Final Day at the Machen Homestead

Sea Nettle stings, broken and pierced foot, you'd think I would have wrapped us all in bubble wrap and waited for it to be time to go home, but no...

We went to one of my favorite places, the Calvert Maritime Museum. If you are ever in Solomon's, I highly recommend a visit. It is hands on fun for the whole family. Their main focus is the Chesapeake Bay- those who make a living by it, the animals and plants that live in and near it, and ongoing conservation efforts.

The first exhibit is a tank of baby skates and rays. The rays are very playful and will come up and flip their little wing at you or bob and stare at you. It's really cool and the kids love it.


There are docents all through the museum who are walking encyclopedias. You can ask the most off the wall questions about the exhibits and chances are, they'll have the answer.







Hank and Ella demonstrating their enormous shark jaws



There's a tank housing a pair of otters, Bubbles and Squeak. Talk about playful! They swim up to the glass where you're sitting and do little turn flips off in the other direction. The kids really enjoyed watching them. Shane wasn't thrilled about just sitting so he and I walked around the boardwalk they have set up through a marshy area. You can look into the water and see crabs and fish and even snakes.


Silly poses in the museum of different occupations on the Bay


Then I pulled out all the stops and put us on a 1 hour boat tour of the Bay. Did I mention that I get sea sick on the dock? Oh, and I'm the only adult caring for 5 kids, one of whom was in a wheelchair with a broken foot and he's my friend's youngest child so I needed to return him to her safely? That's alright. I prayed! A lot! And for the first time - I think in my life (mom, help my memory here) - I did not get sea sick. I was so pleasantly surprised and extremely grateful!

Here is an Osprey about to fly off as we passed by.

A gaggle of geese, a pod of whales, a herd of cows...Here's a bunch of kids

I let Shane take some pictures. 1 hour in 1 spot did not compute with him, and I was running out of tricks. I also had him call Daddy and tell him all about our adventure.

Then we toured the Cove Point Lighthouse that the Maritime museum had relocated to their grounds. Shane was seriously falling apart at this point. Thankfully I had Jake with me so he could help Hank's friend up and down the stairs and just maneuver around in general so I could deal with Shane.

The lighthouse potty. They all had to take a turn sitting on it and thought it was hilarious. This was the last smile out of Shane for a long time. He was completely spent by the time we got to the car. We drove home with the windows down and the radio up until he finally fell asleep. God made him cute for a reason...

Despite our mishaps, we really had a great time. I love going to southern Maryland and wish we could do it more often. I'm glad for the times we do make it down though. Some of Bill's fondest childhood memories are there and I can see why. Hope you enjoyed our little adventure!

TOS Review Grapevine Bible Study

Formal Bible study is something I always intend to do with the kids, but we get busy and it quickly peters out. We still read the Bible, sing hymns and memorize scripture verses, but we’ve never made it through an actual Bible study. Grapevine Studies will change all that, and I am very excited about it!

From their website…Through the use of Bible timelines and chronological, easy-to-follow lessons, Grapevine Studies will give your student a panoramic view of the Bible. Our bible curriculum can be used with any version of the Bible to successfully teach all ages.

They offer a wide selection of studies for ages K through adult such as Old and New Testament Overviews, Biblical Feasts, the book of Esther and the birth of Jesus. I’ve heard they have a number of new studies in the pipeline so be sure to check their website for updates!

What I really love about this curriculum is that they incorporate illustrations into the lessons so your student is reading the information, answering questions about it and then illustrating the lesson. You or your kids aren’t artists? No worries there. The Grapevine studies are created to be illustrated using Stick Figures! Can you feel the buzz?! I am seriously art challenged but even I can draw stick figures!

Jake selected the New Testament Overview e-book to review. The Level 3-4 Teacher e-Book is available for $24.95, and the hardcopy is $48.95. You should note that this is for both levels 3 and 4 so if you have children at different levels, this is a good deal. The Level 4 Student e-Book and hardcopy book are the same price, $28.95, and they are both 50 lessons.

Armed with a Bible Concordance, Topical Bible, and Bible Dictionary, your students will build on their knowledge of the New Testament timeline by learning where the books of the Bible fit in chronologically. They will learn about the Nativity, the ministry of Jesus, the early Church, and much more.

Because of Jake’s busy summer schedule, he’s done most of this on his own. As a mom with a houseful of darlings, I love when they can work independently. He started out by drawing the timeline of the New Testament, and then began the actual New Testament study with the birth of John. I was impressed by how many different ways you can draw a stick figure, and I’ve enjoyed seeing what he comes up with each time.

Jake said he has really enjoyed this curriculum. “It’s straight forward and easy to understand. I like how the timeline helps me see how the stories relate to each other.” My younger kids are already signed up to do an Old Testament Bible class in our co-op, but Jake will definitely continue to use Grapevine this year.

I’m very pleased with it and glad we were able to review it. I hope you check it out; I’m confident you’ll be glad you did! Other members of the TOS Crew reviewed different studies so be sure to take a look at their reviews here.

The very kind folks at Grapevine are offering a special for my readers...you will receive a 30% discount on all their books until August 30th. Just use the coupon code acrew when you check out.

Enjoy!

TOS Review Hank the Cowdog

It's me again, Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security. I was thrilled to pieces when I learned we were going to get to review Hank the Cowdog. We have our own Hank; he's not quite a cowdog, but I am very hopeful that this book series will build in him a love for reading. The stories are written by John Erickson a former cowboy and ranch manager, and they are hilarious.

They offer a number of products based on the main character and his friends, and you can mosey down to Hank's General Store to buy one of his 54 books with amusing titles such as "The Case of the Laundry Monster Files" and "The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob." The paperbacks range in price from $4.24 to $5.24 and hardbacks from $12.49 to $13.49.

We received "The Case of the One-eyed Killer Stud Horse," "Hank's Tales and Tunes" Cd and the Tornado board game. We began by playing Tornado. What a fun game! Even I got in on the action. It's kind of like Sorry! or Trouble. Each player has three peg figures, Hank, Drover and a buzzard, and you spin a tornado spinner to get onto the playing board and then move around the board to safety. If someone lands on one of your guys, you get sent back to the start. As written, the rules are a little confusing so I just changed them to suit my kids, and they had a great time.

What I love about this game is that it folds in half and the pieces store inside it. Happy! Happy! This retails for $12.99 and says it's for ages 5+, but my three year old was able to play and enjoy it with only minimal help.

Then we popped in the "Hank's Tales and Tunes" CD. Note that they also offer story collections on CD which is two CD's with 2 audio books on them, and they are $28.99 for the set.

But if you want just a sampling of story excerpts and funny songs, you can buy Hank's Tales and Tunes. It's a bargain at only $3.00, and some of the song titles are a hoot! "It's not smart to show your hiney to a bear." Wise words if you ask me. ;) And "Thank you Lord for making gals." How cute is that! The stories are performed like a radio show with sound effects and different voices for all the characters. These and the songs are read and sung with a wonderful Texas accent....made me feel homesick!!

Then we read "The Case of the One-eyed Killer Stud Horse," and the kids really got a kick out of it. Hank's day starts out easy enough until he eats a bunch of bacon grease and gets sick causing his master's wife to break her ankle in the process. Then he has to play dress up with Little Albert's girl cousins who almost get trampled by an escaped lunatic killer stud horse with one eye named Tuerto - which must mean Killer Stud Horse in Spanish or something. The final chapter is titled "Happy Ending and Also the Case of the Flying Punkin Pie." I put that in there so you could reassure your kids that Hank was going to be okay after his fight with Tuerto.

We're looking forward to adding more Hank the Cowdog books to our library. I may be able to talk daddy into springing for a membership to Hank's Security Force; a two-year subscription is only $12.95 and includes all sorts of goodies like a Hank bookmark and poster. And I'm seriously eye-ing the Hank t-shirts. How often can a kid get a cool t-shirt like that with his name on it? I think my Hank will love it.

I have to note that Hank uses some 'ranch language' in his books and on his CD's. Words like:

Stupid- "He gave me his usual stupid expression..."

Numbskull- "I just told you, Numbskull, I don't have hay fever."

Nasty - "Get out of here, you nasty thing!"

Heck - "...and told him to stay the heck out of the mud..."

While we don't let our kids use these words, we also don't avoid them. We view them more as opportunities for discussion - "Was that a nice way to talk to his friend? No? What could he have said instead?" and so on.

That said, we really enjoyed these products, and we think you will too!

You can buy Hank products here, and you can read what other TOS Crew members have to say about it here.

Sense and Sensibility Girl's Apron Review

I just had the opportunity to review an e-pattern and an e-class by Sense and Sensibility Patterns. Those of you who know me are scratching your heads mumbling “but you can barely sew a button??” And you’re right, but my friend Natalie has her own sewing machine and she agreed to sew it for me, um, rather, help me sew it.

If you’re new to Sense and Sensibility, here’s a little information about Jennie Chancey and her business:
I named my business "Sense and Sensibility," because my designs are for lovers of Romantic fashions who want beautiful clothing that fits nicely. I create all my patterns with period details, while using standardized American measurements to make fitting a snap.

All patterns are printed on sturdy white paper and come packaged with illustrated instructions. In addition, I have online instructions with photographs and extra tips for my most popular patterns and will continue to add online helps as I am able. I am also always available via e-mail to answer any questions you may have about the patterns.

I contacted Jennie expressing interest in reviewing her Girls’ Edwardian Apron pattern and class, which is available as a set for $24.95. The ePattern can be purchased individually for just $7.95.. They were promptly emailed to me in a Zip file which also contained a number of supporting files including short videos explaining some of the more challenging aspects such as making your binding, and sewing the binding around tricky corners, a thumbnail of the pattern to help you as you piece it together, a measurement chart, and more.

What made me smile:

• The apron is adorable and Ella loves it.


• Jennie has a delightful practicality that I found very reassuring. I particularly appreciated her reminder that 1) I won’t be able to perfectly match the lines on the pattern because I’m human, and 2) I won’t be able to perfectly cut my material – again because I’m human. Those two statements were a big load off my perfectionist shoulders.


• The e-class is 57 slides that take you step by step through the entire process from choosing your material to completion and is accompanied by an audio file of Jennie explaining each step demonstrated in the slides. Natalie and I found this to be very helpful.


• Once I got the pattern printed and started laying it out, it wasn’t too difficult to piece together, but it did take some time and I had to lock my kids out of the dining room to do it.


• She gives you a lot of hints as you go – how to make sure your pockets are even, where to place the pockets so it’s comfortable to reach the bottom of them, why you should iron after each step, and more


• You can buy e-patterns or paper patterns. Natalie’s oldest daughter actually made the pinafore a couple of years ago, and she confirmed that the paper patterns come on nice, sturdy paper.


• Jennie very graciously explains the pros and cons of e-patterns if this concept is new to you.


• She has a page of sewing tips and photo instructions for a number of her patterns


• There is a photo gallery of dresses Jennie has made as well as photos of customer creations to inspire and encourage you

What made me pause- keep in mind I haven’t sewn since high school so these probably won’t be issues for an experienced seamstress:

• The material used in the videos was a little busy which made some steps difficult to see.


• We couldn’t get the pattern for the apron sides to fit on the fabric the way the ‘suggested pattern layout’ showed.


• There was a lot of material left over


• While I hesitate to recommend this pattern for beginners, I was actually able to do some cutting and sewing after Natalie showed me how. I would classify it more as an Intermediate pattern

I really enjoyed this project, and I am eyeing the pinafore and pantaloon patterns for Ella to do with my mother-in-law.

You can buy the Girls’ Edwardian Apron pattern and e-class here, and you can read what other TOS Crewmembers have to say about it here.

2nd Day at the Machen Homestead

We went to Calvert Cliffs State Park. Since none of us had ever been there, we weren't exactly sure of what to expect.

We began the days' adventure with a 1.8 mile walk/hike to the beach.



We made a cabanna by holding up towels so the kids could change into their suits. Next time they'll just wear them. The kids looked for all kinds of fossils and cool rocks, and they built sand forts. Jake and I walked the shore keeping an eye out for sea nettles.





Then we hiked 1.8 miles back to the parking lot and decided we had enough energy left to play on the tire playground. It was a shame that it was 90+ degrees that day so the tires were almost too hot to touch, but they had a lot of fun swinging back and forth on the hose/rope.

Trouble, trouble

The kids were running down the hill back to the truck when Hank's friend got an arrow-sized stick jabbed into the top of his foot so we spent some time at urgent care and then later that night at the ER. In the end, it turns out the poor little guy has a broken bone so he's in a boot for about 5 weeks. He was incrediblybrave about the whole thing and I was very proud of him.

Music Giveaway

Head over to Lori's at Hearthside Homeschool Reviews and More to check out her latest giveaway - a pre-release copy of Wake Me by Tal & Acacia.

Hurry because you have to enter by midnight EST on Aug 2nd!

Trip to the Machen homestead

The first day there we just played on the beach and relaxed

We brought one of Hank's friends with us

Everything was groovy until Ella and Shane got stung by a sea nettle. I've been going to "The River" since I met Bill and never, ever have had anyone in my care get stung by a sea nettle. Ever.

Ella got just a little sting. The crazy thing wrapped itself around Shane's wrist and stung the dickens out of him. Outwardly trying to stay calm, I was inwardly freaking out. I figured it would be my luck for him to be allergic to them. Thankfully all that fretting was for naught. I slathered him in Benedryl cream and he was fine.

Later that night we headed to Cove Point to the playground where they got to run off some extra energy. It's always fun to run like monkeys.

July 4th at Dee Dee's

Girly and her patriotic fingernails.

He runs with scissors *and* fire. Definitely reform school material here.

Daddy thought it was high time the kids learned to fire off explosives- under adult supervision of course.
He never lets me forget about the time my brother and I almost caught the house on fire by lighting sparklers on the stove... sorry Mom!

Waiting for the fireworks to start

Best seat in the house

A girlie and her daddy

July 3rd with friends

Some friends of ours live in a real log cabin, in the boonies down a 1 lane dirt road. It's completely gorgeous out there. Their house overlooks a pond with a wonderful view of the hills. They even have horses and chickens. Very authentic country folk!

They invited us over for an afternoon of eating and shooting before heading to a nearby town for a carnival and fireworks.

The men-folk headed to the woods and shot different kinds of guns. Hank and Shane both got a turn -with a lot of help from Daddy. Shane was so proud of himself!

Then we pulled out the boys' bow and arrow and target
And posed with silly faces while waiting our turn

Then we had a balloon sword fight at the carnival

Next we hopped on the train ride for a quick spin around the park

Then we watched the fireworks

We had a great time and the kids were sacked out almost as soon as they got in the car to head home.

Happy 4th!

We're gearing up for our annual trip to southern Maryland to visit some of our favorite state parks. See you when we return!