Hooked on Phonics Coupons

I've decided to update coupons here when I see new ones to help families out with this great program. Right now, through Nov. 30, 2008, you can save 20% on your purchase of $75 or more when you use the coupon code EM4508F2. I will try to keep this post updated with current coupons, but please honor the expiration date given here and don't come after me if the coupon code does not work after that date. While it might still work, don't count on it!

New Members of Our Family

I don't think I've mentioned this here, but back in September, a couple of kittens came up to our back door at 11 pm one night and have been here ever since. They are SO adorable, and I'd be jumping for joy except for one problem: I'm allergic to cats! Well, the other problem is that I was not anticipating having to feed two very hungry kittens, get their shots, get them fixed, etc.

Which brings me to a bit of a sore subject, and I'd like to share what I learned. Because I had to keep them outside for a good part of the day, they brought fleas in. I tried to do the least invasive thing and bought them flea collars. They did not help at all! When I finally went to the vet to get something real, they sort of giggled and I know why. I mean, if flea collars were worth anything, why would all of these other products have come on the market? So the flea collars are in the trash. Sigh. More money down the drain.
Some good news, though. When my allergy symptoms included a sore throat, I began drinking lots of water with apple cider vinegar and honey. (Get Bragg's ACV with "the mother" and raw honey!) Before I knew it, the allergy seemed to have disappeared! The cats are in the house full time now and I've been fine. I've even gotten to love on them lots without sneezing, coughing, or itchy eyes. If you have an allergy, perhaps this remedy will work for you, too!
I'm sharing some of my favorite pics. It is so cute the way they cuddle up as much as they can. And so funny how they fight when they are awake!

Our Chore Chart

Everyone does her own chore chart and has her own philosophy on whether or not children should get paid for helping out around the house. I've come up with something that works for us. My kids get allowance to spend on the things that they want. That money is a "given" and does not change. Out of that money, they tithe, save, and get what's left. If they want to earn more money, they can "work." Each item is assigned certain points, and for each point they earn, they get a play dollar to put in their pockets. One item on their list is "End Argument." My kids fight all the time. Neither of them wants to end it. So it almost always escalates to someone getting hit. So if one of them decides to be the bigger person and compromise or walk away, they will earn a point. As they work on other issues, I will adjust their chart. They also know that if I have to tell them to do it, they don't get a point, unless they do it after being asked the first time, because they also get a point for obeying the first time I ask (another current issue).

Once they have gotten 10 one dollar bills, they trade it in for one 10 dollar bill (Math!) Once they have reached ten $10 bills, they can trade the play money in for real money that they can spend, but only get 50% in real money (More math!). So if they have $100 in play money, they get $50 in real money. I hope that this teaches them the benefits of saving money! This is perfect timing with Christmas fast approaching.

I forgot to mention, there are things that cause them to lose these dollars. For instance, say a curse word- lose a dollar. (Yes, unfortunately, another issue.) If someone hits someone else, they lose a dollar. This has already been effective, since it just occurred to me that I haven't heard a curse word in a while.

Hopefully this will give you an idea of a way to keep checks and balances in your house. While I'd love to be the mom with perfect children who would do everything correctly and smile while doing it, I'm settling for being the mom of kids who need incentive before they learn how good it feels to do right, be right, and live right. I'm still working on that myself...

Learning About Pyramids- and Building Them

Last week we learned about pyramids and how they were built. It never occurred to me before, but what I learned is that during the annual flooding of the Nile, the men would build the pyramids as a service to the pharoahs, sort of like working off a tax or debt. It's really amusing how much work they put into building something that would serve as their burial grounds and a place to hide their "stuff." And yet their stuff (and sometimes their mummies) would get stolen at some point anyway. It's not much different from our government officials doing things that are pretty pointless and getting paid nicely for it.

I have really gotten into learning about creation science and the book of Genesis. It's funny how looking at Genesis differently affects how I look at the new stuff we learn in school. I can only imagine the benefit Christian kids in public school would get if they were taught in this way.

Anyway, at the end of our study on pyramids, we built one with Legos. My daughter and I built the one in the picture, and my son built a burial chamber that was not pyramid shaped, but had guards and other fun stuff. We played Legos for a long time and had a lot of fun.

Printable Halloween Games

If you are having a Halloween party, this might be something fun to consider: instantly downloadable, printable Halloween games. They are super fun and will be the hit of every party this Halloween!

What is the best Phonics Program?

If you are searching for some advice in choosing a phonics program, I have compared two programs on my website, which might help you decide. I wanted to put the information here, but blogger does not like my knowledge of html and Frontpage does. (I know...I know...) Anyway, go here to see some great phonics programs...

Studying Ancient Egypt

Recently while studying ancient Egypt, we made our own clay cuneiform plaques with our names on them. Of course, my daughter and I had to decorate ours with colorful shells and stuff. My son is going to paint his, but right now it's plain. Because hieroglyphs (and later cuneiform) took longer to carve, they used fewer letters than we do today. For instance, "Anna" would have been written "Ana". "Thomas" would be "Tomas." Why throw in the "h" when it's not necessary?

Just before this project, we saw a Little House on the Prairie episode where "Pa" carved someone's name into a rock. Being television, it looked like it only took him a few minutes to carve. I don't think children can appreciate how long it took the Egyptians to carve into rock!

The clay we used was pretty nice to work with. It is the "Air-Dry Clay" from Crayola. It is very similar to the brown clay I used in school that had to be baked, but it is white, and does not have to be baked.

Our next lesson was on mummies. I had bought this book that is SO cool and had to share it. It will be useful for years, as the kids read more and more of the information that is available. There is a lot of information there! Basically, it opens up and each page you turn removes a part of the mummy, until you get down to the actual skeleton and the canopic jars showing the organs in them. The pictures I've taken are just a couple of the pages. Hopefully this is enough to give you an idea of what it provides. The kids loved this book and were eager to get through their lesson so that they could look at it. And that was before they knew what it would do! My son looked at it for an additional twenty minutes or so, mesmerized by everything he could learn! Here it is:

Teaching Creation

We use BJU Press "Bible Truths" curricula and just finished learning about the 6 days of creation. This has become a topic of interest to me lately, since I've gotten my hands on some good science books that come from a young earth perspective. I remember many years ago our Sunday school teacher was heavily into this topic, but I wasn't ready to hear it so I just brushed it aside. Now that I'm learning it for the benefit of my children, I realize that is probably what he was going through since his children were reaching the age of learning it. So now here I am, feeling like a kid again, learning things I should have learned growing up!
Many Christians have tried to mesh two belief systems- the Christian "Bible story" of creation, and the evolutionists' theory that the earth is billions of years old. So we subscribe to the idea that God's "day" could have been a million years long. Unfortunately, most Christians haven't been taught that the science does NOT prove evolution, which is what we are led to believe. (By the way, most atheists or evolutionists know as little as Christians about the science behind evolution. We are pretty much all ignorant!)
Anyway, to make a long story short, I've got something for you, and something for the kids. First, stop by Answers in Genesis Bookstore and subscribe to Answers magazine. It is a great resource for parents, as well as older kids. It does have a section for younger kids, which is useful, so it's really great for the whole family. I found out about Answers magazine from Dr. Jay Wile, who spoke at our homeschooling convention. Great speaker!! I'm so glad I got to hear him and learned so much about apologetics and the best way to teach science.

For the younger kids, here is a great resource to reinforce, teach, and test on the 6 days of creation. It is the Creation set from Story Time Felts. My 7 and almost 6 year old LOVED using the felt pieces. As we talked about each day, we put the appropriate felt pieces up. For "testing" I removed them all and gave them each a few circles to place in the correct spots. Even the "testing" is a great teaching moment. Since I have the felt dinosaur set also, I used that background in particular since we talked about the dinosaurs being one of the kinds of animals that God created on the sixth day. If you didn't know that people and dinosaurs lived at the same time, please subscribe to Answers magazine!

Economic Lessons

With everything going on in our economy right now and everything you are hearing on the news and in political debates, maybe you are lost. I would be, too, if I hadn't just read a very interesting book that helped me understand a little better. Coincidentally, I read this book before things got really bad, since my son was learning "Economics" on a second grade level last year. If you want to understand our economy better, or want a good way to explain it to your kids, get this book:

Back to School

Of course, we've been back to school for a little while, but it occurred to me that I haven't shared much school stuff lately. Over the summer, we learned about rainforests. I had a teacher's activity book on rainforests, and with my knowledge of lapbooking, we made our own version of a lapbook, which I think turned out pretty good. Here is one of them:

Now, if you wanted to do a lapbook without doing your own planning, you can purchase a kit from Hands of a Child. I recently became a "Super Member" and also saw that the Unit Extenders are available for their rainforest lapbook for free when you become a Super Member. There are lots of other free items and resources, and for what you pay to become a Super Member, it is TOTALLY worth it! Super Members get a free lapbook to download each month, as well as a 15% discount for the life of the membership. (And of course the freebies that you also have access to during the life of your membership).

I mentioned before that we chose Jeannie Fulbright's "Exploring Creation with Astronomy" for science this year, and it is working really well. Each day I read from the book, and the kids notebook about what they have just learned. The kids really like this book!

History is also very much enjoyed by all of us. We are using "The Story of the World 1" and have learned about nomads and living on the Nile River. We are currently learning about Egyptians. We learned how to make a "berry picking pouch" which was perfect timing because our neighbor needed someone to pick acorns out of our tree for a craft project! The kids learned a little about sewing during this activity. We did not use a machine! Here is one of our pouches:
We already had the fabric on hand, and we used shoestrings purchased for around $1.50 a pair. The shoestrings were nice because the ends made it easier to work with. My kids are 7 (boy) and almost 6 (girl) and they both enjoyed this. My son even made a cape last night out of the same fabric!

What will your child be for Halloween?

As of right now, I will have a Darth Vader and Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween this year. If I get the nerve up, I will be the wolf in grandma's clothing as my daughter's "accessory." Of course, we'll take pics and share! If you are hurtin' for ideas, click on either link below to browse!
(When you buy through these links, you help save our theatre! Thanks for looking!)

Personalized Felt Dolls Sale During September

I can't believe I haven't mentioned these here yet! I absolutely LOVE the personalized "photo" felt dolls from Story Time Felts. What you do is select your child's best photo, send it in after you order your doll, and a few weeks later, your daughter has a felt "paper" doll that looks just like her to play with. Appropriately named "Just Like Me" dolls are the hit of every birthday party and a favorite gift under the tree at Christmas. This year they are on sale in September to allow people to get them in plenty of time for Christmas. There are a variety of clothing options you will choose from, or you can get them all and give the additional sets later on.

Felt toys are wonderful, quiet educational toys that keep children occupied in the car, in church, in the doctor's office, etc. The learning possibilities are endless! With a doll that looks just like her (or him!) your child will always have a little buddy to tag along for the outing. And if you plan ahead, I'd get one for you, too!

I Got a Bike!!

Okay, I got it a few weeks ago, but I held off mentioning it because I wanted to take a picture of it. I really wanted one of my kids to take a picture of me on it to prove I can still RIDE a bike, but we've been busy. :o) It was "one of those things." I'd been wanting a bike, and told myself that I would get one for Christmas. I was driving along when I saw a yard sale up ahead. They had a LOT of stuff. Most importantly, they had a practically new bike for $50! It had been ridden 4 times and sat for the rest of the year. I hopped on it and tried it out. Except for the squeaky brake, it rode perfectly! (Oh, and I figured out later that I will need a new seat. Whoever designed the current one must have never tried it out. Ouch!)

So life has been very different "post bike." We have ridden all over town. We run errands on the bikes. We go shopping on the bikes. It has been so much fun! I can't tell you how much gas we have saved! I'm so happy! My kids are 7 and 5.5 and love riding with me. They hate wearing their helmets, but they will get over it. I am teaching them to "ride with traffic" and I wonder what the motorists are thinking when they come upon us. Either, "get outta the way, crazy people!" or "I should be riding a bike, too!" The speed limit on main street is 20 mph so it's not like we're keeping them from getting anywhere. We live in the perfect town for biking, except for the elderly people who can't see where they're going, and the 14 year olds with permits. But that's why they make helmets, isn't it?!

Helping Children Excel

Last night I saw Shawn Johnson win a gold medal in the balance beam finals at the Olympic Games. We had been watching the gymnasts ever since the Games had started, so we got to see their emotional roller coasters and could imagine what it felt like to be there- and how one wrong move could end their dreams. How nerve-wracking just watching it!

But last night, Shawn Johnson just BEAMED. She isn't even my child and I teared up just thinking about the work that went into that one event. The YEARS and HOURS of practice and training are something that most kids could not even imagine. Then I saw her parents, holding each other and bawling. What a great story! I can't even put into words how happy Shawn was when she knew she had the gold. She couldn't stop smiling. She waved to the camera, and you could tell she was finally able to relax. After all, she had not been able to get a gold medal until this event final. She had a silver for team competition, silver for all-around, and silver on bars until this final event. Her teammate and competitor, Nastia Luikin had already earned a gold on all-around, so it was just icing when she silvered next to Shawn Johnson's gold on beam.

Switching sports really quick, then there is Michael Phelps. Need I say more? LOL I actually grew up swimming, so that is a sport I definitely watch. Obviously he is a little more expressive and manly with his joy. If you watched any swimming at all, you know what I'm talking about. But watching these athletes and others compete- and excel- is not only pure joy, but a reminder of all the positive things that come out of helping children excel.

None of these athletes could be where they are without their parents. But what many parents don't realize is that we don't have to raise olympic athletes in order for our kids to gain the same pride and joy that we see at the olympics. It happens every day at little league games, summer swim programs, singing competitions, boy and girls scouts, academic competitions, and other competitive events. I still remember the amazing catches, and the look of amazement on swim coaches when I actually swam as fast as I told them I would- even though they didn't believe me. Not only did it feel wonderful at the moment, but I still remember them, even 25 years later. There is just something about working toward something, and it paying off.

Now you may be asking, what about when your child doesn't win? What if silver is the best they can do? The one thing I don't like about the Olympics is that you walk away with a feeling that gold is first and silver is last. That probably helps athletes do their best in training, but to see them disappointed when they get second is a little sad. With our own children, that is part of life. Sometimes you will win. Sometimes you won't. (Unless you are Michael Phelps and you take all the gold medals yourself!) Some kids will work harder for the next time. Others will quit completely. My feeling on it is that if your child was meant to do a certain sport or activity, they will love it so much that they look past the second place finishes, and even the last place finishes. Their passion for it drives them more than the recognition, and when they finally do win or place better, it's just the icing on the cake.

Helping children excel is important, but it's even more important that we do it in a loving, nurturing, and positive way. We have all seen the parents that push too hard. We are probably even that parent from time to time. My rule is that you should try what you want to, and finish out the season and give it your best. But you can't quit half way through, and you can't give up before the season is over. I actually play ball with my kids: soccer during soccer season, and baseball/softball during that season. This is how I can help them, by teaching them the skills they need and giving them a chance to practice.

In academic areas, it's really easy to excel when you homeschool. It just sort of happens. I think this is because they see their parent excited about the subject, and also because they still have a love for learning.

If I had to give three steps for helping children excel, they would be:
1. Be involved
2. Be active
3. Be loving
Yep, even when your child strikes out AGAIN, there will be something positive he did in the game that you will be able to point out. Focus on those things and keep on practicing!

US Pollution Sent to China

As the 2008 Summer Olympics approach, the news stories remind me of something I've been thinking about for quite a while. I've seen lots of great reports over the last 5-10 years about how much the US has improved the air quality and environment in most big cities. If you just read the articles, you might think, "wow, finally our country is doing something good!" (Not so fast...)

In the very same newspaper or the very same news program, you might also learn about the number of businesses that have moved overseas. You might hear the grumbles and gripes about losing manufacturing plants to places like China, that can produce the same products for far less.

Are you putting two and two together yet?

Has anyone but me noticed what's happened? We didn't so much improve air pollution: we shipped it to China! I guess that's a benefit to sending our business to China. And now they will have our money to help fight the cancer increases they have suffered due to their increased manufacturing with the lowest environmental standards (if any).

I'm writing about this here because most of the American public has been duped. And I hope that I am raising children who will not be so easily duped by news articles into believing every word that is spoken or printed. I've already given my children the "little kids in China made that piece of junk toy so that you could play with it for five minutes and then throw it in the trash" speech. As they grow, I try to teach them critical thinking and problem solving. I don't want them growing up to believe that politicians are on their side, the news is real, or that they have to go to college to learn how to work for someone else. We live outside the box, think outside the box, and grow outside the box.

If you haven't seen the The Story of Stuff , go there NOW! Watch it daily. As I become a horrible consumer in the eyes of my country (shopping at garage sales, Goodwill, consignment sales, etc.) I wonder what would happen if our whole country became horrible consumers like me. Of course, it will never happen as long as there is money to spend. Some people will just never care. But I look at my kids and how their spending habits have developed. My seven year-old (who just sat down to watch The Story of Stuff with me) has decided that all he really wants is Legos. He has already learned that all those toys that look so fun on the shelf turn out to be- not so much fun. Like most kids, they are playing a lot of computer games or online learning games. Outside of the disc and packaging material, the main resource that goes into these products is intelligence. One day, I believe, we will not buy STUFF so much as we will buy the ability to DO STUFF.
For instance, I purchased Jump Start World at the store. It has an online component to it, where you can pay for your child to continue on with the game. A sneaky way of sucking kids (and parents!) in, but once I saw what my child was learning, it was worth the $75 I paid for the rest of the program! So now we have an educational game that my child has spent HOURS on, and not a big plastic toy that MIGHT get played with once and a while. I truly believe that this is the wave of the future. And I also believe that the children at the forefront of producing more advanced games or providing highly technical expertise will be homeschooled children like mine.

There are so many reasons why teaching kids to think critically should be at the top of our parenting list. Not only to decipher the news, but to make change, and become technologically advanced if that is your child's calling. Because mark my words, eventually China will wake up and want to send their pollution right back over and we will either welcome it back or decide we can go without McDonald toys and tell them, "no thanks!"

If you want to learn about the pollution problem in China, here is a great article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html

I just got this link in a Yahoo group I am in and thought it was appropriate:
http://www.jibjab.com/originals/big_box_mart