According to Random.org, the winning comment is comment #10: Star! Congratulations! Thanks to all who entered!
***STAR: Please contact me - your email address does not seem to be listed in your profile.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
TOS Review: Before Five In a Row
I was very excited when I found out I'd been chosen to review Before Five in a Row. Little Miss just turned two in August, and I wanted something to use with her on occasion when she gets a little too interested in her brother and sister's schoolwork. I plan the typical distractions I've seen suggested: "special" toys, art, taking turns playing with an older sibling, etc. However, I also wanted some sort of little lesson to do with her sometimes.
When my copy of Before Five in a Row arrived, I eagerly flipped through it. I had an idea of what the format would be, as some friends and I used Five in a Row volume 3 for a co-op years ago. I was pleased to see that we already own some of the books, and knew that, like the volumes for older children, I'd likely be able to find the others at our local library or the thrift store. I actually had a list of the books used with FIAR in my wallet for a while, to refer to while shopping yard sales and such, because they are such good, classic books. Anyhow, I picked 3 units to schedule in my lesson book and checked those three books out from the library.
Our first "official" school day of the year began, and predictably, Little Miss just wouldn't leave her siblings alone. When I explained they were doing schoolwork, she said, "Where my schoolwork?" I showed her a copy of Good Night, Moon, and told her it was her schoolbook. She was thrilled, and I read it to her. I then took the suggestion from Before Five in a Row to talk about shapes. We looked at different shapes in the book, then I let her play with a shape sorting set. The next day, we read the book again, and I chose the art activity. Those were the only two activities we completed, but we read Good Night, Moon several times. Little Miss delighted in pulling out her "schoolbook" and reading it with us, and it was a delight to see her enthusiasm.
Before Five in a Row has reminded me how important it is to read to my little ones. Unfortunately, this was something I had let slip away from me. I'm now looking forward to reading more with all my children, and doing more of the units with Little Miss. One thing I really like about BFIAR is the section in the back that gives a multitude of activities to do with your little one. The other things I really like are the wide availability of the story books that are used and the way the units cover multiple subjects. Before Five in a Row is geared toward children ages 2-4, but would be appropriate for older children with developmental delays.
Five in a Row can be found at www.fiarhq.com. FIAR has products available through the high school level. Some of them are even available as digital downloads, including some of their out-of-print products. I am especially interested in the Fold & Learn activities, nature studies, and Five in a Row Holiday. Before Five in a Row retails for $35 and can be found at Rainbow Resource Center, along with volumes for older students and the companion story books.
***Note: I received a copy of Before Five in a Row in exchange for my review through the TOS Homeschool Crew. All opinions are my own - I REALLY like FIAR!
When my copy of Before Five in a Row arrived, I eagerly flipped through it. I had an idea of what the format would be, as some friends and I used Five in a Row volume 3 for a co-op years ago. I was pleased to see that we already own some of the books, and knew that, like the volumes for older children, I'd likely be able to find the others at our local library or the thrift store. I actually had a list of the books used with FIAR in my wallet for a while, to refer to while shopping yard sales and such, because they are such good, classic books. Anyhow, I picked 3 units to schedule in my lesson book and checked those three books out from the library.
Our first "official" school day of the year began, and predictably, Little Miss just wouldn't leave her siblings alone. When I explained they were doing schoolwork, she said, "Where my schoolwork?" I showed her a copy of Good Night, Moon, and told her it was her schoolbook. She was thrilled, and I read it to her. I then took the suggestion from Before Five in a Row to talk about shapes. We looked at different shapes in the book, then I let her play with a shape sorting set. The next day, we read the book again, and I chose the art activity. Those were the only two activities we completed, but we read Good Night, Moon several times. Little Miss delighted in pulling out her "schoolbook" and reading it with us, and it was a delight to see her enthusiasm.
Before Five in a Row has reminded me how important it is to read to my little ones. Unfortunately, this was something I had let slip away from me. I'm now looking forward to reading more with all my children, and doing more of the units with Little Miss. One thing I really like about BFIAR is the section in the back that gives a multitude of activities to do with your little one. The other things I really like are the wide availability of the story books that are used and the way the units cover multiple subjects. Before Five in a Row is geared toward children ages 2-4, but would be appropriate for older children with developmental delays.
Five in a Row can be found at www.fiarhq.com. FIAR has products available through the high school level. Some of them are even available as digital downloads, including some of their out-of-print products. I am especially interested in the Fold & Learn activities, nature studies, and Five in a Row Holiday. Before Five in a Row retails for $35 and can be found at Rainbow Resource Center, along with volumes for older students and the companion story books.
***Note: I received a copy of Before Five in a Row in exchange for my review through the TOS Homeschool Crew. All opinions are my own - I REALLY like FIAR!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Remembering Morgan
Today is the first anniversary of the day we let go of our 4th child, Morgan Daniel. He only made it to 16 weeks gestation, but his tiny little life had a huge impact on our family. Losing Morgan was what it took to bring my husband back to God. It also brought us closer together. I feel totally blessed in this, because I know that losing a child can have the exact opposite effect on a couple. I hate that I have a child I have never held, and whose face I can barely remember. However, I know our family is better for it. If God had asked me to give Morgan up in order to bring about these changes, I don't know if I could have made that decision. As it was, I fully accepted that his death was my own fault, for reasons that seemed completely logical to me. It was only until a few days ago that Mr. Man realized the depth of the guilt and responsibility I felt and was able to help me let go of it.
The thing I struggle with now is a way to remember him. I'd like to do something special on this day every year, as a way to honor his place in our family. Unfortunately, we now live several hours away from his grave. Releasing balloons seems kind of silly to me, and we don't have the financial means to do most of the other things I've thought of. I don't want our kids to forget Morgan, but Little Miss is to young to even understand, and #5 was obviously just born. How do I teach them about Morgan so that they'll understand?
The ways of God are mysterious to man. We can't pretend to understand anything He doesn't spell out for us. But I do know that Morgan's loss was not in vain. God had a plan for him from the start, and though part of it grieves me, I praise God for the good in it.
The thing I struggle with now is a way to remember him. I'd like to do something special on this day every year, as a way to honor his place in our family. Unfortunately, we now live several hours away from his grave. Releasing balloons seems kind of silly to me, and we don't have the financial means to do most of the other things I've thought of. I don't want our kids to forget Morgan, but Little Miss is to young to even understand, and #5 was obviously just born. How do I teach them about Morgan so that they'll understand?
The ways of God are mysterious to man. We can't pretend to understand anything He doesn't spell out for us. But I do know that Morgan's loss was not in vain. God had a plan for him from the start, and though part of it grieves me, I praise God for the good in it.
Friday, September 16, 2011
TOS Review: Big IQ Kids
If your school-aged children enjoy computer games, they may enjoy Big IQ Kids. I was given access to a premium membership in order to review their site.
I honestly had a bit of trouble when I originally tried to set up my childrens accounts. My ad blocker was blocking a majority of the site, but it took me a while to realize it. Once I realized it, I was able to turn off the ad blocker and see the full site. Set up after that was fairly easy. One other thing that bugged me was having to sign in repeatedly as I moved around the site. To be honest, the graphics and teaching voices are a bit rudimentary, too.
HOWEVER... that said, I really LIKE Big IQ Kids. I was able to go in and add my childrens spelling lists, and assign exercises for them to do. I was able to alter the math lessons so that they didn't have to complete so many problems at once, which is a good thing for Wonder Boy, my reluctant student. The website also emails me when one of them completes a level so that I can track their progress. I watched Wonder Boy do a lesson in the states section, and I could tell that he was learning from his time spent on the site.
Wonder Boy and Super Girl like that by completing a lesson they earn a game token, which they can then use to play educational games on the site. This had Wonder Boy doing up to 10 lessons at a time, just so he could play the games! They also liked that they could customize their own "buddy" (avitar).
The Big IQ Kids site has two membership options: free and premium. From the website:
***Note: I received two one-year premium memberships in exchange for my review through the TOS Homeschool Crew. These are my honest opinions.
I honestly had a bit of trouble when I originally tried to set up my childrens accounts. My ad blocker was blocking a majority of the site, but it took me a while to realize it. Once I realized it, I was able to turn off the ad blocker and see the full site. Set up after that was fairly easy. One other thing that bugged me was having to sign in repeatedly as I moved around the site. To be honest, the graphics and teaching voices are a bit rudimentary, too.
HOWEVER... that said, I really LIKE Big IQ Kids. I was able to go in and add my childrens spelling lists, and assign exercises for them to do. I was able to alter the math lessons so that they didn't have to complete so many problems at once, which is a good thing for Wonder Boy, my reluctant student. The website also emails me when one of them completes a level so that I can track their progress. I watched Wonder Boy do a lesson in the states section, and I could tell that he was learning from his time spent on the site.
Wonder Boy and Super Girl like that by completing a lesson they earn a game token, which they can then use to play educational games on the site. This had Wonder Boy doing up to 10 lessons at a time, just so he could play the games! They also liked that they could customize their own "buddy" (avitar).
The Big IQ Kids site has two membership options: free and premium. From the website:
The primary differences between the BigIQkids FREE and PREMIUM programs are the ability of the PREMIUM program to monitor the progress of the student and advance that student only when mastery of the subject matter has been achieved. Additionally, PREMIUM members have their progress tracked, saved, problem areas identified and these findings are reported via email to parents and/or teachers. The PREMIUM program offers students customized buddies, full game page access and the ability to save game coins and gaming high scores. These functions help double the fun while mastering core academic subject matter. The PREMIUM program has very LIMITED advertisement an no ads are displayed during lesson interaction.The premium spelling and states memberships are $39.99 per year per child, and the premium math membership is $49.99 per year per child. The website is designed for children grades K-8, and I think that is pretty accurate. From the progress I've seen in Wonder Boy in a short time and the way he has enjoyed it, I feel like it would be worth it to purchase a membership for an area that he needs a bit more help in. I think it would be even better, however, if Big IQ Kids offered an all-inclusive membership, too. You can try the site out for yourself at www.bigiqkids.com.
***Note: I received two one-year premium memberships in exchange for my review through the TOS Homeschool Crew. These are my honest opinions.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Birthday Giveaway: Fishsticks Designs
It's my birthday, and I feel like doing a giveaway! This summer I ordered the Little Fishies Undies pattern from Fishsticks Designs. The post office intervened, and when I contacted her, Bonnie gladly sent me a replacement. When the original showed up only slightly mangled and still usable, I offered to send back the replacement, but Bonnie told me to go ahead and keep it.
Today, I'm opening entries for one person to win their own paper copy of the Little Fishies pattern. Here's how you can enter this giveaway:
Today, I'm opening entries for one person to win their own paper copy of the Little Fishies pattern. Here's how you can enter this giveaway:
- Follow this blog.
- "Like" the Believing God Facebook page (button on the far right).
- Follow me on Twitter at jens_busy.
- Tweet about this giveaway (one entry per day).
- Share this giveaway on your blog.
- Share this giveaway on Facebook.
- Subscribe to email updates (button on the right).
- Add my button to your blog (on the far right).
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
TOS Review - Time 4 Learning
I was recently given the opportunity to review a children's website called Time 4 Learning. It is a website designed to either supplement what your child is learning in school, or it can be used as a curriculum. I had Wonder Boy try it out. He liked the colorful graphics and the expressive voices of the characters. He didn't like that there was no way to speed up parts of the lesson that seemed a little slow. He would have liked to spend more time on the site if our schedule had allowed.
What I liked about Time 4 Learning was that it engaged my son. He was completing lessons without whining. I don't like that the site requires a paid membership, which is $19.95 per month for the first child, and $14.95 per month for each additional child. This is beyond my budget, even just for one child. If I could afford it, I might consider using parts of it for my son's regular schooling. The other thing I didn't like was that I noticed it made a statement twice in one lesson about dinosaurs and people not co-existing - in a Language Arts lesson. This goes against our beliefs, but fortunately Wonder Boy is used to overlooking that kind of thing. Time 4 Learning has lessons for children ages Pre-K to 8th grade, so your child can enjoy it for years, or it can be used for multiple children at once.
Time 4 Learning can be found at www.time4learning.com. If you have a blog, you can sign up for a free 30 day trial in exchange for a review.
***Note: I received a 30 day membership to Time 4 Learning in exchange for my review through the TOS Homeschool Crew. I did not receive any other compensation, and my opinions are my own.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
TOS Review: Pig Pile
A package arrived in the mail recently, containing a game called Pig Pile. It was sent to me for review from R & R Games. The box advertises it as "The hog wild card game", which was enough for my children to be chomping at the bit. A card game that involves pigs? Yes, please.
They actually played it the first time with Mr. Man - and without me. I was still hugely preggo with #5, and chose to rest instead. I didn't get much resting done because of the uproarious laughter coming from the living room while they were playing. Once they were done, they asked me to play with them next time, because they thought it would make it go easier toward the end, even though the box says it's for as few as 3 players (and as many as 6).
Flash forward to the next day, and I find myself being tutored on the rules of Pig Pile. There is a deck of 80 cards, all with cute, colorful cartoon pigs on them. The drawings of corn on them kept making me want popcorn for some pregnant reason. There are also 40 little plastic pigs. The little pigs were a bit of a disappointment for me - they don't factor into the actual card game, and are only used for keeping score. They are actually not necessary at all. The kids still got a kick out of them, though. Once I had the rules down, we played a few rounds. The cards are dealt out, and the first player to get rid of all their cards wins. I think we may have misunderstood one of the rules, as we seemed to get stuck in a sort of Pig Pile doldrums toward the end of the game. We ended up altering the rules a bit, and it seemed to work out better. The game is supposed to be for ages 7 and up, and I would suggest that, due to the slightly complex rules, that perhaps even 8 or 9 would be better if your child gets easily frustrated with games. I would definitely not suggest it for children any younger than that.
Wonder Boy just told me, "I like Pig Pile. It's fun." We all agree, and it will be staying in our game collection. The box is nice and sturdy, which is always a plus. However, at a retail price of $15.95, it is fairly pricy for a card game, in my opinion.
R & R Games also produces other games that look pretty interesting to me, such as Masters of Venice and Igor - I think Wonder Boy would love that one. I think Super Girl would get a kick out of Horse Fair. All these games - and more! - can be found at www.rnrgames.com.
***Note: I received Pig Pile for free, in exchange for my review, through the TOS Homeschool Crew program. All opinions are those of myself and my family.
They actually played it the first time with Mr. Man - and without me. I was still hugely preggo with #5, and chose to rest instead. I didn't get much resting done because of the uproarious laughter coming from the living room while they were playing. Once they were done, they asked me to play with them next time, because they thought it would make it go easier toward the end, even though the box says it's for as few as 3 players (and as many as 6). Flash forward to the next day, and I find myself being tutored on the rules of Pig Pile. There is a deck of 80 cards, all with cute, colorful cartoon pigs on them. The drawings of corn on them kept making me want popcorn for some pregnant reason. There are also 40 little plastic pigs. The little pigs were a bit of a disappointment for me - they don't factor into the actual card game, and are only used for keeping score. They are actually not necessary at all. The kids still got a kick out of them, though. Once I had the rules down, we played a few rounds. The cards are dealt out, and the first player to get rid of all their cards wins. I think we may have misunderstood one of the rules, as we seemed to get stuck in a sort of Pig Pile doldrums toward the end of the game. We ended up altering the rules a bit, and it seemed to work out better. The game is supposed to be for ages 7 and up, and I would suggest that, due to the slightly complex rules, that perhaps even 8 or 9 would be better if your child gets easily frustrated with games. I would definitely not suggest it for children any younger than that.
Wonder Boy just told me, "I like Pig Pile. It's fun." We all agree, and it will be staying in our game collection. The box is nice and sturdy, which is always a plus. However, at a retail price of $15.95, it is fairly pricy for a card game, in my opinion.
R & R Games also produces other games that look pretty interesting to me, such as Masters of Venice and Igor - I think Wonder Boy would love that one. I think Super Girl would get a kick out of Horse Fair. All these games - and more! - can be found at www.rnrgames.com.
***Note: I received Pig Pile for free, in exchange for my review, through the TOS Homeschool Crew program. All opinions are those of myself and my family.
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