This free script provided by Geneva Bible Pages
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Check out Christian Book Distributor's selection of 3-CD sets - most are $6.99!
Here are some we have and love:
Here are some we have and love:
- Sing Unto The Lord: The Psalms of David for Daily Living, 3-CD Set - our very favorite, played nearly every day in our house
- Bluegrass Gospel Highway: 36 Bluegrass Songs of Faith - playing this very moment
- Celtic Hymns - hubby thanked me and immediately confiscated this set, so I can only assume it's good
Here's what I hope to order soon:
- Simple Gifts: 50 Beautiful Mandolin Favorites - for my 12yo sister who is learning to play the mandolin and has a birthday coming up
- How Sweet the Sound: 50 Violin Hymns - for our 4 young violin players...and this old violin player too!
- 50 Old-Time Southern Gospel A Cappella Quartet Favorites - for our all of us as we try to learn to sing in harmony
Labels: music
Wanna save a little money and give me some too? Who wouldn't, right?
Try out the CBD search box on my sidebar or go straight there, and I just might score a 10% kickback on anything you spend. Keep in mind, they're a little finicky about giving credit; you have to finish your order within 45 minutes, and you can't leave then return to the site unless you come back through one of my links.
Need help getting started? Here are a few of our favorites:
Try out the CBD search box on my sidebar or go straight there, and I just might score a 10% kickback on anything you spend. Keep in mind, they're a little finicky about giving credit; you have to finish your order within 45 minutes, and you can't leave then return to the site unless you come back through one of my links.
Need help getting started? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible--with CD-ROM - our most-used reference book. I'm always shocked at how inexpensive this is for such a hefty hardback. Everyone should have one of these!
- Spectrum Math - an inexpensive workbook to help cover the basics and get the Littles ready for Saxon Math 54. We use this for K-3 or 4, depending upon the child's aptitude for math.
- Mad Libs - a fun way to learn the basic parts of speech!
- Saxon Math - our math curriculum of choice, once the children have learned the 4 basic operations (I have to admit, I have never bought this new; we always find ours used!)
- Mystery of History- a chronological overview of history from Creation to Christ, tying the major cultures and events of early history into what was happening in the Bible at each point. Easy to use with a variety of ages!
- Go To The Ant, Compact Disc [CD] - a current favorite with the children!
- Sing Unto The Lord: The Psalms of David for Daily Living, 3-CD Set - a great deal, and a longtime favorite with Mom and the kids!
Labels: books
Just in case you missed my blogad, be sure to check out Charlie's Soap. I scored a free sample of the laundry powder as a perk of hosting the ad, and Hubby and I are very impressed!We have very hard water, and saw 3 differences right away:
- The detergent dispenser is shiny clean - all the built-up goop disappeared with the very first use of Charlie's soap.
- Our dingy old whites (which get dingier every time we wash in our very hard water) are visibly whiter after just one wash.
- This excited me the most: the persistant sour smell in my dishcloths and heavily used bath towels is gone. Even bleach wasn't making them smell truly fresh; it just covered the odor until they got wet, then they smelled ready-for-a-wash again. Does anyone else have this problem? For the first time since they were nearly new, they smell truly clean.
It's everything they say it is, and it really only takes 1 Tbs. per load - we even skimped a bit since we have a high-efficiency front-loader.
We also have a sample of the All Purpose Cleaner to try out, so look for a review in the near future. Needless to say, I have high hopes for this one as well!
They have several other products as well - I'm sold on the one I've tried, and will definitely be trying others in the future.
If you decide to try it out (and I hope you do), please tell them where you heard about it. They have a very generous referral program: I get a free box for each new customer I send their way.
And the fact that I'm panhandling for Charlie's Soap rather than cash just proves that it's good stuff, right?
Labels: misc.
Our 4 and 6 year olds have been devouring the Leap Frog videos lately: viewing thirty minutes of cheesy Saturday-morning quality animation on Letter Factory, they learned all the sounds of the letters effortlessly in the space of about 2 weeks. That's with no effort on my part or theirs. The 19mo watches too, imitating the sounds of the letters. I feel like a bad mother, but it sure keeps them occupied during school time for the older ones, and they are actually learning at the same time!
Once they thoroughly knew the sounds of the letters, they watched more cheesy Saturday-morning quality animation on Talking Words Factory, and learned to put the letters together into simple 3 or 4 letter words. While I'm explaining the finer points of Saxon Math 54 and Math 76 to the four older children, Natalie and Becca run for paper and pencil and feverishly copy words, pausing the dvd player as necessary. The 19mo watches carefully, mimicking her big sisters' interests and actions. Later, they read what they wrote and compare notes. This is all their idea.
Now, we're eagerly anticipating the arrival of:
Once they thoroughly knew the sounds of the letters, they watched more cheesy Saturday-morning quality animation on Talking Words Factory, and learned to put the letters together into simple 3 or 4 letter words. While I'm explaining the finer points of Saxon Math 54 and Math 76 to the four older children, Natalie and Becca run for paper and pencil and feverishly copy words, pausing the dvd player as necessary. The 19mo watches carefully, mimicking her big sisters' interests and actions. Later, they read what they wrote and compare notes. This is all their idea.
Now, we're eagerly anticipating the arrival of:
- Talking Words Factory 2 - Code Word Caper (introduces long vowels)
- Learn to Read at the Storybook Factory (sentences and basic punctuation)
- Math Circus (counting to 20 and simple addition/subtraction)
Lest you think I am content to reside in Bad Mother Land, we have also started some regular one-on-one reading and math lessons. These lessons, when done cheerfully and diligently, usually end with a reward: they get to watch a Leap Frog video.
Labels: homeschooling
I haven't written a book report in many years - I feel like I'm back in school when I say the words book report.
But I mentioned a little while back that Hubby bought me Candy's Home Management Binder for Christmas. I've had time to read and ruminate, and here's a brief synopsis of what Candy has done for us as she walks each of us, section by section, through the designing of our own Home Management Binder.
First, she gives a simple plan for designing our own Master Schedule. This is your own daily plan, hour by hour. It can be just for you, or it can include each member of the house. Candy's ideas for laying it out are neat and orderly, with suggestions for prioritizing and fitting in those lower-on-the-list items that we really want to do but often don't make time for.
She also recommends a back-up plan for the days that your schedule just won't work. She has suggestions for working with your schedule, around your schedule, and outside your schedule. To put it simply, she helps you understand how your schedule works for you so you and your family don't become slaves to the schedule.
Next, Candy helps with menu planning and grocery shopping. Again, she provides examples that might inspire but also gives plenty of useful tips in building your own menus and lists so that you're not reduced to copying hers.
Although I won't be using her personal methods and schedule for cleaning the house (we have far more traffic and could never get away with vacuuming less than daily!) I thought her section on cleaning was the meatiest and most helpful. Maybe that means this is where I need the most help...hmmm.
She presents several different approaches to complete housekeeping and gives her own cleaning schedule as an example. It is inspiring, and I can't wait to begin implementing many of her ideas in this area!
Now she continues through several other sections which may or may not apply to your individual household: homeschooling, vaccination, hobbies, recipes, etc.
Sprinkled throughout are encouraging words, examples, letters from other users, recipes, suggestions, helpful links, and more. There are many blank forms to help you get started as well.
Candy has provided some great organizational help here. It looks deceptively simple, so that reading it, I found myself thinking "I can do this. I already knew most of this." But she has laid it out in such a neat and orderly fashion that it's not an overwhelming task to start doing things in a new way.
For a newer or less experienced housewife (I'm not exactly a beginner at this wife-and-mom stuff, although we're always learning) I think this would be a fantastic learning aid.
If my description just isn't doing it for you, take a look at the many examples online that other users have posted. You can find them in the left sidebar on Candy's blog.
She has built a very neat and functional wheel. If you're thinking you might need one, don't reinvent it yourself. Consider buying one from Candy.
But I mentioned a little while back that Hubby bought me Candy's Home Management Binder for Christmas. I've had time to read and ruminate, and here's a brief synopsis of what Candy has done for us as she walks each of us, section by section, through the designing of our own Home Management Binder.
First, she gives a simple plan for designing our own Master Schedule. This is your own daily plan, hour by hour. It can be just for you, or it can include each member of the house. Candy's ideas for laying it out are neat and orderly, with suggestions for prioritizing and fitting in those lower-on-the-list items that we really want to do but often don't make time for.
She also recommends a back-up plan for the days that your schedule just won't work. She has suggestions for working with your schedule, around your schedule, and outside your schedule. To put it simply, she helps you understand how your schedule works for you so you and your family don't become slaves to the schedule.
Next, Candy helps with menu planning and grocery shopping. Again, she provides examples that might inspire but also gives plenty of useful tips in building your own menus and lists so that you're not reduced to copying hers.
Although I won't be using her personal methods and schedule for cleaning the house (we have far more traffic and could never get away with vacuuming less than daily!) I thought her section on cleaning was the meatiest and most helpful. Maybe that means this is where I need the most help...hmmm.
She presents several different approaches to complete housekeeping and gives her own cleaning schedule as an example. It is inspiring, and I can't wait to begin implementing many of her ideas in this area!
Now she continues through several other sections which may or may not apply to your individual household: homeschooling, vaccination, hobbies, recipes, etc.
Sprinkled throughout are encouraging words, examples, letters from other users, recipes, suggestions, helpful links, and more. There are many blank forms to help you get started as well.
Candy has provided some great organizational help here. It looks deceptively simple, so that reading it, I found myself thinking "I can do this. I already knew most of this." But she has laid it out in such a neat and orderly fashion that it's not an overwhelming task to start doing things in a new way.
For a newer or less experienced housewife (I'm not exactly a beginner at this wife-and-mom stuff, although we're always learning) I think this would be a fantastic learning aid.
If my description just isn't doing it for you, take a look at the many examples online that other users have posted. You can find them in the left sidebar on Candy's blog.
She has built a very neat and functional wheel. If you're thinking you might need one, don't reinvent it yourself. Consider buying one from Candy.
Today, the children are listening to The Pilgrim's Progress, a gift from my grandparents. They enjoy the story very much, but find it infinitely amusing that anyone would:
- doubt the impending doom of a city called "The City of Destruction."
- consider working as a servant for a man who promises to treat him well - a man who hails from "The City of Deceit."
- assume that he was on the right path just because a man named "Vain Confidence" assures him.
- follow a creepy stranger with a wheezy voice and a malicious chuckle who claims to know the way.
I have to say, though, I am tickled at the way they're devouring the story. They're on the last of 5 CDs, and will doubtless want to start over soon. No attention span problems in this house...at least, not with the children. Maybe I should listen in on the story.
Labels: audio
I received the following question from a reader:
This is why we love the Children's Bible by Golden Press. The illustrations are beautiful and reverent, and it includes far more than the standard 50-odd stories; I believe it has nearly every narrative portion of the Bible. The language is very faithful to the text of the scriptures, only slightly simplified. I encourage our little ones to peruse the book, and let them choose selections for me (or an older child) to read to them.
If you're looking specifically for audio, you might want to take a look at Thy Word Creations. This is a set of word-for-word scripture memory songs sung by children, accompanied by books that illustrate the passage page by page. Selections include Isaiah 53, I Corinthians 13, Psalm 23, Psalm 91, Psalm 139, The Lord's Prayer, The Beatitudes, The Ten Commandments, and The Temptations of Jesus.
I would also encourage you to let your daughter see you having your time with God while she does so. It's a wonderful habit to start your day with scripture, but if our children are still asleep then seeing us spend time with God doesn't become a normal part of their day. I fall terribly short, but I want my children to SEE me read my Bible daily. They learn so much by our example!
I would love to see others' answers to the question above - please jump in if you have suggestions to share!
I just started "Bible time" with my oldest (she is a toddler), meaning that I ask her to quietly sit in a spot at home with her Bible storybook and have time with God. I know she cannot comprehend much, but she is learning Scripture as we teach, and she knows she can pray to God anytime. I'm so excited about teaching her this wonderful time of her day! I'm getting her a little "lap desk" of her own and hope to get a special chair just for this time....Do you have any suggestions to things I can gradually incorporate into this time for her (and my other kids in the future)? She is a bit too young to get into audio stories, but any audio suggestions?We are very leary of children's "Bibles" and Bible story books, as so many have uninspired details added. I think when we teach our children that the Bible is the Perfect, Infallible, Inspired Word of God, we need to avoid any confusion in their young minds by adding the uninspired words of men.
This is why we love the Children's Bible by Golden Press. The illustrations are beautiful and reverent, and it includes far more than the standard 50-odd stories; I believe it has nearly every narrative portion of the Bible. The language is very faithful to the text of the scriptures, only slightly simplified. I encourage our little ones to peruse the book, and let them choose selections for me (or an older child) to read to them.
If you're looking specifically for audio, you might want to take a look at Thy Word Creations. This is a set of word-for-word scripture memory songs sung by children, accompanied by books that illustrate the passage page by page. Selections include Isaiah 53, I Corinthians 13, Psalm 23, Psalm 91, Psalm 139, The Lord's Prayer, The Beatitudes, The Ten Commandments, and The Temptations of Jesus.
I would also encourage you to let your daughter see you having your time with God while she does so. It's a wonderful habit to start your day with scripture, but if our children are still asleep then seeing us spend time with God doesn't become a normal part of their day. I fall terribly short, but I want my children to SEE me read my Bible daily. They learn so much by our example!
I would love to see others' answers to the question above - please jump in if you have suggestions to share!
Just in case you don't already spend enough time in front of the computer, Barbara posted a link to a game called Place The States on her blog, Count It All Joy.
The US geography game is fast, fun and truly educational, but don't forget to check out the plethora of other online games at this site:
The US geography game is fast, fun and truly educational, but don't forget to check out the plethora of other online games at this site:
Labels: free stuff, homeschooling, software
We sing Scripture songs throughout the day, and listen to songs of Scripture on CD. Some favorites:
- Go To the Ant by Judy Rogers
- Sing A New Psalm by the Serven family
- Sing Unto the Lord: the Psalms of David for Daily Living
The girls are awakened nearly every morning by their father joyfully belting out, at the top of his lungs, "Arise my Soul, arise! Shake off thy guilty fears!..." He is especially joyful if he can purposely make his voice crack at the word, "guilty." This is a family tradition which the more mischievous children are already imitating, much to the chagrin of their sleepier sisters. Someday the sleepers will also see the joy in this.
Labels: audio
Hooray for me! I finished a book!
Actually, I've been finding more time lately to read the 15 or 20 books that live next to my bed. But narrowing it down enough to finish one is an event worthy of trumpets and a parade. And I've finished several in recent months!
Thanks to Sherry's great and timely idea, I'll be posting a book review once each week from now until...well, until my time or attention span run out. That might not take long, so let's enjoy it while it lasts, OK?
In spite of the fact that I was an extremely avid reader in my younger (read: childless) years, this was my first G. K. Chesterton book. I have run into many of his quotes and all were worth quoting, so I finally decided to make the plunge.
I visited the local Half Price Bookstore hoping to find something worthwhile by the man - hopefully a Father Brown collection - and found just one book by Chesterton. Ah, but it was the very book I had hoped for: The Best of Father Brown!
Father Brown is a mousy little Roman Catholic priest, an accidental detective who solves baffling mysteries like a small and humble Sherlock Holmes: by observing and stating details that seem obvious to him and shockingly insightful to onlookers.
A large part of the charm of this collection is in the main character's observations upon human nature. Chesterton is, indeed, eminently quotable.
In reading this book, I remembered why I enjoy short stories so much: they are perfect for a busy mother, with just small reading allowances in a day's time. I can take in all the characters and plot in one or two sittings. There is little danger of setting the book down and having to start over again the next time.
Furthermore, short stories are an art far less forgiving of the author. In a well written short story, there is no "filler," no superfluous details, no meaningless banter and stilted dialogue. A well crafted short story must be well crafted indeed.
I think Chesterton accomplished those ends in the selections presented in this book. It was a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to his work.Hubby later found the following titles for me to add to our little collection:
Actually, I've been finding more time lately to read the 15 or 20 books that live next to my bed. But narrowing it down enough to finish one is an event worthy of trumpets and a parade. And I've finished several in recent months!
Thanks to Sherry's great and timely idea, I'll be posting a book review once each week from now until...well, until my time or attention span run out. That might not take long, so let's enjoy it while it lasts, OK?
In spite of the fact that I was an extremely avid reader in my younger (read: childless) years, this was my first G. K. Chesterton book. I have run into many of his quotes and all were worth quoting, so I finally decided to make the plunge.
I visited the local Half Price Bookstore hoping to find something worthwhile by the man - hopefully a Father Brown collection - and found just one book by Chesterton. Ah, but it was the very book I had hoped for: The Best of Father Brown!
Father Brown is a mousy little Roman Catholic priest, an accidental detective who solves baffling mysteries like a small and humble Sherlock Holmes: by observing and stating details that seem obvious to him and shockingly insightful to onlookers.
A large part of the charm of this collection is in the main character's observations upon human nature. Chesterton is, indeed, eminently quotable.
In reading this book, I remembered why I enjoy short stories so much: they are perfect for a busy mother, with just small reading allowances in a day's time. I can take in all the characters and plot in one or two sittings. There is little danger of setting the book down and having to start over again the next time.
Furthermore, short stories are an art far less forgiving of the author. In a well written short story, there is no "filler," no superfluous details, no meaningless banter and stilted dialogue. A well crafted short story must be well crafted indeed.
I think Chesterton accomplished those ends in the selections presented in this book. It was a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to his work.Hubby later found the following titles for me to add to our little collection:
- (The Annotated) Innocence of Father Brown - the first Father Brown collection. I have made good progress into this volume and am enjoying it quite as thoroughly as the other.
- The Club of Queer Trades - more humorous mysteries in the style of Father Brown. My edition has original illustrations by the author.
My girl Megan has also posted about a book she read recently - the post was typed by me but entirely dictated by her. Not bad for an 8yo's first book report (says Proud Mama).
And for more on books, Kaitlyn posted some excerpts from one of her favorite silly books.
Labels: books
