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Many Christmas Carols

Oh Peaceful Day - Sat, 03/12/2011 - 08:45

I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

Their faithful Friend and Servant, C.D.

December, 1843.School Library Journal posted yesterday about some of the new versions of the classic Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol. Zip off and have a read, and then come back, okay?

Remarkable Reads: 'A Christmas Carol'

Right then. Comfy?

They are remarkable reads indeed, are they not? Most of them (four of the five) leave me with a dreadfully sour Scrooge-like disapproving look on my Charlotte Mason face. We have an abridgement - "less threatening to those who tend to avoid the classics". There's a graphic novel collection of classics by well known authors including Mark Twain, O. Henry and Willa Cather as well as Dickens - "Teens won't be able to walk by the spooky cover without picking it up!" There's a version with a twist - Scrooge is a broken hearted teen, and it's set on Valentine's Day. (Wonder what they've done with Tiny Tim's "God bless us, everyone"?) The final offering is a doozy. It's called It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombies Christmas Carols. Need I say more? I won't. SLJ say that it's "A great jump-starter for a teen program during the winter break!" Apparently it's hysterical. Bah Humbug!

There is so many versions of this classic Christmas tale that it's impossible to make a list of them all. There are a dozen different movies - including this one, which I do like:



I love this 1910 silent version by Thomas Edison as well:



There are also some wonderful books. I'd like to, if I may, show you three of the versions contained (still) in our Basket of Delights. They are, all three wonderful.

I'll begin with this one:

This unabridged version is one of my favourite Carols because of the divine illustrations by P J Lynch:


The pages open well, the paper is rich and creamy, and it's well bound. The perfect read-aloud version, this one. It's out this year in an affordable paperback version as well.

The next Carol is this one that I posted about last year.



It's Chuck Fischer and Bruce Foster's magnificent pop-up version. It's also unabridged - the whole story is included in five richly illustrated booklets (A sixth provides a bio of Dickens and an interesting essay entitled "The Enduring Appeal of A Christmas Carol"). Jemimah and I poured over this one last year - and no doubt will again this season, but this is probably not the version I'd chose as a read-aloud, at least, not more than once. As an adjunct, though, Foster's paper engineering makes it incredible!

This final Carol is my favourite. You can't imagine how happy I was to discover that it had survived the flood.

It's a tiny - 7x10cm leatherette version with gold edged pages. It's old, I don't know how old, but I doubt that it was ever read.

Here are the illustrated endpapers:

Contented sigh, I just love this dear little book.

Anyhow, those are my three favourite print versions of A Christmas Carol. If I had to add a fourth it would be this one illustrated by Robert Ingpen, but I don't have a copy, and so I haven't talked about it. I like it though.

To me, all of them are better than the SLJ offerings. Ugh.

Which is your favourite version of A Christmas Carol? Do share.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Weekly Wrap-Up: The One with the Crocheting

Weird Unsocialised Homeschoolers - Sat, 03/12/2011 - 07:03

Happy Friday! Can you believe it’s December already? I can’t believe how quickly the year has passed. Josh will be turning 12 next Saturday, then, Christmas is right around the corner. And, then, of course, it’ll be 2012, the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar.

Boy, wouldn’t it be interesting to really know that the end of the world was scheduled? I’m thinking there would be some bills I wouldn’t pay and some fun things I would do. I guess that’s a sign that it might be time to reassess my priorities…but still pay the bills, I suppose.

I could lay around all day like my cat in this bag of clothes a friend sent. Yes, I’m going to have to rewash the entire bag of clothes before I pass them along. Crazy cat.

Anyway, it’s been the first of the two crazy weeks between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break around here. I should just take the whole month of December off, but we need the days to satisfy our state requirement of 180 days and we did that once – the natives were really restless by the time we started school in January, as in “driving me up a wall stir-crazy.”

We decorated for Christmas last Sunday evening. Gus liked having the decoration boxes in my just-cleaned dining room much more than I did.

One more cat picture before I move along. Brianna insisted on giving him a bath the other night. He looked like a drowned rat. Poor guy.

We’ve pretty much been doing a lot of the same old, same old, as far as school goes. Nothing very exciting, just making sure we get all the basics covered. We did do a really cool science experiment, though. It was to show how ice can break rocks. We filled a balloon with water, then covered the balloon with plaster of Paris.

Of course we used homemade plaster of Paris because a few months ago, I cleaned out one of the closets. In that closet was a box of plaster of Paris that I’d had forever, just in case we needed it. In my cleaning frenzy, I decided that we’d had it for years, we’d never used it, we weren’t going to use it, so I should just throw it away.

Yeah. Tell me I’m not the only one who does stuff like that.

Anyway, after our homemade stuff (salt dough) dried, we put the balloon in the freezer. The kids thought it was really cool how the water froze and burst our homemade rock.

On the “making time for Mom” front, I’ve been learning to crochet. My cousin crocheted my girls some beautiful winter hats and it made me want to learn. While it’s been frustrating at times, it’s also really cool to learn something new.

My first attempt at a square wound up looking very purse-shaped…so I gave it to Megan and told her it was a purse for her Liv dolls! She doesn’t even mind that it doesn’t open.

I’m starting to get the hang of it now, though, and my squares actually look like squares. Plus, I’ve learned some new terms and techniques that I didn’t know a week ago. That’s part of what life-long learning is all about.

I’ve also become hopelessly addicted to Words with Friends on Facebook. I love it! I have always loved Scrabble, but I never can get anyone to play with me. Now, I have at least a dozen games going on with friends. So, if I go MIA here on my blog, that could very well be what’s happened.

Somewhere in between school, housework, crochet and Words with Friends, I’ve also been squeezing in time to read. I’ve started The Hunger Games after seeing the movie previews. It was recommended to me before and it didn’t sound that interesting, but the movie previews looked good, so I borrowed it from the library.

Brianna and I had a little skirmish over who got to read it first, but I won, playing the “I’m a faster reader” card (and the “mom” trump card when that one looked a little iffy). I’m really enjoying it, so far. Those three things – the crochet, Words with Friends, and reading – are directly related to how sleepy I am today. I’ve been staying up too late trying to find time to fit it all in. I think I may need a 20 minute power nap before dinner.

Speaking of time for mom, I’m also trying to make sure I’m taking more photos. I really want to start Project 365 (ish) again in January, since I let that fall by the wayside last year. That means y’all may be inundated with photos of my cat since he’s my most willing subject.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be running my second 10K. I’m getting the whole family involved this time. They’ll be doing the 1-mile fun run/walk. The lure of a free t-shirt and buffet breakfast after the race won them over.

Are you doing anything fun this weekend? How was your week? Be sure to post about it and sign up with MckLinky. If this is your first time to join us, be sure to read the Weekly Wrap-Up guidelines. You can also follow the guidelines link to grab the banner code.

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© 2006-2011 Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. All Rights Reserved. Original text and photos may not be used without permission.

LOOK! FIVE (5) GREAT Homeschool Conventions in SC, CT, CA, TN and OH!

Categories: Planet Home Education

Versatile Blogger Award

Seven Little Australians Plus One - Sat, 03/12/2011 - 05:58

Blossom from North Laurel Home & School has awarded me a Versatile Blogger Award.  Receiving this rather made me smile for a couple of reasons; I discovered Blossom's blog, always delighted to meet my readers:) and I realised I do write a variety of posts, sometimes I worry that I must ramble on and bore my readers with the same 'ole, same 'ole.

Rules for the Versatile Blogger are:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
• Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
• Give this award to 15 recently discovered bloggers.
• Contact those bloggers and let them in on the news.

1. I enjoy writing book reviews, but they take a fair amount of time to write.2. Covering books is a must for me;)3. My swimming technique is not really correct, you know the whole breathing stroke routine. 4. I love gum trees. They really appeal to me, the look, the bark,  they just say 'Australia' to me.5. I've recently found that aprons are a really handy item to use.  They protect my clothing, fancy that!6. Grain free eating is an area that really interests me, one I want to delve into more. Currently I'm reading about wheat and its effect on our bodies.7. Organisation is something I have had to learn as an adult.  I have it slightly 'more together' in my 30s compared to my 20s, on paper at least. 

I'm going to interpret 'recent' as within the last 12 months.


1. Grace in Loving Chaos
2.And the Kitchen Sink
3. Take Up and Read
4. Yellow Pencil Stub
5. Glutenfreebudgetcrunch
6. Pillars of Pine
7.Australian Catholic Families
8. A Peaceful Day
9. Every Bed of Roses
10. Little Men in My Library
11. Creating With Wisdom
12. Sue Elvis Writes
13. Phenomenal Woman
14. Untrodden Paths
15. Benmakesten

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Family Movie Night TONIGHT on NBC

Reviews and Reflections - Heidi Strawser - Sat, 03/12/2011 - 02:38

In the past, I’ve had opportunity to introduce you to several of the Family Movie Night movies.  Now, it’s time to tell you about another one – airing TONIGHT at 8pm (est) on NBC . . .

When industrious high school gamer Zach Taylor lands a prized scholarship to the prestigious Digital Institute of Game Design (DIGD), his future breaks wide open. The opportunity to study under gaming legend Marcus Bentton and alongside the country’s most creative minds will certainly propel him into a successful career as a video game designer. That is, if he can pass the infamous freshman project that eliminates more than half of the class within the first three months.

Paired with brilliant yet socially awkward teammates Phillip and Donald, the trio persuades Sara Ramirez – a determined and striking team leader with whom Zach has a history (and possibly a future) – to join their team. Working off-campus in the teched-out Lincoln Alley loft, the four set out to involve the entire campus in a quirky new social interactive game. But as the group becomes entrenched in the project, Zach learns that his father Billy, a widower, is facing growing financial woes at home. To help out, Zach accepts an opportunity to work directly with Marcus Bentton on a secretive side project that seems too good to be true. The effort requires nearly all of Zach’s time and energy, which he should be devoting to the project. Struggling to keep it together, Zach is torn between his responsibility to his team, his admiration for Bentton and a chance to help his father.

Everything comes to a breaking point when Zach’s team threatens to remove him from the group and the deceptive truth behind Bentton’s project comes to light. With the guidance of Professor Abbie Lambert, Zach must make a decision that not only affects his future, but the lives and livelihoods of the people around him as well. It’s a revealing story that recognizes the magnitude behind the choices we make and the importance loyalty plays in making good decisions.

Ashley and I had opportunity to preview this movie last night.  While it certainly wasn’t my favorite of the Family Movie Night offerings, it’s definitely a good family movie with some great themes – honesty and integrity being the main ones. 

If you’d like to learn more about Game of Your Life, or any of the previous Family Movie Night movies (which are all available for purchase at Wal-mart), please visit the following websites:

• Website: http://www.familymovienight.com/game-of-your-life/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/familymovienight
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/fmnib
• Trailer: http://vimeo.com/31917601

If you watch the movie tonight, I’d love to have you come back here and share your thoughts on it.

Categories: Planet Home Education

A Christmas Prayer: Christmas Book

Spell Out Loud - Sat, 03/12/2011 - 00:58

Today's book is A Christmas Prayer by Amy Parker. This is a Christmas book perfect for your littlest ones.

Summary: A little child talks about how every aspect of the nativity story is a gift from God.  From Gabriel to baby Jesus, they are each a precious Christmas gift to us from God.

The book has simple text with the repeating phrase, "Thank you, God, for __________ Your precious Christmas gift". My little ones were able to repeat that phrase after a couple of pages. I appreciated that this book allowed us to talk about how each of the characters in our nativity set were real and each were a gift from God that helped tell the story of the best gift of all-- Jesus.


After reading this book we pulled out our Nativity Sensory Box that we made last year. As the girls searched for the pieces, we reviewed what the book said about that person.


"Thank You, God, for Jesus,Your one and only Son.A Savior sent to save the world!Yes, Christmas had begun!" ~Amy Parker


Other posts in this series:

5 Days of Christmas Books: Day 1 - My Favorite Childhood Book
5 Days of Christmas Books: Day 2 - The Christmas Book Book
5 Days of Christmas Books Day 3 - The Song of the Stars
5 Days of Christmas Books Day 4 - Humphrey's First Christmas

Please stop by and visiting my other 5 Days of Christmas friends!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts
Our Sponsors: Time 4 Learning: Online Homeschool Curriculum - Student-paced program for prek-eighth grade. Get language arts, math & more.

Categories: Planet Home Education

What's That Smell?

The Boonies: Wild Life in the Woods - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 23:36

It's funny how one thing leads to another…
Remember how the other day I did a post on 5 Things? (Like Five Things that You Don't Know About Me; and Five Things That I Know Nothing About; and Five Things I'm Knowledgeable About; and Five Things I Believe.) That topic came from Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writing Prompts, and the button below will take you right over there if you're interested in reading some more EXCELLENT samples of writing, on a variety of topics. Or if you're interested in being challenged by her weekly writing prompts. I've done two so far: 5 Things (which I already mentioned) and 7 Wonders of My World, which some kind soul "stumbled" (Thanks, Anne!) and which got me a LOT of traffic. 

I've discovered that I really enjoy the challenge of being given a topic that is intriguing to me, and then just taking off, and seeing what comes out! If you think you might like that as well, you ought to give Mama Kat's writing prompts a try.
Well, this morning I went over there myself to do some more reading by other bloggers, and I came across  Rachael Heiner's "5 Things" post on her blog, "Scientific Nature of the Whammy". Among the things she mentioned that we didn't know about her, was the time she had worked a temp job in a fish filet processing factory, and how that experience had caused her to gain a huge respect for people who do such jobs. Her post triggered a memory for me that I thought was worth re-telling here, so here goes.
When my husband and I were newlyweds, he didn't have a steady job.

That's kind of funny, because we've been married for almost 25 years, and he STILL doesn't have a steady job.

Huh.

Anywho, he did a lot of different jobs to support his music habit, and at one point, he was working for a friend of ours who does professional video shoots, and it was my hubby's job to run sound. This means he had to hold the boom mic, and wear headphones, and keep an eye on the sound levels, to make sure they were getting what they wanted on tape. One week, our friend informed him that they had a gig to shoot video at a pig breeding farm, in Iowa. They were going to fly there, and apparently the job would pay well: it was a BIG PIG place, you know what I'm saying? Whole lot of potential bacon was being brought into this world at this place.

When they arrived at the pig farm,  HE had to shower to be allowed to go in and see the pigs!

Think about THAT!

He had to pause for a moment, in order to not  take offense! (Imagine being told you're too nasty to be with the pigs!)

The idea, of course,  was that if a visitor carried in a contaminant that it could spread like WILDFIRE through the entire pig population. And let me tell you, it was an extremely populated porcine palace, if you catch my drift. (Which, since we're talking about pigs, you might not want to do.)

 When he left the pigs, he showered again, because, well, the aroma was UNBELIEVABLE, according to him. (And this is a man with a frequently stopped up nose.)

So, when he got home late that night, I was already in bed, but I hadn't fallen asleep yet. I was eagerly waiting for his return. We were newlyweds, and I couldn't wait to snuggle up to him: I'd missed him so much! He decided to shower AGAIN, just to be safe, to be sure he had gotten all the pig perfume off, since it was so pervasive. So when he finally came to bed, I spooned up behind him, and wrapped my arm around him, to hold him close.

A nose by any other name would smell a whole lot sweeter. Picture from here.

As I lay my head next to his, ready to whisper sweet nothings into his ear, my nose, which happened to be right next to his ear, went to RED ALERT/DEFCON 1/COCKED PISTOL/NUCLEAR WAR IS IMMINENT status.  While the rest of his skin smelled sweetly of soapy cleanness, from his inner ear there came an odor so noxious, so permeating, so searing, that I squealed (piggy reference) aloud, "Oh, my GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is that STENCH????". One whiff emanating from his INNER EAR (not the outer part, which he had washed. Twice.) caused my eyes to begin pouring water. How to describe it? The smell was somewhere in between death and pig poo and the sulfurous fires of hell, and it was wafting from out of his ear tube. If I were braver, I'd tell you the words that popped into my mind, and then, perhaps, out of my mouth that night. "Holy ____!!!!!!" But it was UNholy. I can assure you of that. Ungodly and unholy and MOST DEFINITELY UNfit to be in my bed that night.

He FLEW out of the bed, and RAN for the shower, and washed and washed again. And I wish that I could tell you that the smell was completely eradicated, and it was, mostly...but a little bit of THAT smell goes a long way, and it was nauseating to me.

And people work at their jobs at that huge pig breeding farm, every day, all day long. 
And their poor wives....
I've asked a similar question before, (in my post about the horrors of the mixture Axe and Turkey Poo) but people seem to enjoy answering it: What horrifying smell have you endured?

Categories: Planet Home Education

Pitsco ~ TOS Review

The Homeschool Desk - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 23:30

 

 

Pitsco Education is an online store that carries tons of educational products and curriculum for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  Hands-on products such as a the Medieval Machines Pack which I received for my review is one of those such innovative products.  This pack includes a Trebuchet Kit, a Catapult Kit, the Siege Machines book, and counterweights for the Trebuchet.  Also included was a box of Klean Clay used to make projectiles for the kits, which is normally sold separately from this particular kit.  All we needed from home to complete these kits and use them was some glue, scissors, and a ruler.  There is a Teacher’s Guide available for both the Trebuchet Kit and the Catapult Kit that includes many hours worth of activities and lessons. 

 

I don’t know about you, but I have two boys, er I mean one boy and one boy-at-heart – my husband - whom I knew together, would enjoy using this product for my review.  This product is great for teaching kids basic math, science, and problem-solving skills.  Teaching kids in a hands-on way such as this helps them to retain their learning and have a memorable academic experience in the process.  This particular kit covers three areas:

• Science: Tension versus torsion, elasticity, gravity and levers, and force and motion
• Math: Metric conversion, calculating averages, and prediction
• Experiments: Mass versus distance, testing rubber bands, targeting, and more

With this kit, kids will learn not only about the history of the medieval siege machines, but the concepts required to build such machines.  There are all kinds of learning possibilities and what fun children will have learning by building these machines?!

While these machines would have been difficult for my almost 12 year old to put together on his own, it was a great project for he and his dad to work on together.   They enjoyed creating the machines and trying out different activities with these machines.  I think to be completed on its own, a child would need to be an advanced 12 year old or older. 

This kit is available for $21.95 from the Pitsco website.  To learn more, please visit the website and to view the additional educational products that Pitsco offers, such as more machines like these, math games, puzzles, and much more. 

To read my Crewmates’ thought on this product, please visit the TOS Crew Page for Pitsco. 

 

Jodi

Disclosure:  *My honest review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. I was not further compensated in exchange for this review, other than receiving a free product.*

Categories: Planet Home Education

DD ~ The Letter W

Reviews and Reflections - Heidi Strawser - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 22:14

Welcome to Destination Disney!
I’m so glad to have you here!

As we move through the alphabet on our Destination Disney journey, we’re ready for the Letter W this week.  Only 3 more weeks/letters to go!

W

Use the Letter W as your inspiration.  Here are some ideas to get you started – Water (there is LOTS of water, in various forms, at Disney), World Showcase (a favorite of mine), World of Disney store (another favorite!), Whispering Canyon Cafe (can’t wait to try this on our next trip), Wilderness Lodge . . . I can think of a ton more! . . . but we cannot forget the most important W of all --- WALT himself!  – can you think of any others?! I know you can! 

So go, get busy!  Post those Letter W things on your blog (with pictures, if you can) – then come  back here and link up!  I’ll link up my post too!

FYI: Check out our past weeks’ letters:

• Letter A posts
• Letter B posts
• Letter C posts
• Letter D posts
• Letter E posts
• Letter F posts
• Letter G posts
• Letter H posts
• Letter I posts
• Letter J posts
• Letter K posts
• Letter L posts
• Letter M posts
• Letter N posts
• Letter O posts
• Letter P posts
• Letter Q posts
• Letter R posts
• Letter S posts
• Letter T posts
• Letter U posts
• Letter V posts (still time to link up!)

Categories: Planet Home Education

55 . . .

Reviews and Reflections - Heidi Strawser - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 22:00

Since our last 2 trips were “quick trips”, we didn’t have a lot of  time to spend at each park and really take the time to do EVERYTHING on our lists.  One thing that got put aside on the last few trips was Turtle Talk with Crush.  We’ve gone into The Seas pavilion, but haven’t taken the time to stop and enjoy this show.  I think that Ian will especially enjoy this show on our next trip – last time we saw it he was only 2, so I doubt if he even remembers it.

Categories: Planet Home Education

Back Home

Thede Connection - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 21:56

While happy to return safely back home the trip went better than we could of hoped. Monday early we loaded up the truck after greeting two guest riders and headed down South. Thankfully we made great time arriving in only 4.5 hours because the boat that Cory and the kids expected to take to LaGonave could not come. But we arrived in time for them to catch the public ferry. I stayed on the mainland for the hospital meeting.






Now I can easily make a very long list of things I would prefer to do over meetings but I think that the items discussed in this one will greatly impact and increase the ministry of the LaGonave Wesleyan hospital. I feel very honored for the invitation and thankful that those present not only listened but actively interacted as folks from many countries and lines of work united under the goal to improve the hospital.

While the 'think tank' meetings occurred Cory, Eli and Anna visited LaGonave. Cory talked with his workers, made a trip up the mountains and chatted with friends. Eli and Anna did some school work but mostly connected with friends both Haitian and the missionary kids.

On Thursday morning they returned to the mainland where Cory spend some time talking with Dr. Steve [Starfysh] and Lowell about LaGonave's agriculture. Eli and Anna enjoyed some time with Joy and Heidi before we headed back North.

Will attempt a bit of school today and rest up this weekend. Many things to think about and try to get down on paper on how I can continue to help the progress of the hospital from our remote location.  Will share more later.

Categories: Planet Home Education

Preschool Corner ~ Beginning Advent

Homeschool Creations - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 20:10

 

This week we all pulled back a little bit on some of our schoolwork, sticking more to the basics and then starting on our Advent activities. What did that look like for Kaleb?

 

History & Bible

During our Mystery of History time, we talked about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. That led to some cooking fun and we made lentil stew for everyone to try and see if they would have traded their birthright for a bowl of stew. Kaleb did really like it, because he insisted on having it several nights in place of regular dinner…probably good he isn’t the oldest and in line for the birthright!

Every day Kaleb and I followed along in his Little Hands-on Bible to read the stories that tied in with the history lessons. This has been a great way to further include him in our history each day ~ and really make him feel that he is a part of things {and understand it too!}.

Reading

We’re working on All About Reading Level 1 together. Kaleb is on the third lesson, but really excited to work on it with me. We pinned his little progress chart up above his desk and he colors in a star whenever we finish a lesson. In the lesson below, Kaleb sounded out the different words and then we also put the rhyming words together on the ice cream cones.

Advent Fun

We’re doing quite a few different things to celebrate Advent together as a family. Each night we are reading through Jotham’s Journey. During the day, the kids and I are using the Truth in the Tinsel, which is full of hands-on crafts to teach children the real meaning of Christmas. December 1st was the first day of the crafts and we made a light ornament {template was in the Truth in the Tinsel ebook} and put it in our tree to remind us of our lesson.

And every.single.day either Rick or I have been reading the book The Gingerbread Pirates ~ I’m thinking we may have to make some fun cookies soon to go along with the book! This picture was just too sweet not to share…

That’s a quick look at our week ~ what have you all been doing together?

More Preschool Links

• ABC Printables
• Color and Shape Printables
• Early Learning Printables: Police Officers, fireman and more!
• Math and Counting Printables
• Phonics and Reading Printables 
• Preschool Planning Pages
• Preschool Resources Main Page

Ready to Link Up?

Share what you are doing with your kids! Please link your exact blog post to the Mr. Linky below and link back here too! Grab a button below and be sure to take a minute to visit the person who linked up before you. You can read more in the updated guidelines for Preschool Corner.  

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Visit these great companies!

• Red Wagon Tutorials….Science classes for junior and senior high
• Truth in the Tinsel ~ 24 fun-filled activities for the Advent season

 

Categories: Planet Home Education

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol 102)

Seven Little Australians Plus One - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 19:13

1
It turns out PC has pneumonia!  His second time around.  Fortunately though, we appear to have caught it in the early stages and he is not as bad as previously, but still, not good. Please keep him in your prayers.

2
Well we are calling it quits to our official school year here.  Next week we plan to enjoy  Advent crafts and exams.  Our children tell us they'd like to do exams, they think it might be rather fun, so I'm writing exam questions this weekend.

3
My thoughts have flickered a time or two towards next year's academics.  After reading my friend Linda's plans for next year, I've been considering how to ensure more time with my teens.  I'm contemplating working 3 days only with my younger crew, leaving 2 full days to extend my teens.  Thinking it could work.

4
Talking education, I've been over at the new Australian National Curriculum having a peek around.  Truth to tell I quite like the layout, I don't find it too full of teacherese.  I particularly like the 'Achievement Standard' points (click on Curriculum and then grade, look under subject). What I would like to find is all those points in a bullet form layout or a scope and sequence, like this one for maths. Anyone seen this info for all subjects in a simple list form?

5
It is true, in many ways older children take more emotional energy and time.  Very rewarding though.

6
Did you notice the new tab headings at the top of my page?  I have so longed to do this and thanks to a very talented friend who is clever at blog technology I finally have tabs:)

7
We have our last swimming lesson next week and are very happy with the progress made this term.  Princess loves her squad, and her teacher is most happy with her progress.  Jelly Bean can swim 25m in freestyle and backstroke, Jack Jack has grown in confidence and can easily move across the pool with a  kickboard.

Visit Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Start your AO library

Oh Peaceful Day - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 16:48

Amazon have a special on the wonderful Puffin Classics 16 Book Set. It's a great way to start a library of living books, I reckon! The whole kit and caboodle for A$51.65. (That's just over 50 bucks Australian. Plus postage if you live in Australia. That always hurts a bit. Okay, a lot.)

Anyhow, check it out.

This is what you get:

AO1 Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
AO2 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
AO3 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
AO3 A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
AO4 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
AO4 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
AO5 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
AO5 King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
AO5 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
AO5 Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
AO5 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
AO6 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
AO6 The Call of the Wild by Jack London
AO6 Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
White Fang by Jack London
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

If you live in America you just can't go wrong with that little lot. Just in time for Christmas too. Ho Ho Ho

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Handmade Handprint Ornaments

Confessions of a Homeschooler - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 15:29

Looking for a fun personalized Christmas activity you can do with your kids this season? You’re going to love these cute handmade handprint ornaments so much you won’t want to part with them! (Though they do make wonderful gifts!)

Supplies:

• Plain bulb ornaments (I used clear ones from Michael’s, but metallic red would be just as cute!)
• White acrylic paint
• paint brush
• Little hands
• Something fun to fill your ornament with, I used sparkly tinsel
• Permanent markers to draw on embellishments

Instructions:

1. Carefully paint your kids’ hands (Be prepared for lots of squeals)

2. Have them carefully ‘grab’ the bulb, being careful not to move their fingers. I helped to press their fingers onto the bulb.

3. Use markers or acrylic paint to draw on embellishments: Scarf, hat, eyes, buttons, nose, arms

4. Write their name and year onto the palm of each ornament and hang on tree, or give as gifts! Warning: These may turn out so cute you won’t want to part with them, so you may want to make a couple sets! 

 

 

I hope you enjoy these adorable handmade ornaments!

 

Since you asked, here are some fun ideas for ADVENT:

• Printable Advent Ornaments
• The ADVENTure of Christmas

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Handmade Handprint Ornaments is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

December 2011 Monthly Meal Plan

Confessions of a Homeschooler - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 09:30

Hi everyone! In the excitement of the 12 Days of Christmas posts, I sort of forgot that it was a new month! No worries though, I still have our December 2011 monthly meal plan for you all!

…oh, and sorry about some of the sugary treats this month, I added in some fun Christmas baking days! ;o)

• December 2011 Meal Plan PDF
• December 2011 Meal Plan Word Doc (Editable)

 

Cheers!

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December 2011 Monthly Meal Plan is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

Home Education: Lifestyle Choice Not a Religion

Homeschool Australia - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 07:38

by Beverley Paine

Home education - homeschooling, unschooling, radical unschooling, natural learning - is a lifestyle and educational choice not a religion extolling us all to simply believe or have faith or trust that all will be well if we follow the 'right' path as announced by enthusiastic individuals excited by their own experiences.

As a lifestyle, like any other, as parents we are required to actively think and reflect on our actions and decisions and respond accordingly to meet our changing needs and those of our situation, circumstance and environment.

Uncritically following a rigid 'this is the path, do not deviate or else' approach preached by popular or self-appointed gurus leads to disappointment after the initial period of euphoria passes.

Home educators are vulnerable to hard and soft selling techniques proclaiming that if they do this or that they and their children will be better off, experience more success, or more joy in their lives.

Never let someone who does not know you or family intimately tell you that your past or present parenting or educating practices are abusive simply because they do not match that person's idea of 'perfect'.

We are all on parenting journeys, learning all the time, exploring and experimenting, becoming gradually aware as we make many 'mistakes' and get it 'wrong' countless times working to meet our children's and our own needs and those of the community in which we live.

We are all amazing wonderful people working hard and conscientiously doing something that is not appreciated, understood or valued by our peers. Remember that and be strong. Find your own path and what works for you and your children. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way: there is only learning. 


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Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Perciatelli all'Amatriciana: Best Pasta EVER

The Boonies: Wild Life in the Woods - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 06:40

This is the stuff.

OK, I can hear you now, from clear over here in the Boonies.

A whole lot of you are saying: "What the ____ is perciatelli?"

(Unless you're Italian. Or a chef. Or you really know your pasta.)

Well, I TRIED to give you a little context clue in the title; and the picture should be your second big clue. It's a pasta.

And it's so good that if I weren't already married,  I'd consider asking me to marry me.
But that would be bigamy. Or big of me.
Potato, potahto.
Linguine, fettucine.

And, yes, absolutely, you can substitute spaghetti.

There. Breathing easier now? Good.

These little forays of mine into what for some of you might be the culinary unknown are why many of you come here. And yet, some of you make the trip kicking and screaming (and whining). But you nearly ALWAYS come back and thank me.

Because that's my job: to get you to expand your horizons a bit. To encourage you to try something you haven't. Take a risk. Live a little. You CAN do better, with fairly minimal effort on your part.

But you tell yourself (some of you) that you CAN'T; that you're not a good cook. And to that, I say, "Pshaw. Fiddle-dee-dee." We'll think about that tomorrow. In the words of Bob's therapist (You know. the movie "What About Bob"? With Bill Murray as Bob, and Richard Dreyfuss as the therapist?):

"Baby Steps".

We're baby steppin'.

And today, we're baby steppin' in pasta. Which sounds slippery.

The recipe is called Perciatelli all'Amatriciana,

Here's what the Cook's Thesaurus says in regard to this type of pasta noodle:

perciatelli = bucatini   Pronunciation:  pear-chuh-TELL-lee  Notes:  These are hollow pasta rods that are thicker than spaghetti.  They're usually served in casseroles or with hearty meat sauces, or they're broken up and served in minestrone soup.  Substitutes:  spaghetti (thinner rods) OR linguine OR fettucine. On the TV show, The Best Thing I Ever Made, chef Beau Macmillan made Bucatini with Bacon Sauce and Meatballs, and said it was the best dish that he'd ever had as a child. It was cooked by a friend's Mom, and it had inspired him to become a chef. Now, come on: I love pasta! But, a pasta good enough to inspire someone to become a chef? This I wanted to try!  I didn't really have time to make meatballs. What to do? Happily, I remembered that I had borrowed from the library a copy of Mario Batali's cookbook, Molto Gusto, Easy Italian Cooking. And he had a recipe for Spaghetti all'Amatriciana. With no meatballs. And, I had almost every other ingredient that I needed to make something similar to his recipe! So, the recipe I'm going to share with you today was inspired by Beau Macmillan, but really follows more closely Mario's recipe. Mario's recipe called for guanciale or pancetta, both of which are Italian pork products that I didn't have. (Guanciale is made from pork cheeks, washed in wine, seasoned and left in a stone niche for 40 days to marinate. It's such a specialty product that most Italians have never heard of it. Pancetta is Italian bacon, typically salt cured and seasoned with spices like nutmeg, fennel, peppers and garlic.) But I DID have good old American bacon! And you might, too. And it works great!  Mario also called for 3/4 c. of Pomi strained tomatoes, which are a specialty tomato product that come in a liter sized box-shaped container. I didn't have that. But what I DID have were some really good canned tomatoes, the kind I reserve just for recipes where the tomato sauce is front and center. What kind did I use? I used an Italian tomato from San Marzano (they come in a three pack at my Costco), and this particular brand is called "Nina". But what you should look for are whole plum tomatoes from San Marzano. They actually do make a difference in flavor. They're very rich.  I couldn't find the bucatini that Beau Macmillan's recipe called for, so I decided to substitute the closest thing I could to it. Here's what you're looking for: a long noodle, like spaghetti, but if you can find it, you want one with a hole in the center (Like perciatelli or bucatini). The idea here is to cook it till it's barely al dente, so that when you put it in with the hot sauce, it will continue to cook and absorb that pasta sauce into its hole in the center, and well, it's just exquisite. The first time I made this, I could find neither of those, so I used linguine, and it was still awesome. The next time I went to Kroger, on a pasta quest, they had a Private Selection (house brand) of perciatelli, which up to that point, I had never heard of before, but while inspecting the package, I thought it looked like a fat spaghetti, so I bought it. Brought it home, googled the name and found out I had hit the jackpot: it is the equivalent of bucatini. So there's  a crash course for you in pasta varieties, so you can learn what I did. Since I didn't have the Pomi strained tomatoes that Mario Batali wants simmered until reduced by half, here's what I did. I dumped the 28 oz. can of Nina whole tomatoes (in puree, with a basil leaf) into a big saucepan, and removed the basil leaf. Then I used my hands to squish all the tomatoes, taking note of how high the level of the liquid was on the side of the pan. Then I simmered them for about a half an hour, stirring periodically, and continuing to squish any remaining tomato chunks. The idea here is that you are going to CONCENTRATE those strong tomato flavors. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. You'll be tempted to, because you're in a hurry, but don't. The charm of this dish is the intensity of the flavors, and it has them all: sweet, spicy, salty and smoky. So don't lose out on the flavor that you'll gain by simmering your tomatoes till they are reduced by half. I used about 1/4 of the hot red pepper flakes that Mario Batali used, so if you like it spicy, you can use up to 2 teaspoons full. I used 1/2 of a teaspoon. Adjust the heat of this dish to your own preference level. When it comes to pasta water, you want it salty like the ocean. That's your chance to put flavor into the noodles. So about 3 T. of salt go into the water you're going to boil the pasta in. So here's my hybrid version of both chef's pasta recipes: The closer you get, the better it looks. I cannot tell you how good this stuff tastes. My family fights over any leftovers. Perciatelli all'Amatriciana Ingredients: Kosher salt 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil 1/4 lb. bacon, cut into 1/2" wide strips 1 medium red onion, halved lengthwise, ends trimmed, and cut lengthwise into 1/4" wide slices 1/4 c. tomato paste 1/2 t. hot red pepper flakes 1 28 oz. can of Italian San Marziano tomatoes, simmered down and reduced by half 1 lb. Perciatelli (or bucatini, or linguine, or spaghetti) 1/2 c. freshly grated Pamigiano Reggiano, plus extra for serving 1/2 c. grated pecorino romano 1/3 c, coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley Preparation: Get your saucepan of tomatoes simmering, and reduce them by half. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. I salt it right before I put the pasta in. About 3 T. of salt. Meanwhile, combine the oil, bacon and onion in another large pot and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the bacon is lightly browned and the onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce and remove from the heat. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 c. of the pasta water. Add the pasta and 1/4 c. of the reserved pasta water to the bacon and stir and toss over medium heat until the past is well coated (add a splash or two more of the reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce). Stir in the cheeses and parsley and serve immediately, with additional grated Parmigiano on the side. And now, for the question: what's your favorite Italian dish?

Categories: Planet Home Education

Review: Illuminations and Wondermaps

Weird Unsocialised Homeschoolers - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 02:00

Recently, I posted about the new history curriculum we’re using this year, All American History. As part of that review, I was also sent two more products by Bright Ideas Press to review: Illuminations and Wondermaps.

Illuminations may be the answer to your lesson-planning woes. If you’re like me, figuring out how much and what to do each day and getting it all in your planner is part of the drudge work of homeschooling. With Illuminations, the planning is done for you!

Illuminations basically offers several choices of curriculum resources (except math) that you must purchase separately, and ties them all together for you, so that all you have to do is teach. It uses either Mystery of History or All-American History as the spine and covers:

• Bible
• History
• Grammar
• Copywork
• Spelling
• Literature
• Writing
• Science
• Geography
• Vocabulary
• Writing

The lesson plans are based on your choices of the following curriculum (some choices vary depending on which level of Illuminations you’re using):

• All-American History or Mystery of History
• Christian Kids Explore science series
• English from the Roots Up
• Winston Grammar or Easy Grammar
• Write Shop
• Natural Speller
• Literature selections that should be available from most libraries

There are two levels of Illuminations: 3rd – 8th grade and high school. Included is a teacher’s guide which explains how to use Illuminations and offers links to tutorial videos, and literature evaluation forms. It even includes that titles of Netflix videos that complement the topics being studied.

There are also study guides for the booklists which are included. There are book suggestions both for reading together as a family and for independent reading by your children.

The Illuminations teacher guide also offers the reassurance that you are free to tweak the lesson plans to fit your family’s needs, not use all the materials for which there are plans, and even substitute other resources that you might prefer.

I have primarily been using the plans for All-American History since that’s the main component included in Illuminations that we were using. However, I’ve got some tweaking to do during Christmas break and I’m seriously considering adding in some of the suggestions in the area of language arts.

An unexpected benefit of reviewing Illuminations has been gaining a much better understanding of how to pace Easy Grammar. As you may know, we’ve used Easy Grammar for years. We love it, but I’ve never been quite sure how to pace it and we have never finished a level in a year. Using the lesson plans from Illuminations, we’re now moving through Easy Grammar at a much quicker and more effective pace.

Illuminations is available from Bright Ideas Press for $82.50 – $185.00, depending on whether you choose a one semester or one year download or one year on CD-ROM.

We’ve also had the opportunity to review Wondermaps, which has to be the most versatile map program available. It offers a huge assortment of customizable maps:

• The world
• Continents
• Regions
• Nations
• The United States, by state or region
• Historical
• Thematic, including Native Americans, explorers, Biblical, historical, Chinese dynasties, and 20th century treaties

Within each map set, there are a huge variety of customizations, such as:

• Black and white outline or color overlay
• Include – or not – city names and locations, river or terrain names, state/country/historical name
• Border outlines
• Continent/country labels
• Latitude and longitude lines

If you’re using Mystery of History or All-American History, you can access all maps included in those texts with Wondermaps. There are over 350 maps included and the customizations available offer you incredible versatility. You can create and print the map that fits your needs for a variety of teaching needs, including history, Bible, and geography.

Wondermaps is available from Bright Ideas Press as a download or CD for $45.95.

This post contains affiliate links. I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it.  I received no other compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.  Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.

 

© 2006-2011 Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. All Rights Reserved. Original text and photos may not be used without permission.

LOOK! FIVE (5) GREAT Homeschool Conventions in SC, CT, CA, TN and OH!

Categories: Planet Home Education

Humphrey's First Christmas

Spell Out Loud - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 01:30

I fell in love with Humphrey as soon as I saw his face on the cover of Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer. Something about his smile and eyes just drew me in. When I finally read the book, I was so glad I picked up this book for our Christmas book reading. This story shares the birth of Jesus through the eyes of a camel.

Summary: Upset that he's missing his blanket, Humphrey is determined to get it back. It's that blanket that keeps him warm--why should he be left out in the cold? The illustrations in this book are fantastic and help convey how Humphrey was feeling. In the end, did he really need that blanket?

This is another wonderful children's Christmas book. The illustrations are just as important as the words because they work together to tell the whole story.


After we read the story, I found my little girls with the Little People Nativity set reenacting the book. Every camel they see in decorations or books is now Humphrey. That makes me smile. :)


When I pre-read this book, I immediately knew what I wanted my older kids to do. I purchased a couple of fleece blanket sets on sale so that I could have the kids make some blankets to give away.

 
All three of my older kids worked on the project. Thanks to my mom (who knew you needed fabric scissors for this--lol!) we were able to complete two blankets to give away.

A perfect book activity that also gave my kids the opportunity to share with others.



Other posts in this series:

5 Days of Christmas Books: Day 1 - My Favorite Childhood Book
5 Days of Christmas Books: Day 2 - The Christmas Book Book
5 Days of Christmas Books Day 3 - The Song of the Stars

Please stop by and visiting my other 5 Days of Christmas friends!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts



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Categories: Planet Home Education

V is for . . .

Reviews and Reflections - Heidi Strawser - Thu, 01/12/2011 - 23:59

The year is winding down – and I can tell – as we’ve had fewer participants in the Destination Disney meme these past few weeks.  I know everyone is  busy – and some of these last letters of the alphabet can be a bit tricky. But, let’s stick this out ‘til the end, ok?

I’m really not sure what we’ll do with Destination Disney in 2012.  Any ideas?  I think we’ll, at least, take a brief break for January, and maybe February too.  I’ll be traveling during that time and have some other things going on that will be taking up a lot of my time.  Plus, my creativity is shot --- so any ideas or help are more than welcome!  Leave a comment or e-mail me.

One of my favorite V’s at Walt Disney World is the Voices of Liberty, who perform in the American Adventure Pavilion at Epcot.

Categories: Planet Home Education