Back To Normal?

What does that mean, normal? We were supposed to start our Christmas break next week, but we have sort of started it this week and will do school next week. As you well know, this time of year is filled with fun, friends and food. We have been having such a good time at all our Christmas events. Today Caitlin will do two cycles of Head of the Class and DJ has not chosen which subject he wants to do yet. He did History yesterday, so he has to pick something else. This is the first day, in like five days, that it is not raining or damp out so we can go for our morning walk. I have to play catch up on my online work, haven't made much money this week, and blogging friends blogs and Entrecard. I hate to feel like I am neglecting things. Last night at the 4H meeting the kids decided their volunteer day would be at Otter Springs. Now we just have to figure out what day and time works for everyone involved. That is a trick. I hope everyone is having an awesome week so far. If anyone is wondering about the dog I mentioned in my previous post, I have yet to see her in person. But I am watching.

Requesting Reviews Via Email

Before I get to the topic of this post, a few updates are at hand. We have had a doozy of a week, and next week appears to be the same. Most of it was fun stuff, with some stressful stuff thrown in just for fun. I usually handle stress by attacking the problem, but sometimes it seems as though that will do more harm than good. Maybe I am to ethical, a goody two shoe, whatever you want to call it. Sometimes that just stresses me out. My father in law was in the hospital, thank goodness that stress ended well. It is hard when you are not near loved ones and things happen. Then some teeny stressors that were more annoying than anything else. Then came the neighbors. Ugh I am so tired of the neighbors. The hard part is their kids are good friends with my kids and play together almost everyday. They gave a birthday invitation for their daughter the day before her birthday. Really now I have to come up with a gift and my husband has to take them because I have to sleep for work. So I wrapped up the Toys for Tot doll, sent my husband to get another for Toys for Tots, and sent them off to the party. I won't go into great detail but these people are strange at best. I am not really sure what goes on over there, but my children are not allowed in their home, once in a while their yard. There have been several issues with their pets. Not nice issues, but now another has come up and since the story was told to me the same way several times I have to assume it could be true. This has been breaking my heart for over a day. I just don't understand why people are cruel to their animals. If you don't want it then take it to the pound to hopefully be adopted by someone else. So now I try to sneak peaks to see if I can see the dog to verify the story. I have not seen her yet. I am hoping the story is not true, for I don't really want to deal with this. Then the migraine came without warning. I wish I had an aura, at least I would know it was coming. Since stress is not the trigger, I know the stress didn't cause it, but it didn't help it either. I have not had a migraine in eight months, but have had two in the last two weeks, ugh what is going on! I had to call off from work. I never call off from work, and it makes me feel guilty. Only problem is is why? I had perfect attendance last year, and would have had it again this year if not for yesterday. It bothered me all day. So I have been feeling crappy. Thank goodness my wonderful husband and children take very good care of me when I am completely out of the game. So how was your week, last week? Hopefully better than mine. Now this next week we have a social event every day, except Tuesday. Won't be a whole lot of school being done, but that is OK, that is why we do school over the summer months. Tomorrow we are going shopping with my mom, and to Chinese for lunch. Then we have to hurry home, grab my husband from work, make truffles for 4H party, eat dinner, deposit my husband at his firehouse meeting, and then go to 4H. I am tired already.

Now to the title of this post. I am not going to use this gentleman's name or company. If you get an email like this you won't need a name, you will know what I mean. I was contacted via my personal email to do a review for a new and upcoming Tshirt company. He asked me to respond if I was interested. I sent back some basic questions. And, very quickly I might add, he sent me an email with instructions how to proceed. He would provide me with two Tshirts. He provided a link to pick the Tshirts, then you could add your logo and lettering to the shirt, save and then save the saved code back to him. I did all this, and the Tshirt looked sharp too. Then he sent me another email with the code to cash out and get the shirts for free, but ah here is the trick, I had to supply a credit card so I could be charged one cent if I should not do the review I would be charged full price. I immediately had red flags all over the place. I have done lots of reviews, and never ever been asked to use a credit card. Then I thought maybe because he contacted me privately that this was customary. So I asked blogging friends who also do reviews and they said absolutely not. So I am putting this warning up, so that all my readers will know to avoid these kinds of requests. I am glad I asked others first.

Homeschool Curriculum Links

OK here are all the new links I have found, many I use. Please be sure to check all the links at the bottom of this blog as well. A lot of those are for younger ages, and I used them all the time when my kids were preschool, kindergarten ages. These are more geared towards older learners, at least most of them. You can always use the search bar at the top of this blog to find this post easily again. This is still not all of them, but I will get them all eventually. These should keep you occupied for a while

http://www.compassion.com/christian-home-school.htm
http://thebearthinstitute.memberlodge.com/wildlifeeducation
http://www.reading-with-kids.com/index.html
http://www.nps.gov/learn/curriculum.htm
http://learner.org/
http://www.earlyamerica.com/ben1.htm/
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activities-and-projects/?ar_a=1&ar_r=1
http://maps4kids.com/
http://www.myaudioschool.com/
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hiking/compass.htm
http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm
http://dltk-bible.com/genesis/lesson-otbooks.htm
http://www.teachercreated.com/free/
http://www.50states.com/
http://21stcenturylit.org/index.php
http://www.gameclassroom.com/
http://www.braineos.com/
http://www.mrcpl.org/literacy/lessons/sight/index.html
http://archaeology.mrdonn.org/games.html
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/
http://www.creative-chemistry.org.uk/index.htm
http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/why.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
http://www.storylineonline.net/
http://eduscapes.com/ladders/themes/webquests.htm
http://kidcourses.com/
http://www.eschoolonline.com/
http://www.eschoolonline.com/company/examples/eye/eyedissect.html
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/socialstudies/
http://www.songsforteaching.com/index.html
http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/
http://www.science-teachers.com/
http://www.geography4kids.com/
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Education/ConservationCentral/teacher/default.cfm
http://www.e-learninglinks.com/history.htm
http://msnucleus.org/membership/index.html
http://www.sciencewithme.com/
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm
http://www.amnh.org/ology/index.php
http://www.khanacademy.org/

Virtual School

Today was our first day of absolute complete schooling and nothing else. This month is so busy, that we have been doing just the most important lessons each day, and then the fun stuff. Next week is not better. Three out of the five days we have other activities going on. So we will be doing mostly half days again. We didn't get to paint, but hopefully that will get squeezed in next week, but it might have to wait until Christmas vacation. I have decided that both kids will do something over the Christmas break. They must do at least one assignment per day. Caitlin will do Head of the Class and DJ will probably pick Science or History. I am certain it won't be math, lol. I signed DJ up today for the Florida Virtual School, as a homeschool child. I want him to take Spanish, as he needs a language to graduate and I know I can not teach it. I am lucky I can teach English. We will see how that goes, and then decide from there for other courses. Since it is free, I might as well take advantage of it. The process was much simpler from when I looked five years ago. They have a public school and homeschool option. Hopefully this will make classes I can not teach easier for all of us. Tomorrow I will be sharing a whole bunch of new links I have discovered for homeschool lessons, many are free. You can browse the current ones way at the bottom of this blog. The new ones will be in a post. Friday's are a free fun type of day. Lessons in the morning, then movies for the afternoon.

Lesson Plans For 12/08/11:

DJ:
Science: Entomology and Elements
Math: Saxon 65 chapter 54
Health: The Skin
Analogies
Social Studies: Map Skills
Cursive Writing
Spelling: Chapter 34
Reading Comprehension
Language Arts: Quotation Marks

Caitlin:
Reading: My I Book
Head of the Class: Two cycles
Math: Place value, time, adding two numbers
Science: Entomology and hibernation
Language Arts: Words ending in LY, spelling
Social Studies: Plymouth Colony: Building a village