Grace Tells Another Story

Another random pic – doing math fact drill sheets first thing in the morning a few years ago!!

1.  I hate wearing high heels. I have many boxes of them in my closet from when I used to wear them for work, but now I’d rather take a pass on them for sure!  They’re pretty to look at, but not as comfortable as my blingy flip flops!

2.  My daughter is a 3rd generation only-child on my Moms’s side….and we are almost 100% positive that my Dad was an only child too. 

3.  I love Scentsy….and am obsessed with their adorable warmers…..I love to change them out during the seasons.

4.  My favorite book series ever is the Yada-Yada Sisters by Neta Jackson.

5.  Being from Texas, there is some debate here about if we are part of the South or not…but regardless, I hate sweet tea. 

Love randomness like I do?  Visit Miranda…we’re all linking up over there!!! And if you’ve never done a “Random Friday” post, why don’t ya give It a try and join us?

I love it when we get the opportunity to review something that is lots of fun!!!   And  One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! by Science Naturally definitely fits the bill!  Especially for my daughter…she is a lover of random facts and information.

Well, she did.  And maybe you did.  But I did not. I am NOT a lover of random information at all.  I remember bits and pieces throughout my years of collecting information in school, and am relearning a LOT of it now being involved in her education.  However, you will not find books on MY bookshelf titled “Weird but True! 4:  300 Outrageous Facts”.

• Life Science
• Earth and Space Science
• Physical and Chemical Science
• General Science
• Five More Minutes of Mysteries!
• Bonus Section: One Minute Mysteries:  65 Mysteries You Solve With Math! (this section includes 5 bonus mysteries out of the 65)

Having the mysteries separated as they are is very beneficial!  It was awesome to watch my daughter get almost every single one of the Life/Earth and Space Science mysteries correct…..reason being is that she has been taking those science courses these past two years, and I loved seeing that she has truly absorbed what she has learned.  She did fairly well in the General Science section, just using her critical thinking skills, but had the toughest time with Physical and Chemical Science, as we haven’t touched on those formally at all.

Initially, when I told her we were going to be reviewing a science product, I got a bit of resistance.  The way it works around here is that when we have a particular review to do, I will ease up or drop entirely the curriculum we normally use for that subject during the review period.  However, she knew science was not one I could do that with…that was one of her outside classes.  I know that what was going through her mind was that we were about to literally double up on science.  Well, after we did our first day of about five of the mysteries, I never got the push-back again! 

We loved how the stories were just the right length, designed to not lose the listener or reader before they got to the part where the mystery/problem had to be solved.    There is also an excellent mixture of levels of difficulty in the book…this makes sure the student learns new information while building their confidence when they solved a mystery without any help!

Do you see why you have to check this one out??

In our homeschool last week…

We are preparing for the transition from the learning we do during the formal school year to the summer schedule.  Much to my daughter’s chagrin, there is math at least 3  times a week, unless there is a camp or something fun on the schedule!   There is also always piano practice.  And always, always reading….I’m very blessed to have a daughter who loves books!  Past that, I have some plans to catch up on the Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trips that we didn’t have time for during the summer…maybe some Drive-Thru History watchin’….and being on the Schoolhouse Review Crew, there will definitely be some fun products that come through during the summer that need our opinion!

Our favorite  thing last week was…

The end of the year Awana Award Ceremony.  Zoe was awarded for not only finishing her book, but also for completing the “Review X2”, which is saying both the verses and answering the challenge questions for the first two T & T books in one sitting.  She always puts her all into her Awana activities, and we were excited when she was recognized for her accomplishments. 

Things I’m working on…

Getting our home ready to be put on the market…that’s a biggie!!!  We have been preparing for this for almost a year, and are finally nearing the end of the journey.  We hope to have it in our MLS system in the next month.  We are praying for a move to the north side of the city, but whatever God has in store for us, it will just be a relief to have this part behind us.

School planning is also on my radar.  I’m about 75% of the way through next year’s schedule, and spent a lot of time this week fine tuning.

I’m grateful for…

Some new blogging friendships I made last week!  I am so blessed to be a part of a new group, and I just can’t wait to learn from them! I also connected with some new homeschooling bloggers that I respect a great deal.  So very grateful for that!

I’m praying for…

A friend from a few years ago that, along with her husband, has decided to homeschool their children. I am thankful for all that I can do to help her on her journey, just as others have helped me. 

What makes me smile…..

 

 

Linking up with other homeschool moms at iHomeschool Network!  Hop on over to take a peek into everyone else’s week!

We are a family that loves Awana.  I mean, absolutely loves.  Zoe has just completed her fourth year of participating in the program.  Her first two years were spent in Sparks, and the last two in the T & T (Truth in Training) group. 

For those of you not familiar with Awana, it stands for “Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed”, taken from 2 Timothy 2:15, which says “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  Awana is an organization that is dedicated to leading kids worldwide to know, love and serve Christ.  It has been in existence for over 60 years and for approximately nine months out of the year, nearly two million kids ages 2-18 participate in the program each week!  AND statistics show that among alumni who particpated in our programs for at least six years, 92.7 percent still attend church at least weekly as an adult.

This gives me great hope….for all I keep hearing is that we are losing our young people….that approximately 70% of youth stop attending church when they graduate from High School.  And only about half return at some point in their lives.  So in my opinion as a mom, anything I can do to be proactive to make sure my daughter is one of t he 92.7 percent, I will do.  Gladly.  And passionately.

That is why in four years I believe my daughter has missed her weekly Awana program, oh, maybe 3 times?  We are 100 percent committed. And it is never, ever something I have to be the heavy on.  She has to be pretty darn sick to miss…or in one case, we chose to head to the hospital to visit some very close friends who had a baby only a few hours before and help with their other little one.  Other than that, she has been there.  Every Wednesday during those nine months of the year.  For four years. And she is planning on being there until she graduates.  When the kiddos get older, they can choose to be an Awana helper for the little ones.  That’s in her plans too.  Makes me a super proud mom!

And last night her Daddy got to be super proud of her along with me!  We attended the Awana Award Ceremony along with Grandma, and watched as she received her Excellence Award, which is for students who have completed both the Ultimate Adventure books.  She also received a very, very special award for the “Review x2”, which is for students who say all their verses and challenge questions for both books in one sitting….that meant about 64 verses and answers to questions in approximately 30 minutes!! 

Wow…64 verses….64 special instructions, promises and pieces of wisdom from God that she can hide in her heart for years to come.  64. 

And we’re nowhere near done. By the time she is done, that will be somewhere between 800 – 1,000 verses she has memorized and used to grow in her relationship with Christ.

I must say that, right at this moment, I am feeling as though one of the best things that has ever happened to me as a mom is that somewhere, someone told me about Awana.  I am very, very thankful. 

Psalm 26:7 – “Singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders.”

Just like it takes a village to raise a child….it takes a village to raise a homeschool mom…AND a homeschool blogger.

I began writing here in August of 2012.  It seems like both a lifetime ago and just yesterday.  Having a blog where I could chronicle our homeschool journey, family adventures and share with other homeschoolers was something I waited to do until I really thought I was ready.  Last summer was that time.  I started working on my blog design with a very talented young lady by the name of April from A Mommy’s Blog Design, and she helped me put on the screen what I envisioned my blog to be. 

That was just the start.  I had to begin the process of finding my voice.  What type of blogger did I want to be?  Who was my audience?  Would I blog every day? once a week?  three times?  What would I have to say that anyone would even want to listen to?  I was praying at that point that I could come up with some good answers, because I was committed by then.

One piece of the puzzle that I was positive about was my desire to be a part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew.  Ever since picking up my first Old Schoolhouse Magazine back in 2009, I had desired to be a part of their curriculum review team.  Last October, I was able to cross another thing off of my bucket list!! 

Becoming a part of this group of ladies has been amazing…I’ve learned so much from what they have been willing to share.  It is so much more than I could ever have imagined it to be.  We have a true sense of community.  We have new bloggers, like myself….seasoned bloggers…new”ish” homeschoolers….veteran homeschoolers.  And we each have something to offer to our Crew family.

All of these things play a part in who I am becoming as a mom finishing up her fourth year of homeschooling and a blogger closing in on nine months of writing and hoping that people keep reading!  And all the while, I continue to do my own reading….from some absolutely fabulous homeschool moms…some I have just been following for a few years, and some are actually sweet virtual friends and fellow Crew members…all of them sharing their homeschooling heart for the betterment of the rest of us.

These blogs offer a variety of topics….the spiritual side of the homeschooling mom’s journey, curriculum reviews, encouragement, and mostly? What I love about all of them is that they’re just plain transparent.  They are giving you the straight scoop.  The real deal.  The skinny.  Love it!

1.  1 + 1 + 1 = 1 – I can completely identify with Carisa.  On the front page of her blog, she says “Never planned to homeschool.  Now, wouldn’t trade it for the world.”  I can COMPLETELY relate.

2.  Confessions of a Homeschooler – Erica always has something practical to share with her readers.  And you can find some super great curriculum suggestions on her site!

3.  Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers – Her wacky title drew me to her our first year of homeschooling, and I haven’t stopped learning from Kris yet!

4.  Sam’s Noggin – this is one of my sweet, sweet Crew friends…I actually began reading her blog long before I ever applied to be on the Crew…always loved how real she is.  Next thing I know, she was assigned as my Crew mentor!  I felt so blessed to be in her hands!  Sam is quirky, loves pens and inspires everyone to hit their #helloexercise every day of the week!

5.  Educating Laytons – Stef is just a hoot!  If you don’t believe me, look for her post in which she compared herself in a picture taken recently to a walrus!  She’s just adorable though…not walrus-like at all!

6.  Ben and Me – Another one of my sweet Crew friends…I identify with Marcy quite a bit…we are both homeschooling an “only”….she gets me that way.  She’s also our go-to social media person on the Crew…and she gives selflessly of herself to the rest of us any time we need her.   And that transparency thing? Yeah..she’s pretty good at that too.

7.  Mom’s Mustard Seeds – This is where I go to read the things that stick  with you…she is such an encourager to the homeschooling mama community….I’d love to meet her someday…maybe I will!

8.  Under the Golden Apple Tree – Richele just has one of those all around great homeschooling blogs…a little bit of everything…and she’s quite funny to boot!

9.  Grant Us Wisdom – Yvana’s is a fellow Crew member as well, although we are not as well acquainted.  I found her blog before I ever joined the Crew, so I liked her apart from being a precious Crewbie…her posts are always a joy to read…she also has an eclectic blog…and I just love her blog design as well!

10.  Meet Penny – Penny is my newest find!  I ran across some wonderful information she contributed to a new book for bloggers called iBlog…it is not specifically for homeschool bloggers, but there are a lot of them in there!!!  I think I’m going to enjoy reading her posts a lot!!

Hope you’ve enjoyed my list of rockin’ homeschool bloggers!! Be sure to stop by and pay them a visit!  You’ll be glad you did!!