Cash 4 Books

For those of you who are trying to lose some weight -- no, I don't mean body weight -- I mean "stuff" weight, check out this site.  Cash4Books is buying your extra, no-longer-read, taking-up-space books AND textbooks (and even paying the shipping)!  It's simple to do -- just type in the ISB number on the book, and the deal practically does itself. If your title is a book they are looking for, they will quote you a price and give you a free shipping label.  Voila!  You just lost a pound or two.

 

The Mom's William Tell Overture

Hey everyone, this great video has been around, but I had only seen part of it.  Here is the entire rendition of Anita Renfroe's "I'm the Mom" video, from start to finish (whoever Anita is...?). This is a classic!

 

 

Courtesy of Great Homeschool Videos.

Spiritual Content

Lately my blog has really been lacking in spiritual content, and I am feeling bad and guilty about that.  My intent when I started this blog was not to blab about myself, but about the Lord, at least the majority of the time.  Maybe this is an indication of the spiritual condition of my heart right now. No, not maybe.  We all have our "seasons".  Some are fruitful and some are not, and no tree bears fruit perpetually. (Or is there one that does??  Probably.  God has made all kinds!) For me this has lately been a season of digging and dung-ing, rather than one of fruit-bearing.  For that reason I feel like I am not contributing much here. Hopefully I am soaking in some things that will make me grow more as a person and a homeschooling mom, and in time, bear fruit again.  If not, I should not spend so much time here... (that thought has pierced my heart more than once)!

If you are relatively new to my blog and want to know my heart, go read my "diamonds" posts in that category, and start at the bottom.

Blogger Friends School #2, #3, #4

I am not doing very well in Blogger Friends School.  I think I said I have never failed a class yet, but there is a first time for everything..!  I didn't get around to doing assignments #2 and #3.  Assignment #4 is below.

 

Assignment #2 Grade: F

 

 

Assignment #3 Grade: F

Blogger Friends School Assignment #4

 "The Internet offers a lot of treasures! It may not be in the form of actual gold, although I’m sure some could find some on the Internet - probably on ebay! Being a Blogger Friend is all about sharing our treasures. The assignment this week is to share your Internet treasures. Below is a list featuring things that homeschooling moms might be looking for: information, support, ideas, or actual items that pertain to our lives. Each one of us holds some or all of these treasures that need to be shared. Take this list and add your “golden” treasured sites so that we may all share the wealth."

 ~Site that you buy your used curriculum from: eBay

 ~Site that offers frugal tips to save money: Money Saving Mom  

~A site that provides good wholesome recipes: Biblical Womanhood

 ~An informational site that shows you “how” to: ??

 ~A homeschool family website that you purchase from to support them: TOS, Homeschool Enrichment 

 ~A charity website that you support: none

 ~Favorite Graphic site to get graphics for your blog or other things:  Graphics?  What are graphics?  I don’t know how to use graphics!  Ask my daughters :o)

 ~Site that offers an educational calendar listing important historical events and also to keep you informed on upcoming events: Awesome Stories

 ~Site that offers Homeschool Freebies:

Homeschool EStore

 ~Site that offers any kind of Freebies:

Homeschool Radio Shows

Great Homeschool Videos

Jan Brett 

You Need a Story

 ~A blog to read that is always full of humor: Tracy,  tc, and jen 

~A blog to read that is always full of useful information:

Guilt-Free Homeschooling

Consent of the Governed

 ~A blog to visit because it is eye appealing and easy to read: ??

 ~A blog that you read because it inspires you to be a better homeschooling mom: /plainjane and lots of others!

 ~A site that you would allow your children to visit:

HSB

HSB2

Biblical Womanhood,

Starfall

Billy Bear

Everyday News Network *You've got to see these cute family-made news broadcasts!

Great Homeschool Videos

 

Sorry about the formatting here!  My template is being SO naughty!!!   And I give up!

Weblink Wednesday

For the past year or two we have been getting a wonderful variety of scientific, historical, and literary audio downloads, free, from Homeschool Radio Shows. On a day with "nothing to do", they have been great entertainment for our family, and if we had a CD player in our van we would give them even more attention.  Well, the free downloads just got even better!  Until October 1st (this week only) you can purchase a renewable yearly Premium Membership for half price, just $14.95. For Premium Members the weekly free downloads also come with educational listening guides, bonus programs, access to archived programs, exclusive discounts on products and collections, and lots of bonus homeschool resources! 

Try them out -- go to Homeschool Radio Shows, sign up for the free, no-hassle regular membership, and download this week's great freebie, "The Bishop's Candlesticks", a chapter from a 1952 Family Theater radio production of the Victor Hugo classic, Les Miserables. 

(Now if I could only find a way to get a commission out of this free advertising...)

 

 To see more Weblink Wednesday posts, see SoCalVal!

Friday Show-and-Tell

A few weeks ago I was innocently blogging along here, when I came across HeartnSoul's (aka CuriousCat) interesting and thought-provoking blog.  I read a few good posts and then saw that her family had recently been to a couple of memorable-to-me towns in Nebraska, of all places, where I just happen to have family.  So I messaged her.  It seems everyone in Nebraska or from Nebraska is related somehow -- I mean, I'm not aware, or even suspecting, that there is an inordinate amount of inter-marriage, but those who settled that state way back when were there for the long haul!   So I asked her, "Do you suppose we are related?"  She came over and read my blog before replying, then she said, "Oh, dear me! I HOPE not!" LOL, no, I'm making that up.  She graciously gave me her last name, and what do you know, she shares her married name with my great-grandfather! 

So we did a little digging.  Come to find out, five generations ago, I'm guessing post-civil war era, brothers Mike, Caleb, Jacob, and Gottlieb, who were German farmers, picked up generations of  homeland memories and everything they could carry away, and moved their families to Russia to avoid conscription into the German army, having been told their sons would not be required to enlist there.  They were lied to, of course.  Seems to be the way of governments.  So together they again moved everything onto a ship bound for the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.  Once arrived on our fair shore, they made their way to the rich farmland of the central United States, to a nice little town in Nebraska, where they settled and prospered.  Now, I keep losing track of the number of Greats, but my great-grandfather was the grandson of Jacob.  Denise's DH, my shirt-tail cousin many times removed, is the great-great-great(?)-grandson of Jacob's brother, Mike! (Is that right, Denise?)  Isn't that cool?!  (I don't like that word, but sometimes, cool is just what it is!)

Now, Denise is afraid to search any deeper into her roots, for fear she may be related somehow to Hitler or Charles Manson or Boy George.  But if she would just search out her husband's side, and find that it is so, she can just say that is HIS side of the family.  As for me, I come from a line that includes the Wright Brothers, Squire Boone (Daniel's brother), and one of the queens of Sweden.  (I also may be a decendant of Benedict Arnold or of the Clinton lineage, but if I was, I certainly wouldn't tell you!)

So after all that, we found we are barely related, I mean, that is like saying we are both related to Noah, lol...  there's even a boat in the story! You never know what you are going to learn here at HSB.  It certainly is an educational place. This cousin of mine by marriage has some great stuff there at Everything Heart and Soul.  She is an articulate writer and will give your brain something to do.

PS.  The family tree came from Google, not from my family archives!

Weblink Wednesday

SoCalVal is hosting Weblink Wednesday, so go on over there and see all the handy url's that are favorite sites among us blogging homeschoolers.

Long division problems, anyone?

My site for you is doubledivision.org. I mentioned this site in an earlier post, but it was so helpful to my daughter, I want to be sure you didn't miss it! For those others of you who have two- and three-digit division "problems", I am sure you will find a "solution" here also. Large division problems require estimation (sometimes just plain guessing), and lots of frustrating trial and error. Double division, however, eliminates the guess work, and has resulted in nearly 100% correct answers and a much happier and confident math student in my house.

The site is interactive.  You can click repeatedly on "next step" to see how the sample division problem is solved, or else you can plug in your own numbers and see, step by step, how to work your problem using double division.

One of the criticisms in the comments at this website is that the double division method only uses subraction and multiplication by 2, and that it does not reinforce the higher multiplication facts.  What will the poor child do when it comes time to divide polynomials??  That is no concern to me. (How many polynomials do you divide each day??) She will learn to do long division the normal way when she is ready, as a matter of fact, she is beginning to try a few of those "IMPOSSIBLE" problems on her own now, yay! Ah, another one of the beauties of homeschooling.

UPDATE: I don't know if anyone ever reads this page, but I just want to let you all know that the anti-division daughter can now do any division problem on her own, the old-fashioned way.  The previously hated subject, MATH, is now her favorite.   As a matter of fact, her very favorite math activity is DIVISION.  It is because of double-division that this is possible.  I am so very thankful for the confidence that this new method gave her!

IF JESUS CAME

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two -
If he came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored guest,
And all the food you'd serve to him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring him you're glad to have him there -
That serving him in your own home is joy beyond compare.

But - when you saw him coming, would you meet him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope he hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder - if the Saviour spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying, the things you always say?
Or would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,
And let him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go?
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know, the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend some time with you.

~~By Lois B. Eades~~