Freezing in Ohio, Already?

Freezing in the 50 degree weather.

Yep Dorothy, we ain’t in ‘Bama anymore.

I have a feeling it’s going to be a LOOOOOOOONG, COOOOOOOLD winter.

Moving Forward

I can’t believe that it’s been over three months since we last had internet in our home! Wonder why it’s taken so long? Take a peek at our driveway.

Apparently it is quite a costly ordeal to service houses such as ours. I finally got tired of waiting for the local internet company that I had contacted the beginning of September and added Mi-Fi to our monthly Verizon bill. If it wasn’t for cell phones and internet, we’d be rich. ha!

I’ve fluctuated between loving the absence of  internet and thinking that I couldn’t possibly survive one more minute without it. I hadn’t realized just how much we depend on the internet for our day to day tasks. I also hadn’t realized just how time consuming my “blogging” had become. I guess you could say that I was a bit out of control.

My forced break has given me more time to spend with my crazy family (I actually had to sit beside these freaks at a football game!),

take my son to football most days of the week,

play catch outside with our fur baby, 

and actually read some books! I just finished Kiss by Ted Dekker and The Plain Truth by Jodi Piccoult, both of which I really enjoyed.  

My unexpected break has also given me time to consider where I want to go from here. As much as I love sharing where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing, I was getting to the point where blogging just wasn’t fun anymore. Writing does keep me sane though, so rather than give up and throw in the towel, I’m going to make a couple changes.

I spent a great deal of time moving my blog towards a travel site. As much as I love travel, writing exclusively about one subject just isn’t me. As hard as I try, it just isn’t my personality to focus on one subject at a time. I just naturally bounce from one subject to another. You should watch me clean my house sometime. :) 

Don’t worry, if you’re here to read about the fun, family friendly, educational outings that my family enjoys, you’ll still find those posts. I’ll also share more about our homeschooling successes (and failures), as well as my own insecurities as a wife and mom. I’ve also decided that I’ll share more about one of my obsessions hobbies; decorating with thrift store finds. Check out some of my recent finds:

 The flower arrangement and picture frames (from Kirkland's and Hobby Lobby) all cost less than $10!

Honestly,  if I could justify devoting the time to it, I’d branch thrift store decorating  off into a blog of its own. Right now my goal is not to spend more time online, even if we do have internet.  

Body of Evidence DVD: The Skeletal System, Cartilage, & Bone

 

As a member of  Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I was thrilled to receive a free copy of the Skeletal System, Cartilage & Bone Parts 1 & 2 DVD by Body of Evidence in exchange for my honest review.

My 16 year old enjoyed Biology and the few dissections that we did so much last year that he asked specifically to learn more about the Human Body and Anatomy as part of his studies this year. For my visual/audio learner, the Body of Evidence DVD’s couldn’t fit more perfectly. 

The Body of Evidence DVD 2 - the Skeletal System is actually a recorded as an informal presentation given by Dr. David Menton. It is broken down into two parts, each are very manageable at just under 40 minutes in length. 

The majorityof the program shows Dr. Menton speaking at a table with two students as he refers to his computer screen or classroom skeleton. The material is presented in easy to understand language and a laid back style that includes fascinating facts about the human body that I never knew.  Take the ear bones for instance;  

• did you know what they are the smallest bones in the body?
• they are also the only bones in the body that do not grow.
• and, they happen to be the only bones in the body that are solid, all other bones are hollow.

Some of the topics covered include the different types of cartilage, different cells that are found in the cartilage, the different functions of the bones, a comparison of cartilage and bone, the types of cells found in the bones and the two different components of bones. 

I encouraged my children to take notes as they watched the DVD and at the end we discussed what they had learned.

I knew my 16 year old would enjoy the lectures but surprisingly, so did my 15 year old that bores very easily. This is what she had to say when I asked her what she thought ….

“I’m not at all interested in anatomy and the skeletal system so at first I didn’t really pay too much attention because I expected it to be really boring. When I began to listen, I was surprised to find out that the DVD was actually interesting. I really learned a lot and I’m looking forward to watching some of the other DVD’s in the series.”

If you’re looking for DVD’s to supplement your anatomy study or simply want to offer your children an overview without a full blown course, the Body of Evidence DVD Curriculum - Set of 8 DVDS are a great way to do just that! The Skeletal System, Cartiliage & Bone Parts 1 & 2 retails for $14.99 or you can purchase the entire 8 volume set for a reduced rate of $99.95.

If you’d like to read reviews written by other homeschooling parents you’ll find them here.

I’ve been purchasing homeschool supplies and homeschool curriculum from Timberdoodle since we began homeschooling 13 years ago. They are my FAVORITE homeschool company so I’m honored to be able to do an occasional review for them!

I wholeheartedly encourage you to stop by the Timberdoodle website to take a look at all the wonderful products they offer. While you’re there, don’t forget to request a free homeschool catalog. 

Fun and Frugal Fall Field Trips

Ever since I was a little girl, fall has been my favorite time of year. I love the transformation of the Midwest landscape as the beautiful fall foliage appears, raking and playing in the leaves with my kids, the smell of fresh cut hay and warm bonfires, the aroma of pumpkin bread and the taste of caramel apples. Yes, there is much to love as autumn dances into full swing.  As a homeschool mom, I also love all of the wonderful opportunities that come along with fall in the form of fun field trips.

You can read the rest of my post today at The Homeschool Village where I share 10 Ideas for Fun Fall Outings.  I hope you stop by and don’t forget to leave a comment with your favorite fall outing! 

40.

It happened.

I turned the big 4-0.

Amazing, huh?

When I was in fifth grade and my teacher mentioned that she had turned 40, I just knew I was never going to live to be THAT old. EVER.

Nope, I probably wouldn’t make it much past the ripe old age of 25. And yet here I am. 40.

And you know what? 40 doesn’t seem nearly as old as it did when I was 10.

Isn’t that funny?

Hope you’re all having a very blessed week….:)