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Monday, February 28, 2011

I am too old!

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.



I am officially too old to spend half the night at a concert and then have a full day the next day!  It is killing me.  I can barely keep my eyes open at this point. 

We had our homeschool group this morning and the girls and I have to show up at 8:15AM!!  We get things ready for the day.  That ended at 12:05 and then we had an extra choir/drama rehearsal right after that.  At 12:45 we finally headed home after locking up the co-op stuff and ate lunch.  By 2 o'clock I was getting ready for voice lessons for my oldest dd when she realized her mp3 player was dead.  We had to scrounge around for another one, make me some more coffee and run out the door. 

After the lesson we headed to the store for food.  I have not gone grocery shopping(bad meal planner) and  had no food with which to make supper.  (that sentence is for my grammatically minded hubby!)  We were home again by 3:30pm making supper.  The house needed picking up, dishes needed done, naps needed taken. 

Sadly only two of those three things were completed.  I'm still mourning the loss of my nap today.  Steven came home by 4:20, we ate and talked and then everyone piled onto the couches and didn't move all evening!

hahaha  Seriously.  We finally were able to just sit and do nothing.  But could I fall asleep even for a little bit?  Oh noooo.  My eyes would not get anywhere near the closed position.  I would just get relaxed and the eyes would pop right back open.  grrr

So now, I am going to go to bed early and try to sleep.  Will it happen?  I don't know.  I may have to resort to drugging myself to get some sleep.  No, I am not above that.  Benadryl is my special friend sometimes!

For now I should probably stop rambling before I say something really embarrassing! lol


Sunday, February 27, 2011

Winter Jam

This evening I took my two oldest dds to the Winter Jam concert. I didn't really want to go. You see, I am now an ole fogey and i would have rather stayed home and lounged around in my sweat pants. No, really I would have!

But, some close, dear friends were going and invited us sothe pressure was on. ;-). I went so that I wouldn't deprive my children out of the ear drum popping experience and wqs blessed beyond measure. Not just by being with our friends but church was happening there tonight a d The Word was preached. It was amazing.

The music was loud and awesome! I will have to blog more about it later and post pics but for now I need sleep. And for the ringing in my ears to stop. I'm hoping that full hearing is restored before our music class tomorrow!!!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

More looking back

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content. 


 These first two pictures are priceless.  I can not wait to have two more pictures to add to these.



I know I posted this one when it happened but I just love it and wanted to post it again!





Friday, February 25, 2011

TOS Review Math Rider

For this review with The Crew we got to go on quests and travel by horseback to magical land called The Math Lands.  Yup, you guessed it it's a math game! 

It seems like Math is one of those subjects that causes great battles in school.  Whenever a product comes out that can help parents and kids come together to help them in their struggles, it's a good thing.  Right?  Well, it is if it is fun enough that the kids don't even realize they are 'practicing'!

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That's how it was when the kids tried MathRider.  They had fun and learned their math facts better.  Bonus!

MathRider is an interactive game designed to help kids master their math facts.  From their website:

MathRider is a totally new and innovative math game for kids to practice their number facts. Practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division from 1 to 12 is no longer a boring chore of filling in pieces of paper that then need checking, or playing flat web games on-line that just serve random numbers.

In this game the MathRiders go on magical quests to gather items needed for a particular quest by answering math fact questions.  Mastery is needed to complete the quest so if the child doesn't quite master it, they get to try again.  Once they have attained mastery, they complete the quest and move on to another one.

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Honestly when I watched my daughter play this game I was a basket case.  I don't handle the stress of timed questions very well!  She was loving it and I was chewing my nails.  Her horse took off and in order to jump over the fences she had to answer a math question.  Answer it in the amount of time given and you keep jumping.  If you don't, then after so many you don't master the quest.  You get more practice before the next quest.





The scenery was beautiful and the quests were fun for my daughters.  Although the oldest didn't think she liked it very much, she did get more proficient with her facts!  However the game is designed to learn what  your child knows and make it increasingly difficult in order to challenge them.
 

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MathRider is for anyone that needs to practice their math facts.  You might want to check on the computer requirements before buying to be sure that your computer can handle it.  Those requirements can be found here.  You can buy MathRider for $37 and get a 30 day risk free guarantee.

Check out this video to see what it's like.


To find out what other Crew members thought about MathRider head on over to The Crew Blog and check 'em out!





**I was given a trial version of MathRider through The TOS Crew in exchange for my honest review.


Sabbath Week

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content. 



This week has been our Sabbath Week and I have been posting on Facebook what a blessing this is and how much we are loving it.  Well, more than a few people have asked what it is and what it's about so I thought I would just blog about it! lol  I actually thought I already had but I couldn't find it so I'll do it again. 

At the beginning of our school year, in August, I was planning out the year and as the weeks piled up one on another I began to feel like school breaks would never come.  In the years past we have made it about half way through a semester before we were all cranky and ready for a break.  Most of the time a break wouldn't come until Thanksgiving.  By then I was a mess and ready to quit homeschooling all together!

Then, I discovered this idea on another blog (can't remember which one!) and it resonated with my soul.  And not just because I was weary thinking about the weeks to come, but because it meshed with what we already knew.  We need times of rest.  As people, as families, and as homeschoolers.

So, my dh and I started praying and talking about it to see if this would benefit our lives...the answer was a resounding YES!!  I immediately re-worked our school schedule to include a week off every seventh week.

The reason?  A Sabbath rest.

In the beginning when God had created the world He rested on the seventh day.  Later He instructs His people to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.  It was to be set aside as a day devoted to Him but also as a day to rest and rejuvenate.  God knew that we would need a time of rest to slow down and re-focus on what was really important-following Him and training our children to follow Him as well. 

Doing that becomes infinitely harder when we are harried and stretched too thin.  Enter Sabbath Week into our lives.  We already kept Sunday as our Sabbath and really tried to do as little as possible on that day.  We tried to make it a day of rest and being together.  I determined that Sabbath Week would be the same.

So, with the calendar laid out in front of me I counted out six weeks and then on the seventh I drew a line through it, writing Sabbath Week across it.  All the plans for school shifted back one week.  I continued counting and marking off every seventh week and realized that our school year would be a little longer than in years past.  I decided then to just school year round and not stress about it.

My life was suddenly less stressful.  We were going to get regularly scheduled breaks that weren't going to cause us to fall behind!  Woohoo!!  I felt lighter just thinking about it. 

Rest.  What a sweet word!

So, what does Sabbath Week look like at our house?  Well for starters we get to sleep in.  That is a huge bonus since we wake up at 6:45am most days.  We sleep until we wake up and then do the little bit of school we can't stop.  That amounts to science for my oldest and the few reviews we are working on.  Usually no more than around an hour total-less if we can manage it.  We also sometimes will do history but only very loosely and not with any structure.  I try to have the school stuff done in the morning so that we can have the rest of the day to play.  The rest of the day we will watch school movies, go to the library, go shopping, take naps, read books, bake goodies, visit friends, play games, catch up on cleaning, work on special projects, take naps-wait did I say that already? lol 

You get the idea; it's all about resting and taking a break from the regular school schedule to give everyone a chance to relax.  I have noticed a major difference in our attitudes this year.  Just about the time we are getting weary and cranky, it is time for a break.  The attitudes of my children are better and school work is getting done with less attitude.  Not that it has disappeared all together mind you; but it is better because they know a break is coming.  They know that they need to hang on just a bit longer until the break comes. 

Sabbath Week has transformed our schooling.  It has helped our family not focus solely on homeschooling and lets us do other things as a family.  That is so important to the homeschooling momma.  She can tend to focus so much on being the teacher that just being the mom gets put on the back burner.  During Sabbath Week, I am the momma and not the teacher.  (mostly anyway!)  Our relationships are growing stronger by resting and playing together.  Their mom is able to be just their mom.  What a blessing.

That is what Sabbath Week looks like in our house.  Hopefully that will answer some questions about it and maybe inspire you to have a Sabbath Week in your homeschool as well!


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Dreaming

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.



 I found these on the computer and they brightened my attitude just looking at them!  We need some more sunshine...seriously!





God's promises should be reviewed and remembered daily.


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Then and Now

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.


 I was going through some old pictures and found these. 

Then...








And now...



And then this just because it is so cool!
Look at her camera screen, it's a shot of her shot!  Sweet!!


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Why?

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.


Why do we take our eyes off of Christ?  One minute we are reading our Bible, praying, and seeking His Will and the next we are looking to the left and right seeking out our own path.  We begin to think that we can live our life without Him because things are going 'fine'.  So we continue looking around to other things to guide us and soon forget to seek God's Will at all.

Then things start to not work out as well as we thought they would and then they unravel all together.  We are left alone in a mess of problems wondering why.

We wonder why God would allow us to have all of these problems and then we wonder why He doesn't rescue us from them. 

Suddenly we are much more interested in seeking Him out and praying.  Reading our Bible has become much more interesting since we have made a mess of our lives. 

So my question is Why?  It happens all too often and we don't seem to learn from the mistake no matter how many times we repeat it.  We continually try to do things our way and continually mess it up.  Why? 

Well the simple answer is sin and the not so simple answer is sin.  Ha! How's that for cryptic?  But, seriously sin is the reason we do things like this.  The sin of thinking that we are capable of doing God's job-pride.  The sin of thinking we are able to handle any outcome in a situation-pride.  The sin of thinking we are able to handle life on our own-pride. 

See a pattern here? 

When we take our eyes off of Christ and His will we re-focus onto ourselves and we will always get it wrong.  The Author of this life is the only One who can get it right.  We need to adjust our focus everyday so that we are focusing squarely on Him and His Will.  It is too easy for us to alter our vision slightly and then find ourselves completely off course without even realizing we lost focus.

How is your focus?  Are you daily in His Word seeking His counsel?  Are you praying without ceasing for His saints and The Church?  Are you praying daily for lost souls?  Are you following His leading and the moving of the Holy Spirit?  If not, I challenge you to change your focus and begin again with One who is worthy to be followed.


Monday, February 21, 2011

So...

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.

First of all let me just say that no church is perfect.  Churches are made up of sinful people following after Christ and can not be everything to everyone.  Those that have been with me on this journey will understand completely what you are about to read.  No offense is meant to anyone, it is just my heart speaking about where God has us in this season of our lives.

So, after about 15 years or more of going to the same church we have decided that it was time to change churches.  This has been a decision that was years in the making.  If any of you have known me very long like my Bewildered Ladies, you know that this is a decision that has caused us great heart ache.  This is not a decision that has been made lightly.  It is a sad thing to realize that the church you have called home is no longer home.

For the last three years I have wanted to leave our church due to various things that I won't go into.  (again, my Bewildered Ladies know all about this!)  But, Steven felt that God was not releasing us to leave.  That is so not what I wanted to hear at the time.  lol  Praise God Steven listened and obeyed God.  Because God's timing was perfect, of course, and we found a church that fits exactly what we were needing.  And I do mean needing not wanting.

Yesterday, with much trepidation, we visited a new church.  It was a sad and tear-filled day for all of us, but we knew that this is what God was calling us to do.  When we showed up at the church, we walked in and found seats.  The congregation filled the seats fairly quickly and the service started.  What we witnessed during the service was refreshing to our souls.  The praise set was real and honest.  It didn't feel rushed, just full of praise.  Then the pastor got up and introduced a gentleman that was giving his testimony about a missions trip he had taken and then more worship music.  When the music was over, the pastor got up and preached straight from The Word.  Nothing else, just The Word.  They are doing a verse by verse study on the book of James.  The simplicity of just reading The Word and studying it together was amazing.  I can not tell you how amazing it was not to have to wade through all the other stuff to get to the study of the Bible.

It was just where we needed to be.  The sense of peace that we felt testified to us that this was the right decision.  Next week we will visit the children's and youth areas to see what they are like.  From what we have read, the curricula in those departments focus on teaching straight from the Bible, too.  Awesome!

It is a double-edged sword to make this decision, though.  Our girls have never known another church and are sad about leaving but excited by the new possibilities.  I'm excited to be following God's leading and can't wait to see what He has in store for us.  It will take some getting used to, but I'm sure that God in His goodness has already made a way for us through this season.


Sunday, February 20, 2011

Role Models

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.

What kinds of role models do we want for our daughters?  I can only truly speak of this from the aspect of having daughters since I have no sons but it probably holds true for sons as well. 

For our daughters does it matter what kinds of role models they see?  I ask because of something I saw in a movie and then again on the 'news'.  It was said that it didn't matter what the strong female role model did or how she paraded about half-naked as long as she was a strong female role model.

Really?  It really doesn't matter that this person that our daughters look up to is gyrating in ways that should be preserved for the bedroom and is exposing her body to the point of pornography?  That doesn't matter?  What about what they are saying?  Is what they are saying uplifting and virtuous? 

Doubtful.  But we still allow our daughters to watch them and view them as something to strive for.  Even if you don't think you are encouraging your daughters to view them as role models, they are.  All young people will put 'stars' that are in the limelight up on a pedestal.  It's just the way kids are.  It's the way we all are.  We all do it but as adults we are able to separate the person from what they do a little better than kids are.

I disagree whole-heartedly with the statement that it doesn't matter what the strong female role model says or does so long as she is a strong role model.  It matters.  It matters greatly.  I do not want my daughters watching a woman on stage that doesn't have the self-worth to cover herself up or respect herself enough to act like a lady.  I don't want my daughters to look up to women that are marching to the feminism drum beat either.  I don't want my daughters dressing the way the 'stars' dress.  Displaying their bodies for everyone to see.  That is not a Godly way to dress.  And it is not a way that I want my daughters using as a role model.  Modesty is a practice that needs to be modeled more often in our society and in our churches. 

So, does it really not matter what the strong female role model does so long as she is female and doing something 'great'?  I know what I think, but what do you think?


Saturday, February 19, 2011

Change

Change is hard.  It's never easy.  In fact, I hate change most of the time.  Except my hair, I have to change it almost daily.  I seriously can't have the same hairstyle for more than a few days at a time.  But other than that, I really abhor change.

But that is what we are about to do as a family.  We are changing something.  Big.  And it's about time.  I am excited for this change but at the same time I'm a little anxious for my kids.  This is going to be a major change for them and that can be scary.

But following God often can be scary because we can't see the outcome of what we are being asked to do.  I want to teach my daughters to follow God even when the road is scary.  To follow when others think we are doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.  To have such a deep and personal relationship with Their Savior that they will follow Him no matter what others say.

But to teach them that, we have to model it ourselves.  So, tomorrow starts a new adventure in our lives and I have to admit that I'm a little nervous.  What is it that we are going to do?  I can't say just yet.  We are keeping it in our family until we are sure of our direction and are secure as a family in our decision.  Please pray for us as we head off in this new direction. 


Friday, February 18, 2011

TOS Review Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solutions

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.


This time for The Crew we were asked to review Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solutions.  I was all for it since I have a reluctant reader!  This was right up our alley.

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First of all let's talk about what the product is.  From the website:
The Reluctant Reader Solution is designed to expand your child's horizons, jump-start their curiosity about topics they didn't even know they were interested in, and exercise different areas of their brain through age-appropriate puzzles, games, stories, and much more. The Reluctant Reader Solution comes in two parts: one online and the other offline. First, online.

12 full-color issues of Kid Scoop News Online

Each issue of Kid Scoop News Online is chock full of games, puzzles, experiments, pictures, profiles of kids in the news, and more. Each issue includes content inspired by the time of year that the issue is released, so you can have conversations with your child about topics of the day — including current events, the natural world, and special holidays.
And because it's online, and "computer time" is often seen as more of a treat than "homework time," kids gravitate to the online edition strongly. The online edition also links to other helpful resources, so your child can explore interesting topics to his or her heart's content.



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Now for the offline component of the Reluctant Reader Solution.

365 Kid Scoop Worksheets

Designed to engage your student's imagination and creativity, the worksheets come in set of 5, 6 or 7 pages and are our most popular offering. Filled with "pencil-grabbing activities," the worksheets serve as a bridge between the online edition and the physical world around your student.

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Confused?  I was too until I went to the website and did some looking around.  Let's see if I can help explain it a little more.  First of all, the online component is a newspaper type magazine that is full of colorful print, kid-friendly articles, and puzzles/games.  It can be read online or it can be printed out for your child.  There is also the option of having it read to your child.  Pretty cool!  The articles are interesting and fun.  One article in the February issue was about creating art on the tips of pencils.  Actual sculptures on the tips of pencils and was then followed up a few pages later by an article on how lead gets into pencils.  Learning without even realizing it!

This aspect of the product is Kid Scoop and is a monthly magazine/newspaper that you will receive for a full year with a subscription. That's 12 magazines to keep your kids entertained and involved in reading.

The next part is The Reluctant Reader Solution and comes as a download that you can use and re-use at your convenience after saving them to your computer.  With 365 worksheets, you are bound to find something that sparks an interest with your child.  Each worksheet is between 5-7 pages and are filled with articles, information, and games and puzzles.  They are quick to pick up and go with enough information to keep the kids learning while they are having fun.

We used several of the printable worksheets that corresponded with our current history studies and I was pleased with aspect they added to our learning.  The girls had fun filling them out and each was able to pull useful information from the sheets that they have remembered and shared.  There are all kinds of subjects covered from holidays to historical figures to animals.  A little something for everyone!

So, that is Kid Scoop and The Reluctant Reader Solution in a nutshell.  Still have more questions?  Want to know more?  Head on over to their website and check it out.  The product as I have described it is sold for $97. 


Remember, when you purchase the Reluctant Reader Solution, you'll receive:
  • 12 months access to the Kid Scoop monthly newspaper, the online newspaper just for kids. ($55 value)
  • 365 Kid Scoop Worksheets, the most "pencil-friendly" worksheets available anywhere. ($147 value)
  • 365 days to put the full program to the test with absolutely no risk.
  • All for only $97 — a deep discount over purchasing each piece separately.
It's not a bad price for all that you are getting, I just don't know if we would be able to do it.  It is usable by all the kids in our house so the cost would be spread out that way but I don't know if it would benefit us enough.  I think if you had a truly reluctant reader that it would definitely be an option to explore.  I can see how this would help bridge the gap for some kids between fun reading and reading for information and school.

You can also sign up for the Kid Scoop newsletter and receive 30 knock-your-socks-off fun activities over the next 30 days so your child or student never gets bored!

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If you want to know what the other Crew Members thought of this product, head on over to The Crew Blog and check 'em out!




**I was given a subscription to Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solution through The TOS Crew in exchange for my honest review.


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Yeah, just like that


This is pretty much how the last few days have felt.  Not much has gone right, especially my attitude.  I don't know if it is the weather, the time of year, or just feelin' the blahs.

I am looking forward to the weekend and Sabbath Week next week.


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

New things

I am actually trying to do this from my phone! Watching t.v tonight upset my stomach so much that I can't sleep. We watched a show about people who are addicted to eating strange, nasty things like toilet paper or cigarette ashes. My stomach is turning just thinking about it. And I thought I had problems!

I don't feel so strange having to eat my foods in even numbers now. That's downright normal compared to someone that eats pottery or laundry detergent! I know that people that eat things like that can have mineral deficincies but still...ashes?

Ick!

Not sure I have ever really felt 'normal' before, I think I will quit while I'm ahead and go to sleep. In my bed where the pillows must face the same direction and be the same distance from the edge of the bed or require adjusting until they are.

What was I saying about normal???






Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Quiet Night

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.

Tonight, I had the opportunity to have the evening alone like I do on so many Tuesday nights.  Steven takes the girls to BSF and I get to stay home.  Alone!

Amazing

This afternoon I piled up the work that was waiting for me in anticipation of getting it done this evening.  I had it all sitting around the end of the couch so that it was all accessible.  I even had a cuppa coffee sitting beside me for some comfort and energy.

it didn't work

I sat here all evening and didn't do any of my work.  None of it.  Well, that's not exactly true.  I did read some of the new review material I received in the mail yesterday.

Other than that, I have been sitting on the couch all evening long.  That magical thing that happens when my back side gets near the couch happened tonight and the gravitational pull of the couch was just too much to pull away from!

So...the work will wait for tomorrow.  I guess it's a good thing that tomorrow is Free School!


Monday, February 14, 2011

Pretty Things

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.


Our homeschool group took a field trip to a local business that creates beautiful pieces of art with glass.  It was amazing to see all the different pieces in the store and more than a little disturbing to see all of our children walking around amongst those very expensive pieces!

Here are a few that caught my eye.






No, we didn't buy anything.  We couldn't afford the ones we really liked!  They are beautiful just not very practical in a house with two doing gymnastics all the time.  They are still pretty to look at though.  :)


Sunday, February 13, 2011

Year Long Project Old Glory Take 2



This is the second installment of our oldest daughter's year long project. She was able to sing it at a Heart's Journey concert with piano accompaniment, which happens to be her cousin. They had only rehearsed it a few times before performing it together. She still needs to work on stage presence and looking at the audience. But for a girl who wouldn't have done this a year ago, this is remarkable! And she wants to do it again. Woohoo!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Best Buy or Deception?

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.


AT Best Buy today, I saw a sign that attracted my attention.  My sister is saving up for a Wii so this signage was very interesting to us.  I stopped to look at it and try to find the catch.  I didn't see one.

It looked like an incredible deal.

We almost pounced on it.

Almost.

Until an employee stopped us.  He came right up to us and said, "It's not what you think."  Excuse me?  He went on to explain that you actually have to buy the Wii for $199 and then you got the bundle for $99.96.  A wonderful savings of $15.

Um Excuse me?

I said that that is NOT what the sign indicated. The sign indicates that the bundle that they have rubber-banded together is $99.96.  He said that they knew it was deceptive but they were counting on the customer getting to the check-out and being told that it was $200 more than they thought and just going ahead and buying it.

EXCUSE ME?????

Isn't that just wrong?  I couldn't believe it.  I wanted to try and buy one just to argue with them about False Advertising and get the whole thing for the advertised price.

Here's the picture:


Beware when shopping at Best Buy...it seems that they are out to trick you.  Even according to one of their own employees.

You'll be happy to note that I did not approach management.  I held my tongue, which is no small feat trust me.

I saved my frustration for Wal-Mart...oh let's don't even talk that!


Friday, February 11, 2011

TOS Review Curiosity Files

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.


Unit studies are a wonderful thing, aren't they?  Especially ones that are shall we say bite-sized.  I have done whole Unit Study curriucla in the past that were entire books of Unit Studies covering a variety of topics-and that was fine.  But, I felt overwhelmed and didn't know where to start.  Now, that was when I was first starting my homeschooling journey and didn't know what I was doing so it may be different now.

Now, that I know just a smidge more and I do mean a smidge!  At least now I know how to take smaller pieces of what works for us and use it how we need to.  That's something right?

Well, one thing I have recently discovered thanks to The TOS Crew is the Curiosity Files.  I had heard murmurings about them around the internet and chat rooms but I never paid much attention to them.  Now, I wish I had.

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I received Zombie Fire Ants.  Your thinking that that's a weird choice in a house full of girls; but, I have one that wants to be an entomologist so it was in fact perfect!

When I first received the download I didn't print it all out.  It is 91 pages after all(two of which are advertising that you wouldn't have to print)!!  I had my daughter just read it on the computer and keep a notebook of the answers.  That worked fine.  It did.  But I think she was better served by having it all printed out and filling in the blanks as she went.   She's a blank filler-inner just like her mom!

Now, to me that is the one draw back to these digital products.  I am an ink scrooge.  I hate printing of color or big projects even though I bought a laser jet printer to help it go farther.  It still seems wrong somehow!  I know, I know that's why we have printers and that's part of homeschooling; I still have a moment of cringing whenever I print a big project.  It's just me.

That being said, the graphics and pictures in these Unit Study are awesome!  There are real pictures to give a visual of what they are talking about, drawings...let me just list everything out for you.

  • Bible study, discussion ideas, and memory verses
  • Math, history, and geography investigations
  • Literature and suggested book list
  • Writing, spelling, and vocabulary activities
  • Beautiful copywork pages (manuscript and cursive)
  • Science observations, projects, and experiments
  • Discussion questions
  • Art, crafts, and drawing and coloring pages
  • Lapbook/notebook pages and helpful lapbooking links
  • Special needs, hands-on discoveries
  • Internet resource and video links
  • Complete answer key
Somehow, that just doesn't seem to cover it.  There really is a ton of information and fun in this Unit Study. 

Here's what the website says about Zombie Fire Ants:

A FUN unit study for kids ages 8 to13.
Join the march of ant discovery, colonization, and intriguing scientific exploration! Your kids will be excited to dig into the awe-inspiring yet peculiar (and gross) limited life of zombie fire ants. From learning about scientific research and natural habitats to animal classification, you’ll no doubt be as captivated as your kids!



I agree on the ages, too.  My 9yo had a ball with this and it was easily understandable for her.  But, the study also includes pages for upper level work to take the learning deeper and to give more of a challenge to the student.  I plan on having my oldest go through this next year as a fun, learning science filler.  That is one of the bonuses of the ebook-you can print just the pages you need for the next child and not necessarily all of them again!  Woohoo!

My daughter had this to say about Zombie Fire Ants:

"I LOVE this study.  I had so much fun learning about the gross and disgusting things they do!  There was a lot of information and I really like the games and fun stuff.  My mom just has to get me more of these!!"

-and that is from a 9yo girl about a Zombie Fire Ants unit study.  I think they did their job very well on this ebook.  :)


Zombie Fire Ants is available as an individual ebook but I would recommend buying the bundles, they are a better deal, especially since you can print as many copies of the worksheets as you need.  I'm all about the deals!  Check out all the different titles available at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's website and more are in the works. The bundle that contains Zombie Fire Ants is just $46, and you get SIX of these great unit studies!

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They also have them available on disk.
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The price for the CD is available for $49.  Not a bad price to have the disk in your hand!

If you just want an individual title I suggest checking out The Old Schoolhouse Website because the frequently run sales and you never know you may just get lucky!

Head over to The Crew blog to check out what everyone else thought of their Curiosity File studies.



**I was given a download of Zombie Fire Ants through The TOS Crew in exchange for my honest review.