Lots of packages for the twins today

I am in online shopping heaven right now!! 4 packages arrived in the mail today, all for the twins. One was a surprise gift but the other 3 were things I bought a few weeks ago that finally arrived. I am so excited!! Not only did 6 of my cloth diapers arrive and they are adorable in perfect condition but the covers I bought for them also arrived. Of the things I bought myself I am SUPER DUPER excited about the diaper bag. I bought a new Vera Bradley Get Carried Away Tote bag for my diaper bag. I got the super cute night and day pattern. Let me tell you, this bag is enormous!! But I love how it is organized. No it doesn't have all the typical bells and whistles of a diaper bag, i.e. bottle pouches, plastic liner, changing pad, etc. But the cost of this bag and it's size far outweighed my other diaper bag options geared more towards twins. There are plenty of pockets to stash things like bottles if I end up pumping, I can also just add one of the changing pads from an older diaper bag to this new bag. The inside size is beyond huge, I can only imagine how heavy it will be when I pack it full with 2 of everything so we can venture out and about. I love it though, I can't wait to be able to put it to good use!

I love the adorable matching onesies 3 packs and bibs that my dear friend Jenn and her daughters sent for the twins. Not only are they in cute pink colors but they have Zebra's and other safari animals on them, so cute!! Thanks again Jenn!!

TOS Crew Review: Speekee Spanish

Are you looking for a convenient and inexpensive Spanish curriculum? Or perhaps you are interested in a Spanish resource that will supplement a program you are already using? Looking for something that will expose your children to native Spanish speakers?

Speekee TV may be the answer you are looking for.

According to Speekee creators the top 10 reasons why parents choose this online Spanish program are:

-    Great fun and extremely effective
-    Created by specialist linguists and musicians
-    Accelerated learning methodology for natural success
-    100% in Spanish (English and Spanish subtitles available)
-    Simple presentation style
-    Lively, engaging characters
-    Real Spanish children in real Spanish locations
-    Concise, essential Spanish vocabulary, with lots of repetition
-    Catchy songs

Speekee TV allows children to learn Spanish at their own pace which makes this type of program ideal for new Spanish speakers or those looking for supplemental material for a current Spanish curriculum. Speekee TV is 10 episodes with over 150 minutes of Spanish learning. Native Spanish speaking children converse with each other in common child play locations such as the park and playground. Each episode also include songs, animation, and puppets which help to hold children's attention throughout the lesson. Along with each episode there are free activity sheets that can be downloaded to augment your child's learning. The Speekee program was created by Spanish language specialist teachers.

How we used Speekee TV:

As a Spanish speaker trying to teach my own children the beauitful language of Spanish I am always excited to try a new Spanish speaking program. I believe that the more exposure they get, no matter the form is helpful. Be it Spanish in the written, spoken, or book form any exposure will help them learn just a little more of the language. 

As we began viewing the 10 episode Speekee TV collection my 3 kids immediately gravitated to the computer screen. Together the 4 of us devoured a few of the episodes right off the bat. As their attention span dwindled and I became more aware of how the episodes were organized I made plans for supplementing the additional episodes. Not only did I use the free supplemental resources available for each episode but I made notes of the topics and words discussed in each episode so that I could include them in our everyday Spanish "practice" conversations that my children and I regularly engage in. When watched in one or two episode chunks we found the material more easily digested and retained. My children and I all thoroughly enjoyed each of the 10 episodes on Speekee TV. They are fun, musical, entertaining, yet very educational. The Spanish words and phrases presented in each episode are repeated numerous times in a fun way giving Spanish learners numerous opportunities to hear, retain, and comprehend the material. Additionally, there is optional subtitles that can be turned on for each episode. Personally, I chose to not use the subtitles for two main reasons. My kids all have a good base of Spanish understanding and I feel that the subtitles would have distracted them from the material being presented. 

If you are looking for a fun introduction or reinforcement for a current Spanish program you are using Speekee might be just what you are looking for.

Pricing information:

A subscription to Speekee TV is $7.50 per month and the first two weeks are free.

Would you like to read more reviews from fellow The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew members for Speekee?

Speekee TOS Crew reviews

Disclaimer: I was proved with this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I was not compensated in any other way from Speekee or The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew for this review.

Just admiring your family!

Moms of big families more often than not hear some pretty rude comments from family and total strangers alike in regards to their choice to have "more than a couple" of kids. I am far from a Mom of many or consider myself a household manager for a large family. However, in spite of having 3 kids I still get my fair share of rude and unnecessary comments regarding my family size. I've learned to shrug if off over the years, especially from strangers.

To all my friends and readers who have a large family or have the "heart" of a large family I want to share with you a refreshing and joyful story from an unassuming trip to the grocery store today.

My kids and I made our weekly trip to town today. Wednesdays are typically a very long day for us between the time it takes to drive to town and all the errands I need to accomplish while I am there. By the time we finally arrived at the grocery store this afternoon we were all tired. Because of this I did something I don't typically do; I put my younger 2 in one of those HUGE grocery carts like look like a car with steering wheels and the shopping basket out in front. I knew they would need some entertainment and a certain level of "corralling" to accomplish our shopping trip as quickly as possible. As I proceeded to the produce section with my limo sized shopping cart I made a mental note of all the fresh produce I needed. I parked the basket at the end of one of the rows so I could grab some things I needed without navigating that huge basket in the narrow produce aisles. I quickly grabbed what I needed from that aisle and returned with an arm full of fresh goodies. While I placed my items in the basket I noticed an elderly lady standing to my left with her basket. She appeared to be patiently waiting for me, possibly to have me move my basket so she could pass by with more room (there was already plenty of space for a standard basket to move by me). Nevertheless, I asked her if she was waiting for me and if she wanted me to move my basket. In the sweetest and most sincere voice she simply replied, "No, I was just standing here admiring your family." I was shocked! Of course I immediately thanked her. And with that she was on her way to finish her own shopping. She left me though forever and deeply touched. I wore a smile on my face for the rest of that shopping excursion. Such a simple gesture by this beautiful stranger brightened my day and helped to remind me that not everyone out there looks down upon those of us with more than "a couple" of children.

TOS Crew Review: Maestro Classics

Beautiful music and a music appreciation lesson combined all in one. That is what composer Stephen Simon and art director/music educator Bonnie Ward Simon have created in Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf.

Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf begins with a skillfully composed score for the very popular story Peter and the Wolf. Following the musical/story portion we hear first hand from the composer Stephen Simon and art director/music educator Bonnie Ward Simon. Stephen gives a wonderful explanation on the background of the music. He carefully explains why each instrument was chosen for the characters and what role this instrument plays in the story. Bonnie Ward Simon on the other hand provides the listener with a lively description about the Peter and the Wolf story. Together both Stephen and Bonnie give new life to an age old story. Listeners not only learn new and insightful aspects about the Peter and the Wold story but are also treated to an artfully composed score. Stephen's composing adds new life to a common story. Included with the 7-track CD is a beautiful 24-page program book which helps to entertain and educate the children listening to the music and story.

You can visit the Maestro Classics website to listen to a sample of this and other CDs.

My kids and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to and learning from Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf CD. Each time we play this CD we all learn something new either about the story itself or about the musical instruments used in the composition. My children regularly ask questions and blurt out observations while we enjoy this story and it's accompanying music. The scoring and story telling leave us all enthralled and entertained. As a Mom I love the fact that my children are learning about music and gaining an appreciation for it without even realizing what is happening. Not only are they thoroughly enjoying the entertainment aspect of this CD but they are learning at the same time. What is not to love about that?

Product information:
Pricing: $16.98 or $45 for 3 CDs. Maestro Classics has a wide variety of stories and compositions to choose from. They would all make wonderful additions to your listening library.

Want to read more reviews on this product? Please visit The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew blog!

Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf reviews

Getting financially organized this year!

I have to be honest,  I do not do budgets. There I said it, I admitted it. I have never in my life created a budget and stuck to it. I just know how much money I have and do my best to make sure there is some leftover each money. Sometimes that plan works, other months it doesn't work so well.

With our growing family and reduced income I have to finally face reality and quit ignoring the facts staring me in the face. As the financial planner and bill payer for my family, I NEED TO BUDGET! Plain and simple, no ifs and or buts about it.

But where do I start? As if God heard my prayers (I know he always does) yesterday I stumbled upon Carrie and her Dittle Dattle blog that offers financial planning worksheets for a notebook that she herself uses for her own family. I am all into simplicity, keep it simple and I am more like to stick with it. Carrie follows Dave Ramsey's financial planning and budgeting philosophy but her worksheets that she so graciously shares with the rest of us can be used for budgeting whether you follow the Ramsey plan or not.

I am in the process of creating a similar notebook for my family. I just need a few more office supplies to complete the notebook then I will be off and running. As Carrie mentions in her blog post, a notebook like this not only makes monthly budgeting simple but you also have all the information you need at your fingertips so that you can keep budget and financial status lines of communication open between you and your spouse. Love it!

Happy budgeting in 2011 friends!

Pen pals help encourage writing

Finding and maintaining communication with a pen pal can open up a wonderful world of writing for your children. Pen pals are not just for homeschooled children. In fact, both of my sons regularly write to a public schooled pen pal. Pen pal letters accomplish and encourage a whole host of beneficial things in your child; whether they are homeschooled or attend public school.

Benefits of having a pen pal include:

• give practical application to lessons in letter writing including letter formating, sentence structure, and envelope addressing.
• promotes friendship between two people that may not otherwise have a chance to get to know each other.
• encourages children to think of others rather than just themselves. Pen pal writers can not exclusively write about themselves. They must ask questions of their pen pal and show interest in what their pen pal has written in a previous letter.
• encourages writing in a reluctant or new writer. Older children will enjoy the reduced pressure of writing that comes with pen pal letters while young elementary children will learn that writing can be fun.
• writing pen pal letters will force children to practice good penmanship. Messy letters are not good pen pal letters.
• requires reading, this is particularly beneficial for young readers. Your child will need to read their pen pal's letter when it arrives in the mail and before they can respond to and write a letter of their own.

The benefits of pen pals for your children are nearly limitless. I could not possibly list all of the advantages here.

Ways to find a pen pal for your children include:

• contact friends outside of your immediate area that have children similar in ages to your own. Ask if they would like to be pen pals.
• If you are a homeschooler, join an online homeschool community such as The Homeschool Lounge. Large online homeschool communities such as THL have pen pal groups where you can find other families that are in search of pen pals.

Lastly, if you have younger children that are not yet at the writing stage who would also like to join in on the "pen pal fun" they also have options. Picture drawing is a fun way for very young children to enjoy the fun of having a pen pal.

Homeschool books for sale!

I am beginning the task of clearing off my shelves and listing curriculum that we no longer need. I will add to the list as I uncover the treasures in boxes and on bookshelves.

Math:
Singapore Math Textbook 3B U.S. Edition, like new (bought 2 by mistake); $8ppd


Language Arts:
A Reason for Handwriting Teacher Guidebook (K-6th), normal shelf wear; $10ppd

Vocabulary Cartoons (uses mnemonics to teach vocab words), like new; $10ppd

Punctuation Tales 4 books: Abbreviations, Quotation Marks, Sentence Stoppers, Sentence Structure; all like new; $5ppd

If you are interested in any of these books just email me through my profile or if you are friends with me on FB feel free to contact me there also. Yes, I will give discounts for multiple purchases.