tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70173632975924897952024-02-19T05:06:11.611-06:00the WRITE BalanceThe Way a Highly Sensitive Homeschooler and an Earthy Engineer Create a HomeAmy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.comBlogger764125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-84378465991919923982021-02-06T13:34:00.002-06:002021-02-06T14:20:45.910-06:00New Name, New Location<p> Although it is long overdue, I've finally upgraded my blog to a new location with a slightly new name and branding. I'll still be reviewing, still chatting about all the things, just in a new place. Below are all the details in case you can't find me! Make sure you follow me on social media, subscribe to my mailing list or add my feed to your reader of choice so you don't miss anything! I've got some really fun reviews coming up and I'm going to be exploring what having ADHD actually means for my roles as a mom, a homeschooler and a woman, so I hope you join me!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mrswritebalance.com/blog/writing-as-a-practice-and-getting-the-magic-back" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_dlWH7no5vOlLieNdFZa2tUN-pBM1DmGdzI3vo1spzhdgCEkB8xGHmhDja6Q_KjsDv3WKtq2feqktmeTChFrw4qaPiEefEZIxCGUua0isEZEybxvdZ6i7ZG5lv9U6dN5DJ-7d9zofxE/w400-h400/Writing+as+Practice.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="http://www.mrswritebalance.com">Mrs. Write Balance</a> - <a href="http://www.mrswritebalance.com">http://www.mrswritebalance.com</a></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MrsWriteBalance"><span style="background-color: white;">http://feeds.feedburner.com/</span>MrsWriteBalance</a></span></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mrswritebalance">Facebook</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mrswritebalance">https://www.facebook.com/mrswritebalance</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrswritebalance/">Instagram</a> - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrswritebalance/">https://www.instagram.com/mrswritebalance/</a></p><p><a href="https://linktr.ee/writebalance">LinkTree </a>- <a href="https://linktr.ee/writebalance">https://linktr.ee/writebalance</a> </p><p><a href="https://a047ba2c.sibforms.com/serve/MUIEAHugcLv8RTYdk8w_2O1VUTVlvlOAOEW9ZaUgwaNU35oRO1Es43IzU_sFBIhArbUQUSw7xgjD11MokOK1tNYV9AxOkbnEMuJ_zkW4qOxMox0Xj7484retmp7SG06YBxhH6MM3-bF8bfPeWFCKQRoZLj4rsdCdmbOK1_M51npqN-XYU8JIP9t0KD1SGQ1Sbcq6-vsu75FTK2aV">Email Subscription</a> - Social media is complicated at best some days and just isn't that reliable anymore. I am trying to utilize email more regularly to keep you updated on what's going on. You can always unsubscribe and I struggle to get to everything going on with me as it is so I doubt I'll ever flood your email box.</p><p>Use this link to sign up for my mailing list: <a href="https://a047ba2c.sibforms.com/serve/MUIEAHugcLv8RTYdk8w_2O1VUTVlvlOAOEW9ZaUgwaNU35oRO1Es43IzU_sFBIhArbUQUSw7xgjD11MokOK1tNYV9AxOkbnEMuJ_zkW4qOxMox0Xj7484retmp7SG06YBxhH6MM3-bF8bfPeWFCKQRoZLj4rsdCdmbOK1_M51npqN-XYU8JIP9t0KD1SGQ1Sbcq6-vsu75FTK2aV">https://a047ba2c.sibforms.com/serve/MUIEAHugcLv8RTYdk8w_2O1VUTVlvlOAOEW9ZaUgwaNU35oRO1Es43IzU_sFBIhArbUQUSw7xgjD11MokOK1tNYV9AxOkbnEMuJ_zkW4qOxMox0Xj7484retmp7SG06YBxhH6MM3-bF8bfPeWFCKQRoZLj4rsdCdmbOK1_M51npqN-XYU8JIP9t0KD1SGQ1Sbcq6-vsu75FTK2aV</a></p><p><a href="Email Subscription - Social media is complicated at best some days and just isn't that reliable anymore. I am trying to utilize email more regularly to keep you updated on what's going on. You can always unsubscribe and I struggle to get to everything going on with me as it is so I doubt I'll ever flood your email box. Use this link to sign up for my mailing list: https://a047ba2c.sibforms.com/serve/MUIEAHugcLv8RTYdk8w_2O1VUTVlvlOAOEW9ZaUgwaNU35oRO1Es43IzU_sFBIhArbUQUSw7xgjD11MokOK1tNYV9AxOkbnEMuJ_zkW4qOxMox0Xj7484retmp7SG06YBxhH6MM3-bF8bfPeWFCKQRoZLj4rsdCdmbOK1_M51npqN-XYU8JIP9t0KD1SGQ1Sbcq6-vsu75FTK2aV">Email me directly</a> - <a href="mailto:amybutler@mrswritebalance.com">amybutler@mrswritebalance.com</a></p><p>The old website will stay live for a while until I move everything to the new one, but I won't be posting anything to it from now on.</p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-53523577070685571972021-01-07T12:20:00.003-06:002021-01-07T13:34:47.352-06:00SchoolhouseTeachers.com: A Homeschool PreK-12 Curriculum Review<p><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: #f0f4f7; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3328px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></b></span></p><figure class="aligncenter size-large" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></figure><p><span style="background-color: white;"><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i0BRyoTPYT3chTcj52UmA" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #f0f4f7; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 13.3328px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></b></a></span></p><div class="wp-block-image"></div><div class="wp-block-image"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><b>DISCLOSURE: I received this product FREE through the Homeschool Review Crew. I also receive commissions for items purchased through links in this post.</b></span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i0BRyoTPYT3chTcj52UmA" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #f0f4f7; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 13.3328px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></b></a></span><span style="text-align: left;"></span><div class="wp-block-image" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="wp-block-image" style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7OVRbrLt7vZSgp0QM7XSjcrwSY-4uhvbR_KlaEyD9pvmGQtveOOq0670olejkXPm6wpyNY3hX2upAtE5jKLQt51y9psc-XKCBA4xslyuTuMUfj3cxdVwZ4krN6b11Hmr-pJssLB4efk/s1080/curriculum+review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7OVRbrLt7vZSgp0QM7XSjcrwSY-4uhvbR_KlaEyD9pvmGQtveOOq0670olejkXPm6wpyNY3hX2upAtE5jKLQt51y9psc-XKCBA4xslyuTuMUfj3cxdVwZ4krN6b11Hmr-pJssLB4efk/w640-h640/curriculum+review.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p><span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=35783&p=www.schoolhouseteachers.com/membership-benefits/join-now/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(51, 68, 102); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #f0f4f7; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3328px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></b></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here we are. Diving into 2021, ready or not. When it comes to lesson planning and curriculum, things don't always work out the way we plan. And clearly, our plans for 2020 in general didn't exactly pan out, right? Sometimes there are gaps we don't anticipate. Other times a good idea completely fails due to learning differences. If you're in need of options and alternatives, then keep reading for my review of <a class="bbc_link" href="https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=35783&p=www.schoolhouseteachers.com/membership-benefits/join-now/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(51, 68, 102); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership</a> from </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=35783" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(51, 68, 102); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">SchoolhouseTeachers.com</a>. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://schoolhouseteachers.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="SchoolhouseTeachers.com Logo" class="wp-image-799350" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/SchoolhouseTeachers-logo.png" title="SchoolhouseTeachers.com logo" /></a></div><p></p><div><u><b>Review Product:</b></u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>We received the <span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=35783&p=www.schoolhouseteachers.com/membership-benefits/join-now/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(51, 68, 102); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership</a> from </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=35783" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(51, 68, 102); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">SchoolhouseTeachers.com</a>.</div><div>This membership provides complete access to their entire digital curriculum offerings and resources for all grades. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0B27NF7PZa5m2Vvc9-JiPmUYCb30UPH5FObUoaS6aLCUovUtMwz_UI0crj-swYtQ4rd7j_KDl2RlJNtuXIWgVwhCXzfKtlJPdj-VgPxSpvwaNK71h4L8fXat9Lni5_7nm8pWa1y-5k8/s1090/Screenshot+2021-01-07+091959.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="1090" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0B27NF7PZa5m2Vvc9-JiPmUYCb30UPH5FObUoaS6aLCUovUtMwz_UI0crj-swYtQ4rd7j_KDl2RlJNtuXIWgVwhCXzfKtlJPdj-VgPxSpvwaNK71h4L8fXat9Lni5_7nm8pWa1y-5k8/w640-h276/Screenshot+2021-01-07+091959.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><u>Who Is This Product For?</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Any family with access to a computer and printer can find useful content for home education. It is especially great for families with multiple children.</div><b><u><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div>How SchoolhouseTeachers.com Works:</u></b><div><br /></div><div>With the Annual Membership, parents can build an education for multiple children however they see fit. There are multiple ways to search - by grade, by subject or simply browse collections. One of their latest additions is boxed curriculum for every grade level, which provides a complete program for an entire grade level complete with lesson plans, electives and a host of optional further research suggestions. They also offer planning tools, a robust video library, access to World Book online encyclopedia, a members forum, and a seasonal content corner. SchoolhouseTeachers.com is the ultimate buffet of educational content while also letting the cook choose your meal if you would like!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IIMTxhyaOI3dVzO9XZbrgg-B_fV3-ejtpwFSYxBgGqhYvW2yFQwqKx12RdEDJ6mLuyLTCGLfw-HsXiGJNNnpHhMqtcdGr_ViX8UttBZD2vDJ_jUW2GT0TnFzjrJ7sVik2-5T2edFhGE/s1097/4thgrade.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="1097" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IIMTxhyaOI3dVzO9XZbrgg-B_fV3-ejtpwFSYxBgGqhYvW2yFQwqKx12RdEDJ6mLuyLTCGLfw-HsXiGJNNnpHhMqtcdGr_ViX8UttBZD2vDJ_jUW2GT0TnFzjrJ7sVik2-5T2edFhGE/w640-h282/4thgrade.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><u>My Family's Experience:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I have been working with SchoolhouseTeachers.com for 4-5 years, as long as I have been associated with the <a href="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/who-is-the-crew/join-the-crew/" target="_blank">Homeschool Review Crew</a>, and it has been amazing to see the continual growth and expansion of what they make available to their members. Since the landscape of our homeschool regularly shifts with review products, SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a constant backup and resource library. When I need copywork pages or some math facts help, I can dig up something pretty quickly. If there is a subject we've overlooked, I can find something to fill that gap easily. For this review, we took a look at their new boxed curriculum for 4th grade for my oldest. While I didn't need an entire curriculum, especially over a holiday break, trying out a 4th grade Health curriculum worked well. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Wz75ZjvD2m86vvY4D3AFdOCfBhFiWGT-bZhPE5BzJ4x39ZbXfH5G6HcROljcDE9_aT7W8-r6hHFIwaBCyQFyT5_FLdu7wkotT9MrG9fafALvuiJOqUrQQPMr8FwX-cyfmHOjnY8VPXE/s492/Growing+Healthy+4th.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="492" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Wz75ZjvD2m86vvY4D3AFdOCfBhFiWGT-bZhPE5BzJ4x39ZbXfH5G6HcROljcDE9_aT7W8-r6hHFIwaBCyQFyT5_FLdu7wkotT9MrG9fafALvuiJOqUrQQPMr8FwX-cyfmHOjnY8VPXE/w640-h324/Growing+Healthy+4th.png" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you're a regular reader, you know healthy living and how we care for our bodies is a big priority in my family. Health principles are kind of ingrained in our daily life anyway so it hasn't necessarily been on my radar to include it in curriculum. That being said, I LOVE the approach this class takes by infusing scripture into every lesson. One of the main reasons I healthy living is important to me is because God has given us an amazing earth that is full of solutions for staying healthy if we'll just look for them. So why wouldn't you teach health on the basis of scripture first?</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l1rNMKAEQnn5QljF8M6s7PaXAxuPghwqdBl5FTnRVoCnC-TSCZH0lqGs_1AdBKGIIKzg-sBixQ_3gUE5CitzIoc3b0f4ovzd5EWsJBy6k7slBusdiVnQSjzhw-gzGxOGVx-8eNPpf5E/s1053/Schoolhouse4thHealth.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="1053" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6l1rNMKAEQnn5QljF8M6s7PaXAxuPghwqdBl5FTnRVoCnC-TSCZH0lqGs_1AdBKGIIKzg-sBixQ_3gUE5CitzIoc3b0f4ovzd5EWsJBy6k7slBusdiVnQSjzhw-gzGxOGVx-8eNPpf5E/w640-h244/Schoolhouse4thHealth.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Each class comes with a curriculum guide that shows you what to expect and plan for by the week. In this class the authors incorporated reading from other courses as well with links provided and pdfs available. For the well prepared parent, you have the ability to print out all elements from day one. But as for those of us who might forget something or lose other things, you can always come back for more or have the option to save contents to your device.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Pau8G-9AFVtWga99-LVO1bozZ_iF7Agu0soCBkjQvDtikSZ83XgKcF9DcuXOSCt5vi3T-zSWjGF_hDIn41Lc9LZApYMJTFcPxUkcQwA0NfhNnbyNLmh0jHnkIXHn8d5f-gE0AU0K_44/s773/Caring4Bodies.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="773" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Pau8G-9AFVtWga99-LVO1bozZ_iF7Agu0soCBkjQvDtikSZ83XgKcF9DcuXOSCt5vi3T-zSWjGF_hDIn41Lc9LZApYMJTFcPxUkcQwA0NfhNnbyNLmh0jHnkIXHn8d5f-gE0AU0K_44/w640-h448/Caring4Bodies.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>In addition to building the content on religious principles, I loved the incorporation of World Book resources, including games like the one pictured below. Digital (printable) content can sometimes feel a little boring to this ADHD brain of mine - even though the subject matter may not be - but with a variety of elements (like World Book, videos, etc.) the learning experience is good for all kinds of learners! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gg0XmY71Aqh1ARNvsCacFjIXGka-Fxcjxyql3r8xNogQ7AcGHYRPSisB92CemMxc8ybsmcUBHpmrj6G09IQOYkIO0y7rIQEPLzp8-GSYYEKMdiG3V7wbVc50ZjOK4GKDKoaFpd0ZirE/s4032/PXL_20210107_175249928.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gg0XmY71Aqh1ARNvsCacFjIXGka-Fxcjxyql3r8xNogQ7AcGHYRPSisB92CemMxc8ybsmcUBHpmrj6G09IQOYkIO0y7rIQEPLzp8-GSYYEKMdiG3V7wbVc50ZjOK4GKDKoaFpd0ZirE/w480-h640/PXL_20210107_175249928.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As usual, SchoolhouseTeachers.com continues to surpass expectations in making home education easy, rich and full of possibilities! If you're in the market for alternatives and options, consider trying <a href="https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=35783">SchoolhouseTeachers.com</a> with your family.<br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Keep Up With SchoolhouseTeachers.com on Social Media:</b></u></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;">Facebook: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SchoolhouseTeachers/" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/SchoolhouseTeachers/</a><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;">and </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/SchoolhouseTeachers" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/SchoolhouseTeachers</a></span></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;">Twitter: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://twitter.com/TOSMag/" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/TOSMag/</a><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;"></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;">Instagram: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/tosmagazine/" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/tosmagazine/</a><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;"></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;">Pinterest: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.pinterest.com/tosmag/" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/tosmag/</a><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;"> </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span face=""Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Nimbus Sans L", Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif" style="color: #4d4d4d;">YouTube: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i0BRyoTPYT3chTcj52UmA" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i0BRyoTPYT3chTcj52UmA</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out what other families used and their reviews through the link below:</span><br /><div><div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href=" http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/schoolhouseteachers-com-every-subject-every-grade-every-student-schoolhouseteachers-com-reviews-2021/" target="_blank"><img alt="SchoolhouseTeachers.com - Every Subject - Every Grade - Every Student {SchoolhouseTeachers.com Reviews 2021}" class="wp-image-796115" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></figure></div></div></div></div></div>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-26072530000562267012020-12-26T16:02:00.004-06:002020-12-26T16:11:13.311-06:00Feel What You Feel. Give Others the Same Privilege.<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout my life's education, one of the biggest concepts that always resonated with me has been how one size just doesn't ever fit all. We don't learn at the same rates, we don't grow at the same rates, and a cure for one might be poison for another. As a young mother, that was always evident when babies are starting to talk and walk. We act as though it's a race or a competition, but it's really not. This year has given us a concentrated dose of other people's lives (while ironically being cut off directly) and too often we still aren't getting the message that we're all different. Many celebrating holidays this week and are coming from entirely different places emotionally. We should never buy into the idea that everyone needs to (or has to) experience it the same way.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknt4yUR__BcVj3KAZUokrd5_r0wOpmL8uSEytC4iqIOk2xxxmEzZBrvVtG1R1TCZAYx8wk0sOXCGeBtzmKOQlYeuu9t4xArG9_G89hIi3fJXXS4b7_g60Sr5-zwV7PvQ9pZVhTzxnwfY/s1080/Feel+what+you+feel.+give+others+the+same+privilege.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknt4yUR__BcVj3KAZUokrd5_r0wOpmL8uSEytC4iqIOk2xxxmEzZBrvVtG1R1TCZAYx8wk0sOXCGeBtzmKOQlYeuu9t4xArG9_G89hIi3fJXXS4b7_g60Sr5-zwV7PvQ9pZVhTzxnwfY/w640-h640/Feel+what+you+feel.+give+others+the+same+privilege.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have loved ones who have suffered great tragic losses this year. There are friends who have gone through massive changes in their lives. I also know those who are suffering financially. Some families and relationships have experienced beautiful healing and growth this year. There are those who are simply sick themselves. Some of us are struggling with anxiety and depression. New babies, sad divorces, exciting marriages, new homes, job changes, and great losses. All of these and more have happened all around us this year. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My little brother and his beautiful family moved back to our area after spending their whole married life out of state. The past several days I've gotten to spend time with my niece and nephews that I've not really every been able to before and it has been wonderful! There were moments yesterday when I started to feel guilty for my joy simply because I know others who struggled to enjoy the days because of personal loss or struggles. I know it is right to be content and joyful with my circumstances when it arises, but I have to admit the pit of guilt I had to fight off just the same. As I thought about that, I realized how often we strive for others to experience the world like we are, but usually fail miserably. The loss anyone is feeling right now needs to be honored by those that feel it most. The joy of reunion and family needs to be celebrated by those that feel it most. Our lot of celebration or mourning will undoubtedly change from what it is today so there is no need to force it somewhere it doesn't belong. We will all celebrate and we will all mourn in due time. </span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkFawXh8HHkB12oHff0NAxNFWCEtypxFmTdB9RpubNWtI8pX7i3h3ba8agcS-SPRpVkiUwTo1uqKwe1Cq3xiQwf4vm7dG23s-hZkql-Zuv6eaMwPFrTcWhyphenhyphenuaU0-nyRodUOAePiexzI0/s4032/PXL_20201219_195850422.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkFawXh8HHkB12oHff0NAxNFWCEtypxFmTdB9RpubNWtI8pX7i3h3ba8agcS-SPRpVkiUwTo1uqKwe1Cq3xiQwf4vm7dG23s-hZkql-Zuv6eaMwPFrTcWhyphenhyphenuaU0-nyRodUOAePiexzI0/w480-h640/PXL_20201219_195850422.jpg" title="Good deeds and painful trials both deserve honor in life." width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good deeds and painful trials both deserve honor.</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">As we live in a free country that recognizes our freedom to live a quiet and peaceful life as suits our needs, we should honor those in our life with a similar respect to engage the world as they need to. When we start expecting everyone to adhere the same way in holidays, in circumstances or just feeling the way we feel, we are trying to argue with the beautiful design of man. We are made in the image of God, but as we see the complex differences between one person to the next, it is clear His image manifests itself in a variety of ways at a variety of times.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're mourning, honor it with everything you have. If you are celebrating, do not let it go without great joy. If you are growing, lean in to it to get where you are going. If you are broken and struggling, honor it and let others lift you up. I would never expect an essay out of my 3 year old the way I might with my 10 year old. Even two 10 year old kids side by side can't be expected to know/perform/think the same. Let's quit treating each other with such ignorance, but far more mercy and support. So, as you are closing out this perpetual circus of a year, feel what you feel, but give those around you that same privilege. We are not all in this together in the same way and that has to be understood and it has to be okay. </span></p><h1 class="passage-display" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; width: 451.422px;"><div class="bcv d-container go1526788856" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 16px 0px 0px; min-width: auto; position: relative;"><div class="dropdown-display" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 1 1 0%; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding-right: 20px; position: relative;"><div class="dropdown-display-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; min-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i>1 Corinthians 12:12-27</i></span></div></div></div></h1><div class="passage-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin-top: 50px; min-width: 0px;"><div class="passage-content passage-class-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; min-width: 0px;"><div class="version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html" style="box-sizing: border-box; min-width: 0px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><i><span class="text 1Cor-12-12"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">12 </span>For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-13" id="en-ESV-28631"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">13 </span>For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. </span></i></span><i><span class="text 1Cor-12-14" id="en-ESV-28632"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">14 </span>For the body does not consist of one member but of many.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-15" id="en-ESV-28633"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">15 </span>If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-16" id="en-ESV-28634"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">16 </span>And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-17" id="en-ESV-28635"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">17 </span>If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-18" id="en-ESV-28636"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">18 </span>But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-19" id="en-ESV-28637"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">19 </span>If all were a single member, where would the body be?</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-20" id="en-ESV-28638"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">20 </span>As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.</span></i></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text 1Cor-12-21" id="en-ESV-28639"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">21 </span>The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-22" id="en-ESV-28640"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">22 </span>On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-23" id="en-ESV-28641"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">23 </span>and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-24" id="en-ESV-28642"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">24 </span>which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-25" id="en-ESV-28643"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">25 </span>that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-12-26" id="en-ESV-28644"><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">26 </span>If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.</span></i></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text 1Cor-12-27" id="en-ESV-28645"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="versenum" style="display: inline; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">27 </span>Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.</i></span></span></p></div></div></div>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-24957921241024226372020-12-20T17:27:00.004-06:002020-12-27T13:52:19.098-06:00The Ace Up Their Sleeve Homeschool Parents Forget About<p>Every mom worries about their kids and whether or not they are doing a good job. Homeschool moms have a special extended version of worry about doing 'enough' for their children's education and preparation for adulthood. When the job comes down to you most days, it's a lot to carry around. If you're feeling the weight of that responsibility right now, I want to remind you to remember this. As a homeschooling family, you have twice as many days to accomplish what public schools set out to do. That means you can relax a bit! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEO0UdR3McneZKfQyz4Tst1WvU6ceUPLgCXs7XZfkYAAH7ORACLll2OQpcSVy9WJtOIM8IeLDeVHqUnvfHg6VeM2VqjAySTppa438I_Q3IeEAHmYWOuFbqA58TsXhUsTC387ehCzlpv8/s1080/the+ace+up+their+sleeve.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEO0UdR3McneZKfQyz4Tst1WvU6ceUPLgCXs7XZfkYAAH7ORACLll2OQpcSVy9WJtOIM8IeLDeVHqUnvfHg6VeM2VqjAySTppa438I_Q3IeEAHmYWOuFbqA58TsXhUsTC387ehCzlpv8/w640-h640/the+ace+up+their+sleeve.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Here in Oklahoma, students are required to participate in school 180 days a year, which leaves 185 more to catch up (or forge ahead) on whatever you may have missed or not gotten to. We take a year-round schooling approach which allows us to take breaks and vacations when we want to, rather than stay attached to someone else's schedule. I know some families are attached to other homeschooling organizations (like Epic here in OK) that require certain deadlines, but specifically in the realm of "What if I missed something?" we have so much freedom and opportunity. It's easy to get caught up in what others are doing that we miss the flexibility we actually hold in our own hand. </p><p>In case you forget (because I need this reminder daily sometimes), the purpose of a child's education is to ignite abilities and desires to learn. That learning will treat them well throughout their life. The rest is just details and gravy. With COVID hitting our house around Thanksgiving, some things were certainly put off for a while and now with the end of the year facing us, I can see what's behind and what's not.. This week is a holiday week, but we'll still be trying to fit in some school to do our best to keep a steady pace, but wherever they are in any particular subject isn't nearly as important as if they are continuing to learn and grow in their skills. </p><p>At the lunch table, Mr. Butler was quizzing us on math problems he was devising from a large tub of mayo. (He's an engineer - what do you expect?) My eldest was hanging with him just fine, but after getting a little weary of it, my daughter piped up with a correct answer that was impressive, which made my son a little sulky. The girl is good at math and her older brother doesn't exactly love that fact. She's got a reasoning brain like her dad, but getting her to use utensils at the table or cleaning up after herself is a nightmare. As we all are, she is brilliant and a giant work in progress. Same as her brothers. The point is to keep working, not to fret about where we aren't.</p><p>So much has gone wrong this year that we're all expecting to complain about things before they've even happened yet. Let's not let that seep into our homeschooling expectations. Celebrate the victories and encourage the work that is left to be done. Love and be loved. We have much to be thankful for.</p><p><br /></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/tag/homeschool-blog-post-round-up/" target="_blank"><img src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Homeschool-Blog-Post-Round-Up-2020.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-801130"/></a></figure>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-36347874074148696832020-12-12T11:16:00.007-06:002020-12-12T11:16:54.618-06:00Walking Together: One of 2020's BEST Gifts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazD6JebjtBlz2Rny-XNey1VlSVssP3S_yd1Ln_h4IHpwX1ASAR_oqo5oXyYYg6Sovk6asxVqMc1kr4aCTLSCR-Ftkmrt913e_udYd_NvRLALWZQSQJGDzRMn4wgvEK87BYqnyW15NSXY/s1080/Walking+Together.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazD6JebjtBlz2Rny-XNey1VlSVssP3S_yd1Ln_h4IHpwX1ASAR_oqo5oXyYYg6Sovk6asxVqMc1kr4aCTLSCR-Ftkmrt913e_udYd_NvRLALWZQSQJGDzRMn4wgvEK87BYqnyW15NSXY/w640-h640/Walking+Together.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Before Mr. Butler was forced to telework, he had a 30 minute commute to and from work every day. In order to make it to the gym before work, he would leave before everyone was up most days and make it home just before dinner. We talked on the phone often, but his new position had him in meetings more than before which meant less time to chat during work hours. But it was our normal and that was fine. Like the rest of the world, it was hard to see how anything could be different, even if you could argue that it <i>should</i> be different. Jobs have to be tended to in order to pay the bills in order to keep families fed and protected. Luxuries, whether in time or money, are often not an option. So when he finally got the word to start working from home, like the rest of the world, we really didn't know what to think. He immediately started projects he had been putting off. I tackled things around the house to attempt better organization. Since we homeschooled, life wasn't all that different.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYsEdBoiOL3jxpKwkzz-rZ1wMEF1SdppddS6RSGZ0QrWtYIFqDNZW0FnL3fSbaS-GQjgmY8SSbqfHGJ-_ex6NS1xeMtLlgEFSKUPKZBPwpJrncic0niExzTKvDsWbF-FtZ_GqH5K1grk/s4032/PXL_20200928_164639533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYsEdBoiOL3jxpKwkzz-rZ1wMEF1SdppddS6RSGZ0QrWtYIFqDNZW0FnL3fSbaS-GQjgmY8SSbqfHGJ-_ex6NS1xeMtLlgEFSKUPKZBPwpJrncic0niExzTKvDsWbF-FtZ_GqH5K1grk/w640-h480/PXL_20200928_164639533.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Then the world went crazy and it hasn't stopped embarrassing itself yet. Still, we spent more time talking and growing through this peculiar cocoon of life we had. At some point over the summer, we started going on lunchtime walks with the kids around our neighborhood pond. We knew the extra vitamin D was becoming really important and the extra exercise was always welcome after being stuck inside for a bit. Before shutdowns, I had often complained of my stuck situation of not wanting to drag kids anywhere in order for me to exercise with someone, but desperately wanted the encouragement of spending time moving with someone else. After being a witness to the ebb and flow of homeschooling over a couple of months, Mr. Butler began to grow in perspective of what worked well and what didn't. My sweet husband began making it a priority most days of the week to walk with us, in a large part to give us uninterrupted time to talk and walk. The kids would occupy themselves playing so it became like a miniature lunch date. </span></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPckfllMO5K-9dUjnN_X3mm43Mo3MP8san2wqsdK-pZViSx1hzeFHLDVyIebWe8zmFuOo1JdVvSw7Y_f76PDLeIdIghGkiQV4LU7y1XTSbKg0Ahbbt1tOA5y2EauyAZMJF_NIrEz0bmdk/s4032/PXL_20201126_224303210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPckfllMO5K-9dUjnN_X3mm43Mo3MP8san2wqsdK-pZViSx1hzeFHLDVyIebWe8zmFuOo1JdVvSw7Y_f76PDLeIdIghGkiQV4LU7y1XTSbKg0Ahbbt1tOA5y2EauyAZMJF_NIrEz0bmdk/w480-h640/PXL_20201126_224303210.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>I would like to tell you that it single-handedly purified us of all our marital disagreements and subsequently perfected our children as well. Sadly, that is not the case. After about 6 months of walking together, we still hash out many an argument or end up more upset by the end than the beginning some days. But, I'll tell you what it has done for us. We have grown closer, empathy is getting more effective, and we enjoy each other more than ever. Not without bouts of maddening fury because an engineer and a highly sensitive creative type are not going to sync up well without a lot of work. However, spending most days taking about 45 minutes to process life together is teaching us to truly walk together in our marriage. I know from a female - gotta release 40,000 words or I'm going to explode - perspective, just having time to talk and process is SO important to my mental health. Mr. Butler's job has grown more complex and I know having the chance to just process his stuff in a non-work setting has been helpful to him as well. This time helps us stay on the same page better simply because we're talking about it all regularly.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILEIBBTxF51GUW_WKp5wKqkUdqbihNLUYR7eHT1VZT1QkEpOjKgTi2HrZraO2mLF-RE4yY6SnoCeyVTwgZ_FQCrsx7tzisK8FLjQD5ThNtscRM25NWQ0Eln4AcK0gdmp1nyodyWC1Sd8/s4032/PXL_20201107_162132800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILEIBBTxF51GUW_WKp5wKqkUdqbihNLUYR7eHT1VZT1QkEpOjKgTi2HrZraO2mLF-RE4yY6SnoCeyVTwgZ_FQCrsx7tzisK8FLjQD5ThNtscRM25NWQ0Eln4AcK0gdmp1nyodyWC1Sd8/w480-h640/PXL_20201107_162132800.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Now I realize that just my husband working from home still is a luxury in many regards that most couples may not have available to them. Maybe it's not the time, but an appropriate walking space. It is December and maybe you don't live in Oklahoma like I do where it was 75 today. Whatever the case, I realize that my solution may not help you. What I want you to take from this is that if something is important enough, we can find a way. We can and should make our marriages a priority even if we don't think there is any urgency in it. Mr. Butler and I weren't setting out to make drastic changes anywhere, but through all the madness it certainly has become so. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKfuqEqQ6-W3ycG_8GYjACchwTF-eYcyp2jygT_6VQSKq-MnlDzbHcnCeyxWgmQv3WwiLIV_3p702U2FqTO65UsaIfXgEiRR31VHQxXQ86hPVHpffZ08t17Oe79YvS5-9wDv8VNO0siM/s4032/PXL_20201107_161443866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKfuqEqQ6-W3ycG_8GYjACchwTF-eYcyp2jygT_6VQSKq-MnlDzbHcnCeyxWgmQv3WwiLIV_3p702U2FqTO65UsaIfXgEiRR31VHQxXQ86hPVHpffZ08t17Oe79YvS5-9wDv8VNO0siM/w640-h480/PXL_20201107_161443866.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We know that the world will likely calm down eventually and he will have to return to work to some extent. I'm not looking forward to that day, but we've discussed taking a remote walk together by phone which can largely have the same effect. The encouragement is that spending extra time or rearranging certain things in your life to nurture your relationship is absolutely worth it. And honestly, this can be applied to any relationship, not just a marriage. If we want better friends, better parent/child, sibling or neighbor relationships, there are extra steps we can take. Just because you can convince yourself that don't have to doesn't mean you don't need to. Whoever you need to be better with, look for ways you can 'walk together' with them. 2020 has taught and demonstrated to us that isolation is not healthy and does not produce better lives. Let's take that information and use it wisely in the circles we can influence.<p></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-13262707406418637232020-12-09T08:23:00.001-06:002020-12-09T08:23:19.377-06:00We Want Mail!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfSBlgLMoVb3Uv4WMjgachsqyKpeViakusgYDcUxIBtNNqVYKB8Un0POJyVtOmf8rzz0-4fQBNGcpUsVizGFNIzOPehav86EiDOswqVA3STekyF5Umry84IUHmv8Y1Rbe34Cjy_mnJcs/s1080/We+want+mail%2521.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfSBlgLMoVb3Uv4WMjgachsqyKpeViakusgYDcUxIBtNNqVYKB8Un0POJyVtOmf8rzz0-4fQBNGcpUsVizGFNIzOPehav86EiDOswqVA3STekyF5Umry84IUHmv8Y1Rbe34Cjy_mnJcs/w640-h640/We+want+mail%2521.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>When you're a kid, there is a lot of life that you don't notice much until things drastically change. In some ways, that is the blessing of a healthy child, I guess. As life changes, certain staples suddenly become centerpieces. The wall-hanging below has become one of my favorite holiday decorations that I once barely noticed as a kid. My paternal grandparents lived a couple of hours away so visiting them was often memorable. Christmastime was often the pinnacle of visits with all kinds of holiday baking my Grandma had done, the house fully decorated, presents and of course seeing lots of family. On their back door as you entered into the dining room and kitchen, this wall hanging for cards and letters always hung there. Always. I honestly don't think it was ever spoken of or the focus of any situation I was ever a part of. Never. Now that my grandparents are gone, this random decoration is a time-warp for my heart and a beautiful tradition for my children.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTmVPpCCDcW5HmOp2Vsd6nLAgaeXFPvrubWHwQfdQk3ZZHPf0Hhvh2R9MwygGxZI7P93ot5zXHfeP5qNT3SIJ8HSl2bzP61KXt9EI0WoPDdwfQkHtaj3fW6snSqFrR2iZvwp9uGh9hbU/s4032/PXL_20201201_001917756.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTmVPpCCDcW5HmOp2Vsd6nLAgaeXFPvrubWHwQfdQk3ZZHPf0Hhvh2R9MwygGxZI7P93ot5zXHfeP5qNT3SIJ8HSl2bzP61KXt9EI0WoPDdwfQkHtaj3fW6snSqFrR2iZvwp9uGh9hbU/w480-h640/PXL_20201201_001917756.MP.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With so much uncertainty, I'm searching for ways to fill up hearts anyway. If you're sending out cards this month, we would LOVE to receive one from you. Send me a message on <a href="https://linktr.ee/writebalance" target="_blank">social media</a> and I'll send you our address. Include your address if you'd like to receive something from us as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I miss so many things about the years spent at my grandparents house, but certainly this year has made me think about all the years they saw of struggles and burdens. This is not the first time the world has become a place none of us recognize and seeing this piece of my grandmother is such a funny comfort to me. If our parents and grandparents before us can weather wars and depressions, we can find a way to walk through the smoke here. So, help me life a spirit or two with some holiday mail!</div><br /><p></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-86258620857048032522020-11-23T11:32:00.003-06:002020-11-23T11:32:53.299-06:00Lost Perspective: What Happens When the Volume Gets Left Up High<p> This past week, I pulled out some soup bones from the freezer to make a batch of bone broth. I hadn't tried to make any for years, since we had moved and since Miss Z was little. It's not hard, but it is a 24-48 hour process, which can be a little tiresome to the instant gratification-style attention span our culture carries with it. At one point, I was straining the unnecessary bits out to leave a rich golden brown broth to be put in containers and I was reminded just how spoiled and foolish our society has grown. This drawn-out process I was feeling impatient with was something my grandparents and great-grandparents would have done regularly without a thought. In the past 150 years, so much has happened that put the world in fast forward mode in some ways. Cars, the assembly line, electricity, telephones. Our entire concept of time has been changed. And then wars and horrible evils being played out that my generation has only read about. The delicate nature of our health has ebbed and flowed a hundred times over. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCQ4Rk81zwKTjWMbtIV9JrSZo_B1vxD0ILu-qNrzB_BuhICVY0u3eWEJUfubeAmneg5JjOxODbCABCAJKWC9WM0LbcIl4q6MvMkrZvCZHBwPTulGmtZXA6Zv866dTNY607O5c8ZvPz-0/s1080/LOst+Perspective.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCQ4Rk81zwKTjWMbtIV9JrSZo_B1vxD0ILu-qNrzB_BuhICVY0u3eWEJUfubeAmneg5JjOxODbCABCAJKWC9WM0LbcIl4q6MvMkrZvCZHBwPTulGmtZXA6Zv866dTNY607O5c8ZvPz-0/w640-h640/LOst+Perspective.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>As I was cooking in my kitchen of modern convenience, I thought of how a woman 150 years ago might have passed her time as she prepared the evening meal. She would not have had wireless headphones and a mobile phone to watch or even the latest news to ignore in the background. It's humorous to watch a favorite sitcom and observe how time can be counted by the size of a cell phone or just the advancement of technology. It's funny, but doesn't that show you just how quickly life has sped up and extremely different our modern age is? As teenagers forget that money doesn't grow on trees, we forget that the world has not always been this fast.</p><p>As you witness all the passive aggressive - and sometimes flat out aggressive - language being shoved around about elections, masks, evils and champions, remind yourself to breathe. Just because we can participate in something doesn't always mean we should. Our advancements of technology and invention have brought many wonderful things to our world and for that I am grateful. That doesn't mean that every advancement is good for me. In this fast-paced modern society, I can drive to whatever fast-food chain I want and get dinner made for me for a nominal fee, but life is better for my family when I cook dinner. If I want to declare on social media that every person who does not agree with me on any particular issue of the day (including the one that is <i>backed by science</i> or affirmed by <i>scripture and my favorite preacher</i>) is not only moronic but doomed for societal failure, I can certainly do that. But that doesn't mean I will change your mind and in fact it's possible that my aggression might cause more aggression. Just because I can doesn't mean I should.</p><p>We've all felt the exhaustion 2020 has brought about largely because it has felt like so much has happened. And, of course, a lot has happened, even in ways that have nothing to do with a virus or politics or social issues. Still, isn't a lot of it due to the loudness of our speakers? In a kitchen 150 years ago, a woman might sing a tune or listen to the birds outside her window. Today, we can pipe in any music we like while also watching something on television as we mull over the post someone just made and stirred the pot on social media. Life isn't exactly harder than it used to be, but it sure is faster and louder. And that's a problem.</p><p>People were dying years and years before us. Politicians were lying years and years before us. Freedom and equality have always been up for debate. God's people have suffered and strayed. There is nothing new under the sun. Still, we have left the volume turned up so loudly in every room on every voice that we're losing the ability to think straight. As much as you might demand it, not everyone agrees with your mask policy. No matter how many scriptures I might recommend, there will still be violence to the innocent. All the judging in the world of that mom doing her job NOT the way you think she ought to isn't going to somehow make it all better. I'm proud to live in a relatively free country where I can raise my babies the way I believe God wants me to, but I do not believe the lie that Americans will ever agree completely on anything. My question to you and aimed back at myself is why are we so shocked when people disagree with us? </p><p>There is nothing in this life that truly supports the idea of one size fits all. Even Jesus spoke in a parable about workers coming at different hours. The gospel is designed to meet us where we are and grow us up into Him. No conversion was exactly the same except for the gospel itself! In education, in health, in relationships, in emotional needs, we are all different and require different things at different times. As such, we are going to disagree or at best see the world differently at first. In our microwave lifestyle, we've gotten used to being told what we want to hear by the messages of media. You are worth it. You deserve it. Eat this, Buy that. Listen to this. Snub your nose at that. We don't like being told to wait. We don't accept that it's going to require harder work than we would like. We resist those who would disagree with us because we can't cope with harsh realities of the world sometimes. </p><p>I'm thankful for modern convenience and advancement, but I don't like the price tag of perspective. When we lose our perspective, we are likely to believe anything that comes down the pike. Giving up perspective dupes us into thinking the world has never seen struggles like this before, that we don't already have solutions for the world's troubles, and that God isn't working as we speak. So many of our complaints are first world problems - things that you complain about when you're used to life being real easy. In reality, we have a great deal of power over the choices we make and too often complain about situations we ultimately created. The truth is that life isn't always fair, we can't control other people and the choices we make matter. Instead of being snarky on social media, dive into the depths of improving your circle. Is your complaint truly a complaint or is it impatience and ungratefulness? I confess that my complaints usually consist of both. </p><p>As we head into the final stretch of this year, let's seek perspective and wisdom, rather than blame and foolish arguments. Our government might be in disarray and our plans might be different, but how many other countries around the world have been here before? God is good and as Christians we need to set the bar in living that way boldly.</p><p><br /></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-62492635860136158052020-11-20T11:20:00.006-06:002020-11-30T13:47:32.757-06:00Name Meaning Gifts: A CrossTimber Review<center style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgrwo5PvL1bBVMM2eiU03lXCXcKR8UzZ6yffj860garoHIzLV0_Yo1y3MbqBlrgxS_JVf_rdS-8szZTBZf2heXKiCGdT1QGbQjiK1RPxgwgOw-MIe7PRkrlLMitwNNeZpZo8yRb4rJfc/s1080/Happy+Father%2527s+Day%2521.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgrwo5PvL1bBVMM2eiU03lXCXcKR8UzZ6yffj860garoHIzLV0_Yo1y3MbqBlrgxS_JVf_rdS-8szZTBZf2heXKiCGdT1QGbQjiK1RPxgwgOw-MIe7PRkrlLMitwNNeZpZo8yRb4rJfc/w640-h640/Happy+Father%2527s+Day%2521.png" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></center>
<p>When I was a kid, I remember being given a small plaque with my name and it's meaning on it. It wasn't anything fancy, but it certainly meant a lot to me, even helped define me sometimes when I was upset. The names we give our children might seem random sometimes, but history and my personal experience would support that a name is a powerful thing. All three of my children embody the meaning of their names in some way, which I honestly didn't expect at the onset of motherhood. My final review as part of the Homeschool Review Crew is of a company that is in the business of name meanings! We're talking about <a href="www.NameCards.work">CrossTimber</a> and their variety of name meaning gifts like <a href="http://www.bookmarks.name/">Name Bookmarks</a> and<a href="http://www.amazing.name/ACTIVITY/"> AmazingName Print Activity Sheets</a>.</p><p><br /></p><center><a href="http://www.meaning.name/" target="_blank"><img height="239" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/CrossTimber-Name-Meaning-Gifts-LOGO.png" width="640" /></a></center><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtkAiB3fFiX0iDkuMElhNsxipdC4rYq_x1Bc0bKN7wsrAA1kKhlQ4PR3yxLBEbLQ3I_dBy0CyoidFF6DajwzA3ylLtocuUKsu7-oFNdf4P8bazEcIc0jaS6zScWrgjNz4LsqTdAgfydg/s4032/PXL_20201120_150700455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtkAiB3fFiX0iDkuMElhNsxipdC4rYq_x1Bc0bKN7wsrAA1kKhlQ4PR3yxLBEbLQ3I_dBy0CyoidFF6DajwzA3ylLtocuUKsu7-oFNdf4P8bazEcIc0jaS6zScWrgjNz4LsqTdAgfydg/w640-h480/PXL_20201120_150700455.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></p><p>We were given the choice between an 8x10 Name Plaque print with a printable activity set or five NameCards or Name Bookmarks with a printable activity set. We chose five <a href="www.Bookmarks.Name">Name Bookmarks</a> and an <a href="http://www.amazing.name/ACTIVITY/">AmazingName Activity Set</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODq-e1pe6sD3jONeNSJb7MGYHyhlucfdJ5LjBasqHlpGmrHmy2yCh9oy82dRiW9h6O-1jG4I9wWJQkvZ0MnpLXpI-Udu3wsQMjW0AclMNO4k2-QctxbcLx8vFkT157LbbQiykqGIY508/s4032/PXL_20201120_150732289.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODq-e1pe6sD3jONeNSJb7MGYHyhlucfdJ5LjBasqHlpGmrHmy2yCh9oy82dRiW9h6O-1jG4I9wWJQkvZ0MnpLXpI-Udu3wsQMjW0AclMNO4k2-QctxbcLx8vFkT157LbbQiykqGIY508/w480-h640/PXL_20201120_150732289.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><u><b>How It Works:</b></u></p><p>Once I decided on the bookmarks, I began searching through all of the images available. They have a wide variety of images which made it possible to choose a completely different one for every member of my family. For example, my oldest son loves horses and I had several horse images to choose from. Once you choose an image, then you choose what type of quote you would like at the bottom. You can choose from a Presidential quote, a Famous Author Quote, a Bible Verse, Character Quality Definitions, or a custom quote option. put in the name and they provide the meaning and corresponding scripture. I chose scriptures for all of mine. Finally, you enter the name and add the order to your shopping cart. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprjbBtib9ICNBZSAhbeJ0TQyujXWYGsDNBZN8HIUovFsej6KNjOu2rbPZrMpY3_G2JlN0HfnNwj1K26SEH4vCZIcaUduZcAYe_bkDRmhPBdTiVU5kZ26UJUFoZqpW2jvn31ZbWd9tL40/s767/AmazingName.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="767" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprjbBtib9ICNBZSAhbeJ0TQyujXWYGsDNBZN8HIUovFsej6KNjOu2rbPZrMpY3_G2JlN0HfnNwj1K26SEH4vCZIcaUduZcAYe_bkDRmhPBdTiVU5kZ26UJUFoZqpW2jvn31ZbWd9tL40/w640-h458/AmazingName.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The <a href="http://www.amazing.name/ACTIVITY/">AmazingName Activity Sets</a> are even easier to order because it simply requires entering a name. Each set comes with 28 pages of different activities that involve the child's name. There is everything from learning the letter your child's name starts with all the way to cursive handwriting practice. Crossword puzzles, mazes, coloring pages, word searches, and even a craft that can be displayed on the child's desk. It's definitely an educational, entertaining and personalized set!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_crH696Q8XDVHpb0hBI0US97-yI-EssGvwIg4qnKyhQW6FA9s9viq406sYCDSuM4gRhrQQ1uM99yUnxuWYIHfkLyi2MNZ0EgYAvshRcdLYyI2_Bx8Onw2kjltdR3x0hiO-RbpuJLb3Dw/s4032/PXL_20201120_150904271.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_crH696Q8XDVHpb0hBI0US97-yI-EssGvwIg4qnKyhQW6FA9s9viq406sYCDSuM4gRhrQQ1uM99yUnxuWYIHfkLyi2MNZ0EgYAvshRcdLYyI2_Bx8Onw2kjltdR3x0hiO-RbpuJLb3Dw/w640-h480/PXL_20201120_150904271.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyw9atUXzVS_X33xCxxtVPldRxqLXOUj4drhFb-gd_n8jZT54QQ0DsvXBRXlnf-VkTlSqzdLPOUkoFynXJRa5k_hpTpy-4lDOqVWnEVidVbKwS6gI3Yu10YWhst6uRi0eUM9mHVvic94/s4032/PXL_20201120_150937424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyw9atUXzVS_X33xCxxtVPldRxqLXOUj4drhFb-gd_n8jZT54QQ0DsvXBRXlnf-VkTlSqzdLPOUkoFynXJRa5k_hpTpy-4lDOqVWnEVidVbKwS6gI3Yu10YWhst6uRi0eUM9mHVvic94/w640-h480/PXL_20201120_150937424.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>What We Thought:</u></b></p><p>When I ordered the bookmarks, I really wasn't sure what my kids would think. The big kids are avid readers so at minimum a bookmark would be useful. However, when we received them they were very impressed and excited. There is something about having your name - and the meaning of your name- laid out and made especially for you that makes you feel extra special. I was happy with the images and felt like they were really nice. The one disclaimer I would make comes from my 3 year old's antics. He loved his and I let him use it on a car ride, but before it came to an end he had pulled off the top layer of plastic. It wasn't ruined because I could then re-laminate it with my own laminator, but it is something to beware of. Still, it's not a shock that a 3 year old could be destructive! The name activity set I gave to my 7 year old daughter, knowing that my 3 year old wasn't quite ready for it. She LOVED it. Some of it was easy, some of it was challenging. She raved about it either way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXMY2xfMVcty5X5bBz3ovlo-sVh7JndLJFGDNTuxM_2Gj09Kc6ANc3owya5wZbCxmjb8z02WEewJTFNIQVnqUPZytjaSA9Rm6nSYJ_wCBtOuGgPdCb7k1qDxd4x6BsXYriFFQPC-BB6k/s4032/PXL_20201120_150653710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXMY2xfMVcty5X5bBz3ovlo-sVh7JndLJFGDNTuxM_2Gj09Kc6ANc3owya5wZbCxmjb8z02WEewJTFNIQVnqUPZytjaSA9Rm6nSYJ_wCBtOuGgPdCb7k1qDxd4x6BsXYriFFQPC-BB6k/w300-h400/PXL_20201120_150653710.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>Both the bookmarks and the name activity sets are GREAT holiday gifts, especially for kids! It's a really meaningful way to give a unique gift that can make the recipient feel special and loved.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Follow CrossTimber on Social Media:</b></u></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Facebook: <a href="http://www.fb.com/meaning.name">http://www.fb.com/meaning.name</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Pinterest: <a href="http://pinterest.com/crosstimber">http://pinterest.com/crosstimber</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Are you interested in the Name Cards or the 8x10 Plaques? Check out reviews from the rest of the crew to see what those are like by clicking on the link below.</p><center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/name-card-bookcards-activity-sheets-plaque-personalised-gifts-crosstimber-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Name Cards, Bookcards, Activity Sheets & Plaque Personalised Gifts {CrossTimber Reviews}" border="0" height="309" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></center>
Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-30299581153498203182020-11-15T17:21:00.003-06:002020-11-15T17:21:47.559-06:00What 10 Years Can Do: A ReflectionEvery one of my children's births was amazing for completely different reasons. Ask me about them when I see you next because (like most other mothers on the planet) I love to talk about it. But there is something about that first one, no matter how perfect or broken the whole affair was, that moments from it are frozen into your heart so deeply that they almost don't feel real. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1-sdXPpWEuaFt10cEZ7VtVdODKM9XrQR6Bwc0yWLOmIHZW5sdxiXelvn_Qd8ywlPIq2jXH5ibGmwrwLqehm0h4bAZ4WW7T6r9mcl8dFLYYEQyiKiTbGNd9juh9TnHgffUiDgoCW-i3E/s2048/10100164780710027.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1-sdXPpWEuaFt10cEZ7VtVdODKM9XrQR6Bwc0yWLOmIHZW5sdxiXelvn_Qd8ywlPIq2jXH5ibGmwrwLqehm0h4bAZ4WW7T6r9mcl8dFLYYEQyiKiTbGNd9juh9TnHgffUiDgoCW-i3E/w428-h640/10100164780710027.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Crunchy leaves outside beneath the huge pecan tree in our yard. Learning to remember all the baby things for a simple trip to the store. Agony of learning to breastfeed and the surreal joy of getting him to laugh. Our living room was quite long, but kind of narrow with only one window in it. In the early days after Jude was born, we rearranged furniture a bit so that his bed could be put in there during the day and he could soak up the sun to fight off a little jaundice. There was a moment when I looked at him across the room sleeping away, the sun shining down on his sweet face, and I wanted to know who he was going to be so desperately. What was he going to be like? </div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6k2fWSN7xjojtOWaZcaes4Jo9c1Qd0anah4V-pHCcUKKblOaoM9ExZEhGCW8ket3TuXs1iGYL0N90X7YiTvvkWZPxnD4MBQOQDmN7rSXo_wxoqNMlHJFsyS3XeGQjxSuITJoZgDvwEOo/s1936/DSC_4442.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6k2fWSN7xjojtOWaZcaes4Jo9c1Qd0anah4V-pHCcUKKblOaoM9ExZEhGCW8ket3TuXs1iGYL0N90X7YiTvvkWZPxnD4MBQOQDmN7rSXo_wxoqNMlHJFsyS3XeGQjxSuITJoZgDvwEOo/w428-h640/DSC_4442.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Little did I know, much of who he was I could already see. In that same living room, I had looked into his eyes for the first time and I saw this old soul who looked straight into my heart. He was taking me in almost as much as I was him. My oldest son has always been an observer with a deep heart. That little tree frog who loved to cuddle onto my shoulder as an infant still tries to sit in my lap and hug me more than all the others. Being born in November in Oklahoma, you would expect a lot of bundling up throughout the winter, but he hated socks and hats caused him to get too hot. He is still much more comfortable in shorts regardless of the weather.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWEgu1pRGpQ9Gh_PmROMWsxk5g6hyqv9TYzbqutr1L-Sy0sm9fYGjRMKG58pSZsVDjK9R6k4aZ7_cIWO-1lsCg4tWkwtUmZslKNzMQ4_G6Nd_5LVeJoohGsr-IoULbQs57Bi7knyot_M/s1936/DSC_4458.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1296" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWEgu1pRGpQ9Gh_PmROMWsxk5g6hyqv9TYzbqutr1L-Sy0sm9fYGjRMKG58pSZsVDjK9R6k4aZ7_cIWO-1lsCg4tWkwtUmZslKNzMQ4_G6Nd_5LVeJoohGsr-IoULbQs57Bi7knyot_M/w268-h400/DSC_4458.JPG" width="268" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>What I didn't know was how naturally athletic he would be. He loves playing ball of just about any kind and picks things up so quick, which makes his dad a tad envious! I didn't know how easy and hard it would be to have a boy. I also didn't know how I was going to royally mess things up while still getting some important things really right. I didn't expect 10 to be here yet. I guess that happens when you have a 3rd child that looks just like the oldest one and you get busy. So here I am, with a 3 year old miniature version of my first one except he acts nothing like him, and a 10 year old that is learning to become a man, piece by piece. And suddenly I realize I could start really taking notes in church now. I haven't been able to maintain that for over 10 years!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_2i2O3rbzkdTjNB47gWXrjn0YFBJvZOlbuwbjaXanh0x5TV_wiLZVk34PXuM8zVEgBmfVKGT1V5MIiFt-bHhHNGUpeoDhy0TH9UP7APfIbPlYRr7lp3fxsCxv8MlbnaS26yvpZrA84w/s1936/953563998037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1936" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_2i2O3rbzkdTjNB47gWXrjn0YFBJvZOlbuwbjaXanh0x5TV_wiLZVk34PXuM8zVEgBmfVKGT1V5MIiFt-bHhHNGUpeoDhy0TH9UP7APfIbPlYRr7lp3fxsCxv8MlbnaS26yvpZrA84w/w400-h268/953563998037.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>More than anything, I never imagined how much he would be like me and how much that would challenge me to grow. I'm not the same person I was the moment he was finally born and I was in shock that he was a boy. That naïve and idealistic girl has gotten more wake up calls than I'd like to admit, but I've also been given much more than I deserve. I've always been really sensitive to the state of mind other people are carrying around and (for better and worse) he is the same. If he could, he would just live on a farm and take care of animals all day, or go hiking or go fishing or just be outside. He loves with his WHOLE heart and feels despair deep. It's a beautiful thing, but, as I know all too well, it can spin out of control really fast. And If I am to expect him to manage himself, then I need to do the same. That is something I'm still working on, but we're all growing together. And for that I'm very thankful.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HsJLCThyphenhyphen1OB0AXiDZcpUOrOaljtGoxB7mC5cI5p8NdZx5-z1y2-Us_JhKkrpEeqXCCapo0pAXUDWiHvywbD0Qf5jvUNLPO-4r_eXXGEa-oiOTFIBZn61i-2CuFcElnbR6JQgBNrDP3s/s1936/10100164798120137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="1296" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HsJLCThyphenhyphen1OB0AXiDZcpUOrOaljtGoxB7mC5cI5p8NdZx5-z1y2-Us_JhKkrpEeqXCCapo0pAXUDWiHvywbD0Qf5jvUNLPO-4r_eXXGEa-oiOTFIBZn61i-2CuFcElnbR6JQgBNrDP3s/w268-h400/10100164798120137.jpg" width="268" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAbxKYHl0vUNh_4A7cPzeawcUPtFpY1mntJcAyRfbfcS0zbm5LJowun0D_rv9aPnkeeXy2dw4yuGxLkTJny50OcXUeZ0I9bKzJ6jifpqEt7gcRhy_ka6f-hOLp5W39X7PI4Gdmxo_0ic/s2048/2017+Butlers-16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAbxKYHl0vUNh_4A7cPzeawcUPtFpY1mntJcAyRfbfcS0zbm5LJowun0D_rv9aPnkeeXy2dw4yuGxLkTJny50OcXUeZ0I9bKzJ6jifpqEt7gcRhy_ka6f-hOLp5W39X7PI4Gdmxo_0ic/w400-h268/2017+Butlers-16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>When other people's children have turned 10, it really wasn't that big of a deal to me because socially I think we fixate on 13, 16 and 18. But let me tell you, 10 is a DECADE! To the mom, it's a big deal and it has brought me to this place where I'm evaluating my entire motherhood journey because of the milestone and where everyone is at right now. Who I thought I would be or even wanted to be is, well. complicated at best. My baby is still really cute and a lot of fun. My daughter is still snuggly but becoming a a really good helper when she stays on task. And my oldest is a doing really ok - not perfect, not done growing - but doing okay. Considering what I mess I feel half the time, I think it's really important to say that out loud! When Jude was born, the spotlights of my mind shifted drastically and seem to have been twirling around ever since. This year, for all of its hassles and heartaches, has brought some really powerful blessings. I turned 40, my son turns 10, I like my husband more than I did last year, and I'm learning to cope with myself in ways I've never thought possible. I miss that sweet cuddle bug and wish I could give that brand new mom a hug and some better advice than what she was telling herself. But I'm in awe of some of the things we have navigated and bounced back from. Even though it's complicated, my momma heart is so full. Happy 10th Birthday!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmHcBiH43Rqekq_tpaFaboBYULV00Kb-iEt7-9WSKOV5xNiDojOaaEcHrmQHQSOi4di6oHAbJAtH9-1kbH4JulSXWfvG3ePABNc9Qk1KiOp1dj5XIoTMUAcF4yMuBSJ2IRXMhf15dmvE/s2048/PXL_20201106_230321977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmHcBiH43Rqekq_tpaFaboBYULV00Kb-iEt7-9WSKOV5xNiDojOaaEcHrmQHQSOi4di6oHAbJAtH9-1kbH4JulSXWfvG3ePABNc9Qk1KiOp1dj5XIoTMUAcF4yMuBSJ2IRXMhf15dmvE/w480-h640/PXL_20201106_230321977.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-21300316165496287052020-11-12T11:32:00.002-06:002020-11-12T11:32:23.649-06:00The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS: A Truth Becomes Her Review<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Growing up I had two brothers and no sisters. In college I was a nanny for two little boys. Since my experience was dominated by boys, having a little girl of my own was an entirely new affair. Even today as the boys are 10 and 3 and my girl is 7, the difference between girls and boys are striking. And my girl is a tomboy and keeps up with the best of them! Still, her heart is just an entirely different thing. The beauty of that also offers a challenge of encouraging her with the right combination of sensitivity and adventure. Today I have the pleasure of reviewing a group of items that strives to touch that tenacious spirit through some great examples in the Bible. We are talking about <a href="http://www.biblebelles.com/ring">The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS</a> and a collection of books from <a href="https://biblebelles.com/">Truth Becomes Her</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBX0cheMRLFkrUZi8bjhNeZaTGqnfW9YQ-bImLsWKtO_1G3nsFvBUnokWp9cmJkmAgSPXL-0qymWJJSnq3PysWRjd_JSRr7Ytc7iW0wun4CqfwObgrjhct8tjcADJVzfU6FOgn4fWdDI/s4032/PXL_20201111_190707865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBX0cheMRLFkrUZi8bjhNeZaTGqnfW9YQ-bImLsWKtO_1G3nsFvBUnokWp9cmJkmAgSPXL-0qymWJJSnq3PysWRjd_JSRr7Ytc7iW0wun4CqfwObgrjhct8tjcADJVzfU6FOgn4fWdDI/w640-h480/PXL_20201111_190707865.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE4onVjRQtfy1cRgbLQLI4hEoiuqsvbM0aOych1v-aOnPpSv6HYeKFgPPbDq9Xl6kWZJBWsirxrDWk9L5gmmTSAmoOQplv83dMOI3hU7QETc13KDE3Lts659aJhxgukvP71x4UamXHIM/s4032/PXL_20201111_190724766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE4onVjRQtfy1cRgbLQLI4hEoiuqsvbM0aOych1v-aOnPpSv6HYeKFgPPbDq9Xl6kWZJBWsirxrDWk9L5gmmTSAmoOQplv83dMOI3hU7QETc13KDE3Lts659aJhxgukvP71x4UamXHIM/w480-h640/PXL_20201111_190724766.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>What We Received:</b></p><p>We received 4 separate items:</p><p>-<a href="http://www.biblebelles.com/ring">The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS</a>, a hardback book written by Erin Weidemann.</p><p>-RINGLEADERS: Journal for Mothers and Daughters, a paperback book full of writing prompts for mothers and daughters to explore together.</p><p>-Ringleaders: A Devotional for Girls, a paperback book for girls to read on their own.</p><p>-Ringleaders Coloring Book, a coloring book featuring scenes from the story and scriptures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xd5o8P02BVPOhkhoh0K7SvNcIn-y7il_B_DrxNvJEK9718ckRMK6l7ZPNIuo5JfYqi3wyc44-sDJF_P5HovWUOHCQy-bsI5T803Dun24K_4OtUrf8wrYhSMsN3_sGSA2j6ZRhAwZ0vo/s4032/PXL_20201112_172634263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xd5o8P02BVPOhkhoh0K7SvNcIn-y7il_B_DrxNvJEK9718ckRMK6l7ZPNIuo5JfYqi3wyc44-sDJF_P5HovWUOHCQy-bsI5T803Dun24K_4OtUrf8wrYhSMsN3_sGSA2j6ZRhAwZ0vo/w480-h640/PXL_20201112_172634263.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2_D8o_unoAaE19r72roNtjIOKKi07kN4s8cz-JyhLDr_y09sgWeCNcsPGk9uYO0284Xr-rUzEZ16Czob31xIm64DwYFM7rXge2Zu94jWX6R3Ge7mfsqTEVQhcXM20g3WRPjGiRDnD14/s720/coloringbook.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2_D8o_unoAaE19r72roNtjIOKKi07kN4s8cz-JyhLDr_y09sgWeCNcsPGk9uYO0284Xr-rUzEZ16Czob31xIm64DwYFM7rXge2Zu94jWX6R3Ge7mfsqTEVQhcXM20g3WRPjGiRDnD14/w640-h640/coloringbook.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b><u>How It Works:</u></b></p><p>RINGLEADERS is a fictional story about Rooney who gets a visit from Mari, a small angel who has the ability to peek in to stories in the Bible and take Rooney with her. Throughout the book, Rooney is taught helpful truths from women of the Bible and the obstacles they had to overcome along side her own circumstances she finds herself in. Depending on the age of your girl, this book can be read aloud or she can read it on her own. My daughter is 7 and she read it on her own just fine. Along with the story book, the devotional book includes illustrations from the storybook and daily devotions, scriptures and activities. It can be read on its own, but would lend itself to great discussions if read together between adult and child. The Journal for Mothers and Daughters gives even more space for mom and daughter to respond to each other and to ideas presented in scripture and the book. Finally, there is a beautiful coloring book that is an anytime anywhere element to remind the girls of scenes and scriptures as they color.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKlkXYhWz5f61fCqO40Dhyphenhyphenx62DK6IQni9yZ0xF37KtXpPFyshSFkYSxrFD26Cgys13D0rUNtz1kM-F8Ut55xKMHWDv0VZmsUzBxW28gzdijQDBuhW8G0PN50R8yDcYCdES3Dk13ZjopE/s4032/PXL_20201112_173019679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKlkXYhWz5f61fCqO40Dhyphenhyphenx62DK6IQni9yZ0xF37KtXpPFyshSFkYSxrFD26Cgys13D0rUNtz1kM-F8Ut55xKMHWDv0VZmsUzBxW28gzdijQDBuhW8G0PN50R8yDcYCdES3Dk13ZjopE/w300-h400/PXL_20201112_173019679.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><u>What We Thought:</u></b></p><p>Because my 10 year old is the oldest in our family, he has gotten more than his fair share of review items over the years. So when my daughter found out she was getting items only for her, she was really motivated! Then to discover it was for me to do along with her, she was so happy! She immediately sat down and started reading. While she could read all of it on her own, the various different ways I could engage with her on it was really good for her as well as our relationship. She can get lost in the shuffle sometimes as the middle child and only girl, but this offers a great opportunity for me to focus entirely on her. So much of our culture offers empty or shallow stories and concepts that when we discover something so rich, it's important to dig in! We had never heard of the Bible Belles series, but after this we will certainly look up other books!</p><p>Overall, we loved these products and would recommend them for an upcoming holiday or birthday gift for your favorite girl!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><center><a href="https://biblebelles.com/" target="_blank"><img height="174" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Bible-Belles-Truth-Becomes-Her.jpg" width="640" /></a></center><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Follow Truth Becomes Her on Social Media:</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BibleBelles">https://www.facebook.com/BibleBelles</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram/truthbecomesher/">https://www.instagram/truthbecomesher/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Do you have a daughter older than 7 and wondering if these books would still be a good fit? Check out other family's reviews below for an older perspective.</p><center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/the-adventures-of-rooney-cruz-ringleaders-truth-becomes-her-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS {Truth Becomes Her Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></center>
Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-89484514956133881772020-11-06T07:23:00.006-06:002020-11-10T14:18:01.609-06:00Bible Unearthed: A Drive Thru History® Adventures Review<center><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Avo4L2ObUUycPvJz3sIu3WweEbDXleEfKCahUuXXXPKju4Fubaj-8U7Tynh0MY0NHcYWrw_nImDUqtgyytFpjaSc_Ral8b9qv4vkayKho2X3shuIInDiGT3vnLOvUZg5xVXKWRNAb9E/s1080/Bible.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Avo4L2ObUUycPvJz3sIu3WweEbDXleEfKCahUuXXXPKju4Fubaj-8U7Tynh0MY0NHcYWrw_nImDUqtgyytFpjaSc_Ral8b9qv4vkayKho2X3shuIInDiGT3vnLOvUZg5xVXKWRNAb9E/w640-h640/Bible.png" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p></center>
<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">As much as technology creates a complicated world, our advanced society makes some amazing things possible. The ability to access historical sites and far away places through our computers and television is an amazing blessing! The product I am talking about today takes us to some significant places and evidences that my family might never get to see in person, but we are blessed with understanding thanks to technology. A few years ago, we were first introduced to David Stotts and the </span><span><a href="https://www.drivethruadventures.com/">Drive Thru History</a></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">® </span><a href="https://www.drivethruadventures.com/" style="font-family: inherit;">Adventures</a> through <span style="font-family: inherit;">The Gospels collection. This time we are reviewing a brand new adventure called <a href="https://www.drivethruadventures.com/">Bible Unearthed</a> that focuses on archeology and it's importance to the Bible. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jesSNez_np2KTAHlcwOhMG90kDnk_D30m2dLDmXL2FuCY3zlTu7WHIZ5af9uiLFaWClh0ohDPe3MVuOXfrNsNd0gOgXBonyo6piscBBEtxIgLmkL3qjhNU-_IObBe-QPxYwBwCA73Yw/s1121/DriveDashboard.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="1121" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jesSNez_np2KTAHlcwOhMG90kDnk_D30m2dLDmXL2FuCY3zlTu7WHIZ5af9uiLFaWClh0ohDPe3MVuOXfrNsNd0gOgXBonyo6piscBBEtxIgLmkL3qjhNU-_IObBe-QPxYwBwCA73Yw/w640-h306/DriveDashboard.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></p><p></p><p>We received lifetime access to the digital course Bible Unearthed. </p><center><a href="https://www.drivethruadventures.com/" target="_blank"><img height="142" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Drive-Thru-History-Adventures-Logo.png" width="640" /></a></center><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmhMSItNWPXmjJa6qMljnUrcwM35SQ5dkQvZMgCnD9l3HF2-4bqKMghAI64aYakP8rT5M9FACJuD5Qoa6WQ5_fc-NquxTj8a4K4LORJfQVlMkAitOt7EzV1Wz7RFw07ovPQAsDvqmfGE/s350/EpisodesDTH.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="335" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmhMSItNWPXmjJa6qMljnUrcwM35SQ5dkQvZMgCnD9l3HF2-4bqKMghAI64aYakP8rT5M9FACJuD5Qoa6WQ5_fc-NquxTj8a4K4LORJfQVlMkAitOt7EzV1Wz7RFw07ovPQAsDvqmfGE/w612-h640/EpisodesDTH.png" width="612" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><p><b><u>How It Works:</u></b></p><p>Bible Unearthed is a digital 12-part series featuring David Stotts, the host of Drive Thru History, Titus Kennedy, PhD, an archaeology expert, and Randall Niles, a Drive Thru History writer. Within each lesson or part, there is an accompanying article, activities for deeper understanding and worksheets with answer guides.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO94K1VPh0d-YEsz5gpClAVJv28Zatj1vY300ixP2S0I1BGCSIkSATmXYqR7C6RRu3_RNtBtasKMXZEcPNYZUFRuqZJ09FQ6eez5qkh79Z7KZpupL_YLZvMehPUvztXBOIXVYFk4UwXuE/s679/DTH.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="679" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO94K1VPh0d-YEsz5gpClAVJv28Zatj1vY300ixP2S0I1BGCSIkSATmXYqR7C6RRu3_RNtBtasKMXZEcPNYZUFRuqZJ09FQ6eez5qkh79Z7KZpupL_YLZvMehPUvztXBOIXVYFk4UwXuE/w640-h588/DTH.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>With this program being a digital course, it is very versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. A straightforward way to use this course is to watch the video, read through the companion article, complete the optional activities and worksheet. This approach can be done as a family or assigned to individual students. The videos alone are an awesome resource for groups especially in an educational setting. Since the course covers archeology, history and the Bible, it is a great supplement to unit studies in any of these areas. The focus on archaeology allows viewers to understand what being an the archaeologist profession truly looks like. I can imagine doing a survey of different professions in middle school or high school and certainly including this program. With archaeology and history overlapping so much, there are so many ways to intertwine Bible Unearthed with History curriculum in any given semester. The provided worksheets included scripture reading that often ties in people or places of the Bible that archaeology has proved to be true. This can support a family's Bible study in all kinds of ways, especially faith building.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYFIKAHNb399crJ2_EvYZwEAp7sa9xVyBLJTjgRpMz5iI6kx5jUb0mKSOLzuEhwrIZMvrnD7dWE0d04Z3YAq_n3nZEU2o7kIzR2UTKCSq3OYRmL2tweJo6VsH_J3ttHuqsxq1f3E5uhg/s523/DriveThru.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="405" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYFIKAHNb399crJ2_EvYZwEAp7sa9xVyBLJTjgRpMz5iI6kx5jUb0mKSOLzuEhwrIZMvrnD7dWE0d04Z3YAq_n3nZEU2o7kIzR2UTKCSq3OYRmL2tweJo6VsH_J3ttHuqsxq1f3E5uhg/w496-h640/DriveThru.png" width="496" /></a></div><p></p><p><b><u>What We Thought:</u></b></p><p>My children are 9, 7 and 3 so it made the most sense to use this program as a family. The video episodes are generally between 13 and 20 minutes long so they were happy to watch several videos in a row if we let them. The worksheets for us were best used as a discussion tool and prompt, but as they get older could be utilized as comprehension and further study.</p><p>I don't know that any of my kids show great interest in archaeology as a profession so far, but understanding the great artifacts that have been discovered that confirm different parts of the Bible is a huge value to me! It is so easy to feel disconnected with the Biblical world and our modern day world, to the point that we can unconsciously start thinking much of it is made up! Understanding the history and significance of archaeological finds is convicting and reinforces our faith. As a parent of young children who is trying to navigate our evil world, it is so important to have resources like this that they can grow up around to support a Biblical worldview.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.drivethruadventures.com/" style="text-align: -webkit-center;" target="_blank"><img height="142" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Drive-Thru-History-Adventures-Logo.png" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Follow Drive Thru History on Social Media:</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/drivethruhistory">https://www.facebook.com/drivethruhistory</a></span></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/drivethruhistory">https://www.instagram.com/drivethruhistory</a></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/drivethruhistory">https://www.youtube.com/user/drivethruhistory</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have teenage students? There are several families that reviewed this product with different aged children. Click the link below to read about different perspectives.</span></p><center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/bible-unearthed-drive-thru-history-adventures-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Bible Unearthed {Drive Thru History® Adventures Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></center>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-70939499890694492952020-11-05T12:38:00.003-06:002020-11-05T13:23:10.339-06:00MathandAlgebra.com: An Online Math Program Review<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;">I</span> received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLIL2aAeKsUY4cpxqDsyJnOB4OVxnv_bOcZ8ORa5Nq-SXSKprLvv0bOmVEJv_MKpmsmJSMidTZmbKvwAmHXzPhkV44PwdZEljKSr7k-D2TodkXfnoA3IoP3k7uHddP_WjQirBt9UqCLA/s1080/Metropolitan+Manila+Development+Authority+%2528MMDA%2529+136.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLIL2aAeKsUY4cpxqDsyJnOB4OVxnv_bOcZ8ORa5Nq-SXSKprLvv0bOmVEJv_MKpmsmJSMidTZmbKvwAmHXzPhkV44PwdZEljKSr7k-D2TodkXfnoA3IoP3k7uHddP_WjQirBt9UqCLA/w640-h640/Metropolitan+Manila+Development+Authority+%2528MMDA%2529+136.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A good teacher always makes the biggest difference in a child's success in a give subject. In math, the quality of your teacher can make or break your understanding! That's why finding curriculum and a program that works well for your student is vital to their success. That's why being a part of the Review Crew is so valuable to me, because it has taught me both the needs of my children and the viable options available in the curriculum world. For today's review, we are talking about <a href="https://mathandalgebra.com/">MathandAlgebra.com</a>, a program that serves as a teacher and curriculum support. In all of the curriculum reviews I have done over the past 5 years, I've never encountered a program quite like this one!</span></span><p></p>
<center><a href="https://mathandalgebra.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="160" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Math-and-Algebra-Logo.png" width="640" /></span></a></center><center><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What We Received:</span></u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We received a one year family subscription to MathandAlgebra.com that includes four complete math courses: Basic Math, Advanced Math, Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1. </span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRtz3ck5MJsFYYLk12lm_YnmUEjpGBvI22_qbPB3a2ZB-_YoKbr9LflijcFPxOwXK_Dc1vghlcrlAPFzBhckjZT5vl8uW0h6C-2zhAJfDpXJ8RNAD2STc4X85OFcILeJbYb6kdaAGdZ4/s991/MathAlgebra.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="991" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRtz3ck5MJsFYYLk12lm_YnmUEjpGBvI22_qbPB3a2ZB-_YoKbr9LflijcFPxOwXK_Dc1vghlcrlAPFzBhckjZT5vl8uW0h6C-2zhAJfDpXJ8RNAD2STc4X85OFcILeJbYb6kdaAGdZ4/w640-h372/MathAlgebra.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How It Works:</span></u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a parent/admin I have a dashboard that lists all of my students with access to their progress within each course. Each course contains multiple mini courses that provide video lessons, downloadable worksheets and a quiz. In the Basic Math Course there are topics like Whole Numbers, Fractions, Decimals, Geometry, etc. Students are expected to watch each video with a blank page of paper and a pencil to follow along with the instructor. Once they finish that video there is a worksheet for practice. At the end of the topics several lessons there is a quiz and badges to be earned at every completion. The unique aspect of this program absolutely comes down to the instructor, Richard Fisher's friendly speaking voice and clear teaching method. And it's no wonder, because his teaching record is long and full of success! His face is never shown (at least not in the lessons we saw), but the video shows problems being worked out in real time. In the videos and the worksheets, he offers invaluable tips and guidance for the learners to really succeed. </span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqTN1wBZLxVLxM496LkKW2mAi5zZVzsvoB4ovstfTzoPm_lBU8A3LSRcFD7sEvSc4qV-Sv65b5c0ZqZl1hX42vTESJny6VRkfpr4u3nI6JcJuu5Q45fWGOwLbI8mn8LwSfnbLBtuIlEs/s561/MathAlgebraworksheet.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="561" height="611" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqTN1wBZLxVLxM496LkKW2mAi5zZVzsvoB4ovstfTzoPm_lBU8A3LSRcFD7sEvSc4qV-Sv65b5c0ZqZl1hX42vTESJny6VRkfpr4u3nI6JcJuu5Q45fWGOwLbI8mn8LwSfnbLBtuIlEs/w640-h611/MathAlgebraworksheet.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta5OVqv6JiskpkXnsWBy4V1LpuAKaGBB8we_mOXibq6jFLQaY8g9Vn1TPOrFRKxDucHRjzfLA1r89KmfFd5VXn9Qrc2Lock0cY-ySlx6clFLkaRwnQy9AWegcCr2tuFtBLhrZhA1t-Xg/s581/Algebra.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="318" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta5OVqv6JiskpkXnsWBy4V1LpuAKaGBB8we_mOXibq6jFLQaY8g9Vn1TPOrFRKxDucHRjzfLA1r89KmfFd5VXn9Qrc2Lock0cY-ySlx6clFLkaRwnQy9AWegcCr2tuFtBLhrZhA1t-Xg/w348-h640/Algebra.png" width="348" /></span></a></div><u><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What We Thought:</span></b></u></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we first received access to this program, my 4th grader had just started fractions. In MathandAlgebra.com, I started him in Basic Math, but skipped over the Whole Number section and began at Fractions. He had some fraction understanding already, but had started to drag his feet with finding common denominators and simplifying. After the first video lesson, he immediately wanted to do more! He understood the concepts well and it suddenly felt like we were talking the same math language. </span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseRXwLN26HupUf1g1v4kcMPSmGhJhyphenhyphenZShbuVGKvLdpM0SFdWBPb5KhaUrdHPaEUH-oeShdJcAXg1POGApTp0rQVhl-Lvo3xJFmMvNCPWtrAn3dVmmxKP07Go6MTOmVQFfvib_LqDzxpc/s4032/PXL_20201105_183901928.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseRXwLN26HupUf1g1v4kcMPSmGhJhyphenhyphenZShbuVGKvLdpM0SFdWBPb5KhaUrdHPaEUH-oeShdJcAXg1POGApTp0rQVhl-Lvo3xJFmMvNCPWtrAn3dVmmxKP07Go6MTOmVQFfvib_LqDzxpc/w480-h640/PXL_20201105_183901928.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As an educated adult, I have learned how to do all kinds of math, but teaching it to my 9 year old boy in a way that he understands is an entirely different skill. We have done alright, but as students get older, that gap between understanding a concept and clearly communicating that concept tends to get bigger. Having a program like this on hand, especially as students head into middle school math, is a wonderful tool. Since my husband is an engineer and well-quipped with math skills, he is a great back-up when I'm not getting a concept across. This program is perfect for someone who needs back-up or doesn't feel capable to start with. With the videos not terribly long, parent and student can sit down together to watch them and easily grasp concepts together.</span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since my oldest is only in the 4th grade, you might be interested in some of the other reviews that look more in depth at Pre-Algebra and Algebra. Check out more reviews through the link below.</span></center>
<center><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/math-algebra-family-subscription-mathandalgebra-com-reviews/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Math & Algebra Family Subscription {MathandAlgebra.com Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></span></a></center>
<br />Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-71817556402721461272020-11-01T17:51:00.000-06:002020-11-01T17:51:15.493-06:00What Happens If You're Disappointed This Week?<p>Disappointment is a big issue with kids around. Every parent will tell you not to say a word about a trip to the zoo or a possible visitor until it is actively happening, otherwise there will be mountains of disappointed fits. One of the ways we try to manage disappointment with our kids, especially as they've gotten older, is to talk about how we will react if we are disappointed. When there's a chance their cousins will get to come over, but it's still up in the air (or something in that same category), we often have them talk about what they will feel and what they will do with that feeling. I don't want to sound patronizing, but I think we all need to take ourselves through this exercise before this election on Tuesday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc2FB_f7rpyTUw1Qdu_N0uGkXhMQ9LihUPM1ByqxhRiFKwZvVgLSLAr4njWjSI9eVUZnA6YIm8yBEWtx0iSwQQTiIAPepNn1IGtGiVf0E6yibaxuM3fxwZaSNQL67BJ9SheJ8IqssP_M/s1080/What+happens+if+you%2527re+disappointed+this+week_.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc2FB_f7rpyTUw1Qdu_N0uGkXhMQ9LihUPM1ByqxhRiFKwZvVgLSLAr4njWjSI9eVUZnA6YIm8yBEWtx0iSwQQTiIAPepNn1IGtGiVf0E6yibaxuM3fxwZaSNQL67BJ9SheJ8IqssP_M/w640-h640/What+happens+if+you%2527re+disappointed+this+week_.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Like it or not, there will be a lot of people disappointed by this presidential election, as there always is. I'm not sure who it will be - maybe you, maybe your neighbor, but there will be disappointment. How are we going to handle ourselves if that happens to us? Even better, how are we going to handle ourselves if the outcome is something we like? We've gotten used to the term unprecedented times as though it excuses bad behavior, but it really calls for grace. That means not returning angry words with more angry words. That means treating others with dignity whether we feel they deserve it or not. That means not being a sore loser or condescending winner. </p><p>This next week could be a side show of epic proportions or it might be a pleasant dive into November. Whatever the case, I'm still commanded to live a life that reflects Jesus and His reign in my life. Of course, it is easier said than done when unrest hits close to home. There might be a lot of reasons you are afraid and unsettled heading in to this week. We don't know the future and this year has given all of us a dose of PTSD so it's easy to assume it may just get worse. And maybe it will. But if God is directing your path, then whatever is happening is allowed and ultimately His will.</p><p>Just as God and my marriage to Mr. Butler dictates that I love him just as much when things are really bad as when they are amazing, our commitment to godly behavior extends to when life is scary or unfair. And maybe you are going to be tempted to argue or fuss this week as a result of the election. It's understandable because, well, 2020. But love is patient, love is kind. And He is love and so then should we be as well. So, as you think about all the bazillion ways this week could go, consider how you will choose to behave in response to it. Will that remind others of how your final authority is in heaven? Or will it just add to the mess of ugliness that comes from losing your way?</p><p>I'm praying for us tonight because we all need it so much. Let's pray together for clear heads prevailing in all things this week and protection against foolish words and actions. And for goodness sakes, let's keep it together! :)</p><p><br /></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-30506511994824549092020-10-30T11:26:00.002-05:002020-11-02T16:22:08.906-06:00Smart Kidz Radio: An On-Demand Library Review<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRy188gzES4M9lQKbuwx3NFSgN3HOAdHRIxCp3Ma9UR1doFAt-O01WxZSJqQMW3Dq4S28DmdJ57pOAhE8MboJpTj8Qb91TNNFvIkRhc1FM5EhqxtIIYAOW719DLHvLofLkFaPGUEMhbzg/s1080/Vocal+Trainer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRy188gzES4M9lQKbuwx3NFSgN3HOAdHRIxCp3Ma9UR1doFAt-O01WxZSJqQMW3Dq4S28DmdJ57pOAhE8MboJpTj8Qb91TNNFvIkRhc1FM5EhqxtIIYAOW719DLHvLofLkFaPGUEMhbzg/w640-h640/Vocal+Trainer.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The prominent messages we hear in our culture today are so toxic and even our news is something to be avoided most days! One thing I am always happy to share is a positive program that reinforces healthy concepts and skills, especially for kids. <a href="https://smartkidzradio.com/">Smart Kidz Radio</a> is just that type of program! For this review, we got to try out <a href="https://smartkidzradio.com/">Smart Kidz Radio: Member's On-Demand Radio Program Library</a> with our family and discovered a really neat resource for our homeschool.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA_HY86t6lolEc_LrcJkvQf5QOB5l-Io0_o4mYL2ANyWRHg-a7XWVUr9Xn4vYrLGFoHXpHm_zdslMzISvlKSk_cPg3wiGOMw0LPnZN-tcG0G1n9aqzrMnDk0I4sgrj5P2xLqW7iTEe6g/s1250/SmartKidzDashboard.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="1250" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA_HY86t6lolEc_LrcJkvQf5QOB5l-Io0_o4mYL2ANyWRHg-a7XWVUr9Xn4vYrLGFoHXpHm_zdslMzISvlKSk_cPg3wiGOMw0LPnZN-tcG0G1n9aqzrMnDk0I4sgrj5P2xLqW7iTEe6g/w640-h330/SmartKidzDashboard.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></p><p>We received 6 months of access to Smart Kidz Radio: Member's On-Demand Program Library. Smart Kidz Radio: Member's On-Demand Program Library is a website radio subscription service that seeks to inspire it's listeners with encouraging and educational content. They are so committed to being a positive force in the lives of children that 20% of every membership fee is automatically donated to Smart Kidz Foundation, a nonprofit organization that encourages young people making a difference in the world around them and provides resources and education toward that end. It is designed for Preschool to Middle School aged children, but can be used in a variety of family settings. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkdVB68_0nmWlOHi90bqRetnuNF2yn7lpb6AN53UDQ_si0EjUxsOo7EluvsWmXZec3JhbYZVCx0D9UR81sIzmJF3gA7ZCNOZbmksREC5-BQ1Mvs3Ieq-_KS4rD_vBzDzOo6hhgML4VmY/s972/storytime.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="972" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkdVB68_0nmWlOHi90bqRetnuNF2yn7lpb6AN53UDQ_si0EjUxsOo7EluvsWmXZec3JhbYZVCx0D9UR81sIzmJF3gA7ZCNOZbmksREC5-BQ1Mvs3Ieq-_KS4rD_vBzDzOo6hhgML4VmY/w640-h378/storytime.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEacdrmSItYNtdusaAiyK6W-wSTM_4vTVYV2DkhmRlpJOM1mlFcKwaITX7DyQat4D2XWsvbtyimSbu_n6pIVpMBzba6NLJ9eBSaMwL6_g4spuAUjXFP4QTKx3dBeeVCAc59GGB5I2q8So/s1029/SkillsSmartKidz.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="1029" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEacdrmSItYNtdusaAiyK6W-wSTM_4vTVYV2DkhmRlpJOM1mlFcKwaITX7DyQat4D2XWsvbtyimSbu_n6pIVpMBzba6NLJ9eBSaMwL6_g4spuAUjXFP4QTKx3dBeeVCAc59GGB5I2q8So/w640-h202/SkillsSmartKidz.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><u>How It Works:</u></b><p></p><p>This online radio station consists of a variety music, story and educational stations that are available to play at any time, in any order. The dashboard is setup for browsing, much like other digital subscription services, where various categories are presented as you scroll down. Near the bottom of the page you will find the Recently Played category in case you forget where you found something. There is also a search feature at the top. Just about everything you can think of for an educational classroom seems to be included like math skills, world music, manners, animals, study music, fairy tales, and learning Spanish!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMuvmuwyjkwyffbB_kUxlvdHX5RvQuelOm0U5vgfdxrZ56PXvEnTL8c0ssE298j3i954lmO96XrFZgeivFR7upiTLOjwdjYJuCNzHs-ih4sepyskudf-4h_sNxt9Kl0ye_tIBcGbAQjE/s1038/TeenSmartKidz.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="1038" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMuvmuwyjkwyffbB_kUxlvdHX5RvQuelOm0U5vgfdxrZ56PXvEnTL8c0ssE298j3i954lmO96XrFZgeivFR7upiTLOjwdjYJuCNzHs-ih4sepyskudf-4h_sNxt9Kl0ye_tIBcGbAQjE/w640-h248/TeenSmartKidz.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>How We Used It:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>My children are 9, 7 and 3 so we cover the elementary age really well. I would generally pick the station and play what I chose for the occasion. We are studying different countries right now and I discovered the World Cultural Music category that had a whole station of Music from France. It was a great addition and offered us music we hadn't considered before. There is a collection of Nostalgic Music Programs that has music from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I like that just for fun background music! The Background Music for Studying was also a great anytime collection of music. The stories are a fun alternative to watching something in their free time for sure, but also when school work doesn't require extra help, like handwriting.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vGu_FyLMus4LlnzndEetZ-OkgOhRj2BMrjqWVsXiOM0zjoAMauLB5NVGtBCsYq7nMB0nfTWxRnzDSwQTY7Vssvd-9cWDos2OvRL4nTV4Fe683xrEHXk12dUe-BppVMZlK5mh7wLdm3k/s1036/Worldmusic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="1036" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vGu_FyLMus4LlnzndEetZ-OkgOhRj2BMrjqWVsXiOM0zjoAMauLB5NVGtBCsYq7nMB0nfTWxRnzDSwQTY7Vssvd-9cWDos2OvRL4nTV4Fe683xrEHXk12dUe-BppVMZlK5mh7wLdm3k/w640-h220/Worldmusic.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>What We Thought:</u></b></p><p>I really liked the variety of positive content that I didn't have to worry about what might play next. All of my children responded positively to the music and variety of stations. Since my kids are accustomed to other specific programs or devices, they didn't automatically try to use it all the time, but I feel like it's better that way. Since I treated the program like a resource for my homeschool, there wasn't a lot of need or opportunity for them to use it themselves. If my children were all 9 and older, the experience would be a lot different I think. They have quite a few coming soon categories that I'll be interested in trying out in the future. Overall, we thought it was a great program and resource to have as homeschoolers!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">
</p><center><a href="https://smartkidzradio.com/" target="_blank"><img height="113" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/SmartKidz-logo.png" width="320" /></a></center><center><br /></center>
<u><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Keep Up With Smart Kidz Radio on Social Media:</b></u></div>
</u><p></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/smartkidzradio">https://www.facebook.com/smartkidzradio</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href=" https://twitter.com/smartkidzradio">https://twitter.com/smartkidzradio</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/smartkidzradio">https://www.instagram.com/smartkidzradio</a></p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/smartkizradio/">https://www.pinterest.com/smartkizradio/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Are you looking for input from older kids? Check out other families' reviews through the link below!</p>
<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/smart-kidz-radio-members-on-demand-radio-program-library-smart-kidz-radio-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Smart Kidz Radio: Member's On-Demand Radio Program Library {Smart Kidz Radio Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></center>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-35069433273383676122020-10-28T08:45:00.002-05:002020-10-28T16:06:29.669-05:00Math Sprint: A Byron's Games Review<div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRzLv7V5VU_4BKwcrN8O91ChfmBwnib0Gu8a8UqmqNLSG2YTh1qM7E9NtORE8D0g5rWMXw1PGPn9zAHo0_KYhg8Hqpft8aWOu8zLnkkW1KDfQiQGzqmN6hNiQwZyH_82tQ_wVap-8I40/s1080/Math+Sprint.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRzLv7V5VU_4BKwcrN8O91ChfmBwnib0Gu8a8UqmqNLSG2YTh1qM7E9NtORE8D0g5rWMXw1PGPn9zAHo0_KYhg8Hqpft8aWOu8zLnkkW1KDfQiQGzqmN6hNiQwZyH_82tQ_wVap-8I40/w640-h640/Math+Sprint.png" width="640"></a></b></div><b><br><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div>Here in Oklahoma we're in the middle of an ice storm, complete with power outages and bunking with the lucky family members who do have power! What better thing to do than play games with the extra free time? One of the staples of most homeschooling families is a love for playing games because we all know that learning happens so much faster when play is involved. Earlier this year, we were introduced to <a href="https://www.byronsgames.com/">Byron's Games</a> and their geography game <a href="http://www.writebalance.org/2020/03/byrons-games.html">Continent Race</a>, which was a great addition to the history, geography, and Bible curriculum we are using this year. This time we got to try out another one, <a href="https://www.byronsgames.com/schoolhouse.html ">Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game</a>, which is a fun way to work on those math facts!<div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupijgWNWROOj8Dqvrub_LvhM-Gsn4TLWejjSMGQFh0YKYDWWwg0CPQSVvR7qbTYM4lukFFQ6vVVbEybSNUsyFsw-adpkDjV6gAJR4LFn6F-l5hxjnMTq7NGysbas-Fzeyfn1Fo7H8Nys/s4032/PXL_20201027_221933690.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupijgWNWROOj8Dqvrub_LvhM-Gsn4TLWejjSMGQFh0YKYDWWwg0CPQSVvR7qbTYM4lukFFQ6vVVbEybSNUsyFsw-adpkDjV6gAJR4LFn6F-l5hxjnMTq7NGysbas-Fzeyfn1Fo7H8Nys/w640-h480/PXL_20201027_221933690.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br><div><br></div><div><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></div><div><br></div><div>We received 1 <a href="https://www.byronsgames.com/schoolhouse.html ">Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game</a>. Items included in the game box are:</div><div><div><ul><li>1 Instruction Booklet</li><li>258 Cards</li><li>1 Marker</li><li>1 Running Track Board</li><li>10 Dry Erase Cards</li><li>8 Runner Playing Pieces</li></ul><div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EgnRhTZAUeCc9GyUu3KAP-vXInb-0UfIfK7wMum3B70KzcYS6-o007kfp_YBV_GCotZeMC-DiJ3teBQG4Kdpq0TXb-PsDHGsbAuXkDbxFsdvzxB3mtQabn7QfeTvWImJTVxSx7q-9Hw/s4032/PXL_20201027_003056841.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EgnRhTZAUeCc9GyUu3KAP-vXInb-0UfIfK7wMum3B70KzcYS6-o007kfp_YBV_GCotZeMC-DiJ3teBQG4Kdpq0TXb-PsDHGsbAuXkDbxFsdvzxB3mtQabn7QfeTvWImJTVxSx7q-9Hw/w480-h640/PXL_20201027_003056841.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg" width="480"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhrVNUSAnJiIOcs9P6T-OqoF13Hfgi6B0KXKNbvHiwdDbV8fu0kMINpRZdxKc-lmrIbGXgfzE49LF7q67wv0OwEKzFJ2QwSTe9w4FgR1oGna8eQwAhm8G-jyMIfi4dVEGoAm3-LMTnvU/s4032/PXL_20201027_222043791.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhrVNUSAnJiIOcs9P6T-OqoF13Hfgi6B0KXKNbvHiwdDbV8fu0kMINpRZdxKc-lmrIbGXgfzE49LF7q67wv0OwEKzFJ2QwSTe9w4FgR1oGna8eQwAhm8G-jyMIfi4dVEGoAm3-LMTnvU/w640-h480/PXL_20201027_222043791.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br><div><br></div></div></div><div><b><u>How It Works:</u></b></div><div><b><u><br></u></b></div><div>Math Sprint is a family game for 2-8 players (or teams) ages 7 and up. An entire game takes about 30 minutes. The object of the game is to win the race or get to the finish line by answering mental math questions. There are 4 types of cards including 92 addition and subtraction, 106 multiplication and division, 30 wild cards, and 30 challenge cards making the game flexible to the needs of the educational level of the players. The wild cards are actually dry erase cards that you can write whatever problems you would like on them. This helps when students are struggling with a particular group of math facts, especially in multiplication and division. With a running track game board and little runners as game pieces, this competition style <span style="font-family: inherit;">game gives <span style="background-color: white;">each player a fun motivation to think of those answers a little bit faster. There is a 100, 200 and 400 meter Dash which allows for shorter games when needed. Since even older students enjoy impressing their family with their math skills, Math Sprint can be enjoyed by multiple ages.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzdqSnoARgzxrc-Byh0vexhYaG2116E0mOvneUUGPcbhcgYi2-fkurPjxvI_wBAZ68VKxhJ-VYM17gmHh6CwvZ3y3xaKc4l3VsDPzZJf4H1aX_KyFknat73kldpRTvUsnw1eJGnUTa7c/s4032/PXL_20201027_003118891.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzdqSnoARgzxrc-Byh0vexhYaG2116E0mOvneUUGPcbhcgYi2-fkurPjxvI_wBAZ68VKxhJ-VYM17gmHh6CwvZ3y3xaKc4l3VsDPzZJf4H1aX_KyFknat73kldpRTvUsnw1eJGnUTa7c/w480-h640/PXL_20201027_003118891.MP.jpg" width="480"></a></div><br><span style="background-color: white;"><br></span></span></div><div><br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDCiYm2CWZ_1tbk0qT2y75P6fbQ8mop8Oxtr4lJnitR2z7kcn8d7d_R2AkAW4jmyET1pJgkQE8KvqTzi9BLgqWgXNx-kJVf7Kr7unAuT9wmwK-YvqA7IQwbwSHgEeKr-SyxAGmW54Nno/s4032/PXL_20201027_003107094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDCiYm2CWZ_1tbk0qT2y75P6fbQ8mop8Oxtr4lJnitR2z7kcn8d7d_R2AkAW4jmyET1pJgkQE8KvqTzi9BLgqWgXNx-kJVf7Kr7unAuT9wmwK-YvqA7IQwbwSHgEeKr-SyxAGmW54Nno/w480-h640/PXL_20201027_003107094.jpg" width="480"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>What We Thought:</u></b></div></div><div><div><br></div><div>We played this game with a 9 year old, 7 year old and a 3 year old (for fun) and everyone had a fun time! The 9 year old could answer most questions and it was great practice for the 7 year old. Of course, the 3 year old loved moving pieces and feeling involved. The Challenge Question cards were beyond the 7 year old, but a good mix for the almost 10 year old. The Coach Tips were really interesting and brought out some insight my husband hadn't really thought of before! </div><div><br></div><div>Since there were a lot of cards, it felt a little overwhelming on which cards to use since we had multiple ages. We thought maybe some kind of recommendation, perhaps by grade, could have directed things better, but once we played it once things were easier to navigate the next time. Overall, we felt like it was another hit that boosts the kids' education in multiple ways! Thank you to Byron's Games for supporting the educational community in such a fun way!</div><div><u style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b><br></b></u></div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Follow Byron's Games on Social Media:</b></u></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><u style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br></b></u></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: inherit;">Facebook: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://facebook.com/byronsgames" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://facebook.com/byronsgames</a></div><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">Instagram: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://instagram.com/byronsgames" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/byronsgames</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #4d4d4d; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">YouTube: </span><a class="bbc_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqc5skcLby7XPMPubub8CRw" rel="noopener" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(168, 182, 207); box-sizing: border-box; color: #334466; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqc5skcLby7XPMPubub8CRw</a></span></div><div><br></div><div><div>There were a lot of families (with a variety of ages) that reviewed this game so check out their experiences through the link below.</div><div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div>
<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/math-sprint-the-mental-math-game-byrons-games-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game {Byron's Games Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg"></a></center>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-69684795119351369622020-10-21T16:31:00.002-05:002020-10-21T16:31:52.956-05:00You Are Going To Miss Things<p>One of the troubles of being a mother, especially a homeschool mother, is feeling the pressure of personally covering all the bases. It's a well-known myth that a homeschool parent has to know all the subjects with letters behind their name in order to provide a well-rounded education to their child. It's this lie that convinces a lot of really good parents that they couldn't, nay SHOULDN'T homeschool because they would most certainly overlook something important and mess up their kids. I feel all of that. But then I still homeschool. By choice. We're not forced by circumstance or specific educational needs. I've always wanted to. But now that I'm in the throws of almost 3 students, I have to admit: It's a lot. I don't regret it, but I do worry that I'm going to miss something. And then I'm reminded of a truth that new homeschoolers don't like to here. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhL0orNDOi5DXNaNhx4RJnxAuYKja1eNoojVTTXLfWQMJ52ejCu2bCccjqEJK6pfFvqjRVyxjC9sbEoGMPFVX0aLRHfOi17_amgEHFWuebACrgP-H7tNkKB0bfs4WsCSzEr1v_UzqXrs/s1080/Good+design+is+good+business..png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhL0orNDOi5DXNaNhx4RJnxAuYKja1eNoojVTTXLfWQMJ52ejCu2bCccjqEJK6pfFvqjRVyxjC9sbEoGMPFVX0aLRHfOi17_amgEHFWuebACrgP-H7tNkKB0bfs4WsCSzEr1v_UzqXrs/w640-h640/Good+design+is+good+business..png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>You are going to miss things. </p><p>*gasp* </p><p>Sometimes they will find what they need somewhere else. </p><p>*gasp again*</p><p>And that's okay. It's actually more than okay. It embodies what homeschooling is all about. Teaching them a love for learning so that they can learn anything at any time.</p><p><br /></p><p>My oldest son has always enjoyed drawing and coloring since he was little. Handwriting wasn't too big of an issue so I never payed too much attention to his pencil grip until around 1st grade. He would complain that his hand would start hurting if he had to write very much. I figured he was exaggerating to get out of work, which I still assure you is a thing with him. However, at that point I started looking at his pencil grip and realized it wasn't quite right. It was off just enough that it could be making his hand hurt, but he was not interested in making any changes. We got those rubbery grips that you put on pencils to help re-teach your fingers and of course he hated them. So, I chose the guilt rather than the fight. Fast forward to today, an October morning in 4th grade when we hadn't discussed the subject in months. He picks up his cursive handwriting book first thing and works on it over breakfast. After a few minutes he informs me that he figured out what he was doing wrong with his grip! "All I had to do was move this finger around there. See?" When I asked him where that came from, he showed me a page in the handwriting that talks about it. Well, what do ya know? </p><p>If we teach them to love learning, they can then get whatever knowledge they might need. Worrying about small things that you will likely miss, shouldn't hinder you from sharing this time with them. God is a wonderful partner when it comes to their education, as long as we don't forget to utilize all He has to offer!</p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-62457298331291428672020-10-19T15:43:00.001-05:002020-10-26T15:44:32.994-05:00Pumpkin Fun at Grandma's<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnZVE_WEuv4VoE_cJFdLeJOfC6DRQW1w9N87-QQuYHJPHbvoY1YNOXmplUg7uezSdY2F_7Tiw9ZKUFb1cDlN2RiKpnG7qgJ16X6mhaAxFrxRfeW8J62-ndVrbrFwX2Db1ECNpNbN0bCc/s4032/PXL_20201018_201740275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnZVE_WEuv4VoE_cJFdLeJOfC6DRQW1w9N87-QQuYHJPHbvoY1YNOXmplUg7uezSdY2F_7Tiw9ZKUFb1cDlN2RiKpnG7qgJ16X6mhaAxFrxRfeW8J62-ndVrbrFwX2Db1ECNpNbN0bCc/s320/PXL_20201018_201740275.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2owa-jeB94cbanMqIGY55FrxbmPUmTT1DuNSvffxY-FiiPFWkcqRRRTSEuO1r_NjN9AeF1rHvgbr5so-kQ214aiqS_uvudePIW18kUs248S9tji5Co0tgW0pNBn8P-EvM7QVsVIh88s/s4032/PXL_20201018_192952697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2owa-jeB94cbanMqIGY55FrxbmPUmTT1DuNSvffxY-FiiPFWkcqRRRTSEuO1r_NjN9AeF1rHvgbr5so-kQ214aiqS_uvudePIW18kUs248S9tji5Co0tgW0pNBn8P-EvM7QVsVIh88s/s320/PXL_20201018_192952697.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-53747506421951956552020-10-14T15:44:00.001-05:002020-10-26T15:47:56.199-05:00Field Trip to Orr Family Farm<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAXDe6Kw-uAzeNpv4pVx45zoNfwxALBxSaMoeltXZqCJOXvKK57yrIAbWZzplp2bCYJy7PrKQvv8DQlIFvNrO-XuLI8BnYooJKefs1P79gKiNAaJVJoSCrGs_YfHWDNcaj5ynkD5JcGw/s4032/PXL_20201014_145246453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblrVeZ9efFp1fpRccPk-7CUot90OmKGWohGBDnQ5X07Oe50aB1Z2Zh4MWuipF0cjU_3m73DdFaomCILEkzYCi4RlNB_6QNPhL9V8VqZYwpJuoAV2QHZBn6n-xuR4ZxvdCVJJmiCi5S2I/s320/PXL_20201014_170739454.MP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEixNyDlxacgcjI7drglvsC3kzg9-JUa1D5qwIG83VK2_CfNvFXMs3BZz8203poDpPW_jgNOEbTt3rU90hKepCGFXNdRdviCG0pkw7mxdwQTLNVTVyntuRArdf8vpj14twmqPrxV0xrf0/s4032/PXL_20201014_190330340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEixNyDlxacgcjI7drglvsC3kzg9-JUa1D5qwIG83VK2_CfNvFXMs3BZz8203poDpPW_jgNOEbTt3rU90hKepCGFXNdRdviCG0pkw7mxdwQTLNVTVyntuRArdf8vpj14twmqPrxV0xrf0/s320/PXL_20201014_190330340.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-90140442710966847352020-10-08T22:35:00.007-05:002020-10-13T08:40:31.556-05:00MathArt & Science Course Bundle: A NatureGlo eScience Review<center><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p></center><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-KHeFnc04xAsM8Ios1VEtX5eMAv1nE36gPlWZkMDyzt5JdXJRsimM9CB1yEQYdNKZ0Ae8wl6KTHqTCqU00Wui8KmhtUqY0pbFI5Wd__SeX0Gjq2-S-uuR6leK_ZyNQZ-K4khIlNx1BQ/s812/NatureGlo.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="812" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-KHeFnc04xAsM8Ios1VEtX5eMAv1nE36gPlWZkMDyzt5JdXJRsimM9CB1yEQYdNKZ0Ae8wl6KTHqTCqU00Wui8KmhtUqY0pbFI5Wd__SeX0Gjq2-S-uuR6leK_ZyNQZ-K4khIlNx1BQ/w640-h508/NatureGlo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>By a show of hands, who gets a little panicked when you think about teaching science? Just me? Well, if you're like me and science isn't your comfort zone, today's review is a great option to have ready. We are reviewing NatureGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from <a href="https://natureglosescience.com">NatureGlo eScience</a> that can help you cover some bases that you might not feel confident in.<p></p><p><br /></p><center><a href="https://natureglosescience.com/" target="_blank"><img height="115" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/NatureGlo-s-eScience-Logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></center><p></p><br /><p><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></p><p>We received one year access to <a href="https://natureglosescience.com">NatureGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle</a> that is designed for ages 10 and up, though in my experience younger siblings can follow along with a lot of the videos pretty well, depending on the subject matter.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcADhEV4BV2NVVD21AarHgEMFc3zFpqdU-NtO217D2Nd5CIpQtM7EPyqsW4PCXI-ROhTiSryZR6AkMXsjSGYMbxlpPuJXxWbko8zFzRkeDQJSHqto3ap0zQonuBJ7Q2twN1jtRO2RQRuM/s815/davinci.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="815" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcADhEV4BV2NVVD21AarHgEMFc3zFpqdU-NtO217D2Nd5CIpQtM7EPyqsW4PCXI-ROhTiSryZR6AkMXsjSGYMbxlpPuJXxWbko8zFzRkeDQJSHqto3ap0zQonuBJ7Q2twN1jtRO2RQRuM/w640-h482/davinci.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb-YQjv3ZNNdTUBj_fzIRbsWpBWQfRsQ5oxH2DyNfpQnej3ps07cNbU3juZzvoXx5BFYU-CBFhJMLTTqfXvmMzl5laPK9wACEaYIEAvAtlPgo5QsTA-g_RSyLisK8YIlyISM4eGE_-dE/s579/davincipdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="579" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb-YQjv3ZNNdTUBj_fzIRbsWpBWQfRsQ5oxH2DyNfpQnej3ps07cNbU3juZzvoXx5BFYU-CBFhJMLTTqfXvmMzl5laPK9wACEaYIEAvAtlPgo5QsTA-g_RSyLisK8YIlyISM4eGE_-dE/w640-h562/davincipdf.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><u><b>How It Works:</b></u><p></p><p>Through the MathArt & Science Bundle, we had access to 27 different courses to choose from. The courses included subjects in Geology, Botany, Zoology, and MathArt with a variety of different ideas touched on. Gloria Brooks teaches from a neutral worldview, which means it doesn't include religious views, but it shouldn't include religious opposing views either. The courses vary in lesson length, though several are one lesson in length. There is sometimes a pre-lesson activity which includes a video and some questions. The main lesson is an instructional video that features Gloria Brooks and a power point. In most courses this main lesson is then followed up by additional videos, activities and a study guide. As many ecourses work, grading is largely on a completion basis, but if needed parents/teachers can impose their own grading standards very easily. There is no order or designated value in choosing to begin one course over another so a student/educator is free to choose whatever is most suitable to the needs of the moment. All are accessible all the time so beginning more than one at a time is an option, if necessary.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMWh9efhzmHHiYAXtFlFdJ90JR371qjELuBE-lwk5n-Q2meEEUYMWBIHngyDizpIQZheH_0voo5yC0lehqJUO9LGN6z8i6zEK22xtwKou_AKXo6g19F4wN07DzvqaCCyxkbOW2mKUv20/s814/MathArt.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="814" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMWh9efhzmHHiYAXtFlFdJ90JR371qjELuBE-lwk5n-Q2meEEUYMWBIHngyDizpIQZheH_0voo5yC0lehqJUO9LGN6z8i6zEK22xtwKou_AKXo6g19F4wN07DzvqaCCyxkbOW2mKUv20/w640-h452/MathArt.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ5i0rRopvs3FORVWSsFvOvhto8SHqqY0gzZpbj-hPJf-K8Q0698hcOxQGZJ4466kopPMHI9ozDxSx-W08Wjfl1gP87WC7zlF_CEdAFB6iHOEGSRIUw74tGKJE-6wPbaP8CDRLjLiXDM/s4032/PXL_20201009_001852081.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ5i0rRopvs3FORVWSsFvOvhto8SHqqY0gzZpbj-hPJf-K8Q0698hcOxQGZJ4466kopPMHI9ozDxSx-W08Wjfl1gP87WC7zlF_CEdAFB6iHOEGSRIUw74tGKJE-6wPbaP8CDRLjLiXDM/w300-h400/PXL_20201009_001852081.MP.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>What We Thought:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Even though my son isn't quite 10 yet, he does well enough that I thought trying out this program with him would turn out fine. And I was right! Not knowing what to expect, we simply started with the first course in the row, Exploring The Giant Redwood Trees. He watched the main video and completed the study guide in one sitting. On another day, he came back and completed the additional videos. We would go on to explore other courses like the MathArt series, where Fibonacci numbers are explored. We hadn't talked about that subject since he was much younger so it was really interesting! Since her worldview is non-religious, it certainly made me want to look up some creation-based information, simply because Fibonacci numbers scream God's work to me, but that's a personal preference. Her neutral perspective does make the courses useful to all kinds of homeschools.</div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuSACl0PLc2eVnPj_KyrjY46Kn-9wvqrsy7mfE9OPI2RL0RuErop0iFXPecfxxXwRnRsk_1z7wMRXiKtcUEmv1v7uzLAcRlpDeuXqMfIj6eZCRyYdItohKYu7k7fvs8Wta1omTrNHq6g/s817/Redwood.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="817" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuSACl0PLc2eVnPj_KyrjY46Kn-9wvqrsy7mfE9OPI2RL0RuErop0iFXPecfxxXwRnRsk_1z7wMRXiKtcUEmv1v7uzLAcRlpDeuXqMfIj6eZCRyYdItohKYu7k7fvs8Wta1omTrNHq6g/w640-h476/Redwood.png" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">My son enjoyed the various subjects and didn't have any trouble diving into the courses. Whenever his siblings were around, they would quickly find their way to a chair nearby in order to watch with him. The work involved wasn't really applicable to my 3 and 7 year old, but they certainly absorbed much of the information. In a lot of cases, it is easy to include more age appropriate activities that can make it a family affair. One of the pre-lesson activities was a video about making patterns with a variety of beans. This is something all ages can engage in and enhance the lesson.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is a program that is certainly good for older ages, but easily adapted for the whole family. This bundle has a great variety and all courses do a good job encouraging a desire to learn about nature and the world around us.</p><p style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><b><u><br /></u></b></p><u style="font-weight: bold;">Follow NatureGlo's eScience on Social Media</u><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1">https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/@natureglo">https://twitter.com/@natureglo</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/natureglosescience/">https://www.instagram.com/natureglosescience/</a></p><p>Pinterest:<a href=" https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/"> https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/</a></p><p>YouTube: <a href="http://youtube.com/user/1hasc">youtube.com/user/1hasc</a></p><p>With so many courses to choose from and many families reviewing this program, there is bound to be a specific review of the course you're most interested in! Click on the link below to read more reviews.</p>
<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/natureglos-escience-mathart-science-course-bundle-natureglos-escience-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="NatureGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle { NatureGlo's eScience Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></center>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-10094110045321093232020-10-01T21:18:00.000-05:002020-10-01T21:18:51.216-05:00Impatience: The Emotional Chameleon<p>A couple of years ago, my bright, healthy son started having meltdowns every time we did math. He had just started multiplication and division with vigor, but out of nowhere couldn't seem to think straight every time we opened the books. The insecure parent/educator inside of me took over my brain and I started assuming he was just going to struggle with math. He would complain its too hard and just dreaded doing any math. This was a hurdle I had feared might come because he was took after me and favored reading over math. I panicked a bit at the thought of years of struggle when it came to math. Still, we went after it and I started noticing things that just didn't make sense. Sometimes he had no trouble at all, knowing answers right off the top of his head and completing work quickly. Other times he was frozen in the "I can't!" mode that every child seems to be preprogrammed with. Over about 4-6 weeks I discovered that my son did not have any legitimate learning problems, mathematical or otherwise. Instead, my handsome and big hearted son was very impatient! The new elements he was learning sometimes took 3-4 seconds rather than the 1-2 seconds of the past to understand or produce a correct answer. He absolutely could understand and do the work when he bothered to try, but like all of us feel sometimes, he just didn't want to take the time.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1ChT1gMxhnjcXxUKLIipLpe23nsR8En3VBd6bsFtKUkPjWY9NMn-yX1BkrqjH5baX2ngvZ7nkltSmesVh9e4WsrQC1KdKNeUfmYZ9DLLRAqmkWhvudPPizTJ6riZQd0A7t2SNz2ZaqM/s1080/IMPATIENCE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1ChT1gMxhnjcXxUKLIipLpe23nsR8En3VBd6bsFtKUkPjWY9NMn-yX1BkrqjH5baX2ngvZ7nkltSmesVh9e4WsrQC1KdKNeUfmYZ9DLLRAqmkWhvudPPizTJ6riZQd0A7t2SNz2ZaqM/w640-h640/IMPATIENCE.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Impatience is something that we easily sweep under the rug as a minor issue that toddlers and brats who should know better give in to fits when food doesn't come fast enough. But impatience masquerades as all kinds of things. I've thought myself to be a lot of different things in my life - stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, inadequate, angry, frustrated, entitled, critical, indecisive, and numerous others - but rarely have I thought that I struggle with impatience. When you think of any of those states of being, they can easily be the result of an impatient feeling. When something is too hard or another person isn't doing it quite right, it's common and easy for us to react out of impatience. This impatience is especially hard to see when it has to do with our needs and wants. When other people aren't giving us what we think we deserve or need, isn't it easy to overreact? Turning my attention to God and asking Him for wisdom on how and when to react isn't usually my first instinct. </p><p>The American landscape is definitely in turmoil right now and, if you're like me, you spent the whole summer hoping and praying that it would just end already. "When will things go back to normal?" we asked. Regardless of what you may think normal is or should be, clearly God is allowing this mess for learning purposes. As my son has now figured out, learning harder things takes a little more time than easier things. New things aren't naturally going to be easy, but likely challenging just because you've never done this before. I have never parented and educated a 9, 7 and 3 year old in the midst of virus chaos and political chaos at 40 years old. I'm also trying to aggressively lose weight, take on a new role at our co-op, and live life with my husband at home 98% of the time. All new and challenging things, no matter their value or positive gain. </p><p>In our house we have lovingly defined patience as waiting with a good attitude. That sounds nice, doesn't it? Especially when you're talking to a small child who just wants to go already. But it falls on deaf ears a lot when you're worrying about your loved one alone in the hospital or the extra money you were counting on is now gone, Or the world feels utterly out of control with fear and destruction looming in every direction. It almost feels insulting to tell yourself to be patient. And yet, waiting just a moment longer can make a difference. </p><p>I'm trying to do a lot of new or challenging things right now that some days just seem too hard. They are good things and honestly, aren't too hard. I just want them to come easier and to feel in complete control much more often than I do. I'm thinking that patience - intentionally waiting with a GOOD attitude - is where I need to focus more of my attention right now. How about you? </p><p><br /></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-78689680105815731732020-09-30T12:48:00.005-05:002020-10-06T10:08:43.495-05:00My Teaching Library: A Printable Resource Website Review<p class="MsoNormal"><b>I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wlv8yhqh96ThgPjHUWsPJt2DRGtjHBcefqvxxKX6TL84u91jFhgCqmQgWNoUS91we-T3sdF0CDs3ZomLLm4rNG2VgZG6PQDprSCCyHRPAd8d1Tc-QnvCZU9G57Z6quARPQB2AI4gAHs/s1080/My+Teaching+Library.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wlv8yhqh96ThgPjHUWsPJt2DRGtjHBcefqvxxKX6TL84u91jFhgCqmQgWNoUS91we-T3sdF0CDs3ZomLLm4rNG2VgZG6PQDprSCCyHRPAd8d1Tc-QnvCZU9G57Z6quARPQB2AI4gAHs/w640-h640/My+Teaching+Library.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>Finding a good resource for printable activity sheets can be challenging! Anytime I look around online for a free printable of some kind, I usually have to search a while to still have to deal with ads and finicky websites. Some websites you pay for still don't meet all of your needs. In today's review of the <a href="https://myteachinglibrary.com/membership/">Download Club</a> from <a href="https://myteachinglibrary.com/">My Teaching Library</a> we're going to look at how a printable resource website should be!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">
</p><center><a href="https://myteachinglibrary.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/My-Teaching-Library-Logo.jpg" /></a></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">We received one year access to the <a href="https://myteachinglibrary.com/membership/" style="text-align: left;">Download Club</a><span style="text-align: left;"> from </span><a href="https://myteachinglibrary.com/" style="text-align: left;">My Teaching Library</a> which provides unlimited downloads and access to the website resources.</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztbWlSIerkevfgTdBUSlhZRWGDDtM390G729S9cUE8MCOw796VjdFXNpPNJ-an8trLWchxBLI2d5yBEfWm9KnWeLY16szj2z4gNA6FuVgVQD2mbAQYxBW0boSikcWFwUYJ8-fH7pLJvQ/s1254/MTL.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1254" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztbWlSIerkevfgTdBUSlhZRWGDDtM390G729S9cUE8MCOw796VjdFXNpPNJ-an8trLWchxBLI2d5yBEfWm9KnWeLY16szj2z4gNA6FuVgVQD2mbAQYxBW0boSikcWFwUYJ8-fH7pLJvQ/w640-h284/MTL.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center><br /><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>How It Works:</u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;">Resources are listed in drop down menus on the website by grade, subject and miscellaneous. There is also a search box making it very easy to find relevant resources for your needs. Once you find what you are looking for, hit the download button and your selection is sent to your downloads page under account information. From the downloads page you can then see all the files you have ever selected and download any of them directly, multiple times on any device. Having a list of your previously selected files is helpful, especially in the younger grades when the need to revisit topics happens frequently. </center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">In the older grades there are several interesting elements that complement those ages well. There are all sorts of science activities, like anatomy or plant cells. From Shakespeare to Dickens, classic literature is well represented. Maps, constellations, history, math and research are included as well. A nice addition is various hobbies or crafts like quilting or embroidery.</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">The miscellaneous area is very helpful for times when you aren't looking for something specific, but needing an activity of some kind. A few weeks ago we went on a road trip out of town and I typically print off coloring and activity sheets for my kids to have things to do on the trip. This area was great for that need. There are themes by month and holidays, but also puzzles, games and instructional videos.</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82xTR0irAG7gu0OyQqdlgc_ZNNGarPUlxm5DQmggp0iAUxKaj-K6K90w7gfRUNhJialgV_RZEGbeOp7zGbK3MEqnkCQBtqoXICaMl5dYhfs08WKLTNBZS6SFNQRL-V4fZeUSVaTetqdA/s4032/PXL_20200930_160422321.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82xTR0irAG7gu0OyQqdlgc_ZNNGarPUlxm5DQmggp0iAUxKaj-K6K90w7gfRUNhJialgV_RZEGbeOp7zGbK3MEqnkCQBtqoXICaMl5dYhfs08WKLTNBZS6SFNQRL-V4fZeUSVaTetqdA/w300-h400/PXL_20200930_160422321.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>How We Used It:</u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">With a 3 year old, a 2nd grader and a 4th grader, our family clearly has various needs when it comes to printables. Like I mentioned above, preparing for a road trip was easy because I could find stuff for everyone in one spot. With most homeschool families, you at least have parts of a core curriculum. From a resource website you often just need to fill in gaps. With Fall just beginning, I needed some fall related activities especially for my big kids. I discovered Pumpkin Poetry that introduces several types of poetry as well as blank pages decorated with fall pictures to practice poetry further. It works great for multiple ages and multiple kids!</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBuLkFmNLAHoo3fuhClS-6TIpwSHAUNz7GDF64fAUVw69e8uWBBxqZ3dLEJdb9V7q8zHe-jUPZholJUP3Jm-HHBdOyOtLuGFGZKu4K7DLfnmJJbyenhPG_iAgYtY5gHOJMAtl2C9q9fQ/s655/MTLPoetry.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="505" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBuLkFmNLAHoo3fuhClS-6TIpwSHAUNz7GDF64fAUVw69e8uWBBxqZ3dLEJdb9V7q8zHe-jUPZholJUP3Jm-HHBdOyOtLuGFGZKu4K7DLfnmJJbyenhPG_iAgYtY5gHOJMAtl2C9q9fQ/w308-h400/MTLPoetry.png" width="308" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTMTm9bcR8X7-0dDeuH34fUR5pTNepL5DA_0QRiQPRVO2M1hBseiwjZ-SC2GJlde2Y1roUuVDJKggopoz3Zao4ihyL6QoW67jj6oHqX-njlyi2P5ckz3_TFeBO5cbRNJ7py2iShU1GEU/s638/MTLPumpkin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="489" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTMTm9bcR8X7-0dDeuH34fUR5pTNepL5DA_0QRiQPRVO2M1hBseiwjZ-SC2GJlde2Y1roUuVDJKggopoz3Zao4ihyL6QoW67jj6oHqX-njlyi2P5ckz3_TFeBO5cbRNJ7py2iShU1GEU/w490-h640/MTLPumpkin.png" width="490" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_U0l3a6HODqzjJxJHvuAn5NID5iBuxVdAjMJKRwbn69fQ_y0Ngz3b5CVWkf2Ef91SOCFSwNeRKvwAXf5iuVBSGnGZoCNLT2vQCAnRNCGxav8rxNmjKMNnk8v4uEiExwGR4CTaPDBk3SI/s4032/PXL_20200930_172626149.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_U0l3a6HODqzjJxJHvuAn5NID5iBuxVdAjMJKRwbn69fQ_y0Ngz3b5CVWkf2Ef91SOCFSwNeRKvwAXf5iuVBSGnGZoCNLT2vQCAnRNCGxav8rxNmjKMNnk8v4uEiExwGR4CTaPDBk3SI/w300-h400/PXL_20200930_172626149.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">I used My Teaching Library for my 3 year old the most. He's working on letter recognition right now so he needs coloring sheets and lots of different exposures to letters and numbers. They offer several different letter activities that definitely hit the spot like Trace, Color and Count, Letter Learning Bundle, and an Alphabet Coloring Book! He's always ready to do school like the big kids so he has certainly enjoyed getting to work on things printed just for him.</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">The interface is easy to use and the variety of activities is diverse. I would definitely recommend this website for anyone in need of an easy resource option for their homeschool.</center>
<b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Follow My Teaching Library on Social Media</u></b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MyTeachingLibrary">https://www.facebook.com/MyTeachingLibrary</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/homeschool_mtl">https://twitter.com/homeschool_mtl</a></p><p>Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/lyndaackert/my-teaching-library">https://www.pinterest.com/lyndaackert/my-teaching-library</a></p><p>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLCFlasgcKaLD5lHu2x6bNA">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLCFlasgcKaLD5lHu2x6bNA</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Are you looking for resources for different ages? The Review Crew has families of all ages! Click on the link below to see what their experience with My Teaching Library was.</p>
<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/my-teaching-library-download-club-my-teaching-library/" target="_blank"><img alt="My Teaching Library Download Club {My Teaching Library}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></center>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-3165776943604970702020-09-24T22:55:00.001-05:002020-09-29T09:07:52.483-05:00Young Scholars: A Wisdom Wonder Project Review<center><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the
HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not
required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfsdq9ElYHr_4wFdgczhp1LDh2_f6etWEuGJYV4dz3PDOHxH8U2cs6foh4-ISj4z2Y6w6kqHbO2ZNBNBi6V3gIKE_deXMMbGiYJZnE3ltFdgqG-Vlr73KOqHNGlv2-1y43OvZ_QMeuag/s1080/A+Young+Scholars+review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfsdq9ElYHr_4wFdgczhp1LDh2_f6etWEuGJYV4dz3PDOHxH8U2cs6foh4-ISj4z2Y6w6kqHbO2ZNBNBi6V3gIKE_deXMMbGiYJZnE3ltFdgqG-Vlr73KOqHNGlv2-1y43OvZ_QMeuag/w640-h640/A+Young+Scholars+review.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center>
<p>Even before our world got shoved into a holding pattern, homeschooling had begun to take an exciting turn with an increasing interest in protecting and awakening the wonder of childhood. With tests and cookie cutter restrictions plaguing many public schools, many started to consider how homeschool could serve them to both effectively education while also cultivating a creative explosion as well. Today's review<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of <a href="https://www.wisdomwonderproject.org/young-scholars/">Young Scholars</a> from <a href="https://www.wisdomwonderproject.org/">Wisdom Wonder Project</a> is designed to do just that. The tagline on their website says "</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: "ss11"; text-align: center;">M</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">aking the power, magic, & mystery of learning accessible to the modern homeschool family" that really sums up what many are looking for in their homeschool right now. Even though we've been homeschooling for at least 6 years, I'm still learning and looking for better ways to accomplish this in our home.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> <img height="253" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Wisdom-Wonder-Project-Logo.jpg" width="400" /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">We received access to a full year, including summer months, of the <a href="https://www.wisdomwonderproject.org/young-scholars/">Young Scholars Bundle for 1st/2nd Grade</a>. This digital bundle includes Literature & History, Science, and Young Masters (an art/artist study) that is downloadable by the month. Within each file are various links to books, videos and additional resources. The intended age is 1st - 2nd grade but it can be adjusted to include a variety of ages. They offer a monthly or annual subscription. This program is inspired by the Classical Education model.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09-fmpkEEAvPnw9dCGmauQizSwfKtZAhmsZV_LBcXBCQuaG4aWaf7Ydyex959rKhAcIxVCmLtHMz1kjm-G7lpHjvJ6ofmb13yNfKkfCyJW831UM8jWAJCYYbp3B5cvv2rTf4zNuGVF2s/s540/WisdomWonder.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="540" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09-fmpkEEAvPnw9dCGmauQizSwfKtZAhmsZV_LBcXBCQuaG4aWaf7Ydyex959rKhAcIxVCmLtHMz1kjm-G7lpHjvJ6ofmb13yNfKkfCyJW831UM8jWAJCYYbp3B5cvv2rTf4zNuGVF2s/w640-h580/WisdomWonder.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b><u>How It Works:</u></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">One of the key elements of the Young Scholars program is it's flexibility. So, how you use the different units is largely up to you. At the beginning of each file there is a suggested schedule that you can use or adjust as you like. Each subject builds upon specific books, followed by activities like journaling, comprehension questions, vocabulary, maps, art, etc. For Month 1 of the bundle we received, the Literature & History focused on the Ancients, the Science focused on Living Things, and the Young Masters studied Frida Kahlo and the element of Color. They are in separate files so perfectly fine utilized separately. It is recommended for the parent/teacher to read through the month's curriculum to get an idea of how to execute it best for your child. This is also very important to determine what materials need to be acquired. Some books can be found in the library or read aloud on YouTube, but sometimes it is best to purchase your own copy. The Literature and History used Story of the World Volume 1 as it's primary book and it covers quite a bit of information that is used over more than one month, making it better to have a copy you can keep.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquUFYWtVainpnqw8d7U3CvXF10vtVlW8VBuGjlSToFff-Yg6tfzU70GQvgIlCGHmbk-QfgOh42bOQ4Wg-pFfnNr8Efwid7rcubQhFPpxhFuz_fb98s5mOpamZmVsETwrphWncAtbBazU/s4032/PXL_20200924_154427620.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquUFYWtVainpnqw8d7U3CvXF10vtVlW8VBuGjlSToFff-Yg6tfzU70GQvgIlCGHmbk-QfgOh42bOQ4Wg-pFfnNr8Efwid7rcubQhFPpxhFuz_fb98s5mOpamZmVsETwrphWncAtbBazU/w480-h640/PXL_20200924_154427620.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching Frida Read Aloud<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b><u>What We Thought:</u></b></span></p><p>This program is heavily parent/teacher led so for my job as a homeschooler of 3, it is better when I can include all of my children on a particular project. Honestly, they have trouble leaving me alone when I'm trying to focus on one child! So, this wouldn't be strictly a 1st or 2nd graders' curriculum. The beauty is that Little Scholars is so very flexible that it works very well for accommodating other children.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASj4AgiKtWkNa0VdrqWUUf5CIxgVxepVg3BLUA1IYIUPU1Ke-i5_p6grtHzH-dXqDB5NF4Pi9odmi_9iAqX5oicjXAfRzt8e41libuoLdvctsEdq3TF3Jk6DMGwES7_4KoqJcjv0ENUc/s4032/PXL_20200925_024326146.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASj4AgiKtWkNa0VdrqWUUf5CIxgVxepVg3BLUA1IYIUPU1Ke-i5_p6grtHzH-dXqDB5NF4Pi9odmi_9iAqX5oicjXAfRzt8e41libuoLdvctsEdq3TF3Jk6DMGwES7_4KoqJcjv0ENUc/w480-h640/PXL_20200925_024326146.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RROyw8mTjgbvFBjjHbqVodHwECk4q3WG_d5PAmj1_5jT3MSrh7TBpK9x5fhT2QuArDd0vJ88OCOzBKHGEt45ZoPBxQI19ep7F2NhVkBLxKSh1keCTIDauSSPK-poEWFWCu552PUq3zc/s4032/PXL_20200925_024347412.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RROyw8mTjgbvFBjjHbqVodHwECk4q3WG_d5PAmj1_5jT3MSrh7TBpK9x5fhT2QuArDd0vJ88OCOzBKHGEt45ZoPBxQI19ep7F2NhVkBLxKSh1keCTIDauSSPK-poEWFWCu552PUq3zc/w480-h640/PXL_20200925_024347412.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAymJ6rSO4lpf3x5bmW5xkYABQMChYXRNbhh2DqdO-9cMi7CHTQvXGAeuNzeqViub4_EjX8j4_lDL1ALIv-yNR2kjQJbJjGbpPdrTC19T0zXsY60aVn3arZUVZqwslVey_FaKDf8yekKU/s4032/PXL_20200925_024403968.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAymJ6rSO4lpf3x5bmW5xkYABQMChYXRNbhh2DqdO-9cMi7CHTQvXGAeuNzeqViub4_EjX8j4_lDL1ALIv-yNR2kjQJbJjGbpPdrTC19T0zXsY60aVn3arZUVZqwslVey_FaKDf8yekKU/w480-h640/PXL_20200925_024403968.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting framing patterns on transparencies</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />My children love art in all forms and this program incorporates arts and crafts into all subjects in addition to the art study itself. That is a big bonus in my eyes. I appreciate all of the journaling and comprehension questions because it sets a </span>precedent<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of healthy processing of the information they are learning and the curious places the mind continues on to.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Learning is a really beautiful thing and Wisdom Wonder Project seems to highlight that with their intentional and meaningful curriculum. If you're looking for a program to share with your child rather than just one to dictate to them, check out Little Scholars from Wisdom Wonder Project!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Wisdom Wonder Project Social Media Links:</b></u></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WisdomWonderProject">https://www.facebook.com/WisdomWonderProject</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wisdomwonderproject">https://www.instagram.com/wisdomwonderproject</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The Review Crew also reviewed a PreK-K program and Singapore Math for Kindergarten. If you are interested in those programs, click on the link below to see what they thought of those as well.</p>
<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/little-wonders-preschool-young-scholars-kindergarten-singapore-math-wisdom-wonder-project-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Little Wonders Preschool, Young Scholars & Kindergarten Singapore Math {Wisdom Wonder Project Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></center>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-2839709223636684892020-09-23T15:48:00.001-05:002020-10-26T16:09:02.737-05:00Nature Round Up<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJye03j6tECkiA4JFIRX49BaRkkQaalGc3bsZ9bnRCD1y4T77L1LveDP0KhOm_fmh1S_7mMbckyV8bTPKwiwPW8afZgSaRdVXuvSr8hZu_fTaz61OrAsul9AtOPVKdmJSWM-y-8sE7qUU/s4032/PXL_20201013_170214757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJye03j6tECkiA4JFIRX49BaRkkQaalGc3bsZ9bnRCD1y4T77L1LveDP0KhOm_fmh1S_7mMbckyV8bTPKwiwPW8afZgSaRdVXuvSr8hZu_fTaz61OrAsul9AtOPVKdmJSWM-y-8sE7qUU/s320/PXL_20201013_170214757.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeklDlFQdYuHVUKpJIuf1ycQ1f0nznW3hs0JwS7n4tQNsDBK0KYuDzecVMZYxKddSwOEI726Jq7Pus9XFc8jVbsFoK6mQsttg96N3-HLZGxy3Mo3JhneojKaXPqoWdoRDMqgSM-r2fvM/s4032/00100lrPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20200906170135966_COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeklDlFQdYuHVUKpJIuf1ycQ1f0nznW3hs0JwS7n4tQNsDBK0KYuDzecVMZYxKddSwOEI726Jq7Pus9XFc8jVbsFoK6mQsttg96N3-HLZGxy3Mo3JhneojKaXPqoWdoRDMqgSM-r2fvM/s320/00100lrPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20200906170135966_COVER.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-65940827333274589942020-09-16T11:29:00.007-05:002020-09-17T11:00:22.401-05:00Building Life Castles: A Bible Curriculum Review<center style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.</span></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sZgmjETzk4fHKgJelqwSUrm0AUBDDll2n_nDgS4IQuaUJ62GeKP__Sv7dxJB9wIfq_BxQhQtoAYqj_7frOmUcCepSdOiw25jgo0ysGRKSk50eDgbWTyEXP1Fuk9Aq1-j8RTsBcQDrFE/s1080/A+Bible+Curriculum+Review+from+the+WRITE+Balance.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sZgmjETzk4fHKgJelqwSUrm0AUBDDll2n_nDgS4IQuaUJ62GeKP__Sv7dxJB9wIfq_BxQhQtoAYqj_7frOmUcCepSdOiw25jgo0ysGRKSk50eDgbWTyEXP1Fuk9Aq1-j8RTsBcQDrFE/w640-h640/A+Bible+Curriculum+Review+from+the+WRITE+Balance.png" width="640" /></a></div></b></center><center><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">My oldest son will be 10 in a 6 weeks or so which has me thinking about the relationships we maintain with our children. As they get older, the issues change and as their parents we want to stay connected no matter what. Talking and studying the Bible together is a powerful way to connect with your family, especially kids. All you really need is the Bible and some time. Although it can be a little intimidating if your household isn't in the habit of study, finding a good tool to get you jump started might be all you need. For today's review, we are talking about the <a href="https://positiveaction.org/store/group/building-life-castles">4th Grade - Building Life Castles</a> from <a href="https://positiveaction.org/">Positive Action Bible Curriculum</a> as a powerful tool to strengthen their Biblical understanding and relationship.</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lljaBbEv1kKaq9JQsl5Rcs-0whG90JigqrbxqBs2O35jjSObfKpao3f8wVXFI6LDep27bjShebqtTuSOzPKfCvWAzy47eY8fb-OkYC24pr_Q6AXoScfBdiXBO8PQlttRecfp-pDUs1c/s4032/IMG_20200916_110108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lljaBbEv1kKaq9JQsl5Rcs-0whG90JigqrbxqBs2O35jjSObfKpao3f8wVXFI6LDep27bjShebqtTuSOzPKfCvWAzy47eY8fb-OkYC24pr_Q6AXoScfBdiXBO8PQlttRecfp-pDUs1c/w640-h480/IMG_20200916_110108.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>What We Received:</u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">We received one Building Life Castles 4th Grade Student Workbook and one Teacher's Manual that comes in a 3 ring binder with 3 dividers labeled Teaching Material, Testing Material, and Answer Key.</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>How It Works:</u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://positiveaction.org/fourthedition/">Building Life Castles</a> is a Bible Curriculum designed for 4th graders. This program can be used in a classroom setting or individually, as in a homeschool setting. This curriculum consists of 35 Lessons that cover the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, godly character examples, and Paul's life and ministry. In each (weekly) lesson there are three sessions (A, B and C) that have corresponding activities in the Student Workbook. Activities include vocabulary words, maps, crossword puzzles, fill in the blank, tables to fill in, and memory verse practice. Included in the Teacher's manual are reproducible quizzes to be administered at the end of each lesson. There is also an optional Music Curriculum that covers nine classic hymns and one Christmas carol. It is recommended to cover one a month. </center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPN8tek5aLlRy0OSY2XVfwloZoHfaquEEKr6K74a7O_T79DBm1aPbnMcESeIrmNBobei-joMdQBqyGhGgPg5h2tM7mljhvcp0O8jGKzDM_HgBlP8KpAdQy0iOYxmEvEO0aKGmkrQC7cU/s4032/IMG_20200916_112200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPN8tek5aLlRy0OSY2XVfwloZoHfaquEEKr6K74a7O_T79DBm1aPbnMcESeIrmNBobei-joMdQBqyGhGgPg5h2tM7mljhvcp0O8jGKzDM_HgBlP8KpAdQy0iOYxmEvEO0aKGmkrQC7cU/w480-h640/IMG_20200916_112200.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>How We Used It:</u></b></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">I used this program with my 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter. I didn't set out to use it with my daughter, but when I sit down to read something school related, they tend to flock. So, she would just automatically join us for the discussions, but not do the written work. Her talkative nature was an asset to our discussions for sure! </center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsANLUMcu4PVadRSr0Nowl6TT5ljLgVSw7bC0GPVqTflIQcDfNq5Lh7RCGj4HEp4uJzzCo6MST0IDlwMrYAe78TAynSYnve__jlApJnWRvUnMUEmXgqWW6sjte7jGJBM4VUSv-wubpSXY/s4032/IMG_20200916_112731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsANLUMcu4PVadRSr0Nowl6TT5ljLgVSw7bC0GPVqTflIQcDfNq5Lh7RCGj4HEp4uJzzCo6MST0IDlwMrYAe78TAynSYnve__jlApJnWRvUnMUEmXgqWW6sjte7jGJBM4VUSv-wubpSXY/s320/IMG_20200916_112731.jpg" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">This curriculum includes straight from scripture exercises but it also dips into devotional content a bit with some of the questions it asks and discussion for the teacher to lead. We obviously didn't make it through all 35 lessons so I can't speak for the entire thing, but all of the content I read or browsed stuck to the scriptures very well or touched more controversial topics (ex. How the Holy Spirit works) with a very broad approach that allows the parent/teacher to go deeper themselves. This curriculum has been a very nice mix of basic scripture teaching, but also prompting me as the parent/teacher to extend the discussion a little further. </center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">My 9 year old 4th grader felt like it was the exact right level for him - not too hard, not too easy. They also offer <a href="https://positiveaction.org/fourthedition/">5th and 6th grade curriculum</a>, with younger grades coming soon!</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><img height="96" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/PAFC-ColorH-1024x155.jpg" width="640" /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: justify;">We would highly recommend this program for those looking for some structure and ideas for deeper Bible study with your students.</center><center style="text-align: justify;"><br /></center><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Follow Positive Action Bible Curriculum on Social Media</u></b> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BibleCurriculum/">https://www.facebook.com/BibleCurriculum/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our experience is unique to our family. To find out how other families used this Bible curriculum, check out the other family reviews through the link below.</div><div><br /></div>
<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/building-life-castles-positive-action-bible-curriculum-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Building Life Castles {Positive Action Bible Curriculum Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Click-Here-to-Read-More-Reviews-2016.jpg" /></a></center>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7017363297592489795.post-74854389867287154142020-09-12T16:41:00.001-05:002020-09-12T16:41:41.232-05:00Resolution: The Only Way To End a FIght<p> As the cold front hit our house, jackets were pulled out and trace memories of last winter hovered in our minds. This year is weighted down with surreal living, there's just no way around it. The blast of cold air and rainy days we're in the middle of is comforting like a child's familiar blanky. It almost convinces you that life is normal again. I'm thankful for it, but it immediately makes me think new normal which then makes me want to throw up a little bit. Our country may be fighting about a lot of things, but I think we can all agree that we're tired of all this and ready for it to calm down. The trouble with calming down a fight is that it often requires somebody to admit they were wrong and tend to the concerns of the person they are fighting. That isn't something we see a lot of right now in our country.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJbiRw-e7wOE6s1SZuqEO0BdMqRmud-Cz1BbuJib_laL_fdT9dsJBtulVPur865IHoRqjTBx4qAZPws-0r802PcrATNbIgpB_mRgYMruOkdBh8YXUX82HAFDVplxYxo5NaZyjb05BOWQ/s1080/Resolution_.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJbiRw-e7wOE6s1SZuqEO0BdMqRmud-Cz1BbuJib_laL_fdT9dsJBtulVPur865IHoRqjTBx4qAZPws-0r802PcrATNbIgpB_mRgYMruOkdBh8YXUX82HAFDVplxYxo5NaZyjb05BOWQ/w640-h640/Resolution_.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Admitting you are wrong can be really hard. Recognizing you are wrong is even harder sometimes. This year we have really been hit hard with sensationalized rhetoric and guilt-trips galore (or what 2020 calls virtue signaling, I think). We are all guilty of getting wrapped up in a fight or a cause that we should have just left alone. Personally and publicly our words can get away from us before we take enough time to consider all sides. Recently, I grew very convicted about something. I knew my conviction was based on truth. And so I opened my mouth, with conviction and truth on my side. At least that's how it felt. And ever so quickly, the domino had fallen and regret filled every cell of my body. There's always more to a story. Perspective doesn't always come right away. The good and the bad are mixed in together a lot so it's tough to call without extensive investigation. It's easy to look through our own lens, but it's much harder to understand someone else's. </p><p>Transitions are happening and will continue over the next year - some back to normal, some to an optimistic improvement, but all will require patience and mercy for those involved. We have learned a lot about ourselves and each other this summer. Some of us aren't to be trusted. Some of us are weak. Some of us have underestimated how important our influence is. No matter where you find yourself, let's remember that real change happens person to person. I'm proud to be an Oklahoman where our freedoms are protected far greater than many in our country. I know some pretty great people who are working to make it stay that way. However, more than anything it matters how I treat you because how I treat you will stir up something great or could incite a tailspin into something negative. That is the most important thing I can control.</p><p>As the chaos and absurdity of this year isn't yet over, I'm trying to reset my attitude with more humility. If the last 6 months are any indication, the next two leading up to the election are likely to be insane. And I'm likely to be wrong again. And so are you. How we resolve that wrong sets a tone that could resonate for years beyond your death. Make it a beautiful one.</p>Amy Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704845249371222563noreply@blogger.com0