Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-Up August 16

This week has been centered around us getting ready for vacation. We leave on Saturday and the kids cannot contain their excitement.  :-)

It is MUCH work to prepare, as my parents rented an apartment, so we need to take everything but the kitchen sink!  :-)  It is a necessity, though, for a family our size, to have a place with a kitchen.  Who could afford 3 meals a day for their whole family for an entire vacation?  Not only does it have a kitchen, but a washer and dryer (yay! no dirty laundry once we get home) and a pool.(The unit also overlooks the beach.  I could just live on that balcony.  The view alone is a vacation!)  The kids have been very helpful to me as I have been packing as you can see in the photo below.

and this is just the non-cold food and kitchen items!

Even though it has been a busy packing week, it has also been a busy blogging week.  :-)  On Monday, I posted about the A+ Interactive Math Kindle Fire Giveaway.  It is still open and you can enter by clicking here.  Don't forget to attend the Facebook party on Friday night for a lot more prizes.

What would Tuesday be without recipe sharing?  :-)  My daughter surprised us all with Zebra Brownies this week.  They were so tasty and literally didn't last more than an hour in this house.  :-)  Come see her recipe and all of those that were shared here for Try a New Recipe Tuesday.

On Wednesday, I shared about our curriculum for this coming school year.  You can read all about it here.

Thankful Thursday is just that, a time to remember some of the smaller things for which one is grateful.  I shared about mine here.

And, I am very excited to be co-hosting "Field Trip Friday!"  I look forward to reading about everyone's adventures.  Be sure to come over and linkup a favorite trip or outing or just to read some of the posts.  Click here to join in the fun.

Let's see, what else took place during this hectic week?  Here goes: Sewing lessons, orthodontic work, Civil Air Patrol, bike riding, swimming, organizing of school supplies and books, shopping, church.....Phew.....Sounds like we need a vacation!  :-)  :-)

I look forward to posting photos of the beach in a couple of days.  Stay tuned!  Until then, have a wonderful weekend and God bless!


Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, NOBH, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap, Friendship Friday and Friday Connection and Family Fun Friday and T.G.I.F. Linky Party

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

Back To School Giveaway by author Linda A. Cadose

It's time for another great giveaway!  :-)

It is back to school time and what better way to get in gear for a new school year than a fantastic giveaway to help with the efforts.

Linda A Cadose, author of The Hidden Chamber In The Great Sphinx and The Underwater Pyramid In The Bermuda Triangle, is having a "Back to School Giveaway Blast".

To prepare for this great back to school event, Linda Cadose is giving away not one, but two great prizes!

First Prize: $25 and both of Linda's books.

Second Prize: Laser Khet Game 2.0 and both of Linda's books.

Get in the groove to back to school. Enter today in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:
This giveaway is sponsored by author, Linda Cadose.

This blog, Home to 4 Kiddos, nor the hosting and co-hosting are not responsible for shipment. Linda Cadose is responsible for prize shipment.
Prizes are provided by the author and not by the companies.
This giveaway is also not affiliated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,YouTube or any other social media site.

Giveaway is open US Only.
Giveaway ends: August 23, 2013 at 12 AM MST
Winner has 48 hours to respond after notification via e-mail or  forfeit prize and another winner will be drawn.

Field Trip Friday- August 16

How exciting that this is my first week co-hosting Field Trip Friday!  I am so happy to join Jen from Chestnut Grove Academy for her wonderful linkup!  :-)

This blog hop is designed to share 'FIELD TRIP' related blog posts (does not have to be a homeschool field trip.  It can be ANY trip to ANY place with your children!  :-)


As this goes to post, we are packing for our vacation at the beach and that is one fun "field trip."  :-) I have included some of our favorite photos from last year's trip to Ocean City, NJ and I hope that for the next couple of Fridays, I will share new ones with you as we will be making many new memories!

Cape May County Zoo

Amusement Pier

Naval Air Station, Wildwood, NJ

Fishing/Crabbing on the Bay

Please visit and follow your hosts (We follow back!  Just leave us a comment to let us know how you are following):

Jen @ Chestnut Grove Academy (http://www.chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com)

Lisa @ Home to 4 Kiddos (http://www.our4kiddos.blogspot.com)

Be sure to grab a button or link back to one of your hosts so others can join in the fun, as well!  :-) Visit some of the other posts that have been shared and let them know you are visiting from "Field Trip Friday!"  :-)

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

Thankful Thursday- August 15

On this Thursday, I am thankful for creative children who put on fun plays (top two photos are of their "Tortoise and the Hare" play), a daughter who made us beautiful pillows for our anniversary (aren't they sweet?) and although it is chaotic packing (and that is only the beginning of it!), I am very grateful for the opportunity to go on a vacation as a family.  :-) (we leave on Saturday!)  What are you thankful for today?



Linking up with ,Lisa at The Army Chap's Wife, NOBH,Miscellany Monday, Raising Homemakers and Modest Mom and Raising Mighty Arrows,, Spilled Milkshake,Crafty Spices,  Mom's Monday Mingle, Monday Mingle, and Just the Stuff Ya Know , the Fontenot Four and A Sorta Fairytale and Family Fun Friday and TGIF Linky Party






Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

TOS Review- Reading Kingdom

Today I am reviewing Reading Kingdom.

Reading Kingdom is an online reading program that helps teach children to read or improve their skills if they already know how to read.  It was created by Dr. Marion Blank, Director of the Light on Learning Program at Columbia University and one of the world's top experts in reading.  It is the only online reading program that offers customized instruction for each child and the only one that teaches all six skills needed for reading and writing success:

1) sequencing

2) motor skills

3) sounds

4) meaning

5) grammar

6) comprehension

What I think really makes this program exceptional is that it will customize a course for each individual child.  How does it do this?

Each child takes a "survey or skills" and then a program is designed individually that works with their strengths while working on the area(s) that need help.  Kiddo #3 took the placement test and began at Level 3.

The program is completely interactive and engages the child from start to finish.  In many ways, it is like a game (with rewards and incentives!) and makes learning fun.  It does not focus on phonics, but whole word recognition, which is perfect for Kiddo #3, because that is exactly how he learns.  :-) In fact, I learned from their website that since most words in our language cannot be decoded (or sounded out), the strictly phonics approach to teaching children to read is failing and too many of our children are not reading to their potential.

The child works independently (which is wonderful!) and the parent receives email updates (or anytime upon login) as to the child's progress.

The daily activities are short enough to keep the child's attention and focus.  I must admit that the initial "survey" was quite long and Kiddo wanted to quit several times.  However, this shows me that it was a very thorough evaluation.  Once his individualized program began, he was interested and eager to make progress!  :-)  When the child "earns" a new "book" to read through the lessons, he/she will already have learned all of the words in the book and can read it with skill and confidence.  This makes for a proud child and parent.  This program sets the child up for success, not failure.  :-)

I also like that not only is word recognition, spelling and typing skills focused upon, but word comprehension.  the act of reading is pointless without true comprehension.

Kiddo looks forward each day to the lesson and we plan to continue the program into our school year.

Reading Kingdom is offering a free 30-day trial.  Why not try and see how it works with your child?  You can't lose.  After completing that, it is $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year for the first reader and $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year for each reader after that.

Here is an introduction to how the program works:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

Our curriculum 2013-2014

Still ironing out some details, but this is what the next school year is shaping out to be for the Kiddos.  These are the basic curriculum providers for each subject.  I supplement by having the kids do all kinds of hands-on projects, lapbooks, field trips and the like.  It's going to be a great year!  :-)

Kiddo #1 (10th grade)
Saxon Algebra 2 (online class)
Biology 101
Apologetics (online class) in addition to other resources
Easy Grammar Plus in addition to online writing class
Homeschool Science Program at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
Italian lessons
Weekly co-op that includes art, music, gym and religious studies
Leadership training through Civil Air Patrol
Homeschool Bowling league
Literature (Sonlight) based history program
Online design/engineering class
Guitar lessons once a week
Volunteer helper at church classes weekly

Kiddo #2 (9th grade)
Saxon Algebra 2 (online class)
Chemistry 101
Finishing up Apologia Oceanography (Swimming Creatures)
then beginning Chemistry 101
Apologetics (online class) in addition to other resources
Easy Grammar Plus in addition to online writing class
Homeschool Science Program at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
Italian lessons
Weekly co-op that includes art, music, gym and religious studies
Homeschool Bowling league
Literature (Sonlight) based history program
Continuing state studies
Piano lessons once a week
Volunteer helper at church classes weekly


Kiddo #3 (6th grade)
Saxon Math 6/5
Apologia Flying Creatues (Zoology 1)
Easy Grammar
A variety of resources for Bible/Religion/Character Education
Homeschool Science Program at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
Italian lessons
Weekly co-op that includes art, music, gym and religious studies
Homeschool bowling league
Literture (Sonlight) based history program
"Reading Kingdom" online program
Piano lessons once a week
Church classes weekly

Kiddo #4 (4th grade)
Saxon Math 6/5
Apologia Flying Creatures (Zoology 1)
Easy Grammar
A variety of resources for Bible/Religion/Character Education
Homeschool Science Program at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
Italian lessons
Weekly co-op that includes art, music, gym and religious studies
Sewing class
Homeschool bowling league
Literature (Sonlight) based history program
"Time 4 Learning" online program
Piano lessons once a week
Church classes weekly
Lots of baking.  ;-)

Linking up to iHomeschoolNetwork's Curriculum Week and other wonderful blog-hops found on my sidebar.  :-)

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- August 13

It is Tuesday again and time for another fun week of recipe sharing!  :-)

Kiddo #4 surprised us with a new recipe called "Zebra Brownies."  I just finished mine.  It was SO good.

Here is her recipe:

Zebra Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the brown suugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, flour, and baking powder until well mixed (mix in one at a time).

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or over low heat on the stove. Place half of the batter in a small bowl and mix in chocolate chips. Spread evenly in a greased 9" x 9" baking pan. Drop by tablespoons of a butter knife through the batter to creaate zebra stripes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.. Bake for 25-30 minutes.(kiddo #4 did 2 minutes longer until a toothpick came out clean) Let them cool for 3-5 minutes then cut them into squares.        

                     

Note: These freeze well if wrapped tightly.

                                                       Enjoy!!!


Now for this week's features:

Soft Ginger Cookies at Treat and Trick

Edible Dessert Cups at Something Sweet Winnie's Blog

Monkey Cookies at Feeding Big

Homemade Crackers at On the Homefront

Tropical Sunrise Muffins at Cook with Sara

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Kids in the Kitchen, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Judy H-J's Thoughts, Wisdom Wednesday , Favorite Things, Modest Mom, Full Plate Thursday and Melt in your Mouth Monday and Show Off Friday and Tuesday's Table and Look What We Did and Titus 2sday,  Mom's Monday Mingle, Monday Mingle, Crafty Spices, Better Mom,Create with Joy, Thursday's Treasures, Tasty Thursdays and Wonderful Food Wednesday and Mondays with Countrified Hicks and Tuesday How to Party and the Tried and True Recipe Party and Kids and Mom in the Kitchen and Family Fun Friday and Clever Chicks Blog Hop andAll My Bloggy Friends and Hearts for Home Blog Hop and Foodie Friends Friday and Family Fun Friday and TGIF Linky Party and Food on Friday andHip Homeschool Moms, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home