Math-U-See

When I first heard of Math-U-See, I have to admit the name was a bit off-putting. To me it sounded childish and unprofessional. I can assure you, though, this curriculum is anything but those things. In our 8 years of homeschooling, this is the only subject in which we haven't changed curriculum.

I'll start my review with the cons:
1. The name. I'm sorry, but it still bothers me.
2. I had a lot of trouble finding testimonials about upper-level testing success. I even made a plea on the MUS Facebook page and another highly populated homeschooling support site. But after much research and prayer, I decided not to switch before the middle school years. When I was questioning my choice of curriculum -- as any over-thinker would -- I talked to my father and brother, both successful engineers (aeronautic and chemical respectively). They both said if a math program is teaching the basic concepts, it's fine. I took great comfort in that and we carried on. I don't regret that decision.

Mystery of History, Volume 2

Everyone has a favorite subject and mine happens to be history. Quite simply, it gives me the weepy-glees. My love of literature is almost equal and due mainly to the fact that it illuminates history.
This year I opted for Mystery of History Volume 2 which covers the Early Church to Gutenberg. I have loved it; this is in some part due to the way this curriculum is set up, but mostly because this time period in world history is one of my favorites. I'm thankful Linda Hobar does not focus only on the typical Euro-centric events of this period, but also events and cultures of China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Africa and more.

A Mommy's Guide to the Pukes

There's nothing you can do to prevent it, but there are a few things that can help you survive it.

We've tried hand washing, hand sanitizer, vitamins and, my personal fave, social isolation from January through March. But somehow, the creeping crawling crud still finds its way into my children's guts. For example, this morning.

My baby girl has recovered well from the heaves and is now rolling around the living room floor showing me tricks. But this morning was awful. She was shaking, her heart was racing, and she was throwing up frequently. Which leads me me to my first tip: 

1. Write down the "puke" times. This may sound very strange, but it is so helpful. Stomach sicknesses are not as unpredictable as you think. Little C started throwing up 7:30. She threw up again at 8:11, 8:40, 9:12, 9:40 and 10:11. See a pattern? Keeping this information written down, I knew she was throwing up

The Communication Dance

The following is a sermon my husband preached a few weeks ago during a series on relationships. Much of the material was gleaned from Danny Silk's video teaching "The Communication Dance". I thought this would be beneficial to many people and wanted to share. Please keep in mind that translating a verbal teaching into written word can be challenging but the information is wonderful!

Communication is the key to success.

Diana Waring's History Revealed, Vol. 1 (Ancient Civilizations and the Bible)

Two years ago I was fortuitous enough to win this entire curriculum in a very random way. I'm grateful for my high school typing class and journalism experience which conditioned me to type wicked fast. As a result, we used Ancient Civilizations this year which covers Creation to Christ.

Variety is the Spice of School: Eclectism

All the walls in my house are eggshell white. It's boring. But I've never been confident with color. Plus, we got all the paint for our almost 2,000 square feet for about $5. Cheap AND boring.
This same trend of boring does not carry over into our homeschool, however. And good thing.
Again and again, I read comments from moms in total frustration: they are using a boxed or computer-based curriculum, and their child is uninterested, unmotivated, bored, underwhelmed and they don't know what to do about it.
My advice? Paint some rooms red and yellow.

Managers Of Their Homes (MOTH)

The day my husband came home and found me hiding under a pile of (clean) laundry on our bed, we knew something had to change.
In the fall of 2007 I had a foot-dragging second grader, a shy kindergartner, an ornery three-year-old and a clingy baby girl. Add homeschooling on top of that, and let's just say it was the straw that broke this mommy's already weakened back.