teacher does not allow you to save the materials from their website, your only option is to print.  They did say it was possible to bookmark the pages for later, and that you would still be able to access them even when they are not posted as available on the website.  However, that means I must wait through a full year to bookmark each holiday’s page, which means no planning ahead for at least a year.   

How we’ve used KB Teachers -  I have been able to print pages for my children to use both for fun and as a supplemental practice for my younger children’s math and alphabet skills.  I plan to print the anatomy worksheets to go along with our study of the human body beginning in January.  I’m learning how to use the worksheet generators too.

If you are interested in checking out KB Teachers for yourself you can preview the free materials from their homepage, but they are watermarked.  They offer a 10-day free trial from the front page as well.  You can read my Crewmates’ thoughts on this website HERE.

{Disclaimer: I received a free subscription to KB Teachers to enable me to review the site.  I received no other compensation and all opinions presented herein are my own.}

A Thought for Today!

I don’t have time to do a big post today, honestly I need a nap and the children are in quiet time, so that’s what I’m heading to do.  However, I came across this thought today and it struck me powerfully, so I wrote it down. 

God’s will is what we would choose if we had all the facts.

Think about that, it is so true.  We may be in a situation where we’re wondering why things are happening the way they are, but if we knew all the facts as God does, we would know this is the best situation for us to be in, the one that will bring us closest to Him and ultimately bring us the most joy.

The Last Pregnancy Update…

Time is ticking down and I’ve got another pregnancy update today.  I’m 39 weeks pregnant tomorrow.  Had a lovely visit with the midwife today and learned that:

• I still weigh 214 lbs, which means I didn’t gain anything this week.
• I am measuring 40 weeks along.
• I am dilated to 2 cm and 60% effaced.

The biggest news is that, due to my history, I’m scheduled to be induced this Saturday if baby does not make his appearance before then!  You see, for each of my 5 births I have had to be on Pitocin to have contractions enough to get that baby out.  Even when I’ve had my water break on it’s own and walked into the hospital dilated to 7cm (you know, the point where you’re supposed to be in transition and in agony) and NOT had any contractions.  My body simply doesn’t do labor.  Even going weeks overdue hasn’t changed that in the past.  So Pitocin it is. 

So I’m excited and slightly nervous to say that more than likely, by the end of the day Saturday, my little Caleb will be in my arms.  He will also share a birthday with his cousin Alyssa if he arrives Saturday – not a bad birthday present for her first birthday.   

Now I’m waiting for reality to come crashing in.  I know time is nearly up and we’ll be back to the newborn exhaustion.  I’ve got a list sitting beside me right now of the things I would like to get done before bed Friday night.  Which means I need to get off this computer and get to work!

Beginning Computer School a Little Early

We started computer school this week.  No, I’ve not had the baby, but everyone is sick (seriously, all five kids and mommy are all sick).  Computer school adds a bit of excitement to the day and makes life a bit easier on mom.  With that, I have a new product we’re reviewing that came at just the right time.  Want to hear a little about it?

Time4Learning contacted me late last week to see if we wanted to try their website for a month with any of our children.  (This is NOT related to my TOS Homeschool Crew work, in case you are wondering.)  As I had already planned to move to computer school for a month or so as soon as baby Caleb is born, this was a great opportunity.  I chose to sign up 3 of my children: Joseph, Emma, and Daniel.  I actually put Joseph in the 1st grade level, Emma in K, and Daniel in PreK.  By the end of the week I may shift Emma up a grade too, we’ll see.  So here is what each child is doing in homeschool so far this week:

Makayla (age 9)

• Mathletics – She likes this math website, we’re nearing the end of our 1 year subscription, which we purchased after a review last year (read that review here).
• Building Life Castles – a new Bible study we’re reviewing.
• Piano – she’s doing great here and having fun.
• Reading on her own – more books than I can type.

Joseph (age 6)

• Time4Learning Grade 1 – He’s enjoying it so far, he alternates between the phonics and math sections each day, then does science on here too.
• Reading aloud to mommy.

Emma (age 4, nearly 5)

• Time4Learning Grade K – She’s liking it okay, but is asking to move up to the same level as Joseph, which we just may do.
• Reading aloud to mommy.

Daniel (age 3)

• Time4Learning PreK – He’s thrilled with anything on the computer, and is pretty good with the mouse.
• Little Reader software – Still asking to do this every day.  Read my review here.

Oliver (age 20 months)

• Little Reader software – snuggled up on mommy’s lap with Daniel, or even sneaking to do it when brother is busy playing, he loves this too.

The Whole Family (What we’re doing together)

• Reading Stories of the Pilgrims
• Singing our Christmas hymns.
• Reciting our scripture memory verses.
• Reading Christmas with the Prophets (review coming Sunday).
• Reading the scriptures as a family.

There are several other things we’re going to be incorporating in computer time, but they will get posts of their own as we go along.  They include more math, scripture games, and other things.  What computer resources do you use with your children?  Have you found anything you (or they) absolutely love?

Sign Up This Week Only–A Free Trial Peek

Hey, I have a neat review coming Nov. 22, but I had to pop in to tell you that THIS WEEK ONLY you can sign up for a free trial of the Kids Club at Scriptures for Kids, which is what my review is all about!  Go Here and sign up now for the free trial, because after this week there will no longer be a free trial offer.  Seriously, my kids have been having fun with this one.  Go.  Now.

3 Homeschool Myths with a Grain of Truth

This week for the Blog Cruise our topic is “Debunking Homeschool Myths”.  I thought I would join in with a quick post as I have a few minutes to type.  There are so many homeschool related myths that I am aware of, but today I’m only tackling three.  The myths I want to address all have a grain of truth to them, so I will explain what truth I see.  As this is my blog these are my opinions, based on my own experience.  Your mileage may vary!

Myth #1 - Homeschool moms are naturally patient.

No.  Not only do we not come by patience any more naturally than you do, we have more than your average opportunities to lose what little we have.  Remember, we are the ones who spend hours more per day surrounded by our children.  I am just like every other regular mom, I lose my patience daily, sometimes hourly.  Just ask my kids. 

The Grain of Truth - I do see homeschooling as one of the tools God is using to develop my meek and quiet spirit, to lead me to rely on Him, and to learn patience.  I am brought to my knees by the task of raising and teaching these children, but that is a great place to be – it is one of the best places to find God.  The more I rely on Him, the more patience I am given.

Myth #2 - Homeschool kids are all super smart.

Nope, I have regular children who have their strengths and weaknesses.

The Grain of Truth - Now bear with me here, I’m about to say something important.  All of God’s children are the most creative, intelligent beings we know.  Homeschooling can be one of the most supportive environments to let a child grow and develop their brilliant minds in the direction God placed in them.  Through homeschooling I can give my children the gift of time - time to pursue an interest, talent, or personal gift to excellence.  And I am not speaking of just academics here!  A child may be gifted to serve, love, help, listen, or create in thousands of ways.  Or a child may be gifted in a more easily recognizable academic area. 

Myth #3 - Homeschool kids are weird.

Well, yes and no.  I know many people that seem ‘weird’ to me who have been products of all the schooling systems I know, from public to private to homeschooling.  I submit to you, first, that weird is a relative term.  Some people find the following weird:

A woman who stays home to raise her children, happily bears far more than the 2.5 children the general public calls “normal”, and prays for more.  She bakes bread from scratch, reads classics and Twilight alike, and does not enjoy television, so they don’t have cable.

That would be me, and while some people find me weird, others find me to be normal.  Weird is relative(and relatives are usually weird…hehe!).  There is a grain of truth to this myth as well…

The Grain of Truth – Long time homeschooled children in many cases are not easily influenced by peer pressure, they have learned a self-confidence that supports them as they go against the crowd.  That means they are seen by some as weird.  They may not be concerned with fashion, popularity, or the ‘in’ thing.  They may choose to pursue unusual interests, activities, or jobs because they see no need to be like all the other 9, 13, or 17 year olds they know.  They aren’t weird, they are individuals who think for themselves instead of following the crowd.

Again, let me remind you that this is my blog and the opinions presented herein are my own.  You may agree with them or not.  That little X in the top corner of the screen is helpful if you don’t agree, it takes you away from my blog.  Go Here to read what my Crewmates had to say on this weeks topic of Debunking Homeschool Myths.

Capture: A Book of Mormon Card Game–Deseret Book Review

My children love playing games.  They ask to play card games and board games every day.  Needless to say, when Deseret Book sent us Capture: A Book of Mormon Card Game to review my children began begging to play.  We pulled it out and played it with Grandma one evening and have played it many times since.  Let me tell you a bit about how the game works.  The goal is to collect two cards from a memorable moment in the Book of Mormon.  There are two decks of cards, Goal cards and Play cards.  The Goal cards are a large 3.5" x 5.25".  Each Goal card shows two Play cards that go together, along with a scripture, making your memorable moment.  One example is a card that has Samuel the Lamanite, Arrows, and the verse Helaman 16:2 “{Those} who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry…and also shot many arrows at him…but…they could not hit him.”  The Play card deck is a regular size, about 2.25" x 3.5".  Each of these cards has a character, item, or place pictured on it from the Book of Mormon, or is a yellow Specialty card.  The Specialty cards are what drive the action of the game.  As players draw cards for their hand they may use two cards each turn, trying to lay in front of them the matching character, place, or item card for the current goal card.  If they lay a Specialty card the game changes.  For example, here are some of the Specialty cards:

• Play Immediately – A new goal card is turned up, now everyone is trying to get something new to win.
• Earthquake – The Play cards face up on the table are shuffled and redistributed to the players, mixing up the items, characters, and places you now have.
• Gadianton Robber – Take one item card from another player.
• War – Discard one character card that has been played by an opponent.
• Recapture – Take one place card from another player.

As you can see, just because you lay a card down does not mean you get to keep it, and even if you do keep it, the goal card may be changed and your card may no longer be needed to win.Capture is for ages 4 and up.  I would say even younger children can play if they have a partner to help them read the Specialty cards.  At our house even the little ones like to draw cards and lay cards for their older partner.  And Daniel, at just turned 3, likes to use the cards all by himself for matching.  We have had a lot of fun with the game as a family!  A neat way to incorporate Capture into Family Home Evening and family scripture study has been reading the full story in the scriptures about the winning goal card when the game is over.

Now my children are asking for a Bible version of Capture to play.  Needless to say, this game is a winner at our house!  Check out the many games at Deseret Book for fun Family Home Evenings!

{Disclaimer:  I received on Capture game to enable this review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions presented herein are my own.}