Success! Success! Epic Success!!!

Well, folks, I did it.  I exercised three times, for ten minutes each time.  Yes, I did thirty whole minutes of exercising!  Okay, maybe it's not EPIC, but for me, it is quite the feat!  :)

So, I think it was Saturday and Monday, I got on the floor and did a bunch of stretching exercises and crunches.  Nothing too aerobic.  But Friday, well, you won't believe what I did.  I was in the basement sitting at the computer minding my own business.  I needed to finish up some school work with the kids, but they had come into the basement and had the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory DVD in.  (Or is it Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?  No matter.)  Anyway, they weren't watching the the movie, they were practicing the Oompa Loompa dance.  You see, their grandmother, for whatever reason, wants them to learn it so that they can perform it for her next time she sees them.  (Oh, it's Charlie, BTW, my son just checked.)

So, you do all know where I'm going with this, right?  Yes.  It's true.  I stood in my basement, with my four youngest, and followed along with the Oompa Loompa as my "dance instructor" and spent ten minutes dancing.  It just about killed me and I barely made it up the stairs to get my inhaler.  But I did it.  All it took was an Oompa Loompa to show me the way!  LOL   Of course, if you read my post last week, you also know that I made a committment to God that I would do my three ten minute sessions.  I will do the same this coming week. 

I want an Oompa Loompa NOW!!!  LOL

~Do you want to join Chai Mommy, me, and the rest of the gang as we try to get into shape?  Check out this week's Fit Mommy Friday here! 

Five Points Just for Showing Up!!!

My two oldest, First Born and Ren, go to the local community college where they are honor students.  Sounds impressive, but I have to wonder.  It doesn't seem like it takes all that much to stand out these days.  I keep hearing stories about all ways they can earn extra credit.

When they took their first class, a few years ago, they got an easy A.  However, had they not been getting that A they could have upped their grades by bringing in old computer parts, writing a public official, or even giving blood!

This year Ren in taking three classes.  One is online, but the other two meet in a traditional classroom.  He takes a programming class and Spanish.   Well, he didn't do as well we we would have liked on his first Spanish test.  Understandable, it's not easy to learn a foreign language.  But the next time he went into class he got five more points.  Why?  Apparently, it is quite common for students to skip the next class after a test.  So, just for showing up he got five addtional points.  This on top of the fact that a full third of his points already come from participation in class and attendance.  Wow!   He tells me the other teacher made the same comment and gave out extra points too!

Is it that bad?  Are students so uncommitted that all it takes is showing up to impress your teacher?  I guess so!  Well, I guess that's just another positive thing about homeschooling.   Kids learn to show up for class.  Mine were so committed they were at school before they even got out of bed!  LOL  :)

New Review!!! Dollar Homeschool's Eclectic Education Series!!!

About the product/service:  As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received downloads of the entire Eclectic Education Series from Dollar Homeschool.  What are these books?  Well, remember the old one room schoolhouses?  Think Little House on the Prairie.  Back in the good old days, from about 1865 until around 1915, most schools in America used the same texts.  You might have heard of some of them, such as McGuffey's Readers and Ray's Arithmetic.  Others you may not have heard of include: Pinneo's Grammar, Thalheimer's Histories, and Norton's Sciences.  A full list of the history and science books can be found here.  (These books are normally sold on CD.)

Basically what the folks at Dollar Homeschool did was to take the time to find, organize, and make pdf files of all of these books.  Because they are old, these books no longer are under copyright laws.*  Anyone can make copies of these books, and there are even some available elsewhere.  I did not take the time to try to find them myself, and I can't tell you which ones, but I do know that Dollar Homeschool is not the only source for these materials.

So why buy from Dollar Homeschool?  Well, as far as I know they are the only folks who have taken the time and effort to gather all of these books into one place and put them into such a well organized package.  The amount of work they have done is amazing.  Every page had to be scanned and made into a pdf file.  Wow, I hate scanning even one page and always make my kids do it for me!  :)

So when it comes right down to it, you are not so much paying for the books as you are the labor that the people at Dollar Homeschool put into the huge undertaking.  Why did they do it?  Check out this video to find out!  And while you're on the website, go to their homepage and read the story of why America's public school stopped using these texts.  Very interesting stuff!

*Just to be perfectly clear, while the books are not copyrighted, the scanned images are.  In other words, if you have the book, you can scan it yourself.  However, you may not print out and share the scanned images from Dollar Homeschool.

What are the pros of this product? This is one of those products where just about every aspect of it can be both positive or negative depending on your point-of-view!  If you are interested in teaching your children by the old-fashioned textbook way, this might be just what you are looking for. 

As always, the advantage to digital materials is the ability to print out only what you need, as many copies as you need, and as many times as you need.  If you don't mind not have a "real book" in your hand, this can make things rather handy. 

They are cheap!  Yes, the cost is $159 for the series, but that is for over 100 books!  That's only about $1.50 apiece!

It's all covered!  Every grade from K-12 is covered in this series.

Like I said above, the people at Dollar Homeschool have worked very hard to collect and scan all of these books.  You could do it yourself, but, wow, I got tired just looking over all the files!

What's not to like? You simply have to realize that these are just scans of the originals.  They aren't reprints.  For this reason, the pages are not always perfect.  You might notice that some are not perfectly clear, and a page here and there might be missing.  Also, they are scanned in black and white which in some cases is a problem as colors are referenced in the text. 

Also, as up-to-date as these may have been in their day, they are quite out-of-date now.  Obviously, the history and science would need to be supplemented, but I also noticed that some of the math and grammar terms were different then.  This is not the kind of thing you could just hand over to your child and have them read.  You'd have to work right along with them and supplement/edit as you go along.
 
The Crazy Mom take:  Well, I am by no means "old school."  I probably lean more towards "unschool."  While I sometimes wish I was more "one room schoolhouseish" in my ways, I simply am not.  I actually have a set of McGuffey readers that I got many years ago.  I used them very briefly with my older kids, but they just weren't for me.  As far as Ray's Arithmetic goes, I looked it over and I just do not like it as much as I like our current curricula.  The other materials are quaint and old-fashioned, but, again, they just don't fit into my teaching style.  I do like the file of American poems which I am sure I will use in the future.

So, what I had to do for this review was put myself into the shoes of someone who did prefer the old-fashioned textbook method.  Well, for me, the whole digital thing just doesn't work.  I like a real "hold it in your hands" book.  Thinking of the McGuffey Readers, for instance, if I wanted to do a lesson, would I rather pull up a scan and print it out or grab my hard copy?  Hard copy it is.  No apologies!  LOL

So, now I have to put myself in the shoes of an old-fashioned, one room schoolhouse kinda gal (or guy) who is also high-tech and embraces the digital format.  No, it's not me, but those folks are out there.  I would have to say, that for that small, but very real, demographic out there, I would be able to recommend these CDs.  I think the fact that all the books have been scanned and organized so well, is a huge plus for someone who wants to go this route. 

The reality is that back in the day those books produced some very intelligent, as well as moral people.  Children were not taught fluff, and they were expected to learn, and they did.  I am simply not able to pull of this method, due to my "Crazy Momness," but this does not mean I do not respect the method.  I do. 

So, if this is your kinda thing, by all means, check it out!  I will just sit back and admire you and your ability to run your own little one room schoolhouse.  :)  And you can thank for pointing you in the direction of Dollar Homeschool!


What's the bottom line?  $159 for the complete series though you don't have to buy the entire series.  See website for more details.

I am going to give the Eclectic Education Series 3 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://www.dollarhomeschool.com/index.html

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/756018/



*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.
 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.
 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.
 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Disclaimer!!!  I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew.  I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others.  Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way.  I am in no way obligated to give a positive review.  I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal!  What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive. 

As with all products, you must do the research before buying.  Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying.  I can't guarantee that a product will work for you.  You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s).  I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review.  I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else.  I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath.  Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2010 Ramblings from the Crazy House

Fail. Fail. Fail EPIC fail!!!

Imagine me hanging my head in shame.  Well, I'm not.  It's too hard to eat that way.  No, I did not exercise this week.  Not once.  Not one jumping jack, not one crunch, and ZERO push ups, unlike some other people.  I am truly a bad, bad girl.

I've tried to think of a good excuse.  I didn't feel well earlier in the week.  I was out a bit more than usual.  I was wearing my boots and not my running shoes.  I am already wasting away to nothing.  No.  Not one of those excuses will work.  I was just a very, very bad girl.

Sweet Michelle has been so good to me and has even reminded me to exercise, but I haven't.  I meant to.  I really did.  But I did not.

So this week, I am going to have to make myself accountable to someone else.  Or should I say Someone else?  Yes, that's right.  I am going to make myself accountable to God this week.  If I tell him I'll exercise, I'll exercise.  At least ten minutes three times this week.  I have to.  I can break a promise to Denise, Mrs. White, Michelle, etc.  But when I make a promise to God, I will keep it!!!

Now, Michelle, that does not leave you off the hook.  I'll still let him use you to remind me!  :)

And BTW, Mrs. White, don't worry about that M&M Mars stock!!!

To join us, just go to Chai Mommy's site and check it out!!!

Wanna Get On Board With Me to Do Fun Product Reviews of Homeschool Stuff and More???

I love being on the TOS Homeschool Crew.  Next year will be my third year!!!  It's been lots of fun, the products are cool, the people are great, and it gives me something to blog about!  :)

Would you like to get in on all the fun?  Check it out here!!!

New Review!!! Math Tutor's Young Minds: Numbers and Counting!

Please take a minute to check out my side bar!  Become a Twitter follower, a Facebook fan, or even subscribe to get my posts in your inbox!  And, please, take the poll in my sidebar so I know how you found me!  :)

 

About the product/service:  As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free DVD from Math Tutor called Young Minds: Numbers and Counting for the purpose of checking it out and giving you my humble opinion! 

This DVD teaches preschoolers to count by showing beautiful pictures and then having them count along as they put the numbers up on the screen.  Music from Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart play in the background, adding to the charm of this DVD.  Along the way, they also learn names of animals, colors, and names of machines.

Screen Shot

The DVD also includes a guess the animal game, connect the dots, and picture puzzles.   (These are done right on screen; the child simply watches and does not manipulate the screen.)
 

An example of a picture puzzle.

What are the pros of this product?   This is just a wonderful product.  The music, the videos and photos, it's all just lovely! :)

What's not to like?  Nothing really jumps out at me as a negative.  How can you not like a sweet little DVD for you little ones?  The only thing I can even think of is one time when they were counting, they had the one and the two rather close and Baber pointed it out as a 12!  :)

The Crazy Mom take: I really like this DVD.  It's just beautifully done and the music is just so soothing!  It's far superior to most of the "cartoony" videos I've seen in the past.  I mean, it's not like I'm an expert or anything, but I was just pleasantly surprised when I saw how nice this was.  In searching for a word to describe it, I came up with artful.  It's very artfully done.  Our kids get so much exposure to pop culture these days, it's nice to have something so classy to set before them. 

Now, as amazing as it seems to me, after being surrounded for years by babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, my youngest, Baber, is now six and in first grade.  I still had him watch the DVD.  He made sure I knew that her already knew how to count.  He didn't mind watching it though, because, one, it made him feel smart to already know it, and, two, I think he really liked the pictures!  He also enjoyed the guess the animal game in the bonus features.

Again, this is a well done DVD.  I would recommend it for someone who has a preschool child, or even a toddler.  It's so nice to have some soothing music playing.  What a blessing that is in a house with a little one!  LOL  Or, if you're like I was, lots of little ones!  (Or big ones, I suppose, it's still very loud here!)  I will probably let Baber watch this a few more times and then pass in on to one of my younger nieces or nephews.  I really need the cool aunt cred!  LOL

BTW, I also reviewed two other videos from Math Tutor last year.  You can check it out here. 



 
What's the bottom line? The list price is $29.99, but the DVD can be purchased directly from Math Tutor for just $19.99.
   
I am going to give Young Minds:  Numbers and Counting 5 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out!  http://www.mathtutordvd.com/products/item58.cfm

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/753926/



*The Smiley System: 

I can't really recommend this product.

 I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.
 This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.
 Most homeschool moms will find this useful.
 This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Disclaimer!!!  I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew.  I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others.  Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way.  I am in no way obligated to give a positive review.  I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal!  What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive. 

As with all products, you must do the research before buying.  Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying.  I can't guarantee that a product will work for you.  You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s).  I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review.  I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else.  I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath.  Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2010 Ramblings from the Crazy House

Earth to Novo4, come in Novo4!!!

Novo4 has won my contest, but I don't know where to find her.  Anyone know how I can get ahold of her???

She has until Friday, February 12, 2010 to contact me. 

Novo4, just leave a comment right here on my blog letting me know how to get a hold of you.  I don't want you to miss out on your Kroger card!!!  :)

New Review!!! (Sort of.) Kinderbach!

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to take my poll, subscribe, follow me on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook.  If you haven't, check out my sidebar and take care of business!  LOL

 

 

As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a three month subscription to Kinderbach, as well as access to two of their new e-books, Dodi the Donkey coloring book, and the Craft and Game Level 1.  I had already used this program with my kids during lasts year's crew year, and here's what I had to say.

The Kinderbach site continues to improve.  The whole look and feel of the site is more professional than last time around.  Two more levels have been added since last year.  There are also more coloring pages/books, as well as the craft and game activity books.  Some downloads are free, while others have an addtional cost.  These additional resources, while not necessary for the program, can add additional reinforcement to what your child is learning. 
 

I suggest you go back and read my review from last year, and then hop on over to the Crew's website and see what my fellow crew mates have to say.  I think you just might like it!  :)

 
Disclaimer!!!  I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew.  I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others.  Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way.  I am in no way obligated to give a positive review.  I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal!  What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive. 

As with all products, you must do the research before buying.  Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying.  I can't guarantee that a product will work for you.  You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s).  I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review.  I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else.  I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath.  Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2010 Ramblings from the Crazy House