Monday, November 30, 2009

Typing Instructor...By Timberdoodle

A couple of weeks ago a package came in the mail.

I was sooooo excited.

AND....As ALWAYS...
The kids were STOKED to get ANYTHING in the mail!!!

It was THIS:

Typing Instructor for Kids

Typing Instructor for Kids by Timberdoodle



Typing Instructor for Kids by Timberdoodle

So ...we loaded it onto the computer ASAP!!!!!

It was really easy and took about 5-7 minutes to load and before we knew it we were READY!!!!

The instructions were east and self explanatory.

( I had the 2 oldest watch the intro and instructions together!)It begins by explaining the finger positions, home row, space bar…etc.

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They LOVED it.

It is sooo much like a GAME that you hardly KNOW you are learning!!

AWESOME!!!!

The premise is this:

You are on TYPER ISLAND.

You start in the OLD WEST but can only move on by TYPING CORRECTLY.

(Think - “OLD SCHOOL typing book set up next to you in 5th grade…fff jjj dfd jkj…REMEMBER????)

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EXCEPT it is sooo much BETTER than “Old School”!!!!

Its on the screen and when you mess up it records it FOR YOU in red….

AWESOME!

You have to get a certain WPM(words per minute) score

AND

You have to get a certain ACCURACY in order to move on to OTHER PARTS of the island.

As you get better you can change the WPM Goal.

There are also GAMES to play.

(Which ALL reinforce the typing skills…SHHHHHH!!!!)

The kids actually ARGUED over who's turn it was to play!!!

SO COOL!

SECRET SCHOOL….Who doesn’t LOVE that?????

In my opinion...TYPING INSTRUCTOR is GREAT!!!!!

And for the BURNING QUESTION....
How much is it????

Get ready OR THIS!!!!!!

$8.00-$16.00, depending on which version you get. Two are actually on sale.

That's right......UNDER $20 for a typing curriculum that the kids LOVE, that seems like a GAME, AND that is for AGES 6 and UP.

INCREDIBLE!!!!!

I would have BOUGHT this for my TYPING CURRICULUM ...EVEN if I didn't get it from TIMBERDOODLE.

What a great "Secret School" present!!!!!


Mama Buzz

Thank You to Timberdoodle for providing this product free of charge for this review. This is a Mama Buzz Review.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Growing PAINS……

There is something WIERD going on in this house…

Its happening with Ezekiel.

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My sweet, sweet firstborn son is GROWING.

I’m not sure how to explain it except that he’s CHANGING!

He is normally very even headed and DIPLOMATIC.

But LATELY….he is SOOOOOO emotional.

And when I say EMOTIONAL…I mean EMOTIONAL!!!

Like “Freak out for no reason” emotional.

He seems to go from 0 to 100 in about a half second!!!!!

For example:

On Thanksgiving afternoon we were all ready to eat and we were making the kids plates.

It was Zeeks’ turn….

I said, “Give me your plate and walk with me…Ill make your plate.”

His NORMAL RESPONSE would have been “OK”.

But that day…..His response was, “Mom, I am 9 years old…I should be able to make my own plate. Why can’t I make my own plate? I WANT TO MAKE MY OWN PLATE…I’M 9 YEARS OLD!”

AND he was CRYING…..

I was SHOCKED.

WHO WAS THIS CREATURE???

And WHY was he CRYING?

I said…”Zeek, Stop crying.  You can make your own plate, Son.”

Jay and I had already started to “notice” that SOMETHING was going on.

Sometimes he just has been having  “EMOTIONAL” days.

“Cry about everything for NO REASON” days.

“Everyone is bothering me” days.

“Why do I have ALL the responsibility” days.

It is strange…all these changes are SPEEDING by way too fast.

Wasn’t it just this morning we were LEARNING our ABC’s?????

Wasn’t it JUST yesterday that I was changing  diapers and nursing????

Wasn’t it JUST last week that I was taking a pregnancy test….or 4????

Wasn’t it JUST  last year that we were  in  LOVE , selling burritos in the rain in Costa Rica with NO CHILDREN YET????

Apparently NOT!!!!!

Apparently Zeek was born 9 YEARS AGO and is CHANGING ….

Right NOW.

Like it

or

NOT!

Its HAPPENING!!!!!

He CHANGING and NO AMOUNT of NOT WANTING HIM TO will change THAT.

Pray for me……I think I’m going to need it!!!!!

Blessings and Love…

Jana

Friday, November 27, 2009

Bittersweet…….

……is what I call talking to your family ON THE PHONE on Thanksgiving Day.

Sniff.

Sniff.

I love you all and LOVED talking to you VIA Skype and the phone.

Sniffle.

Sniff.

The ONLY thing better could have been BEING THERE.

We love you and miss you sooooo much!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Yoga Babies….and Britt!!!!

Britt is my friend that opened a yoga studio.

8 Limbs…next to Grandpas Music …..on A1A.

(check it out…Awesome Yoga AND she plays COOL music ….Like THIS:

 

She is super cool….

We’ve known her for YEARS…

like 11 years!

She came over the other day and gave the kids a YOGA LESSON.

So cool…

So fun….

So cute!!!!

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Turkey Time…..is coming!

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Monday, November 23, 2009

The “Little” things….

I read this THIS on a blog this am:  Puts things in perspective…

 

I am thankful for....

  • ....the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends. 
  • ....the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
  • ....my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
  • ....the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
  • ....the lady who sings off key behind me because it means I can hear.
  • ....my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
  • ....a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
  • ....the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.
  • ....weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.
  • ....the piles of laundry that surround me because it means my loved ones are nearby.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

“Trickle Down” Sweetness!!!!

One thing I have come to realize over the years of having kids is that EACH and every one of them is SOOOOO Different!!!!

I mean they each have their own individual likes, dislikes, favorites, ups, downs.

They all have such DIFFERENT and SPECIAL qualities.

But Zeek is an AMAZINGLY SWEET SOUL.

He is caring, loving, and kindhearted….ALL THE TIME.

Well 90% of the time.

But if you live “IN” the world of kids…..you KNOW that is pretty much PERFECTION.

I would love to say that it was US….

But I think we all KNOW …THAT would be a lie!

I truly believe that GOD has just BLESSED Zeek with an AMAZING heart!!!

I mean …this is the kid who –when he was 4 – told me that he wanted to BE AN INVENTOR TO HELP PEOPLE.

The way I look at WE are seriously blessed to have a FIRSTBORN that is a GREAT EXAMPLE for his younger siblings!!!

What a blessing!!!!

He CONSTANTLY amazes me.

For example:

We went to the dentist the other day.

The kids have been OBSESSED with making people out of PERLER BEADS( the kind that they make and I iron!)

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They make all kinds…

They brought about 10 with them to play with in the waiting room.

Well …when you go in  you have to go into 1 room to register then 1 room to wait, etc.

Well…

EVERYTIME we went into a room…the kids met OTHER kids.(NOT ODD for Homeschoolers!   LOL)

They met a friend and then I would hear Zeek say, “Do you want one of these?  I can make more.  Which one do you want?”

AWESOME!!!!

And just like THAT he gave them away 1 by 1.

It was AMAZING!!!!

And the BEST PART….

His Brother and sisters were right behind him saying, “Yeah…you can have one…we can make more!!”

Like a sweet waterfall I watched the kindness “Trickle Down” thru my children!!!!

2 Peter 1:5-7

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

F-F-FALL Fun!!!!!

This week in school..

we are Focusing on the letter Ff.

(For the littles..anyway!)

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We went on a Nature walk yesterday and Found lots of Fall leaves.

As many as you can expect here in Sunny Florida.

I mean we COULD have worn our Bathing suits for the walk…

BUT…Just for AMBIANCE we wore shorts and tanks!!!!

LOL

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The kids ALWAYS enjoy taking a break from school for UNEXPECTED time outside.

You wouldn’t  believe the looks on their faces when RIGHT after Reading I say…

“Put your shoes on…were going on a nature walk!!!”

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(NEVERMIND Malachi’s face here….he is ALWAYS a warrior.)

(And THAT is serious stuff!!!  LOL)

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We found LOTS of leaves and talked about FALL in FLORIDA.

or lack of……

We talked about how in the Northern Hemisphere of the US…the leaves on the trees ACTUALLY TURN COLORS!!!

WOW!!!

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We collected leaves of ALL sizes for an art project to do TODAY!!!!!

More pics on THAT to come…hehe

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1 Blessed is the man
       who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
       or stand in the way of sinners
       or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
       and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
       which yields its fruit in season
       and whose leaf does not wither.
       Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3