I thought you might need a smile today, so here are some pansies ... with their funny little faces. Have a wonderful day!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Under Drake's Flag - 2 Cd Set - A Crew Review
Many people have heard about G.A. Henty and the many (122) books he wrote to tell the story of history. We've seen several of Henty's books and heard praise for his works. What intrigued us was a chance to review the dramatized Audio Theater of Under Drake's Flag from Heirloom Audio Productions.
For this Schoolhouse Review Crew run we received the 2 CD set, which includes a small study guide and the Prayer of Sir Francis Drake. The CD set includes 2 hours of dramatized audio and retails for $29.95. Emily, Arlene, and I listened to the CD's in the car over the course of a couple days. We agreed that the amount of dramatization was just right. It adds to the story, without being overwhelming or making it difficult to hear the dialogue.
If you're not familiar with Henty's Under Drake's Flag, it is a story about Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) and his life as a privateer under Queen Elizabeth of England. The Spanish considered Drake a pirate, the English considered him a hero.
The small study guide included with the CD set can give you questions and topics to discuss with your children. When you purchase the CD's you can also download the full study guide as a 28 page PDF file. The full study guide goes more in-depth and asks you to spend time listening to and thinking about each part of the story. It also includes vocabulary words that you and your children can look up and discuss.
This audio drama is designed for ages 6 through adult, but I would suggest you pre-listen before sharing it with your children under 10 or 11. While there are no words or scenes that are inappropriate for young listeners, the topics of slavery, warfare, and the Spanish Inquisition are covered during the story. As a parent, I would have had a difficult time explaining these to the girls if they were 8 or 10, and I would have wanted time to think through my responses before the questions were asked. Now that they are 14 & 16, this was an excellent open and go story, and a great conversation starter. After listening to the CD's a couple of times, the girls and I talked about pirates/privateers, the Spanish Inquisition, English rule under Queen Elizabeth, and what happened in Europe for the 300 years following Drake's lifetime.
At two hours, this is obviously an adaptation of Henty's original book. I haven't yet read the book, but I liked the audio drama. Arlene commented that is was as well done as a movie, but without the pictures. Emily and I discussed the implications of the war between England and Spain and how the gold and silver Drake captured went back to Queen Elizabeth, and how it might have funded other English endeavors.
The story presented in the CD's focuses on Drake's Christian faith, and is intended to help build character, while teaching about making wise choices.
After listening to the CDs a few times, we discussed the differences between true faith, and using the church for personal gain. I believe the story does a decent job of not going too in depth on touchy subjects, leaving those for your family to discuss. For example it is enough to know there were runaway slaves to understand the story, while you decide how in-depth your family wants to go with discussing specifics of slavery and mistreatment of other people.
I enjoyed Henty's way of telling the story of Sir Francis Drake through the eyes of Ned and Gerald. I frequently read historical fiction because I find that a well-written historical fiction novel can teach me more than a dry history book just stuffed with facts. Listening to this CD Set has encouraged me to consider adding some Henty books to the girls' schoolwork for later this year.
Overall, we were impressed with the quality of the audio, and the adaptation of the story. If your children (or you) enjoy a swashbuckling good story, grab you family a copy of Under Drake's Flag today. Your next car ride can be an adventure you'll all enjoy!
Heirloom Audio Productions is working on another G.A. Henty title In Freedom's Cause, the story of Wallace and Bruce, due out later this Fall. It is currently on pre-order status, but they expect it to be available sometime in November. Maybe I'll get it for my birthday, and share it with the family.
For this Schoolhouse Review Crew run we received the 2 CD set, which includes a small study guide and the Prayer of Sir Francis Drake. The CD set includes 2 hours of dramatized audio and retails for $29.95. Emily, Arlene, and I listened to the CD's in the car over the course of a couple days. We agreed that the amount of dramatization was just right. It adds to the story, without being overwhelming or making it difficult to hear the dialogue.
If you're not familiar with Henty's Under Drake's Flag, it is a story about Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) and his life as a privateer under Queen Elizabeth of England. The Spanish considered Drake a pirate, the English considered him a hero.
The small study guide included with the CD set can give you questions and topics to discuss with your children. When you purchase the CD's you can also download the full study guide as a 28 page PDF file. The full study guide goes more in-depth and asks you to spend time listening to and thinking about each part of the story. It also includes vocabulary words that you and your children can look up and discuss.
This audio drama is designed for ages 6 through adult, but I would suggest you pre-listen before sharing it with your children under 10 or 11. While there are no words or scenes that are inappropriate for young listeners, the topics of slavery, warfare, and the Spanish Inquisition are covered during the story. As a parent, I would have had a difficult time explaining these to the girls if they were 8 or 10, and I would have wanted time to think through my responses before the questions were asked. Now that they are 14 & 16, this was an excellent open and go story, and a great conversation starter. After listening to the CD's a couple of times, the girls and I talked about pirates/privateers, the Spanish Inquisition, English rule under Queen Elizabeth, and what happened in Europe for the 300 years following Drake's lifetime.
At two hours, this is obviously an adaptation of Henty's original book. I haven't yet read the book, but I liked the audio drama. Arlene commented that is was as well done as a movie, but without the pictures. Emily and I discussed the implications of the war between England and Spain and how the gold and silver Drake captured went back to Queen Elizabeth, and how it might have funded other English endeavors.
The story presented in the CD's focuses on Drake's Christian faith, and is intended to help build character, while teaching about making wise choices.
After listening to the CDs a few times, we discussed the differences between true faith, and using the church for personal gain. I believe the story does a decent job of not going too in depth on touchy subjects, leaving those for your family to discuss. For example it is enough to know there were runaway slaves to understand the story, while you decide how in-depth your family wants to go with discussing specifics of slavery and mistreatment of other people.
I enjoyed Henty's way of telling the story of Sir Francis Drake through the eyes of Ned and Gerald. I frequently read historical fiction because I find that a well-written historical fiction novel can teach me more than a dry history book just stuffed with facts. Listening to this CD Set has encouraged me to consider adding some Henty books to the girls' schoolwork for later this year.
Overall, we were impressed with the quality of the audio, and the adaptation of the story. If your children (or you) enjoy a swashbuckling good story, grab you family a copy of Under Drake's Flag today. Your next car ride can be an adventure you'll all enjoy!
Heirloom Audio Productions is working on another G.A. Henty title In Freedom's Cause, the story of Wallace and Bruce, due out later this Fall. It is currently on pre-order status, but they expect it to be available sometime in November. Maybe I'll get it for my birthday, and share it with the family.
Thankful Thursdays - 9/4/14 - A Thankful Mash-up
Today I am thankful for a lot of things. While I had an idea at the beginning of the week for today's theme, I realized that there are SO MANY things to be thankful for this week. I have decided to give you a glimpse into my thankful mash-up.
This week I've been thankful for:
A quality mechanic
Working internet
Grace
Peace
Educating our daughters
The power of prayer
God's perfect plan
The Body of Christ in action
Friendship
Food
Flowers
Potatoes
Jobs
Our chiropractor
The Schoolhouse Review Crew
Stars
Our mailman
Rain
Grocery Sales
To-do lists
Bicycles
Long talks
A clean kitchen
Indoor plumbing
If I were a graphic artist, I'd draw you a mash-up picture, but I'm not. Just know that I'm thankful for every day God grants me!
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Thankful Thursdays - 8/28/14 - Planning
I was thankful for the opportunity to plan this week, even when life threw us a major curveball. The curve? The internet went down, and we needed a new modem, and we had to wait on our provider company... get the picture? It's quite hard to re-adjust your life to a no-internet status when you've gotten used to it, AND when you're trying to get blog things accomplished!
Yet, I can still be thankful for planning. Even though I didn't get to print out a map I thought I wanted, didn't get to Google my questions about harvesting potatoes, and even though you're reading this "Thursday" post on a Saturday afternoon, I was still thankful for planning.
Not having regular internet service forced me to follow what I put down in my paper planner to do every day this week.
Hmm. I think we got more accomplished, at least more of what I had planned to accomplish done because of not having the distraction to go look things up.
(And yes, I know there is a library just a few blocks away, and yes, I could have let the girls Google things on my phone, but I decided to follow where God was leading... and His plan was even better!)
Today, our internet is working (hurray!) Yet we still chose to stick with the written plan, which included a long family bike ride this morning. The internet was still here when we got home.
Planning is not always my favorite thing to do, yet I have come to understand the wisdom in making plans. If God decides to change them, I want to be available to hear His direction, but if He does not, I want to know where we're going. As parents we don't plan to fail, yet we often fail to plan!
Your plans might be extremely detailed, or quite vague, yet they are STILL plans! Without any plans you drift, and your children may drift with you, or away from you. With plans, everyone has an idea where your family ship is headed.
I want to encourage you to make some family plans, outside of just school plans. They may not all come to fruition, but the ones that do may just be beautiful! Then you'll be thankful for planning too!
Monday, August 25, 2014
What about when life happens?!
You might remember that I've mentioned that Moms worry too much. As a general rule, we do. While I'm getting better at trusting God to handle the details, I know I still have a long way to go. Want to know the one time when I see a lot of Moms worry? When life happens.
What do I mean? Oh, things that we all might encounter during the years of homeschooling... a broken bone, a sick child, a job change, someone we love being admitted to the hospital. Having been through all of these in recent years, I'll be honest and admit I've worried too. How will we ever get "caught up?" What would that look like, and does it matter anyway?
First, breathe, second, pray, third, let go. Let go of your plans and try to embrace the plans God has for you. I might have had great aspirations of finishing a 36 week course with the girls in 20 weeks. I might have had designs to clean the house, plant the garden, or even read a book, but God had other plans.
How does this work in the real world? When one of the girls is sick, we usually end up with a 'documentaries on Netflix' day. This is a great time to pool ideas from your friends. If you haven't thought ahead and made a list of possibilities, ask them now. Social Media can get you a few great answers, some decent answers, and a couple mediocre answers in about 45 minutes. Usually someone is sitting there watching your post pop up in their newsfeed, and will share some ideas. If you're not sure they will work for your children, click over to Netflix and read the descriptions. It doesn't really matter how much they learn, it matters that you can keep an eye on them all day, from the comfort of the couch, near the bathroom and the kitchen. Since our girls are High School age, we can always just peruse the 'documentaries' listings and find something. If your kids are younger, pay attention to the descriptions. If your children are little, pick a sure-fire movie instead of a documentary. Maybe Winnie-the Pooh?!
Job change? Yeah, been there, done that more times than we care to recall over our past 11 years of educating at home. How does that work? For us, in bits and pieces. If you need to help your husband proof-read his resume, or prep for an interview, your kids just have to learn to adapt. Some people are very hands-on in their teaching style (not me) and letting their kids work independently may seem little scary. (If you've taught them to work independently, it will be a great help right now.) In the big scope of life, it really doesn't matter if your child only does 3 math lessons this week instead of 4. If you are so committed to your schedule that you can't be flexible to be your husband's 'help-meet' when he deeply needs you, then you love your schedule more than you love God. Let go. Start writing in pencil, because from experience I can tell you, this will NOT be the only time you are going to have your homeschooling interrupted.
Notice I said interrupted, not stopped. Just because your child isn't doing lesson #143 in their science book today does not mean they won't be learning. As homeschoolers, we have got to abandon the wrong idea that learning only happens from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you are still clinging to this idea - stop! Our children have learned loads of life lessons about to how act (and how not to act) by watching how Kurt and I interact with each other and with our jobs through tough times. Life is not all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns! It is healthy for your children to see that you struggle. It teaches then to turn to God (assuming that YOU are turning to God for help) for answers they cannot find on their own. It also teaches them about contentment. You may not find your dream job on the first try. Most people don't. Yet, you can be thankful for any opportunity God brings you, and ask Him to teach you through the struggle.
Broken bones, hospital admissions? We've been there, done that too during these homeschooling years. In our lives God has used His people to step in and parent our daughters when we couldn't. A few years ago, Kurt was in a car accident and broke his leg. During the first two weeks he was home (of 11) the girls spent each day with various homeschooling friends and their families. Did they get a lot of schoolwork done, no, but I didn't expect them to. They were fed, loved on, and comforted during the times when I couldn't be there taking care of them because I had to drive Kurt to his various Doctor appointments and tests, not to mention the seemingly endless phone conversations about insurance, or keeping track of times for his medicine.
This was the body of Christ in action. The girls got to play, swim, draw, spend time with their friends, and we got food. Lots and lots of delicious food, that I didn't have to shop for or prepare. The girls still talk about the things they did during those two weeks.
Earlier this year Kurt became violently ill. He ended up spending several days in the hospital with pancreatitis, and eventually having his gallbladder removed. Once, again, the body of Christ sprang into action. Rides for the girls, meals for the three of us that were still eating something other than jello, even some gifts to help pay our bills. Did the girls finish every math lesson on time? No. Did they learn about serving others through being served? Yes.
Our school days went a little later in May than I had planned, our garden isn't outstanding this summer, and we still have some decluttering to do in the house before next week. These are all minor trifles in caparison to the great love and grace that the girls were reminded of through the actions of friends and family. Kurt is healed, life goes on, learning continues.
At the end of each day/ year/ interruption to our schedule, as I look back, I see that God has been faithful to work through HIS plan to educate our daughters when I couldn't. When I look at our goals for our homeschool, I see He has met all of them already, and the girls aren't even ready to graduate yet. What an amazing God we serve!
Ecclesiastes 3 begins "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (KJV)
When life happens, remember that you really do want God, who has a masterful plan, in charge of your life and your homeschool.
Remember, breathe, pray, follow HIS plan.
Blessings on you all!
Click here to read more about:
What do I mean? Oh, things that we all might encounter during the years of homeschooling... a broken bone, a sick child, a job change, someone we love being admitted to the hospital. Having been through all of these in recent years, I'll be honest and admit I've worried too. How will we ever get "caught up?" What would that look like, and does it matter anyway?
First, breathe, second, pray, third, let go. Let go of your plans and try to embrace the plans God has for you. I might have had great aspirations of finishing a 36 week course with the girls in 20 weeks. I might have had designs to clean the house, plant the garden, or even read a book, but God had other plans.
How does this work in the real world? When one of the girls is sick, we usually end up with a 'documentaries on Netflix' day. This is a great time to pool ideas from your friends. If you haven't thought ahead and made a list of possibilities, ask them now. Social Media can get you a few great answers, some decent answers, and a couple mediocre answers in about 45 minutes. Usually someone is sitting there watching your post pop up in their newsfeed, and will share some ideas. If you're not sure they will work for your children, click over to Netflix and read the descriptions. It doesn't really matter how much they learn, it matters that you can keep an eye on them all day, from the comfort of the couch, near the bathroom and the kitchen. Since our girls are High School age, we can always just peruse the 'documentaries' listings and find something. If your kids are younger, pay attention to the descriptions. If your children are little, pick a sure-fire movie instead of a documentary. Maybe Winnie-the Pooh?!
Job change? Yeah, been there, done that more times than we care to recall over our past 11 years of educating at home. How does that work? For us, in bits and pieces. If you need to help your husband proof-read his resume, or prep for an interview, your kids just have to learn to adapt. Some people are very hands-on in their teaching style (not me) and letting their kids work independently may seem little scary. (If you've taught them to work independently, it will be a great help right now.) In the big scope of life, it really doesn't matter if your child only does 3 math lessons this week instead of 4. If you are so committed to your schedule that you can't be flexible to be your husband's 'help-meet' when he deeply needs you, then you love your schedule more than you love God. Let go. Start writing in pencil, because from experience I can tell you, this will NOT be the only time you are going to have your homeschooling interrupted.
Notice I said interrupted, not stopped. Just because your child isn't doing lesson #143 in their science book today does not mean they won't be learning. As homeschoolers, we have got to abandon the wrong idea that learning only happens from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you are still clinging to this idea - stop! Our children have learned loads of life lessons about to how act (and how not to act) by watching how Kurt and I interact with each other and with our jobs through tough times. Life is not all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns! It is healthy for your children to see that you struggle. It teaches then to turn to God (assuming that YOU are turning to God for help) for answers they cannot find on their own. It also teaches them about contentment. You may not find your dream job on the first try. Most people don't. Yet, you can be thankful for any opportunity God brings you, and ask Him to teach you through the struggle.
Broken bones, hospital admissions? We've been there, done that too during these homeschooling years. In our lives God has used His people to step in and parent our daughters when we couldn't. A few years ago, Kurt was in a car accident and broke his leg. During the first two weeks he was home (of 11) the girls spent each day with various homeschooling friends and their families. Did they get a lot of schoolwork done, no, but I didn't expect them to. They were fed, loved on, and comforted during the times when I couldn't be there taking care of them because I had to drive Kurt to his various Doctor appointments and tests, not to mention the seemingly endless phone conversations about insurance, or keeping track of times for his medicine.
This was the body of Christ in action. The girls got to play, swim, draw, spend time with their friends, and we got food. Lots and lots of delicious food, that I didn't have to shop for or prepare. The girls still talk about the things they did during those two weeks.
Earlier this year Kurt became violently ill. He ended up spending several days in the hospital with pancreatitis, and eventually having his gallbladder removed. Once, again, the body of Christ sprang into action. Rides for the girls, meals for the three of us that were still eating something other than jello, even some gifts to help pay our bills. Did the girls finish every math lesson on time? No. Did they learn about serving others through being served? Yes.
Our school days went a little later in May than I had planned, our garden isn't outstanding this summer, and we still have some decluttering to do in the house before next week. These are all minor trifles in caparison to the great love and grace that the girls were reminded of through the actions of friends and family. Kurt is healed, life goes on, learning continues.
At the end of each day/ year/ interruption to our schedule, as I look back, I see that God has been faithful to work through HIS plan to educate our daughters when I couldn't. When I look at our goals for our homeschool, I see He has met all of them already, and the girls aren't even ready to graduate yet. What an amazing God we serve!
Ecclesiastes 3 begins "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (KJV)
When life happens, remember that you really do want God, who has a masterful plan, in charge of your life and your homeschool.
Remember, breathe, pray, follow HIS plan.
Blessings on you all!
Click here to read more about:
Friday, August 22, 2014
Thankful Thursdays - 8/21/14 - Butterflies
I love watching butterflies. Yesterday we were blessed (thanks Mom!) to go to the Indianapolis Zoo and see the many animals including the butterflies. The Indianapolis Zoo almost always has a butterfly exhibit in the Gardens part from late May through Labor Day.
My favorite butterflies to watch are the Blue Morpho butterflies from South and Central America. I've never seen one on the wild...because I've never been to the jungle, so I'm thankful to get to see them at the zoo. The Indianapolis Zoo hatches their butterflies from chrysalises they have on display in the butterfly nursery. Since its getting closer to Labor Day, there weren't as many butterflies to watch as you can see in July, but there were still plenty to enjoy!
Butterflies don't live long lives, but they spend their lives doing what God made them for. I love the variety of colors and designs! I have learned to tell a Blue Morpho is getting near the end of its life when its brilliant color starts to fade, and/or the wings start to get tattered edges. It's really hard to get a good picture of them because they often close their wings when they land. The underside of they wings is the same colors as an owl butterfly, but with a differentiating pattern. Only the tops are blue, which makes me believe God made them just for their beauty.
When it finally stops raining, I hope to see some monarch butterflies in our own butterfly garden. Until then, I'll be thankful for all the beautiful varieties we saw yesterday!
My favorite butterflies to watch are the Blue Morpho butterflies from South and Central America. I've never seen one on the wild...because I've never been to the jungle, so I'm thankful to get to see them at the zoo. The Indianapolis Zoo hatches their butterflies from chrysalises they have on display in the butterfly nursery. Since its getting closer to Labor Day, there weren't as many butterflies to watch as you can see in July, but there were still plenty to enjoy!
Butterflies don't live long lives, but they spend their lives doing what God made them for. I love the variety of colors and designs! I have learned to tell a Blue Morpho is getting near the end of its life when its brilliant color starts to fade, and/or the wings start to get tattered edges. It's really hard to get a good picture of them because they often close their wings when they land. The underside of they wings is the same colors as an owl butterfly, but with a differentiating pattern. Only the tops are blue, which makes me believe God made them just for their beauty.
When it finally stops raining, I hope to see some monarch butterflies in our own butterfly garden. Until then, I'll be thankful for all the beautiful varieties we saw yesterday!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Thankful Thursdays - 8/14/14 - The Less Traveled Road
I am so thankful to live in America, where we have choices. I am thankful that we get to choose how to live our lives, what our vocations will be, what we eat, how we educate our children - there are just SO many choices we get to make! Sometimes those choices can seem overwhelming, but most of the time, they just give us a chance to see how diverse God has made each one of us.
I am a blue jeans and t-shirt kind of gal. I can dress up, or get grubby, with the best of them, but I prefer just to be me. I am usually not a trend follower. I like being me, and I know that God in His infinite wisdom is not yet done making me into the woman He wants me to be! I know that my life will continue to ebb and flow and that change will happen yet again. My comfort in knowing that God is in control of my life allows me to find joy even in the struggles. God grants me grace daily to be His child. I am so thankful that He gives me choices. Sometimes those choices are as simple as blue or green, beef or chicken . . . sometimes they are more complicated, like choosing a math program for one of our daughters.
I am thankful for sunshine, cloudy days, and rain. While God chooses the weather, I get to choose my attitude. Hopefully I am choosing wisely! When I look at my life, I am often reminded of Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken." I am thankful to be able to choose the "one less traveled by."
I am a blue jeans and t-shirt kind of gal. I can dress up, or get grubby, with the best of them, but I prefer just to be me. I am usually not a trend follower. I like being me, and I know that God in His infinite wisdom is not yet done making me into the woman He wants me to be! I know that my life will continue to ebb and flow and that change will happen yet again. My comfort in knowing that God is in control of my life allows me to find joy even in the struggles. God grants me grace daily to be His child. I am so thankful that He gives me choices. Sometimes those choices are as simple as blue or green, beef or chicken . . . sometimes they are more complicated, like choosing a math program for one of our daughters.
I am thankful for sunshine, cloudy days, and rain. While God chooses the weather, I get to choose my attitude. Hopefully I am choosing wisely! When I look at my life, I am often reminded of Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken." I am thankful to be able to choose the "one less traveled by."
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