Will you or won't you homeschool this year?

*affiliate links are used in this post*

I am not going to lie - you have a HUGE decision ahead of you in the next couple of weeks. What are you going to choose for your children's education for this semester? There is so much uncertainty out there about if in-person classes will happen at local schools, will parents be able to continue e-learning and still keep their jobs, and how will you balance it all?

There are choices, but there is also help! If you want to try homeschooling your children this fall, I'm going to cheer you on, point you to helpful resources, and try to answer as many of your questions as I can. If you choose e-learning - I'm going to cheer you on and support you as best as I can. If you send your children to class - I'm going to cheer you on, pray for their health and safety, and try to hold you up as you balance all those deadlines. Whichever option you choose: I support you!

I know homeschooling is not for everyone. It was tough, but we found it worth the effort. I worked anywhere from 15-35 hours outside of the home the entire 16 years we homeschooled our girls. And by saying "we homeschooled" I'm, really saying "I homeschooled" while Kurt went to work 40 or more hours a week to make sure we could pay the bills, and then made sure no one burned the house down while I slept on the weekends. ;)

If you are considering homeschooling, or wondering if e-learning will be enough, I encourage you to check out your options. There are full curriculums in a box you can purchase, or you can use an online resource like SchoolhouseTeachers.com that offers either full curriculum or single subject choices all for one price per family. If you love printed books, look to purchase as many of them as possible as used copies to save you some money. Many (most) homeschooling families sell their curriculum at a significant discount once they are finished with it. We always preferred printed math books, so I would budget to purchase them, then sell the teacher's books and DVD's to other homeschoolers once both girls were finished. A savings to the new owners, and a little cash to put towards the next year's books for us - a win-win! We used SchoolhouseTeachers to fill in the gaps between our printed resources, but I know many families use it exclusively.

Want to know more about how we homeschooled? There are dozens of posts here in the blog archives that you can read. Lots about field trips, many about different curriculum we used over the years, quite a few about being different than everybody else - and how that is perfectly okay, and most importantly, some timely posts about God's faithfulness to help us through both the good and bad times. God gave you those precious children for a reason - it is important that you find out why that is!

If you ARE considering homeschooling, but not quite sure where to start with curriculum, I suggest a family membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com. If you are certain you're going to homeschool, you can get their once-a-year Shark sale special of $179 for two years for the entire family. That works out to less than $8/month for two full years of curriculum for all grades. Use coupon code: SHARK20 - this offer is non-refundable. 

If you're still sitting on the fence about homeschooling, why not try the quarterly payment of $49.97 for all grades, or only $37.97 for PreK-8th grade? One of the best features of SchoolhouseTeachers is that it has helps for parents, streaming videos and world book access for families, and a truly helpful "Start Here" section.

Not sure homeschooling is really legal? It is - in ALL 50 states and Washington, D.C. You can do a quick web search for the requirements for your specific state in less than five minutes. That gives you a great perspective on what will be needed both to get started, and to follow through with homeschooling. 

And because I know your next question might be this one: what do I need to buy? I want to point you back to this ever popular post of ours about school supply lists for homeschoolers. 

Check it out, ask questions, and know I'll stand by you whatever educational option you choose for your children for this fall!

The End of Homeschooling ~ Part 4

Were you beginning to wonder if I would ever get back to the next post in this series? Me too! So after a too-long break - here is the next installment in my thoughts about the end of homeschooling.

What about mom?

Whenever there is a change in the education of your children, there is a change in mom's routine and how she manages her days. Be it the very first time your child colors a picture for school, or the very last day when you hand them their homeschool diploma, there will be changes ahead. (FYI- this is true of public schooling moms too!)

Often I have seen friends who started the transition to mom's new normal before their last one graduated. This works well for many moms who are down to the last one or two high schoolers who are pretty self-sufficient. Maybe mom takes on a part-time job outside the home, or she expands her at-home repertoire of book editing, teaching piano lessons, or what have you.

But, for many moms, they need to wait until the last child has graduated and is safely started on the next leg of their journey before they feel released to move to something new. It might be because you had a child with a learning challenge, or because you've been so busy doing things, planning lessons, and chauffeuring that you just need a few weeks to decompress.

For the last 11 years of our homeschooling adventure I was a 4-H leader. It was freeing, but weird, to go through this past year of not being a 4-H leader. I saw the club flourish under the leadership that stepped up (my previous assistant leader) and I got to be a blessing by volunteering during judging week at our county fair. Seeing the results of their kids' efforts without the stress of being a part of it. :)

This was just one small part of the ongoing changes that have happened in my life (our lives) since we finished homeschooling last December. My work outside the home shifted as well, and I am really happy at my current workplace. And no - I do not miss frozen resets at the grocery store - at all! LOL.

Moms, you are going to run the gamut of emotions when you come to the end of homeschooling. Some of my friends continue to teach co-op classes after their last ones graduate. Others head back to their pre-kid career fields and teach or go back into the business world. The end of homeschooling can feel both like a death and a freedom won on the same day. 

It is okay to not know what comes next! Take your time in finding your new normal. I've done quite a lot of purging of the house, but it still seems like I have just begun. There are still books to give away of sell, and a lot more organizing to be done. I'm learning what it's like to be home by myself once in a while (hooray for days off!) and it's actually pretty nice. :)

Our girls are both taking college classes, so some nights it's everyone on their laptops working one various assignments. Other nights it's let's watch a movie - just because we can.

To the dads and kids out there - mom should not be rushed to decide what comes next. Whether it's been a year, a decade, or more since you began homeschooling, when it ends there are adjustments to be made. Rushing through the changes might leave her temperamental and unsure. Let her go at her own pace. Go make your own dinner once in a while - she's probably SO OVER menu planning by now. Better yet, go make dinner for everyone tonight - event it's just grilled cheese sandwiches.

Hang in there mamas - your life is not over when you reach the end of homeschooling - it is the beginning of a new season. Enjoy the changing season, and be willing to try something new. Who knows - it might just be your new favorite thing!

Remember this- the same God who led you while homeschooling is still leading you today. You are loved!

The End of Homeschooling ~ Part 3

When you come to the end of your home education journey, you will have to come to terms with all of the books you have collected over the years. Picture books, field guides, chapter books, textbooks, art books, novels... the shelves go on and on and on.

Evaluating your book collection

How do you decide what to keep and what to let go? Maybe you've already purged your shelves of all but the most treasured of childhood books and now you are down to the high school level reading material. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you begin to sort those shelves:

1- will my children (or grandchildren) ever want to read this book again?

2- will I or my spouse ever want to read this book again?

3- is this a fairly recent edition in good enough condition that I should consider selling it?

4- is this book a solid resource that would bless some family I know because it fits with their teaching and learning styles (should I gift it to them)?

5- was this a book I wish we had NOT used? If so, is it a poor quality or content weak resource... or did it just not click with my kids?

6- in five years will I wish I still had this book to re-read or loan to family friends?

7-is this book worn out or used up and just needs to go in the recycling bin or kindling pile?

(If you have not already begun this process with the children's picture books and middle school resources, then choose just one area to start with. Move to another area in a month or two.)

Finding new homes for your books

After you've evaluated your books, or at least a few shelves' worth of them, talk with your spouse or adult children and make sure no one is upset by your rating of each book. You might have listed them by final destination spots in a notebook, or simply put color coded post-it note flags in them. Another option is to fill each shelf with books destined for the same end.

Once you've got your piles and the OK from the family for those you want to part with, get online and decide where and how you want to offer those titles from category #3 for sale. Does your local homeschool group host an annual used book sale? Is there a local facebook group to sell them from, or are you going to list them on one of the nationwide used-curriculum sites? Sometimes all you need to do is let your friends with middle school aged kids know what you want to part with. Books from popular homeschool publishers like Apologia, Math-U-See, IEW, and Memoria Press tend to find their new homes quickly!

Next, look over that pile of #4 books. Gently offer these books and resources to families you would like to bless. They might be thrilled with the offer, or they might decline. Don't be pushy, give them time to think over your offer before they need to decide. On a similar note, do NOT make them your dump site! If they only want one or two of your 40+ chapter books, then just gift them those two. You can find somewhere else to dispose of the others.

If you have a pile of #5 or #7 books because they are falling apart or because they were just horribly written, then look for one of those large book and paper recycling bins in the parking lot at the library or supermarket and give then a toss. If that book truly was awful - it can better serve someone after it is recycled into couple of egg cartons. :)

Final thoughts about your book collection

Overall, you probably will not get rid of as many books on this first culling as you initially think. Be willing to lower your price if necessary on books you want to sell, or look for places that collect free used curriculum to bless others with. After six months or a year you may want to go through the process again.

Our house will probably always look like a small library. That's OK with all of us since we have books we love. Our goal is not to get rid of all of the books - just to move the ones we are done using to new homes so that we can better organize and find the ones we love!


Come back later this month for part 4 in the End of Homeschooling series - What about mom?

In the meantime, you can read parts one and two in this series again anytime!

Rest

Last Friday's word prompt from Kate was Rush. Even before I knew what the word was going to be, I had been feeling stretched too thin by the rush of life and had decided to take the weekend to rest. This is where that rest led me...

Rush, rush, rush, that seems to be all I do these days. And yet, God has been quietly telling me - in multiple ways - to rest. To rest my body, to rest my mind, to rest my anxious thoughts. To rest and remember that He is in control of every step of my future.

So I called a vacation. I told my family that I would be resting this long weekend, and that I would be spending some time out in nature - in the quiet - away from phones and computers and clocks with alarms.

I so needed to set aside the tendency to rush and not really accomplish anything well and instead rest, and let God accomplish things for me.

On Friday Arlene and I went to a remote state park (without any cell phone coverage) and went hiking. What a glorious time of not needing to answer anything. No phones, no emails, no in-store pages asking me to come find something. 

Saturday I really wanted to write, but God reminded me that those readers would still be there if I took a few days off to rest, so I rested instead. We went to an outdoor concert, and I focused on just relaxing. No chores, no deadlines, just sunshine, clouds, and a cotton candy colored sunset.

Sunday we went to church and God spent some time reminding me about how HE is the one who determines our steps. How thankful I am for that - a reminder that I am not in charge of whether an idea lives or dies. That my timeline is such a silly thing when God has bigger plans for my life. A reminder to let go, to rest again in Him. To be His child.

Today, I rested, and then I did a little work on Arlene's coursework for this, her last semester of high school. Mostly though, I rested. Thank you God for allowing this rushed Mama a time to rest. Thank you readers for understanding that we all need a time of rest.

When I feel the pull to rush, may I continually hearken back to God's voice that calls me to rest in Him. I will work, I will write, I will love on my family, but help me to no longer rush.

Take a Look Tuesday

*This post contains affiliate links*

Today is take a look Tuesday

Would you really like to take look at what we use? Some of you are probably jumping up and down saying "YES!" Others might be like, umm, no, I don't want to know, I think I like my curriculum. 

Let me tell you a little secret: either answer is fine!


We have never been a big curriculum using family. We prefer living books over textbook style learning, so the thing we use the most is our library card! Our house currently has 15 bookshelves with books (as opposed to records, CDs or DVDs) on them. We have a medium-sized really old house with a lot of windows, so we have squeezed in bookshelves of all sizes.

But what I think might help you more is to tell you about what we actually used as far as curriculum style resources these past few years for high school. As far as we are concerned, it is still much more fun to learn things hands-on, but every once in while, a good curriculum can come in really handy. Especially if you are working and homeschooling!

Remember, we have had 2 girls homeschool through high school, so this is a combination of resources from both of their paths. (Don't be overwhelmed!) Some of these we used all the way cover to cover, others were the spine that let us jump off onto the topics that interested the girls the most.

Math:
VideoText Interactive algebra
Math-U-See algebra
Math-U-See Geometry
Math-U-See Stewardship

Science:
Bridget Ardoin's Science for high school:Biology
Science Shepherd Biology
Supercharged Science (online)
Physics from SchoolhouseTeachers.com
The Genesis of Germs
Exploring the World of Physics
Body of Evidence DVDs
Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky
Taking Back Astronomy
Field Guides

Social Studies:
Ancient Civilizations and the Bible
US History from Master Books
Romans, Reformers, and Revolutionaries
Economics for Everybody
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?
Worldviews in Conflict from Master Books

Others:
Artistic Pursuits - multiple titles
Memoria Press geography + lit studies
IEW Fix-It! Grammar
The Logic of English
The Joy of Signing
Several of Sharon Watson's writing courses


One of the things I like best about SchoolhouseTeachers.com is that it changes over time. Emily was using a physics curriculum that she really did NOT like, so I searched on ST and found one for her to use instead. What is there now might not be there in two years, but if it isn't, that's because something else cool is there instead. Have you looked at the BOGO sale that's going on over there this month? It really is a great resource to have!


So what does a typical day look like for Arlene, now that she has one semester left? Good question! It usually starts with some reading (history, Lit, or science) is mixed with a big helping of housework or handcrafts, and ends with us working on math, discussing politics, Religion, or textiles. 

Every couple of weeks she works on creating her Books With Bean columns, and she volunteers about three days a month at Conner Prairie, a living history park, where she works both in costume, and in the textiles program.

By the way, if you were wondering about Books with Bean, she has been taking a couple weeks off while she was working at the Indiana State Fair. Her column will be back in September, but will switch to twice a month instead of weekly.

For myself, there are no typical days. I'm ok with that, because I know that God always has something planned for me each day. Right now I'm averaging three days a week at my merchandising job, but I also write a monthly column for our  local newspaper, and write for the Homeschooling with Heart blog. 

Why is my life so full? I dunno. My mom joked a few years ago that I do as much things as six "normal" people. I love my mom's dry sense of humor - "normal" people must have quiet, dare I say, boring, lives. 

I would really like to get more words out of my head and into the computer for my book, but that is a work in progress that didn't progress much this past month while I was covering the state fair for the local newspaper. Maybe September. That sounds like such a lovely thought, time to actually write!

Every homeschooling family I know does things differently. That is one of the beauties of home education, you really can tailor it however it best suits your family. For us, that's more discussions than writing papers, it's more time spent outdoors and less time watching tv, and it's always, always looking for a reason to take a road trip somewhere cool. We don't do "school" here, we raise lifelong learners, and point them to Jesus.

So do your thing - your way. Check out how other members of the Crew do home education for their families. Just visit some of the links below.

See you tomorrow, I think you will really like Work it in Wednesday!


** **

The End of Homeschooling ~ Part 1

Suddenly it hits you, and for the first time ever you realize that homeschooling is coming to an end. 

Not for the entire world - but for you! Homeschooling ends. Occasionally this happens because of a life change. Maybe Dad was injured at work and Mom now needs to get an outside income to keep the household running. Not just temporarily, but maybe forever. Or maybe your family has decided that the children will attend a private High School after eight years of home education. 

Or maybe - just maybe - you are like us. You are running out of kids to homeschool and the truth has finally hit home that there is an end to your homeschooling adventure. It does not mean that your adventures are over - far from it - but it means you are about to hang up your Mom/teacher hat and take on a different role. 

Perhaps this fills you with a bit of dread, simply because this is what you have been doing for the past 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years. Or maybe you are filled with joyful anticipation. Wherever you fall along that spectrum, there are a few things to think about as you reach the end of your homeschooling years. This short series of posts is designed to help you think through the steps and travel them with joy, not fear.

But first, let me tell you about when I realized the end was approaching. A few years ago I was at work. Yes, I've worked outside the home the entire 15 years of this journey. It has not been easy - it was often really difficult - but it was necessary, and God's grace is sufficient, and sleep is a wonderful thing - don't take it for granted. Anyway, I was at work and I reminded one of the store managers that I would be gone the rest of the week. He asked where I was going and when I told him to a homeschool convention his comment was: "It won't be too much longer you'll need to do that will you? Your girls are almost grown up."

WHAT?!?

I had seriously never thought about getting to the END of the journey. Not that I had not thought about quitting, because there are always some days when you just want to stop doing everything and just sit still - for a really long time. This whole homeschooling adventure can be overwhelming at times. That's why you need friends - praying friends! Friends who stand beside you, who encourage you, and lift you up when you stumble.

Once I realized that he was right, I really started thinking about what I wanted the girls to MOST remember about the end of their high school years. Emily only had a couple years left, and while Arlene had a few left, I knew the time was limited - so I wanted us all to make the best of it! I also realized it was time to get on the ball about changing those pen and paper notes about Emily's classes into a transcript.

When your children are little, you may never think about the day when they will be grown up. It seems too foreign of an idea to entertain even for a minute. But, I am here to tell you it happens! My little giggle box has grown into a 20 year old young woman. She owns her own car, drives herself to work and to college, and goes out with her friends. Sometimes, she even takes her little younger sister with her.

Our other daughter just turned 18. How did my little munchkin get so big? When did she surpass me in baking skills and how does she know so much about textiles? It happens one day at a time. With all that you and your friends pour into them, some of it sticks!

So, whether or not you are at the realization stage yet - know this - one day there will be and end to your homeschooling. God knows when the perfect timing for that is. He knows what will come afterwards - for both you and your children. But that is a post for another day!

In the meantime. Enjoy the days. Even when they seem really long. 

The days are long, but the years are short!

Do not be afraid of the end. Know that it is coming, and remember that God will be right there beside you the entire journey! Find the joy in the journey - it is shorter than you think!

FREE New TOS supplement!

So this is the cover of the newly released The Old Schoolhouse supplement on Classical Christian & Charlotte Mason methods of education. You can get yourself a free copy! Keep reading to find out how.

I really think you will enjoy this! It contains articles by leaders in the homeschooling fields, as well as day-in-the-life style pieces by several Moms who use these methods with their own children. If you turn to pages 32-33 of the supplement (which are the 35th & 36th pages in the PDF format) you will get to read a lovely piece written by... me :)

This is a free resource for you to enjoy as a gift from The Old Schoolhouse. Encourage your friends to go get their own free copy as well. To make it easy for you, here is the link to the supplement: Classical Christian Education & Charlotte Mason. It is my affiliate link. I won't make anything from you using this link, since it is a free resource, but that's ok because it helps TOS know where the readers are coming from. I would be happy for them to know that you got there from here. :)

That's it for today. Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Drive Thru History Adventures ~ a Crew review

*this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, it will not cost you any extra, but it will help fuel our blog - thank you!

Our family loves exploring history, so we were happy to jump onboard when the Homeschool Review Crew was presented the opportunity to review the new Drive Thru History Adventures with Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History TV app. This online homeschool history curriculum currently has three offerings: Bible History Adventures, American History Adventures, and Ancient History Adventures. An Annual subscription to Drive Thru History Adventures gains you access to all three courses. The American and Ancient history courses each contain 12 lessons, while the Bible history course contains 18 lessons.

Dave Stotts hosts each of these Adventures and takes a good bit of humor, mixes it with history lessons, and points the lesson back to how it effects our lives today. Dave also includes thoughts on how the events in history, and the people who were involved were guided by their devotion to God, or lack thereof. For this review Arlene chose to work on the 12 lessons in the American History Adventures. Normally you would do one lesson a week, but, Arlene is a bit of an overachiever when it comes to history, especially American history, that might have something to do with her six+ years as a Civil War re-enactor, so she did all 12 in four weeks. Each lesson in this series includes a 30 minute video, reading of primary source documents, and a worksheet with discussion questions.

The American History Adventures course covers the time from Columbus to the Constitution of the United States, with the bulk of the time spent on the American Revolution. The primary source documents are available to read online or can be downloaded and printed if desired, as they are in a PDF format. 

Before I go much further, I want to take minute to explain how we use Drive Thru History Adventures, and give you some suggestions for your own family. Arlene is 17 years old and does almost all of her coursework independently. That means she logs in, watches the videos, reads the accompanying primary source documents, and then we discuss her lesson while making dinner that evening. I do not make her write out the answers to the discussion questions, but we have looked them over. We discuss what she learned, because I have found that if she can re-tell it to me, she had cemented the learning. If you have a family of mixed ages that want to study history together, you can adapt the various part of the curriculum to fit your individual children. Everyone can watch the videos together, but skip the primary source readings and written answers for the younger kids. You might want to have printed off the discussion questions beforehand and have everyone discuss them before you send your teens off to read, or you might only assign these questions to the older students. For the American History Adventures, some of the primary source documents are rather long and require a high reading comprehension level. It is not expected that your student will understand everything they read, or even agree with it, but the opportunity to try is invaluable.

The Video for Episode 4 in this American History Adventures series includes the history of George Whitefield and the First Great Awakening, as well as a walk along Boston's Freedom Trail and an inside tour of the U.S.S. Constitution. There are two primary source documents to read for this lesson: George Whitfield's Marks of a True Conversion, and Jonathan Edwards' Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. One is 14 pages long, the other 16 pages long. This is representative of the amount of reading expected by high school students, so if your students are younger, don't stress - they will still get a lot of history learning in just by watching the videos. Arlene and I discussed the mercy of God and how Edwards portrayed the plight of sinners in his sermon. Yes, these are Christian history lessons. They do not pretend everything in the past was beautiful and perfect, rather, Dave Stott does an admirable job of showing viewers how the faith of those early Americans gave them the strength to follow what God had called them to do - persevere in the face of hardship and adversity.

Your one year subscription to Drive Thru History Adventures also unlocks the benefits of using the Adventures TV app on your phone or tablet. This app allows access to all of your videos in the three history adventures, as well as other videos like Dave's Adventures (which includes the weekly mailbag videos,) Side Roads videos, Behind the Scenes videos, and Dig Deeper videos. The Adventures TV app does not include the primary source documents of the discussion questions - for those you'll need to log in to the website. What the app does do is gives you the freedom to travel with your history videos. Think about being able to take your videos along to watch while waiting at the Doctor's office (with headphones of course) or by sending them to your tv via Chromecast or an AppleTV device. Or if it is warm outside, you'll find Arlene on the porch swing in in the pa tree with the iPad. You can also watch the videos via Adventures TV on your computer. I really like the Adventures TV app because it bookmarks your viewing of the videos. Start watching it on your phone, and when you return that episode is at the top of the page with a Continue Watching button.

Since Arlene has watched all of the episodes and read the primary source documents in the American History Adventures, I'll let her take over while I go watch the Side Roads video about the history of cheese. :)

From Arlene:

When we reviewed Drive Thru History: The Gospels last year it didn’t just become my favorite product of that year but my favorite product we had ever reviewed. Sound Biblical teaching and a fun look at history. What could be better? I didn’t think anything would ever top it as my favorite review ever until my mom told me about the new Drive Thru History Adventures, if I remember correctly the first words out of my mouth when she was done explaining what it was were “Where do we sign up?” 

Drive Thru History Adventures is so cool because it is not just the episodes (which are cool enough on their own), it is the episodes of three of the series plus historical documents that go with different episodes and extra articles and reading to go along with the episodes so you can learn more plus different shorter videos by done each week by Dave covering everything from how we got penicillin to the history of cheese. There are also videos by others that talk about ancient coins and ones that talk about the origins of different holidays. Oh and it has behind the scenes videos on all sorts of different things, like, did you know that there is a Drive Thru History section at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D. C.? Oh and of course there are bloopers!

So that is a lot and its kind of one long sentence and as I reread it I can hear mom in my head telling me to use less conjunctions and more punctuation but there is just so much stuff! 

So what do I like particularly about the videos? As I said above I love history and finding a video series that has both amazing quality information and great production quality where I can just watch knowing it is Biblical and not have to be worried about millions of years popping up is so nice! The videos themselves have tons of information and it is totally ok to re-watch them over and over agin because you are sure to remember something new each time. The also make history fun! Dave is never afraid to make a joke to keep the show going and even as an older kid I don’t find the jokes annoying I find it nice that he can show people that history isn't just dead people and old stuff but that it is alive all around us and still impacts how we live today. I love that he doesn’t just show pictures and talk but goes to the places he is talking about. Seeing the places, some of which I had only ever read about before, was super cool and gave me a helpful visual aid for the next time I read something about that place and time. 

Last time we did a review it was just for the videos but this time it is for the new Drive Thru History Adventures a site with so much stuff it is hard to know where to begin! The site was so cool because after watching the videos I could read historical documents that went along with what I had just watched and then if I wanted to know more I could read other articles that helped me learn even more about the time period I had just learned about in the episode. It was also cool because I could watch behind the scenes videos of how they made the show and my favorite, bloopers! Dave also has new videos posting all the time on all sorts of different things. I learned more about the history of so many different Holidays from Valentines day to Veterans Day, Groundhogs  Day to Reformation day. There are also videos by people besides Dave talking about cool things like ancient coins, and tours of the construction of the Museum of the Bible which has a section just for Drive Thru History. Oh and it has worksheets if you are into that sort of thing. I never really was, but I know lots of parents LOVE worksheets and the site has them to go with each episode.

So you are probably thinking that this sounds cool but you don't know if you want to spend the money for a whole year’s subscription since I might not have convinced you yet that it is worth the price. So let me say it plainly. It is TOTALLY WORTH THE PRICE! In fact when you think about the cost of other history programs and curriculum out there it is a FANTASTIC price. Because it is not just one history course but three! Plus it is fun which means your kids will actually want to do it! And what parent doesn't want a school program that they know is good and they won’t have to make their kids do? So yes, it may seem expensive at first but it is totally worth it because its not one of those only one or two kids at a time can use it things like some other programs. You can have a younger kid learning American history and an older one learning the history of the Gospels at the same time! Plus did I mention that there is an app? You can access all of Drive Thru History Adventures videos right from your phone (because even adults need a refresher course once in a while), or your kid’s tablet without having to go through the bother of remembering which of the two dozen tabs you have open is the right one! So if you are not sure get it for a month and try it out, after a month most of you will probably want to get it for another year because its just that awesome!

So I’ll end now because this is supposed to go with mom’s review and not instead of and I’m already way over the word count minimum without mom’s help.

Just to wrap up a few more details, Drive Thru History Adventures is available as either a monthly or annual subscription. Right now, if you choose the Annual Subscription, they will send you a copy of The Gospels DVD set at no additional charge. You can see those details here. Arlene and I reviewed The Gospels set last year and it was Arlene's favorite course or review item of the entire year! 
OR, you could read the latest issue of the Old Schoolhouse magazine where Drive Thru History is offering a 20% discount on the Annual Subscription - look for their full page add in the first half of the magazine. Choose one or the other - either The Gospels DVDs or the discount. :)

So why Drive Thru History Adventures? Because it is a fun, immersive style of learning history. We cannot all physically travel to Boston, Portugal, and New Jersey each year to learn about American history, but with Drive Thru History you will step away feeling like you've been there. Learning through stories improves retention, but learning alongside Dave Stotts is just plain fun!

Oh, and because Dave is super cool and loves kids, even almost grown ones - he mailed Arlene some Drive Thru History Adventures swag :)

Connect with Drive Thru History Adventures
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest

Love ~ January Update

I was asked if I would give some updates during the year about how God is working out my word for 2018 in my life. This is the first one - a January update. I really do not know how often I will post these, as He leads me, but here is the first one. :)

Love requires action, as love is action - action on behalf of someone else. It is find and dandy to say we will love selflessly, but it is a much harder walk to actually live selflessly - long term. We have all had experiences where we acted selflessly - letting someone cut in line, or have the last piece of chocolate cake, but to live selflessly is a real challenge to our inner selves, because we are, by nature, selfish.

January has given me many opportunities to love, and many times I have failed. On other occasions I have succeeded, but only by God's grace. Let me tell you just a little about how this month has gone. First Kurt, and then Arlene, each had the nasty cold that is circulating this winter. I'm sure you're encountered it. It makes their heads ache, their noses run, and they cough as though they want to rid themselves of a lung or two. Thankfully - it was not the flu. This gave me 10 or 11 days of taking care of sick ones, while still going to work, cooking food (because my trusty assistant was sick) and doing chores for other people because they were too ill to do them themselves. On some of these days I had compassion and love, and on others, I could not wait to get out the door for work and leave Emily to deal with it. Sorry Em!

At the beginning of the year, God prompted me to read Charles Sheldon's book In His Steps again. This fictional novel written in 1896 is well known as being "that book against liquor," but is also known because of the question it asks: What would Jesus do? In his book, Sheldon tasks his characters with asking in every instance, what would Jesus do if He were in my situation, and then will I choose to do it, or to turn my back on God's calling and follow my own selfish ways? Although the town of Raymond and the story is fictional, it reminds me every time I read it, that it matters not what others think I should do in a situation I face, but what God wants me to do. How do I walk in the steps of Jesus? How can I be obedient?

At the same time, our pastor has been having a series about turning our focus from what we do for God, to how we become more like God. How do we change our focus from accomplishing tasks to becoming more like Christ?

Are you seeing a theme here? Yeah, me too. 

God has constantly reminded me this month that regardless of what I face, He is here, and He wants me to be obedient to His calling. I am not left here on this earth to make lots of friends and enjoy a lush lifestyle, I was placed here to do God's work by becoming more like Jesus so that others could see His work in my life and want to know more about how Jesus has changed me.

Oh the challenges I have faced this month! Most of them are not ones you would see from the outside. Rather, they are the inner struggles to choose to be selfless in the face of another person's anger, to be selfless in the face of heart pain, mental anguish, unkind words, bad drivers. Will I choose to love those around me even when they are trying their hardest to be un-loveable? I can, I must, for nothing less will transform me in who God is calling me to be. Will I stop complaining about the cold, the lack of help around the house, or my desire to run off somewhere and write instead of helping a child with their schoolwork? I truly hope so.

I don't think my life this month had been any more difficult than in the past, I think it is because I am paying attention to the Spiritual warfare going on all around me that I have felt the struggle so much more deeply. Has my pride been hurt? Yes. But since my pride always stands in the way of becoming more Christ-like, it needs that trampling. I cannot want my way more than God's way. If I truly desire to want to be obedient, then God can transform my desires to match His. I will no longer be conformed to the world. Oh how clearly I see my need of that transformation!

You see, this world comes at us from all sides. Our Enemy is crafty and knows our weaknesses. Our only hope in in Jesus. We must draw near to God to be able to resist the devil. We need to be in prayer more than we are on our phones. We need to choose to speak love in the face of trails. We must choose to love those around us, on their good days, and especially when they have bad days. For each of us is facing a trial of some kind. My heart is not the only one that was bruised this month by someone else's unkind words. Too often I forget that each member of my family has their own cross to bear. While I must carry my own cross, it is imperative that I do not make theirs any heavier than it already is!

So yes, as I expected, this word Love is a difficult one to live out. What I did not expect was how much peace God has poured out upon me when I have been obedient and walked in His steps. The future is never certain, that is why the early believers were cautioned to say 'If God wills we will go here and do this' see James 4:13-15

Another thing I have learned this month, is that I am often the one with the wrong ideas, and the wrong intent. While God has given me a peace about the future that I have never had before, He had also chastised me when I am wrong. There is a definite check in my spirit when I have chosen the way that is not love. It is like a bit in a horse's mouth that jerks me back and gets my attention. It is most unpleasant and requires a lot of soul searching to figure out where I went wrong and where God wanted me to go instead.

In and through it all I have this confidence: that nothing can separate me from God's love. Romans 8:31-39 For this I am oh so thankful! I know full well that I cannot love on my own. Not the selfless, actionable love that God wants me to have for others. And yet, He reminds me over and over again that what is impossible with man, is possible with God! Luke 18:27

How about you? What has God done this month to transform your life? How is He challenging you to follow in the steps of Jesus?

Looking for more good reading? Check out the Friday link-up on the Homeschool Review Crew