TexasHach4Quilting; Quilt 1 Christmas Quilt in

It’s TexasHach4Quilting because soon I will not be a homeschool mom! What am I going to do?! #1 Daughter is a sophomore in high school! For posts on homeschooling, I’m creating lists of information at cercbookstore.org.

So I’ve started quilting, and thoroughly enjoy it. The main question I get is, “Why (or When) did you start quilting?” So here’s my story.

In December 2018, my mom passed away. At some point that winter, I needed something to distract me (because my dad had also passed in February 2018).

My mom had taken up quilting the previous 5+ years, and had been looking forward to being retired, so she could quilt more. So in January 2019, I remembered a project I had started when #1 son was a toddler. My Aunt Linda had given me a pattern and some fabric. The McCalls pattern had panes of appliqué, mostly snowmen. I loved it! I also never finished it.

Fast forward to 2018, and the quilt panels were a great opportunity to sit and finish them, do some handwork, and work through my grief.

I loved completing this quilt. I learned so much about cutting and prep, and stitching for the quilting.

• Size: 64″ x 79.5″
• Quilt Pattern: McCall’s An American Tradition #2443
• Fabric: Mixed Media appliqué, cotton batting, cotton backing
• Handwork: Appliqué Blanket stitch; binding
• Machine stitched piecing and quilting

Election Day Unit Study

This will be a short post today.  I came across this in my email, and thought this would be a great place to share this FREE guide.  Learn about the American presidential election system.

Photo by Todd Trapani on Pexels.com

Sonlight is offering a Civics study for FREE!  Download their Downloadable via Election Day Unit Study

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Columbus Set Sail on this day in 1492 from HER Distribution

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

On this day in 1492, Columbus set sail on an exploration.  In the past 40-some-odd-years, I have watched technology explode.  So I am in awe of the explorers and adventurers that would set sail in a ship in unknown waters, and onward to unknown lands with only a vague inclination of what he hoped to find, without the aid of Google Maps.

As a homeschool mom, and a lover of books, it’s an adventure to the library and some downloads, to share Columbus and his voyages with the kids.  As mine are older, I just might have to do my own lapbook.  It won’t be the first time!

Enjoy the attached post from my sister page.  There are so many resources, so have fun with it!!

via Columbus Set Sail on this day in 1492 from HER Distribution

For older “kids” try these on Kindle. They are reduced price today on Kindle! Enjoy! #ad

  

Jury Duty, Civics, and American Government

Talk about going down the rabbit hole!  Today I had Jury Duty.  That great institution where we drive into the metropolis, to sit in a room with a couple hundred strangers and await our fate.  We hold our breaths as they call out a range of numbers, feeling both relieved it’s not ours, and commiserate those that get called.  As my #1 son is about to take American Government as dual credit, and I was researching reading material to add to his experience, I figured this was the best opportunity to really dive into Civics, American Government and our Judicial system.

First, every citizen has the right and responsibility to serve as a juror in our courts.  It’s not the most convenient, to be taken away from our work and family to serve, but as voters, it is definitely our responsibility to provide our fellow citizens a trial by a jury of their peers.

So as a homeschool mom, what does it mean for my family?  In the state of Texas, the law requires we teach Civics in our homeschool.  In general, when asked, I usually recommend teaching our American History to start.  In most curricula, a study of our history will include a cursory mention of our founding documents and our government. In the younger ages, this is crucial to understanding certain vocabulary so that it is not so foreign as they progress through their education.

To assist us, there are a couple of resources for the younger ages, and available curricula. (For Full Disclosure, by clicking on links, I may receive compensation either through affiliate marketing, or purchases through my business site, HERDistribution.com.  These have been marked with #ad to be identifiable.)

1. For downloadables, my favorite place is Currclick.com (#ad link searching “civics”).  KnowlegeBox and A Journey Through Learning, and a variety of others have placed their ebooks on Currclick for purchase and printing.  The list can be narrowed by age group, publisher, and sorted by price.
2. For history, Notgrass has become my favorite publisher by far.  The quality and design of their texts is fantastic, and their literature bundle choices are excellent.
   • For middle grades, Uncle Sam and You (#ad) is written specifically to introduce students to American government and citizenship.  The material is divided into units, with lesson reviews, activities and reading suggestions.  I recommend for the 5th/6th grade with supervision and the student workbook.  I recommend independent study for the 7th/8th grade student.
   • *NEW* for elementary grades, Our Star Spangled Story (purchase from Notgrass) is now available for pre-order to be released in August.
3. The Land of Fair Play from Christian Liberty Press is an excellent (economical) resource that teaches Civics.  The CLP website includes this text in their 8th grade set.  However, with supervision, this would be a fair text for middle grades, and could be completed in one semester.  Combined with field trips and activities, this text could be used for two semesters.

For high school, the civics and American government curricula should be in-depth.  With dual credit, it’s also an opportunity to provide a conservative discussion on the history and actions of our government and judicial system.

1. Again, Notgrass would be my top choice for an extensive study on American Government.  The unit study design of Exploring American Government (#ad) is perfect for any at-home study, and can be used independently by the student.  The set is designed to be completed in one semester, followed by the Exploring Economics (#ad) in the next semester.
2. Sonlight is also another favorite.  As some of you may know, my #1 son is an avid reader, so I have used the Sonlight list to supplement his education.  In 2017, we completed the Modern World History 300 series.  The 600 series represents with American Government/Civics study for Sonlight.  Over the years, the reading list has changed.  When they do this, I have to carefully consider which books we want to include with our studies, or if we’re going to use the new Instructor’s Guide.  At this level, the student should be completing the work independently, so you need to consider your student’s learning style to determine if you need the formal schedule, or if a basic numbering system may work.
3. Another great system of books is from Uncle Eric Book from Bluestocking Press.  I’ve inserted a picture for reference, but you can start as instructed with the Uncle Eric Model.

These two books,Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? and Whatever Happened to Justice? provide the overall model of how human civilization works, especially the world of money.

Once the model is understood, read Are You a Liberal? Conservative? or Confused? This book explains political philosophies relative to Uncle Eric’s Model – and makes a strong case for consistency to that model, no exception.                                  ~Bluestockingpress.com

This is the question I receive most often.  As I am in the finalize stage of planning, I am poring over book choices for my senior #1 Son.  As he will be taking American Government as dual credit at the local community college, I wanted to take the opportunity to provide some more conservative reading choices.  Another aspect I need to consider for this next semester, is that he has multiple classes, and will need a dedicated schedule to keep him on track.  Sonlight is still the best option for scheduling, but the current lists are not my favorite.

If you’re unsure where to start, message me.  I will be happy to help.  So while I decide for my student, I will include pictures and links for your perusal!  Enjoy!  (These are Amazon Ads, so just know if you click through and make purchases, they help to support my book habit!  And I thank you for that!)

The following list has 8 titles, if you cannot see them all, please message me!  As I work in a homeschool bookstore, we also have many of these titles.  Please message me if you would like to check inventory!  I am here to help!

And thanks for visiting!

Speech and Debate for High School

Many times I get asked what is required for High School.  If your child/student is in 8th or 9th grade, you want to have a general idea of what they want to do.  Will they go to college?  Into what interest/degree area are they leaning?  Do they have a college they want to go to?  Are they interested in Dual Credit college courses?

All of these answers are important so that you can plan their High School education.  In general, the state education agency has a list of required classes needed for graduation.  The state may also have a list of requirements for homeschool families.  Once you have a list of these courses, you can start to investigate your student’s college and major interests, and their corresponding degree plans.  For example, my son is interested in a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics at University of Texas at Dallas.  In order to plan his dual credit courses at the community college, I printed the required courses for the degree plan.  Believe it or not, English credit was not required.  So I can plan to have him complete his last credit (of 4 total) of English either at home or through the college.

One credit that is required for High School is a semester credit of Speech.  For UT-D, they require a Rhetoric credit, which appears to be a step above a Speech credit.  As my son is not a confident public speaker, I have been researching options for completing this credit at home or through co-op.  If you have a student that might excel in this area, you may be interested in Speech and Debate clubs.

To help with this topic, there is a great article through Great Homeschool Conventions on the 8 Benefits of Speech and Debate/Why Speech and Debate by Suzanne in 2015.

1.  If you would like to complete a Speech curriculum at home, I recommend starting with Rick Green‘s Power of Purposeful Communication.  You can get the Combo Pack as well which includes his Living with Purpose. (I do not receive any commission for this recommendation.)
   
   

   
2. Check your local homeschool group for Speech co-op classes and/or clubs.  In North Texas, we have DFW Speech and Debate that offers Summer Camps and Clubs.  It is important to investigate what is available in your area, as they have early registration deadlines in order to participate in the next year.
3. In addition, the NMA (the Leadership Development Organization) produces a Leadership Speech Contest every year with monetary prizes.  The NMA has local Chapters and Councils that can assist you in getting connected.  They have their local contests in early Spring, so usually deadlines to participate are in January or early February.  Winners can then go on to compete nationally, fully supported by the NMA.  In North Texas, you can e-mail our local contacts: Jean Christopher or the Nokia Speech Contest Chair Peter Burns.
4. Check out your local homeschool convention (This Crazy Homeschool Life 2018 List).  Many times, they have a Leadership or Speech and Debate group for the weekend that works with high school students.  It’s a great opportunity to discover talents and skills, as well as looking great on the high school resume!
5. As mentioned above, registering for the Speech course through the local community college, is a great way to get High School and College credit simultaneously.

If you have suggestions for Speech and Debate opportunities, please feel free make recommendations in the Comments section.  Thanks so much!

The waiting is…

Good night!  Waiting on PSAT scores is interminable!  It’s electronic people!!  Why does it take so long?!

Ok, so maybe I need to calm down.  Maybe.

It’s only been about 4 weeks since my #1 son survived the taking of the PSAT.  There’s no pressure, you know.  Just means College.  Or NO college.  Right?!  No pressure!

It is so sad to me that we work so hard in homeschooling to make it about the education, and not about standardized tests.  And yet we have been brought low by the PSAT-NMSQT.  We focused on practicing for the test.  We feel confident in our test taking abilities.  And yet, one bad day could be disastrous.

And so I wait…

And the patience-waiting correlation is in a downward spiral.

So here’s to waiting patiently.  And praying for that most awesome of scores.  And a bright future for #1 son full of opportunities.

I can do this!  I am Super Homeschool MOM!           LOL

AND while I wait, I’ve been trying to create new projects and new opportunities, because, well….  That’s how I roll.  Have to keep busy, or the above insanity ensues.  If you’re in the waiting, what do you do?  LMK!

(If you’re in denial about your kids growing up, or maybe you have grand-kids in your near future, be sure to click on the Melissa and Doug affiliate link…  There are some super duper cuteness on their page.)

 

Getting Lost… Just Surviving

I will apologize if this particular post is neither encouraging or supporting.  This is a true journal entry.  And for my friends that always expect me to be “UP” or have all the answers, this post is not for you.

Have you ever felt lost?  Without purpose?  Are you just going through the motions?  Just surviving to complete each day?  Do you keep telling everyone, “I’m fine”?  Usually, I don’t go into survival mode until the Spring, but the fall has hit me hard.  We are in constant motion between homeschooling, co-op, dance and swim.  And I’m just surviving.

Normally I don’t broadcast my issues across the world.  I’m not into drama.  But I think it’s important, especially as homeschool moms, we need to support each other.  Some days are better than others, and these periods are usually temporary. 

For me, I feel this period of survival is lasting longer than previous events.  I can usually “fake it ’til I make it” for a couple of down weeks, but it’s been more than a month at this point.  And I’m choosing to talk about it, because I see that I need to do more than just “fake it.”  For the last week I’ve been attempting to work myself out of it.  Started new projects.  Participated in a webinar.  Bought or downloaded new books to inspire me.

And my concern is that webinars that ask us to define our purpose, and I draw a blank (and I mean a complete and total blank).  Books that attempt to get us to picture what delights us, so we can identify our vision, and I have NOTHING.  Books that tell us if we know our WHY, we will be motivated and successful, and I just can’t read it right now.  It’s horrifying!  (I’m a bit of a control freak, so I usually know something.)

I feel lost.

So here I am, broadcasting my own personal drama, in hopes that by writing about it, I might find purpose.  I’ve always believed my kind of problems are teeny-tiny and selfish, so I don’t share.  I know others that are fighting and/or surviving cancer, or caring for loved ones at the end of their days – so they are operating  on such a different plane of survival; my (truly mental) issues are tiny.  I should not complain.

Or maybe someone out there knows exactly how I feel, and we can survive together.

So, I received an e-mail this week that it’s Hug A Runner month, and the RunTheEdge goal to support this organization this month is Random Acts of Kindness.  HugARunner.com has information about GO HARD.  Starbucks new theme is “GiveGood;” in general, show kindness.  So my goal this month while I survive, and rethink, is to be KIND; to do as many kind and unselfish things to brighten someone else’s day, and in the process I might be inspired and find purpose in my day, and learn to be GRATEFUL for the BLESSINGS I have.

Thanks for visiting today!  I am grateful for you!  May God bless you tenfold!

Columbus Day |HERDistribution Blog

It’s Columbus Day!

Are you excited? Or are you uninspired? Did it sneak up on you, and now you wonder what can you possibly do at this point? Well, I’ve gathered together a few books we have on hand at the CERC Bookstore, and a few more quick and easy resources. Your local homeschool bookstore and/or library should have some of these books on-hand.

Depending on your current homeschool history curriculum, you can choose how in-depth you wish to tackle the subject of Christopher Columbus and the Exploration of the New World.

Resources

Many of the books and resources I will be listing come from Nothing New Press’ All through the Ages: History through Literature Guide by Christine Miller. For today’s purposes, I will share a couple of recommended titles, but you can check out this great resource on the Nothing New Press site for future studies. ($30.95 paperback; $20.95 ebook).

• Ship by David Macaulay (RA/IR: all ages K+) – You can not go wrong with David Macaulay books.
• Voyages of Columbus by John D. Clare (RA: K+; IR: 6th+) – Living History book. Well written. Great Series.
• Christopher Columbus by Stephen Krensky (Step into Reading Step 2 Gr. 1-3)
• Pedro’s Journal by Pam Conrad (RA: K+; IR: 4th+) – Loved this as a read aloud.
• I, Columbus: My Journal by Connie Roop (RA: K+; IR: 3rd+) – Easy read with pictures.
• A Book of Discovery by M.B. Synge (Yesterday’s Classics)(IR: 7th+) – check your local homeschool bookstore.

*affiliate link – Columbus Day

If you are a first time visitor, you are about to find out that one of my favorite sites for a quick and easy Unit Study is CurrClick.com. You can type in any subject or idea, and there is at least one resource or unit study available to download and print. For today’s purposes, you can find multiple resources for “Columbus Day” or “Columbus”. They have resources and crafts for all ages.

• History Pockets: Explorers of North America from Evan-Moor (EMC 3708) is a fun project based resource if you want to spend more time on Explorers. Graded for 4-6th, it’s a great hands-on supplement to any text on Explorers, while providing educational text which can stand alone. You can find this resource at most teacher or homeschool stores, as well as in whole or in part at CurrClick.com.
• Notebooking Nook – great printables. Love their images – you will find Columbus Day in their October Notebook.
• M.K. Harllee produces a variety of materials.
• Hands of a Child produces a variety of materials for LapBooks – recommend for 4th+.

Additional Texts:

• Exploration of North America Coloring Book from Dover
• Explorers Who Got Lost by Diane Dreher
• The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster

As always, have some fun! There can be joy in the learning!

• Shop Local! – As a bookstore manager myself, I highly recommend shopping your local homeschool resource store. They work really hard to be there for their homeschool families year round! (our Store Locator List is growing – if your local homeschool bookstore is not listed here, please recommend them!)
• For quick access for Columbus Day, check out your Local Library!
• Shop the publishers directly!
  • Nothing New Press
  • CurrClick.com *
  • Yesterday’s Classics
  • Bethlehem Books (Living History Books)
• For the out-of-print, and hard to find pieces, I’m including Amazon pictures and links. By clicking links into Amazon Marketplace, I do earn a small commission based on your purchase. It doesn’t change the listed price, it just supports my glorious book addiction.

** this is a republish from my other site HERDistribution.com.