Carnival of Homeschooling: Winter in Idaho Edition

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling! If you are unfamiliar with this weekly event, let me introduce you.

A carnival sounds fun, right? It is! Each week homeschool bloggers are asked to submit a post to share. Then the host reads, organizes, and presents them to the community.

I offered to do this in August, but we were in the middle of selling our house in Texas and moving back to Southern Idaho. This carnival features a few of our adventures since we arrived.

Remodeling- Sometimes we make changes

Sweet Pea watches Grandpa install a subfloor

The New Year lends itself to reflection and plans to be better organized.

• The Thinking Mother Looks Back Upon the First Half of the Homeschool Year 2009-2010.
• While thinking about the year, it might help to have some music. Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog has a link for The Year in Rap 2009.
• Eclectic Education shares helpful hints and links to help Get your Homeschool Organized in the New Year.
• Special Needs Homeschooling Reviews The Homeschool Organizer.

Hiking- Sometimes we need new perspective

Bug hikes in the Snake River Canyon

• Raising Arrows talks about drowning in guilt in The Shame On Me Sea.
• A Day in the Life opens up an honest discussion about a Startling Revelation.
• The Legacy of Home gives us a peek into A Housewife’s Pink Mood. What color is your happy self?
• Homeschool Idaho shares a humorous Letter from an Imperfect Homeschool Mom.

Laughing- Sometimes we simply enjoy family life

Sunshine smiles behind my gift

• My Domestic Church encourages with the post Homeschooling to Build Family.
• Crazy Homeschool Mama writes about a new season of life in A Different Kind of Christmas.
• The Mommy Earth has a story entitled Girl Meets World.
• Free to Learn and Loving It shares Life Lesson # 221: Never mix lights with darks.
• Real Life Montessori has a creative way of Making Cookies for toddlers.

Conversing- Sometimes we defend our crazy ways

"Are you sure the bookshelf is a good bed?"

• Homeschool Distractions answers a question about dealing with distractions in the post The Cons of Homeschooling.
• A Tings Thinking Corner examines Robin West’s controversial anti-homeschooling article “The Harms of Homeschooling”.
• Home School Online shares ideas for answering typical questions about homeschooling.
• Why Homeschool found the same questions put to music in this funny video, The 14 Days of Homeschool.
• Our Curious Homeschool has lots of questions to discuss other than the socialization ones. See if you can answer one or two.
• Alasandra congratulates the winner’s of the Homeschool Blog Awards.

Learning- And now it’s time to curl up with the books

The view out my back window

• Abundant Harvest shares the Reading Journey of Child #3. See if waiting and relaxing can really work.
• Laura Grace Weldon wonders about All Day Every Day Video Game Learning?
• Little Green Blog writes ‘Teaching maths’ with home education – 10 Tips.
• Our Journey Westward created Simple Machine Stations. You can, too.
• Topsy-Techie has helpful hints for teaching writing.

Thank you for visiting! I hope you enjoyed your tour through these homeschool blogs and perhaps found a new favorite or two.

The next edition will be published at the carnival founders’ Why Homeschool. Consider submitting a post at Blog Carnival.

Request for Submissions to the Carnival of Homeschooling

I hope your Christmas was full of wonder and hope. The first Christmas in our new home was blessed by family and friends.

Sled at Top of Run

When my sister walked in with sleds on Christmas Eve, my little girls’ eyes furrowed in confusion. Their older brother announced the welcomed gift, but my Texas girls still don’t get it. I can’t wait to see their faces when we finally get to the sledding hill.

In the midst of Christmas clean up and New Year’s preparations, I’m honored to be hosting the next Carnival of Homeschooling.

I’ve neglected blog reading lately, so please submit a post for me to read and share here on December 29th. Anything related to homeschooling and family life is welcome.

It’s simple to participate, just fill in the form located at Blog Carnival. If that doesn’t work for some reason, you may use my contact form.

Carnival of Homeschooling: Top 10 School Supplies Edition

Welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling! This edition of the carnival is dedicated to one of my favorite things: school supplies.

Narrowing down my top ten favorites required some thought. What does my family use frequently? What do I wish I purchased earlier? What would I miss the most? Items we take for granted have probably been skipped, so consider this a sample.

I hope you find helpful ideas and inspiration in the articles submitted this week. If you enjoy a post, please leave a comment and let the blogger know.

Renae’s Top 10 School Supplies

photo: Stewart

Bookshelves- I haven’t heard of a homeschooler who doesn’t need a few bookshelves. We have a total of ten scattered throughout the house, and I still dream of a room full of shelves.

• Percival Blakeney Academy alerts us to Books Under Seige.
• Home is where you start from shares The Odyssey of Homer- several different approaches.
• Recession Depression Therapy lists Essential Cookbooks for Kids.
• The Expanding Life reminds us reading to our children is important, but we also need to Talk to Them.

photo: MGShelton

Library Card- Even with ten bookshelves we don’t have material for every subject and lesson. One card equals books galore. The library is also the perfect place to find picture books and fiction I don’t necessarily want to buy.

• Homeschool Confidential shares her opinion of Discovering Great Artists in her March is for Art, Giveaway.
• Ramblings from the Crazy House announces I’m Running a New Contest! Win the E-book Turning Points!
• A Pondering Heart presents a review and giveaway of The Auto Upkeep Kit. (Giveaway ends March 10th at 11:59 p.m. PST)
• Homeschool Bytes has helpful ideas for Teaching On a Budget: For Teachers, Homeschoolers, and Moms with Kids.

photo: Orin Optiglot

Craft Table- For years, we did our crafts on the kitchen table. That works, but I enjoy having a place we can leave works in progress. Creative pursuits glittered with paint and glue.

• Fine Craft Guild presents Free St Patricks Day Crafts Templates: Prancing Leprechauns.
• A High and Noble Calling has Resources for Celebrating Purim.
• Teaching Your Children is teaching her family about Pi Day.
• Once Upon a Family shares Salt Dough and Creations.
• Song in My Heart encourages us to make stuff even if it’s messy in Colonial Life/American Revolution Part 3: Candles and No Running Water.

photo: BeccaG

Electric Pencil Sharpener- I wish I had purchased this sooner. Now it only takes seconds to sharpen pencils, and we get to the business of writing.

• Inklings shares a simple tip to impact your children’s writing in There Is Always a Better Verb.
• Adventures on Beck’s Bounty wonders where this unique homeschool lesson fits in For The Record.
• The Reluctant Homeschooler shares how her children take notes and give Oral reports.
• New Beginnings explains Toastmasters is a Great Speaking Group for Graduated Homeschoolers.

photo: Luza

Colored Pencils- Crayons end up in pieces. We still have a box or two, but colored pencils last longer. Some of our pencils were mine from childhood. (Yes, they are ancient.) Amazing things happen when we let our children color what interests them.

• The Thinking Mother makes a good point about trying to turn everything into a lesson in A Self-Directed Learning Moment.
• Barbara Frank used her daughter’s interest in paychecks to discuss The IRS and the Tax Project from Life Prep
• Sometimes I’m Actually Coherent says By All Means, Leave Your Books Out In The Open.
• Reading Circle Books shares how to open the door for our children to learn in Teach Them to Read and Let Them Go!

photo: niseago03

Hole Punch- Before we started homeschooling, I asked my dad for his old paper punch. I planned to fill binders with paintings, timelines, and notes. We use our 3-hole-punch almost every day.

• The Creative Homeschool presents 25 Creative Notebooking Ideas.
• Virtuous Children teaches children about percentages in the article Coupons and Math.
• The Tie that Binds Us enjoyed a week of school with her little ones. She shares it in Limbourg Brothers or the Limburger Cheese Touch?
• Ms. Julie’s Place explains a unit study about knights and castles based on an art lesson in And the Winner Is…

photo: DRB62

Storage Containers- My favorite containers are plastic bins with drawers and square baskets. We store stamps and craft supplies in the drawers and files and math manipulatives in the baskets. Since I enjoy organizing, it’s just another good reason to homeschool.

• Why Homeschool shares Some of the Things I Love about Homeschooling.
• Learning at Home reminds us that we don’t have to face The worst day ever to be a teacher.
• On Wisdom’s Path discusses Qualifications For The Parent-Teacher.
• Home Spun Juggling answers the question, “What about college?” in Home Spun comic strip #328.

photo: Tanya Ryno

Computer and Internet- Lesson plans, educational videos, audio adventures, printable crafts, important ideas discovered. Friendships made.

• Dad’s Homeschool Blog found a tool with a plethora of resources Find Home School Info on the Web You Never Even Knew To Look For- Use StumbleUpon!
• Petticoat Government wonders if Teaching to the Middle = Discrimination Against Boys.
• Corn and Oil wonders What do Illinois Education Lawyers do?
• Principled Discovery discusses An undergraduate research group’s report to lawmakers on homeschooling.

photo: timsamoff

Digital Camera- A camera isn’t something I purchased for school, but we use it to photograph all our adventures. In school they are called field trips. We call them memories.

• Our Curious Home had a wonderful trip to the Boston Children’s Museum.
• Carolina Mama ponders the joy and challenge of the The Homeschool Hustle and a Winner.
• This Side of Eternity shares what her children learn when they don’t sit at a desk in her post Heart of the Matter.
• PrincipledMom looks at all the plans and decides Finishing Is Where It’s At.

photo: anselm

Tent- An item from my first years of marriage finds new life in our backyard. My children haul stacks of books outside and read all afternoon pretending they are in the forest listening to the wolves. Nature gives flight to their imaginations.

• Hayes Happenings takes lessons outside in Spelling Hopscotch.
• HowToMe presents How To Make Toilet Paper Roll Seed Starter Pots.
• Wonderland Academy shares a craft and project in Lenten Ember Days~Trees.

Thank you for visiting the Top 10 School Supplies Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. Next week’s carnival will be hosted at The Homeschool Cafe. Here is how you can submit a post.

What are your favorite school supplies?

The Simple Pleasures of Homeschooling

I tried to pick my favorite quote from the Carnival of Homeschooling to share with you, but they are all so poignant. I encourage you to read them yourself.

And while you’re at Simple Pleasures, enjoy a post or two or more.

Linking Encouragement

Reading blogs throughout the week, I find many encouraging articles and creative ideas. I often think of sharing them with you, but, unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, thoughts can’t be published without clicking a keyboard.

Organizing is therapy to me, so my bookmarks are sorted by subject. I will share them the same way. Today I’m digging in my encouragement folder, because I’ve been teetering along a dry ditch recently.

Encouragement from real homeschoolers

• Cindy Rushton lets us in on her secret, Psst! A Secret to Scheduling Success! (Thanks for pointing this article out, Shannon.)
• I’ve revisited Lisa’s article a number of time. She deals with feeling inadequate and overwhelmed in Garlic and Leeks.
• April shares what she ought to do and makes me laugh.
• This soul searching article by Jen examines Expectations and Contentment.
• Sunniemom reminds us to stop Looking for the Magic Wand.
• Jeannie Fulbright addresses “Academics Attack” in Training the Heart.

Since our goal is to reach the heart of our children, I also wanted to share this monthly prayer guide Anna-Marie sent me: Praying for our Children.

I hope you enjoy these articles. Some of them are from last year, but true words don’t fade with time.

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For more encouraging articles, visit the Carnival of Homeschooling hosted by the Nerd Family, and The Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival at Simply Charlotte Mason.