Earn free books

The Barnes and Noble summer reading program is available to school-aged children in grades 1-6. Just download and print a reading journal, read 8 books, and take the completed and signed reading journal into your local Barnes and Noble book store between May 21, 2013 and September 3, 2013 and they will let your child choose a book from the free book list. 
you might be asking what kinds of books could we get? 
Well, there's a wide variety of free books available for kids from the Barnes and Noble summer reading program, here are some- 
  

Grades 1-2:

Calendar Mysteries Series #1: January Joker by Ron Roy 

DK Readers: Lego Legends of Chima: Tribes of Chima by DK Publishing 

Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O' Connor 

Jorge el curioso: El baile by H.A. Rey 

My Little Pony: Meet the Ponies of Ponyville by Olivia London 

National Geographic Readers Series: Dolphins by Melissa Stewart 

Pete the Cat: Play Ball by James Dean

Grades 3-4: 

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pikey

Ellray Jakes Walks the Plank by Sally Warner

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

Traitor in the Shipyard: A Caroline Mystery by Kathleen Ernst

Grades 5-6:

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Books of Beginning Series #1: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Esperanza renace by Pam Munoz Ryan

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Remarkable by Elizabeth Foley

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

Tuesdays at the Castel by Jessica Day George

Wings of Fire Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

    

The Barnes and Noble summer reading program also has parent and educator activity kits. These kits include fun activities about reading that can be completed with a child.

Khan Academy for dummies: K-2nd edition

how to use khan academy for lower grades, kindergarten, first, second, :)

make a log in for each child / student: https://www.khanacademy.org/students
I like to use their name for the username and their birthday or nickname for the password.

log child in, put them to work and stay close so you can help them with any snags.

for basic addition and subtraction start here:   https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/addition-subtraction you can use the choices along the left side to move on to more challenging problems

number blocks:  https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/addition-subtraction/addition_carrying/e/representing_numbers

for telling time:  https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/telling-time/e/telling_time_0.5

place value:  https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/multiplication-division/place_value/v/place-value-1

more choices https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic

I hope these links help simplify and streamline your use of Khanacademy.org

Faire Time 2012

Celtic Faire

Phil fighting a knight

Noah fighting a knight

rubbings

jousting

unSchool the begaining

beginning
ok, I'm going to do it!
...I think, if I'm brave enough ;)
I've been feeling the tug for years, but recently the whisper has turned in to a shout. So, I have prayerfully made the decision to try unschooling my children, kind of...
I have been homeschooling (to many types to count) since I was in third grade, now my oldest is starting high school... I don't want anyone doing the math but that gives me 18+ years.
The way that worked the best for me, I mean that I learned the most and retained the best, was unschooling... only they didn't call it unschooling back then, if I remember right I think they called it neglect...
My oldest is a descent student, although he refuses to spell correctly and his handwriting truly is like chicken scratch, he is bored with school. He has no desire to learn about his school subjects. I would really like to find things that spark his interest.
My 7th grader is different though, she is like me ...it drives me CRAZY... she gets distracted after just a few minutes. She needs a full post (or lots more) to describe her... at this point I need a whole new way of thinking, not just *out of the box* never been in a box is more like it. I'm going to try to get her more opportunities to unschool. I think she will be my most successful unschooler. I am going to start with a math program called Life of Fred, it is a totally different approach to math.

for sample pages:
http://www.stanleyschmidt.com/FredGauss/31samplepages.html

I am also planning to do this course myself, I hope to be able to go through the whole series to the college level work :)

My second grader is my humbler, my challenger,... he'll need his own set of blogs ;) in a lot of ways he is still doing kindergarten work, but I see jumps and sparks in him and have faith that he will do wonderfully.

AND this year I'll have a new school student, my fresh kindergartener, he isn't interested in school at all. I wonder if the baby will learn to read before him. I'll have to be careful not to spoil any love of learning I can eek out of him.

so it begins... I'll keep you posted on my failures (and hopefully my successes)


Changing Education Paradigms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award

Creamed Nettles {Gream Soup}

Every spring I like to try something new from the yard, this year I tried the stinging nettles, I've been wanting to for long while. Nettles are very high in minerals, especially, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, silica, and iodine. They also provide chlorophyll and they're a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and B complex vitamins. Nettles also have high levels of easily absorbable amino acids. They're ten percent protein, more than any other vegetable. It is also very easy to recognise, seeing as how it STINGS you.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4+ cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1+ cup milk (as needed)
• soup pot full of nettle leaves
• onions, mushrooms, zucchini, can of corn, leaks, cooked potatoes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash nutmeg, lemon pepper, cayenne (optional)

Preparation:

Nettles: pick lots of leaves, spring of fall is best. wear gloves, wash & chop. Fill the pot with leaves wet from washing, cover, low heat for 10-20 min 'till leaves are wilted. next I put them in the blender with more water (1 cup) if needed, if I have zucchini or mushrooms I steam them with the nettles and put them in the blender, too, but I put the onion into the blender raw.

while steaming the nettles I melt the butter over low heat. then blend in flour until smooth. Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add blended nettles and veggies. Corn can be added now. Cover and cook stirring occasionally, until hot. Season with salt, pepper, and others of choice. let cool, serve.

My husband said it was good but tasted/smelled like fish, not sure where that came from?

The kids helped me pick the nettles so there were stems and even some roots nothing I had read said to just use the leaves so I lest them in, BIG MISTAKE the stems didn't blend well so when I was eating I had to keep pulling out fibers and woody stems, and when carefully washing I must have missed a root or two because there was dirt in it... yum :/

But I thought the flavor was very good {I had 3 bowls} and would like to make it again.

Stand Up For Freedom

This is a complete (long) recording of Ezra Taft Benson in 1966 and is as relevant as the morning paper (or blog)

"I think it is time for every patriotic American to join with neighbors to study the Constitution and the Conspiracy. Subscribe to several good patriotic magazines such as AMERICAN OPINION. Buy a few basic books, such as MASTERS OF DECIET and A STUDY OF COMMUNISM by J. Edgar Hoover; THE NAKED COMMUNIST by Cleon Skousen, recommended by President David O. McKay, in the General Conference of the Church, October 1959; YOU CAN TRUST THE COMMUNISTS by Dr. Fred Schwartz, and so on. And then prepare to do some independent thinking. And remember that the organized who have a plan and are dedicated though they be few, will always defeat the many who are not organized and who lack plans and dedication. The communists know this and have proven it. Isn’t it about time that most Americans realize it too?

In conclusion may I say that one of our most serious problems is the inferiority complex which people feel when they are not informed and unorganized. They dare not make a decision on these vital issues. They let other people think for them. They stumble around in the middle of the road trying to avoid being “controversial” and get hit by traffic going both ways.

To the patriots I say this: Take that long eternal look. Stand up for freedom no matter what the cost.
It can help to save your soul – and maybe your country."

{Ezra Taft Benson. Stand Up For Freedom. Assembly Hall at Temple Square, Feb 11, 1966. Given to The Utah Forum for the American Idea}

Audio Books for Kids on YouTube

When the kids are doing their jobs they like to listen to books on tape (or cd) we have slowly acquired a few, but they are rather expensive. Some of our favorites are Harry Potter.
I have found that there are audiobooks on youtube.com
so far we have listen to:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (I love Jim Dale)
Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Percy Jackson & The Titan's Curse
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (the reader on this one is Stephen Fry)




We plan to find more treasures :)

Audiobooks for kids

Audio book for kids grades K-3...
My sister was looking for some recomendation for her young daughter so these are the ones I thought would be best: Witch Wendy, James and the Giant Peach, Fox in Socks, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Mouse Tails, Junie B. Jones series, Little Bear, Paddington Bear, Frogs wore Red Suspenders poems,...

and it gives me a chance to use this new Amazon link thing :)

Faire Fun

 Well, I didn't get to go to the Celtic Faire :(
my three little ones had coughs too bad for a rainy out-door faire... BUT, to my great joy, my sister-in-law wanted to go and was willing to come here, get my two oldest sweethearts, then drive all the way up to Sonora! :D

they saw big dogs, heard celtic rock bands,...

... and played with wooden swords... 

they even got to watch jousting (video to be posted later)

Preparedness Fair

This coming Saturday, March 13th we will be attending a Preparedness Fair being held at the Lodi Stake Center on 1510 W. Century Blvd.

My friends in the stake have worked hard getting ready for it. The one they had last year went really well. This year they will have lots of booths and demonstrations done with the help of local public agencies and many experienced volunteers. Topics will include:
* Emergency food and waters kits for the home, car and workplace
* Alternate sources of cooking
* Home protection, home safety, security, crime prevention information
* Different facets of emergency communications
* Documents and important records preservation, child identification kits
* Basic first aid information kits for home and car
* Emergency needs for the elderly
* Gardening in small containers
* Cooking with food storage in an emergency

What to feed the hamster?

Today a friend gave us a sweet little hamster named Geoffrey Gnaucer (like Chaucer but gnaw, get it). So, Zion Prep has a new classroom pet. We are keeping him on a trial basis for now, but, what will we feed him? so I am looking up what the right foods would be for him...

What do wild hamsters eat? :P

Ok, a hamster is an omnivore that lives mostly on seeds and nuts. I can do that.
equal parts of:
• sunflower seeds
• flax seeds
• lentils (dry)
• pumpkin seeds
• pine nuts (optional)
• sesame seeds (optional)
• soy bean (optional)
• buckwheat (optional)
• millet (optional)
• feed corn (optional)
• find other items that your hamster prefers.

Feed him about a tablespoon each day.
Supplement his diet with a variety of fresh foods like:
• apples
• bananas
• green beans
• broccoli
• cabbage
• carrots
• cauliflower
• corn
• celery
• peas
• zucchini
• sweet potatoes
another good treat is a boiled egg.
Do not feed hamsters tomatoes, garlic, onions, grape seeds, apple seeds, citrus fruits, almonds, cabbage, eggplant, kidney beans, mushrooms, pickles, potato, rhubarb, or junk food designed for humans (chocolate, chips, etc.)
I really enjoyed the inspirational food I saw at Hamster Tracker  :)

Be my Netflix Friend

if you are a member of Netflix.com we can be "friends" then we can share movies that we like with each other.
http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P5Vokp5mkPzeGevGPA8S
if you would like to invite others to be friends, anonymously, with you
go to your netflix account, friends home, click on friends & faves, then invite friends, and copy & paste the link here... see you there :)

and please share any great school movies you might know.

5th log

It's sample week, so like always, lots of school to do. I also have a CYBA meeting tonight.
Yesterday, I read a preparedness plan and wanted to share it- LDS Monthly Plan to Acquire Food Storage and 72-Hour Kit in One Year with Monthly Goals I thought if I fixed it up nice with some clip-art it would make a good hand-out.
We had a birthday lunch for Phil, with my family and the Beadles, lots of sandwiches and lots of cake.

4th log

We went to drama class this morning, while we were there I checked out a book "When Plague Strikes" by J. C. Giblin. I was reading about the early smallpox inoculations, first the Chinese blew powdered scabs into the nose, later country midwives in eastern Europe would put the scabs into a scratch on the upper arm, it is all very interesting.
I was reading in my Countryside magazine and found that they are giving away free land in Nebraska and Kansas, I thought they only did that in Alaska.

3rd log

Today we did a good deal of school, as we do every morning. Now I will clean my fingers to the bone, for this weekend our home will be advertised in the Stockton Record so hopefully we will get a lot of interest. Rudy has been a little depressed because the cabin he wanted to buy in Springville, UT. is "under contract" it was very nice, but I believe the Lord is directing us, and has prepared something for us, whatever it might be.

2nd log

We did school all morning. This afternoon we went for a play date at the Laura Cragan’s house. I made dinner for them, my Santa Fe Tacos, my kids love them, her kids, not so much... Then Isaiah went to his achievement day activity.
I took one of those online, IQ tests from tickle.com
My IQ score was 138 "This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others."
My Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher.
"This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns."
OK, thanks for the boost, I don't need to pay the $12.99 for more. Every now and then it feels nice to be told how highly intelligent you are.
Now all I have to do is apply it to life.