Living Like a Saint~ Saint Josemaria Escriva

"Don't you long to shout to those youths who are bustling around you: Fools! Leave those worldly things that shackle the heart- and very often degrade it-leave all of that and come with us in search of Love!

~ Saint Josemaria Escriva

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M is for Making Changes and Math~ Blogging through the Alphabet

Thanks for joining me again for the Blogging Through the Alphabet with A Net in Time and Hopkins Homeschool. This week's letter is M, so we are talking about Math!

M is for Making Changes and Math

O.K. I was going to talk about math, but we are currently making a few changes in that department. So I decided to write a post about making changes in your homeschool.

First off, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE CHANGES!!

This is something I needed to be reminded of.

I know this is a hard concept to get used to. It seems to go against our nature. We want to stick with things and we don't want to give up. Who wants to raise kids that are quitters? Not me. As parents, we need to realize that not all curriculum will work for your children. Curriculum that worked for one child may nit work for another. A curriculum that was working may suddenly stop working. 

That's were we are with math. 

Michael has been using Saxon Math since 3rd grade. We used Abeka math for 1st and 2nd because we found the books really cheap at our local thrift store. I liked Abeka, but switched to Saxon Math because it came highly recommend. Michael enjoyed it. Math came easily to him. He could easily read a lesson and complete the work with very little help. He's still that way. Last year, math suddenly became a chore. He started to dislike math (hate math is a more accurate description). He found Saxon boring and tedious. I fought it and encouraged him to stay with it since so many people recommend it. This year, it's only gotten worse. Math is a dread part of our day and I'll be honest I cant take it anymore. This mama can not take anymore gray hairs popping up on her head from the stress. 

So we are currently looking for recommendations for math. I'm looking at Teaching Textbooks, Jacob's Algebra , and Life of Fred.

Have you used any of those? 

I'd love to hear thoughts!

Till Next Time,

Monique

This post is a few week late, but it's better late than never.

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A Homeschool Crew Review~Entire Level 2 from ArtAchieve

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

We love art! If you've been reader of mine for awhile now, you probably already know that though. Today I get to share more information about a wonderful homeschool art curriculum called ArtAchieve. This time I get to talk all about Entire Level II. 

Last year, we reviewed Entire Level I and loved it.

ArtAchieve is a online art curriculum for students of all ages. ArtAchieve art lessons make it easy for anyone to teach drawing and painting, even those of you out there that think they have no artistic talent whatsoever.  The lessons are broken up into different levels. Level I (ages 5 and up) Level II (ages 7 and up) Level III (ages 9 and up) Level IV (10 and up) The age guidelines are just a recommendation. Students with no previous art background can start with Level I. ArtAchieve does offer a few of their lessons for free, so you can give them a try to see where you should start. Last year, we did Entire Level I and my children were 11 and 12. They enjoyed working on the art projects and certainly didn't find them too easy. Obviously of you child has an artistic ability starting at a higher level would make sense. For this review, we received an online subscription for Level II for the entire year. A Level II online subscription for the year is $56.78. This is 25% savings. If you only a want to purchase a few of the lesson, you can do that too. Each individual lessons costs between $5 and $6. Level II has 15 lessons.  Lesson 1~ The Swedish Dala Horse Lesson 2~ The Korean Wedding Duck Lesson 3~ The Japanese Goldfish Lesson 4~ The Elephant from Ghana Lesson 5~ The Ukrainian Cat Lesson 6~ The German Nutcracker (perfect for a December art project) Lesson 7~ The Sri Lankan Landscape with an Elephant Lesson 8~ Repeating a Pattern to Create Original Art Lesson 9~ The Ukrainian Rooster Lesson 10~ Hiding Butterflies Lesson 11~ The Mexican Mask  (great for learning about the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead or an Halloween art project) Lesson 12~ Color Value and Analogous Colors Lesson 13~ The Polish Szopka (Saint Pope John Paul II's feast day art project) Lesson 14~ The Mermaid from Denmark (art project for Little Mermaid fans) Lesson 15~ The Hawaiian Dog (art project for Moana fans) If you are looking for a year long art class, you could easily do Level I and Level II. During your first semester you could work through Level I and then move on to Level II in your second semester. Another option is to use all the additional resources the ArtAchieve lessons provide. Students are not just learning about art. You can take all the information offered and create a wonderful unit study for each lesson. ArtAchieve lessons introduce students to art from around the world. The lessons also provide links to related topics in social studies, science, and language arts. 

So for example, Lesson 1 is the Swedish Dala Horse.  Students can learn how to draw the Swedish horse, but can also learn all about the Sweden, Norway, and Finland. They can learn the history of the Dala horse and its meaning. Links to Swedish stories and music are included to expose students to a different culture. You can add science to the study by learning about the Swedish horse breeds. You could easily spend 2 weeks on each art lesson. So What Did We Create?
Here a few of the projects we worked on.....
Pictures coming soon! I've lost my camera battery so I can't charge it and I've misplaced the memory card I took a few pictures earlier on. If you could say a quick prayer we find both that would be great!
The Dala Horse This was Therese's pick, since she really wants a horse.

The Japanese Goldfish Michael picked this one since he loves fish. He got a Beta fish for his birthday last year.

The Ukrainian Rooster We had to do the rooster!

What Do We Think of ArtAchieve?
We LOVE it, but you already know that. The lessons are fairly easy for students of all levels to complete. As an art teacher, I always want my students to feel encourage when they create a piece of artwork. I never want them to walk away feeling discouraged or upset with their skills. The nice thing about ArtAchieve students of all ages can create and work on the same projects. Younger students or students with less artistic abilities can still accomplish these projects. Older students or students with more experience can go a little further and more details and depth into their works or art. This a great program to teach children of various ages and abilities. Perfect for large families or co-ops! Try a FREE LESSON today! Check out the other Levels! Till Next Time, Monique

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A Homeschool Crew Review~ The Secret Bridge from Lamplighter Publishing

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you. 

When I received The Secret Bridge from Lamplighter Publishing, I was shocked by how beautiful the book was. It was a deep teal embossed leather. It reminded me of a well taken care of vintage book. It truly was a beautiful book to look at. Even better, it was a captivating story that has stood the test of time.

Lamplighter Publishing is a charming company that focuses on building Christlike character one story at a time! Mark Hamby is the founder and president. His goal is offer families stories that are good and wholesome. The character traits, morals, and values our children are exposed to in their formative years are what will shape who they become. It's very important as parents that we provide our children with books that show positive traits...courage, strength, sacrifice, hope, faithfulness, perseverance, loyalty, and humility. The books published by Lamplighter Publishing does just that. We want our children to grow closer to God, to farther away as they get older. 

The Secret Bridge is a story written by Amy Le Feuvre. The story was written back in 1899. Amy Le Feuvre is an English writer. She was born in London, England to a fairly wealthy household. she enjoyed writing and dedicated her life to writing stories and books. Her stories are often filled with biblical principles.  The Secret Bridge is a story about a young girl named, Bridget. Bridget suddenly finds herself alone in a new and strange country. She is alone in London with no relatives and no money. Thankfully a kind gentleman, Godfrey Bullingham, whom she met on the boat of her long voyage, offers his assistance. Bridget at first refuses this young mans assistance. Pride and determination play a key in that I think. Bridget is a practical girl and realizes not all help is either pity or charity. Sometimes, you just need a helping hand.When she is left with no other choice, Bridget accepts the help offered by young Mr. Bullingham. She becomes his wife and whole new adventure begins. Bridget is whisked away to the English country side to live in secret as Mr. Bullingham's wife, while he is away at sea. During her stay in the country, Bridget is befriended by two families, Mr. Bullingham's family (they have no idea who Bridget is) and a rival neighboring family. Bridget suddenly realizes that her quite, peaceful life at the cottage is over. Secrets and promises suddenly make life difficult and complicate her life. During her stay at the cottage, she befriends a young man, who goes around talking about the promises of Christ and the importance of having him in your life. This talk confuses Bridget at first since she has no idea on where to begin with building a relationship with Christ. Over time, Bridget slowly begins to build that bridge to reach Jesus. Once she does, there is no going back. What Are My Thoughts About the Book? I thought the book was extremely enjoyable. I started it as a read aloud with Therese, but she was not that interested in the story. Since she was only 11 when we read it, I think the story line was a little mature for her interest. She's not quite ready to read about a young girl marrying and having to deal with the family issues that may result from that. I just feel the content was too mature for her at this time. I know when she's a little older (maybe 14 and up) I think she would love to it. Some of the language was a little difficult for her too. She wouldn't have been able to read it alone without some help. The books does use words that I would say are for more advanced readers. Younger readers with a slight difficulty reading may find the book too hard to read.
I personally loved the story. Bridget is a strong, brave woman. You will quickly come to love her and want life to work out for her. I love how she finds love with Godfrey. His love and tenderness at such a difficult time is sweet ad charming. It reminds me of the lost art of being a true gentleman. Bridget learns to grow with the changes God throws at her. Her faith grows and she learns to trust in God and find her balance in His love. 
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Be sure to stop by to see what the other crew members had to say about this beautiful book!

Till Next Time, Monique

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Living Like a Saint~ Saint Teresia Benedicta of the Cross

"On the question of relating to our fellowman, our neighbor's spiritual needs transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. But love is an end already, God is Love!"

~ Saint Teresia Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

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A Homeschool Crew Review~ The Gospels from Drive Thru History

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you. 

Have your children or yourself ever wondered what Jerusalem  looked like when Jesus was alive? Often when we read the Bible, we wonder what the areas would have looked like and how life would have been for Jesus and his disciples. Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” from Drive Thru History® does just that! It brings Jesus's world to life.


Drive Thru History® is a wonderful company that provides families with a variety of DVD series all about history. Host and editor, Dave Stotts, leads viewers on a fun, fast paced trip to visit ancient lands, people, and historical events.  You can choose from 4 different series. Ancient History Holy Land American History The Gospels
For this review, we received a physical of the Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” DVD series. The Gospels DVD set comes with 3 DVDs and a study guide. The DVDs contain 18 episodes, nine hours of content . Each disc has 6 episodes that run for about 30 minutes.  Disc 1 Episode 1: The Historical Landscape Episode 2: The Announcements Episode 3: Jesus is Born Episode 4: Jesus Grows Up Episode 5: Jesus Starts His Ministry  Episode 6: Jesus Returns to Galilee  Disc 2 Episode 7: Jesus Begins His Miracles  Episode 8: Jesus Teaches with Authority  Episode 9: The Sermon on the Mount Episode 10: Jesus Travels the Sea of Galilee Episode 11: Jesus Travels North Episode 12: A Final Trip to Jerusalem Disc 3 Episode 13: Jesus Arrives in Jerusalem Episode 14: The Last Supper Episode 15: The Trail of Jesus Episode 16: The Crucifixion of Jesus Episode 17: The Resurrection of Jesus Episode 18: Who is Jesus? The study guide is 118 pages long and filled with information, thought provoking questions,and beautiful images. The study guide holds all three discs securely and safely. The 18 episodes will lead you on quite the adventure.  Dave Stotts, your tour guide for this journey takes you on an amazing trip to see the actual places Jesus traveled to and taught.  You'll travel along with Dave and his old beat up jeep. The episodes will expose you to ancient history, archaeology and archaeological sites, geography, stunning churches, and beautiful works of arts. Your journey will take you to 50 ancient sites that Jesus visited. The episodes use the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to tell the story. This series is truly inspiring!

What We Thought About The Gospels series?

We loved it!
We watched a 30 minute episode every morning before the start of school. Often the kids would beg to watch another one. If we had some extra time, we would watch a second one. You have to love it when they are eager to learn something new. Since the episodes are about 30 minutes (27 minutes to be exact) they are a great way to start your day. Once thing we did since it was Lent when we were watching this series was save the last few episodes. We watched the last disc during Holy Week. On Holy Thursday, we watched the Last Supper and on Good Friday, we watched the Trial and The Crucifixion. It was a wonderful way to remember these days.
We watched the last 2 episodes after Easter.

We enjoyed seeing all the different historical sites. The church above the remains of Saint Peter's home was something we never knew existed. It's amazing to know that these sites are being preserved for future generations. I love how this series allows people that may never visit the Holy Land a chance to see these special places. Seeing the inside of the room where the last supper may of occurred was neat to see. Seeing pieces of the tree Zacchaeus climbed was pretty neat.  When a church was named in the series, I wrote it down for further investigation. After we watched the episode, I would then go and research the Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox churches mentioned. We then would learn about these beautiful churches. I loved when we were actually given a glimpse into these churches during the program. I thought the series was well done. The only episode I was slightly disappointed in was The Last Supper. For us the Last Supper was the institution of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is an important sacrament of our faith. "Always remain close to the Catholic Church, because it alone can give you true peace, since it alone possesses Jesus in the blessed sacrament, the Prince of Peace." ~Saint Padre Pio 
As a Catholic, I only had to discuss a few differences with my children. It provided a great starting point on how some Christian religions have a slightly different view. Even with our differences, we are all Christians believing that Jesus died on the cross for us. "Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me. Christ in mouth of friend and stranger." ~Saint Patrick
After reviewing Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”, I am looking into the Ancient History series for next year, since we will be starting our history cycle over again. I'd love to see the ancient sites that are visited in that series I think it would be a great asset to our homeschooling. Find our what the other members have to say about Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”. Till Next Time, Monique

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A Homeschool Crew Review~ Daily Bible Jigsaw Puzzle from Planet 316

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.   

A few weeks ago, I was given an opportunity to review Daily Bible Jigsaw from Planet 316. Daily Bible Jigsaw is a free app, but for this review I was given the 500 coin bundle (a $39.99 value) for free to use with this game. I played the game on my computer by logging into my Facebook account and on my phone by downloading the app from the google play store.

 
Daily Bible Jigsaw is a puzzle game from Planet 316. Planet 316 is Christian company. The Planet 316 team wants to help families hear the message of Christ. They have taken a unique approach to this. They have used technology (computer games and apps) and interwoven it with the message of Jesus Christ. The company wants to make the bible available to both the young and old.  " A joyful heart is good medicine." Proverbs 17:22 They offer families a variety of options. Desktop Games King Solomon's Word Challenge Bible Gems: Journey Through Genesis Super Bible Trivia Charlie Church Mouse~ Early Elementary Charlie Church Mouse~ Kindergarten Charlie Church Mouse~ Preschool  Charlie Church Mouse 3D Bible Adventures Educational Videos Topsy Turvy Show The Charlie Church Mouse Show Apps~ Mobile Games Daily Bible Jigsaw Puzzles Charlie Church Mouse Bible Adventuress (for kids) Daily Bible Jigsaw is a daily puzzle challenge. Players try to complete the puzzles in the quickest amount of time. Players can play with friends. It a lot of fun to try and beat a friends time. I was amazed at how quickly some friends could complete a puzzle. I'd just like to beat 3 minutes!  The game has new puzzles added daily. Players log into the game, select the current day, and solves the puzzle. If you play the current day's puzzle there is no cost. If you miss a day or just want to play a previous month's puzzles, it will cost the player 3 coins for each puzzle. When players solve the puzzle in a timely manner, coins can be awarded. If you solve it too slowly, no coins will be awarded. You can go back and replay a day, but again it will cost you 3 coins.  Once the player solves the puzzle they can share it to their facebook page. What I Thought About Daily Jigsaw Puzzle from Planet 316? I enjoyed playing the game.  The pictures were inspiring and often contained images of cute animals and sweet children in the them. Who can't resist a picture of  cute baby or puppy? The puzzles varied in difficulty levels. I found some to be very easy, while a few took me quite awhile to solve. I do wish coins were awarded a little more often. I think if you complete the entire month's puzzles, players should be awarded a few coins for their dedication.  The only problem I encountered in the beginning was a few puzzles were not saved. I played them and completed them, but when i logged in the next day they weren't not completed. Because of this error, I had to replay them which cost me 3 coins. Not too big of a deal, but if  I had paid for my coins I would be a little upset. I haven't had this issue the last 2 weeks, so it may have been an issue they were aware of and corrected.

Bible Jigsaw Puzzle is a free app to download. It can be found and played in the following devices.

Google Play

Apple  Store

Facebook

Facebook Gameroom

Read more reviews about Planet 316 and their daily puzzle challenges!


Till Next Time, Monique

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