Things That Make Me Smile 6/16/17

Jake (11 1/2), Alyssa (9), Zac (7 1/2), Tyler (5), Nicholas (2 1/2)

Happy Friday! This week, we went bowling with friends, painted pictures, played with Legos, read books, and took things easy as we dealt with a bit of sickness. What made you Smile?

1. Tyler: "Mom, you're never lonely. God is always with you."

2. Me: "Dad is dropping off these donations, getting a movie, and picking up Chinese."

5 minutes later . . .

Tyler: "What can I eat?"

Me: "Nothing. I told you, Daddy is picking up dinner."
Tyler: "What is for dinner?"
Me: "Chinese, remember?"
Tyler: "Ohhh! I thought that was the kind of movie."

3. Jake: "What king doesn't like getting rid of stuff?"
Me: "Hmm . . . I don't know."
Jake: "King Agrippa, because he holds on to stuff." (He grips it.)   

4. Alyssa and Jake made a Lego chess set that transforms to Checkers.

5. Nicky: "I ready, Mama. I ready."
Me: "You're ready? For what?"
Nicky: "I see Papa."

6. Leighton, to Jake: "You always have epiphanies right at bed time. Have your epiphanies in the afternoon."

7. Zac: "I named my arms."

Me: "Right and Left?"
Zac: "No. This one's Strong, and this one's Mighty."

8.

9. Alyssa: "Is that soy sauce?"
Me: "No, olive oil."
Alyssa: "Oh, my next guess was going to be wine."
Me: "Wine? Why would you think that?"
Alyssa: "I don't know."
Me: "Have you ever even seen wine in our house?"
Jake: "I've seen Tyler whine."

 What made you Smile this week?

 

Peanut Butter Cup Granola

We have been obsessed with homemade granola ever since making this version in the crock pot years ago. I've since switched my method to cooking in the oven, and it is just as delicious.

With a family of 7, you can imagine that granola doesn't last long (actually, nothing lasts long with a family of 7, ha), so I like to make a lot at one time. I usually make 3 types. While one is in the oven, I prepare another. This way, I'm reusing the dishes without having to wash everything, and since most of the ingredients are the same, I have those out already too. It saves me time and streamlines the process. In less than 2 hours, we can have a ton of granola and a clean kitchen. The most difficult thing is trying to decide which kind to make!

It's no secret that we love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. I mean, homemade Butterfingers made with a crazy ingredient, a decadent peanut butter brownie torte, rich and creamy peanut butter pie, these peanut butter bars which is one of our absolute favorite desserts, homemade Girl Scout peanut butter patties, and a cool and creamy peanut butter cup ice cream cake, anyone? All delicious, yes, but did you notice a theme? They're all desserts. And while I could totally enjoy a peanut butter bar any time of the day, it's probably not the best idea. This granola though is completely acceptable as a breakfast food! Sure, it has a bit of chocolate and chips, but it's still better than those sugary cereals, and it keeps you full longer. Sounds like a good compromise to me. Besides, the kids always think I'm making no bake cookies when this granola is cooking, because it smells exactly the same. So, it's still kinda like eating cookies for breakfast, ha.

I have been working to perfect this recipe for a while. Each time I'd make it, I'd tweak it to make it just a little bit better until we got to this. It is bursting with peanut butter flavor with a hint of chocolate. Of course, with any granola recipe, it's easy to change it to meet your tastes. Leave out the cocoa powder for a pure peanut butter version or don't add the chips for a more subtle peanut butter flavor. I use Reese's brand of baking chips to give it more of a true peanut butter cup flavor, but any brand will work.
 
Of all the granolas we make, this is the kids' favorite. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Peanut Butter Cup Granola

Ingredients:

5 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:

1. Place oats in a large bowl.

2. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, combine the honey and peanut butter. Microwave for one minute; whisk. Microwave an additional 30 seconds, or as needed, to melt everything and allow it to combine smoothly. (Can also be melted on the stove in a small saucepan.)

3. Stir in cocoa powder and vanilla. Pour over oats and mix to coat. (I use a spatula.)
4. Spread granola in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 275°for 20 minutes. Stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool completely before mixing in peanut butter chips. Store in an air-right container.

Homeschool Panet Review

I was always a pen-and-paper planner girl. Just like I prefer a physical paperback fiction book in my hands as opposed to its digital counterpart read on my Kindle, I was set on using a tangible planner to organize my days, too. Then two years ago, I was introduced to Homeschool Planet through Homeschool Buyers Co-op and was won over. Much to my surprise, I've traded my paper planned for an online program ever since.

When my subscription expired a year later, I talked to my husband about renewing. He is a tech guru and uses his devices way more than the laptop. He wanted to find a planner that worked well for both of us so he could easily check our calendar from his phone. I agreed to try a few different apps and our search began. Nope, it doesn't have this feature. No, I don't like the format. Oh, that won't work at all. We eventually settled on one that was decent. But I've never loved it. So you can imagine my excitement when we received another subscription! My beloved planner was back in my life.

Homeschool Buyers Co-op is the world's largest buyers club for homeschool families. They are a family-owned and -operated business that is dedicated to supplying quality curriculum at the lowest price. By joining the co-op for free, you can purchase an individual product with thousands of other homeschools and take advantage of the lower cost of purchasing in bulk. They offer great deals, great products, free resources, and a rewards program.     

I've been part of the co-cop since I first reviewed the planner and have taken advantage of other resources they offer since then. It's also where we create our homeschool ID cards to receive discounts at various places. The co-op is easy to use and convenient. I appreciate that they won't sell my information or send me unwanted emails. Within minutes of making a purchase, I receive access to my products and can begin using them.

Here's what you can expect from Homeschool Planet:

• The calendar view lets you see anybody's or everybody's calendar on the screen.
• The planner view shows a simple list of all the tasks and when they need to be completed.
• The resource view allows you to look at any books, DVD, websites, or the like that are needed for lessons.
• Separate logins can be created so kids can view their assignments and chores and check them off as completed.
• The Daily Digest email can be sent to everyone with their personal schedule for the day. 
• Emails and text messages can be sent as reminders.
• Easy attendance tracking, grading, and transcript creation.
• Lesson plans can be created with assignments, web links, notes, and more.
• Shopping lists for individual stores can be kept and either emailed or texted for convenience.
• Multiple widgets are supplied for to-do lists, daily Bible verse, daily quote, weather, messages, and more.
• A mobile version lets you view and edit on smartphones and tablets.
• Calendar sharing allows you to link your calendar with your spouse's online calendar. 
• Lesson copying lets you copy lessons for later for another student. 

I was excited to log back into my account and get things setup, but when I opened it, I was even more pleased to discover that it saved all my information from before. All of our profiles, anniversaries, birthdays, classes, chores--everything was still there. I just needed to input current obligations and I was all set.

Homeschool Planet has a way to organize and track everything for my home and homeschool. I can color coordinate things birthdays, appointments, church activities, vacations, deadlines, and more and can assign them to specific people. I can input assignments once and tell it to add it to "every day of the week" or "every Monday" or "every first Wednesday of the month" or any other option you might need. I can type in every every assignment the kids need to complete daily, but choose to hide it from my view so the calendar isn't cluttered. I can print individual calendars for my kids so they can easily see what schoolwork and chores need to be completed each day of the week, without my having to handwrite it all daily. If something doesn't get completed, I can quickly reassign it to a different day. Or time. Or just simply delete it without having unsightly scribble marks on my page.

There are so many features included with this planner that it could feel overwhelming. They offer over a dozen tutorials to make it simpler and help you better organize. There are also widgets that you can customize including a daily quote and Bible verse, to do and shopping lists, weather, and more. You can also receive emails to be reminded of the schedule both daily and weekly.

The co-op is currently running a sale. If you sign up now for a free one-month trial to Homeschool Planet, you will also receive a free lesson plan (valued from $5-15) from the Lesson Plan Marketplace. They offer plans for well-known vendors such as Rosetta Stone, IEW, Saxon, Veritas Press, The Magic School Bus, and so much more. The professionally-designed plans can be added to your calendar with a click of a button, and all the assignments, notes, and links to online resources will be filled in.  

I am so excited to be using Homeschool Planet again. I wish they created an app for it though. They do have a mobile version, but I haven't found it very helpful, honestly. I still have to access it through the web browser, which is not convenient, and I'm not fond of the view of it either. If I need Leighton to pick up a few things on the way home, I can text him the list from the planner, but it had an app, it would be so much easier for him to be able to check the list directly there himself. Other than that though, it's still my favorite planner and one that I anticipate using for a long time.

You can connect with Homeschool Buyers Co-op on the following social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+

You can see what features of this planner other homeschool families utilize by reading the reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Unlock Math Review

I've talked before about our problems with math. Jake, my oldest, has always had a love/hate relationship with it. When he was younger, he loved it. He was good at it. It came naturally to him. As he got older though and the concepts grew in difficulty, he started to struggle. If he understood the assignment, he loved it; if he didn't quite grasp it immediately, he hated it. It was frustrating and a source of contention in our days. Not at all how I want our homeschooling experience to be. Sigh. I was pleased when our most recent math curriculum finally started to make a difference. The grumbling turned to a minimum, and he actually claimed to like it--or at least tolerate it--most days. When the opportunity to review yet another one became available, I was was uninterested. That is until I previewed a sample lesson. Right then I knew that UnLock Math was different. After talking to Jake to get his opinion, I signed him up for UnLock Pre-Algebra.

UnLock Math was created by a husband and wife team who were both homeschooled. Alesia, a seasoned math teacher, has a unique teaching style of breaking math into bite-sized chunks, making it easier to understand, interesting, engaging, and fun. She and her husband Matthew designed this online curriculum to take away the stress and frustration from parents.The program takes care of everything from the teaching to testing to grading. 

Here's what you can expect from the curriculum:

• Teaching Videos
• Advanced Assessment
• Immediate Feedback and Fully Explained Solutions
• One Visible Question at a Time
• Unlimited Practice
• Unlimited Review
• Gradebook & Progress Reports 

We were on vacation when we received access to UnLock Math, so I simply filled out my information and that was it. I didn't required Jake to start the first lesson until we got home. A week later when he sat down to begin, we ran into a problem. He was not assigned to a course, and therefore had no access to any lessons. I checked all over the parent dashboard and could not figure out where the issue was. I sent Matthew an email to ask what I was doing wrong. Within minutes, my phone rang. He took the time (even while he was out enjoying the zoo with his family) to personally walk me through the setup. As it turns out, the problem was not with the program at all, but because I caused a rare glitch during my checkout process. He was extremely helpful and friendly. So, the customer service was great, but how was the actual program?

The lessons look very similar to the geometry image above. The student begins by clicking the Warm Up button where he answers 5-10 easy review questions. Next is the teaching video, followed by the practice problems. After that, he answers a few questions from previous lessons, so he "stays sharp" on the material. The final question, Challenge Yourself, gives the student a chance to answer one single advanced problem. The final tab includes reference notes, which lists the instructions from the lesson in a printable PDF.

Jake has been using this program for the past month or so and is earning a 99% average for UnLock Pre-Algebra. Not only does he complete his lesson every day with no complaints whatsoever, but he's grasping the information and thriving. He responds to the video lessons, not only because they're short, bite-sized chunks, but also because Alesia is a phenomenal teacher. She brings energy to her teaching and lets her love of the subject shine through.

The only aspect of the program that he would rather see different is that it won't keep him logged in. He keeps the tab open on the school computer, but it still kicks him out after a period of inactivity, requiring him to sign in each day. A big deal? No. But still a bit of an annoyance.  If he had the option to remain logged in, the program would be pretty much perfect for him.

I am incredibly happy with our experience thus far with UnLock Math. It's a quality program with exceptional teaching and great customer service. It's easy for both the student and parent to use and to review progress. Any curriculum that gets my son to complete his assignment on his own and with a good attitude on top of helping him to retain the information is a winner in my eyes.


You can connect with UnLock Math on the following social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest


You can read more reviews of this level and the others offered by UnLock Math on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Rush Revere

We were in love with this review before we even received it! It seems hard to believe, but it's true. We had our first experience with the Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series a couple years ago when a friend of mine let us borrow the audio version of the books. The kids immediately fell in love--with the characters, the story line, the historical facts, the humor, everything. I mean, time-traveling with a talking horse--what's not to love! It's no secret around here that we enjoy reading and spend hours a day doing so, so to be excited about another book series may not seem like a big deal. Sometimes though, a book or set of book stands out above the others. We've decided that the Adventures of Rush Revere #1 New York Times Bestselling Book Series by Rush and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh falls into that category.

Rush Limbaugh created the Rush Revere Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional American books to make learning history fun. His wife, Kathryn (who would later join in on the writing process), encouraged him to "tell the amazing stories of our country's founding in an easy-to-understand way." So many details from our history are being left out of or changed in textbooks. This series was written to excite kids and help them to understand the importance of learning history.

You first meet Rush and his talking horse, Liberty, in Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims. The story starts with the twosome on board the Mayflower in 1620, seasick and in a storm. In the present day, Rush Revere is a substitute history teacher at a middle school. He always wears colonial clothing (much to the amusement of the students) and goes everywhere with his time-traveling, able-to-disappear, talking horse. Liberty gained his super abilities when he was struck by lightning sometime during the Revolutionary War. The phenomenon sent electrical properties through his body that changed him physically and mentally and thrust him to the future. He gained the ability to open a time portal to anywhere in American history. He met Rush and their adventures began.

Two of Rush's students, Tommy and Freedom, learned of this incredible opportunity and joined in on the travels to learn from the Pilgrims. They boarded the Mayflower, watched William Bradford propose the Mayflower Compact, experienced sorrow in Plymouth Colony, ate a meal with Somoset, were taught the best way to plant corn by Squanto, learned to sword fight with Myles Standish, and partook of the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth Plantation.

The adventure starts in 1765 in book two, Rush Revere and the First Patriots. Rush and Liberty are in Boston, Massachusetts during the riots in response to the Stamp Act. They escaped the mob and time-traveled through the swirling gold and purple hole back to present day, where Rush was substitute teaching once again. This time, new characters are introduced to the time-traveling crew. Cam is eager to learn history, while Elizabeth is intent on changing it. The group had many adventures: bringing Benjamin Franklin to present day times (and having a conversation about Star Wars), joined a meeting with British Parliament, drank tea with Patrick Henry, toured Windsor Castle, had an audience with King George III, listened to a speech by Samuel Adams, visited the site of the Boston Massacre, and was introduced to George Washington. 

The story is continued in Rush Revere and the American Revolution. The friends start in Boston in 1775 and helped Robert Newman place lanterns in the window of the Old North Church Steeple. They had a run-in with British soldiers before time-traveling home. In present day, Rush takes advantage time-traveling to teach his summer school class about the American Revolution and to help Cam through a different period of his life. The crew visited Dr. Joseph Warren's home office as he organized the Massachusetts alarm system (including the midnight ride of Paul Revere); were nearly caught by a British spy; helped Paul Revere aboard the warship Somerset; raced from village to village to warn the Patriots to prepare to fight;  met more influential men including John Hancock, William Dawes, Dr. Samuel Prescott, Samuel Adams, and Henry Knox; found themselves in the middle of the Battle of Lexington; talked strategy with George Washington; got caught in the Battle of Breed's Hill; and witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

Washington City 1814 is where Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner begins. Rush and Liberty arrive at the White House to help First Lady Dolly Madison pack valuables including a portrait of General George Washington as she flees to prevent capture by the British. They travel back to the present to learn that Tommy's grandfather is very ill. Rush and Liberty decide to take the kids and Freedom's grandfather on a field trip to Washington, D.C. to distract Tommy from his grief. They played a game that lead them all across the National City and learned history along the way. They time-traveled and ate dinner with James Madison where they discussed the Constitution, listened to a confrontational debate in Independence Hall, sat in the Assembly Hall as the delegates discussed the Articles of Confederation, listened as Francis Scott Key wrote his poem that would become the national anthem, and witnessed the American flag raised signaling that the British ship were retreating.

The middle school where Rush substitute teaches was choosing a student body president in Rush Revere and the Presidency. Cam was convinced he could win the vote on popularity and great ideas. Rush used Liberty's time-traveling ability to teach Cam what it meant to run a good campaign, gain ideas for his election, and what it meant to be a good president. They played with George Washington's grandchildren Wash and Nelly at the Cherry Street Mansion, had detailed conversations with Washington himself, met Martha Washington and Abigail Adams, enjoyed spending time with President and Mrs. Adams, discussed elections with President Jefferson, and learned and grew along the way.

The entire Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series is a joy to read. The books are filled with historical facts, but seen from a present point-of-view. The banter between Rush and Liberty keeps the story-line comical. Liberty is often making jokes or references to food. There are many other funny parts, too, that include Liberty kicking his Dutch shoes through the school window, Operation Mashed Potatoes, Liberty screaming like a girl in front of a shocked British soldier, Liberty's gum getting stuck in a British Redcoat's hair, and more.

The books are hardcover and the pages have a parchment look to them. There are a variety of pictures throughout, including paintings, photographs, charts, and cartoon characters. Since the characters are middle schoolers, the books definitely appeal to that age group, but they're enjoyed by both the younger and older crowds, as well. The website itself is filled with so many ways to further your study. There are many links for American history research, quizzes, activities, games, and even a section devoted to homeschoolers. There is also a place to apply for scholarships, purchase tea or a plush Liberty, and more.  

Here's what my kids said about the books:

"I like how they travel back through time and that Liberty is a talking horse and is so funny. 

I like that it's about actual history, too."

"It's a fun way to learn abut history-the best way, pretty much. I think Liberty is so funny!" 

"I think Liberty is funny and I like that they time-travel."

Revere's goal for his pupils is Limbaugh's goal for his readers: that we have an imagination and that we "discover history together, discover the stories of the exceptional people who made us who we are today." These books are perfect for accomplishing just that.

You can connect with Rush Revere on the following social media sites:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

If you'd like to read more reviews of this bestselling book series, please visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog. 

  

Father's Day 2017

Father's Day is one of my favorite times of the year. It is always my desire to show Leighton how cherished and important he is to us. And while that's my goal throughout the whole year, there's something special about taking the time to devote all our energy to showing him our love on this special day. I want to make sure our 5 little ones love, honor, and respect him, and that example starts with me. Too often, dads gets a bad rap. They are demeaned by the entertainment industry. They are criticized on social media. They are undermined at home. I refused to bad-mouth my husband, whether it's publicly to others or privately to my children. Oh, it's not that he's perfect (I could tell you the things he does that grate on my nerves . . . but then I'd have to tell you what I do myself that annoys me, as well; we all make poor choices at times), but I believe that it's important as a wife and mother to build him up. 

Leighton is an amazing man. He experienced some difficult things growing up, but he didn't let those circumstances define him. He's patient and understanding. He's loving, faithful, and giving. He works so hard to provide all of our needs and many of our wants. He's incredibly talented and I always say there isn't anything he can't do. He leads our family well and loves the Lord. I could not ask for a better man. He is the perfect husband and father for us. He loves me and our children, and he's my favorite person in the world. 

This is our sixth year filling our these questionnaires. I sit down with the kids one-on-one to ask questions about their daddy. Some of their answers make me laugh, while others melt my heart. It is obvious that they know they are loved and love him in return. Here is my husband through the eyes our of children.

By Jake, 11 yr:

My dad is 34 years old.

My dad weighs 170 lbs.

My dad is 6’3”.

My dad's favorite color is green.

My dad's favorite food is ribs.

My dad is really strong. He could lift a (Lego) house.

My dad always says dinner is delicious.

My dad is the best at building things.

My dad's job is managing a yard for a demolition company.

My dad laughs when I make up a good joke.

My dad and I like to having Nerf wars.

My dad really loves when we obey.

I love my dad because he does stuff with us.

It makes my dad happy when we obey. 

 

 

By Alyssa, 9 yr:

My dad is 34 years old.

My dad weighs 105 lbs.

My dad is 5'3".

My dad's favorite color is green.

My dad's favorite food is anything Mom makes.

My dad is really strong. He could lift me.

My dad always says I love you.

My dad is the best at fixing things.

My dad's job is working at Blue Star.

My dad laughs when I tell a joke.

My dad and I like to play with Legos.

My dad really loves our family.

I love my dad because he loves me.

It makes my dad happy when we clean up.

 

 

By Zac, 7 yr:

My dad is 34 years old.

My dad weighs 10 tons.

My dad is 6 feet tall.

My dad's favorite color is green.

My dad's favorite food is meat.

My dad is really strong. He could lift 5 lbs.

My dad always says I love you.

My dad is the best at lifting stuff.

My dad's job is fixing machines.

My dad laughs when I tell him a joke.

My dad and I like to have Nerf wars.

My dad really loves Mom!

I love my dad because he’s my dad.

It makes my dad happy when one of us does something nice for him. 

 

 

By Tyler, 5 yr:

My dad is 34 old.

My dad weighs 100 lbs.

My dad is 15 feet tall. 

My dad's favorite color is green.

My dad's favorite food is biscuits and gravy.

My dad is really strong. He could lift the couch.

My dad always says clean up your room.

My dad is the best at building.

My dad's job is working.

My dad and I like to play games.

My dad really loves Mommy.

I love my dad because I love him.

It makes my dad happy when when the whole house is clean.

 

Happy Father's Day, Leighton! You are so loved and appreciated. We are blessed to call you ours.