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All posts for the month May, 2009

Giving In

Published May 31, 2009 by amandamarkel

Back when we had a laptop, in addition to a desktop computer, Ryan would try to convince me that “when we had the money” we should get a second laptop, so we could each have one.  And every time he said it, I would scoff.  Why in the world would I need my own laptop?  One should be enough for both of us, right?

Well, as I’m looking at stuff we’re going to be doing in school this year, and even looking down the road a few years, I’m realizing how helpful it would be for me to have my own laptop.  Not my own, really, a “school” laptop. Something that we could use during school, to look stuff up, to use all the wonderful Internet-linked materials Usborne provides in many of their books, to have a place to type up all my plans for special units, long-term ideas, etc.

It wouldn’t really even *have* to be a laptop, but that would be easiest since the school room is already a bit crowded, what with it’s second purpose as a guest bedroom.  I’m not sure where I could squeeze a desktop computer in there.  And it definitely wouldn’t have to be fancy, because I don’t care about bells and whistles like Ryan does.  I have come to accept that it *will* have to be an Apple computer of some sort, as I’m pretty sure Ryan won’t let anything else into the house these days.

I have to admit, I would enjoy the added benefit of being able to check my e-mail, make blog posts, and put up tweets while Turkey and Abby are doing independent work, without having to run downstairs.  But that’s just me looking for a bonus convenience feature.

If they were in a public school, they’d have a computer in their classroom, right?  It seems only fair, and actually pretty necessary–don’t even get me started on future things like typing lessons and Rosetta Stone foreign language programs. Eventually, a school computer *will* become a necessity, even if right now it’s just something that would make our lives easier, and allow us to look stuff up without interrupting school to go downstairs.

I never thought I would come to the point where I wanted “my own” computer. But, until we replace the laptop that went to that big electronics graveyard in the sky over the winter, I guess it’s really a moot point.  Hard to get a second laptop when you don’t even have a first!

"The Night Watchman" Blog Book Tour

Published May 29, 2009 by amandamarkel

night-watchman

I loved The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir!  It’s a great mystery/suspense story that takes place in and around Orlando, FL, and deals with corruption in government as well as the local police department.  It’s an extremely well-written story, with an ending that’s almost impossible to figure out ahead of time.

The Night Watchman is former detective Ray Quinn, who has a new life as a security guard/P.I. (and part-time alcoholic)–a life he certainly didn’t choose voluntarily, but was forced into after a mysterious shooting that crippled him and killed his partner.

After the murder/suicide of an exotic dancer and pastor that occurred at the condo on Ray’s new beat, he gets sucked back into police work, trying to discover who the real killer is, and how this attack might relate to his accident, as well as the death of another exotic dancer he interviewed. He learns secrets about the people he used to work with, breaks several laws, is beaten, and even had an attempt made on his own life while trying to untangle the mystery of the killings, and how they relate to several powerful men in the Orlando area, and the local nightclub scene.

Along the way, he befriends a young man with whom he works–Crevis, a somewhat bumbling red-head who dreams to one day become a police officer himself. It’s an unlikely friendship, and one that Ray avoided for as long as possible.  Ray also allows himself to become closer to Pam, the sister of the pastor found dead in the condo.  Only time will tell if that will become a romantic relationship in future books.

This book kept me furiously turning the pages until I had it finished.  I wasn’t  sure who Ray could really trust until the very end, when all of the truth finally came out. Until that point, I had a trust no one attitude, which seemed to be shared by Ray, as he discovered just how deeply the investigation ran.

I can’t wait to see what kind of cases The Night Watchman Detective Agency tackles next!

Homeschool Review: "The Classical Kids Collection" CDs

Published May 22, 2009 by amandamarkel

One of my favorite things to use in our homeschool this year has been The Classical Kids Collection CD set (specifically volume 2, as well A Classical Kids Christmas).  To be honest, I haven’t yet been able to purchase volume 1 of the set, and I don’t really plan on buying Daydreams and Lullabies (although I am sure it is also excellent), but I love the five CDs we do have!

These CDs don’t just offer music by a composer, they weave the music into a story.  My children aren’t great at listening to stories on the radio, CD, etc., (the American Tall Tales CD we listened to this year was a burden to get through!), but for some reason they were riveted by the Classical Kids stories.  I think this is partly because the music breaks up the narration some, but also because there are children’s voices on the CDs, which they can relate to, and in general, all of the narrative voices are quite pleasant.

Volume 2 contains four CDs, which can also be purchased individually: Song of the Unicorn; Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage; Tchaikovsky Discovers America; and Hallelujah Handel.  The first CD is a compilation of medieval music, while the other three (obviously) focus on works by individual composers.  Tchaikovsky Discovers America was by far our favorite, because it’s an enchanting tale about some children hopping a train with the composer as he attempts to escape his commitment to conduct at the grand opening of Carnegie Hall.  The other CDs in the set were also excellent, but the story on this one captured our attention in a special way.

A Classical Kids Christmas was equally wonderful, using music from different time periods and composers to tell the Christmas story in the form of a Christmas pageant much like children used to participate in.  Different traditions and characters from around the world were shared, and the selections of music were wonderful–some familiar and some completely foreign.  The whole story very much mirrors the St. Charles Christmas Traditions walk that has become such an important tradition in our family.

The Classical Kids Collection volume 1 is on our list to purchase as soon as possible.  Like volume 2, this also contains four CDs, each focusing on a specific composer: Mr. Bach Comes to Call; Beethoven Lives Upstairs; Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery; and Mozart’s Magic Fantasy.

These CDs are a wonderful way to introduce children to classical music–the different composers, different sounds, and all the things to appreciate about this art form.  This is the type of resource that can be instrumental (pardon the pun!) in the development of a life-long love of music in children.

Book Review: "Sisters, Ink" Series

Published May 22, 2009 by amandamarkel

It took me over a year (due to publication dates, not because they were boring or anything), but I finally finished the Sisters, Ink series of books by Rebeca Seitz.  There were only four books in the series: Sisters, Ink; Coming Unglued; Scrapping Plans; and Perfect Piece.  Each book focuses on one of the Sinclair sisters, a very diverse group of young women who were all adopted by Jack Sinclair and his late wife.  Throughout all of their shared troubles, including starting a new business together and learning to deal with a new step-mother, Zelda, who could not be more different than their beloved mother, the sisters get together to share their favorite hobby, scrapbooking, and solve all their problems (and consume a lot of chocolate along the way!).

The individual books each deal with their own theme, in addition to the above-mentioned themes that are present in all the books. The first two focus on the only two unmarried sisters as they deal with relationships and ponder marriage.  I thought these two books were excellent–Sisters, Ink, about the red-haired lawyer sister Tandy, really drew me in, and made me want to get to know the sisters, learn about their pasts, and anticipate what might happen in their futures.  Coming Unglued, about artistic Kendra, was an excellent sequel, answering some questions raised in the first book, as well as creating some new ones to be explored in future books.

I wish I could say I enjoyed the last two books as much as the first two.  I thought that Scrapping Plans was the worst of the four, partly because of some previously mentioned Lutheran bashing, and also because I felt that the main story, about Martha-Stewart -in-training Joy’s dealings with infertility and adoption, was unrealistic, and too easily resolved.  Perfect Piece was a better book than Scrapping Plans, but it was lacking the same spirit of the first two books.  In this book, the oldest sister, and mother of three, Meg, dealt with a brain tumor, and then her husband’s emotional infidelity as well.  I felt the author had a completely unrealistic opinion of how quickly someone who just had brain surgery should recover, and, like the previous book, felt that the tension wrapped up a little too neatly.

My only other criticism of the series is that it seemed to plagiarize the television show Gilmore Girls quite a bit.  From the main setting being a small town called Stars Hill (complete with over-the-top annual festivals), to Clay’s Diner, and Tanner, the over-zealous town champion who loves holding town meetings for the betterment Stars Hill, a lot of things in the books seemed familiar, in a “I’ve watched this show for way too long” kind of way.  I’m assuming it was unintentional, but for anyone familiar with Gilmore Girls, it is impossible to miss.

It was a good series of books, but the third one really left a bad taste in my mouth, and in some ways, ruined the whole series for me.  I do know that I wish I had the sisters’ scrapping studio for my use, as well as their disposable income to purchase all the supplies I want!

Book Review: "When Love Blooms"

Published May 22, 2009 by amandamarkel

When Love Blooms by Robin Lee Hatcher is a typical Christian romance novel.  Emily Harris, a young woman who is uncertain what she wants to do with her life, takes a job as a governess with the Blake family on their Idaho ranch in the 1800s.  What she doesn’t realize when she takes the job is that Brina and Pet’s mother, Dru, is dying of cancer.  At first all Emily knows is that Dru is sick, Dru’s husband, Gavin, immediately disapproves of Emily, and Emily takes an instant liking to her new charges.

Emily is also unaware of Dru’s plan to find a new woman for Gavin to love after her passing.  Even without knowing of Dru’s plan, both Emily and Gavin begin fighting an attraction for each other, and the typical misunderstandings follow, including Emily becoming engaged to another man, and her returning home to Boise.  But will they discover how they feel about each other before it’s too late?

It was a good book, the kind you might take to the pool or beach over the summer.  Certainly not a particularly original story–kind of The Sound of Music meets Love Comes Softly–but that characters are likable, the setting is fairly unique, and the Christian themes make it a better alternative to a lot of the books currently available in bookstores.

Book Review: "Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions"

Published May 22, 2009 by amandamarkel

The latest edition of Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions by James Beverley is an excellent resource.  Unlike a lot of world religion reference books, this one, as the title suggests, contains many pictures, which are very helpful in picturing how a religion is practiced.

I also liked the charts and tables presented in the book.  There was a lot of good comparative information on different divisions within religions/denominations, including date of formation and total number of followers.

Another useful aspect are the website addresses given for more information on religions.  Some are official websites run by the different denomination or religion, some are unofficial websites (even some that I am sure that members of a particular religion would *not* want people reading!), but they all provide the reader with a starting point for further research.

The only thing I didn’t care for about this particular edition was it’s tendency to focus on some of the more “fringe” aspects of particular religions.  One such example is the section on Kabbalah–to some extent, I understand this, because it is culturally relevant, and I’m sure people are looking for information on it, but a shorter description would have been adequate.

This is a great book to keep at home for when you have questions about a religion, or are trying to remember something you learned in the past!

Homeschool Review: Sonlight

Published May 15, 2009 by amandamarkel

I figured as long as I’m already reviewing books, I might as well review homeschool products, too.  I’m hoping to branch out a little more here–I’m sure I’ll review a lot of books, but I also plan on reviewing CDs, DVDs, materials, kits, and whole programs.

And what better place to start reviewing than with the product we have used the most–our Sonlight curriculum!

Having survived our first of homeschooling, I feel that I have a pretty good handle on what Sonlight is, what they provide, and what the company is like.  And I have to say, I couldn’t possibly give them enough stars!  Did I like every single item in our curriculum for the year? No. I can think of two things in particular that I didn’t like, one to the point that I abandoned it altogether.  But did I like almost everything?  Yes!  Both the children and I found many, many books that we just loved, and never would have read were it not for Sonlight.

To really explain how great Sonlight is, I need to delve a little further into the specific things that make me love them, and that make them stand apart from any other companies out there.  So, without further ado, the:

10 Reasons I Love Sonlight

  • Great Customer Service–The few times I’ve had a problem with an order, it has been taken care of immediately, and with no fuss.
  • Similar Values–Because Sonlight is a Christian company, I know that they share my values, and I don’t have to worry about the materials I’ll be using when teaching my children.
  • Honesty–Sonlight gives you a list up-front of reasons you may not want to use their curriculum.  I appreciate their honesty in admitting that Sonlight won’t work for every family.
  • Free Shipping and Discounts–If you purchase a Core from Sonlight, you receive free shipping for a year, which comes in handy when you realize you need more handwriting paper, or you decided to upgrade you Language Arts package before you start the next Core.
  • Book Selection–I love the books Sonlight uses.  It’s the perfect mix of books I loved as a child, books I’ve heard are good but never actually read, and books I’ve never heard of before.  Nice and diverse.
  • Easy to Use–The instructor’s guide plans (almost) everything out for me.  I don’t have to figure out what to do when, or worry that I’m covering all the right things.
  • Online Community–Sonlight has a good set of forums (membership is another perk of purchasing a Core) where you can connect with other parents having the same experiences in their schools.
  • Personal Phone Calls–I received probably two or three phone calls in the last year just to check on our schooling experience and find out if I had any questions or problems.  That helped remind me that I’m not alone in this adventure!
  • Time Saver–Not only does having the curriculum planned out save me time from having to do that on my own, it also frees up time for me to plan special units for use through the school year, which is a fun extra that I really enjoy (but I would never want to have to plan out our entire curriculum!).
  • Internet Presence–In addition to the forums, Sonlight also has a great website that makes ordering super-easy, and several blogs about homeschooling to read.  I’ve even received comments on my blog from Sonlight–talk about customer service!

And, a Bonus Eleventh Reason I Love Sonlight:

  • Tackling the Hard Issues–I love that Sonlight does not shy away from things some Christians would just avoid altogether (from evolution to mythology, and books that just contain secular situations).  I think that my children need to learn about these things, learn why they believe what they do, learn what is appropriate for them and what is not, and I think they should be doing these things at home with my guidance.  Sonlight allows that to happen by including the tough stuff, and a way in which to discuss it and learn from it.

    Better the Library than the Bookstore!

    Published May 14, 2009 by amandamarkel

    It has probably become evident by now that I have a small “problem” with books.  I love books.  I love reading for pleasure, I love reading to my children, I love seeing them read, I love discussing books I’ve read with other people…you get the idea.

    I really prefer buying books.  I love having a nice, organized bookshelf full of my favorites, books I want to come back to again and again, books that make excellent reference material, that sort of thing.  Actually, our bookshelves are quite overflowing (Ryan likes books as much as I do, which is kind of disastrous!) and we have boxes of books in the basement.

    My view towards books for school is no different.  I really would rather buy the stuff we’ll be reading.  That’s not really totally feasible, however, especially if we want to, I don’t know, continue buying groceries and paying the mortgage.  So, apart from our curriculum books, which I of course buy, I try to limit my purchases to certain types of books.  Books I know we’ll read over and over (the Ramona series, for example), books we’ll need over an extended period of time, special holiday books that may be hard to find at the library around said holiday.

    Of course, even with those limitations, we own a lot of school books.  But, frequent trips to the library are also part of school.  Today, I needed to get the next Henry Huggins book, as we’ve finished the first three in the series.  This particular series will eventually be part of our permanent collection because it’s so fantastic, but as two of the books are part of future Sonlight cores, I’ll wait to buy the remaining books until we reach those grade levels.

    So, in I went to get Henry and the Paper Route.  I found it right away, as I’ve become quite familiar with where the Henry books reside in the library.  After I found it, I looked around for a bit.  I left the library about 10 minutes later, not with the one book I had gone in for, but with eight!

    I hate to think what my receipt would have looked like had I gone into Borders or Barnes and Noble, or even ordered from Amazon, and purchased eight books instead of one.  I’m sure I would fall prey to the impulse buy just as much as the impulse borrow, although I try to be more restrained with the credit card than I am with the library card.  I’m very thankful our area has a good library system to spare me some of the cost of my book habit!

    Blogger Brain

    Published May 14, 2009 by amandamarkel

    Please tell me other people suffer from this!

    I’ve discovered that blogging is seeping into other parts of my life.  For example, when I read or hear something that irritates me, I immediately begin creating an argument or response in my mind–in blog format.

    When one of my children does something amusing, I immediately try to find the best way to convey their humor in a written format, so that other people can enjoy the moment.

    Every book I read is immediately placed into a mental blog review, whether I actually intend to blog about it or not (and, as hard as it is to believe, I read way more books than I actually review).

    The worst one–ever since blogging about my children using cute little nicknames for them, I find that I have to really watch myself when scrapbooking, or instead of using their actual names in journaling, I will write their blog nicknames, because I’m so conditioned to do it by now!

    Every big, personal train-of-thought I have (I would certainly never call it talking to myself!) is immediately put into a blog format–and I find myself falling into a similar trap because of Twitter–with all of my smaller thoughts, I find myself trying to see if I can get them to fit into 140 characters or less.

    This is what technology is doing to me–anyone else?

    Ultra Liberal God-Hater

    Published May 13, 2009 by amandamarkel

    Bet you didn’t think those words would ever be used to describe me.  I sure didn’t ever see that one coming!

    But, a recent commenter on my blog basically accused me of being just that, and for what reason? Not liking one of the books I reviewed–The American Patriot’s Bible.  I still stand by that review (and the fact that I was, in fact, not trying to “spin” it into something else), and I still think that book is a terrible misuse, and perhaps even abuse, of Scripture.  But, my anger at being labeled in such a fashion got me thinking about that Bible, and about that genre of Bibles, and I came to a realization about myself that I wasn’t really aware of before.

    I don’t really like the whole devotional Bible/themed Bible thing.

    A good study Bible, that I love.  Cross-references, chain-references, concordance, word studies.  I think these things are great, because they are strictly about the words written in the Bible, not about how they make us feel, not about us at all.  Just about the Word of God.  And that’s what a Bible should be.  Doesn’t the Word of God stand on it’s own, without narrative from us?

    I don’t mind devotional books, either.  Now, if I am to be honest, I will say that I think a lot of the current ones out there are too feel-good and trite, but there are also some good ones, that force the reader to really think about the Scripture, about why it was written, who it was written for, and what it means for us today.  Hey, I even own (and use!) a few such books!

    But, I just don’t think that kind of man-made narrative belongs directly in the Bible.  In it’s own book to be used alongside, fine.  But leave the Bible to be just that–the Bible.  Not the Bible plus.

    I guess I just realized why any of the devotional Bibles I ever received sat unread on the bookshelf, while my good old Concordia Self-Study Bible has been used, highlighted, and somewhat dog-eared over time.  Interesting.  I like when I learn something new about myself!

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