TOS Review: Time Timer

I have four children who are very close in age. Their interests are very similar,  This means that we are always taking turns for everything. And since they seem to think that they each deserve an equal turn, we happen to use timers A LOT around here. So I jumped on the opportunity to review a timer from Time Timer. We received one of the 3" timers (they also come in 8" and 12", watches, software, apps, and even puzzles!), which is the perfect size to carry, if needed, in my purse, or hide it from the kids when not in legitimate use. The timer requires, but does not come with, a AA battery which was very easy to install. The face of the timer has a clear cover for protection that flips open and doubles as a stand for when the timer is in use. The timer can be set for any amount of time from a few seconds (that's my kids for you!) to an hour.
The cool thing about the timer is that it is very easy to SEE how much time is remaining. This (almost, they are kids after all) eliminates the question, "How much longer till my turn?" I loved that the time is set and reset with the touch of a finger, lowering the possibility that the kids will break it when they set it.

The drawback to the timer is that when the time runs out there is only a very quiet "beep beep" that you almost have to be listening for to hear. You definitely have to be close to it. This means if a kid's turn is up, I have to be in the room to know about it. I prefer loud alarms so that everyone in the house is aware that it is the next kid's turn to work or play. Although, for out-in-public timing, this is actually kind of nice. I imagine that the people sitting next to us in the doctor's office appreciate it, at least!
All in all, we enjoy this little timer and are happy to have it.
To read what other Crew Members think check out the Homeschool Crew blog.

I received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. My opinions are my own.

TOS Review: Math Mammoth

I have to admit that I have used Math Mammoth before this review. I have purchased some, won some in freebies in various places, and I have used it to simply and easily supplement for the holes left in other curriculum.  And we have all always loved it. So I was delighted to get the chance to try out a full grade level for this review! I chose the Grade 1 Light Blue Series series and tried it out on Abbie.
One of my favorite things about Math Mammoth is that they are all  downloadable e-books. That means: instant access; no shelf space taken up; I'm not going to lose it in a box; and I only have to present my child with the actual pages she needs to use. This last one is especially nice because I am using a first grade course with a kindergarten child. I am able to easily pick and choose which lessons to give her when and how much practice she needs. If she needs more work, I can just re-print the sheets.
There are many different options when it comes to this curriculum. You can buy a full curriculum for each grade (1-6), or you can buy worktexts by topic, worksheets by either topic or grade, and some workbooks with problems or activities taken from real life. You can also choose ebooks, CDs or even a printed copy. And they are all very affordable! Even before you consider that it is all (except for the printed copy, I believe) non-consumable.
Previously, we have used the worktexts by topic and I love that this is an option. It is an easy way to fill up any gaps your child may have. I am also liking the full curriculum. In first grade, it starts with a quick kindergarten review, then introduces addition, place value and finally, subtraction. At the end of the ebook are sections on time, shapes, measuring, and money. These sections can be used at any time throughout the program. I love the freedom this gives me!

Abbie says: I like it because I can do it by myself and I don't need help. I don't like that ummm, I don't know.
But the real measure of her attitude toward this curriculum is the following story: I printed off a few pages for her to do and she did them. When I needed more, we were having computer issues and she had to skip math for a day or two. When I finally got more printed and showed her the sheets, she was so delighted that she hugged them and did a little dance! We are now using this for her math curriculum for the rest of the year.
But it wouldn't be an honest review if I didn't give my negatives. I don't think this curriculum is rigorous enough to switch to it completely. As delighted as I am that my kindergartener can successfully and happily use the first grade level, it doesn't give me the confidence that my older kids will be pushed enough. This is why we won't be switching across the board. I want to stress, though, that we will be using the topic worktexts to fill in gaps and I am eagerly waiting for the kids to be ready for the Make It Real Learning workbooks.

To read what other Crew Members have to say, click here.

I was sent a free download of this curriculum for the purpose of this review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Boo at the Zoo

For a few years now, we have taken the kids to our local zoo for Halloween fun. They love dressing up, in fact, they discuss costumes all year long! They use and re-use those costumes to play dress up all year long as well, so we are more than willing to put in some time and money to fulfill their costume dream each year. Every year, we discuss various themes, but there always winds up being at least one hold-out, so they just do own thing.

This year, we had a cowgirl:

(make that an excited cowgirl)

The Green Lantern (he got to see the movie in a real theater!)

a pirate:

this was a re-do of a former costume (2 years ago?) and the cute vest didn't make the pictures because I forgot that we had used their suit vest turned inside out. He is also wearing boots instead of sandals because it was a bit chilly. He cared far more about comfort than about style. ;)

Here he is at the church party the next night... after I remembered the vest! Doesn't he look fierce? Or is he just too adorable. ;)

and a sheep:

the whole family was quite proud of this costume because we made it ourselves! Sheep are Abbie's favorite animals (she wants a real one for Christmas) so I had the idea that she could be one for Hallowe'en. So I thought up how it would work, hunted down the white sweats, the black gloves, the fiberfill, and the headband. Steve did all the work of gluing. Add dress shoes (so she could clip-clop) and face paint on the nose, and you have the most adorable sheep ever!

At the zoo we had to stand in line for awhile.

a long while

a very long while

but inside there was lots of animals to see:

monkeys

 

buffalo

bears

an incredibly large bunny

the Sheep got to see sheep

One of the things we like about the zoo is that instead of trying to go "scary" they stick to "scientific". The kids loved getting to see the skulls of real animals. There were turtle skulls, lion skulls, an enormous bison skull, and lots of others. Very cool. 

They also got to see wallaby, lions, tigers, (and other big cats) monkeys, a peacock, and, everyone's favorite: the lemur. They collected candy, temporary tattoos and played a carnival game or two. It was lots of fun, despite the crowds.

Speechless

I was shocked to see a comment from a reader that I was nominated in the Homeschool Blog Awards! I have never been nominated before, and I never really expected to be, either. I was even more surprised, when, after some searching, I discovered the category in which I had been nominated... Best Photos Blog. 

See, I love taking pictures, but have never really felt like I was that great at it, and lately have been even more discouraged than usual. It was such an incredible encouragement to think that someone (other than my husband*) likes my pictures of my kids! I have no expectations of winning, and, frankly, don't even care. It was just so cool to be nominated in THIS particular category. So this post is mostly a big THANK YOU to whoever nominated me and partly a go vote for whoever you think is the best in each category. 

*and the kids, naturally, but they think it's all about THEM, so they are more than a little biased. ;)

Oh, and if you are here from the awards: Welcome!!! (and I love comments!)

TOS Review: The Person I Marry

We were asked to review this book, The Person I Marry

 It is a beautifully illustrated book, written by Gary Bower and produced by Bower books, that details all the desirable traits of a future spouse. It is written from a child's point of view, and all the illustrations are adorable drawings of children. It explains that riches, hair color and other externals are not what to look for in a desirable spouse, but rather, such traits as faithfulness, kindness, perseverance, generosity, patience, and a sense of humor, just to name to a few...

We were not sent a copy of the book, but a link to view it online, so I gathered the children and the laptop onto the couch and we read it. After the reading, I attempted a few minutes of discussion. The boys were politely interested but disappeared as quickly as they could. The girls were a little more interested, but not really engaged. I only managed to chat for a few minutes before they were off as well.

I liked this book because I know how important it is to choose your marriage partner wisely. I want that concept to be a part of their worldview long before they are ever interested in the opposite gender. And I think this book helps open up that conversation in an easy and painless way. My kids are all young, but I think this book would read well across the ages even into the upper teenage years. Plus, there are all the beautiful drawings to enjoy!

For the experiences and reviews of other Crew members, click here.

We were sent an e-version of this book for free for the purpose of this review. All opinions are our own.