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Week in Review: November 2017

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 It has been a while since I’ve written a weekly write up.   Things get away from me sometimes, and to be honest…this past month has been a bit of a struggle for me, trying to figure out what’s going on with my body. 

Anyways, enough of that though… just what have we done recently?

Today that lad made bread completely on his own (other than my finding him a recipe).

Last night we took a trip out to the KW Symphony.  They were hosting a new subscriber night, with a brass band and snacks afterward.  It was a good time, learning the behind the scenes stuff at the Centre in the Square and hearing fun music.  🙂   All three of us enjoyed it.

What else, oh…the lad is enjoying his schooling this year.  He’s been doing some neat stuff with Innovator’s Tribe.   This week he was supposed to make some furniture and he asked is he could make a formacarium instead and my response was “that’s ant furniture…sure go ahead”.  He did a good job.  🙂  I wish I knew how to save a picture of what he did for you all to see.  

He likes, for the most part, The good and beautiful curriculum we’ve been using for language arts.  It’s got a bunch of different components to it that are pleasing him.  
He’s not real sure about the art aspect of it, but I like it…and that has to count for something right?   We studied this artist this week, and the lad got to design his dream bedroom which he had a lot of fun with.    Mykola Bodarewsky;.  Anyways, look up this curriculum, it’s rather neat and its free if you do your own printing.

Tonight the lad helped me finish a project that’s been weighing on my mind but I just couldn’t manage to do.  Hubby helped me pick up the wood yesterday and today the lad and I set about building an end to the rabbitry.  It had turned into a wind tunnel with the wood sides and some of my buns were acting a touch stressed so putting an end on solved that issue.  🙂   Would have been nice to frame it all out and add a door but well..that wasn’t happening…so he worked hard and we got it done.  Hubby came out and offered advise when needed so it was great, just great to have us all working together. 

What else…. oh well… doctor’s appointments up the wazoo.
A darling mom in law who helped clean the house so I didn’t free frazzled about that.
A sweet mom who came and kept the lad company when I had my MRI.
mmm…hugs from a hubby.
Help from a boy child.
Letters and emails from friends concerned.  Prayers from kith and kin.

I am richly blessed you know… just so richly blessed.  God’s goodness shines through!

Anyways, I’ll be linking up at Kym’s.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Review: A Runtamuffin Tale

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Runtamuffin…. is a cute little chicken that learns quickly that people are it’s friends, and that thought carries Runtamuffin throughout her entire life. This fun picture book for children captures life in a barnyard, while teaching important truths to it’s readers.

 Imagine you want to give someone a gift unique to them, what would it be?
In Lasse’s case….he wanted to be a farmer…the gift, just for him…chickens!  Oh my the girls had fun in making this gift special for him.  You could sense the delight they had in the creating, and their love for him.

And so starts the story of Runtamuffin and her adventures.  She learned to trust her humans, she learned to trust the other animals, to count on their aid, and they in turn learned to count on her. Tales of adventure awaited little Runtamuffin.

It’s a nice story for youngsters, the font making it one to read along side a child as opposed to reading to a group of children.    

The illustrations are full colour and give many talking points, such as why a chicken might sit on the back of a horse, how they might learn which horses were safe to visit and which were not, and the joy of listening to a well told story.

If you want to know more about the author and illustrator, as well as read snippets of other reviews you can go here.

My thoughts:
It was a cute story, seeing all the farm animals, the protective dog, the newest arrival and the curiousity among the chickens and the boldness of Runtamuffin.  Nicely told.

A Runtamuffin Tale
Melissa Taylor
Marc Beauregard (illustrator)
57 pages
Ages 5-8
Picture book, animals, life on farm, relationships

Reviewed for: Ascot Media Group. 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Nearer Still Nearer

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Near….Close by….Almost……Similar

I have to admit that as I write this piece that I’m feeling downcast in my heart… and I know that much of it is that I’m tired and feeling daunted by the road ahead, feeling like, for now, that all I’ll ever feel is nauseated for the rest of my life.  I KNOW I KNOW… an exaggeration I am sure, but for now, that’s how I feel.   In reality it will probably be only 4-5 months if I am fortunate.  Maybe a year or so on the outside (going from my quick research).  But right now I don’t feel very full of hope.  It’s nice that the doc knows what is wrong with me and is working to alleviate some of the symptoms of how this is presenting in my body.  (’cause my body is a bit of an odd duck at the best of times).

Anyways, the word for the week is Near… and that’s been playing in the back of my head for the past …oh.. almost 12 hours now.  🙂  

Nearer still nearer 
Close to my heart
Draw me still nearer
Near to thy heart.
These words run a chorus 
in the back of my mind
Helping me hear the words
Whispered so fine.
These words run a chorus
Helping me to see
That there is more to life
Than little ‘ole me.
These words run a chorus
Reminding me to think
I needn’t throw out life
Like it’s the kitchen sink.
These words run a chorus
As service now I see
My young boys’ heart is
Bigger than can be.
These words run a chorus
As a hubby comes close by
Squeezing all the worries out
A hug brings out a sigh.
These words run a chorus
Reminding me to look
At all that has done for me
Look…my son’s become a cook!
These words run a chorus
Reminding me to see
That I’ve got a God who
Cares for little ole me.
—–   
This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute Friday.  What is Five Minute Friday? 
Well it’s a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday
to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and
this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up
encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It’s fun, though
it’s not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won’t you? 
You are always welcome.
——

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Review: Santa’s Magic Key

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We have NEVER done Santa in this house, I didn’t grow up with Santa in my formative years and always thought it was a bit silly to believe in him, or to encourage children to do so. I deliberately chose to exclude Santa from stories with the lad when he was little as I remember my mom saying “don’t lie on purpose to your children, if they do, they just might wonder what else you are lying to them about.”

That said, every once in a while though I run into a Santa based Christmas Story that I just enjoy, and that I then share with my lad, and when we are done I ask him “what do you think the truth is in that story?” Today I want to tell you about Santa’s Magic Key.  This is honestly, just a lovely book.  🙂   I am looking forward to, when this review is over, putting it in the Christmas box for the local gifts for the needy.


Imagine if you would, a young boy who lives in a new home, has been taught all about Santa, and now it’s Christmas.  

His new home doesn’t have a chimney….what is a boy in a new home to do?   Worry that’s what!  He writes a letter to tell him of this conumbrum…and so the story continues. 

Simon Mendez does an excellent job of illustrating the words of Eric James.  These beautifully wrought pictures bring the story to life showcasing the story so wonderfully you’d almost feel like you were in the pictures with this young boy. 

In this sweet story we get to see the kindness of a shopkeeper, the heart of a young boy, and a future promise.   If I read this book to my lad he could easily find truths to hold on to, and so I think would your children.  See the truths, enjoy a make-believe story, and touch on a bit of the wonder of Christmas.  You just need to look a little harder for it. 

My Thoughts:
I loved that this book comes with a heavy key… what a great way to help children live out the joy of  Christmas promise.   The illustrations are simply beautiful and the story so easy to read.  The large font would make it ideal to read to a group of children gathered round your feet, the pictures large so all could see, and yet the book sits comfortably in one’s lap to share individually with a child.  

Santa’s Magic Key
Eric James
Simon Mendez (illustrator)
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
40 pages
Christmas, picture book, seasonal, hardcover
ages 4-9

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Where can I find it?
Amazon.ca: Santa’s Magic Key.
Amazon.com: Santa’s Magic Key. 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: A Tale of Two Sisters

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 38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But
Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and
said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  (Luke 10:38-42)

Author Joanna Weaver takes this story and draws us in, describing to us the conflict we feel as women.  Needing to work and to mind our jobs and our families and yet, desparately needing to spend time in the word, time with our Lord and Saviour, learning and growing in him as well.   But sometimes that just feels like yet one more thing to add to our list of things to do.  

Here we find Martha, hard at work, caring for 13 men, minding the servants, the meal prep and all that needed to be done, feeling frazzled and looking for help, and what does she find?  Her sister, apparently chilling out, just sitting there listening to the men talk.  GAH…how frustrated she must have been, so frustrated in fact that she appealed to her guests to get her sister to help her with her work, and then she is told “Mary has chosen the good portion”.

Oh… I can just see Martha’s heart.  So frustrated, so needing help, and she’s told that she hasn’t chosen correctly.  That her layabout sister has done it.

How hard that would have been for her to hear eh?

But do you notice something…that’s not what Jesus said.
All he said was “Mary has chosen a good portion and it will not be taken away from her.”  He didn’t say that Martha had done wrong.  He didn’t.

Ms. Weaver goes on to tell us that Martha had this choice as well. To choose to stop and listen, to take in the words of the Lord.  She had that choice, perhaps not an easy choice, but a choice none the less.  Her service was NOT discounted… HEAR THAT. 

Therein lies the dichotomy though eh…that ying yang.  Knowing that sitting and listening is  GOOD PORTION, but that doesn’t negate the service we do. BUT that serving and doing that we do and that comes so easily, doesn’t negate the necessity of the listening and learning that we need to do as well.  

So the question is this: How do we find that balance?  How do we make time for that good portion?   Even when it is so hard to do so.  HOW?

Put first things first.  Get off the performance wheel.  The “I need to do this thing”.  Seek after the Lord, see the importance of learning from him first.  God wants us to “be still and know that he is God”.

Remember that salvation is about what you do…it’s all about what Jesus did.  That’s what it comes down to.   If we remember this truth, it will help us to stop and be still and know God. 

So come and rest.  Come, sit, listen, learn.  Do the right thing first.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Art Book: Duct Tape Engineer

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I know you have already gotten a bit of a preview of the fact that my boy likes to build with duct tape. I KNOW I have shown you pictures of his knight’s outfit.  He is my duct tape engineer!   So when the chance came to review “Duct Tape Engineer” I thought WOW…this is a book made for me and my lad.

The Duct Tape Engineer: The Book of Big, Bigger and Epic Duct Tape Projects is filled with things that the lad and I want to build, even dad poked his head in and said “neat idea”.  We haven’t, at this point, actually built any of the items in the book to their full size, but we did build some mini versions of them.  🙂

 What can you build?   Included are plans for: 

14 different builds to delight you, inspire your creativity, and.. save you money.  Why spend 1000’s on a kayak, when you can build your own using plastic sheeting, duct tape and pvc pipe?  

Alternatively, you could do the math and downsize them and make doll furniture or child-sized seating.   All plans are for the adult person, so just doing the math and downsizing gets you inexpensive furniture that you can grow as your children do, or that can delight your offspring with doll furniture that they can pretty up to suit their tastes (or the preferences of their doll).  

 
Each project includes a set of clear ingredients.  I love that not only do you receive a written set, but are given a visual as well.

 Instructions are as well done as the needed supplies. Text along with pictures. Everything is so clearly spelled out it makes each project a dream to build.

 What did we make with it?
Nothing full sized….but we did make doll furniture using the plans just downsizing. 

 As you can see they also make excellent small polymer pet furniture as well!  🙂

My thoughts:
This is a fantastic book.  If you have a duct tape builder in your house, get this book.  If you have a creative child, who is also good at doing math (or needs to practice it) and likes to build with duct tape…get this book.  It’s fun and helps you see things that you too could create with duct tape.   This a goodly thing to do!  🙂 

 Duct Tape Engineer: The book of big, bigger, and epic duct tape projects
Lance Akiyama
Rockport
160 pages
softcover with built in fly
Crafting, duct tape, create, resource, math, engineering

Reviewed for: Quarto Group

Where can you find it?

Amazon.com: Duct Tape Engineer.
Amazon.ca: Duct Tape Engineer. 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Review: The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs

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Who doesn’t like dinosaurs, those magnificent creatures that once roamed the earth?   Don’t they just fill your mind with questions, letting your imagination source as you ponder how something so large once covered our planet?  The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Creatures is a superb book about… well obviously.. Dinosaurs.  If you have a child interested in dinosaurs, this book will hit the spot.

 Rudolph Farkas does a great job as he uses a two page spread to bring each dinosaur to life.  From the mighty T-rex to the middlin Velociraptor and the unusual utahraptor.  Each dinosaur is shown in colour, and feathering or furring.

Granted, it’s impossible to truly know what the dinosaurs were like (for instance I’ve heard the t-rex might actually have been feathered), but in this book he is shown as so often he is, like a giant lizard-like creature. 

Each two page spread shows a coloured image of a dinosaur along with information and a fact box.

I liked the small information box on each page, showing the dinosaur relative in size to a person.  It helped me picture the size of these old creatures.  If you believe in a young earth, you may wish to take some of the facts with a grain of salt.

The book closes with a map of all the dinosaurs discussed in the book.  I found it interesting the most were discovered along a belt of the world.

 My Thoughts:
 I think that any dinosaur loving child will enjoy this book.  There is much to learn and look at. It’s a lovely oversized book so you get the beauty of these large animals displayed wonderfully.   It is also a great resource to be used for any study of dinosaurs.

The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures
Tom Jacksom
Rudolf Farkas (illustrator)
Silver Dolphin Books
hardcover, dinosaurs, prehistoric creatures, resource
80 pages
Age: 8 Years +

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books. 

Where to find it?
Amazon.ca: Magnificent book of Dinosaurs.
Amazon.com. The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs. 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.