Anything can be fixed with a hammer. Or duct tape.
Dad and Alex make a trellis for the garden. They planted peas!
I’m so proud of my men.
Dad School
Please see my suggested resources.
Please see my suggested resources.
Dealing with Defiance
Please see my suggested resources.
He just turned three.
And with this birthday comes an undesirable.
Defiance.
I plan to nip it in the bud.
I noticed the defiance and feared it when we were potty training a month or so ago.
We took the Pull-Ups away during the day. We bought cute Diego and Cars underwear.
It was time, I said.
I didn’t want a three year old still in diapers.
Yet he still wet his pants.
He had tantrums about sitting on the toilet, with a little Cars potty seat insert, even going toward the bathroom. We even bought a plastic urinal. Yes, we did. He wouldn’t use that either.
He understood the whole concept of where the waste goes: in the toilet.
When questioned about why he still wet his pants, he answered defiantly:
“’Cuz I said yes. ‘Cuz I want to.”
OK, little boy.
I prayed. I cajoled. I bribed. Nothing doing.
Then, a couple successes and the cheers and hugs and kisses.
He seemed embarrassed by the attention.
But he decided it was better than the previous battle.
Whew!
And now, this defiance last week…
Me: “We keep our shoes on at church. Say ‘yes, ma’am.’”
Alex: shakes head. sticks lip out and tucks chin on his chest.
Me: “Say ‘yes, ma’am,’ please.”
Alex: “I don’t want to.”
Me: “Say ‘yes, ma’am’ so we can go eat and play.”
Alex: shakes head. lip out. “I don’t want to!”
So, I take him into the sanctuary. I ask him questions.
Me: “Do you love Jesus?”
He shakes his head.
Me: “Do you see that up on the wall?”
He nods.
Me: “Do you know what it is?”
He nods. “Cross.”
Me: “Do you know Who was on it?”
Alex: “Jesus.”
Me: “Do you know why Jesus was on the cross?”
He shakes his head. (and apparently I need to step up his Christian education!)
So I explain the Gospel to Alex.
I know it must be difficult for him to understand because many adults struggle to comprehend.
We hold hands. I pray aloud in the dark sanctuary, alone, with Alex and Jesus. I pray for His help to soften Alex’s heart, to help him be obedient, to love Jesus. I pray for His help in parenting, for patience and for me not to crush this little boy’s spirit over a pair of shoes.
He still won’t say “yes ma’am” to me.
My husband comes in and admonishes Alex and offers to take over, but this is a battle about shoes for Alex’s soul and I will win it.
He still won’t say “yes ma’am.”
I ask my husband to please carry Alex to the van.
On the way out, I tell Elizabeth to go to the van too, since she lied about completing her daily assignments. Oh, I’m working out everything tonight! No one is getting away with defiance anymore!
We get home and Liz and Alex change into their pajamas. I lay out the dinner that my husband quickly had packed up for us from the church.
We sit in silence.
Alex still won’t say “yes ma’am.”
At least Elizabeth is contrite about the assignments. She completed one the second she walked in the door. She finished another two after we ate. {Then I realize she lied about other assignments. No more trust. This is another story.}
I can see Alex itching to pick up his fork. I calmly watch him. He tucks his chin and mumbles, “yes ma’am.”
We may eat.
Hallelujah!
He was so compliant and cheerful the rest of the evening!
I am glad I didn’t get angry.
I remained calm to teach him this lesson. I won’t have rebellious children. I am fighting a spiritual battle.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
~John 15:1-17
Some of you may disagree with my parenting methods.
But I realize that my leniency with Elizabeth when she was younger is coming back to bite me now.
I also know that training Alex while he is young will make everyone happier later on. He’s just a little boy.
He will soon be a big boy, and then a man.
I don’t want him to be disrespectful or a slacker. I want him to grow up and do radical things for God and he needs to learn a love for Jesus and obedience to his parents now. Something told my spirit that the silly little battle over his taking off his shoes was a milestone in his behavior training. I do pick and choose my battles. Often things don’t matter, but absolute defiance is inappropriate and needs to be pruned.
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
~Romans 11:17-24
I want to lead my family like Jesus. I recommend this book. I teach it to my Sunday school class. It’s full of great stories from real Godly parents who desire to teach their kids Godly values just like us. There is but one priority: to glorify God.
I Attempted Suicide
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I am a survivor of an attempted suicide.
I spent Christmas 1997 in a series of hospital environments because I attempted to commit suicide.
Essentially, I was locked up for my own safety for over a week.
I had reached a breaking point.
Circumstances beyond my control, that were not my fault, wreaked havoc on my sensitive heart, mind, and soul. I have always felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I want to help everyone, fix everything.
I was twenty years old.
The world was not my responsibility.
My parents were not my responsibility.
Friends were not my responsibility.
I should’ve been carefree and fancy free and my biggest worry should have been only my next semester classes at college. And they weren’t strenuous. I was in my last year.
My parents weren’t divorced. They fought. They were stressed. But they were together.
There were no drugs or abuse stories. Nothing exciting or tawdry there. No soap opera.
Normal boring middle class white kid with a brilliant future ahead of her.
Sure, there was that whole lack of trust, angst, misunderstood thing. First world problems. I should have occupied my time with meaningful activities. I wonder if that would have helped or just delayed the inevitable.
So, why? you’re probably asking. I’m hoping everyone who reads this will wonder and cannot relate. I hope and pray you never reach a breaking point like I did.
Depression and anxiety are very real. And in the midst of it, thinking clearly is seldom an option. Depression sucks the life and hope from your soul. Anxiety is all-encompassing and there is no rationale for those fears and worries. And I was not a Christian then.
I was lost.
In so many ways.
I felt abandoned. I felt stifled.
Helpless. Hopeless. Pointless. Worthless. Less than.
I was right where the devil wanted me.
I don’t feel I need to go into too many details. A bottle of pills. An ambulance. Lots of scary lights and loud voices.
Fear. So much fear. And I gave in to it.
It was a close call. It was a cry for help. I didn’t really receive the kind of help I thought I wanted at the time. My body was saved. The doctors said it was a miracle I didn’t damage any organs. I was perfectly fine after the drugs were removed from my system.
But it would be many years yet before my mind and soul would be fine.
I had to walk down that road. I had to be completely broken to accept true healing.
Essentially, I know God saved me. For a purpose. I didn’t realize anything then.
I really just wanted the pain to stop. It just hurt to be alive. It hurt to see others hurting themselves and each other. It hurt me to witness that. Since I couldn’t stop it, I wanted out. Like gasping for air, or clawing out of a hole, I just wanted freedom.
That kind of freedom isn’t escape. It’s bondage. When we believe those dark lies and spiral down into the pit of despair, it’s not escape. It’s fear. It’s ragged hopelessness that it will ever improve. And being oh, so alone in it.
Only Jesus is Freedom. But I couldn’t accept that yet.
But too many Christians are depressed and are not finding the help they seek within the Church or compassion from Christians. Why is that?
When I search online for depression and Christians, all the articles are shallow and unhelpful. They preach that Christians shouldn’t experience mental health problems because we believe in Jesus! Our experiences are discounted, unvalidated, and we feel even worse, so we shut up those feelings even more inside. We hurt in silence, alone.
Did you know that after a suicide attempt, you are locked up against your will for your own safety? It’s the law.
It felt like more punishment.
I experienced a couple weeks of in-house therapy and meds after my attempt. I lost almost ten pounds and I was only about 125 then! The other patients frightened me too. They seemed really quite ill in a different way than I felt I was. Many had attempted suicide multiple times and had lots of other issues. They were all so kind. I felt so out of place.
The therapists, of course, were not Christian. They were very New Age and humanistic. I got so many mixed messages about following my dreams no matter the cost to others. Please myself and let others go. Grow up and take responsibility for my actions. I was right and everything else was wrong. I was too young and inexperienced and just a lost little girl who needed her parents to guide her because I was too fragile to function on my own.
I think therapists just tell you what you want to hear. I didn’t know what to believe. The staff almost treated me like an adult, but then again, made me feel like a naughty little girl who disobeyed and rebelled against my attentive and loving parents. My parents were just mad at me.
Where was Jesus? He carried me, but I didn’t know.
Where was compassion or any real help? Where was the empathy?
No one understood.
I was eventually released. Too soon. Too little gained. So much lost.
Back to my parents’ house. Where I felt like was a little child again. They tiptoed around me, walking on eggshells, quiet and fearful. Where many rules were enforced and reinforced. No social activity for me. I felt like I was on restriction for a misbehavior. It was surreal.
I had no autonomy. I couldn’t individuate. I couldn’t grow or function normally.
I was medicated on Prozac, that go-to drug at that time, before other, somewhat safer alternatives were known or appreciated.
I did not function well on Prozac. The side effects were horrible. I felt so out of control with overwhelming emotions all the time. One of the weirdest things is that I would sleep exactly eight hours to the minute each night. Physically, I felt great.
I was still lost.
I had nothing to do while I waited for school to start again. No job. No friends. I was an embarrassment. To my family, friends. To myself.
Shortly after returning home, my mom took me to the mall. Retail therapy, I suppose. At the ice cream shop, I waited patiently for the clerk to finish cleaning up something so I could order a cone. Another lady apparently needed an ice cream fix so badly that she rudely shouldered me out of the way to order. I glared at her in frustration. I had been obviously standing there a while and she just walked up! Inside, I really wanted to hurt her. I’ve always been rather passive, letting it go when things like that happen. It’s not worth it. It’s just easier to let it go than confront people over situations like that that don’t really matter. My mind wandered to how I wanted to confront her and I stood there, daydreaming I slapped her. My palm itched almost uncontrollably. I was shaking when I sat down at a table with my ice cream. I could hardly enjoy the treat. I was scared of myself. I was frightened by the level of my anger. Over something so meaningless. That I would ordinarily shrug off.
It was frightening. The memory is so vivid that it makes me sick to my stomach. My palms still itch when I remember.
After a month or so, my life really fell apart, because nothing was fixed. Nothing was different. Everyone wanted to pretend it all away. But that’s another story for another day.
I think the suicide of Rick Warren’s son is a wake-up call to Christians. That poor boy hurt so badly that he desired to leave this world. It was too much for him. The world wakes up again with Robin Williams’ death. Many celebrities recently have chosen to end their lives, leaving behind devastated spouses and precious children and sad fans. But everyone just wants to argue and be pompous or saddened while nothing changes and no one is compassionate and few are helped. There is no empathy.
It’s not for us to understand or judge. But I think we should help each other more. We should try harder to support one another through trials. I think a lot of depression and anxiety is spiritual warfare. How easy to confuse Christians with a fog of mental darkness. We’re blinded too easily. And have no one and nowhere to turn for help.
Depression is evil.
What can we do?
Pray.
Prayer is powerful to ward off evil forces. Pray for light and protection from evil. Pray for the body’s chemistries to be healed and aligned. Find a prayer partner or group. Pray that our children will not share in this legacy. It’s often not the endall beall to healing, but it’s a beginning. Ask friends, family members, your church to pray. I often journal scripture, poetry, and prayer. Meditation and contemplation is great too.
Read.
Read holy books out loud. Do a Bible concordance search. Many of the prophets suffered from depression. Get a good Bible study. Again, this is often not the only help depression needs to heal. But it’s a great start. Get an accountability partner. Ask your pastor or church leadership for help and prayer. If they scoff at your illness, find a new church. Self-help books are great places to start for answers. Sometimes, I like to read about the struggles of others or just a sappy book.
Fellowship.
I rarely feel like it. It takes a lot of effort for me to be around people and be social. But when I hole up away from people, that’s when the darkness likes to creep in. It’s worse to be alone with it. Connection matters.
Take care of yourself, physically.
When I don’t feel well, then my emotions run down too. Eat right. Exercise. Get out in the sunshine whenever possible. Drink water. Dance. Play with your kids. Take cod liver oil. Diffuse essential oils to help boost your mood. Get a Happy Lampfor those dark days of winter. I know it’s hard.
Occupy your mind.
If your mind has too much free time and it wanders to negative thoughts, occupy it. Write. Start a blog. Read a book. Take up a hobby like art or woodworking. Learn to play music. Do a puzzle. Play a game. Learn something along with your spouse or child, sibling, or friend. Volunteer with children or the elderly. Go to church. Exercise. Take a class. Feed the birds. Get a pet. Create arts and crafts. Do good.
Counseling.
I know there are good counselors out there. You can also turn to trusted friends or family members. It might be hard to open up and be honest with yourself and others. {Do you think writing this post was easy?} Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Don’t be afraid to say no after a meeting or two and find someone else. Some secular therapists might be better to meet your needs. Here’s a good guide and checklist to finding a therapist.
Medication.
I know some people’s bodies just need help leveling out. Like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you may need meds for your serotonin and/or dopamine levels. (I have never found a med that I could cope with, but you may have great success.)
Depression and anxiety are real illnesses.
Don’t judge people who take a pill for depression because I know you don’t judge those who take a pill for diabetes. Some people need meds just occasionally. Others need it daily for an extended time. Find a physician who can work with you, a therapist, your family, your needs, to find the right combination for your needs. I’ve tried different meds and I didn’t like any of them with their side effects. But I respect those who do need them and find they help.
People have told me that they didn’t know I have issues with depression.
What do I say to that? Should I be glad that it doesn’t show? Should I be proud that I’ve hidden it well? It’s not something people often discuss in polite company. Most shy away from mental illness conversations. There’s a societal stigma that we’ve done something to deserve this or we should be able to “snap out of it.”
I often hear phrases like, “Just smile more. Just be happy. Just imagine you’re in your happy place. What do you have to be sad about?”
And people can experience short-term blues, sure.
That is not depression.
People who have never experienced mental illness can’t possibly understand.
Contact a suicide hotline for help.
Suicide is selfish. It’s a cry for help. It’s a last resort. It’s because we have no voice or feel like no one hears us. We’re so desperate that we have to be that selfish.
I hold on during my darkest days because I have responsibilties to my children and husband. I want to be there for their future.
As Christians, we often think that we can’t or shouldn’t feel that way, ever. How can we love and serve Jesus and still be depressed? But I often am. I know others struggle too. Maybe it’s just our fallen world. Perhaps it’s our thorn we must bear. Maybe some of us are more empathetic than others. We feel everything more.
I think it hurts even more now that I am a Christian. But Jesus helps me bear it, especially when other Christians disappoint or hurt me.
I feel more acutely aware of others’ pain. I think that’s seeing with the eyes of Jesus. And if I hurt like this, what must He feel?
And what can I do about it?
It helps to serve others and take action to ease another’s burden.
There’s always hope.
My friend, Amanda, tells it like it is. She’s not scared. I hope her book helps you like it helped me: Finding Joy in Depression. I highly recommend it and there are some great resource links in it too.
More Help:
- Homeschooling through Depression
- How Kids Can Talk to Parents About Depression
- Treating and Living with Anxiety
- Addiction and Depression: Treating Co-Occurring Disorders
- A Navigation Guide to Self-Discovery During Your Addiction Recovery Journey
- Recognizing and Treating Depression During Pregnancy
- Marriage and Mental Health: How to Cope When Your Spouse Has Been Diagnosed with Schizophrenia
- 7 Tips for Creating a Healthy and Positive Work Environment
- A Healthy Home is a Happy Home: How to Optimize Your Home for Healthy, Stress-free Living
- 8 Common Misbeliefs about Suicide
- Resources for Parents with Children with Mental Health Problems
- For Teachers: Children’s Mental Health Disorder Fact Sheet for the Classroom
- Promoting Mental Health at Home: How to Design the Perfect Meditation Room
- Free Downloads
- 5 Ways to Use Feng Shui in Your Home Design
- Drug Abuse and Addiction: Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Drug Addiction
- Swift River Centers
- Elderly Mental Health: How to Help Your Senior
- Coping with the Loss of a Loved One
Note: I am not a doctor nor a therapist. These are just some methods that have helped me through the last ten years or so. Perhaps these resources can help others. If you feel hopeless, please tell someone immediately and seek professional help.
The Winemaker Review
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I reviewed The Winemaker by Noah Gordon. It’s amazing.
It is beautifully written and I immediately felt sympathy for the main character, Joseph Alvarez. I fell into the story and read through the night, unable to relinquish him to sleep, worried about him and what would happen next. He is the second son in a time when the whole family legacy goes to the firstborn son. He is a leaf on the wind, fated to the circumstances of his position and his lack of education and finances. Many of the villagers were resigned to their fate, but Josep was not.
“He faced the fact that he hungered to be able to do work that resulted in making something that was good.”
I struggled with Josep. I loved who he loved. I hated who he hated. I was angry when he was wronged. I rejoiced when he was finally happy. It is a lovely fairy tale, yet it is so true to life. Struggles with adversity make us stronger and we learn from our mistakes or we fail. The weaker characters in the book failed just like in real life. We must be responsible for our actions and face consequences. It is natural selection.
Josep uses his meager resources and learns quickly and relies on friends and their advice, takes risks and is open to opportunities. He rises above his humble beginnings to reach success and happiness. His emotions are raw and real without being overwhelming or disgusting. His spiritual and emotional progression to maturity is genuine and believable.
“He went on, his voice breaking, no more able to control his emotions or his words than a bull in the midst of a clumsy charge straight at the point of a sword…[then later] He was experiencing something totally unfamiliar too him, and with a shock, he recognized it as joy.”
Simply, I admire this man. I yearn for his success and happiness.
And the wine, oh, the wine! I want to taste it. And I feel like I could go plant a vineyard and grow grapes and produce a magnificent wine just from reading the book. It just sounds so adventurous, if not easy. The travel for his research must have been so fun! I must go to Spain. I must go buy some Spanish wine and eat some cheese and chorizo with tortillas.
It was like Jude the Obscure, but set in mid-nineteenth century Spain…and not quite so bleak. Happy ending!
Resentment towards his brother eventually was absolved: “Something within Josep – something small, cold, and heavy, an icy sin he had carried unknowing in his very core – melted and vanished.”
It was like The Cask of Amontillado, but with redemption. Josep did what he had to do. He was bitter. But he eventually forgave and was forgiven.
Padre Pio asked Josep: “So, where is your sin, my son?…Be tormented no more.”
Synopsis:
From the author of The Physician and Shaman now comes this story of a young man—the grapes he grows, the wine he fashions, the women he loves, and his struggle against an evil that seeks to destroy him. Already an international bestseller.
Josep Alvarez is a young man in the tiny grape-growing village of Santa Eulália, in northern Spain, where his father grows black grapes that are turned into cheap vinegar. Joseph loves the agricultural life, but he is the second son, and his father’s vineyard will be inherited by his brother Donat, the firstborn. Josep needs to keep his hands in the soil. He yearns for a job growing grapes and for an opportunity to marry Teresa Gallego.
In Madrid, an assassination plot, conceived against the political leader of Spain by men of wealth and power, creates a storm of intrigue that sucks into its vortex a group of innocent young farm workers in Santa Eulália. How Josep’s life is changed drastically by these events, and how, ironically, they gradually turn him into an inspired vintner with an evolving vision of life, is the fascinating story of The Winemaker.
About the author, Noah Gordon:
“I could think of absolutely nothing finer in the world than to become a writer,” says Noah Gordon, whose internationally bestselling novels include The Physician and Shaman.
The Physician, soon to be a motion picture, has been called a modern classic. In 1999, booksellers at the Madrid Book Fair voted it “one of the 10 best-loved books of all time.” Shaman was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for historical fiction.
Gordon describes his passions for both medical and historical fiction, as well as his near brush with a career as a doctor—before turning those interests into material for his novels.
Compliments of
Supercharged Science Review
Please see my suggested resources.
My family reviewed Supercharged Science with its experiential e-Science program.
All four of my kids got involved which I loved. It’s not often I can work in lessons that a 3 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, and almost 13 year old can do together and enjoy and learn!
If you have questions, you can call or email for help and they’ll get right back to you.
Nine steps the e-Science program provides in their detailed lesson plans:
- Unit Description: This answers the “What is it?” and “Why should I care?”
- Outcomes/Goals: What do you want the students to learn?
- Objectives/Highlights: Detail the key concept and topic into chunks.
- Introduction: How will you present the topic to the students?
- Development: This stirs up interest and gets students motivated to learn.
- Practice: Bringing the key concept to life.
- Further Study: Answering questions and gaining momentum.
- Evaluation: How well did you teach and how well did they learn the material?
- Closure: Before moving on, celebrate your success!
(Note: The e-Science program does not cover creation nor evolution so all families may participate. The focus of the program is on how to launch the rocket, build the robot, use a microscope, take measurements and data, etc.) YAY!
Here’s a screenshot of all the units available. Overwhelming! We watched some of the videos that went along with what Liz has been studying.
Here’s my littlest scientist ready to explore!
We watched lots of videos about math. Tori really enjoyed those. She’s our math girl!
We learned about the scientific method with water and pennies. This was review for Elizabeth, but rather new for Tori and Kate, and of course, Alex.
The experiment is titled “Underwater Presidents.”
The girls hypothesized how many drops of water the penny would hold before it spilled over the edges.
I walked them through the process and we read the lesson together. We observed our materials and discussed what could happen and why.
My kinesthetic learner, Alex, loved this. He was such a big boy!
Kate repeated her experiment three times to get an average result.
Alex wanted to do this over and over and over. He loved it. We must do it with other coins to compare our results!
We wrote up our materials, procedure, drew a picture of what we did and wrote down our results and conclusion. We discussed why the different pennies took different amounts of water: dirt, different size drops, bumps in paper towel slanted the penny, etc.
Liz has been studying anatomy lately and they offer conversion charts so you can cross-reference their program with one you’re already using. perfect!
Liz and I watched a video together about nerves and that was amazingly entertaining. The narrator was just fun.
We decided to make a working hand model as a family. My husband, Aaron, had to do most of this one without kid help since it involved slicing and hot glue.
The kids watch the video about how to make the hand model.
I read the text material aloud to the kids and we demonstrated the hand model and explained how it all worked and we looked at our own hands and felt the muscles and tendons and discussed the different bones.
Liz demonstrates how the hand works. Hers is the one on the left. ha.
Dad extends the lesson. Kate looks at the insides of a chicken bone. We discussed what blood does and how bones are made.
What do we think?
Overall, I really like the idea of the program. It got me out of my comfort zone and the videos walk you through the experiments so that’s easy for me to follow. We’ll use it as a supplement to our current science program.
The kids loved watching videos.
I am really horrible at fitting in arts, crafts, experiments…and I really felt convicted that I don’t do more of this with my kids. They LOVED the together time with BOTH parents, so we’re going to try to make it a regular “Science Sunday” at our house whenever possible schedule-wise.
Many of the experiments weren’t feasible for us since we didn’t have some of the materials or they were too dangerous for me to finagle with four kids. Thankfully, my husband is a scientist! He didn’t care to get crafty, but he did it for me. And for science. They offer a shopping guide for each unit so you can glance at that and see what you have already and what you need to acquire so you can be prepared.
The recommended age level for the program we reviewed is K-8. The program offers many choices within the site to choose from based on ability and resources. Some of the more advanced experiments are phenomenal, like building a hovercraft and alternative energy! When the kids get a bit older, I would love to utilize some of the more bizarre and advanced experiments. I can hardly wait. Now that the weather is getting nicer, I want to build rockets and do some of the fun and messy experiments.
There’s a list of recommended resources, like a science gift guide with books and games and equipment for your science lover! There are oodles of experiments for award-winning science fair projects. If we ever choose to participate in one, this is where I’ll look for ideas!
Here’s the purchase info:
Membership benefits:
- Videos of teaching real science to your kids, just like I do in an actual classroom
- Text-book type reading to support the material in the videos
- Hands-on activities and experiments, with videos that guide your kids through them. These activities and experiments are what really ignite a passion for science in most kids.
- Homework exercises/quizzes so you can see what your kids are really learning, and tips for how to keep track of your progress in a real a science journal
- A live science class in difference science areas every few weeks where you can connect with me personally
- Parent resources for helping you give your kids the best science education they can get
- A place to ask me questions (lots of them!)
- Recordings of everything so your kids can do the program on whatever schedule AND at whatever pace suits them.
Margarethe: A Reformation Novel review
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We received the book Margarethe from Salem Ridge Press to review.
The books from Salem Ridge Press are certainly high quality and have high standards.
They certainly try their best to adhere to this verse:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ~Philippians 4:8
My eldest daughter loves historical fiction and I thought this selection would please her since we’ve been studying the Reformation in history and she has been fascinated I had hoped this review could be hers and I would just offer assistance.
It was not to be. Liz attempted to read Margarethe, but did not care for the book at all. At least she tried. I do not fault her.
I admit that the book does begin a rather slow, but after I started reading through several chapters, it did pick up just a little. The language is stilted and old-fashioned (no contractions!). The omniscient narrator does not flow in writing her story as well as I would like. Margarethe’s personal spiritual development is just not very believable to me. It does not make me long to turn the page or stay up late to finish the book.
The characters are all flat and I have no sympathy for any of them. I could not admire the characters much. I find the main character, Margarethe, mighty whiny and prone to tears at the drop of a hat. I do commend her teaching her village about Luther. Her brother is trapped in the common old-fashioned beliefs of the weakness of women. He is constantly confused by the opposing forces of duty and the changing society he wishes to join. The old aunt is a shadow of a mother who has no power. The father is paralyzed by fear of poverty and the changing times and ineffectual with his children’s rebellions. The sister, Else, has been banished to a convent and is a poor gray loveless version of her old self. I’m sure Else’s condition must symbolize the darkness of the Church at the time while Luther and Zwingli offer the Light of Truth.
The best quote of the book:
“‘The Reformation must begin in our hears and bear fruit in our lives, if ever it is to be real and true,’ she murmured. ‘But O, what slow progress it makes in me! how proud and angry I am if anyone ventures to cross me…
The freedom and liberty that we need, the freedom the Gospel offers to us, is the conquest of our own passionate hearts. Of course, I shall always be the same Margarethe in one sense; but I want to be a new Margarethe in another – renewed by God’s Spirit; and if I were, I should not have talked in such a passionate, defiant manner as I did today.'”
p. 216-217
I was able to get past all that and relish in the ideals of the time period and how the people might have felt about Luther and Zwingli among the nobility and peasantry. I have dog-eared many pages that explain the Truths that Luther and Zwingli preached that the people were so fearful to accept under the watchful eyes of orthodox and often ignorant Catholic priests.
It’s just not a fun read – for my daughter or for me. And we are both prolific readers. It was dry and boring.
From the company:
- Story Setting: Germany and Switzerland in 1517 – 1522 A.D.
- Notable People: Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwinglius
- Notable Events: The German Reformation and The Swiss Reformation
- Originally published in 1879
- 280 pages
- For Ages 12 – Adult
- Softcover $14.95 and hardcover $24.95
You can read the first chapter here.
About the original author:
Emma Leslie (1837-1909), whose actual name was Emma Dixon, was a prolific Victorian children’s author who wrote over 100 books. Emma Leslie brought a strong Christian emphasis into her writing and many of her books were originally published by the Religious Tract Society.
Salem Ridge Press purchases many old books, often using leads from old catalogs, and carefully evaluates each one, republishing only the best of the best.
There are many selections from Salem Ridge Press about Church History, American History, and World History – for younger readers too.
Computer Science for Kids Review
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Liz reviewed Computer Science for Kids and very much enjoyed learning Beginning Microsoft Small Basic.
There are 11 lessons. They range from 22-109 pages.
The lessons generally consist of
- Review and preview
- Small Basic (lessons)
- Program (application: actual programming)
- Summary
Liz quickly became very comfortable with the lessons and completed them all by herself and called me {constantly} to come see her fun little creations.
Dad downloaded and set up and looked through the curriculum to see what needed to be done. This was outta Mom’s comfort zone! Liz was bored with waiting.
Then after it was all ready, Dad showed her how to work the program a bit, and she perked up.
Elizabeth loved learning about the history of computers and programming in the first lessons. I was impressed with this narrative.
It shows pictures of the first computers – nifty. And did you know that BASIC is an acronym? (Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Code) From Class 1: “Small Basic starts with a really simple programming language that gathers inspiration from the original BASIC language. It has no more than 15 keywords and is strictly imperative.”
She likes the “games.” She likes the control and learning how changing just one letter or character can change the whole program. Her analytical mind at work! I love that she is learning about computers. I know my dad is proud (it’s what he wanted me to do!). It’s great help to her in math since she has to calculate the size of shapes or borders within the graphics.
Then she was on her own. She was all proud of herself and showing me all these little “games” she wrote.
She self-corrected her code when they didn’t work just the way she wanted. Dad helped her change them and showed her different options. Then she ran with it.
I am thankful that we can utilize the kids’ desktop computer and my laptop so Liz could have the lessons up and do her code at the same time. It made it less frustrating for her. And that makes me happy.
The true test is that she can explain to me why the shape is filled in or outlined in a certain color and which code is needed to make it do what she wants!
I noticed yesterday that she’s completed all 11 lessons – the whole book…
Me: “If you like it, I will purchase the next book for you.”
Liz: “I thought you already had the whole program for me. I want it all!”
And that’s a good review.
A typical lesson only takes a few minutes (tweaking and playing can take much longer!) so many colors, choices, sizes, codes…it’s like a new toy! She has this last on her daily list as an incentive to complete her other work!
Purchase options
- Paperback Textbook Plus and E-Tutorial E-Book Download with Free Shipping Inside the USA*** $59.95
- Instant Internet “Download Only” Digital E-Book Edition with Single User License*** $59.95 {ON SALE FOR $34.95 – SALE PRICE though July 4th, 2013}
- ANNUAL “UNLIMITED USER” School Site License Teacher Edition Digital E-Book Internet Download Only***Sale Price! $199.95
C is for Cat
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We’re a cat family.
Our beloved Seamus passed away too close to Christmas 2010. He was the best kitty ever. He was a bobtail.
And here is our big boy, Rubeus. He claimed me when he jumped in my van and curled up in my lap as his home. I love him. He missed Seamus so we got him Sinead, but it will never be the same. He passed away in April 2018.
Here is our baby beauty, Sinead. She’s petite and delicate and we delight in her antics. She’s full grown and still the size of a kitten!
The latest addition to our family is Dionysus.
In honor of cats…
We’re working on this fun Cats Preschool Pack this week!
Check out these fun Pinterest Boards for more inspiration.
Lapbook Review
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We were so excited to review lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning! I received downloads and printed them out myself for 3 of my kids.
I printed out Letters, Numbers and Shapes (recommended for ages 3-5) for Alex, even though he turns three TODAY! He did awesome.
I printed out TWO COPIES of Knights and Castles (recommended for grades 2-7) for the girls. Kate is almost 6 and Tori just turned 7. They’re not quite in 2nd grade yet.
Luckily, I had lots of file folders lying around and I glued them together as shown in the instructions. Easy peasy! {I recommend gluing the folders together ASAP so they will be dry and ready…ask me how I know this…}
Set up for the 3 lapbooks wasn’t too bad since I printed and cut and assembled after the kids went to bed. It was quiet alone time for Mama.
Older kids could surely help cutting out the pieces! Other supplies are brads, staples, and of course, glue sticks for putting the completed pieces in the folders.
Here is Alex’s preschool lapbook all assembled and ready to play!
Here are the 2 Middle Ages lapbooks for the girls, assembled and ready to go. I’m really excited about these.
I got Alex on a really good evening and he completed that whole lapbook in about an hour! He just knocked. it. out. wowsers!
I was impressed that he knew all his colors, shapes, letters, and numbers. And he traced everything for the first time!
I used it as an assessment and I’ll say he did excellently. proud mama moment!
Orange is his favorite color. Can you tell?
Alex loved coloring the shape robot.
Fire trucks are ALWAYS cool.
And here we have the tongue of concentration.
I read the background material on The Middle Ages to Tori and Kate. And I wrote on the board what they needed to put on their various lap book components.
The girls loved this lapbook to go along with history. We studied castles and knights earlier this year with Tapestry of Grace Year 2.
I decided to use this as an assessment to make sure there were no gaps to that unit we studied. There weren’t many gaps, and the reading was very informative for their level. It was a great review! They begged me to let them do a few pieces each day until all was completed.
That worked out perfectly for our schedule. It took a couple weeks to complete it all that way.
And here are the completed lapbooks…
Tori really enjoyed the drawing and learning about medieval weaponry.
Katie loved learning about armor.
Alex’s lapbook…so proud of his tracing!
Later, I plan to go through and discuss an animal for each letter. We left off that part since he needs to work on his drawing ability. He just turned three TODAY and this lapbook is recommended for 3+.
I especially love the enrichment pages – additional recommended readings, narration forms, and reading logs for further study and extension.
I am very impressed with the organization and effort that go into creating these lapbooks and making my life so easy by having everything printable and laid out so fine for me to assign to my kids and work with them and glue it into place.
Here are the purchase options:
- Instant Download-$13.00
- CD-$14.00
- Printed-$20.00
- Assembled-$29.00
- Instant Download-$13.00
- CD-$14.00
- Printed-$21.00
Natural Easter Egg Dye
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I decided to combine history, science, religion, and fun.
Cuz that’s why I homeschool, ya know?
We’re studying Colonial times in history. I don’t think they had Paas egg dye back then?
Coloring is math and math is science. And we did a sensory study – that’s science! (Honestly, I know that there’s a science with the vinegar and the different colors seeping out of the veggies, but we didn’t go all there.)
But, most importantly, it was fun!
Don’t they look like they’re having fun?!
I made a comparison chart for the girls to compare the various food items we used to dye the eggs.
Apparently, I need vast quantities of spinach and cabbage and orange peels and apple peels or I should have prepped those dyes overnight or something. But those didn’t work.
We skipped the cabbage lines because they girls are convinced they will be purpley in the morning.
Some other links to natural egg dyes:
You can download the natural dyes notebooking comparison chart here.
Click over to my Easter Pinterest board for fun Easter links and natural dye charts.
Jennifer’s board Easter on Pinterest.
Here’s my Passover Pinterest Board. Start a new tradition if you don’t already celebrate Passover.
Jennifer’s board Passover on Pinterest.
My kids really enjoyed learning about The Last Supper and celebrating a Christian Seder these last few years!
This year, we celebrated as a whole church and it was so special.
Here’s my family’s table centerpiece.
We roasted lots of lamb.
Have you tried natural dyes before? What worked best for you?
What are your favorite Easter traditions?
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