Homeschooling's for the Birds

...or birds are for homeschooling. One of the best investments we've made for learning has been our birdfeeder (and birdseed). Even in our suburban neighborhood, a good variety of birds visit our feeder. I do not typically buy the birdseed varieties especially made for songbirds because those can get rather pricey. I started with the cheapest Wildbird seed I could find at the co-op and have gone from there.

One of the best places I have found to get the most good quality birdseed for your money is PetSmart. I've tried the cheaper kinds that are corn-based but those do not attract as many birds (at least at our feeder). I buy the Grreat Quality Wild Bird Seed Mix (yes, it has 2 r's), and this past time I added the same brand Black Oil Sunflower Seed Mix. Since the latter is more expensive I mixed the two to make it last longer and within 24 hours had one new songbird visit the feeder.

Suet feeders are also good investments and are not very expensive. You can make your own suet at home with ingredients you probably already have in your cabinets, or you can purchase pre-made suet for less than $2 a pack at most places that sell birdseed. Here is a link to some simple suet recipes.

After purchasing the birdseed and feeder, we hung it in one of our Bradford Pear Trees in the front yard. Once the birds discovered the feeder, they kept coming back and started inviting their friends! Now, we are able to view the birds from our front windows. All the pictures of the birds you see are taken from inside the house. They are not the best quality pictures but served the purpose of helping us indentify the birds. We were also able to use them in our bird lapbook.

Homeschool Share has a free bird lapbook, but since different birds live in different areas this lapbook mostly just gave me an idea about how to help my first grader make her own. I did use the free lapbook templates from Homeschool Share, and we added in our own information.

(I realize the Mockingbirds on the cover of our lapbook do not use the feeder, but we also added birds that visit our yard. The Mockingbirds loved the cherry tomoatoes I planted in my box garden last year.)

We used a bird book and an internet website that were specific to our state to identify the birds. Then, we looked up each bird on the National Geographic website for information about the bird's habits and diet to add to our lapbook.

We keep our birdfeeder stocked year round and are able to identiy which birds migrate and which do not along with both the males and females of the species. We will be adding a new bird or two to our lapbook this year since we've added the suet feeder and black oil sunflower seeds. Happy Bird Watching!

Blog App Tour and Giveaway

BLOG APP TOUR AND GIVEAWAY

****Leave a comment on theis post and you could be entered into the grand prize giveaway for a $75 Best Buy Giftcard.****

DESCRIPTION: The Sounds of Night is a book app that helps put a child's mind at ease when the lights go  out at bedtime. This book addresses one of the primary feelings young  children face; fear. The Sounds of Night reinforces the principle that  God is the Creator of every creature. Since God makes all the animals  that scurry and screech at night, children can lie down and sleep in  peace.

FEATURES: The Sounds of Night has over  75 touch points/interactions. It has rich illustrations and 4 Bible  verses on fear that kids can learn with their parents and share with  their friends.
                                                                                                      

Company name: Christian Apps 4 Kids
Founder: Jessica Kirkland
Type of App: Book app
Target Audience: Children ages 2-8 years
Availability: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and all Android phones and tablets.

Price: Apple App Store: $5.99

Android Marketplace: $2:99

DEVELOPMENT: Jessica Kirkland is a member of Moms with Apps. She recently launched Christian Apps 4 Kids, which seeks to draw kids closer to Christ one app at a time. Her inaugural app is a result of the fear that was such a part of her life:

In every season of life, the Enemy would whisper the lie that I would “never make it” to the next. I believed it. Time and time again, I thought his words held power. As a young child, I never thought I would live to see my school years. Once I entered school, I never thought I would live to see the next day, next grade, or milestone in life. I listened to a very real enemy, even though I didn’t want to. Even though I came from a strong, Christian family, I felt powerless to stop the lies. Fear gripped me, stole from me, and taunted every careful step I took.
Jessica believes the only way to be free from fear, as an adult or child, is to replace fearful thoughts with God's Word. Her desire for each book project is that they not only build character, but help set kids free.

The book app was developed in partnership with ROAR.  
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessica  Kirkland lives in Southeast Texas with her husband, Robb, and  five-year-old triplets. She is an author and speaker whose greatest  passion in life is to see young families grow deeper in their walk with  God. Jessica's newest adventure includes launching Christian Apps 4  Kids, which seeks to draw kids closer to Christ one app at a time. A  recent release is a book app that addresses fear and scary nighttime  sounds called The Sounds of Night, designed for kids ages 2-8. When  Jessica isn't writing, you can find her cheering her boys on at the  soccer field, or watching her little girl at the dance studio.

To find out more about her current writing projects, connect with her at: www.christianapps4kids.com or on her personal blog: www.jessicakirkland.com

TOUR GIVEAWAY
If you leave a comment on this post you could be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing for a $75 Best Buy Giftcard. Be sure to include an email address to contact you. I will draw one name on Dec. 15 that will be entered into the grand prize giveaway.

COMING SOON
The Lonely Stable is a book app that reminds children that it's never too late to live out God's plan for their lives. Told from the stable's perspective, this intriguing Christmas book tells the story of Jesus' birth. From time to time, we all wonder about our purpose in life. The Lonely Stable wondered why he was still standing, for he was weathered and old. As time passed, he began to question his purpose. This remarkable tale is a lesson that both parents and children can hold on to when they ask questions like, "Why am I here?" or "Does God care about my life?" This book shows us that God has made each of us for a special purpose. The Lonely Stable is aimed at kids

Company name: Christian Apps 4 Kids
Founder: Jessica Kirkland
Type of App: Book app
Target Audience: Children ages 2-10 years
Availability: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and all Android phones and tablets.

Price: Apple App Store: $5.99

Android Marketplace: $2:99

Passion to Action: How God Uses Ordinary People in Extraordinary Ways

Discover a New American DreamFor the Loeckens, a mission trip meant to change
the lives of others ended up changing theirs.

Jay and Beth Loecken were an ordinary family searching for meaning in their lives while living the American Dream.  They owned their dream house, drove nice cars, and from the outside seemed to have all they needed.  Yet something kept pulling at them—a stirring, a sense that they were being called to a greater purpose in life.  They couldn’t escape the feeling that there was more to life than the relentless pursuit of material possessions.

In Passion to Action: How God Uses Ordinary People in Extraordinary Ways, the Loeckens share the remarkable story of how they rediscovered another dream and how it turned their life upside down and fulfilled them more than they ever thought possible.  It will inspire readers to discover their own passions and put them into action.

In the summer of 2007, the Loeckens headed to Africa on a mission trip with three of their four children.  That trip changed their lives.  When they returned home to their comfortable lifestyle, they all knew they wanted something more.  In April of 2008, the family made the daring decision to sell their home, purchase an RV, and begin traveling the country serving communities in need: crushing cans for a senior center in McCall, Idaho, cleaning used books for a program in Portland, Oregon, and serving meals at the Rescue Mission in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

“Being in Africa gave us a true and new understanding of what it means to have a sense of community.  The people we met and mingled with for those two weeks really rely on one another.  They work together and share everything and don’t just think about themselves.  They instinctively put others first,” says Jay.  Upon returning home, the family realized that they had abandoned their dreams, so they made a u-turn, deciding to recreate what they had found on the other side of the world: purpose, joy, simplicity, and service. 

The Loeckens knew they were not just called to live their dream, but to encourage others to do the same through their Passion to Action ministry.  Their mission is to inspire others, empower them with tools and resources, and mobilize them to put their faith into action.  While reading their story, including excerpts from their children (Ben, Bekah, Abigail, and Noah), readers will witness remarkable courage and see how far God can lead us to places we never imagined.  Their book includes ten challenges for readers to complete on their own, such as identifying their passion, conquering fears, and helping someone who is different than them.

Passion to Action is more than just a story about the Loecken family; it is a movement that encourages action in discovering one’s life passion and beginning to live it.  According to Beth, “There is a God-given dream in each of us.  That dream looks different for every person, but it is definitely there.  For some, perhaps the dream is to write a novel, compete in a marathon, or work with disadvantaged kids.  Deep down, we all have a dream.  But sadly, most people will never act on it.” 

 Passion to Action: How God Uses Ordinary People in Extraordinary Ways by Jay and Beth Loecken
Guideposts Books/September 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8249-4857-3/256 pages/hardcover/$19.99

To watch videos and find out more about Passion to Action, visit: http://passiontoaction.org/. 

Expectations of First Days

Hurray! We finished our first day of our 2nd homeschool year. My oldest is in the first grade, and I've been planning and planning the last few weeks. I had hoped to start this past Monday, but with my husband out of the country the week before, I wasn't able to accomplish all the things I had hoped. With my first grader begging me to start, I decided I had enough things together to have a "test" school day.

I wished I had a test day or two our first days of kindergarten, but being a newbie to homeschool, I didn't have a clue...about anything. What curriculum to buy? How much work to do in a day? How the first day of school would work? I had my expectations of that first day WAY too high. I had planned ahead, but not much. I only had two subjects to start with -- phonics and math (with other areas I would be adding later). I only had 4 books to contend with as opposed to this year's full load of 10 plus books.

"Four books...I've got this," I thought to myself. But, straight from the beginning, my plans started to unravel. The curriculum overwhelmed me as I tried to do EVERYTHING the phonics book said. I quickly fell behind and was losing my School Girl's attention. In the midst of cutting out a cereal box to make a Bible "purse," I began to break down. Things were out of control. School Girl was running around. My supplies were scattered. I didn't know how I would complete my first day's tasks, so I did what every mother has done at least once...I locked myself in the bathroom and cried for 30 minutes.

After some consolation by my work-at-home hubby, I settled down, made some lunch, and finished a few things of my extensive plan. Success on a much smaller scale. This year, I knew better than to have my expectations high. I concluded that a pre-school day, where I allowed myself all the time I needed to "test" the curriuculum, was the best choice. That way if we didn't finish much, I wouldn't count it as the actual first day.

One downside that wasn't present our last first day was my now First Graders attitude expressed through a loud sigh and hunched shoulders as we attempted the Pledge of Allegiance. She had expectations of her own beginning with the new Mickey Mouse Stamps her Meme gave her. After our second and much better attempt at the Pledge, we had a discussion on the priorites of first grade. We would be more focused on doing things correctly, especially handwrititng and that lessons would come before "extras" like stamp sets.

After a combination of assignments and an extensive folder decorating stint and quite messy stamping session, we ended with postitive dispositions and no tears. My School Girl even wanted to continue school projects with me responding with an exasperated (from accomplishing so much), "Let's do that on Monday."  Conclusion? Our first day was our actual first day. "Now, where's my pillow? I need a nap!"

The Curse of Captain LaFoote

Scroll down for the ALL YOU NEED FOR A PIRATE PARTY giveaway!

Just leave a comment here. See details below.

Book Summary

RICKY BRADSHAW has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He’s never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones’ locker or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky’s apartment building burns down and he suffers a seizure, falling into the chilly waters. Suddenly Ricky finds himself thrust into a world where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him—if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.

Author Bio
EDDIE JONES has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over 20 different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and  Living Aboard Magazine.  He’s a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers Conference and a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Boating Writers International. Eddie sails, surfs and writes in North Carolina. For more information see: http://www.captainlafoote.com/.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Tell us about The Curse of Captain LaFoote.

EDDIE: When my boys were young, I'd tell pirate stores on the bow of our sailboat. The lead character was Captain Stinky Foot. Captain Stinky Foot was named after my youngest son. If you've ever spent any time on a boat in August with a crew of unwashed young males then this needs no further explanation. I've always been fascinated by the stories of boys snatched away from London and Bristol and forced to serve before the mast. Seems to me life at sea was more fun than peeling potatoes. And more dangerous.  

So The Curse of Captain LaFoote is a pirate tale awash in buried treasure, romance and dead men's bones. The truth is, this book and the ones that follow in the Caribbean Chronicle series are love stories. For Ricky Bradshaw, the hero of the book, the story is a quest to find his father, soul mate, and purpose in life.

  

What is your lead’s wound?

EDDIE: A friend suggested that I let my lead have epilepsy. She said when she has an episode she sort of zones out—like daydreaming except she can’t stop it. She also said she knows when it’s about to happen. That she smells something like burning wires. So I gave Ricky epilepsy and finished the story.

  

It wasn’t until much later that I realized the book had a larger purpose. I met another woman at a writer’s conference whose son has epilepsy. During the conference, her son suffered a seizure — the first one he’d ever had without his mother present. The look on her face that morning convinced me that Ricky Bradshaw could be a champion for those suffering from epilepsy.

  

It’s not cancer or heart disease but over three million Americans live with epilepsy. If the sale of this book can raise awareness, then the book has done its job. For each book sold, the publisher and I will donate “a few pieces of eight” — half a sandy dollar — to the foundation’s Heroes Among Us program. Our goal is to raise ten thousand dollars in honor of Ricky Bradshaw.

  

What is the spiritual message in your book?

EDDIE: That courage cost. Near the end of the book Ricky has the chance to go back to his old life. We get to do the same thing, go back to our old way of doing things. But Christ says there is a cost for doing the right thing. Ricky faces that choice.

  

What takeaway value do you hope readers receive after reading this novel?
EDDIE: There are a lot of other deep and important themes explored in the book too. Things like what the poop deck is and why cruise ships no longer use them, the secrets inside Davy Jones' locker, and why you shouldn't walk downwind of a pirate who's just eaten turtle soup.

Seriously, my goal in writing this book was to spur the imagination of young readers. Boys especially. I wanted to create within them a desire to read and set sail for a life of adventure, wherever that journey may take them. Even now I can see Ricky standing on the sugar-white sands of that island just south of Hispaniola. I am that boy. And so are a lot of other boys.

Grand Prize Giveaway: All You Need for a Pirate Party
All you have to do to be entered in the giveaway is leave a comment. I will draw out one persons name who comments on my blog, and she will be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing that will take place June 6. Be sure to leave an email address.

All you need for a PIRATE PARY!

• 8 invitations
• 8 - 9" party plates
• 8 - 9-oz. cups
• 16 luncheon napkins
• 16 pc. blue cutlery set
• 1 red plastic table cover
• 2 rolls of streamers, 1 blue and 1 red
• 12 each of blue and red balloons
• 2 pkgs. of confetti, 1 blue and 1 orange
• 4 yds. deluxe creepy cloth
• 12 pirate swords with eye patch
• 72 pirate tattoos
• 8 dessert plates
• 16 beverage napkins
• 8 treasure chest-shaped filled treat boxes
• 1 10 ft. pennant
• 12 child-size pirate hats
• 1 photo door banner
• 1 piñata and toy & candy asst.

How to Build a Garden Box

Scamp had been begging me to plant her own garden, but I wasn't ready to do a full-sized backyard garden yet. I saw a friend of mine had several box gardens or raised beds, so I began researching. This type of gardening is also called Square Foot Gardening. Below is the information I compiled to build our garden. I hope to update the blog with pictures as our garden progresses.

Supplies Needed                                                                                                                                     

• 4 2-x-6 untreated lumber, 8 ft lengths
• 4 2-x-6 untreated lumbar, 3 ft lengths
• 4 4-x-4 square lumber cut to 14 inches (to anchor  the box)
• Galvanized 4 inch-long screws (will resist rust)
• Power drill 
• Black and white newspaper or black gardening liner 
• Staple gun (if you use the liner)
• 5 bags decomposed compost/manure mix (find at your local co-op)
• 11 bags top soil
•  25 ft chicken wire (we added later to keep out the cats and rabbits) - (find at co-op)
• 4 2.5 - 3 ft stakes
• Hammer

1. Use the boards to build a rectangular box with a depth of 12 inches. Do not treat the wood as the chemicals from the treatment aren’t healthy for the soil. We used leftover wood from recently adding on to our deck.

2. Drill the 4x4’s into each of the four corners with a couple of inches of wood overlapping. You will mount the overlap into the ground to anchor the box. For more in-depth instructions see here.

3. Dig up and turn over the grass and soil inside the area where you will place you box. (Or attach a sheet of untreated plywood to the box for a table-top or porch garden. Be sure to drill some holes in the bottom for drainage and raise the box an inch or two off the surface your box is on.)

4. Add garden liner or a layer of black and white newspaper to the overturned soil to prevent weed growth. We used a liner and added two separate pieces that we stapled to the box.

5. Add the top soil and compost/ manure, mixing well then leveling with a rake, but do not walk in or mash down the soil once you’ve finished pouring it in. Using as many pre-packaged bags of soil  as we did can get pricey. You can also use you own soil and compost. The ratio of soil to compost we used was 2:1. Additional instructions here.

6. Choose the seedlings or seeds you want to plant, anything from flowers to fruits to vegetables. Even some sprawling plants like tomatoes and cucumbers grow well if you stake them to grow up. Check out your local extension office for suggestions and planting instructions. The UT Extension Office website is www.utextension.utk. Beginning gardeners may want to stick with planting in 1x1 foot plots making sure to reach in and not step into the box.

7. The following instructions are how we quickly fenced in the garden. I'm sure there are many better ways to do this. If you do not have a threat of animals getting into your garden, you probably won't need this step. I only added it when I had to sling all the cat droppings out of the bed when I was planting!

Note: I also tried spraying dog/cat deterrent as well as putting fresh orange peels in the box. I read that cats do not like the smell of citrus. You have to do this everyday in order to keep them out, and I just wasn't diligent enough. I also planted marigolds as a deterrent.

Wrap one edge of the chicken wire around a 3-foot stake. We used wood from our old deck railing. Drive the stake into the ground at one of the outer corners of the box (not inside the box). Drive the other three stakes into the other corners. Wrap the chicken wire around the corners and attach the end to the first stake. One downside is that you have to unwrap all the chicken wire to get into the bed. If you plant all your seeds/seedlings at once, you may want to plant them before you fence in the garden.

8. Be sure to water your garden daily during cooler hours of the day. Box gardens tend to dry out quickly.

9. Enjoy the fruit of your labor!

I will go over the items I chose to plant and why at a later time.

BJU Press K5 Materials

The curriculum I chose to start Kindergarten with was Bob Jones University (BJU Press) K5 Beginnings for Homeschool. A friend lent me the Phonics Teacher's Editions (2 large books), then I ordered the Student Kit from the website. It came with three workbooks (2 for phonics, one for math), 30 paperback readers, phonics review cards, and math manipulatives. It was pretty impressive for what I got. I ordered the K5 Math Teacher's Edition for cheap off eBay.

Phonics Positives:

• Very colorful materials
• Step-by-step instructions in Teacher's Editions (TE)
• Phonics curriculum also includes other topics like literature (read the short story and ask questions straight from the TE) and science (learn how a butterfly develops)
• Pick and choose what instructions you want to cover
• Worktext includes all cut-outs that you need for the year
• TE has reproducibles
• The program uses two families that include a mom, dad, grandparents, siblings, and pets. The characters develop through stories in the TE and readers.
• It also uses animal characters like Hopscotch the Rabbit and Dottie the Ladybug to teach concepts. We made puppets out of the characters using the reproducibles.

Our Dislikes:

• Sometimes overwhelming as the Teacher's editions were designed to be used in a classroom setting
• Lots of prep time needed although we shortened it by not doing all the materials suggested.
• I didn't have the TE for the readers. You can still use them, but we might have gotten more out of them with the TE
• Curriculum got a little too advanced for my young kindergartner. We only completed the first TE (there are two to complete) and will probably choose a new curriculum for 1st grade.

Tips for Teaching BJU Phonics

• Make flashcards for each letter and each word family (-it, -et, -ick, -ut and so on). Show and sound out the word family, then show and sound out the beginning letter you will add to it to make a new word. This is what my friend suggested since we were having a hard time of "reading" words.
• I made up a catchy tune to sing the words, which really worked for Scamp
• Phonics also has a Song CD that aids in teaching but does not come with the Student Kit. Since my daughter loves to sing, this might have been helpful. Although all the songs used to teach are included in the TE and are easy to master if you can read music.

Math: Our Likes:

• Math Manipulatives include puppets that you attach craft sticks to then laminate. Mr. and Mrs Brown and Cheddar made fast friends with Scamp. They were the highlight of all the materials.

All manipulatives are very colorful. Made from sturdy cardstock. We laminated most of the materials. It came with way more than what you see in the picture.

*We were able to continue to use the math workbook and manipulatives when I decided to forgo the TE conceptual teaching
*See below

Our Dislikes:

• The program works on teaching the "concepts" (mental, theoretical) of math. That's not how my brain nor Scamp's works. She had a hard time memorizing the dot patterns (think dice or dominoes) and didn't really get the 10-bar mat along with other conceptual ideas.
• We were only able to complete half the workbook since the teachings got a little too advanced (conceptual).