Our Home School
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I participated in The Homeschool Post's September Swap, and here are the goodies my sweet swap sister sent. Sadly (how's that for alliteration?), my camera, combined with my lack of photoography skills, means this picture doesn't do its contents justice.
Her package arrived the day before my birthday, which made it even bigger the blessing. Andrea sent me a really nice, big, mug for my morning cuppa, as well as Mary Kay body wash and lotion - which smell wonderful! She sent a can of pretty flower embellishments that just might make a crafter of me, yet. Glue sticks - what homeschool doesn't use glue sticks? Some stickers for the kiddos, which you can't see 'cause there behind the blurry body gel. There's a cute little quilted MaggiB bag that will get a lot of use. Don't forget the journal and a bag of trick-or-treat goodie sacks to pass out Halloween candy to the little fairies and goblins that come each year.
She really outdid herself - what a wonderful swap buddy. Not only is she generous, but she's patient, 'cause I was late getting my gift out to her.
I hope she enjoys her box of goodies as much as I love mine. Head on over to the Post and get in on the October-November Swap! It's a lot of fun and, yaknow, it's just nice to get a package in the mail!
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My friend Sprittibee forwarded the link to Parade Magazine's article "Intelligence Report," where they are polling readers on whether we think a teaching certificate should be required to teach kids at home.
Here's a particularly irksome quote from the article:
If upheld, the California ruling will send shock waves nationwide,” says Richard Kahlenberg, the author of a number of books on education. He says the case “pits those who believe parental rights are paramount against those who place a premium on well-educated citizens.”
I don't know this clown, Kahlenberg, but his spin is dizzying. So, it's either parental rights or well-educated citizens? The author of a number of books on education seems to have completely ignored statistics and more statistics showing homeschooled kids ARE the well-educated citizens.
You can read the article and take the poll here.
My answer? NO, but thanks for asking.
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It's a little late - OK, a lot late - but finally here is my January Swap post! Although it is too late to participate in February's, feel free to head over to Home School Blog Awards to read about past swaps and be on the lookout for the March swap sign-up.
My Swap Sister was Christina and what a cool package she pulled together! 
Poor Christina spent more than twice on postage what the entire gift was supposed to cost.
She sent: Superman Valentine cards for the boys to give to their friends, a Safari animal Origami set that my youngest son descended upon like a Hawk after a lame bunny, several pocket folders (what home schooling family can't use pocket folders?) a "year-round tomato" kit (Christina is a gardener!), index cards (which is third on my list of most purchased items, right after toilet paper and Clorox wipes), some very pretty stationary which reminded me I have several letters to write to family, AND these really pretty wooden storage boxes which look like old books and are decorated with an embossed copy of a Byzantine era Jesus mosaic similar to this. 
It was quite a haul!
My gift to Christina was mailed about a week late, as I had procrastinated and then got sick...a good lesson in why NOT to procrastinate. Of course, I pretty much know the why not, my problem is in the do not.
I sat out the February round, but hope to join in the March fun. The boys sure get a kick out of opening the packages and there are, invariably, enough goodies for them to share.
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Trish of A Joyful Heart has thrown down the gauntlet to all fellow bibliophiles: How many books can you read between now and the beginning of Spring, March 20?
And, there's a $25 Amazon gift certificate to be awarded at random to a registered challenger! Head on over to her site to read the rules and register.
This is timely for me, because one of my Christmas presents from my beloved was a $200 Barnes and Noble gift card. Talk about speakin' my love language! After about a week and a half of pulling out the card just to caress it, kiss it and rub it against my cheek Chuck finally said, "Spend the thing already!"
So, I did. Mostly. I left just under $50 on the card to save for later.
Not all on my list are from my two-day B&N bender, and many of these I've started, but here are the books in, on and around my nightstand:
Fiction and Literature:
The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan
The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James
Gilgamesh, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift
The Stranger, Albert Camus
The Trial, Kafka
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
Collection of five Charles Dickens novels
Possession, A. S. Byatt
The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult
S is for Silence, Sue Grafton (A gift from my boys.)
Non-Fiction: Writing
The Fiction Editor, The Novel, and The Novelist, Thomas McCormack
Easts, Shoots & Leaves, Lynn Truss
Chapter after Chapter, Heather Sellers
Page after Page, Heather Sellers
The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing, Meg Leder, Jack Heffron, and the editors of Writer's Digest
The Writers Way, Sara Maitland
Writing to Change the World, Mary Pipher
Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg
Non-Fiction: Religion
Timeless Writings of C.S. Lewis: The Pilgrim's Regress, Christian Reflections and God in the Dock
Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from it's Cultural Captivity, Nancy Pearcey
How Now Shall We Live? Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey
The One Year Life Verse Devotional, anthology compiled by Jay K. Payleitner (I got a signed copy from one of the contributors, Jinny Henson)
Non-Fiction: History
The History of the Ancient World, Susan Wise Bauer
The Art of War, Sun Tzu
The Histories, Herodotus
The Peloponnesian War, Thucydides
Non-Fiction: Other
The Well-Educated Mind, Susan Wise Bauer (from which my literature list was largely derived)
The Mislabeled Child, Brick Eide, M.D., M.A., and Fernette Eide, M.D. (on loan from Sprittibee )
The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches: A practical (and fun) Guide to Enjoying Life More by Spending Less, Jeff Yeager (A buddy on the Writer's Digest forum and guest on NBC's Today Show!)
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Last Month I signed up to participate in the "sister swap" hosted by Home School Blog Awards . I swapped with Jocelyn and she hit on all my favorite things!
The generously sized mug is perfect for my hot beverages. In my profile, I had indicated that I drink a lot of coffee. Lots. Of. Coffee. Turns out, beginning January 1st I quit drinking coffee. (Oh, come on...I felt the concussion as all of you who know me collectively fell off your chairs.) Truth is, I had been drinking way too much coffee, so I decided to fast from drinking it for a month. That's another story, though. This vessel dispenses green tea, just as well! 
I also mentioned that I love candles. Coffee and candles; Jocelyn struck another chord by sending me a yummy Hazelnut coffee scented candle. Mmmmm.
Speaking of Mmmmm, she also made some gourmet chocolate stirring spoons and filled the mug with assorted candies.
Ah! Spoiled me, she did; thank you sweet Jocelyn!
I think I'll do this again.