Fighting Satan Right Into 2020

We have a New Year's tradition tradition in our family that predates my birth by many years.  We gather for a series of gospel meetings and on New Year's Eve, sing songs from memory up until midnight where we pray the new year in.  There are some years where there might be up to a 1000 people attend.  Just imagine a 1000 member choir singing your favorite hymn!  There is truly nothing like it.  Sadly, tonight I'm not there and instead home with one sick kid and another really-exhausted-and-no-good-to-anybody-this-tired toddler.  I was really heartbroken when I realized we needed to stay home, but as the night has progressed, I've been working really hard to battle against Satan's fiery darts.  What better to do when everyone else is in bed than to write about it?

In 2019, some really amazing things have happened in our family.  I recovered a good part of my brain again after Rory's pregnancy and first months drained me of it.  A was given the gift of friendship in a couple of very significant ways - something that I had been praying for for a long time.  Randy has made personal growth such a priority for him that our marriage and little family has healed and flourished so richly this year. All of this together has healed some deep wounds in me personally and facilitated a level of peace and contentment I have never known before.  I prayed one Sunday morning that I might sanctify my family through my relationship with them and through so many turn of events God has answered that prayer and so many others this year.

Even as I sit listening to the beautiful singing across town through the magic of technology, I am so sad and cycling through sobs at not being able to be there in person, but I know that God has been glorified this year.  What better reason for Satan to try to discourage me?  God has prevailed in all the ways Satan has attacked before, it's not a surprise that he would put this kind of roadblock in my way.  Much like the secret of the cross that Satan didn't see coming, this blow only highlights the real victory.

I don't know what this next year will bring, but I'm sure Satan will try to use it to fight against the Lord.  What I do know is that prayers are answered.  Sometimes quickly, sometimes oh so painfully slow.  But if we sincerely ask, the blessings will come - in the most unusual ways and places. 

I pray you have a beautiful start to this brand new year and if you need a safe space to talk, I'm happy to listen!

-Amy

Mr. Butler: The Earthy Engineer

I've always told him that his perspective is nothing like anyone I've ever met.  In the coming year, the WRITE Balance is going to include writing from Mr. Butler.  He's super smart, loves woodworking and the outdoors, but also has an interesting take on life as a single-income, engineer, homeschool dad.  I hope you come to appreciate him the way I do!
-Amy

I'm an engineer but don't engineer much anymore.  I manage an engineering team and help where I can at home.  I've changed jobs or been promoted 5 times in 4 years, and though it's a complicated story only the first job-change was one I sought out. The others were more like "we need you to come do this thing".  In four years I went  from managing only myself to managing 18 other people so to say my bandwidth has become saturated lately is an understatement.  Problem with me happens to be that I don't seem to be particularly self aware.  This means that I don't recognize my bandwidth saturation until it's almost, or too, late.

This saturation and the realization of it has been tough to accept.  Growing up, task-saturation or time management wasn't talked about so I went all the way through college into adulthood not realizing or having the capability to deal with it, though I can't say I ever felt task saturated before maybe 2-3 years ago, after having a 3rd kid, and moving to more difficult jobs.

Engineers are generally solitary people and have to usually be given a structured environment, and forced into, social situations.  So cube life seemed to suit me well.  I could do my own thing and generally stay out of the way, and have enough time for myself.  It wasn't till I was forced out of that life that I began to realize I wasn't normal, at least for an engineer.

I'd taken a Meyer's-Briggs test before we got married, and came out squarely introverted.  After going through changes that forced me out of my shell I retook that test at work and came out moderately extroverted, which I now accept as the  reality.  This apparently isn't the norm, unless you have past things that may have driven you one way or the other, which I have.  When I met my wife she would have told you she was extroverted, but now she'd say introverted all the way and that the extroversion was driven by childhood stuff.

I'm interested now that I have kids in how the things we do as parents that don't seem like much have such a large impact on our kids, and how in the future that kid, as an adult, may not be able to quantify why they do the things they do or feel the way they feel.  Simply because it wasn't ever ONE direct thing that shaped that behavior but the presence or absence of something on a multitude of small occasions.  So as an adult you hear a voice telling you to do something but can't ever think of a direct time your parents ever said that.

This isn't to say you as a parent are going to completely fail, but that you DO have to be cognizant of what your actions and words say even if they don't feel like that much to you.  To say, "that shouldn't matter" is to disregard the reality of what your actions actually mean to someone small whose entire worldview is shaped by those small moments.

Suffice it to say I've made mistakes as a parent in this arena, things I regret deeply and hope fervently that I can do enough to overcome both for myself and for my kids.  At the same time I realize that messing up in the moment as a parent is an opportunity to model repentance and ask for forgiveness where appropriate.  Nobody is perfect, but also, no one is a complete failure.

-Randy

A Holiday Gift Guide for the Children You Love

We have a blessing and a curse in middle class America where we can afford gifts for our children, but also still care about their gratitude level in life.  As parents, we understand how fortunate we are to even afford presents, but so many of our options are just excessive and unnecessary.  Even more fortunate are those of us whose parents are able and willing to buy gifts for our kids too!  But again, the gifting can get out of control so easily.  Let's talk about some gift ideas that can support a healthy child and satisfy a loving gift-giver.

Arts and Craft Supplies

One of the most important parts of childhood that we suppress far too easily is Creativity.  Whether you have a busy crafter or a kid who doesn't seem interested, both children NEED creative outlets.  This is a fundamental need that we all have that helps us understand our world and ourselves.  For my 6 year old daughter who always has a craft idea, a basket full of random supplies would be a delight.  My 9 year old son who enjoys a good craft but just as easily would play ball with you for hours, he might enjoy more themed crafting like a nice paint by number or build and paint your own activity.   The point is that it isn't just something to take up space, but an opportunity to explore and create which will then lead to other opportunities.  This is a beautiful way to live life!

Build Your Own Craft Basket
Paper, Foam, Fabric
Pens, Markers, Crayons
Paints
Stencils
Play Dough
Notesbooks
Craft Sticks
Googly eyes, Pipe Cleaners
Paper Cups, Cotton Balls

Prepackaged Ideas
Color/Paint by Number
Jewelry Making
How to Draw Books
Wooden or Ceramic items to be decorated
Learn to sew/crotchet/knit kits
Loom

Feed Their Soul

Whether we honor it or not, we all have a great need for spiritual fulfillment.  God has placed in a us a desire to know and be known by Him.  It is tempting to think that taking our kids to church or making sure they have some morally good friends should be enough.  Those are important parts of our spiritual nurturing, but how is their soul being fed daily?  Reading the Bible and thinking about spiritual things every day is one of the most important ways for cultivating a lasting heart for God.  Does your child have their own Bible?  By the time they are reading well, their own personal Bible (not a kid one with mostly pictures but one where they can actually learn to find books and verses) is a great gift.  My son asked for one for his birthday a couple of years ago and we got his name printed on it and a set of tabs to help him find the books.  The important part of feeding their soul is that is happens daily, not once a week at church.

Inspirational Calendar
Bible
Bible Journal & Supplies
Scripture-based Music
Bible-themed Activity Books
Read together Devotionals
Magazine Subscription - We like Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. from Focus on the Family

The Love of Learning

As a homeschooling family, encouraging learning is something we are always thinking about, but it absolutely applies to every person on the planet! We all need encouragement to continue learning.  Longevity, personal growth, and better relationships all benefit from life long learning..  This includes keeping our minds healthy and  finding new ways of thinking.   A wonderful gift for a child is something they can use to grow and be healthier!

Puzzles
Magazine Subscription (National Geographic for Kids, Zootles, Ranger Rick, etc.)
Games
Items to Build With (Blocks, Legos, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, K'nex, Brain Blox, etc)
KiwiCo - Monthly Activity Subscriptions
Local Classes

One of the best things to remember when you are buying for children is that a good gift can encourage life, but a mindless gift may only create clutter. 

The Children We Despise

There is a trend with young mothers right now who scoff and resist when their elders suggest they are going to miss this season of life.  For the most part, all parties are well-meaning and the argument (if you'd even call it that) doesn't need to be rehashed.  However, it highlights something we don't talk about.

There are children or times in our children's lives that we find ourselves despising these precious gifts.  It's not that we hate children or wish them harm, but feelings of resentment or harsh criticism repeatedly bubble to the top.  We don't like it and in some cases would NEVER admit it (because that would mean being a monster who didn't deserve to have children, right?), but in the silence of our closets when deciding on which piece of clothing you hate the least that day, you can't deny the volcano ready to erupt around this child/these children.

Sometimes it is a personality conflict - sometimes those precious daughters are just. like. YOU.  Other times it's a simple problem of more energy going out than coming in and anyone needing anything from you becomes your enemy.  Other times a mom just can't seem to make sense of this little boy who is trying to find his way to manhood.  The reasons can be as complex and unique as the children and may not really matter all that much at the end of the day.

The most important thing to remember when you find yourself struggling to love these little souls the way Jesus does is that these feelings are simply a signal - a notification, if you will.  This bubbling eruption is telling you that you need care in some way.  Sure, it is also a sign that your child needs care too, but that won't happen adequately until your attitude and head space is right. We are just human and parenting is a lot in this fast-forward, social-media perfect culture.  If you aren't feeding your soul and keeping your perspective healthy on a regular basis, then of course overwhelming feelings of resentment are likely to set up shop in our hearts.

When you're stuck in a cycle of exasperation, remember this.  We all respond better when we feel safe, heard and cared for.  That includes you!  Do you have a safe space to talk when you need it?  Are you making more healthy choices than not on a regular basis?  Are you spending enough time outdoors, something that is super important to mental health?  If your answer is no to all three, you need to do something about it!  I read a quote recently about the quality of the fruit depending on the health of the tree.  As a parent, you are life-giving tree and if you are crumbling you are likely to sour those around you.  Do you know a parent who is desperate need of care?  Help them out with a free night of babysitting or going on an evening walk.  Something to help us get our heads on straight so that we don't turn into volcanoes! 

Real Talk: The Importance of a Safe Space

Real life - not staged perfection - is really important to me.  As a kid who got to grow up outside of social media, I can see how important it can be to see life as it is, especially in coping emotionally with our place in the world.  When we believe the carefully crafted photos actually depict the quality of relationships on the ride home or in the bathroom before bed, we start applying a standard to our own life that is unreasonable at best.  Social media aside, there is a lot of pressure to give the impression that everything in our life is great! Holiday events and parties are stressful for a lot of reasons, but largely because we want all of our insecurities and failures to instantly disappear, leaving only the best elements of us on display.  Some of the most iconic television or movie scenes involve sore attempts to deceive family into thinking the main character isn't single/broke/failing/etc.  Our culture loves a good hiding of the truth, doesn't it?

As a person who just wants to cut to the chase and have some real talk in every conversation, I have learned that not every situation can handle real talk.  Some people don't care.  Sometimes there's not enough time.  Some people can't handle that much reality.  But for you friend, there must be a place where you can have some real talk with real feedback that you aren't going to start a royal war over.  Why? Growth will abound when we can honestly process our experiences in a safe environment.  Without this real talk, growth just doesn't happen very quickly, if at all because so much of our time is spent trying to keep the illusion going that everything is fine.  So many of us are carrying around emotional burdens that quickly become too much, but we keep suffering and often cause real damage to ourselves and others.  It's easy to underestimate how important just talking to someone about what we're dealing with, but it can be one of the most freeing experiences you can have - especially when you are struggling with something heavy. 

If you are blessed with a friendship that is safe and honest, take advantage of it! Many people don't.  If you are blessed financially (insurance benefits or otherwise), take advantage of professional counseling!  There is zero reason it should have a stigma attached to it anymore because it is often as simple as just having a conversation about what's troubling you.  It can be no different than chatting with  an emotionally available mother that warmly invites you to tell her all about it.  And for those times in your life when there just isn't anyone able to listen, pull out some paper and pen and just write.  Write until the tears come and then write until there aren't anymore.  If you can't bear the thought of it being read or you don't want to keep it, feel free to immediately burn it.  The important part is that it is now outside of you and decreasing the pressure place on your heart.

I'm not a professional counselor (though I've thought about it before) and I do not have all the answers, but I'm always happy to listen when someone needs to talk.  If you need to chat or help finding someone you feel comfortable talking with, I would love to help you.  Rich or poor, young or old, we all just need help understanding what's going on in our world and inside of us. 

Looking Ahead to 2020

When I started this blog many years ago, I needed to write in order to breathe.  I've always been a sensitive and emotional person with more words than most people had time for.  When the well of emotions got full, it had to go somewhere and spewing onto everyone around me just made matters worse.  So writing became an important tool in my mental health.  Since then a lot of things have changed - like, a lot - but needing to write hasn't really.  The time and energy to do so has been way more limited, but the need is a constant.  Whether on a blog or just in journals at home, I've continued writing in some form regardless of life circumstances.

As we're leaning into the holiday season and the ending of another year, I'm considering where I'm at and where I'm heading.  I have felt behind in life for a while now.  Having kids - especially 3 kids - fills up so much of your mind and time that it requires a ton of pro-active and preventative work just feel caught up.  Getting ahead is just impossible in certain seasons.  My baby is 2 1/2 and becoming more independent every day.  With older siblings to cart him around and teach him the ropes, certain parts of life are simplifying.  I'm so thankful for that.  That is opening the windows a bit, allowing me to breathe a little deeper and consider where we need to adjust now.

My review season with the Homeschool Review Crew has ended for the year and I've been thinking about what I want this blog to do in the coming year.  So much of my writing has gotten rushed or simply not realized because of time constrains this year and I really do not want that to continue.  I'm excited for an article I wrote being published in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Winter Issue 2019. and I'm looking into doing more of that in the future.  For 2020, Mr. Butler is joining me on the blog to share his perspective and projects as a husband, engineer, and homeschool dad.  I have wanted to to include him for a while, but life.  We are a very health-conscious family and I hope to include more of our approach to staying well through a colorful, intentional diet, active lifestyle and high-quality supplements. As my 9, 6 and 2 year old continue their journey at Butler Academy (homeschooling), we will continue sharing curriculum ideas and home education perspectives. 

And finally, though it might sound like a buzzword, this next year we're going to talk more open and freely about mental health.  There is a very real crisis in our culture where the innocent literally get caught in the crossfire of the neglected mental states of those on the fringe.  There is also the rest of us who struggle with anxiety, depression and isolation but feel like we shouldn't so nothing is said.  We are the norm and this suffering is becoming common.  If I'm going to be writing anyway, I might as well address what most of us are thinking, right? :)

LitWits Kits: A LitWits Review

Reading is the foundation for learning all sorts of things in life.  Connecting with good literature is a powerful force throughout your life.  To this day, I still get excited talking about some of my favorites like To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  The characters and the messages from these books shaped parts of me.  Books are powerful! Today, I am reviewing a company that knows the importance of these meaningful books and are providing exciting ways to enhance a students connection with these books.  LitWits Kits from LitWits are designed to teach great books in fun and creative ways that leave an impression on students.  

What We Received:

We were given our choice of four LitWit Kits.  I chose The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Black Beauty.  Upon purchase, each kit is accessible through your account on LitWits' website, but entirely printable as well.  
Within every kit there are 9 sections:

Hands-On Fun

• Welcome
• Overview
• Prop Ideas
• Hands-On Fun
• BookBites
• Takeaways
• Handouts
• Learning Links
• Great Quotes

Handouts

How It Works:

LitWits began as a literature workshop where activities would happen all on one day.  For homeschooling, it makes sense to stretch them out over time as best suits your family's needs.  The idea behind all the activities is to do what the characters in the book did and understand what they felt and experienced.  This can be encouraged in a lot of different ways, which is what each kit provides - a spectrum of opportunities to connect with these books and characters.  Each kit suggests prop ideas to have something tangible to see and interact with that triggers thoughts about the text.  Hands-on Fun includes projects to make and Bookbites is food ideas to 'taste the story' with.  The handouts section is just what it sounds like, but I appreciated the well-thought out worksheets discussing things like Narrative Arc, Vocabulary and Creative Writing. At the end there is a section of links for further learning and exploration and a collection of the most famous quotes from each book.  Since there are many activities and further learning opportunities, the best way to approach using these kits is for you as the teacher to sit down and browse the entire kit and determine what is doable and useful based on age level and time constraints. A little or a lot still invites students to step into someone else's world and we can all agree there needs to be more of that in education.

Learning Links

How We Used It:

For this review we focused on A Little Princess, something that we as a family had never read.   My daughter (6) has been very into pretend and doll/stuffed animal play so she really enjoyed Sara's creative play and imagination.  We had fun talking about how much Sara's description of what her doll did when Sara wasn't looking sounded like Toy Story.  Because of that, dolls were our chosen prop for this book.  One of the themes that the kit focuses on is how much Sara chooses kindness and looks on the positive, possible side of life.  It is very much a skill that our culture doesn't practice or celebrate too much these days.  As a parent who wants my children to be thankful and content in ALL things, this story and the various activities gave much opportunity to reinforce gratefulness.

 We read the book over time and inserted activities when appropriate, but we could have read the book first and then spent time on the activities with equal benefit.  

 Sara's Splendid Sunset combined some fun arts and crafts element with a meaningful sentiment that surrounded Sara's positive outlook amidst her destitute circumstances. The three of us (my son 9 and daughter 6) worked on this project together and it was really fun to see where their enthusiasm was sparked.  My daughter loves using paper to create so she was excited to make a little Sara.  My son was all about the painting, but even stretched himself a bit by making curtains out of paper.

As I browsed through the other three kits we were given, it was so fun to see familiar stories highlighted in ways I wouldn't have thought about otherwise.  For example, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory brings to mind having a chocolate bar as a snack, but I wouldn't have considered making a cabbage and potato soup in order to understand just how extremely appealing chocolate and candy would have been to Charlie.  Sugar and sweet things are an every meal occurrence now so the contrast might be lost on some today. In the case of Black Beauty, I was not familiar with the author or her circumstances surrounding writing the book (having only a few months to live) and Litwits uses that fact to spur conversations about why that might be.  Straight to the heart of the matter is an approach I'm very fond of.  The Secret Garden, a story I have read and loved the movie(s), surprised me from the start with its simple creativity.  The first hands-on project is simply making a jump rope.  Making things out of what is available is also something that children can easily miss out on today because of convenience and excess of stuff.

With all of the open-ended aspects to this product, I was very impressed with the layout and thoughtfulness of the website.  They take every opportunity to encourage parents/teachers to utilize their product for the students' maximum benefit.  It is so nice to feel like you have a partner who wants your family's success too!

As a product and curriculum resource, I highly recommend LitWits and their kits that are packed FULL of some great teaching ideas.  With our culture in a bad habit of cutting off some of the truly important things in life like nature, gratefulness, appreciating animals and so many others, we need more educational activities like the ones found in LitWits Kits.

Follow LitWits on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LitWits/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litwits4kids/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LitWits4Kids
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LitWits/

LitWits offers kits for a ton of other favorite books.  Check out other Crew reviews below to see what other kits are like and what they thought of them!

A Purpose of Parenting: To Balance Your Kids

Over the course of about a week, the Race Car has taken up baseball.  This 1 year old kid is now running around with a foam bat (though he gravitates to the metal, heavy ones whenever he can) and ball looking for someone to pitch to him.  He moves the bat onto the left shoulder, hands gripped in good form and then crouches his whole body down (sometimes so low he falls over) ready for the pitch.  It's adorable and a little mind-blowing how fast he's picked it up, but incredibly consistent with his personality.  Just like his father, when he sets his sights on something he goes after it and sees nothing else.

As I was reading to him before bed (something that is a struggle because he just wants to go, do and resist being still), I tried to work with him saying a couple of words.  As a typical third child, he's taking a little longer to get those words flowing.  It's especially hard with an extra talkative older sister who wants to be in the middle of everything.  The book was about tails so we worked on the T sound and then tried to get him to repeat the word.  Once I got the other two kids to quit interrupting, he gladly pushed out the T sounds and then grinned like crazy when I insisted at the whole word.  We finished and then he jumped up, turning around for a hug.  It occurred to me that I really needed to do that more often - work with him without the other two hanging all over him.  He does mama, dada, ball, go, and just recently mastered uh-oh, but he's capable of so much more if he would only slow down and try it.

And then the entire purpose of parenting came into focus.  We get hung up on different learning styles, disciplining methods and personality types, but the big picture is balance.  With each child God has entrusted to me, it has been my job to know them.  Knowing them means that I learn their weaknesses which should inform my parenting of them - show me where they need balancing.  I have 3 children and a husband who would rather go and do than just about anything.  In my relationships with them, I am learning to help them slow down.  The child that is afraid of hard things (even though highly capable of them) does better when they are forced to learn every aspect of that hard thing in order to master it with patience.  The child with all the words needs help respecting other people's need for silence.  This baby of mine is an amazing accomplisher and I'm learning it is my job to open up his awareness to other great things to accomplish, not just the ones on his radar.

Through conversations and maybe even some ad on Facebook, I've heard a lot of opinions about letting children decide for themselves about how they will be disciplined or what they will do or eat.  It seems to be a trend of some sort that suggests if a child doesn't prefer it then the decree has been set.  And I understand, to a point, because I want my kids to be happy.  I don't want them to resent me or have anxiety over something forced upon them.  However, I am seeing in all of my children the value of filling in the gaps between where they prefer to be and where they could be.

If I let her, my daughter would eat fruit non-stop and rarely have protein - if ever!  Do you know what kind of emotional wreck that girl would be if she didn't get enough protein in the day?  Seriously, she would be on her way to diet-induced diabetes.  As her parent, I see her weaknesses (emotionally and physically) and educate her preferences.  Last month we had some particularly stressful meltdowns regarding J and his math studies.  For that period of time, if I had let him decide he would never mess with math again.  It was hard (he thought) and didn't want to do it.  3 weeks later he's excitedly speeding through multiplication tables to impress his dad.  He just needed a little more patience than he felt like having that week.

Of course, there are always varying techniques on how to parent and carry out rules and consequences, but don't ever believe the lie that a child must like, prefer or be in love with everything they do.  It is our job to balance, equip and build up.  All of those things requires growth and that means change.  If your family never sets out to grow, then you are all likely to miss the mark.  Our relationship with our kids is meant for us to provide balance - a balance that keeps them rooted to the things that matter and that helps them choose wisely even when it isn't comfortable.

Horses In History by Mattie Richardson: An Appaloosy Books Review

History buffs and horse lovers, this one is for you! Last month we were introduced to Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books and Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series through the Homeschool Review Crew.  This historical fiction series gives the reader a trip back in time through the horse's point of view.  My horse-loving 9 year old was beyond excited to review these books and he was not disappointed.  The periodic pleading for a horse of his own will now increase thanks to this delightful book series.

What We Received:

We were sent 4 paperback books: Appaloosy, Dusty's Trail, Golden Sunrise, and Day and Night - all of which were signed by the author.  The author also sent a nice email that included a digital copy of her brand new 98-page Day and Night Enrichment Guide for the Day and Night book.

How It Works:

These books are written with 8-14 year old readers in mind. Each of these books is set somewhere in the 1800's depicting a historical event through the eyes of horses.  At the beginning of each book is a list of words and their definitions that are used in the book, but might be unfamiliar to the reader.  In Golden Sunrise, a story about a horse's experience at the Battle of the Alamo, `the list contains Spanish words.  Appaloosy, a story depicting the Nez Perce War, defines words from the native Nez Perce language.  At the end of each book, the author includes  'A Blast from the Past' section where she discusses the actual events the story was based around.  At the end of Dusty's Trail the reader can learn about the American Quartera Horse and the Pony Express.  Day and Night concludes with information about the Civil War.

The Day and Night Enrichment Guide we were given is a huge resource! Within the 98 pages, the author includes reading comprehension questions. vocabulary, history reading segments, A Soldier's Life - goes over varying aspects of a soldier's life, geography, horses and history, Living History - a craft or game section, a creating your own story section, and a biography section.  There are 8 parts of this guide and each part includes the above activities.  For more advanced students are some suggestions for deeper study.  This guide is an entire history unit all by itself and a great resource for enhancing the reading of Day and Night.

What We Thought:

My 9 year old loves horses to his very core so he was predisposed to love these books anyway, but we have been very pleased and impressed by Ms. Richardson and her series.  J was excited about the stories being told from the horses' perspectives.  In Day and Night, the chapters trade off telling Shiloh and Tucker's (siblings) experiences from both sides of the Civil War. He said that element made it more fun to read because while reading about one he was wondering what was going on with the other one. The vocabulary words kept any of the unfamiliar subject matter still accessible and great for learning.  As a parent, I want my children to love what they are reading so this fit that perfectly.  As a reader, I am so impressed that the author wrote her first book at 13!  The idea is so charming and fun to read and her enthusiasm for history is evidenced in each book.  We are fans and will be glad to add this to our curriculum library!

Follow Appaloosy Books on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Appaloosy7/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/appaloosybooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AppaloosyBooks

Is your family not really into history or horses? Check out some of the other reviews through the link below to see what other readers thought of these books.

The Importance of Being a Loser

I wanted to cry.  Miss Z's soccer team had just made a goal - their first goal of the entire season.  Before you go calling me a silly soccer mom, know that this was the next to last game of the season.  They hadn't scored a single goal all season long.  That unbelievable moment - a moment that we as parents and spectators had begun to think wouldn't happen this season - was full of delirious screams and wild jumping around.  We still lost the game, but went on to score two more times after that and were just as excited every time.  These girls had worked hard, but had a few things working against them all season.  They were a new team, for one.  They only had 2 subs while most teams had 4 or 5.  And since they were low on sign-ups, they were a combination of age levels playing up in half the team's case and physically smaller than most of their opponents.  All things that weren't anyone's fault really and we had certainly seen growth in just a few short weeks but none of that helps much when you're feeling discouraged at the losses. So, when a shot finally went in today, you better believe we rejoiced!

Losing, whether it be in sports or any part of life, is just that way.  When you experience poverty, you have a greater appreciation for abundance.  When you lose loved ones early in life, you have a great capacity to appreciate those around you now.  Losing means struggling.  Struggling gives you the chance to learn things and to grow in ways not possible otherwise.  In sports it is natural and tempting to want your child to be on a winning team.  When your team isn't winning you might talk bad about the other team or give the refs a hard time or even switch teams just to avoid losing.  We all can slip into a sore loser mentality and make a 7 year old's soccer game about our personal validation.  But, let me remind you that not only does it make you look foolish, but also your child misses the chance to learn skills to help her thrive in life for years to come.

Did you read that right? Losing a soccer game or not getting the lead or even getting dealt the worst hand in life, is usually one of the biggest catalysts in personal development and growth.  Life is full of losses and the most successful people are the ones who struggle enough to actually learn how to do it better next time.  Not to mention that the gratitude for the wins is so much bigger and sweeter when you have really lost and then found success with much effort.  As parents we are wired to not want our kids to hurt, but sometimes we forget the purpose in some of that pain.

As much as I want to see that beautiful daughter of mine score a dozen goals, if only to see her excitement, it is more important to see her face any looming mountain in her life with endurance, ingenuity and an attitude to try again when she loses.  I love it when my kids win, as we all should I think, but today reminded me how valuable losing truly is to being a success in life.

2 Digit Multiplication Practice: A Channie's Review

Growing up I had two brothers, I was a nanny for two boys and now I'm a mother of two boys.  I feel like I have a good handle on what it's like to teach boys.  My sons are very active and would rather be busy moving around than not.  That often leads to doing the undesirable things in life (like math for J) in a big hurry!  Doing schoolwork in a hurry can not only lead to messy handwriting, but making simple mistakes becomes a way of life. We  reviewed a handwriting book from Channie's Visual Handwriting & Math workbooks a couple of years ago that had a wonderful format for neat and orderly practice.  Today's review is from the same company only this time we're considering a One Page A Day 2 Digit Multiplication Practice book.

What We Received:
A One Page A Day 2 Digit Multiplication Practice workbook with over 50 tear-out pages, a cardboard back and an answer key in the back.  

How It Works:
Each page contains visually guided problems, beginning with 2 by 1 digit problems and eventually graduating to 2 by 2 digit problems. Each number or number answer has it's own box so that everything lines up clearly.  In the 2 by 1 problems the single digit row is shaded green. The 2 by 2 problems continue with shading, but this time green boxes signify the first calculation and answers and blue boxes signify the second calculation and answers.  On both types of problems there are white boxes for the final solutions.  Near the back of the workbook the shading goes away, but the boxes are still present.  The net is taken away, but the format is still simple and clear.

The intent of this product is clear by the name 'One Page A Day...' so this is a drill type product that encourages the student to actively practice while not being overwhelming at the same time.  Also, all of their products encourage neat and clear handwriting skills, even in math!  The pages are designed to be ripped out, giving you the option to assign work separate from the answer key.

What We Thought:
True confession time! When signing up for this review, I overlooked the 2 digit part and only saw multiplication and 3rd grade.  J had not learned double digit multiplication when we received the product!  At first I panicked, but then I just took this opportunity to teach him double digit since he was already pretty proficient in his times tables.  And guess what?  All it took was one sitting and he figured it out!  Small mistakes are still his way of life when he gets in a hurry, so this was no exception, but the more he practiced the better he got at it.

The visual guidance in this workbook is genius and the best way to practice double-digit multiplication I have ever seen.  With so many new elements with double digit multiplication, it can get really confusing and difficult to teach sometimes.  The color-coded blocks, while seemingly not that important, makes this program highly effective and unique in my opinion.  So effective that a scatterbrained mom can use it to teach the skill from scratch with no issues!

Keep Up With Channie's on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channiesworkbook/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/channiesvisualhandwriting/

Did you know Channie's offers a variety of workbooks?  Several other Crew members tried out other books as well as this one so click below to find one that meets your education needs!

Smartick: A Math Enrichment Program Review

Doing math and thinking mathematically aren't necessarily the same.  I had a hard time grasping that as a new algebra student who just wanted it to come naturally.  As any parent can tell you, every child is different with different strengths and weaknesses. Logic and reasoning are skills that feelers like me may not have in spades, but need developed in order to excel in school.  Today's review, Smartick, speaks directly to the need for more mathematical thinking rather than just seeking right answers.  The past few weeks J (8) and miss Z (6) have been using Smartick as often as we could with interesting results.

What We Received:

We were given a 6 month subscription for two students to Smartick, "a unique online learning method that helps your child reach maximum potential by using mathematics to increase mental agility, calculation skills, concentration, and studying methods."  This includes online access for me as the teacher/parent to monitor their progress.  It is designed for students age 4-14.

How It Works:

As the teacher, I registered both students and set up ages, usernames and passwords.  When each student first logged on, they set up an avatar that can be changed at any time later.  From there, each session has a consistent format.  Students are asked in emoji form what their mood is and then they begin a 15 minute series of questions and exercises.  As they answer questions, they earn ticks (this program's currency/reward) and for correcting their mistakes at the end of the session they can earn another tick.  After the session is complete, they are allowed access to a play area of sorts.  In this area, they can play games, challenge others, change settings like painting their house, changing clothes, etc., go shopping, make 'friends' and send messages.  

It is intended for students to have a session every day, at least 5 days a week.  Like exercise for the brain, the more you stretch your muscles, the more adept and agile they become.  The difficulty level increases very gradually over use so that is not overwhelming, but adequately challenging.  It is also not viewed as a quick, short-term solution for students.  If your student is struggling or way behind, this program isn't touted as something that can bring them up to speed over a couple of weeks.  Smartick is a long-term program designed to maximize potential.  In that way, it is not a math curriculum at all, but a mathematical training program to optimize a student's ability to maneuver within their curriculum.

What We Thought:


From day one the kids loved using this program.  Whenever possible, they like to watch their sibling do their session in addition to their own.  There were few how-to questions and no complaints other than when it was going to be their turn.  I appreciate the wisdom of requiring their session to be completed BEFORE they are allowed to play around.  They would never want to do anything else otherwise!  

Honestly, using it every day was a big challenge for us.  Part of that was due to a death in the family and then a week long vacation, so certainly not normal life.  Still, once we got home getting 5 days in was harder than I expected.  Most programs like this we would expect to do 2-3 days a week.  Now that I've used the program and have seen how it works,  I absolutely understand the value and importance of engaging very regularly.  Behavioral issues aside, I have been pleased with the kids' school performance in a variety of areas lately.  It sure would seem that this program was contributing to that outcome! I feel like another couple of solid, regular months of use would give me more feedback to confidently confirm its effectiveness. 

Smartick on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Smartick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smartickmethod?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartick/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_f6FMb0X1QDp5j7puQh1Q



Do you have different aged kids and wondering if it would work for them too?  Check out other Crew members reviews through the link below and see if they had a similar experience.