tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85832724435203734042024-02-22T08:09:45.662-08:00Special Connection HomeschoolConnecting Special Needs Families With Homeschool ResourcesLorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.comBlogger633125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-23043589808642464482016-06-07T07:11:00.001-07:002016-06-07T07:16:06.905-07:00Homeschool High School and Special Needs - Social StudiesFor High School our state requires the following for Social Studies:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Three units of history and government, which shall include world history; United States history; United States government, including the Constitution of the United States; concepts of economics and geography </blockquote>
<br />
Here is how I plan to meet the requirement and teach my daughter who has Down syndrome.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<br />
<a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/06/schoolhouse-review-veritas-press.html">Veritas Press</a> is a product I have continued to use since reviewing it. In middle school Gess has completed the first two in the self-paced history courses which were <i>Old Testament and Ancient Egypt</i> and <i>New Testament Greece and Rome</i>. This year she will be completing <i>Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation</i>. That will be part of "world" history.<br />
<br />
The self-paced series is considered an elementary level curriculum but it offers a way for me to give her one class that I don't have to teach. It allows her some independence that way. Gess loves the way it is presented and with quizzes often done via games, activities, and songs she has not only learned the information well, she retains it! She loves telling me all about the emperors of Rome, or Greek architecture, or whatever the current subject happens to be. The program even keeps her grades and hers is currently 95%!<br />
<br />
While Gess is going into high school I will be continuing these as our main curriculum. I want her to finish the series which will also include <i>Explorers to 1815</i> and <i>1815 to present</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.veritaspress.com/selfpaced/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbbZWRTzh0fubJqPk5OnTS4o9FA46VzFV8Efpma08IEz6C5jK_h7GMeC6dhQN-JsyGRlbjFQLFhnkdnKp-RZuEeFq6SaXTBTkf-3RkJ0P95VS62T1s8pbY9jREkeJLY2MGvaG-TFCIKM/s400/Small_Banner-Self_Paced_History_zps6fdd0d76.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
Along with this we will be focusing on Geography. Every two weeks she will study a country around the world. I am pulling out some old <a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2013/06/schoolhouse-review-memoria-press.html">Memoria Press</a> geography books to start with. We will re-read the information about these countries and then supplement that with information learned from other sources. At the end of the two weeks Gess will give a report, cook a meal, or do something to highlight what she learned about the country. She will then place a marker on her map to show that she can identify where the country is. We will use the United States units in a similar way during the year that we focus on US History.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/american-and-modern-studies/geography-i" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkp0rJxDiiqDhRxihBErOybWcZeABS10_9EUGfQJa-OYBTdbLO7DytmTdRwUOkPNOg-mDSLuxaFjcrBLw15GhZkV_mD2ujCdSIaxGM1_t1Yf73pAnG2v_oXOS4CK-xuU6t6iqoH7IQeSf/s400/Geography1-CompleteSet_zps84b09173.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
For American History and Government I plan to use <a href="http://homeschoollegacy.com/">Homeschool Legacy's Once A Week Unit studies</a>. We reviewed one on the weather and some holiday ones and they were great. While these are to be used once a week, with Gess' special needs we found a day's worth took us about a week to get through anyway. I currently have the <i>We the People</i> from the <i>Founder's Series</i>. We will do that and several others for their history selection. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://homeschoollegacy.com/product/american-history/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KWYlSBFOTxYYgkQ7xoQ90Pgs3EhXyud7YEZ5WRGuTZ5MznSimm_n8eT0X5yugnwO2QGe6uyLn-nPkpJQkbKqUBMJ4pR2yZpXuR4UX0RxlQkyW4q85qLIVzX7a-23uSnb_ZetzbA-FOY/s320/Founders-Series-780x980.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<br />
These are a really fun and hands on way to learn. This shorter "mirco study" looks delicious!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://homeschoollegacy.com/product/cooking-up-history-with-the-founding-presidents/"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4eVYy-ox3quBwQEoJIeSKwwBjpymi92GxMp3N0xu-cG9p_yRUUZe2UG5MMGkugSO7osjg30c_iu2aE36K1bFGvc6OQmbH_bluNO1uioyaQtHZhdYmmvr4NnW4B8YzqGMIMkEvsQ2Jm0/s320/Cooking-Up-History2-580x780.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
I think the economics aspects of it will be the toughest part. We will be working on personal money management but to understand the entire scheme of things will depend on how that goes. I am sure we will cover it at some point. Here is what I am using this coming year for our personal finances. We tried it before but she wasn't quite ready. I think she is now.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75Z2qA14ubcUr1AEqXhA-AwLcPPCsCgOwGUU6EJqFnjNTLm-R7BjGRwMUPk8Gv9ryVMPyqVUFN39jAzuEjgJ2jhcho9ySZZwPLWytxFiub6zn0fEe_PCzToAxG-qdZcxv-Xlq4I8Myg8/s1600/51IzGgJ5htL._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75Z2qA14ubcUr1AEqXhA-AwLcPPCsCgOwGUU6EJqFnjNTLm-R7BjGRwMUPk8Gv9ryVMPyqVUFN39jAzuEjgJ2jhcho9ySZZwPLWytxFiub6zn0fEe_PCzToAxG-qdZcxv-Xlq4I8Myg8/s320/51IzGgJ5htL._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
Along with all of these we will supplement with various field trips, documentaries,
videos, books, and other things we find. At the end of four years Gess
will have a firm foundation on both world and US history as well as
geography. <br />
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-33076270669209163492016-06-03T10:59:00.003-07:002016-06-03T10:59:28.281-07:00Record Keeping for High School and Special NeedsWith Gess entering High School I have to make sure that she completes the requirements for graduation. Because she has Down syndrome I am able to adapt the subjects to her current level of learning and capabilities. As we start the 9th grade I am trying to make sure that I have a plan in place. I know that parents who homeschool their child with special needs often want to know what to do for high school. I know, because I am one of them! Well, I am learning as I go but I think I have it figured out!<br />
<br />
<br />
Before I get into the curriculum we need to talk about<b> </b>record keeping. I have been using <a href="http://mystudentlogbook.com/">My Student Log Book</a>s since I <a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/schoolhouse-review-my-student-logbook.html">reviewed</a> them a couple of years ago. It has been helpful for Gess to track her own work and keep her on task. Here is an example of that from my previous <a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/schoolhouse-review-my-student-logbook.html">review</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/schoolhouse-review-my-student-logbook.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPGT9V1t2tSB-V6Jrw0mrCr9M5VaY1p2QnRffJkGLiaiUqHFDweMVcXUjohB8Sn4cejPJ4kRh01OySHCswopp-QsJyUAL8xYa8ZGzRKmDgJODsvk8jZcgfd8lx5pB24-eq0yET18fa3Q/s320/sample2.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
<br />
While I used it as a visual check list, it is so much more than that! If you utilize all the functions in this book you can keep track of your student's work and easily transport that information onto a high school transcript. They have <a href="http://mystudentlogbook.com/high-school-transcripts/">detailed information and videos</a> about how to do just that. They are very informative!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mystudentlogbook.com/high-school-transcripts/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLoC2vaEGnfezuPEYJEttqW1W7ljtZvWQBc6Ji8Q6KRROGAzUFHNeabmYD6ascwu9Exg_nmyYzz6Ok981p04zwSnJuqyDhGhSNMC6Kj3GT1pN4ezc_avhqFy4CFEvL-1vCgzChEvzjIY/s320/logbookinfo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I will be following the second option mostly, creating my own curriculum based upon hours spent on a subject. So now instead of just filling in an X when Gess has completed a subject she might put a time slot in the box instead, or a grade if it was a test. I even got a timer to use to see how long it takes her to complete a task to make sure that we are getting our full hour of subject time in each day. She has been practicing with it this summer timing how long it takes her to read a book.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yDQWZY7qW-VbyFtld910I98yvCqR5KRltfNSuX_FLZ1QqCpe_cIft89DqLSnp8TVVDYoHb41KGlMxrw-Z465neSXfTWUDGwy1-bBsQNAfxFSHX8Vp3J3AeDl4leKc8ZTdC2sV9xqLwU/s1600/timer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yDQWZY7qW-VbyFtld910I98yvCqR5KRltfNSuX_FLZ1QqCpe_cIft89DqLSnp8TVVDYoHb41KGlMxrw-Z465neSXfTWUDGwy1-bBsQNAfxFSHX8Vp3J3AeDl4leKc8ZTdC2sV9xqLwU/s200/timer.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
<br />
On the timer she can just press start and then stop when finished and write in the number of minutes spent. It can also be set for an amount of time in which it will count down and then stops when her time is up. She had no trouble learning how to use it or remembering to do it.<br />
<br />
In the back of the logbook are pages to log books read, events, projects, field trips, presentations, activities, and record test scores. <br />
<br />
Now when I am ready to fill in my transcript I will have all the information I need! I am using the transcript templates provided by the <a href="http://www.hslda.org/highschool/academics.asp#transcripts">Homeschool Legal Defense Association</a>. I am a member and highly recommend them. Besides legally representing you if you ever get questioned about homeschooling they have a lot of helpful information and forms for you to use. As a member they will even review the transcript for you! These templates are available for anyone though.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hslda.org/highschool/academics.asp#transcripts" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkByfrnuzRN3bHaqCU6lRZX59HW3d5IeqGnPlNjquNK4BPrWH6iGpS80349zUJmW6dmH3AN1g_qlBRYSQdmj8MHA_S9T_HKEIqGaUtfHwZe4cAgWVncUa0nJVfnquvpfxSmY7wm_o5Vc/s320/transcript.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<br />
One last thing, I am writing my own version of an IEP. Instead of saying what I need to work on since I am already aware of that, it is mostly just to document what level Gess is on at the start of each year. That will help explain why she was able to do things on a lower grade level. It will also show advancement when compared to the year before. This link has templates that I found helpful. <a href="http://www.cherylmjorgensen.com/Resources.html">http://www.cherylmjorgensen.com/Resources.html</a><br />
<br />
I am now working on ordering curriculum and planning my schedule based upon my state's graduation requirements. In Kansas we need:<br />
<br />
*<u>Four units of English language arts</u>, which shall include reading, writing, literature, communication, and grammar. The building administrator may waive up to one unit of this requirement if the administrator determines that a pupil can profit more by taking another subject.<br />
<br />
*<u>Three units of history and government</u>, which shall include world history; United States history; United States government, including the Constitution of the United States; concepts of economics and geography<br />
<br />
*<u>Three units of science</u>, which shall include physical, biological, and earth and space science concepts and which shall include at least one unit as a laboratory course<br />
<br />
*<u>Three units of mathematics</u>, including algebraic and geometric concepts<br />
<br />
*<u>One unit of physical education</u>, which shall include health and which may include safety, first aid, or physiology<br />
<br />
*<u>One unit of fine arts</u>, which may include art, music, dance, theatre, forensics, and other similar studies selected by a local board of educatio<br />
<br />
*<u>Six units of elective courses</u><br />
<br />
I will blog about what we are doing for each subject in the weeks to come. I am having a blast working it all out. I just love teaching at home and am excited about entering the realm of high school this fall!<br /><br /><br />
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-26760143158459041842016-05-30T07:26:00.000-07:002016-06-07T16:56:48.719-07:00My Summer Reading List From Progeny PressLately I have been entering the adult summer reading program along side my daughter. Once she reached middle school the goals for us have been the same: Read 10 books over the summer. It makes it fun because we often race to see who finishes first. Gess usually wins. They even give adults a break and let them read from any section of the library, but I always chose adult books - until now.<br />
<br />
Since Gess is entering high school and reading comprehension and books reports are part of her requirements I have decided to use some resources from Progeny Press. I <a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2013/04/schoolhouse-review-progeny-press.html">reviewed their guide for Hall of Doors: Dragon's Hoard</a> a few years ago and we really like it. While Dragon's Hoard was on their upper elementary level list of books, for high school I will try using their middle school guides. I will probably only have Gess do one per semester because of how long it takes her to read a book of this length and how difficult it is for her to examine it thoroughly. In the past she always read a book twice before answering questions but that will be harder for longer books.<br />
<br />
Here is the link to the <a href="http://stores.progenypress.com/middle-school-1/">Progeny Press Middle School E-Guides</a>. One of the things I love about <a href="http://stores.progenypress.com/about-us/">Progeny Press</a> is how they use Scripture as the lens for truth when examining literature. I also like them because they are interactive and allow the student to type their answers directly into the PDF. That is very helpful for Gess who types better than writes anyway. I will most certainly have her answer each chapter's questions at the end of the section rather than wait until the end of the book.<br />
<br />
The toughest part is finding novels Gess has an interest in. She will read non-fiction books all day long. Fiction is tougher. I also might have to get some of the books in e-book format. That will help her adjust the font to a comfortable size and keep her from seeing how long the book is. (The size of large books scares her, even if she has the skill to read all the words inside.) Here is my short list for her. I will read most of these this summer and get a feel for which ones I think she will like best. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLqoH1A6mdaUz-wp2Ddr8oWyZIS0ByttJMK1MFRiT9u2xUHNkIhQf6BY4U-OzaXGG0V3ToQSJgZ6gjuKMvaQPlSvndp9lg0XGDq2jllXSi64w8S7RPevh2g3u7Nb0rPugADxyBtjfzmk/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLqoH1A6mdaUz-wp2Ddr8oWyZIS0ByttJMK1MFRiT9u2xUHNkIhQf6BY4U-OzaXGG0V3ToQSJgZ6gjuKMvaQPlSvndp9lg0XGDq2jllXSi64w8S7RPevh2g3u7Nb0rPugADxyBtjfzmk/s400/books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I will share what Gess chooses to read later as her choices tend to be more random. What are you planning on reading this summer?Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-78405040509269109442016-05-28T08:30:00.001-07:002016-05-28T08:32:41.845-07:00I really needed a break!I never really intended to stop blogging but life has been really hard. I have had some serious things that have taken priority. I also really struggled with what to write on a regular basis. With Gess in middle school these last few years there really was not anything new to cover. Unlike before where she was always learning a new concept or coming up with a new challenge, we were pretty much settled in. Like a typical student, we did the same lessons each day and that is really not all that interesting to write about that!<br />
<br />
This year though, Gess will be starting High School! I have been doing research into high school transcripts and state requirements so she can get a diploma at the end of the next four years. I am learning a lot and so I will be sharing about that! I am in the process of planning next year and getting my curriculum ordered. When I am done you will hear about it!<br />
<br />
Summer also affords more time for writing and we sometimes do some interesting things worth writing about. That will hopefully get me back to writing. I have missed doing it!<br />
<br />
I just can't believe my baby girl will be 15 in October and starts the 9th grade in August!! Where has the time gone!? <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOfdCPh0nhLzz1z2Zm3fMB-GF0XuMO0mPme8HGPWQv1jV2x8WSpq5bbzOf5bPNRg7LhM8QQItRQvPHwHlRYmyD2XpubnbCNP2mzdU3p-PaCHFdW1jiMOLTnebAY6qIrVneNMXVRA9A3E/s1600/bloggingcollage2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOfdCPh0nhLzz1z2Zm3fMB-GF0XuMO0mPme8HGPWQv1jV2x8WSpq5bbzOf5bPNRg7LhM8QQItRQvPHwHlRYmyD2XpubnbCNP2mzdU3p-PaCHFdW1jiMOLTnebAY6qIrVneNMXVRA9A3E/s400/bloggingcollage2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht286WR6ADiamHIBW6Oi7Wp_ck7KmV8G0VPGEXY5JnlOC_t5YFMAqapqCPpRzi9zs0a_wllNSirfsA-UE6814IcilQ0gfiOAFusZuGvV9szznFPx0py5rbYHxv_UFTzGe40FpOIOSVK1g/s1600/glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-18960104031418291412016-02-01T06:05:00.002-08:002016-02-01T06:05:56.906-08:00Shopping and FinancesGess and I practice shopping in many different ways. Sometimes she writes her own list, sometimes she just follows mine. I always try to have her find things herself. I will pick a few items and have her take me to that part of the store and find it all on her own. I will send her down and aisle while I wait and have her grab things I know she can find. She also helps me check out of the store. She loves doing the self check out for she can do that all on her own! She even knows how to pay with a debit or credit card as well as cash.<br />
<br />
This past year we have been focusing on cost. We practice rounding items in the store to add as we go along. At one point she looked up asked me, "Are we doing math at Wal-Mart?" I was busted and admitted that we were. I also used that as an opportunity to explain we always use math at Wal-Mart or any other store. Shopping requires math. Whether you do it in your head or just let the cash register do it for you, math is required!<br />
<br />
The latest element I have added is having her realize how much all that stuff costs. The total, of our entire shopping bill. The first time she heard it she exclaimed, "Wow that's a lot!" Indeed it is. Budgeting is a very important life skill so for now we are addressing it by having her simply get a handle on how much it costs to feed our family and keep our pantry stocked each week. We usually shop at 3 different grocery stores (unless it is a very hectic week). After we get home while I put groceries away Gess sits at the table, finds our total on each receipt and adds them all up with the calculator. She is getting really good at it!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz9tRV8-3ZuaWHA-YkuE6K6eOOZuh_gwf9l79-gDKG2K07uQmE_pC9DNUQPI6DuvEVuaHDkOzrJ7nXMvw9lcaC3ojbdeePqWnne6sYRYt7_Z0LlGV-qSmVoLhlU_PN018gTXGgkZ0JaQ/s1600/spendingtotal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKz9tRV8-3ZuaWHA-YkuE6K6eOOZuh_gwf9l79-gDKG2K07uQmE_pC9DNUQPI6DuvEVuaHDkOzrJ7nXMvw9lcaC3ojbdeePqWnne6sYRYt7_Z0LlGV-qSmVoLhlU_PN018gTXGgkZ0JaQ/s320/spendingtotal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I plan on incorporating more budgeting in the future. She will help get the mail, open our bills, and see what they cost. For now it is planning our grocery list, figuring out how much we can spend, doing the shopping, and then seeing how good we did to sticking to our "budget." I can see she is getting it because she is now always asking me, "how much does that cost?"Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-12872607665029696852016-01-27T12:39:00.000-08:002016-01-27T12:39:44.153-08:00Times Tales Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJYjduemLg_zloaTTwbRKlInMCzvEegzNEQl7SiHH-GbsheGb7u-sNRJFwSM1sAq79cZQWaZkVC883T1SGNZexd3RUY3gU2j_Vej3U7vZHO8A_ocHgqUxNoiy7Kt-RdSrb9b7BpPtxeg/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJYjduemLg_zloaTTwbRKlInMCzvEegzNEQl7SiHH-GbsheGb7u-sNRJFwSM1sAq79cZQWaZkVC883T1SGNZexd3RUY3gU2j_Vej3U7vZHO8A_ocHgqUxNoiy7Kt-RdSrb9b7BpPtxeg/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I am super excited to tell you about our latest discovery! This program is helping my daughter, who has Down syndrome, memorize her multiplication facts. This is really incredible when you consider that she has yet to master her addition and subtraction facts! It's all thanks to this handy resource we found called <a href="http://www.timestales.com/">Times Tales</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.timestales.com/">Times Tales</a> introduces the times tables as stories. Each number is a "character" and in the stories those numbers interact. When they do you unlock the answer to what happens when you multiply those two characters together. The trick is that they don't mention that at all until the child has memorized the stories exactly as written!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWU8BGyBJoXotF2I-oEiHNtaDTzcom4ZN4vYIvV2ctgZV7CSUQtoHC3g1Lo2MnIASq-xQXX9K13E4TNAldckbspRHM1PoMqBW5mo0gvVmztNRPjUz-459od8AT9awK93seEcTtJR-0x8A/s1600/WP_20151117_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWU8BGyBJoXotF2I-oEiHNtaDTzcom4ZN4vYIvV2ctgZV7CSUQtoHC3g1Lo2MnIASq-xQXX9K13E4TNAldckbspRHM1PoMqBW5mo0gvVmztNRPjUz-459od8AT9awK93seEcTtJR-0x8A/s320/WP_20151117_004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Gess is an excellent reader and great at memorizing when it comes to bible verses, rhymes, and songs so this was right up her alley. Stories make sense to her - numbers no so much. Now that these numbers have a story she has her facts all figured out!<br />
<br />
Along with the video you get downloadable resources to help the child along. There are a couple of worksheets as well as flash cards and dice with the problems presented as the characters in the story. The dice have both numbers as well as characters and are a fun way to practice the facts randomly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBeceKdVl6huamqIHrVUO43mUIgKc0I-i-Y-28tey-BUFIw0LEsrfSTFDwGx4pH_LBsUWoLBf8KcbcRThJ8x53B7a3ftgdKO-1xgbQ2kKZo8otkLHNm3Xm5NMY8euYE3L6x8E027eluc/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBeceKdVl6huamqIHrVUO43mUIgKc0I-i-Y-28tey-BUFIw0LEsrfSTFDwGx4pH_LBsUWoLBf8KcbcRThJ8x53B7a3ftgdKO-1xgbQ2kKZo8otkLHNm3Xm5NMY8euYE3L6x8E027eluc/s320/index.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We have just completed part 1. I am waiting awhile longer before moving on. With her special needs I am taking it slow. We have been at it over a month and as of today she only struggled with two facts but ultimately got them all right. She can even get the division problems, but they take more time. In a few more weeks she should be ready to move on! Do note that typical kids can learn this in a matter of hours, but we are OK with moving slow. Just having her NOT panic at a math problem is so amazing to me!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNgw54N-0YD6lvvPGlfvnYsK-_hJRsQspIS7uGV1bfTthEleIFkkzYEJ5G9WWR1pL-PJeJa4Aj0W70tFxrEQ4zBdkFK_gTjcz4VhZgDRKquKton56a8X7f2IGV3Sciy9UVQHAqjumGOU/s1600/IMG_20160127_113729279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNgw54N-0YD6lvvPGlfvnYsK-_hJRsQspIS7uGV1bfTthEleIFkkzYEJ5G9WWR1pL-PJeJa4Aj0W70tFxrEQ4zBdkFK_gTjcz4VhZgDRKquKton56a8X7f2IGV3Sciy9UVQHAqjumGOU/s320/IMG_20160127_113729279.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I will update and let you know how part 2 goes. For now, I am happy with what we have! Way to go Gess! And thank you <a href="http://www.timestales.com/">Times Tales</a>! Now if only they had this for addition and subtraction...hint, hint!<br />
<br />
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-74349388117680260452016-01-15T06:11:00.003-08:002016-01-15T06:21:18.828-08:00A Mom's New Years ResolutionI had quite the year last year. I had a hysterectomy in June and just as I got my OK to become active again I had a terrible pain in my shoulder which turned out to be from a herniated disc in my neck. That put me down another 3 months. After that my mother's heart failure progressed and my responsibilities for her doubled. So now that things are calm again and a new year is upon us, I have a lot of goals that I want to accomplish.<br />
<br />
I sat down one day and listed all my goals. I want to read through the bible in a year, memorize more verses, have daily quiet time, exercise, lose 25 pounds, and my list kept growing and growing. Looking down at it all on paper completely overwhelmed me. Then, the Lord started to show me something.<br />
<br />
My pastor preached a New Year's sermon and ended it by stating that no matter what you were able to accomplish that year, were you faithful to God? If you were faithful that was enough! God had already been revealing this to me in his Word. I was seeing that even though I had an "off" year and accomplished little in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of God I was faithful to Him and that was all that mattered! How encouraging that was, to know that my God is not disappointed in me! He extended grace in the midst of my circumstances, not judgment. So now I want to share a little bit of what I learned so that maybe it can encourage you too.<br />
<br />
The Bible is full of many miracles and great men and women who acted courageously for God. But if we look at the scope of all of time, we have to realize that those incredible moments were actually few and far between. Even in the life of people like Abraham or Daniel there are many years of silence before the next big step, miracle, or vision came. The point is that life isn't all about doing <i>big things</i> for God, it is about being faithful to Him in our day to day lives. As mothers, as grandmothers, as teachers, as wives, as daughters, our number one priority is to be faithful to God.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
<i>Gen 18:18 Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19<b> For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just</b>. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what He promised him." </i></blockquote>
<br />
Abraham was commanded to do what was right and just. Sometimes that required great steps of great faith like when he left his family in Ur or was ready to sacrifice Isaac, but it wasn't just those acts that made him faithful. It was doing what was right and just all the time.The times you don't read about. The dull day when his family just did their tasks without angels stopping by, or talking directly with the Lord. Even among his mistakes, which were sometimes great as when he lied about his wife and allowed Kings to have her, in his heart he was faithful to God. He wasn't perfect, but he was faithful.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Mic 6:8 Mankind, He has told you what is good<br />and what it is the Lord requires of you:<br />to act justly,<br />to love faithfulness,<br />and to walk humbly with your God.</i> </blockquote>
</div>
<br />
Micah gives us three things that are required of us. None of them say <i>how</i> we are to do it. Others around us may seem more spiritual because they have done something “bigger” for God than you but in reality there is no "big" thing. All that God requires is that we do these three things. Maybe you are not on a mission field, not leading a class, or not having a particularly powerful season of prayer but that does not mean there is something wrong with your spiritual walk. Staying faithful in the dull moments life can be even harder than staying faithful in the tough situations. Believe me, when Gess was undergoing heart surgery I was faithful to God because I knew it was impossible without Him, but now that she is well, it's easier to forget to have that time of prayer or read my Scripture. Be faithful with what you are given every day, be humble, and be just. That's it.<br />
<br />
The passage that stood out to me the most over the last year was this one in 1 Thessalonians. Paul was telling the people to love their brothers but there was more they were to do.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>1Th 4:10 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, 11 <b>to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands</b>, as we commanded you,</i></blockquote>
Love your brothers and sisters in Christ, lead a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your hands. That is what Abraham did in between the chapters of the Bible. When Daniel wasn't before the king interpreting dreams or getting visions, this is what he did. When Paul was staying in one place for awhile writing his letters he was doing this too. Working with their hands, leading a quite life, and showing love by not striving to tear others down. They kept the Lord's way by doing what was right and just.<br />
<br />
Note that this was not perfection. David who was a man after God's own heart did many awful things including murder. It is not expected that we become perfect, but that we stay faithful and allow the Spirit to lead us. Part of staying faithful is realizing that you will mess up but keep striving forward anyway. Perfection will not come until heaven, so walk in the Spirit and continue to grow even after you fail.<br />
<br />
I am not in anyway suggesting that we should not strive to sacrifice or do great things for the Lord. There are seasons and times for that to be sure. I just want to remind us that sometimes the big things will not come until we can be faithful in the many little things day after day after day. Among the messy house, the dirty diapers, the piles of laundry, the cranky child, the sleepless night, if you stay faithful to God that is enough! You are a success in the eyes of the loving God. Besides, raising our kids is no small thing! I know it does not always get the praise that it rightfully deserves, especially in our culture. Those children you are raising are a reward, not a distraction from doing something greater. They are the gift you are given from a God who loves you and knows that you are enough!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Psa 127:3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,<br />children, a reward.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, make your lists, set your goals, and strive to do better in every area of your life, but put this one at the top of your list. <b>Be faithful to God</b>. Then give yourself some grace as you look back and if at the end of year you can say, "I was faithful to God" you have done well.<br />
</div>
</div>
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-32136464426742510042016-01-01T10:50:00.000-08:002016-01-01T10:52:26.211-08:00Happy New Year!I want to apologize for my unannounced absence. My mother's health has been poor and I have just been overwhelmed taking care of her and trying to keep up with school, church, house, and life in general.<br />
<br />
It has also been difficult for me to find things to write about. Now that Gess is older I don't have as many "ah ha" moments to share. Our school is pretty structured and she is doing amazingly well. <br />
<br />
I also feel bad that many of the tips on here are now outdated. Information that was once so hard to find is now available in so many places. Tricks that we had to use are now nicely packaged into new curriculum or even software. You know, Gess learned to read without an Ipad or any app for that matter. While I think those tools are nice I actually think that our hands on approach was probably somewhat better anyway. I do think touching objects is better than clicking on them.<br />
<br />
My plan for this year is to try to blog at least once a week. I realize that barely makes mine an "active" blog but its the best I think can do for now. Feel free to follow me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lorisevedge">Facebook</a> and/or join my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/528616177207117/">Homeschooling and Down Syndrome Mom's group</a> to talk with me and other moms facing the same challenges that you do.<br />
<br />
Because of our stressful year we spent a nice quiet evening at home New Year's Eve and even went to bed before midnight. That was not, however, before being spanked at Monopoly by Gess. She just loves that game and we don't play it enough because it takes so long. She sure does love counting the money and buying things and having property of her own so the time is always worth it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_HZNwBlakKrGP7UTsNdq7UXRhPAFKkyYgOXvMvgxbk5W3Ei82BBL70TDQwXaYPh1ZQlQJAIbhnmP3wa7sAN8gzDEjqAK-ndK1O_fw3CJxpV5IKWnpg16tot4YUGhetkc7mMSmfO0P7Y/s1600/9545_10205209609388734_4333194002713702405_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_HZNwBlakKrGP7UTsNdq7UXRhPAFKkyYgOXvMvgxbk5W3Ei82BBL70TDQwXaYPh1ZQlQJAIbhnmP3wa7sAN8gzDEjqAK-ndK1O_fw3CJxpV5IKWnpg16tot4YUGhetkc7mMSmfO0P7Y/s400/9545_10205209609388734_4333194002713702405_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I hope you and your families have enjoyed the New Year. My prayer for this year is summed up best in this very old one. May you discover the riches of God's goodness in this new year.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be<br /> In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.<br /> Another year of progress, another year of praise,<br /> Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.</b></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: center;">
<b> Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,<br /> Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;<br /> Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;<br /> Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.</b><br />
<b> Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,<br /> Another year of training for holier work above.<br /> Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be<br /> On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee."</b><br />
<b> -- Frances Havergal (1874)</b></div>
</blockquote>
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-75155858670532996682015-09-14T12:41:00.001-07:002015-09-14T12:45:53.268-07:00I'm down but not outI have been having some serious shoulder pain, which turns out to be a problem in my neck. Still, it has made sitting at my desk unbearable and sitting at all unpleasant. I am in physical therapy and it seems to be helping, but it seems like it will be a slow healing process. <br />
<br />
So anyway, writing is just not happening right now. We have some things going on in school and other activities I plan to write about. I just haven't had the opportunity to get it on the blog. Please don't give up on me and if you would, send a prayer my way! I am anxious to get back to my usual pace again!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-53786041109577576062015-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:002015-09-01T05:00:11.621-07:00How Small is an atom?In our <a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-world-of-science.html">World of Science</a> book we are learning about atoms so I logged on to <a href="http://allinonehomeschool.com/">Easy Peasy All-in-one Homeschool</a> to find some supplemental ways to explore them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://allinonehomeschool.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lMXjZCo-0SqKRE5IbvsPXrwNshyGFRdUpKASEiyYWTFJtROxR5-3wXs1ZY0ZFymp-DT37WKl9FeXYDXMWHCIS9E93hQ60y7VH51A3357Ub8AzFrCw2eFguke63dOuUaND0DJmdTwA4I/s1600/logo-smaller-for-header-logo-plane-theme.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
On their <a href="http://allinonehomeschool.com/science-year-4/">Easy Peasy Chemistry and Physics page</a> I found links to these fun interactive helpful tools!<br />
<br />
At <a href="http://www.molecularium.com/kidsite.html">Molecularium</a> we played in the Nanolab. There you could build molecules, zoom in to see their size, and check them out in the different states of matter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.molecularium.com/kidsite.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2U60n9djphNmOK6JwoxlXROJ2fNRZrhWP9hYQOsHkP-v9NY4g7_lupf9kj_ziNhFvH-AaS_eoRajsKTzJMAqUX5xU7xLAlRcRViPJY7xd2Dqa0WKv-jzbXtkBoAO409J9eWHdT7XIM4w/s320/nanolab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Then at <a href="http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/scale/">Learn.Genetics</a> we found a cool tool that lets you get a feel for the real size and scale of a cell. Use the scroll bar along the bottom to keep zooming in. It's really cool!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/scale/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdhgJrBVLuz27I2mSB2gvWY3yy9U3_zkoOyvt4MJKJoMe1anob7kUDgHoTf1XdPDoMQe0UwoCOEYlE7X0X32zJhC0ZkFkcpbYcBCkvfm7rUhB_1frXvQFrSWF20gIROnFRGAXSdsZZro/s320/cellsize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We followed up with this video showing the size by continuing to look at things that are 1,000 times smaller than the object we are looking at. The music is just background and has no context, so we muted it as we watched.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aQnbF-zpDiM?rel=0" width="320"></iframe></center>
<br />
It's really hard to wrap your head around how really tiny an atom is, but these sure do help give us some perspective.Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-49779887993678373472015-08-25T07:47:00.001-07:002015-08-25T07:47:13.308-07:00A+ For MathBy A+ I don't actually mean that's my daughter's grade, but rather it is the program we are using for math again this year. <a href="http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/">A+ Tutorsoft</a> is math program you can purchase to use online or on a CD. It has instructional videos, interactive quizzes, as well as both online and printable worksheets and exams. It has everything we need for one year of math.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqrTAlRRnn5rVap6Q5lnFuSyesHpw6bODEzgRNqxWM7MX4iVM_uBA4VLE4UCMbWRcvRA_yuKMcYYDrYYRgREWyvQICVc3dc8Oxo5yX535WIZeSZWsaqm6AMP90fj_p7JwssA_Vn5jNFg/s320/1376415_10151885400717908_2008550555_n.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Gess really struggles with math so we are using the 3rd grade curriculum. Gess has been unable to memorize her math facts so I still allow her to use helps (including counting on her fingers) to help her solve problems, but she is able to add and subtract large numbers that way. We will begin focusing on multiplication and division this year. <br />
<br />
I prefer A+ over other online programs because the lessons are presented in a way that Gess seems to both enjoy and understand. When it's time to do the interactive quiz I often have her solve the problem on the board instead of a worksheet. She enjoys that. Here she is comparing three numbers and putting them in order from greatest to least.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LxvNu7J9MfqKnq5BfXP1Gq1m90xGcc5y2Z19z52enswj4DvmeXCdUZftIsBAW-cwzsKkOBTDxZc9cjNTvVP7o8blysQv2K9V7ySnBCaYzscU7Gj5xZbGXo00ZaaF4mtQfbY3RAZDXVY/s1600/WP_20150825_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LxvNu7J9MfqKnq5BfXP1Gq1m90xGcc5y2Z19z52enswj4DvmeXCdUZftIsBAW-cwzsKkOBTDxZc9cjNTvVP7o8blysQv2K9V7ySnBCaYzscU7Gj5xZbGXo00ZaaF4mtQfbY3RAZDXVY/s320/WP_20150825_007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Once she finds the answer she sits back down at her desk to enter the solution.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOYIfxOh498kKLoIWlmxJ5M3toU6WsWmYhHvgNQ8NkJTeDgzbEFb_zhjvdOEZQJAVre-aX-Q5xTXDjft8L6yt339_Z_1hQHTScA7J9qTokq6o1xoMiBA2LYyIEtppVLRPfbMtqJcjUAA/s1600/WP_20150825_012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOYIfxOh498kKLoIWlmxJ5M3toU6WsWmYhHvgNQ8NkJTeDgzbEFb_zhjvdOEZQJAVre-aX-Q5xTXDjft8L6yt339_Z_1hQHTScA7J9qTokq6o1xoMiBA2LYyIEtppVLRPfbMtqJcjUAA/s320/WP_20150825_012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I know this seems like a lot of up and down, but for her that seems to help. Math frustrates her so I think it helps for her to be able to "walk away" from the worksheet while she tries to find a solution. Whatever the case, it works for us.<br />
<br />
While my laptop works well for the lesson and interactive quiz, the font for the online worksheets is pretty small. When I increase the font she can't see the whole thing on the page. For us that isn't a problem because we have a big screen television hooked up in our living room. (It's how we watch streaming television and avoid the cost of cable!) Anyway, here she is doing an online worksheet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTbKODyIjj48KEIy9_0qYjVgUWHHdH2hs8LnCeyZ6PnNJKR-DHmaWAOPyF97hSio4doWB-MLR5e9ZM0Vkqlz9hJ4z0XIivesuE0KpgMRahzzBjbDv6hCYOuP1iZ1CbcjNNu9YUu32vG4/s1600/WP_20150818_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTbKODyIjj48KEIy9_0qYjVgUWHHdH2hs8LnCeyZ6PnNJKR-DHmaWAOPyF97hSio4doWB-MLR5e9ZM0Vkqlz9hJ4z0XIivesuE0KpgMRahzzBjbDv6hCYOuP1iZ1CbcjNNu9YUu32vG4/s320/WP_20150818_005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I use the online worksheets for lengthy word problems because it is easier to for her to read them online than on a printed page. There is less ink and paper waste that way too. I will use the printable worksheets when she has actual problems to solve. For now she has just been reviewing basic number sense like comparing numbers, writing numbers in various forms, and things like that. Next week we start on addition!<br />
<br />
I am also using <a href="http://lifeoffredmath.com/">Life of Fred</a> to supplement our math. We do<a href="http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/"> A+</a> in the morning and she has one assignment to complete after school. Then we do <a href="http://lifeoffredmath.com/">Life of Fred</a> together in the afternoon. I will share more about that later.<br />
<br />
Gess is doing an excellent job reading so this year I am going to trying to make some major headway in math!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-34844552839625148682015-08-20T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-20T05:00:13.332-07:00The World Of ScienceWith Gess now being in what many call middle school it has been hard for me to find appropriate curriculum. She can read really well and her comprehension is even pretty good, but it is not yet ready for middle school level. Couple that with her inability to read small print and it makes finding a text book hard.<br />
<br />
We have also been all over the place on science. It has turned out to be Gesserine's favorite subject and many times I have let her choose the topic. Her fascination with weather comes alive every spring and in the winter when she is often sick she focuses on human anatomy and biology. While we have done some studies on plants and animals and various other things, I fear there are some things she has missed. So this year we are doing a full science review. For that I purchased the book <a href="http://www.nlpg.com/the-world-of-science">The World of Science from Master Books</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w9zQ1llqx-4gAFyUW7F_hOz2pLP0ST3WqZDqgSuM54HfjK7ggwjWRCoYNONg_9P5MBRFRjfsVWa2q__2JUN2fvCByoTjWZZVlZvDer6UXQCNp5Ot6dFLaw88nHHAXQrmbIkE97AcKf0/s1600/world-of-science.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w9zQ1llqx-4gAFyUW7F_hOz2pLP0ST3WqZDqgSuM54HfjK7ggwjWRCoYNONg_9P5MBRFRjfsVWa2q__2JUN2fvCByoTjWZZVlZvDer6UXQCNp5Ot6dFLaw88nHHAXQrmbIkE97AcKf0/s320/world-of-science.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />
The book is divided into 7 sections. It covers 6 majors areas of science with the final section being experiments that correspond with the other 6 sections of the book. The topics covered are:<br />
<br />
1. Matter and Chemicals<br />
2. Energy, Motions, and Machines<br />
3. Electricity and Magnetism<br />
4. Light and Sound<br />
5. Earth and Life<br />
6. Space and Time<br />
<br />
Of course there are only brief explanations of each topic but it will be great to review and it will help me discover what Gess may have forgotten or possibly not covered in her previous studies. As we go through the book I plan to supplement with extra resources either from our previous text books, library books, personal library, or the internet. The experiments also look to be lots of fun. You can see some sample pages of the book at their website. The image below will lead to that link.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.nlpg.com/downloads/dl/file/id/370/product/1160/the_world_of_science.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQF9FBU4Pqfj5VhOKsd62JXk4OYEnzsN6pPu751MtkNzQNGwV8gqr38zCFID-xCbUFooWJWlpqC02P3Go-te_jssD7TVNkSTeQQYrN_k-3-jPalbxijXR1PrXQkBr7_CtLcOMP_FNZmc/s320/insidebook.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
I think this will be a great way to review before Gess enters on into high school. While our focus is usually on reading, math, and basic life skills science and social studies have still been a priority for me. It helps that Gess has had an eager interest in science. That actually helped spark her reading interest for she loved reading about the weather and other science related topics. I can barely get her to read a novel but give her a science book and she won't put it down! I think this book will add greatly to her library and will spark many new avenues of interest. I am eager to see just how far this book will take us!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-83129551598231365872015-08-18T05:00:00.002-07:002015-08-18T05:00:26.824-07:00First Day of SchoolWe officially started school yesterday! I always think I am going to wait until later in September but since all of our friends head back, the pool closes, the reading program ends, and all the other "summer time" stuff ends, we go ahead and start.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMOAqLumQCtuqd09vXSbn5XNKqYZZ3bqDbg_55NVMawGw3NfnmjmTABVkVevHNKPjpCESYOXii2fIDp2qMdwV7dNtog09uM7izBzWOqokySwE68kaSvE5ecYtR_n1m5sdwVQfvfNPJkc/s1600/WP_20150817_017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMOAqLumQCtuqd09vXSbn5XNKqYZZ3bqDbg_55NVMawGw3NfnmjmTABVkVevHNKPjpCESYOXii2fIDp2qMdwV7dNtog09uM7izBzWOqokySwE68kaSvE5ecYtR_n1m5sdwVQfvfNPJkc/s320/WP_20150817_017.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<br />
We had a very productive day! We got in all our subjects including math twice, as well as a haircut, painting class, library time, and the park. I also cleaned two houses, neither of which were my own. I am very excited about the year! I will share our subjects one at a time in future posts. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4N9cuG-jAybI-K-PnSo2eRjV6uOIfAAQxrP6vQmL2yUP5VCpS62PrTqLJenWVYrXFAb5hVe1lPR8D2O0Tt935y56rNgTH_ECGeRLMCMeyyTmmS0Ep7azq31tbpo3xg8T7FhQCZz_mII/s1600/WP_20150817_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4N9cuG-jAybI-K-PnSo2eRjV6uOIfAAQxrP6vQmL2yUP5VCpS62PrTqLJenWVYrXFAb5hVe1lPR8D2O0Tt935y56rNgTH_ECGeRLMCMeyyTmmS0Ep7azq31tbpo3xg8T7FhQCZz_mII/s320/WP_20150817_004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-80656780362885504452015-07-27T10:36:00.003-07:002015-07-27T10:36:44.690-07:00Mommy Moment: Summer ReadingNot only did I sign Gess up for the library reading program but I also participated. I only had to read 10 books and they can be any 10 books but I always challenge myself to read something outside of my usual reading patterns. They must be new authors, or genres, or something to that affect and I can only check out what I find by browsing the shelves. I figured I would tell you about all the new items I explored because after all, now that Gess is older I don't really read with her anymore so I can't tell you about the books she read. I can, however tell you about mine.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Summer Reading List 2015</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVzQ1PdPCg1AzXLjhL3k9ELOJ49ZZSdlBYHWHIkU67yI_-6a6Ib6iPgNvrdM2sr5PJbVjnheLjoWy803gWFS0cAgva-T5JR9WhrGbiRqN8ZVVDByaYMlqNSGPvc3mJ-BxUakjUZ8g0aw/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVzQ1PdPCg1AzXLjhL3k9ELOJ49ZZSdlBYHWHIkU67yI_-6a6Ib6iPgNvrdM2sr5PJbVjnheLjoWy803gWFS0cAgva-T5JR9WhrGbiRqN8ZVVDByaYMlqNSGPvc3mJ-BxUakjUZ8g0aw/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></div>
My first selection was <u><b><i>The Aushwitz Escape</i></b></u> by Joel Rosenberg. This was on my "to read" list anyway and I was excited to get it. It was an exceptional book and I highly recommend it to everyone. I have done much reading, study, and research on the concentration camps myself and I could tell that while this was fictional, it was very careful to be as historically accurate as possible. After reading it, I re-watched The BBC documentary: Auschwitz Inside the Nazi State and felt as if pieces of the book were coming alive. I hope that one day that make this into a movie! <span style="color: red;"><b>Highly Recommended!</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7C5FWLvjQQ4j-OWpvqXNspsuOJO7FF351do3kgz2xsO0vOW40v7k4y8R1uPCi9CF_xZnxZsIe7E5QNbD5PZSo6H6LqIsKJJOOSQLDaIkyR03LM-liOsj14Zv3igICSZIaS8_WVSGEfQ/s1600/longborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7C5FWLvjQQ4j-OWpvqXNspsuOJO7FF351do3kgz2xsO0vOW40v7k4y8R1uPCi9CF_xZnxZsIe7E5QNbD5PZSo6H6LqIsKJJOOSQLDaIkyR03LM-liOsj14Zv3igICSZIaS8_WVSGEfQ/s1600/longborn.jpg" /></a></div>
My next selection was more disappointing. It was<b><i> <u>Longbourn</u> </i></b>by Jo Baker. I loved the premise which was following the lives of the servants while the events of Pride and Prejudice took place. Since <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> by Jane Austen is my all time favorite book, I had to give it a try. It wasn't too terribly bad but I didn't like the way it was too sexually explicit and immoral. As with every book and movie today, some character has to be gay and others have to be sexually promiscuous and there was just too much graphic detail in parts of it. That really doesn't come to life very much until halfway through and it was in small segments so I finished the book, but if I had know I would have passed on the read altogether. I already have in my mind what kind of people the Bennet family are and I didn't care for their take on some of them. I imagine it is hard to mess another work of fiction and make everyone pleased with it though. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsPznkBKMrKkJ4mMZs6B1rcjKIb041p9LXB7gKK68-tAz8kt9qVD2Uy1GQKAPcZ8mIZYrhgc6rWnaw138l-DX5DoauxtY0D4N_8euAMlIzN6fSf_snFSs2-S6j0M5ypSz5dFtqQsiLug/s1600/killing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsPznkBKMrKkJ4mMZs6B1rcjKIb041p9LXB7gKK68-tAz8kt9qVD2Uy1GQKAPcZ8mIZYrhgc6rWnaw138l-DX5DoauxtY0D4N_8euAMlIzN6fSf_snFSs2-S6j0M5ypSz5dFtqQsiLug/s1600/killing.jpg" /></a></div>
I have this thing where I actually keep two books going at any one time. One is usually educational or spiritual and the other recreational. So, while I was reading the above book, I was also reading this<i> <b><u>Killing Jesus</u></b></i> by Bill O'Reilly. I have to admit I was unsure of it at first but it came highly recommended. Historically it was intriguing. It is so fascinating to read about the events and culture that surrounded those passages that we are so familiar with. It really put the entire picture of Jesus' death into historic perspective. Learning about the Roman and Jewish leadership made it come more alive. I have to admit he doesn't hold back and there are a few explicit details I wish he had left out, but the depths of the wickedness of the times are facts. <span style="color: red;"><b>Highly Recommended!</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD483BYSPitEcqn7AWbo1j4V6cEKS5qhtDD9l4nAay-kHdA1RgKzAsTq3MfMxLJv8xLzoC8qi6TJ9bjuqSS7E31I6QkNUajtNQiuvGUdIscJOs1htnUYQwSYlt1csipfC0_yyFYpwUKAY/s1600/lovechase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD483BYSPitEcqn7AWbo1j4V6cEKS5qhtDD9l4nAay-kHdA1RgKzAsTq3MfMxLJv8xLzoC8qi6TJ9bjuqSS7E31I6QkNUajtNQiuvGUdIscJOs1htnUYQwSYlt1csipfC0_yyFYpwUKAY/s1600/lovechase.jpg" /></a></div>
Unlike many folks, I wasn't a huge fan of Little Women but I was willing to give <b><u><i>A Long Fatal Love Chase</i></u></b> also by Louisa May Alcott a try. I enjoyed reading it much more and the story was rather intriguing. It was, however, as the title reflects, a fatal love chase and a long one at that so it is kind of depressing, but entertaining along the way. I found myself pondering where this young lady might have gotten such an idea for a story. It certainly gives insight into how one looks at right and wrong, men and women, the saints and the sinners. Because it's not a very happy book I am not shouting about it from the rooftops but I am not sorry I read it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins8a6p1yD_2dQEM1ttQLZoaU3HIri-WipWF-LJyQR28KGo4Scg3od1lAosjXg2SRkq1_MWNOLWIQmDs-UjwMibpr_t3v-0Xo42g2sMcAZJSIvhlfNXMQvTCUPfKVuXlxfafAwpxBvGt4/s1600/grace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins8a6p1yD_2dQEM1ttQLZoaU3HIri-WipWF-LJyQR28KGo4Scg3od1lAosjXg2SRkq1_MWNOLWIQmDs-UjwMibpr_t3v-0Xo42g2sMcAZJSIvhlfNXMQvTCUPfKVuXlxfafAwpxBvGt4/s1600/grace.jpg" /></a></div>
My next book on Biblical study was <b><i><u>What's So Amazing About Grace?</u></i></b> by Philip Yancey. I can't tell you how much this impacted my life. I read this book at such an important time. While the courts were redefining marriage, Philip was talking about his friendship with a person who professes to be a Christian and is gay. He doesn't compromise on the issue but he reminds us that we need to handle all things with grace. The phrase that stuck with me the most was Grace versus Ungrace. You won't believe how often I now recognize ungrace in my own life as well as those around me. I think every Christian would benefit from this book! <span style="color: red;"><b>Highly Recommended!</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdJl1XsIs6_oYTGSARoccungQvOmo9QS0QJvUlLo0nUGHVlpinmbHPwDyR115NOvUyu5SMlLmHoHMLNSgKySfKaoWCamjbKWC_H3uDX7oRH-fHJyWa_0h7nfAy1y-yBteTkzM8Thyphenhyphen8-g/s1600/kingtut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdJl1XsIs6_oYTGSARoccungQvOmo9QS0QJvUlLo0nUGHVlpinmbHPwDyR115NOvUyu5SMlLmHoHMLNSgKySfKaoWCamjbKWC_H3uDX7oRH-fHJyWa_0h7nfAy1y-yBteTkzM8Thyphenhyphen8-g/s1600/kingtut.jpg" /></a></div>
My daughter recently studied ancient Egypt and during the summer we watched a documentary called <i>Egypt </i>on Netflix. The first couple were on Howard Carter and his discovery of King Tut's tomb. So when I saw <b><u><i>The Murder of King Tut</i></u></b> by James Patterson I was anxious to read it. This book does a similar thing the documentary did in that it covers both the the life (and death) of the young King Tut as well as that of Howard Carter. It was a cross between non-fiction and fiction and I liked how he intertwined the two. He used the fictional narrative to tell the story, but was sure to place in the facts as he knew them. Through it he weaved in what was his own theory of what happened to the boy king. Sprinkled in between are chapters about the author himself and his adventure in the research of the book. He really felt that King Tut was murdered and he was out to prove it. As he shares his own journey you get a good sense of what was based upon fact and what was his own conjecture. Of course no one really knows what happened, but it is entertaining to read about! However there is some sexual content so keep that in mind.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZnw451iE6oW9SYCLfP3w2EIGY4s8xx9qmvEEpEx9RjesiQNrd6KiBH1rxajEi3CJslnE7vN7M4x3ETEmpjLJJ7g1aCI5EwACjyiLQmJtb-L-ksKX_qAUzYEtyJjDwbe_lypU8OrwrkY/s1600/mitford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZnw451iE6oW9SYCLfP3w2EIGY4s8xx9qmvEEpEx9RjesiQNrd6KiBH1rxajEi3CJslnE7vN7M4x3ETEmpjLJJ7g1aCI5EwACjyiLQmJtb-L-ksKX_qAUzYEtyJjDwbe_lypU8OrwrkY/s1600/mitford.jpg" /></a></div>
After a couple of secular novels I really needed to know that my next book would be more wholesome. For that I chose <b><u><i>At Home in Mitford</i></u></b> by Jan Karon as it was recommended by a dear friend. This book was certainly different than anything I had read. It was a charming story of a pastor in the small town of Mitford. It's almost like it was several stories inside one story because it followed the lives of several of Father Tim's parishioners. Tim is an elderly single man who is pretty set in ways and ends up with a dog, a boy, and the possibility of a girlfriend! All this while many other adventures are going on. I am pleased that it wasn't the typical love story! I am not sure I will follow more in the series but it was a refreshing break from the other books I read! <span style="color: red;"><b>Recommended!</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR-VaHKeIFptXioPMdEasZYTNhKbxhaewcdgIpKuPZfVM3F8MpzP3HesPpwW7OWVYSGTyZ0dgxnOI1067cfkQYQ_aHBD_4r1RpVRYCa9Qc8TJXHml86C9rCwNzyWsZ_gqcTdV9MjjYrI/s1600/atheist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR-VaHKeIFptXioPMdEasZYTNhKbxhaewcdgIpKuPZfVM3F8MpzP3HesPpwW7OWVYSGTyZ0dgxnOI1067cfkQYQ_aHBD_4r1RpVRYCa9Qc8TJXHml86C9rCwNzyWsZ_gqcTdV9MjjYrI/s1600/atheist.jpg" /></a></div>
Bible study is one of my favorite things I and love books that explain how the atheistic worldview doesn't play out well in reality. It's a favorite topic in our home so <b><u><i>The Atheist's Fatal Flaw</i></u></b> seemed rather interesting and since it was fairly new I grabbed it. I was very familiar with Norman Geisler but didn't know anything about the other author, or at least I thought so. My husband pointed out to me that the author was local. Once I realized that I found out the connection was closer than just distance! His wife is a fellow homeschooling mom and is in both our Co-op and Homeschool mom's group! I was thrilled! She is such a sweet lady! The book was really good, but somewhat frustrating in that it spends the majority of time explaining the Atheistic worldview. They were very careful to make sure they accurately presented that side before they tried to explain the flaws in it. My husband pointed out that my frustration with what the atheist says was pretty good evidence the book was doing a great job expressing their views accurately. It was fairly easy to see the flaw in their argument, but their arguments were sort of hard to follow. Not due to the authors of this book, but due to the way they speak. I will admit I spent a good deal of time looking up the definition of some words but it was worth the effort and read. I think they make a compelling argument against atheism in the book and it is a good read for anyone who is interested in the subject! <span style="color: red;"><b>Recommended!</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkLR-amxHSJ5muSaP27zFK0fKwN3-BsQ30Sjx9z8cDSIfRCI7ryM2yxHkoXJkSx8ETXDl1MIDV_kboNrY3AKHP-7P-9SHipfqp7bp7a5LyrRZhXUWy-z7bP-3-H4CZr_dyMptWkoiSPM/s1600/magician.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkLR-amxHSJ5muSaP27zFK0fKwN3-BsQ30Sjx9z8cDSIfRCI7ryM2yxHkoXJkSx8ETXDl1MIDV_kboNrY3AKHP-7P-9SHipfqp7bp7a5LyrRZhXUWy-z7bP-3-H4CZr_dyMptWkoiSPM/s1600/magician.jpg" /></a></div>
Do you realize I haven't read any of the Narnia Chronicles? Well, I decided to start those and chose to go to the very beginning by reading<b><u><i> The Magician's Nephew</i></u></b> by C. S. Lewis. I don't think I have to tell the readers how great an author C. S. Lewis is and how much I adored the book. In fact I checked it out again along with the audio version and Gess and I are both following along together. I like doing that for read alouds. It allows us to get further than I normally would because we don't get tired of actually doing the talking. We will follow up with <i>Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe</i> doing the same thing! <span style="color: red;"><b>Highly Recommended!</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDI7tJ5HHZEQI-Ydv1updX3X1NelBIPHtzkrTNa7BwmBtxiVJrw26nsJ8CweO0FEzCGWmgQ4xBEUyeU4ddR8wqXheOZtGRms1ciF179GTC0hZs41YHjt-iZ-zeauPrFP-yWTjknB_7oU/s1600/schoolhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDI7tJ5HHZEQI-Ydv1updX3X1NelBIPHtzkrTNa7BwmBtxiVJrw26nsJ8CweO0FEzCGWmgQ4xBEUyeU4ddR8wqXheOZtGRms1ciF179GTC0hZs41YHjt-iZ-zeauPrFP-yWTjknB_7oU/s1600/schoolhouse.jpg" /></a></div>
My final selection was <b><u><i>The Schoolhouse At Prairie View</i></u></b> by
<a href="http://kuhistory.com/articles/bacteriology-to-the-future/">Marshall Albert Barber</a> which was written in 1953. I have to admit I was looking for a short book because I had only one left to complete my commitment. This was still a very enchanting and informative book. It was written by a scientist from Kansas University and it was about his educational experience in a one room schoolhouse in Kansas during the late 1800's. I didn't grow up here in Kansas but I do feel as if it is home. It was so interesting to read about what it was really like to grow up here. Click on the link to his name to learn more about the author and if you can find a copy, read this book. It was great. <span style="color: red;"><b>Recommended!</b></span><br />
<br />
That was my reading list for the Summer of 2015. What did you read this summer?<br />
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-57357623636660253292015-07-23T07:23:00.001-07:002015-07-23T07:23:19.281-07:00Summer Library FunWe are at the end of another summer reading program. Our library has the funnest activities year round but the summer ones are always the best. Here are a few examples of what Gess has done most recently.<br />
<br />
Since Gess is a huge science buff she gets really excited over the Mad Scientist who comes each year. I particularly love how she encapsulates the theme of the program into her presentation. This year it was Super Heroes so she talked about their super powers and used science to demonstrate them! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwoWd3DpdGuOhZUgWuPuKIIzLR-vgQbBWiHn_4JjJr9ZE0Ae1imULOnFHE8le124ZNAAj3KK54BKhkfd-r0ypLbeKOvCOmVxXiJ71AOZd0zHcK_PxirIkLg8ou5OGNwCl1G8KA6c1HjaE/s1600/WP_20150715_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwoWd3DpdGuOhZUgWuPuKIIzLR-vgQbBWiHn_4JjJr9ZE0Ae1imULOnFHE8le124ZNAAj3KK54BKhkfd-r0ypLbeKOvCOmVxXiJ71AOZd0zHcK_PxirIkLg8ou5OGNwCl1G8KA6c1HjaE/s320/WP_20150715_009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Playing with your food is always fun. Check out Gess' turtle, Minion cookie, and Chocolate Rocket!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJrkp74H4VAPSwUs1xsFXYOmGdqCE4pm5wAJ5j5QiIknPJStdGv3Rjy9XBmIjrwcGGQOsNShs8zkcnIHiFPrTTdBjEcbKdJdgv7weazncCadvDTfE1AiFms5qfdF1lmaP_TIvSju_cwk/s1600/WP_20150721_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJrkp74H4VAPSwUs1xsFXYOmGdqCE4pm5wAJ5j5QiIknPJStdGv3Rjy9XBmIjrwcGGQOsNShs8zkcnIHiFPrTTdBjEcbKdJdgv7weazncCadvDTfE1AiFms5qfdF1lmaP_TIvSju_cwk/s320/WP_20150721_006.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
The Lego club is always a big hit. Gess loves sitting and building her own thing and I think it is good for her to see what other kids do as well. Gess usually spends her time building the wall and so there is very little time to finish the stuff inside. This is a store.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyh0AlJ-6ukzTNxGv6F9PUacL441-ahKmZ5Wc_nZUdIVI-Htfux5d99XTMeWlXcyHZw48AqJGT7spkFhE_e0yc8W_AwEYym8pBpdIwV2497cF4qyjZqcG3jX1J0NPI_y84AlI_J9rMuw/s1600/WP_20150722_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyh0AlJ-6ukzTNxGv6F9PUacL441-ahKmZ5Wc_nZUdIVI-Htfux5d99XTMeWlXcyHZw48AqJGT7spkFhE_e0yc8W_AwEYym8pBpdIwV2497cF4qyjZqcG3jX1J0NPI_y84AlI_J9rMuw/s320/WP_20150722_003.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
All the kids who completed their reading will get a T-shirt, certificate, be in a drawing for other prizes and most importantly get invited to the pool party! They also already earned a free drink at the soda stand in the drug store, a corn dog from Sonic, a dessert from Taco John's, and a good bag filled with various things including a candy bar and soda pop.<br />
<br />
My Gess loves to read so motivating her to do it isn't hard, but it is fun encouraging her to read things she might not usually pick and celebrating reaching goals is something we all enjoy. How was your summer reading adventure? I will share about mine on my next blog!<br />
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-48460912415813322992015-07-19T05:35:00.000-07:002015-07-19T05:36:08.995-07:00Piano PerformanceThis last week Gess was asked to play the piano at our local Christian Women's Club. While they had Gess come and play the piano they also had a boy who has Down syndrome read a story and a boy who has autism do a comedy sketch. All three children did an amazing job and I was blessed to have been a part of it! I am so thankful that they wanted to spend their day celebrating our children's accomplishments. I thought I would share a piece that Gess played with you. It is the hymn <i>As The Deer</i>.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nCZrTe1cJDc?rel=0" width="360"></iframe></center>
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-59680551774005046162015-07-13T06:15:00.000-07:002015-07-15T10:04:40.895-07:00Summer Math with MinecraftSo I am checking out Facebook from <a href="http://www.educents.com/">Educents</a> and I see this banner come across my feed telling me that <a href="http://www.educents.com/minecraft-units-july.html">Minecraft Math</a> is on sale. That piqued my interest because Gess isn't very fond of math but she loves Minecraft. I grabbed it and figured I would use it as a supplement this school year. Then it happened. Gess heard me telling her dad about it. "Minecraft Math?" She asks. I tell her yes and show her the book. For the next few days she kept asking me if we could do Minecraft Math. I told her we would during school and blew it off. Eventually I realized that if she wanted to do it during the summer I would not stop her! She was asking for math so why in the world was I saying no? So I got them printed up and we started right away.<br />
<br />
Here are the books we used. The books are still on sale for awhile! Even so, it's not that expensive. I also picked up the writing one that we will use later this fall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.educents.com/minecraft-units-july.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uGNKgH7h7NIPwGDTMdLnS1wnBXUuXIdzRLtIbwXEEzk1rGsDedXn_i1StDd6kvCIhFRR0KIHJiAyc1noNSuxPDGDJdhRM7dkOozYa9Byc0iQi97-wLH85WE7aYs5R4W3IIbsMpq4758/s320/untitled_design_3_7_1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We have completed the one on angles. She really enjoyed it. At one point it had her go around the house and find several examples of angles. She found plenty of right angles but I thought the obtuse and acute might be more difficult. Nope, she found them right away. The clothespin was her acute and her bow was the obtuse. Way to go Gess!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PXw6Ab-y1Lf1gjVW6CxpxhTI9SxW-y80sDJU5pgevTwHFd-unoOds-cP6X4_ZyJPtZNYJbOP5fUAsS_bwWmAPGHrPhwvo110-8gQNbIX7SJRe_yFGd8n60ggBDxH7d_6saQtlWj4ySU/s1600/minecraftmath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PXw6Ab-y1Lf1gjVW6CxpxhTI9SxW-y80sDJU5pgevTwHFd-unoOds-cP6X4_ZyJPtZNYJbOP5fUAsS_bwWmAPGHrPhwvo110-8gQNbIX7SJRe_yFGd8n60ggBDxH7d_6saQtlWj4ySU/s320/minecraftmath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After you do the work it has you look for and construct things in the game that you just learned about. I did modify the work for her. I had her do 20 right angles instead of 100 and things like that. Since Gess has special needs I just want to make sure she has the concept not make it so hard that she struggled. <br />
<br />
I love it when you can take something your child enjoys and use it for a subject they tend to despise! These workbooks are short so they work really well for a summer activity. It was definitely worth the small amount of money they cost!<br />
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-36947162346589838252015-07-10T05:03:00.001-07:002015-07-10T05:03:37.363-07:00Lazy SummerI am so sorry I have not been posting. Not only was I healing from surgery but as I started to work and actually cook again I sliced my thumb along with the squash I was working on! It was sore for awhile and that made it hard to type. Then that finally healed and I just couldn't think of what to write about.<br />
<br />
That's the thing. Usually I have all these summer activities to talk about but due to my surgery we really haven't done much since Gess has gotten back from camp.<br />
<br />
At least I was given permission to drive earlier than I thought so Gess has still been able to participate in the library reading program. She has actually completed it and been given her awards, part of which is an invitation to the swimming party at the end of the summer. Other than reading they have fun activities such as crafts and other things. One thing they do every year that we love is give you a bag of junk. It consists of things like an empty paper towel roll, q-tips. a piece of yearn, craft sticks, beans, and other miscellaneous material. Now you have to make something using everything in the bag. You can add to it, but you can't leave anything out. Gess wanted to make a Roman Colosseum but we didn't have anything round. Instead we made it a superhero arena and since we lacked superheros we pulled out the Lego men.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHSjwRqO8YUpBtg0mUi6kHrkhEcQMJ_P6KEvEIQrYzTEFbF9SsZTfM2HTHLRko2tuwatBT5Yg_VgEBLLVRAUW-Ti3SBQAoH8VqC0O3Ebe42Z26qCfLso9RWQ-XMjWqXhkqWQJNgk-4Iw/s1600/WP_20150709_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHSjwRqO8YUpBtg0mUi6kHrkhEcQMJ_P6KEvEIQrYzTEFbF9SsZTfM2HTHLRko2tuwatBT5Yg_VgEBLLVRAUW-Ti3SBQAoH8VqC0O3Ebe42Z26qCfLso9RWQ-XMjWqXhkqWQJNgk-4Iw/s320/WP_20150709_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We also had a quiet 4th of July, but Gess likes it that way anyway. She isn't a fan of loud so we mostly got fountains that don't make noise. We had some pretty good ones though.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D46V4ZBPH1W5ey2vF1_wxRK23xeV4FCz72Qe3hQSDDlD2cNPOq8enT1Fb4MheYqgG74xj8cVqhLoO_bgH1FMT60VmIqmrIRaIUm8AF15Ck84UdfGsZtW0oZ0LBVFw_d0dqwEVZ8UB6I/s1600/fourth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D46V4ZBPH1W5ey2vF1_wxRK23xeV4FCz72Qe3hQSDDlD2cNPOq8enT1Fb4MheYqgG74xj8cVqhLoO_bgH1FMT60VmIqmrIRaIUm8AF15Ck84UdfGsZtW0oZ0LBVFw_d0dqwEVZ8UB6I/s320/fourth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I will try to start writing more often now. At least once a week through the summer. After school starts I hope to get back to a regular schedule. Until then, thanks for being patient. I hope you are enjoying your summer break, that is if you take one. We have been doing a little math but I will tell you about that in my next post!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-16353664700618930222015-06-17T12:15:00.000-07:002015-06-18T09:22:04.220-07:00Why Camp Barnabas is So SpecialWhile Gess has Down syndrome, she is pretty high functioning and has attended our local church camp with me going as her counselor. She could participate in most things, it was pretty much a week of her tagging along and trying to be a part of the crowd. That's her every day life. People are warm and welcoming, but after a few minutes of conversing with her they are back to their own conversation and she struggles to keep up or moves off into her own space. They aren't mean and it's not their fault really, it's just life. They are at a different pace and a different communication level. It's tough, but she adjusts and never complains.<br />
<br />
Then there is life at <a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids">Camp Barnabas</a> where suddenly, for just one week, her world turns upside down. For that week friends go hand in hand together as one. You want to do a
ropes course but happen to be in a wheelchair? No problem! <a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids">Camp Barnabas</a>
can hook you up - literally! There is nothing they won't help you do! No one stops and stares, gets impatient, or criticizes you. Instead you are celebrated! You are wanted! Everyone takes time to get to know you. YOU! You are why they are here. No one tells them "no you can't." <i>You</i> now get to decide what to do!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjNn0xbBGZXjV4HdPlo9OlA1waN1RbqjCj-dQkdvHz8otK5H_W2RBXCw59Qy_TrEef9aGjOnHJQjOAtdHnvmG32K8nVwU9AcLc5I2sefprX5Cenp3gRVx4EdiYLgaX2BqJJpF3jk2TJg/s320/10359090_492699877528626_3817830628588295350_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This, to me, is why <a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids">Camp Barnabas</a> is so special. It's for this one fact. For one week Gess gets to live as if she didn't have special needs. That's a gift you can't give in a box! Thanks <a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids">Camp Barnabas</a> for working so hard to make that dream come alive! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids">Camp Barnabas</a> is a Christian camp and there is no better way to share the love of Christ than to accept everyone just as they are. That's what they do at <a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids">Camp Barnabas</a>! To learn more visit their <a href="http://www.campbarnabas.org/#kids">website</a> or watch this movie explaining the difference that it makes in the lives of everyone who goes, camper and counselor alike. <br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/naP_HF1r1E8?rel=0" width="320"></iframe></center>
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-42187902492216987422015-06-10T05:00:00.000-07:002015-06-10T05:00:03.100-07:00Making costumesGess is going off to Camp Barnabas this summer. It is an amazing Christian camp for people with special needs. This will be her second year going. Every day they have a special theme party for which you dress up. This year's themes are Super Hero Showdown, Noah's Ark Water Park, A Knight's Tale, & Blast From the Past.<br />
<br />
I will start with the most complicated costume we made.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Noah's Ark Water Park </b><br />
<br />
Gess loves learning about dinosaurs and realizes they were actually on the ark. While this sounds unreal to some of you, when you understand the average dinosaur was the size of a sheep and know that God didn't have to choose the largest of them all to be on the ark, you get it. They were there! So she wanted to be a dinosaur. I found this simple and fun <a href="http://www.cuttingtinybites.com/2014/09/diy-paper-dinosaur-hat.html">DIY Paper Dinosaur on Pinterest</a>. Using the paper as a template I hot glued the paper pattern to green cloth. I actually glued it in the wrong place so it doesn't go over Gess' head, but I felt this would work as it was. We got her stuffed lizard out so she could take him along and actually be 2x2. He doesn't spikes on his head so it was even better. What do you think?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwXB7D3k4FtbvpkuaFIMTh6aFOiL65ZSmHe4WnNHK-4GLhpcOYZz_eqKSVKJ6WxAsPzvnsKARoP9VvHEMw-8fXsslHE76zYX6jpsMm5tX_Vuo3dw_Isb0YZ7iRVo9y_Hk_jrJvuaJrGk/s1600/WP_20150602_008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwXB7D3k4FtbvpkuaFIMTh6aFOiL65ZSmHe4WnNHK-4GLhpcOYZz_eqKSVKJ6WxAsPzvnsKARoP9VvHEMw-8fXsslHE76zYX6jpsMm5tX_Vuo3dw_Isb0YZ7iRVo9y_Hk_jrJvuaJrGk/s320/WP_20150602_008.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Super Hero Showdown</b><br />
<br />
Gess recently informed me that Superman was her favorite super hero so we went and a bought a Superman T-shirt, cut up an old red t-shirt utilizing the sleeves to help tie it in front and grabbed some blue shorts. Ta da! Superman, or woman anyway!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkH3RsytiXAwtq7PHPi0i2aNUHXK_UNuMBUKJmNrbUWqV8e4YVhyphenhyphentCmUHxYzkEi1M4heUTU5jL4C_VKZKkyWvr0Yp61TNgTK0d0-sDpBTHyi0FO6sounBjXWQY6eMBlLpKtYI8rQki6E/s1600/WP_20150528_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkH3RsytiXAwtq7PHPi0i2aNUHXK_UNuMBUKJmNrbUWqV8e4YVhyphenhyphentCmUHxYzkEi1M4heUTU5jL4C_VKZKkyWvr0Yp61TNgTK0d0-sDpBTHyi0FO6sounBjXWQY6eMBlLpKtYI8rQki6E/s320/WP_20150528_004.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br /><b>A Knight's Tale</b><br />
<br />
The best we could find at thrift store was one that might fit a peasant lady at the time. We got a scarf to go over her head. She may not look like royalty but she sure is cute!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18T9yfcRVSBkbcNM8HB1gIXYkxZdMxL3JjchahWV19Gzv7LqfRtTjfswswuNcetlmP8jhlGM3KE7CURpwy_7ZMesPjGDmIQ4ToXkAzlSPtUZrsuizDULoim3TQy6aythVB01_GwxtVy8/s1600/WP_20150602_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18T9yfcRVSBkbcNM8HB1gIXYkxZdMxL3JjchahWV19Gzv7LqfRtTjfswswuNcetlmP8jhlGM3KE7CURpwy_7ZMesPjGDmIQ4ToXkAzlSPtUZrsuizDULoim3TQy6aythVB01_GwxtVy8/s320/WP_20150602_006.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<b> Blast From the Past</b><br />
<br />
This one was easy. Every year Gess is a part of a local fashion show and this year she got some really wild looking pants. They reminded me of the 70's - my generation. So here she is in her 70's get up with things we already had around the house!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJvLqF2bDW7fJT8nWGgAiVVb7WrUGyo8IrlW-D7Ls47xYmAHAnH-agK-o0NgKDJ7F_sLzNWvY39pzmY53IX7RTr94Kmyvw8_UG6YzKrVNvk_XTBKLxAn9cRFgk6FcPmMZGzwZatKbmls/s1600/WP_20150602_014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJvLqF2bDW7fJT8nWGgAiVVb7WrUGyo8IrlW-D7Ls47xYmAHAnH-agK-o0NgKDJ7F_sLzNWvY39pzmY53IX7RTr94Kmyvw8_UG6YzKrVNvk_XTBKLxAn9cRFgk6FcPmMZGzwZatKbmls/s320/WP_20150602_014.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-37093925419031370932015-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:002015-06-05T05:00:14.191-07:00I'm down for a bit due to surgeryI have struggled to keep up with my blog but I haven't been quite frank about why. I have had some medical issues that require surgery. That's all I am comfortable saying publicly. Today, as you read this I will be under the knife - the first time ever for me which makes me nervous. My pastor has a joke he likes to share about the difference between major and minor surgery. He says its minor surgery when its for you and its major surgery when its for me! Well, I have watched my daughter go through some pretty major stuff, so I know mine isn't on that level but still, it isn't something to take lightly either.<br />
<br />I hope to be up and around enough to write in a week or so. I was hoping to have some blogs scheduled so my down time wouldn't seem to stark but that just didn't happen. I haven't had the energy and what energy I did have was spent preparing my household and family members that I take care of to be ready in my absence. My house is clean and ready. Ladies from church are providing some meals and my daughter will be looked after by her brother. All is ready and now its time for me.<br />
<br />I must rest and get better. Hopefully I will feel like writing since I won't be able to do much else for awhile. No driving for sure! Please keep me in your prayers and I will try to check in when I can. Thanks for faithfully following. You are a blessing to my me!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-81142530963815210032015-06-01T05:00:00.000-07:002015-06-01T05:00:01.399-07:00Summer Math - CookingSince Gess has special needs we really focus on life skills math. So this summer, instead of just doing "math" we are making sure we do fun stuff that involves math. Part of that includes cooking!<br />
<br />
Gess loves to help in the kitchen but now that she is almost 14 I am trying to make sure she starts doing things more on her own. This summer we are focusing on following a recipe. To help with that I got her some easy to read measuring cups and spoons.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOk7zDSf2Pdw3pXD9zgWPoUDbpI4LNfYiVC-JguCyzlly87PIQ4K4yuWj7OR48A_Z3y1wkpQwHxZp3sjxKtkRJDfmDowTtWZrnNRtPt5xSZXI3_E2hMOuPShFyqFULaJfF63V_NHik3g/s1600/WP_20150528_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOk7zDSf2Pdw3pXD9zgWPoUDbpI4LNfYiVC-JguCyzlly87PIQ4K4yuWj7OR48A_Z3y1wkpQwHxZp3sjxKtkRJDfmDowTtWZrnNRtPt5xSZXI3_E2hMOuPShFyqFULaJfF63V_NHik3g/s320/WP_20150528_009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I really don't like the plastic ones because I know that the numbers will wash off soon but stainless steel ones are hard to read.Still, these will work for now. I think I will order the Cake Boss ones soon as they look really easy to use.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacTEApEfHB2tYjMtv9HKiEd7YyLdBJVRyGsO56oB2DT0_nWF-2YwUzioEMcW2shbCx8AAii8QwPSsoOdIepwAbxEYI9CYBnWBXa18x3roCbjiW9nqcUjDF-0_o_yv4JIZ59RKcCROLAA/s1600/k2-_81a7a31d-114b-4dcd-a83e-10c86cfeda37.v1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacTEApEfHB2tYjMtv9HKiEd7YyLdBJVRyGsO56oB2DT0_nWF-2YwUzioEMcW2shbCx8AAii8QwPSsoOdIepwAbxEYI9CYBnWBXa18x3roCbjiW9nqcUjDF-0_o_yv4JIZ59RKcCROLAA/s200/k2-_81a7a31d-114b-4dcd-a83e-10c86cfeda37.v1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
So far we have baked some cakes. I tried to really let Gess take control of that one!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qkCFMpkS6tHc8BG0WZdLMMZsMYEj9y33GAZ3CLYLuQsifg40kQG7uqI3EyMeqHY-BYQ7vAyYLT1WoSnB_KRfZ40_pzbhyphenhyphenS1U3z_NwBfPCu72Wwj3ih4ZxUH3Iojk-UBBr5zSeIfWov4/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qkCFMpkS6tHc8BG0WZdLMMZsMYEj9y33GAZ3CLYLuQsifg40kQG7uqI3EyMeqHY-BYQ7vAyYLT1WoSnB_KRfZ40_pzbhyphenhyphenS1U3z_NwBfPCu72Wwj3ih4ZxUH3Iojk-UBBr5zSeIfWov4/s320/cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The only thing I did was help her scrape the batter out of the bowl and even out the pan once she poured it in. I was very proud of her. Oh and the cake was so good I caught her sneaking some of it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x2S9cAaCZjH0M2RUKGgCp30HCj0mXn6jzZ5GVqTnSGC99I9jYYr52IfnqSBGKRlUDm6ATJVzMJi03MykKWpqN9Jr_tbbWdDBIzHRzIiLe64aFQPTbbs32-ed4XBxLjGECq1qkOe6phw/s1600/eatcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x2S9cAaCZjH0M2RUKGgCp30HCj0mXn6jzZ5GVqTnSGC99I9jYYr52IfnqSBGKRlUDm6ATJVzMJi03MykKWpqN9Jr_tbbWdDBIzHRzIiLe64aFQPTbbs32-ed4XBxLjGECq1qkOe6phw/s320/eatcake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Then she helped me make the batter and filling for my Blintzes that we made to celebrate <a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/05/shavuot-pentecost-feast-of-weeks.html">Pentecost (Shavuot)</a>. We used the recipe from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blueberry-blintzes-recipe.html">Food Network - Blueberry Blintzes</a> but I used raspberries instead. This was my first attempt at making them and I was thrilled with the results!! The helpful tips from the recipe really work! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IJRRbgynNJs4FlGikYzJvN0HCB2Ro_geS6WhC_5iGJJl5xMrT8515BttQd-5TdiKWO-1mkww0sVfM7nPfy8xfikuTnIPXZa5fUCObr6HQtk0SgAyKt19fAOak30hdpmcCJr74IFozfU/s1600/blintzes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IJRRbgynNJs4FlGikYzJvN0HCB2Ro_geS6WhC_5iGJJl5xMrT8515BttQd-5TdiKWO-1mkww0sVfM7nPfy8xfikuTnIPXZa5fUCObr6HQtk0SgAyKt19fAOak30hdpmcCJr74IFozfU/s320/blintzes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Anyway, we will be doing a lot more cooking this summer. It will be a fun way to practice math and reading by learning how to follow a recipe. To help a child with special need I use utensils easy to read and use, print out the instructions in a large font so it is easy to
read or have her use a
magnifying glass. Either way we have fun and the food is, as my little chef would say, "quite tasty!" <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqUlc_FYq-33D4H8X7Qa9mfyaXtM00xqQELlIo0Qi_MxkdyT4G82YYPXEj3Vg02C_JThyo9XioTlqz-8msunjGTOyPntBmhwE3aqpZlQk_Moh38zDQaZW5unPKoEymKZjW990g10K1WM/s1600/WP_20150501_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqUlc_FYq-33D4H8X7Qa9mfyaXtM00xqQELlIo0Qi_MxkdyT4G82YYPXEj3Vg02C_JThyo9XioTlqz-8msunjGTOyPntBmhwE3aqpZlQk_Moh38zDQaZW5unPKoEymKZjW990g10K1WM/s320/WP_20150501_003.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-54166685375076524372015-05-27T06:34:00.000-07:002015-05-27T06:35:12.995-07:00Summer Reading Has Begun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOrjoUzgWKnlbWrbi-b9LsFoC6LOpjthI9eE5GG-pEK1EJbmjsyMGOku57I_GNJTi76oPYXKDyzMiMCniTHmSe-rafxnF_4PzvSENdutg_egKGrv_XN1_AFj84ORlwYcIFrPf9IHJ0DY/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOrjoUzgWKnlbWrbi-b9LsFoC6LOpjthI9eE5GG-pEK1EJbmjsyMGOku57I_GNJTi76oPYXKDyzMiMCniTHmSe-rafxnF_4PzvSENdutg_egKGrv_XN1_AFj84ORlwYcIFrPf9IHJ0DY/s400/index.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We signed up for our summer reading program again. This year's theme is <b>Every Hero Has a Story</b>. Gess is now in the middle school challenge where she only has to read 10 books, but they have to be from the J, YA, or A section. She selected several books but started with a Young Indiana Jones book. She was thrilled they had one in a font size she can read! Her reading is excellent but she can't read books with normal small print.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyHZ-pHORJ_-53yOh7gZJmJV3B2c5pcLxR-6e1ng-2-XNNnZuji9zZcD4OVUWlBa7j4jyzQXCIN2aED7Ph5297NrUDiKN1qwcpdjmpC04a2KOdLDEjmqZT7As5Nf0VRioSM1PsuNWAP8/s1600/IndianaJonesAndTheJourneyToTheUnderworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyHZ-pHORJ_-53yOh7gZJmJV3B2c5pcLxR-6e1ng-2-XNNnZuji9zZcD4OVUWlBa7j4jyzQXCIN2aED7Ph5297NrUDiKN1qwcpdjmpC04a2KOdLDEjmqZT7As5Nf0VRioSM1PsuNWAP8/s200/IndianaJonesAndTheJourneyToTheUnderworld.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<br />
I also signed up and have to read 10 books. Adults can read from any section but I try to make my own challenges. This year each book must be a different author, but I am not sure what other limits I might set. Anyway, I started with <i>The Auschwitz Escape</i>. I have been wanting to read that since it released but never got around to it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJTZ3RZy-bd-3_VWA7E6z79j3kKImhO99Rf4mHxS_B59UoBC8Grqq7Bgs3vzeDGX1JwbVd0kKDG3qyFMF40mSTyCsyf_bpXC77AinrVSa7m9qcu1ZsFE0l_ZKv-oWkh61Z8bRh0EUfyU/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJTZ3RZy-bd-3_VWA7E6z79j3kKImhO99Rf4mHxS_B59UoBC8Grqq7Bgs3vzeDGX1JwbVd0kKDG3qyFMF40mSTyCsyf_bpXC77AinrVSa7m9qcu1ZsFE0l_ZKv-oWkh61Z8bRh0EUfyU/s200/book.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
We started reading right away and are already several chapters in. Hubby came in and took our picture!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBjp57_QiO3WU85rkJucTTGAopFN_pr6PQXdAV8V1vVHW72YZcJVAOMxL_hICCO9BRUWUj7MgMWfVvUACERTruqwVWuUQV2rYzaGcNfYR8vXaG3yIkYxl32UI2neydcp9pH7cW1ctZqU/s1600/10575180_10155618195280611_4388348979128407078_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBjp57_QiO3WU85rkJucTTGAopFN_pr6PQXdAV8V1vVHW72YZcJVAOMxL_hICCO9BRUWUj7MgMWfVvUACERTruqwVWuUQV2rYzaGcNfYR8vXaG3yIkYxl32UI2neydcp9pH7cW1ctZqU/s320/10575180_10155618195280611_4388348979128407078_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I didn't like putting mine away last night, too much was happening! What are you reading this summer? Have you signed up for your summer reading program yet? What's your goal?<br />
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-5293058504132419582015-05-23T20:30:00.000-07:002015-05-23T20:30:00.509-07:00Shavuot, Pentecost, & Feast of Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillNTaZUT0vDXm3n6KEZNeMoSI3enQU9iSoaT_2qlEWporalxT6d9OBIR1nDNJNYXD_qgvSOG6xU1VgQVyJiTU2xmAQVQImMPlNuPItDyIIszxZsnESKfONBzYFZFYaXdMSNcyUK8yy8k/s1600/banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillNTaZUT0vDXm3n6KEZNeMoSI3enQU9iSoaT_2qlEWporalxT6d9OBIR1nDNJNYXD_qgvSOG6xU1VgQVyJiTU2xmAQVQImMPlNuPItDyIIszxZsnESKfONBzYFZFYaXdMSNcyUK8yy8k/s400/banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
All these names can get sort of confusing. What you need to know is that those 3 titles mean the same thing! <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>“You shall celebrate the <b>Feast of Weeks</b>, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year." Exodus 34:22</i><br />
<br />
<b>Feast of Weeks</b> is, of course, our English term.<br />
<b>Shavuot</b> is the Hebrew word for weeks.<br />
<b>Pentecost</b> is the Greek term used in the New Testament, but it is the same holiday that is observed above. Pentecost literally means fiftieth for The Feast of Weeks was to occur 50 days after the Passover.<br />
<br />
<i>You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths.‘You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. Lev 23:15-16</i><br />
<br />
Christianity celebrates Pentecost Sunday as the day the disciples received the Holy Spirit but while this year Pentecost or Shavuot does happen to fall on a Sunday, that is not always the case. Shavuot is always 50 days from Passover and Passover always begins on the 15th of the month of Nisan.<br />
<br />
So enough with the dates and the names, lets get what to this holiday is all about!<br />
<br />
The counting began for us the day after Passover. Jews call this the counting of the omer. We used barley to count the 50 days but I confess we failed to do this daily. I often had to catch my calendar up! Each day (when we remembered) we would say "Today is the ___ day of the Omer" and glue on one piece of barley. Others use a path up a mountain to celebrate the giving of the Torah and say a special blessing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFD9mo-AryF0Ee0qfWVSyStd-mnpaYCIJ7RBbcmpAQfteQ8IN5RG7XgdE0cKUyjVN0MdBtjAw_UTwOIAaqd_ta3u2HDLwUdlhVxPGReoPS8FUkKkT5vgKAQDjsqEhenoSCKWL3FxECUA/s1600/omer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFD9mo-AryF0Ee0qfWVSyStd-mnpaYCIJ7RBbcmpAQfteQ8IN5RG7XgdE0cKUyjVN0MdBtjAw_UTwOIAaqd_ta3u2HDLwUdlhVxPGReoPS8FUkKkT5vgKAQDjsqEhenoSCKWL3FxECUA/s320/omer.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
<br />
The Feast of Weeks was one of the 7 appointed observances of the Lord given to Moses.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts." Lev 23:2</i><br />
<br />
Leviticus 23:15-22 tells you about the Feast of Weeks but other than explaining what you are to sacrifice and commanding that you not work<i> </i>it doesn't really say what you must do to celebrate it. We do know that the disciples observed it for in Acts 2 they were in Jerusalem observing Pentecost when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.<br />
<br />
Jewish tradition has this day set aside as a day that commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. The focus will be on learning the 10 commandments and some will even stay up all night studying the Torah. <br />
<br />
What I find fascinating is the connection between the giving of the Ten Commandments and the giving of the Holy Spirit. Remember, when Moses came down from the mountain he found the people in rebellion against God worshiping a golden calf. Moses called all those on Lord's side to stand with him and they slew those who rebelled. They lost about 3,000 men that day<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. Exodus 32:28</i><br />
<br />
Yet, on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit fell upon his people, Peter preached the gospel identifying Jesus as the Messiah. At the end about 3,000 people were saved. <br />
<br />
<i>So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41.</i><br />
<br />
As many souls that were lost in Exodus were restored at Pentecost! What a beautiful restoration! So, while I don't see an exact command in Scripture to celebrate the giving on the Ten Commandments on this holiday, there is a connection I find compelling and I will start adding that into my celebration. We actually never celebrated the day of Pentecost at our church anyway, so even that is new to us.<br />
<br />
Here are some resources that aided us in our celebration of the many facets of this special day.<br />
<br />
The first is a great video from <a href="http://whatsinthebible.com/what-is-pentecost/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=whatispentecost">Buck Denver asks What's in the Bible</a>. It explains what happened on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Their web page <a href="http://whatsinthebible.com/what-is-pentecost/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=whatispentecost">What Is Pentecost</a> has this video, the history of Pentecost and some coloring pages.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xtokHQOmFu0" width="360"></iframe></center>
<br />
To learn about the Ten Commandments we decided to read them from Scripture and watch a movie. I think Gess chose <i>Prince of Egypt</i>, but I might put in the original <i>Ten Commandments</i> with Charlton Heston myself!<br />
<br />
I would recommend memorizing them. We have done that already so we simply reviewed them. I shared how we went about <a href="http://specialconnectionhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/learning-10-commandments.html">Learning the Ten Commandments</a> a few years ago. We used these visuals from <a href="http://www.livingwaters.com/downloads/print/teach-kids-the-ten-commandments-flipchart/viewdownload">Living Waters</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbGyUtZn-xQW_ad5tEJP8Glivo0tVS9sVEOJjjAEqm5IxQLDej5Y3mkhBWhUkIBqSsdPCYSJ1WEGrl9o1KH5fkKQDBS_M0sl7Da8bVzp80Wb1I0frkqEleiauD2O_Ets3KrVqVck9_ZI/s1600/e1bdc864ddffefe9d4b1ea9476780b2d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbGyUtZn-xQW_ad5tEJP8Glivo0tVS9sVEOJjjAEqm5IxQLDej5Y3mkhBWhUkIBqSsdPCYSJ1WEGrl9o1KH5fkKQDBS_M0sl7Da8bVzp80Wb1I0frkqEleiauD2O_Ets3KrVqVck9_ZI/s320/e1bdc864ddffefe9d4b1ea9476780b2d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
My church also taught them with motions. Here is Gess doing them!<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z09Z2w5ASfU?rel=0" width="360"></iframe></center>
<br />
A fun song Gess has on her <a href="http://www.gofishguys.com/album/superstar#.VWDOJkbLBdg">Go Fish Guys DVD Superstar</a> is <a href="http://www.gofishguys.com/track/ten-commandment-boogie#.VWDOm0bLBdg">The Ten Commandment Boogie</a>.<br />
<br />
Another Jewish tradition is to read the book of Ruth during the holiday. The Feast of Weeks is also the Feast of Firstfruits and that is when the Barley is harvested. The book of Ruth certainly takes place during that time! The fact that it was a beautiful picture of redemption gives it yet another connection to our redeemer and the gift we received from him on Pentecost! We read that this morning.<br />
<br />
This is our first year celebrating Pentecost but it certainly won't be our last! I look forward to finding new ways to celebrate in the years to come. <br />
<br />
<br />Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583272443520373404.post-61867797700131480032015-05-19T05:58:00.002-07:002015-05-19T05:59:13.735-07:00Piano Recital Number 3It was Gess' third year at piano and her recital was last weekend. She enjoys playing and does fairly well. Her biggest challenge is the rhythm of the song. She knows where the notes are but doesn't necessarily hold them the right amount. Her teacher works well with her and I am glad for the experience. Reading music is a great thing to learn!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnV-R3nJC7iE5Jzbw7Z_LqgV8uP0-cBkyDe-fdE-EbkPC3G6zq-WPG2HXvWniGxVQunT70PgL-9WPvhJTTVXI4RyepGL5taYkvEZCcEnrhJtTngMaiAjkidMCubIvYEouhiOYGwyaMkyk/s1600/recital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnV-R3nJC7iE5Jzbw7Z_LqgV8uP0-cBkyDe-fdE-EbkPC3G6zq-WPG2HXvWniGxVQunT70PgL-9WPvhJTTVXI4RyepGL5taYkvEZCcEnrhJtTngMaiAjkidMCubIvYEouhiOYGwyaMkyk/s320/recital.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Here was one of her songs: Spaceship to Mars<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fWA8L2cByUk?rel=0" width="360"></iframe></center>
Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00446519726166504505noreply@blogger.com0