Pull Up a Chair Give-away

Molly of Counter-cultural Mom is hosting a give-away on the Mentoring Moments blog. You can enter to win Nathan Clark George's CD Pull Up a Chair by leaving a comment on the MMCW blog, posting about the give-away on your blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter. To read more about Nathan Clark George and this great give-away, click here.

Online Used Booksale

Heart of the Matter Online will be hosting a used book/curriculum sale online May 11th-15th. You can list books that you want to sell on your blog and link back to Heart of the Matter to be listed as a seller. If you want to list books for sale on your blog, follow this link for instructions. Whether you decide to sell or not, if you want to search other blogs for what you need for next year, visit Heart of the Matter that week for a list of links to sellers.

Free Phonemic Awareness/Phonics Toolkit from CurrClick

If you do not subscribe to CurrClick's weekly newsletter, click here to check out their freebie of the week. It is the Phonemic Awareness/Phonics Toolkit which provides five phonemic awareness and two phonics diagnostic assessments. It regularly sells for $39.95. This week it is completely free... not even shipping to pay as it is downloadable. If you want to subscribe to CurrClick's newsletter, click here to sign up and you will receive notice each week of their sales and freebies.

Not to Us

As I mentioned in previous posts, my boys and their teammates participated in a birding competition last weekend. This was their third year to compete, and though they were the champions in their age division last year, it seemed as though the cards were stacked against them this year.

I usually begin training my boys in January. By the end of the month, they have memorized or refreshed their memory on at least 50 bird calls. They have been outside and observed birds every day the weather conditions allow. But not this year! Instead, we fought the croup and respiratory infections while I packed everything we own in preparation for our house remodel.

Here is our house in the beginning stages of the packing process. A few weeks later, this room was filled with boxes and furniture, from floor to ceiling.

In February, we always participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Last year, we traveled around our county all four days of the count and tallied over 1,000 birds by the end. But not this year! Instead, our house got flipped inside out and upside down as practically every part of it was renovated. Our days were filled with buying materials (I think we helped keep Home Depot afloat during the economic crisis), solving unexpected problems that arose (almost everyday!), and struggling to finish the basic skills elements of our schooling.

You can see what was the first round of remodeling supplies stacked on either side of this room. There was much more to be bought.

March is usually team-building time. We always set aside several days to bird watch with their teammates. These days are so important because they must communicate well as a team. For a bird to be counted on their tally, two members of the team must identify the bird in question. During our team building sessions, Molly and I dedicate a lot of time honing their communication skills so they can explain to their teammates quickly and quietly where a bird they see is located. If they do not direct their teammates well, the bird can be scared off or just decide on its own to fly away before another teammate sees it and can confirm the sighting. But not this year! Instead, I spent the month, painting, cleaning and clearing messes, and restoring order to my home.

April is crunch time. By then, my boys have memorized over 100 bird calls. Their spotting skills and communication skills are well honed. They can flip through their field guides with ease and even recognize a large number of birds visually without the aid of a guide. The month is dedicated to fine tuning the skills in place, spending huge amounts of time outdoors, getting them excited about the competition and ready for the fast-pace and long-haul of a twenty-four hour trek with only a few hours sleep in the middle. But not this year! Instead, we battled another round of croup. Then the hot water heater developed a leak and destroyed a third of our brand-new flooring in the kitchen. In the midst of re-doing the kitchen… again, I coordinated our local homeschool association's Spotlight Night (another post about this is in the works). There was barely time, once again, for covering basic skills, and we found ourselves heading to the competition with very little preparation.

You can see the edge of the new flooring in the top right corner of this picture. The flooring in the foreground is what was two flooring layers beneath. It is covered in sticky residue that I have tried to remove for three weeks now. We put the towels down as a walking path so our feet won't stick to the floor!

The first night of the competition, we took the boys to one of our favorite birding locations. It is a prime birding spot in our state, and there are always so many birds there. But not this year! Not the night we were there! It was a real struggle for the boys, and we all felt discouraged. After four hours, we left the prime spot and headed toward our lodging.

Team Birds of a Feather Working Hard to Find Birds

(from left to right) Wilbur, Orville, K, and C

We normally spend the night at a really nice lodge located at the finish line site. The accommodations are excellent… a bed for everyone with linens provided, a private bath, and air conditioning. Plus, it is so quiet and peaceful and there are always night birds in abundance. But not this year! Because of our state's budget crisis, we were not able to get the room for the normal, affordable price. We found a "yurt" at another state park for a good price. It fit our budget but there were not enough beds for everyone and no linens and the not-so-clean, public bathroom was across the street. There was no going to the potty in the middle of the night! Plus, it was very close to a highway and a "honky tonk". The music was so loud as was the traffic that there were no birds around.

Yurt Camping

The next day was much of the same. The weather was clear but hot, so the birds were not very active. The boys really had to work to find anything to identify. It was tough and at times discouraging. There were good moments… finding swallows under a bridge, a great devotion on 1 Cor 13 in which the Lord convicted and encouraged us all, the cows, and a short birthday party at Dairy Queen. But overall, we thought this was going to be our year to lose, and we were ready for it.

The boys had just identified swallows which had nested under this bridge and were enjoying a break in a shady, cool spot.

As we headed to the finish line, I talked with my boys about how winning is not the goal. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. We believe in His sovereignty and providence. A loss for us is not really a loss. When the Lord is pleased to bless others, even if it seems as though He is withholding from us, we rejoice in His will, knowing that He is to be praised.

We turned in our tally with 73 birds, nine less than last year's total (I will post this list later), and enjoyed a lovely banquet. For me, it was a relief that it was over. I was prepared for them to lose, thinking it might actually be in their best interest. This year they had to move to the next age bracket. The competition was more intense, and I thought they needed a year to"get their feet wet". After a great birds of prey show, it was time for the awards.

Orville and Wilbur pose in front of the championship trophy. Their team's name is engraved on the 2008 plaque for having won the Primary Division that year.

First, the event coordinator announced the winners of the birding journal competition. In the midst of all the remodeling, I had managed to get my boys to complete one each to submit. To my absolute shock, Wilbur won in the Primary Division. Orville won in the Elementary Division. Unbelievable! (yet another post in the works)

Wilbur with 1st Place Journal and Prize

Orville and His 1st Place Journal and Prize of New Binoculars

Then it was time for the team awards. For fundraising, they received first place, not just in their age division but among all teams, K-12. The coordinator then began to announce the winners in their age division for the most species spotted. I sat back in my seat and said a quick prayer… not that they would win, but that the Lord would enable them to give Him glory either way. The coordinator announced the 3rd place team. Their total… 62 birds. My eye brows raised. "They got second?" I thought. 2nd place was announced… 71 birds. My jaw hit the floor. By two little birds, found very late in the day, one just steps before the finish line, they had won.

Team Birds of a Feather Receiving New Binoculars for 1st Place in the Elementary Division
(from left to right) K, C, Wilbur, and Orville

The day before the competition began, I taught my boys Psalm 115:1. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory." This verse became the theme for the weekend and sums up our experience. There was no "super mom" residing at the Olive Plants house this year. Most days, I was covered in paint and dirt, struggling to get through the basic requirements of home life and school. Though I believe in the value of hard work, there is no glory due to men. It is the Lord who blesses the work. I have shared so many details in this post because I want you to know just how unremarkable I am, how very normal and human my boys are, and how very great our God is.

I like what Orville had to say after the banquet. He approached me and said, "Mom, I used to say Birds of a Feather (their team name) win together, but I think we have a new team motto. Birds of a Feather praise God together." Glory to God for He alone is worthy to be praised.

Birds of a Feather... Praise God Together!

Home Work

If you read my title, you probably think I am about to dole out an opinion on the amount of work children should bring home from school. Or maybe some advice about how to get your children to work independently. However, this post is about something far more interesting... the TOS publication, Home Work: Juggling Home, Work, and School without Losing Your Balance.

This e-book, available for download at the TOS Magazine Schoolhouse Store for $12.45, is a compilation of stories chronicling the adventures of homeschooling families who manage home businesses. A variety of business ideas are highlighted, everything from sewing to printing to computer-based businesses... and more. Each family has a different purpose for their business and a different style of management. Each family is also very honest about the obstacles they have faced and the challenges they must meet daily. They also offer wisdom and practical advise on starting a business, including the children in the process, scheduling work and school, and keeping your eyes on the Lord in the midst of it all.


My only criticism is that I found some chapters much more interesting than others. I believe this is because some of the businesses did not appeal to me as much as others. However, that is what gives this e-book so much potential. What did not interest me, may interest you. What works for some families featured in the e-book, does not work for others. There are a variety of ideas and organizational systems to glean from. You can treat the book like a buffet and pick and choose ideas that will meet the needs of your family.

In my opinion, the final two chapters are the most helpful. Carol Topp, the Homeschool CPA, explains how to keep the finances of a home business organized. She offers advice on record keeping, even providing a sample bookkeeping system. Katy Dawn suggests ways to keep everything organized. She leads the reader through a system of prioritizing, scheduling, planning, and setting the stage for success. I found her chapter helpful even though I have no plans of starting a home-based business and will use some of her suggestions for my home classroom.

This is a little longer e-book with 95 pages. If you like to print a hard copy of your e-books, be sure to take that into consideration. The book was easy to buy and download. I did not experience any technical problems, and there was no shipping to pay.

If you are looking for seasoned home-business advice or organization ideas for your homeschool, click here and get busy with Home Work.

We love WeE-books!

John Donne wrote that "no man is an island". However, in the midst of a busy homeschool day, I sometimes feel like the opposite is true. When I taught at an elementary school, if I had a difficult day, I could visit the seasoned, veteran teacher across the hall and glean wisdom from her years of experience. However, at home, there is no one across the hall to listen and offer advice. We homeschoolers have conventions and support group meetings, but they are few and far between. Where is a homeschool mom to turn when she needs help... now?!

TOS Magazine's Schoolhouse Store has the solution, the WeE-book series. This "mini-digital package" offers a selection of thirty different "bite-sized" e-books, each covering a different topic of interest to the homeschool mom. Each e-book is authored by a recognized homeschool expert and lets you "cross the hall" and receive encouragement and advice from Dr. Ruth Beechick, Carol Topp, and Jeannie Fulbright, just to name a few.

Each e-book is written to encourage excellence in homeschooling but is not dry or filled with jargon. The advice is edifying, Bible-based, and applicable. Plus, they are called "WeE-books" for a reason. Each book contains about 20 pages, a quick, easy read... perfect for the busy homeschooling mom.

I have read three books in the collection to date.

Missing in Action or Mentoring in Action, written by Jeannie Fulbright, encourages us to be sensitive to the Lord's leading in the matter of mentoring other moms. She explains that mentoring does not have to be a taxing commitment. Instead, she exhorts us to mentor in "snippets", sprinkling a little salt here and there as the Lord brings others into our lives.

Reading Building Strong Arithmetic Thinking by Dr. Ruth Beechick encouraged me to take a "Home Style" approach to developing mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills in my children. She explains how to make abstract concepts more accessible to concrete thinkers and offers great, easy-to-implement ideas.

Writers Workshop: Getting Children Excited about Writing by Maggie Hogan is my favorite of the three. In our homeschool, we dedicate a few hours per week to a writers workshop time and have experienced great results. For those unfamiliar with the program, this WeE-book explains how the workshop is organized and how to implement it. The information is very well organized and offers several ideas for getting started, involving the entire family, and ensuring success.

Each WeE-book costs $1.95, very affordable. Other topics covered include Classical Education, Beating the Summertime Blues, and The "Me Time" Myth... just to name a few. They are easy to download and will not be expensive to print if you want to organize them in a binder. In fact, to help you organize your collection, you can also download WeE-book Binder Covers for free. Plus, you will never pay shipping. Each book also includes suggested resources if you want to read more on the topic and a page with advice on getting started in homeschool.

The WeE-book collection offers a lot of bang for the buck (plus 95 cents). If you are ready to leave your island, click here and sail over to the TOS Magazine Schoolhouse Store to begin your WeE-book collection today.

Not Exactly What I Had in Mind

My sons participated in the Youth Birding Competition last weekend. We had an eventful twenty-four hours and drove to several prime "birding spots" in our state. One of our stops was a wildlife refuge where red-cockaded woodpeckers have nested. Three years ago, before my sons began bird watching, I barely knew what a woodpecker was. In fact, what little knowledge I had came from Woody Woodpecker cartoons. Thanks to my sons, however, I now know that these particular birds are very rare in our state and can only be found in a few select spots.

While we walked down the "Red-cockaded Trail" in search of this unique bird, we kept coming across large amounts of what appeared to be dung. Gross, I know, but stay with me.

At first, my boys were curious....

"What are those?"

"How did they get there?"

Then they acted like boys....

"Yuck!"

"Gross!"

Finally, they began to speculate....

"Did bears do that?"

I assured them there were no bears, and we continued the trek. Eventually, they did hear and identify a red-cockaded... very cool and worth the effort. However, as we left the foot trail and stepped onto the paved road that led to our parking place, we heard a very loud, very deep, very disconcerting animal sound. This call was definitely not a bird's. My "there-are-no-bears-in-these-woods" conviction began to waver.

We cautiously walked farther up the hill until the parking lot came into sight. The car was completely surrounded by cows! My immediate response was relief that there were indeed no bears. Then I wondered why there were cows in the middle of the forest and how we were going to maneuver around the herd and get in the car. Orville, on the other hand, had a different thought....

Orville, Wilbur and Teammates "Mooing" at the Cows

He looked at me with a huge smile on his face and said in all seriousness and with great joy, "Oh! That's what those were... cow patties! That is what the pioneers burned for their campfires while on the Oregon Trail! Mom, can we burn one so we can better understand what life was like on the Trail?"

Although I admit that would be true experiential learning, even I, the OLIVE-with-an-E-for-Experiential mom, had to say "NO WAY!" to that request.

The cows eventually moved away from the car.




Goodbye Cows! When I said "experiential", you were not exactly what I had in mind!

Audubon Plush Toys and Tree Display

When I posted pictures of the remodeled classroom, I received comments/questions about the bird tree pictured. For all of you who wondered, here is the story.

Three years ago, we completed Apologia's elementary science unit, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day by Jeannie Fulbright. This excellent study piqued my boys' interest in nature in general but particularly in birds. Around the same time we began the study, our good friends, Molly at Counter-cultural Mom/School and her sons K and C, wanted to participate in a 24-hour bird-watching event. They needed two partners, and my boys fit the bill. We joined forces and have been birding buddies ever since.

To prepare for this event, I needed as many age-appropriate resources as possible to engage my boys in the process of bird identification. Paying close attention to the many details that distinguish one bird from another was a challenge for boys who were only five and six at the time. Molly found Audubon plush toy birds and passed the idea on to me. They are accurately designed and contain a sound chip that plays a recording of the bird's song or call when the plushie is squeezed. Michael and I bought a few of the birds for our boys as birthday and Christmas presents. They loved them and soon their collection began to grow as did their knowledge of birds.

Over time, the bird collection became an extension of our family. Orville and Wilbur have named each bird and assigned it a birth date. Many of the birds have married and are the parents of other birds. Last year, I integrated the birds into our study of government. The boys created four states for the nation of "Birdieland" and wrote a Constitution for their nation of birds. The birds held "elections" and have a president, vice president, members of Congress and a Supreme Court. You can read more about our government project here.

To get our money's worth, Michael and I now have the boys work for their birds. They still get new plushies as presents from time-to-time but also complete special chores and earn "mommy money" for school assignments and grades to use toward purchasing them. To ensure that they work extra hard and that Michael and I don't go broke, items in the "mommy store" cost twice what we actually pay for them. So the plush toy birds that we bought for $8 each cost $16 each in the "mommy store".

At the beginning of the last school year, they had collected about 60 birds, and we needed a good place to store them. They wanted a display tree. It sells for $160 plus shipping (about $180 total), a big stretch for our budget. We decided to take advantage of their motivation and teach the boys how to set a larger financial goal and save for it. We continued to "pay" them for chores and school assignments with "mommy dollars" (I know. I know. Some say never pay for chores. But I say they have to earn the money somehow.) Meanwhile, Michael and I put 20 real dollars into our real savings account each month. They had to save $360 "mommy dollars" to pay for the tree. It took them the entire school year to accomplish this which gave Michael and me nine months to save $180.

The boys were thrilled when they were allowed to reap the reward of nine months of hard work. They really learned the value of a dollar, at least a "mommy dollar". We have a lovely way to organize the family, er... collection, and the tree really adds a nice touch to our classroom.

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

1 Pet 1:3

Blessings from our family

to yours

as we celebrate our Risen Savior!

Happy Resurrection Day

The Cubby Hole

The next remodeled room I would like to reveal is the one we affectionately refer to as the "cubby hole". It is the smallest room in our house... perhaps in the USA. Surprisingly, we have been able to cram a lot into it.

Before the remodel it served as our classroom. You can see in the picture below how I used every spare millimeter of this room.



While planning for the remodel, we decided that since everything had to be moved anyway, we would switch the boys' bedroom and the classroom. We needed the bigger space for school, and all the boys do in their bedroom is sleep. Why give such a large portion of our square footage to that?

After two new windows, a new ceiling fan, refinished floors, and a new coat of paint (Color Place "Country White"), the cubby hole is a nice cozy place for two sleepy boys to get some shut eye.