A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

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Summer Edition Browser Tabs

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My son had to do something with my laptop the other day, and complained that “mom, you have too many tabs open!” Since I had almost 50 open I thought it was about time for me to share them with you.  So here’s the summer edition browser tabs.  Close up those tabs and yet have a way to remember them!  🙂 

Schooling Related

Did you know the Knowledge House has a whole list of possible high school courses?   What a fantastic list to look through to see what intrigues our students.   Wouldn’t it give a great way to pursue their interests? 

Tree of Life has this logic course that I have been considering. I just wish the lad had room in his schedule for everything I’d like to see him do. 

Captivating Compass posted about the top 10 high school electives. 

I like looking through lists of free resources for homeschooling.  This one from Table Life had a couple I hadn’t heard of before. 

I keep being intrigued by Hebrew classes.  I have yet to sign up for them, but I am intrigued none-the-less. 

Communications101 from Powerline Productions I wonder about getting for the lad.  He doesn’t have room for it in his schedule this year.  

The Career and Technical courses in Acellus high school courses I am curious about, but wonder about them because they are US-based, and I wonder how they would transmit to Canadian regulations. 

I’m working on a college and careers half-credit course for the lad and consider options such as on this page. I haven’t really explored the seven options listed, but wanted to remember them for later use. 

I’ve been considering this art appreciation course for grade 11 for the lad next year.  Keeping his options open as he’s not sure what his future holds. 

Beyond Personal Finance I am suspecting more and more is a needed course for my lad.  He forgets that $5 earned for 20 minutes work is a good investment of time, particularly if it’s something you were going to do anyways.  It’s not worth my time though…. so I think about making him pay some of his own bills…..  🙂 

Cover Shakespeare with free plays!  Courtesy of Bob Jones University. 

I need to remember these Algebra and Geometry helpers for the lad. 

Fascinating Tidbits

Sometimes as I am browsing the internet I come across interesting things I want to follow up on.  For instance I’ve run across these items. 

Stuff Just for Me

Alison.  I’ve finished my carpentry course, so I’ve decided to move on to an architecture course.   It’s rather interesting looking at buildings from of old and learning more about how they were built. 

Though this technically isn’t JUST for me, I’ve been having fun with some the experiements/labs on the ChemCollective. I’m wondering if they might stimulate my lad’s interest. 

Ever want to visit the Sistine Chapel?  How about this virtual one? 

Need some books to read?  Check out the Open Library.  You’ll need an account but it’s free, so worth looking through. I’ve borrowed the book thief and a couple of others over time. 

I’ve been browsing through My Teaching Library.  There’s a review coming, so far we’ve done some poetry, and I’m looking into the French cooking book!  Expand my repertoire a bit!

Others in this series.

When things go wrong

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What to do when things go wrong …  because things WILL go wrong.   You will buy the wrong curriculum, your children will make errors in judgement, a subject will prove too difficult to master (at least in the format used), and/or you will make your own mistakes.  Sometimes life intervenes with sickness in the household, or COVID will threaten the doors, or….  

You get the picture… sometimes the unforeseen threatens all our plans, and the question before us is this: What will you do when things go wrong?

what todo when things go wrong

Something has gone wrong

We don’t always see it at first, but eventually it will become evident that something is not right.  This wrongness may be in your student’s world or in your own.  Infrequently events outside the home will set events into motion that grind education to a halt. 

We’ve seen this recently with COVID affecting the world.  Even though, as homeschoolers, our lives haven’t necessarily been affected much, the affects on others trickles down into the home.  The lack of activities and outside interests stifled plays a role in our outlook on life.  This can and will play a disruption in the educational lives of our children. 

Our students might make errors in judgement with how they manage their time and need to face the consequences.

We might order the wrong materials, or thing that something “will do” because we want it to, but it doesn’t work well for this particular student.

Or you could find yourself out of a job and that disrupts the balance in your household upsetting how everything runs. 

LIFE HAPPENS.  It does’  We cannot plan for everything or have everything worked out perfectly. 

What to do?

What do we do when things go wrong?   

  1. Talk.  Seriously, just sit down and talk. Offer grace to your student if they’ve made an error in judgement and then move forward.  If you have made an error… admit it, move forward. 
  2. Figure out what to do. Don’t wallow in the error, use it as a change to learn something new and then move forward with a plan that you have worked out together. 
  3. Stop school if you have to.  Sometimes it’s necessary even if it’s only for a week, or even if it’s for longer.  As homeschoolers we have the option to school as we need to, not as we HAVE to, so use our freedom wisely. 
  4. Remember education happens, even if we aren’t using books. Life skills, learning to cope with stress, the importance of helping family, hands-on learning, and more. Just change how learning happens. 
  5. Change your perspective.  Often that’s all we need to do.  See the problem as an opportunity for conversation and change. 

Blogger List

blog hop giveaway

Summer is almost here and let’s just celebrate now with the homeschool year wrapping up.

I’ve gotten together with 7 other bloggers to bring you this wonderful giveaway so that you can enjoy planning for your next homeschool year.

We are giving away 3 $100 giftcards from the place of your choice. You can choose from:

  • Amazon
  • Rainbow Resource
  • Hobby Lobby
  • Christian Books

The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize or else another winner will be chosen. By entering this giveaway you will be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. Read the terms and conditions for more details.

Angst and Birth

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The topic for this five minute Friday post centres around the provided word born.  Miss Kate puts up a word challenge for us weekly, it’s rather fun to participate, you should join us!  🙂   Anyways, I’ve entitled this post angst and birth as it rather fits my day.  🙂 

angst and birth

Angst and Birth

Taxes and the filing
I hate it don’t you see.
Not the easy T4’s but
All the business end that be.

In many ways so sweet
the government delay.
I thought twas til the end of June
Imagine my surpise the other day.

Hubby says NO June 1st
The deadline darling one.
Panic and angst
Came with the setting sun.

My job it is you see
The taxes so to do
I don’t begrudge the needfulness
The money must accrue.

The government needs it
To care for citizens
The need to save a dollar
Makes me want antihistamines!

When all is said in one
Delight fills my soul
It’s almost like how I feel
like being on Parole!

A duty done
Some hairloss felt!
and hopefully nothing I did
Will ever be misspelt.

Please no audits
My little heart cries.
Let me have made no mistakes
Made no inadvertant lies.

So this year
Midst angst and pain
Birth of newness
Fills my windowpanes

The rain falls down
Watering the earth.
Bringing life to my flowers
Giving them birth.

Pinks, yellows,
even some black.
Hopefully in a month
Bare earth will lack.

Angst and Birth

Refrain

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When I saw the word up at Miss Kate’s was refrain I wondered which refrain was meant. 

Refrain as in stop doing something, or to prevent from doing something. 

or 

Refrain as in a musical chorus?

Well, let’s see what comes of it shall we? 

Refrain

Darkness rolled across the land,
Bringing with it the scent of man.
Fear arose, tension tight.
What was that rose up in the night?
Nightmares

STOP, Be alert.
Pay attention!
Ease the impulse.

Growls low and fierce
Shattering yowls hurt my ears
Hackles raised, Tempers rising
Now it’s just a matter of timing
Cat Fight

STOP, Be alert.
Pay attention!
Ease the impulse.

Speaking quickly, thoughtlessly spoken
Wounded hearts, fast now broken
Stubbornness embrace it now,
Is there anything to disallow?
Conversation

STOP, Be alert.
Pay attention!
Ease the impulse.

Question asked in forum hard
People suddenly bombard,
Demanding change on something seen
Suddenly create a scene.
Deleted post?

STOP, Be alert.
Pay attention!
Ease the impulse.

What we say matters much,
Perhaps sometimes should ride the clutch?
Tongues like rudders steer the course
Like a bit upon a horse
James Speaks

STOP, Be alert.
Pay attention!
Ease the impulse.

Consider biblical principles
Lots of fine examples
Mind your actions fully well
Would be absolutely swell.

STOP, Be alert.
Pay attention!
Ease the impulse.

Refrain.

Rescues and Breeders

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Rescues and breeders is the focus of this weeks ABC blogging post.

Breeding rabbits often sets you at odds with the local rabbit rescue groups.  I can understand their point of view… they don’t want people

  1. taking away their business (selling rabbits)
  2. bringing rabbits into the world that they might have to care for.

Most rescues, it is next to impossible to dialogue with them.  They have their mantra, and their classification of what they think breeders are, and really aren’t interested in changing their minds.   Occasionally though, you meet a rescue that goes against the grain.  These are a joy to work with. 

Rescues and Breeders

Why would a breeder connect with a rescue?

It’s an odd thing you know.  Why would a breeder, knowing that rescues tend to be very anti-breeder, want to connect with one?  Well, for the simple fact that sometimes people contact me wanting me to take in their rabbit.  After I breed rabbits so that must mean that I would happily take in their rabbit.   Um.. NO.   I cannot take in every rabbit.  🙂

Knowing who is out there and how they handle intake, rehoming, bonding rabbits, and so forth helps me know who to direct people to. 

Rescues and Breeders

Closed Minded Rescues

I have to admit, I used to take their attitudes to heart but I stopped doing that once I realized how unreasonable they were being. Trying to engage in conversation quickly becomes “You are a breeder, how can you possibly care about your animals?”  

Some of the things these types of rescues might do.

  1. Email you about a rabbit you have for sale berating you for selling an older animal just because she was past her prime.   I now just say, make me an offer over X amount and give her a home then if it matters so much to you.  You know what? They never follow through.
  2. Send a person out to scope out your place.  Had this happen once.  People don’t buy rabbits on-site any more.  I don’t need to deal with people criticizing my life choices over a little rabbit. 
  3. Buying a rabbit from you for a low price, lying because they told me their child can’t afford an expensive rabbit. Then turning around and selling it as an animal rescued from a breeder for a MUCH higher price.  
  4. Sell sick animals.  This drives me crazy to be honest.  Selling rabbits with chronic illness to pet people who generally have no clue how to handle a chronically ill rabbit. I do not understand why they do that.  You have access to a good vet, put the sick ones to sleep leaving you room to rehome healthy, good-natured rabbits. 
Rescues and Breeders
offered up by a rescue without giving rabbit chance to heal

Reputable Rescue

I have dealt with two reputable rescues over the years.  Two out of 10 that I have contacted.  Rabbit rescues tend not to last long most lasting two years max. We do have one in the area that has been around for six years, I am not sure if they are still active as I haven’t seen them post on kijiji lately. 

Rabbit rescues often end up being overloaded on sick rabbits fairly quickly so it’s often too expensive for them to stay in business long. 

BUT the reputable rescues, they know how to work with breeders.

 

  1. Able to express concerns without bashing the breeder.  For instance, one rescue pointed out the research on pro-active spay/neuter and urged me to change my position.  Another that pointed out the new way to deal with malocclusion.
  2. Commends the breeder for what they are doing well.  For instance I have a strong health policy.
  3. Don’t sell rabbits that are ill.  They make sure to vet the rabbits that come under their care well.  This way the new owner knows precisely the needs of their new animal. 
  4. Willing to work with a breeder when there is need to do so, because frankly sometimes they have resources a breeder might not.  For instance: occasionally a momma rabbit will over-clean a baby and they’ll end up missing a foot, a tail, an ear.  One time a baby slipped past my scrutiny (YES, I know.. horrible!!!).   She had a missing foot, she got around really well, nicely tempered, rock solid little animal who needed accommodations I couldn’t manage.  They happily helped me find the perfect home for her.  Advising me and the new owner about potential future care. 
Rescues and Breeders

Tenuous Relationship

It’s a tenuous relationship between rescues and breeders.  One MUST proceed cautiously.  Could a rescue find me if they really wanted to?  Sure.  Ask around my hometown for the bunny lady and someone will be able to point my way.  BUT I don’t let people on my property who inquire about rabbits.  When dealing with a rescue, I don’t give my address. I don’t want PETA types on my property as they can do some rather stupid things. 

At the same time, I do want them to see responsible breeders in action.  I want them to know what to look for even if we don’t agree on everything.   My desire is the poor quality rescues learn to consider what they are doing when they rehome a rabbit in less than stellar condition.  I want to commend the good rescues for what they do well. Helping bunnies find new forever homes.  Encouraging breeders in what they are doing well.  And hopefully a better middle ground can be found.   Less us vs them mentality.  That’s the goal!  🙂

abcblogging

Others in this Series

Letter R Link Up

Each week we will be linking up with the hosts of Blogging Through the Alphabet. Please visit some of these other blogs to get things like book lists, vegan recipes, and wonderful places to visit, just to name the topics I can think of off the top of my head.

Review: Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner

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I was trying to figure out my approach to the Hey, Mama planner as the physical copy isn’t sitting well with me. GASP!  How can I say that about a product from The Old Schoolhouse®!?!?!!?  Well here’s the thing.  I look at the physical planner and I think cool, but… Why did Gena Suarez lay it out in this manner?   This doesn’t work for me! 

Then I got to thinking as I  looked through the Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year that this planner also comes in a digital version.  And that means I can lay it out in a way that works for how MY brain and planning style works. 

Same good content, but laid out in a “ME” fashion instead of “Suarez” fashion, and thus a found a method that works. Neat eh?

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year

What I am Reviewing

Vendor Name AND Link: The Old Schoolhouse®
Product Name and Links:  Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year 
Author: Gena Suarez
Price: $22.00 – $53.00
Hey Mama, Schoolhouse Planner, Homeschool Organization, school planner
The Old Schoolhouse

The Details

The start of Hey, Mama planner teaches you how to make a transcript and provides you with a checklist for courses studied and skills learned.   You will also find yearly calendars for 2019 through 2021. 

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year

Devotionals

Devotionals are scattered throughout, 21 in all, some of the topics are: Homeschool purpose, Anxious?, God’s Provision, Squabbling Kids, Faith Walk and more.

Lines that caught my eye as I skimmed through: 

“Our children are watching.  Someday when they are grown, they will meet their own troubles.  Will they come to you for counsel, for prayer, for godly advice?  Be that model for Christ, Mama.  Inspire them to fall into His arms during the hardest of times, to cast their cares on the One who cares for their soul.”

“When the bad days come, stay the course.  It doesn’t mean giving up, any more than the Lord gives up on us. He sets us right, we repent and start again.”

“If you are His, walk confidently in His love, just the same way your children know without a doubt that you love them. They too walk confidently because they know you will never leave them.  They are safe in your love.”

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year

Lay Flat Spiral Binding

Accompanying each devotional is a lined page so you can jot down notes for each month.  Following the devotional is a month spread out over two pages.  The spiral binding means that it lies flat.  This is an easy way to plot out your months adventures.  In August my son is off for two weeks, so jotting it in means I don’t plan any “go away” time with my lad.  It’s easy to forget if I don’t jot it down you know?

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year

Calendars

The calendar runs July 2019 through June 2020.  At the close of June you will discover week long calendar with slots for five children. As someone unused to planners this is one area where I wish they had a sample week done.  I wasn’t really sure what to do with this so I just listed out subjects my lad would be taking.  It doesn’t “feel” right, so I don’t know if I’m using it correctly. 

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year

Helpful Charts and Lists

At the close of this section you will find a variety of helpful charts, good for up to 5 children.   Curriculum planning, attendance, books read, along with yearly and semester goals.   

Let me talk abit more about the yearly and semester goals. They are divided up into seven different categories. 

  • Educational
  • Spiritual
  • Physical
  • Personal Talents
  • Life Skills
  • Financial
  • Relational

These categories help you to think through the different ways to help your children be the people that God has called them to be. 

What would I do?

Now that you know what the physical planner contains.  Let me tell how I would print if off with the digital planner. 

  1. Attendance list, curriculum list
  2. Each month with it’s calendar and goals.
  3. Follow this the weekly goals, enough weeks for each month.
  4. Add behind each month the booklist, along with skills checklist.
  5. I don’t know if I would print off the semester and yearly goals.  They seem rather redundant but I suppose it’s good to write them down instead of mentally thinking “let’s get through the semester and make sure the lad knows what he needs to”.  Written goals make it more intentional and provides another conversation with the lad.

My Thoughts

I love how each of the devotionals captures a thought, expands on it, and then draws you in the heart of God.   The month-a-glance calenders are a handy feature, and I enjoy the book lists.  Having a brief walk through on how to create a transcript is very helpful.   

I would strongly prefer having the digital version of the Hey Mama Schoolhouse Planner over the print since I would want to lay things out in a manner that works for me.   Having a small “how to use it” section would be uber helpful to me, a non-planner.  🙂  Overall, a well done and useful planner to help you in the education of your children. 

read the reviews HSRC Schoolhouse Planner

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