Random 5 on Friday, June 28th

1. This is camp week at our house. Addison is helping at the pre-teen church camp while Tim and Brennan are at Boy Scout camp. Lauren and I had "Mommy and Me" camp at home this week.

2. When the directions to church camp told me to allow an hour to go the last 30 miles, I expected curvy mountain roads. I didn't expect that they'd be quite so curvy or that they wouldn't have guardrails on the hairpin turns. I also didn't expect that a good 10 miles of the trip would be on dirt roads.

3. The views from the top of the mountain were gorgeous. I'm sure there were pretty views while I was driving up the mountain, too. I didn't see any because I spent my time focusing on the double yellow line in the middle of the road.

4. When it gets hot, it's a good idea to start driving up the mountain. According to the temperature on my van, it cooled off 26* when we drove up to see the scouts (on a different mountain) this afternoon.

5. Making lanyards and keychains from plastic lacing is just as much fun for kids these days as it was for me when I was a kid. I still haven't figured out the answer to Lauren's question, "Why do they call it gimp?"


I enjoy sharing five random thoughts on Fridays. If you'd like to join the fun, you can either click on the "Random 5 on Friday" button above or visit The Pebble Pond.

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

When I turned my computer OFF

For a few weeks this summer, our family has had "Tech-Free Tuesdays." This week, I've taken my tech-free commitment to a new level.

I turned my computers completely off until after Lauren goes to bed.

With the desktop and laptop computers both completely shut down, there wasn't any temptation to just hop online for a minute here or a minute there.

Here's what I did instead of checking in online today.

1. I got a haircut. I've been saying for a long, long, long time that I just don't have time to go get a haircut. It really wasn't a matter of time. I had plenty of time for both Lauren and I to get haircuts.

2. While Lauren was getting her hair done, I eavesdropped on her chatting with her hairstylist instead of trying to read emails on my iPod. It was too cute!

3. I fixed the hair for five of Lauren's dolls -- ponytails, french braids, etc.

4. I did a messy craft project without rushing to clean everything up.

5. I took "one more silly one" when I was snapping pictures.

6. I noticed the pepperoni smiley face Lauren put on our homemade pizza.

7. I watched a TV show with Lauren, instead of just letting her watch by herself. As an added bonus, it had good lessons that we've already talked about.

8. I read five more chapters in our latest read-aloud book.

9. During quiet rest time, I read a book and took a nap instead of letting time slip away from me while I was online.

10. I didn't rush through bedtime so that I could get back to my computer.

I'm a better mom when I turn my computer off. It's far too tempting for me to sneak on a computer for a few minutes here or there during the day. I want to focus more on my family. For me, that means remembering how to shut down my computer so that I can pay attention to the people around me.

 (O is for Off)

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

Best Jigglers Ever {recipe}

When Lauren and I started planning "Mommy and Me" camp for this week, the very first thing on her list of things she wanted to do was to make jello.

After the boys left for their camp Sunday evening, we made our first batch of jigglers for this week. I've adapted a recipe that was handed down through my mother years ago, and we like this version better than the ones made with only jello. These seem a bit more firm, still jiggly but not as likely to fall apart.

Best Jello Jigglers Ever

2 3-ounce packages of jello (any flavor or combination of flavors)

3 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin

3 cups boiling water

Mix the flavored jello with the unflavored gelatin. Add boiling water and stir until fully dissolved. I set the timer for 3 minutes and told Lauren she had to stir the whole time.

Pour into a 9x13 inch pan and place in the refrigerator for a few hours. I think it took ours about 2 hours to get fully hardened.

Cut into the pieces using cookie cutters. Enjoy!

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

Goal Planning Monday -- Mommy-and-Me Camp

I posted last week about how one big goal was to make sure I had everything packed for camp in time that I didn't have to stay up late Saturday night finishing things up. I was not up late, but it didn't all work out the way I expected. Last Wednesday, I made the heart-breaking decision not to take Lauren to church camp this summer.

Since everybody else is at camp this week (either church camp or Boy Scout camp), Lauren and I are having Mommy-and-Me Camp.

When I asked Lauren what she wanted to do this week, she responded that she still wanted to watch the show that I had previously agreed to buy for her to watch on the drive to camp. She also wanted to "bake jell-o." Since we've already watched the TV show and made jell-o, I'm trying to come up with more activities.

My primary goal this week is to keep ourselves busy without relying on electronic entertainment. We've all spent a bit too much time with our electronic devices this summer, and we're overdue for a break.

For this week, Lauren is allowed to use electronics for thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes in the afternoons. I'll allow an exception if we decide to watch a movie together.

Similarly, I'm only turning on the computer before Lauren gets up in the mornings or after she goes to bed in the evenings. I'm not getting online using the iPod or iPad, either.

My prayer this week is that I'll rely on God to provide enough wisdom and strength to create a wonderful week of memories with just the two of us at home, memories that don't include Mom typing on one computer while Lauren plays Minecraft on both the iPod and the iPad simultaneously.


I hope that Debbie isn't going to ban me from joining Goal Planning Monday because I don't often fall into line with the idea of posting traditional goals that can somehow be measured and checked off on a to-do list. Some weeks I can formulate a numbered to-do list and some weeks I just can't (or just don't want to). This week is more about me refocusing, especially when it comes to the time I spend on the computer and the time I allow my kids to spend using electronic entertainment.

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

N is for Necklaces

Not only can N stand for necklaces, it can also stand for nicely organized.

I've seen all sorts of fancy organizational ideas on Pinterest, in magazines, and elsewhere. The bulletin board in my bathroom is more functional than fancy, but it works for me. My favorite part is that I can easily grab a necklace to dress up an outfit without having to rummage through the jewelry box in my bedroom. Since the display is only a few steps away from the sink, there's really no excuse for not dressing up a little bit every now and then.

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

The Adventures of Lily Lapp {Schoolhouse Review Crew}

One fun benefit of reading books aloud to my children is that the characters become a part of our lives and everyday conversations. Lauren and I have been reading the first two books in the Lily Lapp series for the past two weeks, and I've found myself reminding Lauren of lessons that Lily learned or talking about funny things in the stories.

Life with Lily and A New Home for Lily are the first two books in the charming Lily Lapp series published by Baker Publishing Group. Even though Lily lives in an Amish community, she reminds me of many six (and seven) year old children I know. She's curious about the world around her, she gets into trouble without even trying, and she sometimes struggles to get along with her friends at school.

The stories in the Lily Lapp books are based on Mary Ann Kinginger's childhood in an Old Amish home in Pennsylvania. In the first book, Lily lives on a farm in New York, and the reader gets to see the family farm grow with the addition of a barn and then an assortment of animals. Lauren enjoys all the tales of farm life, but I'm not sure she truly comprehends that they are set in a modern time. I found it particularly interesting to read about how Lily and her family interacted with non-Amish (English) families at times. When I was growing up in Delaware, I often saw Amish buggies and I remember my mother buying baked goods from an Amish lady that came through our neighborhood each week.

In the second book, A New Home for Lily, Lily's family moves from New York to a new Amish community in Pennsylvania. As a family who moves often, we can all relate to the challenges Lily faces in a new place. Perhaps my favorite passage of the book comes when Lily's mother is sewing her a new prayer covering, one that matches the style of the others in Pennsylvania.

Lily asked Mama what difference in made and she had no answer for her.

"It's tradition," she said.

"But why?" Lily said. 

Mama signed. "We don't question why. Each church has their own way of doing things."  

And didn't that just say it all? 

(A New Home for Lily, page 44)   

Sometimes when we move, all we can say is that each community has their own way of doing things. Lily learns to adjust to a different way of doing things, and eventually learns that a new place to live will still bring happy stories and adventures. In time, a new place to live will stop being so "new" and will just feel like home. Those lessons sound awfully familiar for our family.

Lauren has enjoyed reading about Lily Lapp and often begs for me to read "one more chapter." She also often reminds me to make sure I put the Lily book in my purse if we are heading out for an appointment or some other place where we might have a few moments to read. She says that the books are funny and was particularly amused when Joseph broke his arm by trying to fly off the chicken coop. Coincidentally, we read that chapter of the book shortly after Lauren broke her arm.

These books are recommended for children ages 8-12. Prior to the review, I had Lauren read a sample chapter. She reads roughly at a second grade level. The sample was just a bit difficult for her to read independently, but I thought it would be perfect for us to work on together. Unfortunately, Life with Lily is so long (288 pages) that she quickly became overwhelmed with the idea of reading it on her own. Later I did some reading level calculations and found that the books are written on a fourth to fifth grade level. For my seven-year-old, they're perfect to use as read-alouds. I expect that she'll reread them on her own when she's a bit older.

The Adventures of Lily Lapp series would also be perfect for an elementary student with advanced reading skills. I remember when Addison was in first grade and was already reading at a fourth-sixth grade level. It was difficult to find quality books that matched her reading level and weren't too advanced for her maturity wise. These books would have been perfect, and I think Addison would have loved them when she was younger.

The Lily Lapp books are available from Baker Publishing Group for $12.99. The third book in the series, A Big Year for Lily, is due to be released in July, and the final book, A Surprise for Lily will be published in September. Both of the new books in the series are on my list of Christmas gifts to give this year.

Life with Lily and A New Home for Lily are touching our lives. We've enjoyed sharing them as read-alouds, and I wish I could have offered them to my oldest daughter (an advanced reader) when she was in first or second grade.


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

Scripture Memory Progress Check {Goal Planning Monday}

I'm happy to report that I've made a lot of progress with my Scripture memory goals now that I've recommitted myself. Last Tuesday, I had Addison quiz me on them while I was driving her to chorus. I knew 10 of the scripture cards.

This afternoon, she quizzed me on them again, and I had 27 cards in the stack of ones that I got correct. Since some of the cards contain short passages, my total is 38 verses memorized so far this year.

I had sixteen cards in my "not yet mastered" stack. My goal this week is to reduce that number by half. That means I should have at least 35 cards in the mastered stack the next time I have Addison quiz me on them.

My other goal for this week is to work steadily on my preparations for church camp next week so that I don't end up staying up really late the night before we leave. I've already started making notes about my lessons plans, writing down packing lists, and doing some of the grocery shopping. I know there's still lots left to do, though. My goal is steady progress.

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

Geography by Memoria Press {Schoolhouse Crew Review}

Over the years, we've approached Geography studies in a few different ways. Sometimes I've taught Geography informally by mapping the locations we come across in our history books or read-alouds. At other times, we've studied geography by following a set curriculum -- either a short study of map skills or a more lengthy look at all the states in the United States. Since we've done quite a bit with United States studies, I was excited to begin a more formal study of world geography by using a package from Memoria Press

Geography I focuses on the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. Also included is a review of United States geography (focusing on states and capitals).

Why I was impressed with these materials:

The lessons in the student text are clearly written and contain clear maps to allow the student to focus on a single country. I particularly like the way that the materials include both a bit of historical information and a bit about the country today. For instance, when studying Afghanistan, the historical section includes information about how this country was ruled by the Arabs, Genghis Khan, Persians, and then in the late 1900s by Russia. The information about Afghanistan today talks briefly about Osama Bin Ladin and the Taliban.

The student workbook pages are similarly simple and easy to understand. For each country, the student copies the name of the country, the capital, the ancient name, and a fun fact about the country. There is also a map for the student to label both the country in question and the surrounding countries.

Throughout the Geography course, there are plenty of opportunities for review. After every five to ten countries, there are review materials in the student workbook. The Teacher Guide contains a corresponding quiz to use after each review worksheet and final tests to be given after each unit.

How it worked at our house:

Since the student workbook pages were fairly straightforward, I decided to use these materials as part of the schoolwork that Brennan does independently. Unfortunately, I soon found out that the format did not encourage Brennan to put much effort into the lessons. Since the workbook pages only asked for a "fun fact," he often just found any fact on the page and copied onto his work. He would've had to work harder (and therefore learn more) if he were searching through the reading materials to find answers to specific questions.

In the fall, we will also be using the materials covering the United States. Since these materials are intended to be a review, the student workbook primarily consists of blank maps so that the student can practice labeling the states and remembering the capital city of each state. The states are divided into eight different regions, and we'll be reviewing a different region each week. The materials progress in difficulty so that the student learns each state's location on the first time through the regions. By the last time through the units, the student will be able to look at a blank map and write down each state along with its capital.

My bottom line:

We will continue using these Geography materials in the fall. This time, I'll be making it part of the material that he studies with me instead of working on it independently. I think that he'll get more out of the materials if we discuss the country together instead of just having him scribble down the first fact that he finds.

Geography I is intended to be used by students in fourth through eighth grades, ideally after the student has studies U.S. States and Capitals. The complete package costs $48 and includes the Geography I Text, the Geography I Workbook, the Geography I Teacher Guide, the United States Review Student workbook, and the United States Review Teacher materials (teacher key, quizzes, and tests). The materials are also available to purchase separately.

Memoria Press specializes in classical Christian curriculum for homeschoolers. Some of the other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using their elementary Latin program recently. Be sure to click the banner below for both the Geography reviews and the Prima Latina reviews.


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

Random Five for Friday June 14th (a day late)

1. Addison made it safely home from her choir tour. She has tons of stories about all she saw in the Bay Area, everywhere they sang, and all the food she ate. She brought home two pounds of belly flops for us all to share.

2. Brennan played his last baseball game of the season on Monday night. I'm awfully proud of the way he played this season and kept a good attitude through it all.

3. Lauren had a check-up with her orthopedic surgeon Friday. Overall, everything looks pretty good. She switched casts to a slightly smaller red one, and the doctor put a loop on it so that it'll be easier to keep still. He says this style is more old-fashioned than a regular sling, but we can already tell that it's a lot easier than worrying about her arm slipping out of the sling.

4. I bought this shirt at Target the other night because I loved the saying. I can see me wearing it often.

5. I'm not sure if running is making me more fit or more crazy. Tim and I got up super-early this morning for a training run -- 8.5 miles of running/walking around the hilliest route I know of in this area. I'm pleased that we averaged slightly better than a 12 minute mile. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to run the whole way when it comes time for the race in September.

I enjoy sharing five random thoughts on Fridays, even though I'm a day late this week. If you'd like to join the fun, you can either click on the "Random 5 on Friday" button above or visit The Pebble Pond.

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

Birdcage Press {Schoolhouse Crew Review}

I have a bad habit of buying educational games in the hopes that my kids will enjoy playing them and learn something along the way. Unfortunately, my kids often have a different opinion about games than I do and it sometimes becomes a struggle to get them to play.

When our box of Art Close Up: Museum of Modern Art cards arrived from Birdcage Press, I was excited to play a game, but I feared that I'd be met with grumbling from kids. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all three kids enjoyed playing the first game . . . and the second . . . and even a few more on the first day.

Our set of Art Close Up cards contains forty-eight cards, featuring artwork from Picasso, Matisse, Cezanne, and others. Half of the cards show the full work along with the name of the artist, name of the painting, and the year it was painted. The other half of the cards show a close-up of part of the painting. These close-ups are so detailed that you can practically see the individual brush strokes.

The instructions suggested several games that we could play with the cards. At first, we played a simple matching game ("Masterpiece Match Up") to familiarize ourselves with the works. Lauren struggle a little bit trying to figure out if there was a match between the close-ups and the full works, but she caught on quickly by our second or third time through the game. The cards came with instructions to play variations on familiar card games such as "Old Master" which is similar to Old Maid or "Painting Pairs" which is similar to Go Fish. Our favorite activity was a game we made up ourselves where each players draws and discard cards while trying to make matches for all the artwork in their hands.

I was impressed with the quality of the cards in this set. The thick cards are slightly larger than regular playing cards and have held up well to all of our playing. The art work printed on the cards is gorgeous and the details shown on the close-ups are amazing. All three of my kids (15, 12, and 7) have enjoyed playing with this game, and we've all learned how to identify works by several famous artists.

Birdcage Press recommends Art Close Up: Museum of Modern Art for children ages five and up. In addition to the game we received, there are also card games based on artwork at other major museums -- National Gallery of Art, J Paul Getty Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All of the close-up games cost $10.95. If you'd prefer to study the artists of a particular period, Birdcage Press also offers sets of Go Fish games about Impressionist Artists, Renaissance Artists, Modern Artists, and Van Gogh and Friends.


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

Messy to Manageable in just a few Minutes

The other night at a baseball game, I kept digging through my purse for one thing or another that Lauren just absolutely had to have right then. I've often lamented the fact that I can't just carry a cute little purse. On that night, even my big tote-bag style purse was bursting at the seams, and I couldn't find anything that I needed.

The next morning, I took a few minutes to see what I could do with the mess.

1. Dump everything on the floor. I dumped the entire contents of my purse upside down on the kitchen floor -- see the top picture on the right. I had emergency medical supplies mixed in with expired coupons and three craft projects (one mine, two Lauren's). I found a sticky push pop candy container wrapped in five used-to-be-wet wipes. There were three of four packs of fruit snacks, a couple of ring pops, and at least one allergy-friendly granola bar. No wonder I couldn't ever find my keys.

2. Separate out the "must-haves." At least half of the stuff in the pile didn't make it back into my bag. Unfortunately, I do have a large amount of "must haves" -- either for me or for my children. I carry a set of epi-pens for Brennan. I need a glucose meter, glucose tablets, snacks, and a glucagon emergency kit for myself. I usually carry a few allergy-safe snacks for Lauren and a small water bottle because she's not supposed to drink out of public water fountains. I'll never get to a point where I carry a tiny purse, but I'll settle for one that isn't a toxic waste dump.

3. Group like items and keep them in an organizing pouch. I found some extra pouches around my house that I could use. Now all of my little medical supplies (band-aids, masks to avoid germs, glucose tablets, glucagon, Aleve) have a home in a large black pouch. It's a lot easier to find whatever I need this way. Brennan's epi-pens stay in a separate pouch by themselves.

I even put all my snacks into a pouch. Since this pouch is smaller, it holds just what I need if I'm caught away from home for longer than I expect. (Note: I know my food allergy friends are freaking out with the nuts in my bag. Those are for me and work best with my diabetes. I can share the fruit snacks or the Enjoy Life chewy bar if Brennan or Lauren needs something.)

I even found a plastic baggie to hold my scripture memory cards so that they'd be easy to find. Since it's clear, I can review the top card in the stack without even having to open it.

4. Assign homes for items that aren't in a pouch. My purse has several interior pockets that I can use. One now holds a pack of kleenex and my hand sanitizer; another holds my cell phone and iPod. A large zipper pocket holds my pens and my keys.

5. Neatly toss in the pouches and the few things that are still loose. The main compartment of my bag now contains three pouches, my memory verses, my wallet, my sunglasses, and my glucose meter case. I have enough room to throw in a book or our iPad if I want to take either of those along.

My purse now easily manages everything I need to carry along when we're away from home, and I no longer dread having to find something in it.

My super-cute purse was a Christmas gift from my sister a few years ago. Isn't she awesome?

Since both Messy and Manageable start with M, I'm linking this post up with others Blogging through the Alphabet this week.

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

Goal Planning Monday -- Focusing on Scripture Memory

It hasn't even been six weeks since I foolishly declared that some of my ongoing goals had become habits and didn't need to be listed anymore. I was wrong.

For a while, I wrote down my scripture memory verses on index cards that I carried around in my purse. I'd practice them at stop lights or whenever I had a few extra moments. When I was on the computer, I'd take a few moments to review the verses I had learned by using Scripture Typer. I thought that was enough to make sure that I met my goal of memorizing 100 verses this year.

As I got busier, though, I didn't keep finding the time to type my verses for review. I also didn't write new verses on index cards. I relied on Scripture Typer to learn new verses, but then I didn't follow through by using my computer time to review verses.

That leaves me where I am now. I have memorized 40 verses so far this year, but I'm a bit behind in terms of progress for the year.

I set a goal for last week to get caught up on making my index cards, but I didn't have an opportunity to blog the beginning of the week. Since I didn't finish all the cards, I'm continuing the goal for this week.

I'll finish writing the index cards for the verses I need to learn in order to be caught up with my 100 Bible Verses in 2013 paces, and then I'll start working on memorizing them. Since I rarely travel by interstate, I have lots of time spent at stop lights that can be used to help me learn the new verses.

Goal Planning Monday is now hosted by Debbie at Debbie's Digest. We'd love to have more bloggers join us in setting goals and getting things done!

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

Logo Adventures {Schoolhouse Crew Review}

I remember taking a few summer computer classes when I was in elementary school. One of our favorite programs was Logo because we could use it to draw cool designs on the computer screens. I thought Brennan would have fun learning a bit of computer programming and jumped at the chance to review Logo Adventures from Motherboard Books.

When Brennan first started programming, I recognized some of the basic features of the Logo computer language. I remember making similar designs as this one he did in lesson 9:

In many ways, the MicroWorlds software is far more fun than I remember. Brennan has a lot more choices than the single color lines I used to make by navigating a triangle-shaped turtle.

Logo Adventures is designed as a year-long program to introduce younger students (8-12 year olds) to computer programming. There are 26 lessons, each intended to be used in an hour long class held once a week. I found that each lesson included a short review of past lessons and then introduced just a few new commands.

Brennan finished each of his lessons in less than an hour. I had him time how long some of them took, and he was able to finish them in about 10-15 minutes. He's at the upper end of the recommended age, though, and caught on to all of the concepts quickly. There were a few challenge lessons and some extra credit assignments that required him to think about how to apply the programming commands to a different situation.

I'm impressed with the instruction in these materials, and I can tell that Brennan is exercising a lot of thinking skills to figure out how to make simple computer programs. Unfortunately, Brennan is realizing that sometimes it's not as much fun to learn the basics of programming as it is to play with finished games (such as Minecraft or Clash of Clans). Logo Adventures fits in well as part of his school assignments, but it isn't necessarily something he picks to do in his free time.

The 120-page Logo Adventures book comes as a package with a MicroWorldsEX disk for $129.99. If you happen to already have MicroWorlds, you can purchase the book separately for $29.99.




Since, Logo Adventures starts with L, I'm going to count this review as my Blogging Through the Alphabet post this week. Click on the button below if you'd like to read other posts or link up one of your own.



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