school books for math

While HIS-story is a major focus in our home education, there are other academics to be learned!  ;-)

After watching a sample DVD, the Popper begged for DVDs from A Beka Academy... So what's a parent to do?

Not that we are complete push-overs for a cute face  ;-)
She has been working at learning multiplication facts and borrowing across zeros this week before beginning her new book.  A Beka jumps right into division and even long divison along with the multiplication, so it's essential to know the facts.  And that's a good reason to slow the pace a bit and proceed carefully.  I appreciate the excellence of A Beka's academics especially in a subject like math; we just have to remember that it's often a year or two advanced from other curriculums.  And not get ahead of the student too far.  I'm hopeful the daily instruction and drill with the Academy classroom will help avoid most of that frustration.  And Mom the tutor is here when intervention is necessary.  =)  (Dad loves to jump into a math lesson too.)

The Cattleman is also using the DVDs from A Beka Academy...

The Cowgirl has enjoyed a change in math curriculum last year which allowed her to skip a grade level!  She and the Computer Geek are both using Teaching Textbooks math... (These have CDs to explain the lesson as well as a thick, detailed textbook)

The Computer Geek is almost done with Algebra 2; Geometry is next!

Miss Artist will be working through Algebra 1 this year with DVDs from A Beka...

Miss Music Box will conclude her math studies at home with Stewardship from Math U See ~ "A Christian approach to personal finance and consumer math" ~ which also comes with a devotional book for studying what God says about our finances  :-)

Such as this from Lesson 4...

Trusting God and Being Content
I am a firm believer in the truth that the best defense is a good offense. I believe if
we focus on the positives we can ward off the negatives. Instead of examining
ourselves regularly to see whether we are coveting, I suggest we take the
opposite tack and pray for and love our neighbor. The character trait that a
Christian who is free from coveting possesses is contentment. Following is
a compendium of scriptures with this thought in mind.
“Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for
himself has said, I will in no wise fail you, neither will I in any wise forsake you”
Hebrews 13:5, ASV.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain: for we brought nothing into
the world, for neither can we carry anything out; but having food and covering
we shall be therewith content. But they that are minded to be rich fall into a
temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in
destruction and perdition” 1 Timothy 6:6–9, ASV.
“Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for
me: lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and
steal, and use profanely the name of my God” Proverbs 30:8b–9, ASV.
“Better is little, with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble
therewith” Proverbs 15:16.
“Better is a little, with righteousness than great revenues with injustice”
Proverbs 16:8, ASV.
The Christian alternative to coveting is being thankful and content. Focusing
on what God has provided helps you have a grateful heart...

(Lesson 4 in the textbook is about banking)

ancient world HIS-story

I am finally spending some time thinking about the new school year.  It's a little more overwhelming when my house is not how it ought to be yet!  

We are almost ready to start our second tour through world history... beginning at the Beginning!  I thought I would share some of the resources we will likely use this year (with images borrowed from Amazon since my camera is caput).

{Warning:  Loooong post coming when I start listing books}

First, here are a couple books by Ruth Beechick...
Last time we spent six weeks with Genesis: Finding Our Roots and reading Adam and His Kin (a fictional account of what might have happened)

The Story of the Ancient World, published by Nothing New Press, is a narrative history by Christine Miller ~ it is a revised and expanded edition of The Story of the Chosen People by HA Guerber.  We have read the other books by Guerber as reprinted/revised by Christine Miller and enjoyed them ~ this is new since our previous study.

The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History  directs us to ~190 days of reading through the narrative chapters of the Old Testament with a few discussion questions each day and helpful charts (ie, the plagues and their corresponding Egyptian gods)  I used it for our daily group devotions through the year (and yeah, didn't finish before we were well into the New Testament era)

We have several books from MasterBooks about dinosaurs, etc...  Here's a couple of them:

Life in the Great Ice Age

The Great Dinosaur Mystery and the Bible

I was able to get the audio version of Volume 1 of The Mystery of History (creation - resurrection) ~ this will help with covering other civilizations (another new item).

I'll probably get books from the public library again for The Great Wall of China and the pyramids of Egypt.

We'll add in a bit of geography with the Trail Guide to Bible Geography from Geography Matters.

Other favorite reads:  
Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
Within the Palace Gates by Anna Siviter (re. Nehemiah) ~ really good book!
Victory on the Walls: A Story of Nehemiah by Frieda Hyman (on my list, but I don't remember this one! we must have gotten it from the library?  or just wishing we did?)
We do like and own lots of the historical fiction republished by Bethlehem Books.  This link will take you to the actual Bethlehem Books website :-)

+++ ANCIENT EGYPT +++

I ♥ love ♥ TruthQuest History guides!
Author Michelle Miller does not go deep into the study of Egypt, which I appreciate.  I think we spent about three weeks there on our first tour ~ We'll see how it goes this year  ;-)

This is new to us this year... and includes a DVD ... Unwrapping the Pharaohs

This Henty book we actually have on audio as well ~ We listened to it this summer as we traveled to a wedding  :-)  The fictional hero meets up with Moses in Egypt while helping his friend who accidentally kills a sacred cat.  The Cat of Bubastes by GA Henty

More titles:
Shadow Hawk
God King
Cleopatra by Diane Stanley

We enjoyed The Golden Goblet  from the public library last time...

I also need to say that while I used mostly images from and links to Amazon Books (link will take you to many books from Bethlehem Books) ~ and I now have Swagbucks to help me purchase books there, I also really like to buy books from Rainbow Resource Center.

(China)

+++  Quick list for Ancient Greece +++

Story of the Greeks by HE Guerber (we like the editions from Nothing New Press -
Christine Miller)
Tanglewood Tales, A Wonder Book - both by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Aesop's Fables
Niko, Sculptor's Apprentice by Isabelle Lawrence (borrowed through Inter-library Loan)
The Golden Days of Greece by Olivia Coolidge

+++ Ancient Rome +++

Last time I read aloud:
The Story of the Romans by HE Guerber
Henty's Young Carthaginian
Titus: Comrade of the Cross
Joel, Boy of Galilee
Ben Hur (audio from Focus/Family)
Vinegar Boy
Henty's Beric the Briton

 Hannibal by Robert Green

The Young Carthaginian by GA Henty ~ oh, the memories with reading this one aloud!  The Popper learned to color inside the lines, and the Cattleman learned some impressive vocabulary like precipice ~ while they all recovered from the chicken pox! (January 2005)

And some very trustworthy thoughts on Rome...

¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
 ¹⁹Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
 ²⁰For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
 ²¹Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
 ²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
 ²³And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
 ²⁴Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
 ²⁵Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Romans 1:18-25

More:
Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare
The Robe by Lloyd Douglas
Twice Freed by Patricia St. John
The Ides of April by Mary Ray
Beyond the Desert Gate
Augustus Caesar's World by G.Foster

Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
Silver Branch
Outcast
The Cross Triumphant by Florence Kingsley
For the Temple by GA Henty (we didn't get this read last time... maybe the Computer Geek will read it now)
Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History by Richard Hannula

films:  
Ben Hur
The Robe
The Fall of the Roman Empire (Christopher Plummer as the wicked Commodus!)
Constantine and the Cross

 ³Even so we, when we were children, 
were in bondage under the elements of the world:
 ⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, 
God sent forth his Son, 
made of a woman, made under the law,
 ⁵To redeem them that were under the law, 
that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Galatians 4:3-5

Whew!  Are you still reading this??

satisfied

He satisfieth the longing soul, 

and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 107:9

All my life I had a longing
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.

Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.

Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me.

Refrain:
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.

~ Clara T. Williams

Here's one source for the lyrics where you can also hear the tune.

one of Tim's favorites

from Daniel Defoe...

Nature has left this tincture in the blood,
That all men would be tyrants if they could:
If they forbear their neighbours to devour,
'Tis not for want of will, but want of power;
The general plague infects the very race,
Pride in his heart, and tyrant in his face;
The characters are legible and plain,
And perfectly describe the monster, man.

Nor can he otherwise be understood,
We'd all be emperors, 'tis in our blood;
Ambition knows no bounds: the meanest hand,
If once let loose, would power itself command;
Would storm the skies, the thund'rer there dethrone,
Be universal lord, and call the world his own.

(and there's even more to the poem!)

Thank you, Mr. Defoe and Google  :-)

crockpot lasagna

I started with this recipe at allrecipes.com ... and used what I had  :-)

So, this is my list of ingredients:

Sauce:
2 pounds ground beef, browned with half an onion chopped
29 oz. tomato sauce
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
garlic salt
salt, pepper
Italian seasoning
2 mushrooms, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped

Cheese mixture:
~2 c. shredded mozzarella and 3-cheese blend
~1/4 c. grated Parmesan (the good stuff from the dairy case)
~1/4c. ricotta
24 oz. cottage cheese
(plus some Kraft type Parmesan sprinkled on a couple layers)

about half of a 16oz box of lasagna noodles, uncooked

I layered it into my 5-quart Crockpot...
1/2 cup sauce
broken noodles (dry lasagna noodles are not designed for a round dish!)
1/4 of cheese mixture
1/4 of remaining sauce
Repeat noodles, cheese, sauce...
Top last layer of sauce with 1-2 cups more shredded 3-cheese blend (or just mozzarella)

Please remember that I used what I had ~ You could feel free to use more mushrooms, ricotta, and good Parmesan  ;-)   Recipe called for 1/2 cup Parmesan and 8 oz. of ricotta and no cottage cheese.

Directions say to cook 2-3 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low.  I'm going to try for 5 hours on low, or maybe I'll start on high... and remember to switch it to low before we leave for church??

It's in the basement fridge right now  :-)  Yippeee!  I love an easy, yummy Sunday dinner!  Now if only the lettuce was washed and ready to serve...

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~

And, please continue to pray!  In just THREE weeks, Tim & Kate will be in Prague with Couriers for Christ... See this post for specific prayer requests.