Jake made it

We went with some friends to a Chick-Fil-A opening in Delaware. They do a lottery drawing of 100 people, and the winners have to camp out overnight. If they stay on the property, they get a cool t-shirt (you know I'm all about the t-shirt!) and 52 coupons for free #1's (sandwich, fries, drink).

Of the 6 of us, 5 won the lottery (I didn't, sniff, sniff). We braved the freezing cold and tolerated the guitar playing and mediocre singing of our neighbors to persevere and get our coupons (we split them 6 ways).

Here's Jake in line just before the grand opening

TOS Review American Heritage Education Foundation

The latest product to come our way is from the American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc. (AHEF). They are a non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation dedicated to the ideal that understanding and teaching of America's factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship. Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility are the pillars of this education.

AHEF provides - for free - a downloadable comprehensive history supplement for elementary, middle and high school levels. The elementary level is also available in Spanish. You can also request a free CD which is what we received.

I asked my 12th grader history buff to take a look at the high school level material. He said it did include a lot of information and activities but wasn't very interesting to read. In defense of the material, we use living books for our history and literature studies, and this is written for use in public schools so it's a bit textbook-y for our taste.

I read through the elementary school material and came to the same conclusion. For example, the section on Freedom discusses the Statue of Liberty and includes an article from the Wall Street Journal pondering the real meaning of Liberty Enlightening the World (the statue's full name). I found it interesting only because I enjoy reading about such things. The kids, however, did not.

It goes on to talk briefly about the history and building of the statue, but they don't really get into any of the tidbits of history... like the fact that the pedestal wasn't built when she arrived from France, or what an amazing engineering feat she was for the time. Interestingly the size and dimension of Liberty barely mentioned. She's huge; one eye is 2.5 ft across. The activities they suggest are ok for a group setting, but I don't know that they would keep the attention of a smaller group of younger students. When we learned about Liberty last year, we cut out two eyes and an index finger (8ft) just to get an idea of how big she is.

In a nutshell, I think this is a great springboard. If you're stuck on a topic and need facts or ideas for group activities, this is a great place to start. They use reputable sources for their information, and they cover a wide range of topics the American Revolution to What It Means to Be an American.

I also like that their sidebars are full of great historical quotes. It's a small detail, but again, I enjoy reading such things. :)

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." ~Ronald Reagan

Head over to AHEF, and check them out!

And don't forget that this product is FREE! You can request a free CD or download it here. If you prefer a hardcopy, you can purchase a printed version with a binder for $19.95 per level.

Be sure to read what other TOS Crew members are saying about this product by clicking here.


*I received this product free of charge so that I may provide my opinion of it. No other compensation was received.

Scarecrows

We're a little behind schedule here. Last weekend Ella and I finally made our scarecrows while the boys played football in the yard. She colored their heads while I put them on the hay bale.

The heads have since blown off so we have 3 headless scare crows on our front porch. Is that strange?

Fall Fest

TOS Review A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers

I received an electronic copy of A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers from Bright Ideas Press. This 300+ page book contains all the information and resources you'll need for a more than adequate study of Composers from six different eras of music.

This curriculum includes:
• 32 Weekly Lessons
• 26 Bios of Famous Composers
• 6 Eras of Music Explained
• Easy-to-Use Comparative Timeline
• Easy-to-Use Maps
• Composer Info-Cards & Game Directions• Note-taking Pages
• Quizzes or Student Review Pages
• Answer Keys
• Listening Suggestions
• Intricate Coloring Pages
• Resource Lists of Books and Music for further reading

Click here to view the table of contents and sample pages from the book.

A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers is nicely laid out in bite size chunks so it's easy to make it a regular part of your school day without being overwhelming or requiring a lot of prep from mom.

I printed the section titled 'The Contemporary Period' to match our history studies. We began by reading a short but informative explanation of the people and ideas that shaped the music of this period. My kids are a little young to take notes while I'm reading so we went over the Note-taking Pages after I read the section to them, and we answered the questions together as a review.

What I appreciated most about this section is that the authors pointed the reader back to God; noting that while men may have new ideas that influence those around them, God and His word are unchanging. They also clearly presented the Gospel reminding us 'that we are responsible for our actions and that although we have a sinful nature, God can save us from our sin through Jesus' work on the cross.'

The first contemporary composer discussed is Scott Joplin who, though influenced by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, played ragtime music. In three and a half pages we read not only about Joplin but also an explanation of ragtime music. Hank and Ella enjoy looking at pictures while reading so I got a couple of books from the library and read those as well.

Ella really enjoyed the coloring sheets. I have to say they are very well done and interesting to look at. They're not just headshots but directly related to the musician - for example, the coloring sheet for John Williams, who composed many movie scores, shows movie reels with scenes from some of his more famous movies like Indiana Jones.

There are also timeline activities, templates to make composer flash cards, and templates to make Jeopardy and Bingo games. The suggested grade levels are 4th - 8th, and I agree. My kids are younger, and they did enjoy it. But I can see older kids benefitting most from this. I think even high school-aged kids would enjoy it as an introductory course.

If you're looking for a composer study, look no further. I think you'll be quite pleased with this one. While you're at it, be sure to check out the other products offered by Bright Ideas Press; several were reviewed by other TOS Crew members.

You can purchase this as a paperback book for $34.95 or as a CD-ROM book for $29.95.

You can also read reviews of this product written by other TOS Crew members by clicking here.

**I received this product for free so that I may offer my honest opinion of it. No other compensation was made.

Learning About Jazz Music

We're doing Year 4 of Tapestry of Grace which is modern history- 1900 to Present. A lot of the history is not kid friendly, BUT there are some fun events in there for the younger kids to learn about.

One of those events is the rising popularity of jazz music and the contributions of Louis Armstrong. And it just so happens that we have a bona fide jazz musician on the worship team of our church. And we used to be in the same care group. A couple of emails and a phone call and a jazz concert was scheduled for our Wednesday morning class.

We started out talking about how Jazz is often called the only art form to originate in the US and how it has influenced modern music today. We also talked about how it's fun to be entertained by music, but we need to be cautious about the lyrics. So while a tune might be catchy, if the words aren't edifying, we need to pass on it.

Next we read a story about Louis Armstrong as a boy and then a story about a little girl who learned to scat. We loved this very fun book. Between stories we listened to different jazz music and talked about the instruments we heard. We also listened to Ella Fitzgerald scat. Man, she was good!

The two other classes joined us upstairs, and Mr N showed us the instruments he brought and played some for us.
He even had the kids take turns scatting. That was really cute. Some of the kids were very shy and embarrassed while others rocked the house. It was very fun!

Then we asked Mr N to play music at different tempos while the kids painted with watercolors. It was interesting to see how they painted with different strokes and colors as the music changed.

Another fun day at co-op! :)

TOS Review ACT, Inc Discover

You've probably heard of the ACT, an assessment test used by many colleges and universities as part of their admissions process. But did you know that they have several tools designed to help students evaluate their gifts and inclinations before reaching college?

As part of the TOS Crew Jake and I had the opportunity to use ACT, Discover. This is an online program to help your student gain insight into potential college majors or careers they may want to consider.

Use DISCOVER to plan for your future.

• Learn more about yourself by assessing your interests, abilities, and values
• Explore over 555 occupations Learn about majors and programs of study
• Search through career/technical, 2 and 4 year schools, and graduate and professional programs
• Develop a resume and cover letter
• Store all of your results in our online portfolio
• Anytime, anywhere access via the Internet

Jake is a senior this year and isn't sure of what he wants to do next year. He's leaning towards 2-year college or the military right now. He began by completing a series of inventories - interest, abilities and values.

The results weren't surprising. The suggested Career Areas ranged from Natural Science and Technologies to Medical Technologies. The most amusing was Creative and Performing Arts. I shared with Jake my vision of him in tights leaping around a stage. He didn't see that in his future at all. :)

You can then navigate through the different Career Areas to see specific careers and save them to your online portfolio. You can even narrow the careers by education level so if you know that you don't want to attend a 4-year college or graduate school, you can eliminate from your results the careers that require that level of education.

After considering your career choices, you can then look more closely at possible college majors. Let's look closer at Jake's interest in 'working outside' or Agriculture, Forestry and Related fields. The list of majors ranges from Agribusiness Operations to International Agricultural to Wildlife and Wildlands Managment.

ACT then provides

• a brief description of the major, interests and abilities you should possess to be successful in the that major - You should be a logical thinker who can work well, either alone or with others
• possible college classes you could take if that was your major - Introduction to Agricultural Economics
• high school classes you could take to better prepare - Applied or business math
• colleges that offer that major - Florida A&M- and;
• a list of related occupations and majors as well - Farm/Home Mgmt Advisor

Honestly the amount of information they provide is mind blowing. This takes you from a bird's eye view of career planning and narrows it to microscopic detail.

I haven't even touched on the Job Search Tools they offer such resumes, cover letters, and interview tips or the section on scholarships and federal aid.

This is an incredibly powerful product, and I recommend it if your child (like most) is unsure of career path to consider.

ACT Discover is reasonably priced for $19.95 for a 3 month subscription or $24.95 for a 6 month subscription.

You can click here to purchase ACT Discover.

You can click here to read what other TOS Crew members have to say.

TOS Review ABC Teach Membership

I've been able to enjoy some really fun and useful items through the TOS Crew lately. The latest was a free 30 day membership to abc teach.

I had never heard of abc teach before. Crazy, I know! But I sure know about it now, and I have it bookmarked in my favorites.

You see, I'm not really a worksheet kind of homeschooler. I'd rather do stuff, like make a mud hut instead of read about it. We belong to a co-op that meets weekly, and it just so happened that I needed to plan 9 weeks of lessons for our pre-K - 1st graders using Five In A Row. Another shocker, I never used FIAR before now. You're beginning to doubt my validity as a homeschooler, aren't you? Don't give up on me yet! I'm still learning right alongside you. :)

Ok, back to abc teach. I needed to put together 9 lapbooks for a group of kids ages 3 to 6. The FIAR boards and Homeschool Share had a number of examples, but I found most of them were geared towards slightly older kids with lessons requiring more than one class sitting.

abc teach came to my rescue! I entered my subject into the search box and found all sorts of treasures. Coloring sheets, flags of countries and states, and worksheets galore. In fact abc teach boasts more than 5,000 FREE worksheets. Do you need a color by number worksheet? In Spanish, French or German? Bingo! (and yes, they have Bingo cards, too)

I found their site pretty easy to navigate, but there is a lot of information. If you're overwhelmed by all that they offer, you can watch a video tour of the site by clicking here.

They really have just about anything you could imagine needing. If they don't have it, you can use one of their tools to create your own.


With 5,000 free sheets, what's the benefit of membership? Oh, only an additional 30,000 sheets with new ones added each week, no ads on the member site, and customer service representatives who are always available to address your concerns and requests


A one year membership costs $40 per user or $70 for two years. Group memberships are also available at a discount.

You can click here to purchase your membership.

You can click here to read other reviews by TOS Crew members.

This product was provided to me for free so that I may use it and offer my honest opinion of it. No other compensation was received.

Homeschool Day at St Mary's City

Historic St Mary's City is a gorgeous little town in southern Maryland. I had never been there before so I had no idea what I've been missing all these years!

In early October I received a local homeschool newsletter with information on a number of homeschool friendly events in Maryland. I was thrilled to see that St Mary's City hosts a Homeschool Day each Fall.

I was even more thrilled to see that it was reasonably priced - $10 for me and $3 for each kid - and they limit the number of registrants. It's such a disappointment to make the trip to an event only to find it's so crowded that you can't see anything or the kids have to wait in long lines for activities.

So I loaded up the car and off we went. Unfortunately it was cold and drizzle-y that day. But thankfully it wasn't so bad that we couldn't still enjoy ourselves. The kids (well, 3 of them anyway) are generally troopers which is great because I figure if we're going to drive all that way, we're going to see *everything* there is to see. :)

We began by touring the Visitor's Center

Then we drove a short ways (it was raining) to the plantation. They had reenactors there. The kids really liked their 'strange' accents. They also had chickens! One of the reenactors was holding a chicken when he walked out to greet us. The kids practically attacked him to pet it. I know he thought they were strange for being so excited over a chicken. She was really pretty though.

Ella really liked this baby doll on the kids' bed upstairs.

Peeking out the window into the garden

Making 'sweet bags' filled with dried rosemary and mint.

Holding some green gold - tobacco

The Dove

Ella is holding an hour glass. Shane is plotting his world takeover. He was a little busy on the ship and made me (and the crew!) a nervous wreck. We couldn't get back onto dry land fast enough for me!

They had a little village with different shops set up. Here the kids could play games and make yarn dolls. That was a first for us and so easy. I don't know why we never made them before, but now we make them all the time. Very fun.

Ella holding her yarn doll. Shane's is lying next to her.

An intense game of 9 Men's Morris (Hank won the first game and Jake the second)

Then we headed to the Indian Village. The Yaocomaco Indians lived in St Mary's City

They had some hunting/fighting helmets the settlers would have used. The boys were all too happy to try them on.

Then we locked Hank in the stocks

But we released him and promoted him to judge so he could sit in the big chair in the State House

Passing a bill or two for posterity

Obligatory cheesey pose of 4 tired kids.

Driving to St Mary's City we saw signs for Point Lookout which is about 10 miles farther. Since we finished at SMC a little earlier than planned, we decided to head over and take a look. By the time we got there it was really windy and the rain picked up.

I got the crazy idea that it would be fun to walk out onto the fishing pier. The only person there was a man packing his car to leave. That should have been my first clue that this was a bad idea. 4 tired kids, 1 tired mom, rain, wind, fishing pier, ocean. What was I thinking??

So the kids dutifully walked the plank with me. I was holding Shane and the camera. I thought it would be a cool picture out there. I turned to start posing the kids when a gust of wind blew Jake's UMD hat off my head. Yes, I borrowed it, and it's now floating in the Atlantic.

Jake was not happy. Shane was hysterical, but there was no way to get it back without drowning. So we bade farewell to the hat, got back in the car, plugged our ears against Shane's crying and headed home.

You think our little story is over? It's been a while since you traveled with me, hasn't it?

We made it to the beltway just in time for rush hour...in the rain. Fun times. Shane who had fallen asleep woke up crying about the hat. Ella decided it's much more fun to sing than talk (try it sometime if you're not sure it's completely annoying). And then the cherry on the sundae. Hank got carsick and barfed. Did I mention that I had just started to eat my yummy Chick-Fil-A sandwich?

We did make it home in one piece. I didn't forget any of the kids, and I think they learned a few things about life in Southern MD during the 1700's. All in all it was a fun trip, and we're already planning to go again in the spring. :)

TOS Review Amazing Bible Timeline

As part of the TOS Crew we received the Amazing Bible Timeline to review. It arrived in a sturdy box which also contained information on how to download a free interactive map of the Holy Land and a snazzy looking genealogy of Jesus.

This time line is different because it is circular, not linear like most timelines. While the circular patterns allows the authors to list more information, I think it is difficult to read. That, coupled with the small print and very bright colors, makes it visually unappealing to me.

It is quite large, 36" x 48" and on sturdy paper with a 'scuff coat varnish.'

I put the timeline on our schoolroom wall to see if it would grow on me and went about my merry way. Recently, I (and many other Crew members) received an email from the authors, Bill and Margaret, addressing some concerns raised by Crew Members who had already posted their reviews.

I was previously ignorant of any controversy so I was a little surprised when I read this*. And then I read the review of another Crew member who has nicely laid out the findings of her research.

*As of today, 10/28/09, the link that was sent to the TOS Crew is not available from the author's website which means your average Joan looking for a timeline for her homeschool isn't going to see this. It answers questions about the product so it seems the authors would make it available to all potential customers.

So what's the big deal, you ask. There are a handful of references to the Book of Mormon on the timeline. These were apparently overlooked when the authors needed to re-create their non-LDS version of the timeline after their original film was accidentally destroyed. That seems reasonable... except that happened in 2000- yes, nine years ago. Kind of a long time for such errors to exist.

I was also a little surprised to read this (Please note that what is below is the original text that was sent to the TOS Crew members in the email I reference above; it has since been edited on their site to omit what I have put in bold lettering.):

The Native American belief in a White God who would one day return. This is historical fact. You can find it in the Complete Idiot's Guide to Native American History - a condensed version of history. If it makes that book you know it's standard historical fact. (emphasis mine)

I have nothing against Native American history or historians of Native American history, however, my family chooses to use other sources for our historical studies. Their apparent confidence in the inerrancy of that book gives me cause to question the academic integrity of the product.

They also state:

The Amazing Bible Timeline places important Bible figures in the context of world history and events. The reality of their day to day lives become real to you. And so do the principles taught by their stories. The deeper your understanding the better able you are to apply these principles in your own life. Bible figures become real and you connect on a spiritual level with these ancient people.

My husband and I aren't interested in teaching our children to 'connect on a spiritual level' with ancient people, and it becomes clear that the authors and the Machens do not hold the same values or beliefs.

Perhaps much of the controversy could be alleviated if they removed the word "Bible" from the title of the product. I realize one can be a Bible scholar and not be a Christian (I am NOT saying the authors are not Christians). But when you insert the word "Bible" into a product title, assumptions -foolishly or not - are made. I foolishly made this assumption, and I am grateful for the detective work of other Crew members.

For these reasons I cannot recommend this product.

If, however, you feel this product will meet your family's needs, you can purchase it here for only $29.97.

Click here to read what other TOS Crew members have to say about this products.

TOS Review Virginia Soaps and Scents

Being on the TOS Crew has some major perks, and having the opportunity to learn about Virginia Soaps and Scents and then use their products is one of them.

Virginia Soaps and Scents (VSS) is owned and operated by the Spargur family, homeschoolers in rural Virginia. They did what many people dream of...took a family project that became a family passion and turned it into a business. What a blessing to work doing what you love!

And even better is the fact that everything from the soap to the labels is handcrafted.

We like natural products. We eat a lot of whole foods. We even grind our own wheat for Pete's sake. But we've never ventured into the homemade soap arena. I'm not sure why; it just never made it to the top of our list of things to do.

I was excited to see that the very nice folks at VSS put together a special sampler just for the TOS Crew. It included 3 bars of hand soap- fresh orange, coconut lemongrass and oatmeal, milk and honey- a shampoo bar, and a laundry soap kit.

The hand soap was a no brainer. Natural ingredients, smells good, lathers good, happy mom. They offer a dazzling array of scents from Country Clothesline to Bay rum. The ones we received were scented just enough to smell good but not enough to be overpowering.

The arrival of the laundry soap kit was timely because we've been talking lately about making our own laundry soap to save money. We followed the simple directions and made ourselves some laundry soap. We used a 'free and clear' type detergent before, and I have to admit I don't notice a huge difference in our laundry using the VSS laundry soap.

I personally find that that's a good thing though. I don't like perfume-y smelling laundry at all. And once stink bug season is over (if you live in or near Maryland, you're nodding your head in agreement), I'll start hanging my clothes back on the line to dry. So the bottom line on this is that we plan to continue to use the laundry soap because it's less expensive and gives us the same quality laundry as store bought soap.

The shampoo bar...I will admit I was completely skeptical. I have long fine, curly/frizzy hair, and I have to use conditioner to be able to comb through my hair. So I did some experimenting.

First I tried just the shampoo bar, and I was able to comb through my hair with a lot of work.

Then I tried the shampoo bar with a vinegar rinse (do the vinegar rinse *before* you shave your legs...ouch!). I think disaster best describes this experiment; I had to get back in the shower and condition my hair so I could comb it without becoming bald.

Finally, I settled on using the shampoo bar *and* conditioner. Happiness. I have to add that Bill and Ella both have very dry skin, and they love, love, love the shampoo bar. I actually use it as body soap for Ella, and her skin is noticeably less scaly. Bill has had a mystery rash on his chest since forever, and it completely cleared up using the shampoo bar.

To say we like these products is an understatement.

You can purchase a 4.5 oz bar of soap for $4.50 per bar, 3 bars for $12.00, 10 bars for $35.00. If you buy 4 bars, you'll get 1 free, and they have many scents from which to choose.

You can purchase 1 laundry soap kit for $4.95 and 6 kits for $25.00. Or you can buy just the soap bar and use your own borax and washing soda.

The shampoo bar is available in 3 different scents - Ginger Lime, Coconut Lemongrass and Cherry Almond - as well as an Oily Hair/Clarifying Formula Tangerine Grapefruit option. You can buy a 5.5 oz bar for $5.50 or 2 bars for $10.00.

But don't stop there. Be sure to check out their full line of handcrafted products including pet shampoo, lip balm, shaving soaps, and gourmet soaps. They even offer a fundraising option.

If you live locally, you can also purchase VSS products from retailers such as Quail Cove.

Do yourself a favor and buy some Virginia Soaps and Scents soap today!

You can read other TOS Crew reviews here.

~ I received these products for free so that may use them and give my honest opinion of them.

Hiking the AT

We are very blessed to live near some beautiful outdoorsy places like the Appalachian Trail. The kids and I decided to enjoy the gorgeous weather last week and go play.

We began with them running up the hill away from me

Then Ella slowed down for a picture because she found a heart-shaped rock

Then I made them all sit down and endure some group shots

The princess all too gladly posed for some pictures

We saw this cool plant

And a dead tree that looked like a woodpecker hang out

The boys are looking forward to going back with daddy so they can hike farther and maybe even see a bear (we don't have bears around here, but the boys keeping hoping one will wander down to our neck of the woods).