What We Read in June and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll June 2024

What I Read:

Think Differently About Learning by Maren Goerss and Angela Sizer

See my full review here.

The Rhythm of Home by Chris and Jenni Graebe

See my full review here.

Homeschool Bravely by Jamie Erickson

I couldn't even tell you how many times I've read this book.  Whenever anyone asks me about my top homeschool read, I always mention this one.  This book has been on my summer reading list for many years and I get something out of it every time.  It was originally a review book for me so you can find my full review here.

A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War by Joseph Loconte

I started this one with high hopes about learning more about Lewis and Tolkien, and how their works reflected their experiences.  But about a third of the way through the book, I put it down. The author did a great job exploring the context of WWI, the events that led up to it and how it shaped the worldview of the time.  But he just fell short in how it applied to Lewis and Tolkien's work.  Although an interesting and thorough read, it just wasn't what I was looking for and I lost motivation to finish this one.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafsai

Of course, I've heard of Malala Yousafsai, but I never really knew details about her story.  So I was excited to find this Young Reader's Edition at the library.  Being for young readers, this version forcusses on Malala's journey as an activist for girls rights and education without going into unnecessary details about the attack against her.  It really focused on her family relationships, particularly her relationship with her father who she seems very close to.  I'll be adding this one to my middler schooler's reading list.

Our Homeschool Read Alouds:

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

When Nazi troops parachute into Peter Lundstrom's Norwegian village, Peter and his friends must transport nine million dollars worth of gold to his uncle's ship, where Uncle Victor will smuggle it to America.  The mission is full of danger, strategy, and mistaken identity.. and highlights the resilience of the human spirit.  We read this one as part of our history curriculum and I love how it makes the human aspect of WWII come to life.  Definitely recommend.

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

Thirteen year old Samuel is out hunting when the American Revolution comes to his settlement.  Upon returning, he finds that many of his friends have been killed and his parents kidnapped.  From there, he goes on a mission to rescue his parents, no matter what.  Each day he encounters both enemies and allies, and he must chose who to trust and learn how to survive in the horrors of war.  I read this one aloud to my 7th grader who is prettty sensitive, so I found myself doing some editing while.I read.  But we did find it made the American Revolution relatable.

What are you reading?

The Rhythm of Home {Review}

Desiring to create a thriving family culture?  One that connects with your core values and dreams?  A family culture of spiritual and relational growth?  Authors Chris and Jenni Graebe share their intentional habits and tips for family rhythms that cultivate a family that loves the Lord and loves each other.  Not only do their share their own habits, but they also encourage readers to find their own core values and family vision.

Some of my favorite takeaways from this book include:

*"When handled with care, home enables a person or family to move out into the world with deep resources to draw upon:a volume of memories where close relationships were forged through mealtimes, celebrations, special traditions, shared tears and laughter, and the reciprocal experience of caring and being cared for."

*"We want to create rhythms in our home that encourage honest conversation."

*"Their (kids') reactions to your efforts doesn't get to dictate the rhythms you fill your home with.  You get to choose the habits that make up your home.  Seek God for His bes rhythms for your family and then practice them faithfully, trusting Him with the results.  There is a harvest coming if you don't give up.  Trust the story He is writing.  Do it anyway."

*"Thriving families choose to speak words of life."

*"It's important to keep in mind who our children are becoming, rather than defining them by how they are acting in a specific season."

I also loved how this book is filled with questions for reflection and practical tips for implementing these concepts in families without being too specific.  Ideally this would be a great book to read when your kids are younger so you can really dig in and intentionally create a family culture from a young age.  I would also recommend reading this one with your spouse.  This book has a lot to reflect on and it would be great for a couple to get on the same page.  Good for young families.

*Disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

The Reindeer Remainders {Review}

This class of 12 reindeer are getting read for a special presentation when a new student arrives.  No problem.  Until the reindeer try to divide into groups and no matter what they try, there's always a reindeer left out.  Can they work together to make sure everyone is included?

This cute picture book is a great way to combine math, problem solving, teamwork, and more.  A cute story about friendship, Reindeer Remainders presents multiplication and division in a living book manner. That's tricky to do.  The author even dedicates a few pages to teaching the concepts of remainders and prime numbers, and including others in the group.  This picture book is a fun way to introduce these math concepts in a unique way, and might even provide for some laughter in the classroom.

*Disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

Do-It-Yourself: Key Lime Ice Cream

 *This post was originally published on 7/25/12.  Enjoy!

At the beginning of the year, I set 12 DIY Project goals for 2012.  July's challenge was to try out this yummy looking Key Lime Ice Cream recipe that I've had bookmarked for over a year.  To say that it was fantastic would be an understatement.  Notice the lack of photo this month?  That's because my son and I ate it too fast.  I kept meaning to go back and take a photo, but we couldn't keep our spoons out of it.  

I made a few changes based on our own tastes.  I like mine a little more sour so that was the first change, but all in all, it was one of my favorite recipes I've tried in a long time.  After all, summer is the season for homemade ice cream.  Plus the original recipe includes a link for making ice cream without a machine.  Couldn't be simpler.  Here's the yumminess we came up with:

Key Lime Ice Cream

1 1/2 c. whole milk

1 c. bottled Key Lime juice (I may have even used 1 1/2 c.)

1 c. heavy cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Optional: Coursely crushed graham crackers, key lime wedges

Combine milk, Key Lime juice, cream and condensed milk.  

Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Crush 1/3 c. of graham crackers and mix into ice cream near the end of freezing.  Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for 1 hr or until set.  Serve with crushed graham cracker topping and key lime wedges.

Weekend Links ll June 21, 2024

 

Ocean STEM Activities for Preschoolers

Lemon Chicken Gnocchi

Plant Care Starter Pack

Stone Fruit Recipes

Flamingo Life Cycle Worksheets

This Week: 

What I'm Cooking:

This is fair week so that means the 16 year old, 12 year old, and I were all baking on Tuesday to get in our submissions.  I played around with a few scone recipes this year and entered my cheddar bacon scones.  The batch was big enough to have some for breakfast the next morning and they were yummy!!!

What I'm Reading:

We picked up the Wilderlore series for our next read aloud.  I'm not typically one for fantasy, but I have to say we are really enjoying this one.  My 12 year old is especially loving it!

What I'm Doing:

We went camping last weekend with my sister in law and her family.  The kids had a great time playing in the campground and swimming at the lake.  I loved the campfire and slow mornings at camp.  And the fact that it was 10 degrees cooler in the mountains.

What I'm Enjoying:

Baking for the fair...

Finding new book series...

Lifting weights...

Afternoon swimming sessions...

Lake living...

What are you up to?

July/ August Homeschool Favorites

*This post was originally published on 8/17/17.  Enjoy!

Who says you can’t have homeschool favorites in the summer?  We’ve been learning and having fun even while on break.  Check out some of our favorites!

August Homeschool Favorites Collab Playlist:
Hosted by Full Time Wife Life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFrI7noXtVQ

IQ Fit Game:
https://www.amazon.com/SmartGames-SG423US-IQ-Fit/dp/B0084ZJ9RS/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1502946020&sr=1-1&keywords=IQ+Fit+game

Camp Board Game:
https://www.amazon.com/Education-Outdoors-311314-Camp-Board/dp/B0010SSBNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1502945965&sr=1-1&keywords=camp+board+game

Maui Trailblazers:
https://www.amazon.com/Maui-Trailblazer-Where-Snorkel-Travel-ebook/dp/B005P8BV7S/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502945915&sr=1-2&keywords=maui+trailblazer

Indian in the Cupboard:
https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Cupboard-Lynne-Reid-Banks-ebook/dp/B003F3PK4A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502945844&sr=8-1&keywords=Indian+in+the+cupboard

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Think Differently About Learning {Review}

Our children deserve more than just an assembly line education.  They deserve to be taught in a way that allows them to thrive as individuals and discover their purpose in life.  But individualized lesson plans just aren't possible in a public school setting.  So what's a parent to do?  With practical tips and real life examples, authors Maren Goerss and Angela Sizer share their educational philosophy, and how they make education work for their own families.  

Ok, let's just cut to the chase.  I did not like this book.  The subtitle is "a homeschool where children and parents thrive," but the authors start right off the bat about how they value all forms of education.  While I do think public school is valuable for a small percentage of the population, the authors' praise of all educational forms confused me in a book about homeschooling.  And this wasn't just a passing mention.  It came up several times and caused the book to loose focus.  The authors also had a definite bent about gender ideology and current hot button topics which seemed to be almost more important to them than the actual issue of homeschooling.  In certain chapters, their personal beliefs on these issues nearlyt took up more space than the actual topic of education.  Additionally, their chapters lacked focus and felt redundant... rambling over the same opinions multiple times.  There are just so many good books that address homeschooling in a much more logical, comprehensive way. I wouldn't waste my time here.

*Disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

Weekend Links ll June 14, 2024

 

Free Printable Father's Day Coupon Book

Safari Activity Pages

Father's Day Word Search Printable

Easy Crochet Flower Tote

Colorful Nautical Spring Table

7 Summer Tasks for the Homeschool Mom

 *This post was originally published on 6/20/16.  Enjoy!

We've been out of school for three weeks.  THREE WEEKS!  Already?  That's amazing.  We've made our family trip to the lake, finished up the dance season, and started trampoline lessons.  VBS has already come and gone and yesterday, we had a family BBQ for Father's Day.  How is it that we're already three weeks into vacation?

If you're like me, you're soaking up the summer, and not ready to think of the upcoming school year.  But as we all know, time stops for no one and the new school year will be here before we know it.  Still before you panic, there are some low stress ways you can prep for the fall,... without ruining your summer vacation.

These are just 7 tasks you can complete this summer to set your next school year off to a great start!

1. Organize school books--Now that we've had a few weeks off, I'm ready to look at that stockpile in the garage.  Somethings we'll hang on to, some we won't.  Near the end of the May, we were just stacking books and manipulatives here and there.  So it's time for me to get back out there, organize by grade, see what I need to replace or sell.  Sometimes I even find some great curriculum that I forgot about.

2. Take stock of what you need next year--Most years I have my curriculum list ready by the end of May.  Not this year.  This year, I've still got a couple of holes.  It's time to finish my buying list.  Summer sales will be happening in the next month or so and and I don't want to buy anything, but what I really want and need.

3. Order any necessary items--Facebook and craigslist are full of used homeschool curriculum groups.  That's where I look first.  After that, Ebay is a great option for finding curriculum, as well as sales at Christian Book Distributers.  Now is the time to purchase to ensure that your packages arrive in time for the start of a new school year. 

4. Start planning next year's calendar--Begin thinking about how you're going to schedule your new year.  What worked last year?  What didn't?  Do you need more field trips, more down time, more time for art/music/experiments?  Are you adding a new student?  (I am and I'm not sure how that's going to work)  What do you need to adjust to make the next year successful?  Plan the first 5-6 WEEKS!  You can adjust as you go, but having a several week plan will save you as your adjusting to a new year.

5. Read--Read education philosophy for how better to reach your students.  Read Christian parenting books about how to reach your children's hearts.  Read some of your student's books ahead so you can help with lap books.  Read fiction to just give yourself a break.

6. Play--Schedule some free time in your summer to play.  Swim!  Go to the beach!  Join a new workout group!  Try some new recipes in the kitchen!    Just take some time to let go of the teacher mindset and play!

7. Rest--By the end of May, I was struggling.  I was tired: mentally and physically.  I needed some mindless fiction to rest my brain.  I needed about 24 hours sleep and a mom's night out for coffee.  I needed to rest.  So this summer, I'm resetting my bedtime routine and getting more sleep.  Our schedule has opened up and we have time to lounge at the lake or have lazy mornings at home.  I'm taking advantage of it.

What about you?

How are you preparing for the next school year?

What We Read and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll May 2024

 What I Read in May 2024:

Mother and Son by Emerson Eggerichs

I've been a huge fan of the Love and Respect books for a long time, particularly Love and Respect in the Family.  But as my boys have gotten older, I have seen how my relationship with them is changing and have wondered how to better apply the respect principles without giving up my authority as a parent.  This has been a challenging balance for me so I've looked forward to reading this one for awhile.  There is so much good information in this book, for moms of 2 year old boys all the way up to 42 year old boys.  I love how the author gives real examples of how to apply these principles to a variety of ages and stages.  I wish I would have had this book when my boys were younger.  There's so much heartache I feel I could have avoided. But even now, the author gives hope that it's never too late to learn new ways of relating.  I love this book so much that I'm hoping to get a copy of my own (I borrowed this one from the library), which is really the ultimate endorsement. :-) I feel there is a lot of wisdom here to be gleaned.

William Booth by Janet & Geoff Benge

Continuing on in our mission study, this was our last book for the 7th grade year.  I knew nothing about Willliam Booth before reading this one, but found his life fascinating.  There were things in his life that I was less impressed with; however, those are fruitful conversations to have with my 12 year old as well. We continue to love this series and can't wait to pick up our study in the fall.

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

This is the story of a young boy stuck at home during COVID who ends up finding a unique connection with his great-grandmother that lives with him.  During their long days at home, she begins to share her life story of living under Stalin's regime in Ukraine.  It's a story of heartache, family, resilience,... and survival.  In the end, the plot takes a twist that I didn't see coming.  This book is written in two time periods with chapters switching from GG's story to the boys'.  And will the flashback chapters were incredibly well-told, the "current" chapters definitely help a controversial viewpoint about COVID and it's place in history.  I wish the author hadn't shared so much of her own bias in the storyline because GG's story is rich with history.  I would still recommend, but I wouldn't pass this one on to my kids to read independently.  There's definitely guilding conversations to be had here.

She Who Dwells by Jessica Landmon

See my full review here.

Our Homeschool Read Alouds:

A Sky Full of Song by Susan Lynn Meyer

This book reminds me of the Little House series meets a Ukrainian twist.  This family moves to America from Ukraine during the early 1900's and much survive on the prairie.  Along with all the lessons of prairie life, the family finds themselves far from all things familiar and must navigate relationships with people who are very different.  Love this one.  So good for adding to a history study or just for any family who loves the Little House books.

Water Buffalo Days by Huynh Quang Nhuong

This compelation of short stories from the author's life gives a unique look into life in Vietnam, pre-war.  The stories mainly focus on the young boy and his relationships with his father's water buffalo.  But there is so much to be enjoyed here... including family relationships, resiliance after natural disasters, village life, and more. Quick and easy read!

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

I kept hearing about this one, but we'd never read it so we decided to grab it from the library and give it a try.  It's the story of a two siblings who decided to compete in who can earn the most money through a lemonade stand over the summer.  Although this one was a little young for my middle schooler (sibling are 2nd and 4th grades), we still enjoyed it.  And I found the moral to be applicable across age groups.  Cute, fun read that grows into a series for younger kids.

What are you reading?

She Who Dwells {Review}

 

Living in a life consumed by fear?  What if you could find real peace?  Lasting peace?  God never intended his daughters to live in anxiety and fear.  Rather he calls them to find peace in his presence.  Jessica Landmon takes her readers through a verse by verse study of Psalm 91, digging into the promises of God.  Designed for personal or group study, She Who Dwells offers insight into the God's character and practical ideas on how to trust Him when life gets tough.

I love how this author spoke about her own faith journey with candid transparency.  Her vulnerability adds a personal and hopeful note to her writing.  She Who Dwells is a faith-filled journey to finding deeper rest in our Saviour.  It's well-written and would be most beneficial in a group setting.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.