Here With Us

I love the music at our church. I am thankful for such Christ Honoring Music. And at Christmas time, that is no different.

Take a moment and enjoy some wonderful music!

HELP! I Hate Math! What's a Homeschooler to do?

I admit it, I am a homeschooler, who really just hates Math! So when I come across a product or resource that can help me, help my children grasp math, then guess what... I LOVE IT!

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew we were sent a nifty card game to review called Fractazmic, by I See Cards. Let me tell you, these were a hit!

Fractazmic is a card game designed to reinforce fractions and measurement in a fun and non-threatening way! The point of the game is to create 'hands' or 'sets' where the player will combine the fraction cards to equal the sum of 1.

One aspect we really were thankful for, is the fact that the fine people of I See Cards also created a FREE online version of the game, which really helped my daughter with understanding the point of the game, and helped her, in turn, play the card game.  Not all children will need to do that, however, my daughter was rusting on her fractions, ( me too... really thankful for the pictures on the cards!) so by playing online, she built her confidence and then her success at the card game soared!  The best part about Fractazmic is.... it's FUN!  You can play at home, or take it along with you when you have to wait for appointments, etc... since it is simply a deck cards, it is very portable!

Also, she would 'play' by herself practicing putting hands, or sets together!

I would highly recommend this game for any child of any age that is struggling with their fractions!

Please visit I See Cards, to see their entire line of Math Cards, and you can pick up your own deck for... $6.95.  You also have the option of buying a 5 deck pack for $ 30 and a 10 deck pack for $55. If you have a larger family/class, or would like to give these as a gift this would be a wonderful way to save a little!

I See Cards has an entire line of  math card games, as well as, a card game to help children with English/Spanish.  All are affordable, you can purchase one deck or a bundle!

And don't forget to visit the crew blog to see what my crew mates have to say about I See Cards!




***please note: I was sent a complimentary deck of Fractazmic in exchange for my honest opinion. No other form of payment was offered or accepted.  Opinions shared here, are my own, and do not constitute a guarantee or a promise of service. 

Catapults, Trebuchets and Kids.. OH MY!!

With 3 teenage boys in the house, you are sure to hear the excitement as they learned they were going to build machines that will hurl objects across the room! And that is exactly what happened as we set out to build  our Catapult and our Trebuchet that we received from Pitsco Co. in our Medieval Machines Pack!  

In this pack you receive much more than expected, not only do you receive just about everything you need to build both of these kits (minus glue, wax paper and a tool or two) you also receive a 'teacher' book of sorts.

The information in this book not only will give your students the history behind the Siege Machines they are building, the book also provides experiments that can be done with the machines you just created! While on the product page of Pitsco, it states that the product is geared through middle school. Within the teacher book, they include National Standards through the 12th grade.

I actually had my 11th and 12th grader work on the the projects on their own. Here is the Creative Learners take on each kit...

Catupult -  The instructions were easy to understand - the hardest part of building it was 'trying to get the dowels inserted'.  The boys had to use much effort on that aspect. However, the end result was great! They loved launching the clay across the room.. and the rest of the children were able to join in on the fun!

Trebuchet - This one took  a little longer to build. My son mentioned that the wording of the directions were good, however, he found the photos confusing. However, they were able to get it together working as a team.
In the end, once again, the children all took part enjoyed flinging projectiles across the room! I mean really, what child doesn't enjoy being able to launch clay into the air.. with permission!

You can get your own  Medieval Machines Pack for $21.95.  Be sure to check all the Pitsco has to offer while you are on their website!

Hop on over to the crew blog to see what my crew mates are saying about Pitsco!

Happy launching!

**Please note***As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was sent a a complementary Medieval machines Kit for review purposes and exchange for my honest opinions.  No other form of compensation was offered or received. The opinions within this post are mine, and do not constitute a promise of service or guarantee results.

The Bonnie Hunt Show

I have to tell you... I loved the Bonnie Hunt Show, and still miss it! It was a bright spot in our day! We would DVR it and watch it in the evenings. And both the kids and I LOVED it! We were fortunate enough to even go and see tapings of the show several times! All the people that worked on the show were awesome! 

What I liked the most was her good clean humor and her love of family! 

Here is a segment of Ask Alice on The Bonnie Hunt Show. Alice is Bonnie's Mom and 

she is a riot! This little segment reminds me of what happens when all of my cousins and I get together.. 

I hope you enjoy this clip!

Sure did make me smile! 

Math Mammoth Sale - Today is the Last Day!!

Today is the last day of the sale at Math Mammoth.  Use coupon code THANKSGIVING to get 25% off your purchase at Kagi Store.  This includes all downloads & CD's sold at MathMammoth.com.  The sale runs til December 5th. 

FREE Digital Christmas Magazine

The wonderful people of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine have done it again! They have put together an amazing FREE resource for you, and just in time for Christmas! 

They have put together a Digital Christmas Magazine chock full of traditions and recipes! 

You will find your favorite TOS staffers, homeschool main stays.. and even some of my crew mates! 

This interactive digital magazine is sure to please! Get your copy today!

It's a Family Thing

I stumbled across a picture of my Aunt today while poking around Facebook. When I saw it, it reminded me of how much I look like her.. and have my whole life.

So I decided to make a little page commemorating it!

I love you Aunt Sue! I am honored to be your niece.. and your 'twin'!