What We Bought At The HomeSchool Conference 2010

I can not believe my oldest is ready for Algebra. This is Saxon Algebra 1/2. The class before highschool Algebra 1. We love Saxon for Emma. Here is a link to a post I did that goes a little more in depth on Saxon Math and why we like it.

And here is Singapore Math. I like this for the earlier grades like 1st to 3rd. Meg and Henry are using these books. Here is a link for more on Singapore.

Now this is a bit scary. It is a writing program called Excellence in Writing. It is the writing program I have heard talked about for many years and the one the older mentor moms seem to always refer. It appears overwhelming when you read about it, but all these older or more experienced moms say it is absolutely worth it. So I dove in and bought the first piece of it.

I haven’t really looked at it much. My plan is to get Emma going on it this fall, but it is entirely possible that I will toss it aside if it does not work for us.  I am hoping that doesn’t happen, but I have done this enough to know that forcing something that isn’t flowing, will be miserable for all involved.  Maybe it needs to wait a year or two or maybe it won’t work at all.  Ok.   I am now going to be positive :)

Oh, and it has DVD’s you watch, a binder and all kinds of other stuff.

I’m really excited about this. A Thomas Jefferson Education. I’d seen this website and loved it and then saw these books also at the Excellence in Writing booth. These are right up my alley!

And these next books, The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black, are wonderful for upper elementary and probably into middle school. Here are a few reviews I found :

“Chuck Black is a word crafter who is able to weave Kingdom principles into the fabric of one’s moral imagination. The characters he has created and the passions they exude, will motivate readers to follow their examples, which have now been etched into their awakened conscience.”

– Mark Hamby, Founder and President of Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing

“A Pilgrim’s Progress for the Xbox generation! That’s what Chuck Black has achieved in his Kingdom Series. It’s an allegory of the whole Bible told in the medieval format of noble knights and scathing sword fights, quests and dragons, betrayal, and final victory by the true Prince over the Dark Knight.”

-Dave Jackson, author of the Trailblazer novels

Written by a homeschool dad of 6 children and former F-16 fighter pilot.  We met him at the conference with his children.  He was hip and cool for sure!

They also come in CD’s with great music and sound effects. There are several more series’. We started with this one. These are highly recommended by us and all of our friends.

I found these little diddies for a dollar, brought them home and had them laminated at Staples for Meg and Henry. I thought they were a great reference tool. I got them at Rainbow Resource.com.  Another favorite booth!

And I had to have this. This is Michael Pearl’s Bible in comic book form, NOW in color.

This is a GREAT way for children to get into the Bible, but their main purpose was to create the Bible in a form that could be brought into foreign countries that do not allow Bibles. There are many countries in this category and now these “Bibles” are being brought in and many people are learning what they would never otherwise have learned. No Greater Joy is the website and these people have been a favorite of mine for many years.

And here is a novel written by Debi Pearl, Michael’s wife. She wrote the Helpmeet book that I so often talk about. That so helped get me where I am now as a wife. I figured I had to buy her novel. It is still on my “to read” stack though. Some day :)

Here are Emma’s treats to herself.  She LOVES to make things.

And this is what Meg bought.  Oh my.  Ink.  This has a similar effect on me as the children’s paint in the cupboard that was stealing my peace.  (I eventually threw it out and decided that is why we go to Leonardo’s.  Our local Art and Science museum.)  I’m much happier now.  But it is sweet that she wanted these and I’m working on my patience with these old fashioned tools she chose.

And finally, here are the 2 coonskin hats that we brought the boys, from one of my other favorite booths, Vision Forum. They are all about men being men and women being women. Well, we got them home, opened them up to give to the boys and they were in pieces that have to be sewn together. Oh boy. Guess I should have looked at the tag closer.

Ahhhh. It says Coon Tail Hat KIT. KIT. The key word. Ok. Sounds like a project for Emma while we read books together in the winter. We will save that.

And that’s it for this year.

It’s been a busy spring and summer, with lots going on. Hoping to have a moment to write about it. God Bless You!

Love,
Allison