Salem Ridge Books

I was sent three books, The American Twins of the Revolution, Glaucia the Greek Slave and Mary Jane all by Salem Ridge Press. Believe it or not a homeschool teenager who wanted to bring some of that old wonderful literature from the days gone by started this company. This is one company that produces books that you can feel safe handing to your children and know they will be edifying to the Lord and CLEAN!!! Salem Ridge Press has some very strict procedures for showing relationships between a boy and a girl. There is absolutely NO kissing and everyone must have a modest clothing, if there are transactions going on they are done in a Christian like manner and there is no offensive language.

The American Twins of the Revolution is $12.95 and is based on a true story of the American Revolution! It’s a delightful and since it is based on a true story you could do a unit study utilizing the book as one of the readers.
Glaucia the Greek Slave is $14.95; This book had a wonderful message in it. One of the great things about this book is that new words are defined at the bottom of the page. Pretty cool. It was a great book and one of my favorites
Mary Jane, Her Book $12.95; The scenario is that of Mary Jane a little and her daily fun and learning adventures. This book was written more for younger crowd, however I started to read it to my boy, 6, and I think it was a bit too girly for him, so I read the rest by myself.

I highly recommend you check out Salem Ridge for some early Christmas book shopping.

Score 10 out of 10

Trigger Memory System

Trigger Memory System, has fantastic tool for your children. Clean n’ Flip Charts. Now what are these charts you ask. They are flip charts for your children that explain how to clean their room, bathroom, kitchen and do their laundry. I have been lookig at these for some time now and I was so lucky to be able to review them. My son (6) now, finally, gets his room clean without asking me every 5 minutes what to do. He has had the resposiblity of cleaning the bathroom for about the past year and a half. But before I was always reminding him what to do. Now he just goes to the chart! Next, we will work on the laundry after the holidays and this coming summer my daughter (by then 4) will take over the bathroom and my son will take over the kitchen. Well, thats the plan anyway. The Zone Cleaning and Bedroom Cleaning flips charts make assigning and completing household chores a breeze! It’s really a fun & easy chore system my kids love!

I also got a chance to review Times Tales by the same company. Ok, at first I said, “What is this? There is no way my kids will learn multiplication from this!” Then my husband said the same thing when he saw it! Boy were we wrong. Not only did both my 3 and 6 year old memorize the cute little story like rhymes, but also my son goes through the flash cards for section one with ease. We were supposed to start multiplication after Christmas. Having this system already in place will make it so easy and quick!

Ok so now that you can tell I really love both products from Trigger Memory here is how much they cost. The clean and flip charts are only $7.95 each or $29.95 for all of them. The Times Tales is $29.95 which gives you the teacher manual as well as flash cards, the flip chart with stories and some workpages. Hey if you are like I was struggling to get your kids to clean his room right then get the flip charts. And if you are starting or struggling with multiplication, then try out the Times Tales. Both are great products and worked for this family!

Score 9 1/2 out of 10

Little Man in the Map by Schoolside Press

I absolutely hated geography in school. I never memorized the U.S.A. states and where they were, but then I was given this cute book called The Little Man in the Map, by E. Andrew Martonyi, illustrated by Ed Olson, Schoolside Press. The Little Man in the Map uses rhyming stories with coordinating pictures of animals or people etc. to help kids remember states and where they go in the USA.

It’s illustrated in a full color cartoon style. My 6 year old quickly grabbed it and started to read through it. Now I wish I could say he had them all memorized, but he certainly had more then the 5 he knew before he looked through the book. Schoolside Press’s Web site offers 2 FREE coloring pages that you can download and also a 38 x 22 full color wall map for $21.95. This will help to strengthen the memorization of those state locations and names. Hey you never know, maybe I will finally memorize where all 50 states are! A small disclaimer: some of the states shapes are in the shape of an elf and magical creatures. Now they do not teach about elves or anything like that, but I know there are some Christians who might not like that so I thought that there are even pictures of these things in a book for their children. So, I thought I would let you know about it. To me it was no big deal and beside we are Christians that do celebrate Christmas with Santa. So there is my disclaimer.

If you are teaching or going to be teaching in the near future USA geography, I highly recommend purchasing The Little Man in the Map. Hey it’s only $19.95 and it could make a great Christmas gift.

Score 9 out of 10

When a Child Acts Out in Public to Get Their Way

When your child acts out in public to get their way, you CAN get control back. Here, James Lehman, MSW lays out some step-by-step techniques for you to use next time you hit the mall or grocery store.

I’ve worked with many parents over the years who routinely gave in when their children acted out. One mother I met, I’ll call her Linda*, had a twelve-year-old son who often used emotional blackmail and threats of misbehavior to get his way. Linda dreaded taking him to the mall, because she knew she’d end up buying him anything he asked for in an effort to keep him from calling her names, stomping and yelling at her, and making a scene that left her feeling humiliated and powerless. In effect, her son’s behavior was holding her hostage. Remember this: When you don’t give in to your child, they have to figure out another way to solve their problem.

So what happens if we always respond to this type of behavior by backing down? Your child learns that if he misbehaves or threatens to misbehave, that will solve his problem, because somebody’s going to give in. Make no mistake, the message you’re sending your child is that misbehavior works. When your child acts out in public, if they’re not responded to in an effective way, they develop a pattern of behavior where they learn how to blackmail you to give them their way. And their mindset is, “Give me my way or face my acting out.” That may involve yelling, screaming and tantrums if they’re younger. It may be angry faces and a disgusted tone, disrespectful remarks and even cursing when they get older. Either way, the whole game they’re playing involves using behavior to try to control outside circumstances, instead of learning how to solve the problems they face.

When kids learn this lesson, there are two outcomes. Your child discovers there’s absolutely no reason to change, no reason to mature. And every time you reward them for misbehavior, you’re making that portion of your child’s personality stronger. That’s right: you’re actually strengthening the part of them that wants to misbehave and that doesn’t want to follow social rules or be civilized. In fact, you can look at parenting in that way: our role is to teach our children the rules of how to be civilized and live in our society. And in our culture, we go to the mall, we go shopping, we treat people with respect, and we behave in an acceptable manner. When you give in to inappropriate behavior, your child grows up without the coping skills to deal with the difficult situations that life presents.

The other thing that you need to understand is that when your child uses acting out as a problem-solving skill, they are not learning how to develop other more appropriate problem solving skills. Kids will throw a tantrum when they’re frustrated or upset—that happens. But whether they’re throwing a fit because they’re frustrated, upset or overwhelmed, the same rules still apply. If you give in, you’re simply teaching your child to continue acting out in public. A Word about Younger Kids When children between the age of two and three throw a tantrum, there should be no consequences other than to have them sit some place until they calm down. When most younger children get tired and overwhelmed, they have a hard time controlling their emotions. It’s part of a parent’s responsibility to know their kid, know how much stimulation they can take, and when they’re tired or hungry and need to leave.

When I’m at the mall or downtown where I live, in the late afternoon I’ll see little kids around the age of three, four, or five years old crying or really shutting down. I think most parents recognize that their kids are overly tired. But the adult mind manages stimulation very differently than a child’s mind. We know how to compartmentalize everything and weigh things out. For kids, stimulation comes at them like a wave. And being in a mall is like being at the circus for a child. I think that parents have to be aware of that and be tolerant of some frustration their kids will express. Parents also need to learn how to either avoid those situations or find ways to manage them.

When your young child throws a tantrum, whether it’s because he’s tired or because he’s angry at not getting his way, the management skills are the same: You wait it out. You give a little reassurance. You don’t give in.

5 Techniques to Help You Manage Your Child’s Acting Out Behavior Remember, you’re the expert on your child. You know what makes your child tired. You know the extra help he needs. And you know the situations that are frustrating for him. Prepare your child before you go into any new or stimulating situation. Say, “If you start getting frustrated, let me know. We’ll take a rest. All right? If you get frustrated, if you can’t handle it, let me know, we’ll go home. And if you throw a tantrum, this is what I’m going to do.” I think by being realistic about your child’s temperament and discussing plans with them ahead of time, you can really enhance your ability to manage situations in public.

Train your child by taking small steps first. I think if parents have a child who acts out in public, you want to try what’s called a “slow immersion.” So in other words, if this kid can’t handle going to the mall, take him to the drug store first. Say, “Let’s see how you handle this. We’re going in for five or ten minutes.” Lay the rules down. That way you’re not at the mall, you’re in a more manageable location and you’re close by your child. Start to train them by taking small steps, by coaching them in little pieces: little pieces of learning how to socialize and solve problems and act like everybody else.

Write the Rules Down and Keep Them Handy. Before you even go into public, I think you need to decide what your limits are for your child in terms of behavior. Let them know exactly what’s going to happen. For pre-teen kids and under, keep a 4x6 index card in your car with 3 rules on it: 1. Respond to first request. 2. Accept “no” for an answer. 3. Don’t raise your voice or misbehave physically. Read that card in the car before you go inside the mall or store. That one small act is going to help your child keep it together; reading the rules to them is like lending them structure. You can’t assume that kids are going to recall information that will help them change. Here’s another way of looking at it: Let’s say you’re speeding and you get a ticket. The assumption is that the next time you’re in a hurry, you’re going to remember how it felt to pay that ticket and you won’t speed. Even though that may be true, each state still has the speed limit posted every five miles. So give your child consistent reminders that will keep them focused.

When the rules are broken. If your child breaks the rules when you’re out, I would take them out of the department store. If they throw a tantrum, I would stay with them in that tantrum and when they are done, I would take them out of the mall. At this point, the show is over; there’s no way there’s going to be any more shopping. With younger kids, you can just hold their hand and take them to the car. But if they resist you, don’t get physical. Let them throw their tantrum. Have a seat, watch the show. And if people ask questions say, “He’s throwing a tantrum and there’s nothing I can do.” I think parents have to do that every time until the acting out in public stops. If possible, bring a magazine or a book so that the child can see that he's not getting your attention through that inappropriate behavior.

Let me assure you that I know how embarrassing this can be for parents. But you have to understand, your child also knows how uncomfortable their behavior makes you; that’s how your child is blackmailing you. So, in their mind it’s, “Let me have my way or I’m going to blackmail you in front of all these adults. I’m going to embarrass you and make you uncomfortable.” It’s just that simple. And you need to stop letting them hold you hostage with their behavior. Remember this: When you don’t give in to your child, they have to figure out another way to solve their problem.

Leave them at home. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with leaving your child at home with proper supervision and telling them, “You can’t come today because you can’t handle it. You made a scene last time we went shopping and so today you’re staying home.” And if your child promises and begs and swears, say, “No, let's see how you behave staying at home. If you handle that OK, then we'll see.” And make them sit at home. Make them understand that you’re not going to be blackmailed and that you’re strong—and that when you make decisions, you’re going to stick with them.

Here’s the simple truth: when children resort to inappropriate behavior to get their way, they don’t learn how to solve problems. And when they don’t learn this skill, they go into adulthood with a real handicap. You see many adults who only know how to get angry and yell at each other whenever there’s emotional stress. Part of that is because they have very poor communication skills and very poor problem-solving skills. When confronted with a problem, they only know how to avoid it, which means they let it build up on the inside until they explode.

So make up your mind that you’re not going to let your child hold you hostage with their misbehavior. Don’t give in to emotional blackmail when your child threatens to act out. I tell parents to think of it this way: your child has got to get to bed tonight without a crisis. That’s their goal. And our goal as a parent is the same thing: to get to bed tonight without a crisis and to teach our children the skills they need. If you can do that, then you’re all set.

All About Spelling

I did it! I found the best spelling program ever! The program name is All About Spelling. The program is so versatile. It can start at preschool aged children (my daughter) all the way to High School level (Level 6) because they are not specified to grade levels but they are arranged by concepts and spelling patterns.

I know some of you out there have children who might be dyslexic, and this program would be perfect for you. Again, because it is based on concepts not age, you take bite-sized chunks that each child can comprehend. And with the use of manipulative, flash cards, verbal skills as well as writing words on paper, there is something for every child to be able to soak up the information into their brains.

Lets talk for a moment about the down side, prep time. Here is where it gets a bit time consuming. When you first get your packet you will get cutters cramp. (LOL) All the tiles, flash cards etc have to be cut by hand. This is the one thing I wish the company would either do for you or at least have everything perforated so that it can just be torn apart and maybe they could print the letter tiles onto magnet paper instead of having the parents stick magnet squares on the back of each letter tile.
But once you get past all that and your hand and arm have rested for a day (LOL), the prep time each day is 5 seconds. Yes, you read it right, 5 seconds! This is the prep…get the book, get the cards, and get the board, your done! Then its off to work we go and because you use all the senses of your child it only takes about 15 minutes or so a day.

My son, 6, is a reader already, however we decided to start with level one at the very beginning. We whizzed through 2 or 3 lessons at a time and now we have slowed down to 1 lesson a day and we are almost to level 2.

I waited to ask him what he thought of the program until after we slowed down. I have to say I already knew what the answer would be just by his reaction everyday when I would say it was time for spelling. He LOVES it! He said this was the most fun of all his schoolwork except for art and PE. Now that’s pretty good, since he only reads when he has to. And as far as my daughter, 3, goes, I have her sit with us when we do spelling so she can see all the cards and even do some of the manipulative with my son. I am really excited to see her progress, because she is just not picking up on the letter sounds. She knows the alphabet, but sounds keep getting mixed up for her.

If you have not figured it out by this very long review and the tone of the review, I LOVE this program and HIGHLY recommend it for EVERYONE! Please, check out a free sample for yourself and read the FAQ to get a better idea of the program. Then once you get it and work with it for a while, please come back here and put a comment for others to see. If you are like me and have tried several spelling programs, and your still looking, then try All About Spelling for sure. I know you’ll love it too.

Score 10 out of 10

Splish Book from TOS

And Then Mama Said…”It Takes Time to Learn to Read”. Isn’t that such a true statement? We sometimes forget this as a homeschooler and try to rush and push our children to keep up with so and so. But reality is that our children will read when their brain is good and ready!

This book by Gena Suarez and Kevin Collier is a wonderful reminder of just that. OK, now first let me say that this book is geared toward a read aloud for the younger kids or for a child who is a reader already, but it is a great reminder to the parent who takes it in hand and reads it to their children.

My boy, 6 who is reading pretty good now, absolutely loved this book. He loved the story and when Mama listed one of the reasons she homeschooled in the book, my sons’ eyes lit up. He said, "See Mommy Splish is homeschooled too". (He is too cute, but then again I may be a bit prejudice!) My daughter, 3, enjoyed the book too, however I printed it out in black and white and when she saw the color graphics on the computer she loved it even more and was more interested in listening. Yea Color!

Oh did I mention there is a companion workbook too? I highly recommend this book. It was fun, talked of God and was a great reminder that we do NOT need push our kids to read. It Takes Time to Learn to Read!

You can go to The Old School House and pick up a copy of the e-book for only $9.95 and get the activity workbook for free. Not too bad of a deal. If your not sure, go ahead and download a sample and see for yourself how cute it is. You won’t regret it!

Score 9 out of 10

The Future Belongs to Our Children

OK, so I know there is this continuous battle between the public school Christians and the Homeschooling Christians. A lot of times the public school Christians feel like us homeschoolers are calling them bad parents or bad Christians for putting their children in the Devils path. And the homeschooler feels the public schoolers are calling us stupid by throwing our un-socialized children in a bubble.

There are sooooo many reasons for people to continue public school even thought it is a publicized fact to be a broken system. Money, who has the money for private Christian school? Time, there may be reasons that both parents must work full time jobs both during the day and maybe evening too and so on. But patience is not one of them. Do you think I was born with patience enough to homeschool? NO! I learn everyday about patience and pray that God will continue to be oh so graceful in giving me an abundance of it!

There are also a lot of public school Christians that also believe that their school is full of christian teachers and that their school is still built on a christian value system. So their children are safe from all that stuff we hear has come to California. Well, I have to agree with the fact there are some schools that do have a lot of teachers that profess to be Christians, but I will say that a teacher can only teach what their superiors allow them to teach. If they say no Noah, then No Noah! As far as the school being based on Christian values. You have to ask yourself these few questions about your school before you can say that for sure. If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then really is it a Christian value system?

1. Does your school teach about creation or evolution? Now if they teach both, great. That means they believe in free will. To put ALL options on the table for the children to decide. But if they teach that evolution is a fact and never bring up any other option of where we came from other then a money or cave men, then you have to ask yourself if that is a fact you are willing to have your child drilled in his/her head for the next 12 years.

2. Does you school have a policy in place to increase awareness and acceptance towards different groups based on race, age, gender or Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals or Transgender persons? Another words, "Amy Has Two Dads", Gay Pride Day, "My Daddy Wears a Dress", During the health class they could possibly discuss sex change operations, or how about the whole Gay Pledge Card thing http://nutbugs.blogspot.com/2008/11/gay-pledge-cards-in-calif-schools.html. Is this something you want your child to have drilled for 12 years in their heads?Does God says it is OK to have a sexual partner without marriage and of the same sex?

3. Does your school have a policy in place for discrimination against, gender, races, age, disabilities, immigrations status, occupation, religion stereotyping of Gender Identification or Sexual Orientation? Not to say we should discriminate against them, beat them or hurt them however we certainly do not need to teach about the choice people make in sexual acts in school or give them any special place or privilege in our schools. What, should we start teaching about people who like to be whipped during sex or beastiality. Those are choices too. Right?

4. Does your school have a family planning policy? Another wards for the school to have free family planning available to pregnant children or some that are wanting to know about how to have sex, counseling and free condoms. All without parental consent? Or have the birds and bees discussion to your child without your permission. Who knows what Mr. Joe's view is. Could be a view of the birds and the birds or the bees and the bees or the birds and birds and bees. Get it?

5. Do you know for sure the answer to all of these questions?

OK, I know your saying, "Kristin aren't you being a little paranoid?" YES! I am raising up the future generation. That means the future president, first lady, congress men, senator, mayor or maybe just a future voter etc. So if I don't like the way the world is going today and I do not take control of what my children learn and how they are being raised, then how can I complain? I am not doing anything to change the future of our world.

Look, I know I can not possibly keep any of this stuff completely away from my children. And I would be a fool to never explain any of it to them. But at 1st grade? Or 4th grade? No! Let the kids be kids for a while. We throw movies like Hanna Montana or High School Musical at our 6 year old and expect them to stay 6? No way right? Then why would we throw sexual preference at them at 6 or 8? Why would we throw condoms at them at 6 or 10?

Please let me make it very Crystal Clear. I am in NO WAY saying you are a bad parent, a terrible Christian etc. because you choose to put your child in public school. I am not trying to make you change your mind either! I just want you to be aware that if your child comes home asking Questions or telling you there is NO God or Mommy, did you know that an ape is our cousin?, you know where it might be coming from.

I pray all the time for my friends children. Homeschooled and public schooled alike. I pray that each one will grow up with a fear and love for God like no other! And I pray for you that God will be there protecting your children from the evil ones hands! Whether you homeschool or public school, just remember your child could make a difference in the future of our world with what you teach them today!

Spears Art Studio, inc.

Art can be a touchy subject to teach I think. Why you ask? Because at a young age, say 3-8 years old or so, you want to keep it fun, but still get some basic art concepts taught and some art appreciation too. Yet you have to be careful not to bore the heck out of the kids or make it to easy or too hard for them. Now that’s a hand full!

Spears Art Studio keeps art and crafting fun for the kids. Each month they have a theme that usually goes with the holiday or the season for that month. It all begins with a 16 page teacher notes section explaining basic art concepts and how to teach it as well as a supply list, background resources for artwork, writing prompts, educational and theme objectives and then all weekly themes have one or more Scriptures as a foundation. Many activities have additional Scriptures as a foundation for that activity oh and did I mention an art lesson too!

Now here are the things I really liked most of all. For that week you have a kindergarten lesson and a lesson for 1st through 8th grade. Each one related to the other except skill level builds upon itself from grade to grade and year to year. And best of all it is Biblically based. Spears Art Studio uses scripture verses in every lesson plan. And best of all you can apply this curriculum without having to purchase expensive art supplies.

Now there were a few things that I would want to see maybe added. I have to admit I have a lot of e-books and I enjoy them tremendously. Some times though if the e-book is not laid out right it is work to find things you are looking for. It can be especially hard if each chapter of the book is in a separate pdf. file. I ended up printing the Teacher instructions as well as the lessons I was currently working on so as to have them at hand instead of reading them from several different pdf. files. What I personally would rather see is the entire e-book in one pdf. file with a table of contents that is interactive. That way you can go back and forth with a click of the mouse in the table of contents to the teacher notes then to the study for the day etc. No printing required
Also the teacher is expected to demonstrate the configuration of animals from basic shapes. Drawing things just from a simple direction like that is not going to be effortless for some parents. However, with a little practice all is possible.

Overall, both my children, 3 and 6, loved the crafts and art projects in this curriculum. If you are looking for an easy well-rounded art curriculum for your homeschool or even for a traditional school, I think you might want to try Spears Art Studio Inc.

Spears Art Studio curriculum package on CD is for grades K-8, which costs $44.95. They also have available curriculum for High School Art Survey, Beginning Calligraphy (I plan on getting this one) and Children’s Literature Study Guides.

My son's picture

Score 8 1/2 out of 10

Homeschool Bloggers New Blog

Hi Homeschool Crew! A new blog was launched last week all about the Schoolhouse Store and they would love it if you could give it some attention! The blog address is: www.homeschoolblogger.com/storespotlight.

They just did a drawing and gave away 10 of the Homeschool Planners to some of their earliest subscribers to the blog. In addition, they are giving away a $100 store gift certificate once they reach 1,000 subscribers! They are already over half way there!

The Store Spotlight blog is offering midweek markdowns (a new item 1/2 off every week), interviews with the companies whose products they carry, and random FREE products! You won't want to miss a day! Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy the Schoolhouse blog!

Nativity Set Giveaway

Hey remember the Nativity set I reviewed from One 2 Believe? Well, one of my associated form The Old School Hose Review Team is having a contest and she is giving away her nativity set. You can go to her contest page here at a Better Life then I deserve and enter to win.

Hot Topic for Discussion

Now I think most people would agree that when a certain gene in an animal is not used over an extremely long period of time that the gene goes dormant. Would you say that in the animal kingdom most male animals find a female animal to procreate so that their species can live on and not die out? Would you say that most animals in the animal kingdom when wanting to procreate they always choose a mate of the opposite sex? Would you agree to most or all of that? OK if you agree then read on.

Alright, here is where the hot topic comes in. I know many people out there who really believe that homosexuals are born gay. That they do not have a choice. That they were handed this gene and they have to live with it. I know many Christians who believe in the Bible as perfect truth, believe in God and also believe this sin. Well let me shed a little light on this subject from a different point of view.

Lets take a step into evolution (a whole subject on it own) and say we really were once cave men and monkeys etc and if us humans are truly part of the animal kingdom as the scientists say we are, then the drive to procreate would be extremely strong. Right?????So now lets say that this gay gene is a gene. How is it that since we agree that certain genes that are not useful die out of the animal kingdom and how come this gene did not die out of us. Would you agree that there really is no use for it. It does not help to repopulate our world, right?

If you have 1000 people and 1/4 have a gay gene and they do not have children and then another 1/4 were gay and did not have children and so on, wouldn't it be feasible to say that our current population would eventually cease to exist due to the fact that just by nature a gay couple are not physically able to have a baby? Yes I know currently they can adopt, but from the beginning of time there was no such thing as adoption as it is in the terms today.

OK lets step back into my world now. In the Bible God dislike a lot of stuff, but there are only 2 things that He detests. Homosexuality/Sodomy and Witch Craft/Magic. So if God is a loving God and cares for all His children so much then how could He makes something that He Himself DETESTS? How is it that a girl at age 17 decides she is gay, then a year later says she is not and has a baby, then decides to become gay again? How is it that our bodies by nature are not made to be man with man or woman with woman. Think about it. It just does not fit together, literally. (Lev 18:22 and 20:13)

Lets call it by its true name. SIN! I was not born FAT. I was born with sin. I chose to put the food in my mouth over the years. Absolutely I could say I was born with a gene to be fat. It is a battle I deal with on a daily basis almost my whole life. But the real name for it is... I am a gluten and a sinner! Absolutely there are people who may have a predisposition to this lifestyle due to lack of father figure or maybe they were raised in a home like that or who knows. I am not saying that all fatherless sons and gay parent children become gay. But the sex drive in us animals is strong at a very young age.

Think about baby boys. What is the first thing a new mom finds out when changing her baby boy for the first couple of times. His penis is hard all the time. This is also why big burly he men that would never in a million years touch another man turn to homosexuality in jail. Why, the drive to procreate or have sex. Do they continue this lifestyle when they get out of jail? I would have to say No!

Our world is Topsy turvy. In the 1500's when our country was founded, we would have never thought twice about imprisoning a person that would do such an act as homosexuality. We openly believed in God and taught it to our children in our homeschooling (no public schools then). When the public school came to be in the late 1800's we thought nothing of teaching our children to read, write and do math. We never would have added all this junk in the disguise of tolerance that has nothing to do with education. We said prayer before and after school.

Today we teach about sex (Molly had two dads is going to raise the ???) to 1st grader under the guise of tolerance to the homosexuals. We (in some schools) no longer say the pledge under the guise of tolerance to other religions. We learn about mayors because of their sexual preference not because they did anything extraordinary for our country. We vote for a president due to skin color, white or black. What is wrong here. Is it the end times as written in Revelation? I don't know. Unfortunately God did not decide to give me insight to that and I certainly am not one to run around preaching it the end times.

Well, with all that said. I hope I have given you some food for thought for those of you who just were on the fence of whether it is a gene or a decision. I am in no way trying to persuade you to change your mind, not to say I wouldn't mind. But one day the truth will prevail and one of us will be very disappointed in ourselves for letting the Devil deceive us all those years. All any of us can do is pray and ask God to open our eyes to the truth. He will if we just ask!

OK now I have stepped on some toes of somebody who may catch a glimpse of this site for the first time and really believes the opposite that I do, but I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and that His Word is the absolute truth and can be taken 100% literally! That sin is sin and by no other name can we call it. That sin comes from Satan the deceiver and that the one thing he wants to do is keep us from the truth. The more young children he can get into believing this story of a homosexual gene the better for Satan.

Oh, by the way. You may think by reading this that I hate gays or I am a homophobic. I am not! My very best friend, who is now dead of aids, was a homosexual. He got married in his homosexual church and I went to his wedding, even thought it was not a legal act at that time. I went to many of his parties where my husband and I were one of a few straight people there. At his funeral there was a gay pastor (don't understand that one. I guess she missed the whole sodomy thing in the bible) and I prayed with her over his ashes. So please do not tell me that I am homophobic. Homosexual or not, your true name is human and all humans should be treated with the utmost respect no matter what sex life they decide to choose!

So with all that said, Is it a gene or a choice? I know what God says!

Gay Pledge Cards in Calif. Schools

Now I know allot of my friends are saying...Oh I am not worried about this homosexual thing coming to my school. I have Christian teachers. Or worst yet they are putting on the rose colored glasses and thinking it will never come to the schools here in the O.C. we are pretty conservative here in the Tustin, Orange etc. Unified School District. Well, I have news for you. It is coming down our way. It started in San Francisco (or there abouts) now it down past Sacramento and next will be LA and we are just 30 miles away from that. And this is all in less then a year!

I just read this article on Fox News.com regarding a kindergarten teacher who had her kindergarten class sign gay pledge cards. Yea, you read it right...gay pledge cards. What these kids are pledging to is to be an ally to the gay community. Now I ask you...how can you have a 5 year old sign a gay pledge card and not explain to them what being gay is or what a sexual preference is? So the next question is what on earth does a gay pledge card have to do with learning or school or how to read, write or do math?

Watch out..it's coming faster then you think. Check out the article at Fox News.com

Rime to Read Review

What is a Rimes you ask? They are words that sound and look alike. Such as Hat, Cat, Mat, Sat etc. So what is a Rhyme? Rhymes are words that sound alike but usually do not look alike.

Lynn Klaiman and Dr. Sara Hines, PhD, at Rime to Read developed an interactive, educational, DIGITAL reader that allow children to practice reading success on their own, and learn to use the computer all at the same time.

I did like the idea that you could try the first book before you buy it. However I did not like that you had to sign up with your information before you could try it. But at least you got to try it without buying it!

The drawings are adorable and very simple so they are not distracting like some books are. You could even print the books out if you are like me and my son and like the hard copy better then e-books AND your children can color the pictures as part of your reading/art projects.

Oh yes, and they just added sound. So if your child gets stuck on a word, they can have it read to them. The site is very easy to manoeuvre around and my 3 year old had no problem once I showed her how to do it.

The one major downfall I think is the fact that even though you could print the books out, you can only do it once. So if you forgot to save it to your hard drive like I did with book one…well, you are out of luck! These books are very similar to the Bob Books most of us know about. Over all I feel this product can be easily incorporated into you daily homeschool curriculum.

Now as far as the cost goes it is a little expensive for my pocket book, but for some this would be just right for them. Currently, Rime to Read has 20 books available to purchase. Each package of 4 books costs only $9.99 or you can choose to buy access to all 20 for $44.99. That is $2.25 - $2.50 a book that you can save on your computer and print out when ever you want.

Score 5 out of 10

November: Amusing Math Module

I just got my hands on the November Module of The Old School House Planner. I have all their modules so far and have used much of each one of them. This one I am not as satisfied with as I have been with the past ones. Now please do not get me wrong...do I like it...yes. Is it worth buying...absolutely! But there would be a few things I would have loved to see in it. So here is what I will do. I'll give you my likes and my wants (not my dislike cause there was nothing I dis-liked about it).

What do I Like about it?
I loved the Magical Math. It was entertaining, fun and educational. I tried the birthday one on my friend’s husband and blew them both away. I loved that they gave me a multiplication table and practice sheets, especially since my son is just starting to learn that. Oh and the money conversion page with the websites for info on each country was great as well as the worksheets for the pre-schoolers.

What do I wish it had more of?
They have the multiplication and addition worksheets, where is the division and subtraction worksheets? I would have like to see less copy work and more stuff on such things like time telling or place value or fractions maybe even some sorting for the young ones etc.
All in all, I would recommend this November Module to anyone. The Old School House really knows how to put helpful, fun, educational information together on one subject all in one place for us homeschoolers.
You can purchase it for $7.95 at The Old SchoolHouse.

Score 7 out of 10

Another Reason To Homeschool Our Kids

I suppose this sort of thing shouldn't be shocking. You have to go to the original site that wrote the article and see the video. Pretty bad!!!! This Article is by Charlie Sykes

This is a video of Diantha Harris, a lifelong democrat and avid Barack Obama supporter. She is also a lousy schoolteacher, as is evidenced by the mush-mouthed kids in her class. And instead of concentrating on grammar and English, math and science, she abuses and ridicules any child who dares to speak up in support of John McCain. This video is part of a Finnish documentary on Obama fans, and it is shocking that you have to go to a foreign country to learn what goes on in our own classrooms.

See how she singles out the little white girl and mocks her for having an absent parent, who is off defending the country, and lies to her, saying her Dad would have to stay in Iraq for a hundred years? The little girl was ready to cry! Disgusting.

Diantha Harris: It’s a senseless war! [Stares at Kathy.] And by the way, Kathy, the person that you’re picking for president said [Harris shakes her head] that our troops could stay in Iraq for another hundred years if they need to! [Kathy bites her lip, looks ashamed. Other kids stare at Kathy, laugh, smirk.] So that means that your daddy could stay in the military for another hundred years!

[Kathy is on verge of tears.]

[In an interview later:]
Diantha Harris: Now I can support whomever I want to support, as long as I don’t browbeat another person for the candidate that they supported. Like I have some students that support John McCain, and when they told me that, I said ah … “that’s good’ and I just moved on. So, I think that everybody is entitled to their own personal opinion.

You know, the schools are banning kickball, dodge-ball and tag on the playgrounds because they are afraid of bullies. Seems to me the bullies are the ones with the chalkboard erasers.

Working Replica of Noah's Ark

Ok you have to see this working Replica of Noah's Ark Opened in SCHAGEN, Netherlands. This is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I wish it were here in the USA. But since it is not you have to go to the site and see the pictures. It is the most spectacular thing you will see!

The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday for the first crowd of curious Pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder.Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark , built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house.Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold. A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine -Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been. Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy.

Construction began in May 2005. On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel. Visitors on the first day were stunned. 'It's past comprehension, ' said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw The ark looming over the local landscape. 'I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big.' There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark. Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands , where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years.

''If You Need Help, Ask God. If You Don't, Thank God''... 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.' Psalm 23:6

From the web...
Replica of Noah's Ark built by a Dutch contractor. It was built approximately to scale, however is 1/2 the length and 1/3 the width of the Biblical dimensions. It was built to show the world how massive the Ark was and how so many animals could have been housed for a long time.

http://www.worldwidechristian.net/Noah

Please Don't Jump into Homeschooling Blindly

by Andrea Hermitt, Education Examiner

When I started homeschooling my children over five years ago, I noticed that the vast majority of people had little understanding of what homeschooling meant. People would approach my kids in stores and ask them why they were not in school, then they would get a puzzled look on their face when they said "I am homeschooled". Now when people see my kids in public during school time, they ask "are you homeschooled?" They often follow up by saying "That's great!" So it is evident that the concept is much more familiar and acceptable to the general public.

Because so many more people are familiar with homeschooling, most knowing someone who is or was homeschooled, many more people are also considering undertaking homeschooling themselves. Unfortunately, many of these families homeschool for only one or two years before deciding to put their kids back in school.

I say "unfortunately" because these families stop homeschooling not because they feel ill-equipped, and not because they have decided that traditional school is best for them. I say all this to express just how important it is to fully prepare yourself for homeschooling before you begin. If you are thinking about homeschooling, I urge you to take the time, do the research, make your own assessments and decisions, and do not blindly follow others into it just because it seems like it might be a good idea. Taking your children's education into your own hands is a huge undertaking, not to be taken lightly.

Here are some things you should do before you begin homeschooling your children:

Read at least 5 books on homeschooling. They should include books about reasons to homeschool, a book on homeschool success stories, and a few books on homeschool methods, philosophies, and learning styles. Personally I was not comfortable in my decision to homeschool until I had read about 30 books. I read them in 3 months.

Spend some time with homeschoolers. Go to homeschool support meetings. Ask questions. Arrange play-dates. Go on outings, otherwise known as homeschool field trips.

Investigate curriculums. Do not blindly follow the same homeschool program that your homeschool friend is using. Take the time to decide what your child needs and what will be best for him or her. Choose your curriculum or program accordingly.

Learn about homeschooling rules and regulations in your state. Each state has a different set of rules and regulations. They are easy to find online and through your local homeschool associations.

Make sure your kids are willing and ready to begin homeschooling. There is nothing more stressful than trying to teach a kid at home who does not want to learn at home. I am not saying you need to let your kids make the decision to homeschool, but I am saying that you need to find an approach that excites your kids even if that means using tutors and homeschool co-op classes.

I Made My Own Theme Study

I am so proud of myself. After weeks of searching site after site I never found a theme study on clocks. No not one on time, but one on clocks. I ended up spending 4 days researching different sites on the subject. I found a couple great sites that gave me most of the information and then I sent 2 days more writing the study. It's 14 pages long and I even put a lap-book together with it. I can not believe it. Me...I did it. Who would of ever thought I could or would write an e-book?

So now my husband and Mom think I should try to sell it. I know I can not possibly be the only homeschool mom who has a boy who wants to learn about clocks. Well, we will see. I'm going to contact one of my favorite e-book websites...Currclick, and see if they will sell it for me. Hopefully they only take a small percentage. So for now that is in my prayers. It would be nice to make a few dollars. Who knows, maybe it will sell really good and I might make a few more
e-books for all us homeschoolers. I know there's many other e-book stores on the web. I could advertise on my blog as well as my review board and my 2 homeschool groups sites.

Well, I guess I just put together an idea for a business selling plan. Lets see if I can implement it. Wish me good luck and say a little prayer for me!

File Folder Games

Oh boy oh boy! I just found a great site. File Folder Games I love file folder games and I have spent many a day and night trying to find some free ones on the Internet. Now this site pops up. I guess I am not the only one out there wanting this too. YEA.

Hey they are having a great contest. Here is an excerpt from their site.....

Welcome to our site! We hope to bring you some fantastic file folder games that you can put to use in your Homeschool, Children's Ministry, and Early Elementary Classroom. This will also be a great place for you to share you're own File Folder Creations, connect with other Parent's and teachers of special needs children, and find a ton of helpful and FREE resources to aid the education of your little ones.To celebrate this new site, we're giving away some really great prizes, so read below what you can enter to win, and find out how you can help spread the word about our site!

SO go on over there and check them out. I think you will be happy you did!

Score 9 out of 10

The Socialism of Public Schooling

The Socialism of Public Schooling
By Jacob G. Hornberger

While the nation is on the subject of socialism, we really ought to talk about public schooling. With the possible exception of the military, it's the best example of a socialist institution one could ever find. It's not a coincidence that public schooling is one of Fidel Castro's favorite government programs.

Actually, "public schooling" is a misnomer. It would be more accurate to call it "government schooling" because it's a government operation from start to finish. That's different from, say, public movie theaters or public restaurants. Those are private businesses that are open to the public.

Like the military, public schooling operates in a top-down, command-and-control manner. It's a perfect model of socialistic central planning, a system in which government officials plan and direct the activities of the citizenry rather than simply leaving the citizenry free to plan and direct their own affairs.

Whether the control comes from the state government, through the state department of education, or the local government, through a school board, the principle is the same -- a group of appointed or elected government officials is directing the educational decisions of multitudes of students. That's different from the private sector, where consumers, through their spending decisions, determine the direction of entrepreneurial and business activity.
Government officials decide the textbooks and the curricula in government schools. Thus, they decide the substance of what is to be taught to the students. In socialist countries like Cuba, we usually call that process indoctrination.

An American teacher might deviate from time to time from official doctrine, but if the deviation is major and persistent, the teacher will ultimately be forced into conformity. For example, suppose a schoolteacher begins teaching students that the drug war is immoral and destructive and, therefore, that drugs should be legalized. Outraged parents would bring their wrath down upon the school board, which would pressure the principal, who would send an appropriate message to the teacher.

How are public schools financed? Through coercion. Everyone, even people who do not have children, is taxed to fund this government enterprise. It's called taking money from everyone to subsidize those who have children. Or as Karl Marx would have described this process of spreading the wealth, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."
The private sector gets its money differently. Private businesses must produce goods and services that people find sufficiently valuable to pay for voluntarily.

How do government schools get their customers? Through force. That's where compulsory-attendance laws come into play. If a parent fails to send his children into the public school system or fails to subject them to some alternative form of government-approved education (e.g., charter schools, government-licensed private schools, or homeschooling), the parent is subjected to extreme sanctions, including imprisonment. Of course, that's not the way that businesses in the private sector get their customers.

What's the alternative to government schooling? No, not charter schools or a voucher system or even a system of government-licensed private schools or government-supervised homeschooling. Those reforms leave government in charge of education and continue to rely on coercion.

Instead, the genuine alternative to government schooling is a free market in education -- that is, an educational system that is entirely free of governmental involvement -- a total separation of school and state. A free-market educational system would operate the same way that restaurants and movie theaters operate. Consumers, not the government, would decide the appropriate educational vehicles for their children, and businesses and entrepreneurs would supply those demands by providing people with educational products and services.
Advocates of government schooling claim that parents are not competent to make educational decisions for their children. That raises an obvious question: Why not? Aren't most parents products of public schooling? If public schooling has produced a nation of adults who lack the competence to guide their children's education, why do we want to continue a system that is likely to produce the same result?

Jacob Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation See more at http://www.fff.org/

The Missing Link

I just finished reading a great easy read extremely descriptive book titled, “The Missing Link: Found”. This is the first book in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series by Christina Gerwitz who happens to only be 17 years old and her mom, Felice Gerwitz, who is the founder of Media Angels, which happens to be Christian Publishing Company.

This book along with the series I think is great read for Upper elementary-Jr. High-level reading or a read aloud for the whole family. Christina found a way to stress the important work being done in Creation Science while shedding light on the mistakes in evolution all the while throwing action at every turn of the page. Oh and by the way one of the characters takes mention that she is homeschooled. The best part is the fact that I learned a few things about evolution vs. creation as well as learning some cool stuff about archeology. The book drew me into the characters and made me want to know what was going to happen in the next chapter and at the same time educated me about creation science. My next step is to purchase the curriculum that goes along with the books. I think this might be my science for 2009.

One of the other things I really like about this book was the fact that there was no sex, no kissing, no boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. It was pure clean fun. It showed how one family worked together as a family to solve problems and relied on God in every situation, even finding joy in a tremendously scary situation.

The Missing Link: FOUND can be purchased from Media Angels website for $8.99. There is also a 3-book series for $22.00 and a literature study, which sells for $6.50 each. Hey, don’t forget to look at their other products while you are at their web site. They have some great stuff. Click here Media Angel.
By the way they are having a bumper sticker slogan contest going on now until November 10th. Hey all the young ones can enter (5-17) and maybe they might win a whole bunch of great stuff from Media Angel and some of their sponsors. Check out the rules and what to do here... Media Angels Contest.

Score 8 out of 10