Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-up June 27-28

VBS!!!!!

What a week!  :-)  I was a lead teacher, my two oldest sons were teen counselors, my youngest son was a junior counselor and my daughter attended.  The theme this year was Weird Animals: where Jesus' love is one of a kind!  :-)

What a fun and faith-filled week!  It was a lot of work, especially since I had much planning to do, but the results were SO worth it!  The lesson plans that came from the company would have filled 8-10 minutes and we had 30 minute sessions.  I did lots of research and I think it all turned out great.  I ran the "Bible and Role-Play" group.  There was also art, games and song/dance.

Our final show was on Friday.  It included two Bible role-plays (we did the healing of the 10 lepers and the death and resurrection of Jesus), game demonstrations and of course, lots of singing and dancing.

Here is Kiddo #4 narrating some of the leper story and singing/dancing:

Kiddo #1 made a beautiful cross that each child got to sign.  Jesus died for each of them (and us), so we all put our names on His cross.

These photos are of Kiddos 1 and 2 with their students.  This proud mama got so many compliments on them-- how good they were with the kids and how helpful they were to the adults.

Here are all of the kids at VBS 2014

And, I could help but share something wonderful from last week since I didn't share a weekly wrap-up since we were so busy getting ready.  My daughter was one of the winners in her division at the 4-H Regional Fashion Revue!  :-)  She worked so hard on her dress and purse.  Look at that smile.  It tells it all!

Have a great weekend!  God bless!  :-)

Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, 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 and Let's Homeschool High School and This Week

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TOS Review: Go Science DVD

"For the things we have to learn before we can do, we learn by doing."-- Aristotle

"The issue is not to teach a child the science, but to give him the taste for loving it."- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Today I am reviewing Go Science DVDs from Library and Educational Services.

I have been a customer of Library and Educational Services for many years and just LOVE their products, so as you can imagine, I was quite excited to have the opportunity to review these Science DVDs.

If you are not aware, Library and Educational Services is a wholesale distributor that has been serving the community (including homeschoolers!) for 35 years.

This Science DVD series (a total of 7 DVDs available for purchase individually or as a set) contain the high-energy, educational and fun demonstrations of Ben Roy.  He is currently a professor of science methods at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and was the director of a television science program.

With his extensive knowledge and skills with children, he presents science demonstrations and phenomena in a way that is exciting and has students begging for more.  I LOVE when science is fun. When children tell me that science is boring, it saddens me, because when hands-on, when presented in a way like Ben Roy has done with these programs, it inspires kids and perhaps encourages them to take that love of science even further in their lives.

We received two DVDs in the series, Sound, Gravity and Space

and

Engineering, Design and Flight

Recommended for ages 4-12, these programs will even entertain and inspire older students.  Kiddo #1 was so intrigued by a challenge and experiment he saw on the Engineering DVD, that he just had to try it.

Ben Roy challenged his students (and viewers) to find a way to balance 10 nails on top of just 1 nail. Sounds pretty impossible, doesn't it?  The head of the nail is just so small.  How could it work?  Well, in engineering, many things are possible that seem to defy everything we know or understand.

Take a look!  Isn't that awesome!  They are all balancing on the one nail!

Here is another view

This is just the kind of experiment and challenge that is in each segment on the DVDs.  There are many of them and they are equally as fun, yet illustrate a scientific principle which he explains.  His audience on the DVDs are all children and they are chosen to help with each experiment.  It shows that kids can do and love science!

Each demonstration lasts 3-10 minutes and each DVD is about an hour long.

Examples of experiments on the Engineering, Design and Flight DVD include walking on eggs, flying rocket balloons and making a mini water pump with a straw (centrifuge), and our favorite, the Nail Balance.  There are so many more!

Some of the experiments on the Sound, Gravity and Space volume include Reuben's Tube, Simple Telephone and Screaming Pop Can.

Here is a video example of one of the experiments on sound:

Each video is available for $8.97 or all 7 for $59.82.  

Look at all of the great titles available!

My children and I give these videos a thumb's up as a wonderful, fun, engaging and educational supplement to any science curriculum.  :-)

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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- June 24

Wow, it is almost Tuesday again!  :-)  And that means it is time for another week of wonderful recipe sharing.

Be sure to check out my bread "surprise" linked in the first spot below.  It is a delicious and hearty bread that is truly a surprise since I added a "little bit of this" and a "little bit of that."  :-)

This week's feature (the post with the most hits from last week's hop) was a tie between:

Strawberry Shortcake Roll from Upstate Ramblings

and

English Muffin Bread from Little Homeschool on the Prairie

An InLinkz Link-up

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Lisa's Bread Surprise

Yes, it was a complete surprise.  It was one of those times where I just added a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  :-)  Luckilly, it turned out really well and everyone enjoyed this new bread.  :-)

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt (I use iodized sea salt)
3 cups whole wheat flour
4 packets Truvia sweetner (you could use sugar instead if you prefer)
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoon melted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered milk

Put in your breadmaker on sweet cycle.  This made a "large" loaf.

Enjoy!  :-)

Linking up with the Gathering Spot, Kids in the Kitchen, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Claire Justine, 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  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 andGood Tastes Tuesday and Thriving Thursday and Friday Flash Blog Hop 




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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- June 18

Welcome to another week of recipe sharing!

The most viewed post from last week's hop was:

Apple Butter from The (mis)Adventures of a "Born Again" Farm Girl

An InLinkz Link-up

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Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap Up June 14

Didn't get a chance to do a wrap-up last week. so this will be a synopsis of our last 2 weeks, which really were a lot of fun here at the Home to 4 Kiddos.

Gotta love Family Game Nights, especially when you teach your kids how to play a game from your own childhood. (I hadn't played Battleship in probably 30 years or more!)

We finished school last Friday (yay!) with a wonderful trip to a local planetarium (that I never even knew existed!). What an informative and fun presentation.  From what the presenter told us, we knew exactly where 3 planets (yes, 3!!!) would be in that night's sky and we did our best to photograph them with our camera.  Here is Mars.  Isn't that cool?

And you can see the shape of the rings around Saturn.  And this is just with a camera.  Can't imagine the views people could get with a good telescope.

We also gardened and did lots of yardwork, taking advantage of the warm temps and sunshine.

This week, the kiddos, hubby and I went on a pontoon boat ride in a local state park.

The lake is over 1,400 acres.  We learned of all of the different fish species that call Lake Nockamixon home, as well as so many different bird species.  We saw osprey,

blue herring and more.

We got to be on the lake for 2 hours and it was a relaxing and enjoyable time.

Seeing the sunset on the lake was truly breathtaking.

and it was free!  Isn't that amazing?  The kiddos are already looking forward to going back on a boat ride again next year (but want to visit the park and all of its amazing amenities even sooner)

Speaking of birds, look who Kiddo #1 was able to photograph in the front yard?  Isn't he beautiful?

So, our first week off from school was filled with schoolwork (yes, Kiddos 1 and 2 aren't finished their Trig class yet, poor guys, lol), volunteering at church, Taekwando, 4-H shooting sports and meetings, fun outings (like the one above), baking and Kiddo #4's sewing projects.  Look at the oven mitt she made below!  :-)  (there is also a matching potholder she made, too)

She is working on a dress and matching accessories for the 4-H fashion revue.  It is next Saturday.  I will be sure to post pics!  :-)

Hope you have a weekend that is both beautiful and blessed!  :-)

My recent posts:

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- June 3
TOS Review: A Life in Balance
Hearts for Home Blog Hop- June 5
TOS Review- We Choose Virtues
Try a New Recipe Tuesday- June 10


Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, 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 and Let's Homeschool High School and This Week

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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- June 10

Welcome to another week of recipe sharing!  My family and I always look forward to seeing them all.  :-)

The most viewed post from last week was:

Green Basil Pesto from Morsels of Life

An InLinkz Link-up

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