Bessie’s Pillow ~ Review

I remember when I was growing up, being told that the one thing that made this country so great, was the variety of people who were here. Immigrants from far and wide came to this country wanting a better life. Our land was filled with people who had drive and desire to live in a place where they could be free. My grandparents were immigrants; I wish I could remember the stories that were told of life before they came here, and after. There is so much we can learn from those who came before. For that reason I have come to live historical non-fiction like Bessie’s Pillow published by Strong Learning.Inc.

Bessie’s Pillow – A Young Immigrant’s Journey (based on a true story) is written by Linda Press Silbery, who is Bessie’s granddaughter.  Throughout the book are actual photos from family albums, bringing to life the story that is told.

The story begins in 1906 in Vilna, Lithuania as Boshka (Bessie) travels to escape persecution.  Travel with her to Hamburg, then across the seas as she learns the English language, makes new friends, and begins a great adventure. Experience and read actual historical details about life as a Jewish, Russian, Orthodox girl traveling to a new life. Her challenges and struggles, love, courageousness and kindness will move you and draw you in to this story making Bessie a dear friend and companion.

Listen to Linda speak about and share beautiful photographs, bringing to life even more, this story. Explore Bessie’s Family Album and childhood in a Photo Gallery sharing moments from her life in Lithuania, New York, New Rochelle.

Historically, 1906 to 1936 was a time of great change and growth in America. Experience and explore a variety of interactive learning regarding:

• Famous People
• Food and Recipes
• Radio
• Movies
• Music & Dancing
• News
• Presidents
• Immigration (European specifically)
• Housework
• Health

What a fun way to explore and experience American the same way Bessie did!

You can even explore the stories of others who tell of their experience immigrating.

There is also a Teacher’s Guide to help guide and encourage use of this story to teach language arts and social studies. There are some great discussion questions and activities encouraging our own children to explore their own family histories, to explore the various situations and determine what they would do and why. There are character studies, research topics given, even a timeline of American history (download a full size one) and there are a ton of recommended reading materials too!

I have thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book and I definitely recommend this as one every one should read. While I read this aloud to my children, there were times and parts, which I skipped over due to the age of my children. This is a very honest and realistic book, portraying the good and the bad of the immigration experience so some situations can be difficult and sensitive for children to hear. However even with those moments and sometimes uncomfortable details within the pages of this book, it is all done in a way that makes it necessary but also understandable (sad too!).  So much of this book and the materials that are provided along with it, can be a great lesson to both ourselves and our children. Certainly this was a story that really gave my children and I a new perspective and a renewed appreciation for what we have and where we are.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BessiesPillow

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BessiesPillow  @BessiesPillow

My Children: CREATING A MASTERPIECE! {Review}

Art is such a important piece in my children’s education.  They just love to draw and paint; my oldest son has even begun to sculpt a bit. Just simple clay but how I love to see him work. He has always wanted to take classes, formal art training, something to really advance and strengthen his skills. But around here there isn’t much and what there is we just cannot manage right now. Then we were introduced to Sharon Hofer and her amazing online program, Creating A Masterpiece. This is just like a formal art course but online; she provides easy instruction in a variety of media, and it is suitable of for children of any age who just want to create their own masterpieces. We received the Monthly Plan for review and wait until you some of the masterpieces that have been created since we began!

This program offers such an amazing variety of media forms:

• Soft Pastels
• Oil Pastels
• Sculpture
• Watercolor
• Acrylic
• Block Printing
• Ink
• Silk Dyeing
• Pencil
• Bombay Ink
• Conte’ Crayon
• Portraiture
• Colored Pencil
• Copper Tooling
• Charcoal
• Glass Mosaic
• Watercolor Pencils
• Gouache
• Balsa Carving
• Wood Burning

There is a Beginner level, as well as additional levels 1-5; there is also an Art in History level which I thought was really neat!  You don’t have to complete one level at a time; my children bounced about on this one. We did some projects in Projects range within these from scenic drawing, to portraits, and landscapes – without a doubt there is an amazing variety to choose from! You can choose projects based on difficulty or you could find projects based on the medium being used. I think some days, if I allowed it my oldest son could spend the entire day just working on all the different projects here!

My oldest son decided he was going to sculpt a turtle the moment he saw this lesson. I wasn’t sure about this but as he watched and worked with her instruction, it was amazing how the simple shapes they began with became a turtle! There were four video lessons for this one which also included helpful hints and highlights from each lesson too. It was quite impressive how something that looked so complex was so easily broken down into simple, manageable steps.  Her teaching style really ensures that our children can complete the project (for younger kids maybe will need a bit of assistance but it is definitely possible for them to create!).

Another lesson that my younger children really enjoyed was the sunflower. This lesson was meant to be done in pencil but my littler ones really enjoyed drawing and then painting, their sunflowers. There were six lessons included for this project which was a bit much for my younger ones but they still persevered to the end and had their very own sunflowers to proudly show off.

All three of my children really enjoyed a Lesson in Soft Pastel; pastels are definitely one of our favorite mediums to work with right now. So together, my oldest and his younger siblings sat and worked hard at this lovely landscape. Only three lessons this was one that each of my children really enjoyed.

I have to show off a bit here because my oldest son worked really hard on this one. He knows how much I Just love horses and so after he and I had an especially difficult day, I found him (frustrated but diligently at work) on a white stallion. This is one of the level 5 projects and is very involved. Only four lessons but this one requires quite a bit of slow work, steady hand and patience.

My oldest son (11) really appreciated her teaching style and how he felt like throughout the video she was “like a friend” with her camaraderie and banter. As she talked it kept him relaxed and at ease; he liked that he could just sketch or paint while she talked and how she wasn’t always “barking” instructions but encouraging in her words and her tone with each step in these projects.

My younger son (7) never wants to draw; art has always been something he does in a hurry so he can do something of his own choosing. But now he has his own drawing book and I can find him sketching at the breakfast table or in bed before he goes to sleep. This has really awoke a creative spirit in him that was not there before!

And my daughter (5) has just really been encouraged by this too! Even as young as she is, she has followed along with some of the simpler lessons and really enjoyed them! She loves drawing flowers and butterflies. Watercolors and pastels are her favorites; as she has completed projects alongside her brothers she has gained a greater understanding and confidence in her own abilities.

I love how each lesson is set up for our children to have success! Supply lists are provided for each project (with a link to purchase materials through Dick Blick – we got ours at our local craft store), downloads and lesson highlights and tips. We really thoroughly enjoyed this program (we still are actually!) and I highly recommend it if you have children who have a desire to learn and create. This has inspired every one of my children to see things in a different way and to try to capture some of what they see in a creative way, to share with others.

Connect to Create: Creating a Masterpiece

See the Seeds

The other morning I woke up with seeds on my mind. I rarely remember my dreams. There are times that I wake up knowing but I had a dream and that it was significant. But rarely do I remember the dream in its entirity.  Sometimes I will remember little details of the dreams. Like these seeds.

There are times that what I remember perplexes me. Then there are other times when it is so obvious to me. The meaning. My eyes are wide open. I am awake.  And that is exactly what happened with this dream. I remember in this dream seeing so many seeds. They were scattered all about. 

The haphazard way and seeds for scattered about reminded me of my first experience gardening with my children. Some of the seeds actually make it Underground are not fully buried. And some you can tell we’re just tossed onto the soil.

For whatever reason initially this vision in my dream truly did baffle me. Perhaps I haven’t had enough coffee just yet. Regardless I soon forgot about the seeds that I saw but we’re all scattered about.

But then later that afternoon my son and I we’re having a bit of a disagreement. You see he and I are very much like oil and water. There’s a constant struggle between the two of us.

If he stormed off to go sit in his room those scenes came to mind once again. I so clearly understood at that very moment and I feel silly admitting it because it’s so simple. It’s so obvious. If we are being intentional.

Everything that we do with our children every moment of every day. Every word we speak every show that we watch both that we read. It all plants a seed. This is pretty obvious right? We all know but we need to be mindful of what goes in because once it goes in it cannot be taken away. It’s there forever.

I sometimes take comfort in the fact that my oldest son has been in the church since he was a baby. It’s what he knows. It’s the way things are. The way they always have been for him.

And then we will have some conversation that reminds me that we can be in the church and not be the church. We can sit and listen to sermons and read our Bibles and pray everyday and yet still be so far from our God.

When that heart becomes hard and there is a stubborn and rebellious Spirit about ourselves or our children is this not perhaps a sign that a seed has not truly been planted? Perhaps this is our opportunity to stop and take the time to care for that seed just a bit more.

I am by far not a Master Gardener butt I do understand that there are times but we need to go out and care for her garden. We need to look for those weeds and when we see you them we need to pull them out. Roots and all. We need to water them and if we do see those seeds popping up perhaps we ought to take the time to carefully and gently cover them up so that they can grow and become strong.

It’s so easy sometimes to take for granted our ability to train our children up at home and in the church. It’s so easy to see home education as the solution. To see our children being raised in the church as all they need. Yet we have to stay awake and alert to the reality that just being there does it make it something that is truly our own. Each one of us needs our own experience. Each one of us needs to claim this truth for ourselves.

We have to understand it is for us. There is no good that comes from spending all of our life going through the motions. If we do not truly understand why we dress the way we do and why we worship as we do what does it matter?
We need to call for the desire for truth within the inward parts of our children. They need to see that we do more then just attend a service once or twice a week. And we need to help them to find their own reason for the hope within them.

These seeds will not grow unless they are properly cared for. In the same way we can teach our children the stories and sing the songs and we can lead them in worship and prayer every day but if they never claim it for themselves and if they never understand why all of this matters so much we have lost them. The seeds will never grow and the fruit will never be born.

We are called to be fruitful and multiply. That is pretty serious. It isn’t a recommendation but a command. It is a command for us to live and speak boldly the word of God. To live fully surrendered a life for God. And if we want to be fruitful and if we want to multiply those lives that live for Jesus. 

Let us remember that we shall be known by our fruits.

No-Nonsense Algebra {Math Essentials Review}

My oldest son said to me the other day, “I don’t really need to know all of this stuff!” We were talking about math. And I had to admit that some of what he was learning, I wasn’t sure was really something he needed. At least not yet. He is soon to be twelve; very advanced in many ways yet in others, not so much. Needless to say, given the opportunity, I was happy to try out Mastering Essentials Math Skills No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials.  This is a complete algebra high school program that includes free access to online video tutorials. Although my son is a bit young for this program, he certainly was eager to get ahold of a program that only teaches “what you need to know.”

 

 

 

 

I think I still have nightmares about high school math! Since I do not want my children to “suffer” through years of math as I did when I was young, the concept of Math Essentials really excited me! Their lessons are short and simple; where my son gets distracted easily (which then turns into frustration and discouragement, this program is so concise in every lesson that he isn’t given the chance to get lost. 🙂

 

 

   Some of the topics taught within this program are:

 

 

• Necessary Tools
• Graphing and Analysing Linear Equations
• Polynomials
• Rational Expressions (Algebraic Fractions)
• Radical Expressions and Geometry
• Algebra Word Problems

 

 

It begins with pre-algebra and goes all the way through to quadratic equations.

This program really is no nonsense! Isn’t that a relief for anyone that is struggling with math?

 

 

 

Throughout the pages of this book there are helpful hints. These offer some great shortcuts and tips.

There are examples that show every step you will take, all the way to the solution.

And of course there is a review at the end of each section to ensure that what has been taught has also been caught.

 

 

In all honesty I had a feeling this would be pretty challenging for my oldest son BUT I reminded him when we started with the very fist lesson that this is meant to be taught in short and simple lessons, only what he needs to know. The goal being to master those things that are essential in math.

 

In the very first video, he makes sure the kids know how important it is for them to copy the work that is being done as they watch in the video.  And as he goes along he often says, “copy this along with me.” I know my son needs those reminders.

 

As my son begins each lesson, he makes sure to keep his notebook and pencil nearby. Each lesson begins with an introduction which defines important mathematical words. There are also examples that walk  you through each step and then exercises to complete (do these in your notebook because this is really more of a text than a work book). He recommends that you also keep handy graph paper and a ruler. We begin each lesson watching the video; often we will watch it a second (maybe even third) time as my son works through the exercises.

 

There are also a couple handy resources in the back of this book:

 

• multiplication tables
• fraction/decimal equivalents
• important symbols and formulas
• square roots table
• common prime numbers

 

We really liked the way this program is put together. My younger son (who is only seven but loves math) even watched the videos here and there with us. At times he would even work some problems himself along with his brother. For my oldest son this was a perfect program to use. With simple yet direct lessons and instruction, he was able to see, and do, right along with the instructor. Between the hands on method, and the audio and visual provided, this really helped him to learn and grow a greater understanding of the value that math has in life. This is a very simple program; no frills and no thrills. Just straightforward math, the simplest way possible. And they have many more programs to choose from so be sure and check this one out!

 

 

 

Math Essentials can be found on Facebook

 

Let them Come

This past year has been a challenging one for my youngest son. He is 7 and very much an introvert. My husband refers to him as our little engineer because his mind just works a bit differently. He is always thinking and working and calculating. He is so little yet so big.

Unfortunately this has resulted in many problems with his interactions with other kids. And unfortunately it’s mostly the kids in our church. Because he is so small for his age and so soft-spoken he has been treated unfairly by many of the other boys. This of course has left its mark on him.

As a home educator I have never really been a strong proponent of school  to begin with. This includes Sunday School.  I truly believe that are children can learn best  by being a part of the church.  Not being separated  from it.
And as I have watched my younger son struggle I have found this to be true at least for my family.

There are many women in our church who I have a great respect for who are a part of these childrens programs… I love their heart and their desire to teach the gospel to these little ones. 
However it is also clear that they are steeped in the ways of the world when it comes to how they teach. Simple twaddle filled stories assuming that our children cannot possibly comprehend the story itself within the Bible. Silly songs and games to teach bits of truth.

Please hear me. I am not saying that this is wrong but I believe we do our children a great disservice when we dumb down what we set before them. Charlotte Mason has often referred to learning as preparing a feast for a children. Are we putting junk food in front of them? Certainly some junk food has some nutritional value but does what little value that is within that junk really make it worth while? We need to feed them that good stuff! 

I believe with all my heart that our children need to learn God. They need to learn it in a way that helps them to understand it and to love it. They cannot learn to love it if they’re being forced to do things but they are uncomfortable with. They cannot be forced through lessons and programs that don’t make sense to them. Our children need to see why the word of God matters.

The Bible tells us to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. I fear that too often we moms and dads see all of these programs in our churches as an opportunity to take a break from parenting. We assume that it’s a safe place for our children because it’s Church. We allow our children to learn biblical truths outside of our own vision. And we are low other examples to come before them. But God never tells us as parents that we are only to train up our children until we get to church or until they become of age where they can be sent to school.

We have to be willing to do the work if we want to receive the blessings. Every one of our children is so very unique. We need to understand them. We need to have a strong relationship with them. Only then can we really say to them but it is time to worship and watch them worship. To teach our children to obey men without having a heart that is seeking to please God is foolishness.

I imagine Jesus sitting with those children surrounding him. His disciples were so quick to have those children moved away because they were distraction. They were not doing what they were supposed to be doing. But Jesus said that we need to let them come.

Teach Me Some Greek {Greek ‘n’ Stuff Reviews}

We all love languages! I especially love the old ones, Latin, Greek. Yet studying them can be a real chore. Its hard to find materials that really help you to enjoy learning whether as an adult or as a child. Thankfully you can learn Koiné (common) Greek without breaking a sweat, using Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 2 set from Greek ‘n’ Stuff. We received a CD for pronunciation , the workbook for this level and the answer key to go along with the workbook.

 

 

I have to admit I was a bit worried when we received this, because we were totally new to this program. I am one of those “have to start at the beginning” people – So receiving level 2 when we never completed level 1 – I admit I struggled a bit with this. But I have always wanted to study ancient greek (my oldest son too) so we determined to just do it.

 

 

I was so pleasantly surprised by this material! As soon as it arrived I went ahead and got the materials out, popped in the CD – I was like a kid in a candy store you could say! This is the kind of things I get so very excited about 🙂

Level 2 of this program introduces the alphabet and as you progress, it also begins to teach some simple words.

We completed one lesson per week; that’s about 5-6 pages in the workbook provided. There are also flashcards in the back which should be used daily to help really reinforce each week’s lesson. There are 30 lessons in all – I almost forgot to mention, the audio CD provided included level 1 and level 2 pronunciations and reader. Nice, right? 😛

While initially my boys found the CD to be “for little kids” (never mind that my younger one is 7) they soon began to enjoy listening to this. Now and then we would use it while we were in the car running errands or going from one place to another. Being that my oldest loves to Bible study, I reminded him of the great value this could have for him, in studying the Word at an even deeper level. And what blessings could come from his diligent studies too as he learns and then shares the fruit of his labor.

 

 

This is recommended for grade 2-4 but due to the content of this level it is great for anyone of any age who wants to learn Biblical Greek and has no prior experience. I love that the goal of this program is to help students in their studies of the New Testament so that they are better prepared to discern faulty theology. It’s also a wondercul way to encourage the study of vocabulary since there are just so many words in our own language that have roots in the Greek.

 

We are having so much fun with this! Well, mostly me honestly. My oldest son doesn’t mind doing pronunciation work and he uses the flashcards plenty, but he isn’t big on the workbook. Often I will read the questions and have him tell me the answers; narration of a sort. My other ones are a bit young and not quite seeing the benefit but my younger son does have fun learning new words – since he is a very curious one – and even learning where some other words come from.  Plus he thinks speaking the Greek sounds kind of funny. Not totally sold on it but I think in time he will find a greater appreciation for this. In the meantime, this momma is really having a wonderful time learning Greek. 😛

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/GreeknStuff/

   https://www.facebook.com/groups/heyandrewteachmesomegreek/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/GreeknStuff

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kuriakos/greek-n-stuff/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/karenmohs/

 

Himalaya Botanique Complete Care Toothpaste {Mom Meet Review}

Lately I have been trying to find some simple ways to move my family into healthier and more natural products. Not just what we eat but what we use to keep our bodies strong and healthy on the outside. It all began with some essential oils last fall and since has included natural alternatives for oil health care; home made shampoo (dry shampoo), cleaners for the home and laundry too. One step at a time….It gets so exciting but also overwhelming. So many different products out there, all touting themselves as the one for you and your kids.

 

I was really excited to be given the opportunity to try the Himalaya Botanique Complete Care Toothpaste.

 

Himalaya Botanique Complete Care Toothpaste are available in 7 flavors:

 

• Whitening Complete Care Simply Peppermint
• Whitening Complete Care Simply Mint
• Complete Care Simply Peppermint
• Simply Mint, Simply Cinnamon
• Simply Spearmint and the
• Original Neem
• Pomegranate

 

Himalaya Botanique’s Toothpaste has none of that SLS, Fluoride and Carrageenan; they offer a more natural approach torah care with healthier ingredients (they are also gluten-free).

 

Their ingredients all offer amazing benefits the natural way!

 

 

• Pomegranate supports healthy looking gums.
• Neem Leaf cleans the teeth and gives a little sparkle (my daughter loves sparkles! haha)
• Triphala is an ancient Ayurvedic formula of three fruits for clean teeth
• Papain & Bromelain are enzymes from papaya and pineapple that help to remove stains on the surface of the teeth

 

 

These are just a few of the benefits that come from Himalaya Botanique’s toothpaste.  😀

 

 

I am not a big fan of the dentist (who is really?) and that could be due to the constant battle I have had through the years due to an overcrowded mouth; super sensitive teeth and gums. And dentists only tell youth brush and floss. How does that help to win this never-ending struggle for a healthy and clean mouth? We brush and floss – I recently took up oil pulling – in the hopes of strengthening my teeth and doing a bit of remineralizing too! Its only been a few weeks but so far I think I notice a difference. 🙂

 

 

When our package arrived we were super blessed with 6 boxes of Himalaya Botanique Complete Care Toothpaste and a coupon to save on more toothpaste (I shared this with my friend!).

 

 

 

My children loved this toothpaste. My younger son really liked the cinnamon spice that he said “tingled in his mouth” and my girls just loved the mint. They would brush their teeth and then spend quite some time, breathing on each other while the other girl said “you smell yummy!”

 

 

I was really impressed with how little toothpaste was needed; even though we used small amounts of this paste, it was amazing how clean and fresh our mouths felt. And how long the feeling and taste lasted too! I especially appreciated this for my younger kiddos who tend to use too much or too little.  With this toothpaste there is no harm come from using too much since there aren’t any nasty ingredients in them, and too little? I don’t know if there is such a thing. A little goes an amazingly long way, as I said before.

 

 

 

 

Did I mention that my package of goodies also included a bamboo toothbrush (I always wanted one!!) and a really cute tote and cosmetic bag (my two girls snagged these – one for each of them I guess?). This is one of those review products that the entire family really did enjoy (my husband does suggest an alternative to regular mouthwashes out there and perhaps something for more natural and simpler flossing).

 

 

A big thank you to both Himalaya and Mom’s Meet for this great package. Such a blessing!!

 

Want to try for yourself? Save 25% on any Himalaya Botanique Toothpaste with AMAZON COUPON CODE:  IZACRDZX
*I received these product free for review purposes, as part on the Moms Meet Blogger Ambassador Program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Distracted

I’ve been a bit distracted lately.

Perhaps it’s the piles of books that are strewn all over our house as I try to purge just a bit and prepare for the coming year.

Or maybe it’s just because I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about how quickly the years are going by. My oldest son soon to be 12. Well I don’t typically count the years in this case I kind of sigh as I realized that there’s only a couple more to go. These twelve years have gone by too fast. So much but still needs to be done taught trained. So many regrets and distractions through the years.

And as I’ve been pondering what we will do for the coming year. What we will study and where we will go a new friend that I met recently brilliantly said but sometimes we need to go back. When I destination is clear sometimes that really helps place to determine what path we shall take.

For some time now I’ve been struggling with bringing the lights back into my oldest son. Perhaps it’s just a stage he’s in but he’s lost that excitement. It’s harder for him to answer when I ask him what he wants to learn today. I fear that he too has gotten a bit distracted. There are just so many things making it hard for us to focus on what really matters.

I know my oldest son often gets frustrated. The material is too easy or it’s too difficult. So much material that is designed for our children is dumbed down. It is sad that our children are not given the opportunity to learn with material that is truly inspiring. Far too often isn’t it the case that while we want or children to learn and to love learning we give them material but makes them dumb.

Our children have so much potential! The things our children could do if we simply give them good food.
I remember another mom being mystified by my refusal to give my children a children’s Bible. She was certain that there was no way a child could possibly understand the Bible as it was written. And yet that is exactly what my children know as being the true word of God.
So much is just a distraction. Instead of our children having what is best for them we give them what is easiest. And unfortunately no one has ever been inspired by something easy.

It is so important to inspire our children. To give them the opportunity to truly understand something deep.
I strive to remind myself and this coming year that it doesn’t matter academically skilled my children are if they do not have a love for the Lord.  I remind myself that it is better to have salvation and to be in tune with the heart and mind of God. 
As we move forward into a new year I remind myself but I cannot compare what we are doing to what anyone else does. I remind myself that it is more important to have my children’s hearts than anything else. As we move forward I determined to spend this year building strong character in my children. Developing relationships with one another.

The wise woman builds her house. How desperately I need to spend this coming here building my house.

Who is He pouring out on?

I have been told I take things too seriously; I have been told that I go too far when it comes to this precious Word which God has given us. Yet our Pastor said, we need to be causing a bit of trouble, for the Gospel’s sake. Truth will cause those not living it to be offended, to get uncomfortable. This is not a bad thing.

 

 

As I was reading this morning in the Book of Revelation, it was so clear to me, the severity of this Word and the value of each jot and tittle within, was made ever more clear to me as I read and as I saw:

 

(Revelation 16:1 )And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon (fill in the blanks with whoever it is you know who is lost, who is backslide, who is not seeking HIs kingdom and His righteousness for their lives).

 

It IS personal. It is VERY personal. Do we speak in love? certainly I know I offend often. I strive to speak in love the responsibility that has been given us, the duty we are entrusted with….

 

Preach THE WHOLE GOSPEL. Not some. Not the pretty parts.

 

Preach about judgement, preach hell, speak truth about sin …

 

One day those vials will be opened and poured on on our family, on our friends….

People who do not know and do not believe…Perhaps because we did not open our mouths….

 

 

IF we pray, IF we seek His face, IF we turn and repent from these wicked ways….

 

We will all have to give an answer to someone, a reason for why we believe, why we hope. Let us speak that reason and that hope boldly to others.

 

He wants for none to perish – if we are the watchmen on these walls – what are we waiting for?

 

What are we doing with what we are seeing?

 

 

 

Don’t wait until you see those vials, that wrath, being poured on on your loved one.

 

 

In the Reign of TERROR {Review}

For the last few years my family has been so very blessed by Heirloom Audio Productions. Their dramatic telling of so many of the wonderful and historical tales of G.A. Henty have brought such life and excitement to our home learning; I credit them with the love of history that all four of my children have! This time around we had the pleasure of reliving the French Revolution, with their latest,  In The Reign of TERROR. We received the 2 Disc set along with an amazing study guide to help really understand the story being told. They also gave us access to their brand new Live the Adventure Club online community and resources. This is another amazing resource that is fun of downloadable materials; there are quizzes, articles that relate to the many adventures in their online library and other great activities to help our kids have fun while they learn!

 

 

 

What I just LOVE about Heirloom Audio is their dedication to bringing history to life! They provide such an amazing, high quality adventure.  Every second is exciting, encouraging and inspiring. These are stories the whole family will love time and time again! Woven into every story told are virtues, strong and sound characters and scripture. Throughout the story there is scripture always relating to the moment and the  Shared and lived out. There is never any doubt as our family listens to these, that we are learning so much more from this story, than we realize.  I know for many of us audio books are a great blessings (I hesitate to call this an audio book however) but this is so much more. Beautiful music,  actors who are so very talented, sound effects……This is the French Revolution coming alive in our very own home (or car). 😀

 

 

  In the Reign of TERROR takes place during the French Revolution. Experience this historic time through the eyes of young Harry (a British boy) experiences chaos, the challenge of cultures and nobility. As he strives to survive and even save, this family who took him in to be a companion to their own son, his faith is challenged. He is changed, as we all are to be, when trials come our way. This leaves you on the edge of your seat as you get to know this family, love them, and follow Harry’s attempts to rescue them from the guillotine, for something as simple as their heritage.

 

 

 

I admit I have a rather faulty understanding of the French Revolution. Thankfully at the same time that we received this, we also had a dear young man from France visiting with our family. He was so excited too hearing this story and the (so precise) French spoken in this drama. While this story focuses on the revolution and struggles experienced at this time, it also clearly teaches of the need to value friendship, righteousness and the importance of the sovereignty of God (not man).

 

While this production is truly amazing (I run out of words to express my love for these) the study guide that is provided with this is even better! There are three styles of questions within:

•  Listening Well asks what has been heard or remembered. What is the plan for Harry’s career? How does Harry subdue the dog? Who is Marie’s fiancee?
• Thinking Further encourages some deeper thinking—research  something in more detail, explore possible conclusions from actions and intentions and mind of the various characters in this story. Another way to encourage further learning, explore those rabbit trails within the story together. Perhaps you will locate a landmark, or specific location, on a map. Is it right to hunt and destroy dangerous animals?
• Defining Words helps to learn and expand vocabulary and understanding. Keep your dictionary handy for this one! Just a few of my son’s favorites: Braggart, grievous, horde, baguette.

 

There is a recommended reading list included so you can continue to learn about this time period. There is a recipe for french bread; you can learn about medicine during the time of the revolution and read about Marie Antoinette. This study guide is filled with fascinating facts. For example, the guillotine was also known as “the National Razor” and was a symbol of the revolutionary cause.

 

Its a delicious treat to make your own brioche: my daughter loves saying “Let them eat cake” (although she prefers to say, let me eat cake)!

Once that’s done how about creating your very own recipe to show what the revolution would look like if it was a cake. Determine the ingredients, prep time and directions as they would relate to a harsh ruler, poverty, or a lack of freedom.

And they even provide Bible Study materials (a real treat for my oldest son who loves to learn and share God’s Word) that lead you into a greater understanding of the story and the implications within. Understand the greater meaning and value of God’s providence; search the scriptures to see where kingdoms rise and fall. Be reminded of the value of submitting ourselves fully to God, in all times, seeking to please and do His will rather than man’s will.

 

There is just so much more to Heirloom Audio Productions than I could begin to share here. I really could go on and on about all the different activities and lessons; the great value of this to our family. My oldest son especially, is always so excited and eager to listen to these dramatic story telling, again and again. Every time learning something new; catching some new scriptural truth that can only help us to grow more and more into His image, as He desires for us to be.

 

 

 

There are seldom companies that I truly fall in love with, but this one, we love this one deeply and seek to support all that they do because all that they do truly is glorifying of our God. Any issues or questions we have ever had (we were heartbroken when we lost a disc to one of the stories we received some time ago) is received and dealt with so gracefully. This is a wonderful company that is full of wonderful men and women who truly are dedicated to bringing history to life and at the same time sharing the Word of God in a way that only confirms how alive and powerful it really is. If you have never experienced this company and its amazing adventures, you need to, for you will be greatly blessed!

 

 

 

CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: @/HeirloomAudio

Twitter: @HeirloomStories

Google+: +HeirloomAudioProductions

Instagram: @HeirloomAudioOfficial

It’s The Crafty Classroom {Review}

Who here has a hard time coming up with creative. crafty things for our kids to do, and learn, with? I so desperately want my kids to have fun while they learn; I want them to see learning as something that is enjoyable. I also want them to learn and grow in the Word of God; as I am sure you can imagine I was thrilled to find myself with the opportunity to review the Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook from The Crafty Classroom. And my daughter was so very excited about this too. 😀

 

 

My daughter is almost six years old; we have been working on letters and sounds and some basic sight words as much as possible in the past year. But she has only recently really begun to want to do this.  I love how she comes to me to ask for some things to do so she can read “like her brothers do.”  Of course, I also believe in the value of teaching our children all things, with a Biblical worldview. So my sweet girl has been a Bible Quizzer for two years now in our church and how she loves being able to learn to read while also having her own Bible study time. Its a wonderful way to teach reading as we learn letters and sounds and verses too!

 

 

 

I have to say, I was excited about this before I received it but I was even more excited once I had it. There are twenty six letters in the alphabet; this is over 600 pages of amazingly fun activities to help reinforce each one. There is a Bible Study “topic” for each week; this includes a verse to learn, mazes, coloring, a story of course, character lessons, letter searching and lots more activities!

 

As my daughter learns about Samson, she also learns about strength; we learned about the queen and courage. Each theme included a vocabulary work (favor), a verse to study (Genesis 6:8), and the character of God represented in that (gracious) along with a verse (Psalm 103:8). Everything from A to Z.

 
 

One of the things that was a bit of a challenge for me with this was that there is so much there –  I cannot possibly print all these pages at home – sometimes we will send ebooks to our local copy shop – this one was just too much though! And since there were many pages my daughter just wasn’t that interested in (she knows her ABC’s – just needs reinforcement) and there were other pages she just couldn’t get enough of, we printed out one page at a time. Some of the pages we just reviewed on the computer – I would have her point to and count each letter she found that was the letter we were working on that week. And the tracing pages we laminated so that she could use them again and again.

 

I think my favorite thing about this program is how easy it is to use. I don’t work with my daughter everyday (not wanting to make this “work”) but most days she does come requesting some thing so she can study the Bible. 🙂 And then all we have to do is print out the pages for her to work on. I will typically have her sit with me for a story, then some tracing work but I let her choose two or three of the fun pages each time and she just loves that! All you need is your Bible and you can get started! Of course she recommends a couple other things (f you plan to print the whole thing out) like a nice fat folder and some dividers to separate each week of study. And there are a few things (games your kids will love) that need to be cut out before you can play.

 
 

My biggest fault in this home learning thing (if I can be totally transparent here) is that I love to plan but I always kind of stop there. I get distracted easily by this or that. I find an awesome program and then get lost in all the things to do so that I can begin to do that program. Not the case with this one. It’s so easy even I can use it successfully! haha

 

 

Everything is clearly and neatly laid out. No mess. No stress. She even breaks down what work is to be done each day. There is a Bible reading suggestion provided and even talking points. You can have some great conversations with these younger ones talking about the things of God. I mean, some of the things my kiddos say, I am just speechless. Sometimes because of the wisdom other times … At the beach when she is covered in sand and muck and declares she is “just as God made her.”

 

Whether you are looking to introduce letters to your children, or perhaps to encourage Bible Study with your littlest ones, this is such a great program. It is affordable, it is FUN, it is full of goodness! This was one even my littlest girl enjoys 😛

 

 

The Homeschool Review Crew is reviewing a lot of different materials from The Crafty Classroom such as: non-Bible version of the ABC pack, Learn to R.E.A.D. Curriculum Notebook, the USA Activity Bundle and How to Write a Paragraph curriculum. The last two are recommended for older kids and while I have not used them yet myself, I am eager to get my hands on them for my boys. Don’t take my word for it though! 😛

 

Facebook 

Twitter @craftyclassroom

Pinterest @craftyclassroom

Instagram @thecraftyclassroom