Through the Calm and Through the Storm

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

When Oma and Opa come to town {Wordless Wednesday}

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Little Learning Lovies {Review and Giveaway}

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

As the weather gets warmer and summer vacation draws nearer, it becomes more and more difficult for all of us to concentrate on our regular school activities. Last week, instead of turning to the next page in Lauren's grammar workbook or pulling out another black-and-white math worksheet, I decided we could play games.

All of the gorgeous games pictured above are part of this month's Lovie Packs from Little Learning Lovies. For math, Lauren used two games dealing with place value and a timeline activity to practice telling time on an analog clock. For language arts skills, she practiced sorting verbs (helping versus action verbs) and combined word cards to form complete sentences.

Lauren absolutely loved playing the games. Some of the activities in the packs were a bit on the easy side and some are saved for when she's a bit older (multiplication practice). Each day last week, she begged me to do more of the games, and I heard far less complaining about schoolwork than I have heard on other days lately.

From a teacher standpoint, I am thrilled with the products from Little Learning Lovies. They were educational, easy to print, and beautiful. Our school days needed a little bit more color and a whole lot more fun. These games were just what we needed.

Our Lovie Pack also included activities for creating mathematical patterns, counting coins, learning the life cycle of a butterfly, practicing handwriting, and more. All of the materials are absolutely gorgeous, and the attention to detail was fabulous.

The Lovie Packs are available in two different levels -- a Tiny Lovies pack for preschoolers through first graders and a Little Lovies pack for first through third graders. Each individual pack costs $14 (delivered as an electronic download for immediate printing) or as a combination package of both levels for $25. Each one has approximately 8 games or activities to print and also bonus coordinating printables such as calendar numbers and reward charts.

These products have brought much joy to Lauren's school days recently, and I look forward to using many more of the activities from Little Learning Lovies. They offer several products individually, and I've already printed a new file folder game and some addition practice cards to add to our schoolwork later this week. Some of their games are available for less than $2, so it's definitely worth checking them out.

Disclaimer: I received May Lovie Packs in exchange for this review, and I agreed to give my honest opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

As a special treat for my readers, Little Learning Lovies has provided a set of Lovie Packs to be used for a giveaway. Be sure to use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

©2009-2013 Through the Calm and Through the Storm. All rights reserved. Photos and content may not be reproduced. http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Incentive vs. Internal Motivation {Blogging through the Alphabet}

Last Wednesday morning I knew I needed to finish straightening and cleaning our house because we were having company coming to town this weekend. I ended up being up much of the night before when Lauren had a tummy ache, and I was dragging a little bit. I decided to offer the kids an incentive to help me clean up. I had to go out early that afternoon to an appointment, and I'd be driving right by Sonic on my way home. I told them that I'd pick up slushies if the house was clean before I left.

We did manage to get everything done and I happily stopped by Sonic to place our drink orders.

The next morning, I walked into the house after a run and noticed how pleasant it was to open the door and see a clearn downstairs -- nothing left on the counters that needed to be dealt with, nothing left out on the floors that had to be picked up. Even the kitchen table was still completely cleared off. I smiled when I walked in the door and realized that everything was picked up.

I started thinking about how it takes something special (in this case, company coming) and/or a special incentive in order for me and the kids to put forth the effort to keep the main areas of the house picked up.

On the other hand, I had just come in from a run. I didn't have a slushy waiting for me at the end of my run. I don't run because I want to win a prize. I run because it relieves stress, because I like knowing that I'm doing all I can to stay healthy, and because I like the challenge of seeing whether I can run faster or longer than the day before.

I don't need a tangible incentive when I get up early in the mornings and lace up my running shoes. It's all about the internal motivation I have and the intangible rewards I find from running.

Why is it that I need some sort of incentive when it comes to cleaning my kitchen? Why is it that I choose to spend time on the computer instead of making sure that the twenty-seven random objects in the living room get put away?

I'd like to take the internal motivation I have when it comes to running and apply it to my duties as a wife, mom, and homeschooling teacher.

If anyone has any magic housecleaning motivation to spare, you can send it my way. In the meantime, I'll continue to wonder why I find so much satisfaction in waking up early to run four miles up and down hills but still can't find the motivation to put away the random stuff scattered around my living room.

I is for both Incentives and Internal Motivation. Therefore, I'm linking this post to others that are on the letter I in our Blogging Through the Alphabet series. It's still not too late to join us on this round -- jump in anytime!

Friday, May 17, 2013

Random 5 on Friday, May 17th

I didn't keep track of highlights or quotes or anything special this week, so these five tidbits will be truly random.

1. While traveling with Brennan and Lauren, we passed a car carrier that was packed full of golf carts. Brennan's response: "I'm now one step closer to seeing everything there is to see in the world."

2. I saw the temperature reading on my van's dashboard hit triple digits twice this week. I guess it's summertime.

3. While discussing the dress code for Addison's upcoming chorus tour, one of the girls reminded everyone that "modest is hottest."

4. After getting up before 5:00 to go running a couple of times, my whole body schedule is warped. This morning I felt like I had slept in -- it was almost 5:30 when I woke up.

5. Right now, Brennan and Tim are watching Weird Al Yankovich videos on You Tube. (Talk about random).

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

High School Prep Genius {Schoolhouse Crew Review}

When other people hear that I'm homeschooling a high school student, I often have people ask me about teaching Chemistry or Algebra or some other similarly scary-sounding subject. Honestly, teaching difficult subjects doesn't scare me. Some of my biggest worries are that somewhere along the way I'll miss an important deadline or fail to teach a specific course and therefore make it harder for Addison to get into the college that she wants to attend.

The High School Prep Genius manual from College Prep Genius has eased a lot of my fears.

When I worry about appropriate course selections, I can see what is on the "Three Tier Guide to High School" on page 18. It has separate course suggestions for a distinguished program, a recommended program, and a minimum program.

If I find myself overwhelmed with the thoughts of college entrance exams, scholarships, and college applications with specific time schedules, I can find a month by month timeline for college and career decisions. It tells when to sign up for college entrance exams, when to apply for scholarships, and more.

This book isn't just directed at parents of high school students. The book is intended for both me to use and for my student to use. Throughout the book there are assignments for the parents ("encourage your student to take the most rigorous courses he can to prepare him for college or a career") and assignments for students ("decide what goals you want to accomplish in the next four years and what subjects you really want to focus on").

High School Prep Genius is appropriate for both college bound students and those that prefer not to attend college immediately following graduation. The book spends some time focusing on general skills such as getting organized, volunteering, building a strong support system, and achieving financial independence. The study skills sections in the book will help all high school students develop better study and test-taking skills. Approximately a quarter of the book is devoted to such topics as choosing a college, preparing for standardized tests, and applying for college admissions. The final chapter includes helpful tips for making the most of the college years, including how to live with a roommate, why it isn't a good idea to stay up all night, and how to say "no" when you realized you can't do everything.

Addison was initially overwhelmed with this book and thought is was a bit too focused on student achievement. In particular, she pointed out how the month-by-month timeline for high schoolers suggests taking the PSAT for practice in both her freshman and sophomore years before taking it for real as a junior. From a parent standpoint, though, I like knowing about all the options and then choosing to omit the suggested tests or activities that I feel are unnecessary.

As Addison started working through the materials, it became less overwhelming. Perhaps the most useful thing that she did was to set up a College and Career Notebook according the to High School Prep Genius recommendations. She now has a single spot to record her classes, her volunteer activities, books that she reads, and any awards that she receives. She hasn't started seriously looking at colleges yet, but her College and Career Notebook has a section ready for her to jot down information about potential colleges, deadlines for admissions, etc.

High School Prep Genius is the best resource I've seen in terms of organizing all the necessary information about college entrance exams, scholarships, admissions, etc. The helpful information about academic and life skills is a valuable bonus that makes this guide book a well-rounded addition to every bookshelf.

Although I read this book as the parent of a homeschooled student, the book is not written specifically for homeschoolers. With the exception of about 10 pages about homeschool transcripts in one of the appendices, all of the information would be equally suited for parents of a student attending a public or private school.

College Prep Genius recommends the High School Prep Genius guide for parents and students in junior high through high school. Even if your high schooler is nearing graduation, there is still helpful information in this book to help guide him off to the first years of college. The book retails for $29.95.

statement regarding FTC Regulations for reviews

Halfway Through Our Walk {Wordless Wednesday}

Friday, May 10, 2013

Random Five on Friday May 10th

Instead of sharing random facts about our week, I scribbled down a few quotes on a pad of sticky notes. I ended up with five that are worth sharing. Interestingly, I think all five of them came from my oldest child. Thank you, Addison, for adding so much laughter to our week!

1. From lunchtime: "You know what's really great? Geography songs. They're way better than Grammar songs."

2. Proof that Addison learned something when studying formal logic. "The problem is that I just made a universal proposition."

3. While I was using vinegar and baking soda to clean out the drain in the kids' bathroom: "A girl in my science class (online) said she's never done the baking soda and vinegar experiment . . . and she calls herself a homeschooler."

4. Recounting a conversation: "Some friends of mind from Colorado, that I met in Virginia, went to Pepperdine (California) for the lectureship too."

5. Repeated at least a few times by three members of the family early this week: "My calves hurt."

Taken at the top of the mountain, prior to their 22.5 mile hike to the bottom