Notebooking Pages Black Friday Sale!

I love Notebooking Pages, and I have used them a lot in my home school. Because I love them so much I became an affiliate, and this post will have affiliate links in it. Now, if that bothers you, please just consider that any money that I would earn as an affiliate would go back into my home schooling budget. That said, I have never, yet, earned anything as an affiliate with any company that I am an affiliate for. But FTC laws require that I let you know this post has affiliate links.

NotebookingPages.com Black Friday – Cyber Monday Lifetime Membership Sale Event
Dates: (Black Friday – Cyber Monday) November 29 – December 2
 
NotebookingPages.com Black Friday – Cyber Monday Sale Event Details:
1) Notebooking Pages LIFETIME Members receive access to ALL CURRENT notebooking products.
2) Notebooking Pages LIFETIME Members receive access to ALL FUTURE notebooking products.
3) Notebooking Pages LIFETIME Members receive 12 months FREE access to our notebooking web-application, The Notebooking Publisher™.
4) Notebooking Pages LIFETIME Members receive a $100 e-bonus homeschooling package.

Cost of Membership:
Black Friday – Cyber Monday (Nov. 29 – Dec. 2)… $99.95 $74.95

So go check it out. The NotebookingPages website has free samples, so you can look at them and get an idea of the benefit. But I have loved the way I can use Notebooking in my Charlotte Mason Education, using Ambleside Online. I can use Notebooking Pages for Composer Study, Artist Study, Nature Study, Poet Study or Poetry Study, State Studies, and so many other subjects. Go take a look. Thanks for considering.

Menu Monday for 11/25/13

 

Here are my menu plans for this week. This past week I have been in a sling, and I had prepared meals in advance. We nevertheless ended up bumping Thursday to Friday, and ate out subs on Thursday. We're bumping one more night tonight and going out to eat. So some of these meals were originally listed for last week and are showing up this week bumped.

Sunday: leftovers

Monday: Salmon (lentil soup), spinach, noodles (a birthday) carrot cake and ice cream

Tuesday: black bean soup, salad, rolls

Wednesday: cheese burgers, carrots (veggie burger)

Thursday: Turkey, sausage stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, au gratin potatoes, plain green beans for the kids, rolls, cranberry jelly, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, whipped cream

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Ravioli, salad, bread

George Washington's Rules - #21

George Washington's Rule #21 seems easy enough, to me, to understand, but I'll go ahead and give you a translation:

21st

Reproach none for the Infirmities of Nature, nor Delight to Put them that have in mind thereof.

To me this seems to mean do not "correct" someone for something they have no control over, whether they are lame and limp, or maybe have a lisp and mis-speak. Don't even draw their attention to the fact that you notice their condition. It's not nice.

Menu Plan for 11/18/13

Here are my plans for this week:

Sunday: hot dogs, baked beans, cole slaw

Monday: chicken tetrazzini, broccoli

Tuesday: cheese burgers, baked beans, salad, chips

Wednesday: chicken broccoli farfalle, salad, rolls

Thursday: bird’s nest pie,  asparagus

 Friday:   chicken, rice, broccoli

Saturday: bean soup, salad, rolls

Sunday:  Lemon baked chicken, green beans, rice

 

George Washington's Rules - #20

George Washington's Rules #20 says:

20th

The Gestures of the Body must be Suited to the discourse you are upon.

Which seems fairly clear: your hand gestures should be appropriate to what you are saying. So, I guess, if you are talking calmly, don't gesture wildly, and vice versa.

An Update

I had shoulder surgery yesterday to remove a bone spur on my left clavicle, where it meets the shoulder joint. Am now recuperating in a sling. One-handed typing.

I prepared and scheduled some posts in advance, but real-time posts will be on hold for a week while I heal. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

No "Mother's Journal" post this week. So I'll give our highest highlight:reading aloud Holes (the book the Disney movie was based on). Son always loved the movie, and we're both thoroughly loving the book!

Pain med catching up with me;  time for bed. Please pray for my healing and rehab. More itch than pain right now.

 Also pray for Levi S., Son of TOS Magazine owners. Was in a bad motorcycle accident this week. Apparently stable, but will have a difficult and painful recuperation ahead. Thanks.

A Review: At Home in Dogwood Mudhole

At the end of September, I was asked if I would like to read and review At Home in Dogwood Mudhole: Volume 1 - Nothing That Eats, by Franklin Sanders. 

I knew I had a lot on my plate, but I researched the book. I wanted to consider this book seriously, because it had 379 pages, and I wasn't sure I had the time to read that much in a month. But... I had the opportunity to read an excerpt to help me decide, and I was immediately hooked.

Franklin Sanders has been publishing a monthly newsletter called The Moneychanger for nearly 20 years, and has been running his money-changing business (dealing in gold and silver) for over 30 years.  His At Home in Dogwood Mudhole series is taken from the Dear Reader column of the newsletter.

Some of you may be too young to remember the hub-bub that occurred as Y2K (Year 2000) was approaching. Folks in the computer industry were concerned that the nation's entire infrastructure would collapse because

French Essentials - A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

My home schooling with my son began many years ago based upon the teachings of Charlotte Mason. One of the concepts of a Charlotte Mason education that I had never successfully implemented was that French was to be a daily part of the child's education. Now, thanks to French Essentials, I have finally begun to teach French to my son.

For many years my son actually resisted my efforts to begin a French program arguing, with good reason, that in our area it was much more practical to study Spanish, And study Spanish we have. However I, having a broader exposure than my son to the world in general, not to mention classical literature, am firmly convinced that it is also important for him to study French. Fortunately our family interest in the television Dr. Who, among other things, seems to have softened his attitude toward French, and he has been willingly working on it with me since we received access to the materials. "Allons y, Alonzo!"

French Essentials, a small company out of Canada, kindly offered selected individuals on the Schoolhouse Review Crew, their Full Access Online Program (one full year, all modules, of their French lessons) for purposes of review. [Fear not, the fact that the company is in Canada does not mean the French is the Canadian version -- this course teaches the universal version of French.] For four to five weeks we have been working our way through the beginning of their program.

When I initially attempted to get started up with the program, I immediately ran into trouble. The program relies strongly on downloaded documents, which are then clickable for audio and video files. What cool technology! I'd never encountered it before and was not familiar with it. But, sadly, as I sat click, click, clicking my mouse, nothing was happening. I emailed the company, and they responded quickly. First they asked me for my phone number and a time when they could call, and then they called when I asked them to. It was much easier to work through the issue by phone than by email, and the issue was quickly resolved. It was related to a setting on my computer that I had been unaware of, having never used this technology. Without help I would not have known what I was looking for or how to change the setting. I also learned that I was speaking directly with Greg Shone, the co-author of the program, and I learned how small a company it actually is. It was such a delight to be dealing right with the owner/author, and to be taken such good care of.

It was also fun to find how much of my high school French I still remember. I might not speak French any better than a French three year old, but when M. Shone wrote me a follow up letter, throwing in a few French phrases, I was delighted that I knew exactly what the phrases meant: 

C'était un plaisir de vous parler ce matin. (It was a pleasure to speak with you this morning.)

Bonne journée! (Have a good day!)

So, finally equipped to get the program to function, we began our journey. Going first to the French Essentials website, there is a row of button choices (Home, Parent Info, Student Area, Purchase, and Free Registration), select Free Registration.  I was going to give you a step-by-step instruction of what to do next, but I found there is a Quick Start video you can watch to see what to do next.

To get started, once you have purchased the program, you can get familiar with how the program works on the "Parent Info" section,

Menu Monday for 11/11/13

Here are my menu plans for this week:

Sunday: lasagna, salad, TX toast

Mon: potato soup, salad, rolls

Tues: beef enchiladas, salad, beans

Wednesday: sloppy joes, carrots

Thursday:  garlic lime chicken, rice, broccoli

Friday:  western omelets, bacon

Saturday: spaghetti, salad, TX

I myself need to get back to my vegan diet, so in addition to the carnivorous plans above will be making black bean soup, black beans and rice, Marrakesh Express Red Lentil Soup black bean oatmeal burgers, and "fabulous burritos", all vegan, but recipes I cannot link right now.

George Washington's Rules - #19

George Washington's Rule #19 seems self-explanatory:

19th

Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.

 
In other words, wear a pleasant expression on your face, but when the situation is serious it is okay for your expression to be serious.

Mother's Journal for 11/10/13

In my Life this week....

Monday... my glasses frame broke. I had my old frames, so I had to go to the eye doctor and have them put my current lenses on my old frames. Boy Scouts was Monday night.
Tuesday ...  PT in the morning for my elbow tendinitis. Another doctor in the afternoon.
Wednesday... Eye exam in the morning and ordered new glasses. Another doctor appointment in the afternoon.
Thursday... presurgical physical in the morning, another doctor appointment in the afternoon.
Friday... orthodontist in the morning, lab work and xray for kiddo in the afternoon. And I learned that my cousin died. ::sigh::
Saturday... Scouting for Food for the Boy Scouts. Menu plans done, grocery shopping done.

Two reviews completed, two more to go. Oh, and we home schooled all week, except Friday.

What am I cooking this week.....

My menu plan will post on Monday, but I'm making lots of good things... lasagne, potato soup, enchiladas... You'll see...

I'm reading....

Almost done with At Home in Dogwood Mudhole. Have more reading planned when that's done.

My favorite thing this week.....

Sorry... a sad week for me. I can't think of a favorite thing.

Kids favorite thing....

Earning lots of money raking leaves.

Helpful Homeschooling Advice....

Don't sweat the homeschool on busy weeks. It'll be okay. Just bump it to the next week.

In our Homeschool this week.....

Got some Bible reading done.

JD not getting square roots and absolute values. Need to park there awhile in Math.

Science going well. JD finished his work on Crystals and moved on to atoms.

History reading this week, we finished reading Brady. JD ended the week on week 50 of America the Beautiful. This included literature readings, map work, time line work, and history readings, plus some Bible work.

Some pictures this week...

 Sky before rain... and just for fun, my son's ear. :)

Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics (A TOS Review)

We started this year using Apologia Physical Science, and although it was supposed to be the right book for my son's grade level we were both struggling with it a little bit. Apologia Educational Ministries is a wonderful company, with a goal of educating students (and adults) with a Biblical world view. I love their creation-based homeschool Science curriculum materials, even though we were struggling with the Physical Science, So I was delighted when I learned that I would have the opportunity to review Apologia Educational Ministries' Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics. It has been a breath of fresh air. My son just wasn't ready for the other book yet.

We were blessed to receive both the Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics book and the Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics Notebooking Journal. Having that Journal makes using the book so much easier! 

We started our work with vigor and enthusiasm, and it hasn't let up. My biggest challenge has been working ahead to make sure I have on hand the materials for the hands-on projects in each chapter. It's not hard; it just takes planning. 

I'm not real good about having my camera ready when we do our school work, but I did manage to photograph a couple of the experiments. In this first one, four different cups are lined up, and the water in each cup has a different amount of salt in it. The water is colored so you can see what is happening. You pick up 1" of water from each cup, and the levels of water stay where they do in the straw because of the different levels of density in the different water samples.

Homeschool CREW Accepting Applications

This is just a reminder to you, if you are interested in being on The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Homeschool Crew, to be a blogger who receives curriculum to use and review -- the Crew is currently accepting applications, but your window of opportunity ends 11/8, as in the day after tomorrow.

Click HERE to apply now!

 Application will close Friday, November 8!

November 2013 Folk Song

The Ambleside Online Folk Song selection for November, 2013 is an Irish ballad entitled Rose of Tralee.

Here are a couple of video/music combinations for you to consider/select from for use with your student when singing this song this month. The lyrics are also below for you to print out if you like. The first one is easier to understand, but the second has more of a traditional Irish sound.

The pale moon was rising above the green mountain
The sun was declining beneath the blue sea
When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain
That stands in beautiful vale of Tralee.
She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer
Yet, 'twas not her beauty alone that won me
Oh no! 'Twas the the truth in her eye ever beaming
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
The cool shades of evening their mantle were spreading
And Mary all smiling was listening to me
The moon through the valley her pale rays was shedding
When I won the heart of the Rose of Tralee.
Though lovely and fair as the rose of the summer
Yet, 'twas not her beauty alone that won me
Oh no! 'Twas the the truth in her eye ever beaming
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.

IXL Online Math and Language Arts (A TOS Crew Review)

I had the pleasure of reviewing IXL.com last year, and was so happy the Schoolhouse Review Crew would have the opportunity to review IXL.com Online Math Membership (Pre-K - 12)  and Online Language Arts Membership (2nd - 4th), and that I was chosen to be a reviewer.

I have used IXL.com in the past, and this year I was delighted to learn they had expanded their program to include Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry! They have also expanded to include Language Arts for grades 2nd through 4th, but since my guy is almost high school we didn't use that this time.

My son is having a bit of a struggle with math, and he had actually been asking me if I could subscribe to IXL.com for him again. I was so glad to be able to receive one year of IXL.com for free in exchange for my review.

Menu Monday for 11/4/13

Here are my menu plans for this week:

Sunday: Pizza out!

Monday: honey roasted chicken, rice, asparagus

Tuesday: sizzle burgers, noodles, green beans

Wednesday:Black beans and rice

Thursday:  chicken broccoli farfalle

 Friday:  grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, salad

Saturday:  beef stew, salad, rolls

November 2013 Hymn Study

The Ambleside Online Hymn rotation for November 2013 is a song called "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come".

I love this song, the song with the lyrics "Raise this song of Harvest Home", a very appropriate song for Thanksgiving:

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I also really like to look for hymns that are singing TOO the Lord, not just ABOUT the Lord, to cover the same month with my son. So, for my son this month I will also be covering For the Beauty of the Earth: