FIRST Robotics (First Tech Challenge) -- and why I like it for my children!

How do you feel about robots?  :)  Do you have jr. highers and highschoolers who are interested in engineering and computers?

A few years back my kids and some friends of theirs formed a FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team.  This is their third year in this competition.  Basically they build a robot to complete a challenge and then compete with and against other teams.  They "win" by winning the challenges the most times, but there are also other awards for things like enginering notebook, special designs, control/use of sensors, and more.  

Here's this year's challenge:  Velocity Vortex

The core value that is HIGHLY encouraged and given center stage is GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.  In our three years of competition we have seen this concept illustrated over and over again.  It is what makes FIRST an organization that I glady encourage my kids' participation with.   We have been helped by other teams, and we have helped other teams as well.  So many times when our team's robot has failed on the field we have had youth from multiple different teams approach our team and offer to help them rectify it.  These teenagers (who are, yes, very competitive!) independently offer to help other teams succeed.  There's no meanness, no snobbishness (even from the teams who are definitely "elite" teams), and a great spirit of helpfulness.  

My children are involved in several other national type organizations/competitions, and BY FAR the FIRST organization really, truly exemplifies this concept of gracious professionalism.  As a parent this is what I want my children to learn and do.  

Here's my kids' team's robot for this year (so far!  I'm sure there will be many more changes before our competition this February!)

If you want more information about FIRST, check them out here!  :)  http://www.firstinspires.org/

SchoolhouseTeachers.com My REVIEW of a great resource!!

Our homeschool journey began kind of on a whim (well, not really a whim, but basically we moved to a new state, couldn't find a Christian school, and therefore made a decision [in August] to homeschool for that next schoolyear and jumped right in).  I wanted to explain that because we didn't spend years and years researching homeschool materials or plans, we kind of leapt right in.  Possibly due to that there are MANY great homeschool resources which I have not known about, even in the 7 schoolyears (maybe we're in a rut?)

I am very excited that this year I get to belong to an organization  whose members review various homeschool resources!  My very first review is for a wonderful online resource called SchoolhouseTeachers.com .  As a part of this year's Homeschool Review Crew I have the opportunity to tell you about the Yearly Membership for SchoolhouseTeachers.com .  I had never seen this online product before, but as I explored the options within it I began mentally planning the addition of so many classes for my children!  As a matter of fact, I let my children look it over and they made lists of so many classes they were interested in that I don't know if they'll have the time to take them all this schoolyear or if it'll spread into next schoolyear.

The website has a helpful "start here" button on the navigation bar on the top of the page to orient you to the options and how to use the site.  There is an easy way to see all the courses available, by clicking on the "quick links."  There are also other ways to navigate by grade level or subject.

We have tried online classes before and know what works for us.  If a lot of time is taken up searching for where you left off or where the actual class is, then we tend not to use it,  This website seems to be very easy to navigate, even for my children, who are in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades.  Lessons on SchoolhouseTeachers.com range in topic from your basic core classes to many different electives (arts, computers, languages, and more!)

My 7th grader took a different geology class first semester and was anxious to try the geology class offered here.  She jumped right in and has been filling in her journal, worksheets, and charts while watching the lessons.

She really enjoys the descriptive videos

The lesson plans and video give directions for her journal/worksheets

Besides geology, my 7th grader has also begun French, Middle School Health, and Keyboarding.  There are various formats for the different classes (some mostly audio, some with worksheets, some with interactive .pdf's, and more!

Wondering what my other kids will be using?  My oldest, who is very interested in computer science and design has been using the Image Editing and Creation (and loving the open source editing program GIMP which was introduced in this class -- she didn't know about that beforehand!).  She is also beginning Foundations for Teens, with Right Now Media videos and worksheets/essay questions.  She's using the French as a bit of a review and wants to try the SQL Server Beginner Course if she can fit it into her schedule.

(after)                                        (before)
Here's a sample of one of her edited photos

My 9th grade son has been learning about ancient history and will be using the Drive Thru History Ancient History.  Actually the whole family loves these videos, we used to watch them when they were on Netflix several  years ago, so we'll probably all watch them just for fun :) but hey, educational value too!  It definitely enhances his ancient history studies!  

We all enjoy the Drive Thru History videos!

Okay, so you probably get that I love the variety of options of classes in this website.  There are classes for so many different age groups, too; preschool options, elementary, middle school, high school, and even classes for parents!!

Besides all the classes, there are many other benefits to using this product.  There is a large resource section with items such as certificates, planners, free printable calendars, and a recordkeeping and transcript-generating product called applecore, which you receive access to with your Yearly Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com.  

Whew, that's a lot of info, isn't it?  Long story short...I love this product.  Where has this been all my homeschooling life? (well, it's been here, I just didn't know about it! :) )  I would very highly recommend this product to homeschooling parents with children of all ages.  It is very inexpensive for what all you get from it. I think it is well worth your money.  They even offer discounts to civil servants (military as well as police, firefighters, and such) as well as to small groups and co-ops. Until January 15, 2017 they have a sale going on for 50% off the regular annual cost!

We'll definitely be using this resource all year long.  

Reading--is it hereditary?

I love to read.  I always have, even as a child.  My husband, on the other hand, barely picked up a book as a child and I was dismayed to find out after we were married that he did not care to read!  :/  Yikes!

I had always heard that children learn to love to read from their parents.  What would we do?  How would our kids feel about reading?

I'm thankful to say that our situation has worked out well...kind of a double return.

My children all love reading!  Even now, as teenagers, they check out multiple books from the library and read quite a lot.  So...how did that happen?  I don't know, but I'm glad that it has!  We have always read to and with them, and audiobooks feature frequently in our drives.

This week's library treasures 

And we have an added bonus...my husband now LOVES to read!  My TV-watching guy has discovered the joys of reading!  He began reading when the kids would have a book that they loved and wanted him to read too, so he did...and he's really enjoyed it!  For a few years he was reading primarily the kids' books (think books like Hatchet and other adventures like that) but now he has branched out to books of his own choosing as well.  Currently he's reading Lord of the Rings.

I don't know how that all worked out so nicely, but I am happy to say that I belong to a family of readers!!

How about your family?  What kind of pattern have you found?

Onion Pie!!!!!!!

I have an old cookbook which I purchased at a yard sale--recently I read all the way through it, looking for some recipe inspiration.  It's the Farm Journal's Country Cookbook, copyright 1959 and man does it contain some great recipes!

Okay, so it does contain some strange ones, too... (Molded beef ring in gelatin anyone?

  

Anyhow, one of our FAVORITES is Onion Pie!!  Sounds weird, doesn't it?  Well, it's a delicious addition to a meal!  It's kind of like an onion-y sour creamy custard-y thing.  It goes well with so much!  Tonight we had it with meatloaf, but have had it with kielbasa, chicken, beef roast, and more.  Sometimes I double the recipe and I have made it without crust before, also, just in a casserole type dish.  

Would you like the recipe?

Basically you just make a pie crust and bake it for 10 min till it's golden, then...

Slice up several onions (I usually do like 8-10, whatever type you have on hand -- I've done it with white, yellow, purple, and a mixture).  Sautee them till softened and a bit browned.  Spoon the onions into the pie crust.  

Mix up 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of sour cream, and 1/2 cup milk.  3 Tbsp flour, and a little salt and pepper.  Pour this over the onions into the pie crust. 

Bake at 375 or so for 30 min or so till set and golden on top.  I usually take it out and let it cool/set for another 5 min or more.  

One pie full usually gets eaten up by my family of 5 in one meal (okay, I have 3 teenagers...)

Give it a try!  It's a great addition to dinner!

Keeper of the Stars by Robin Lee Hatcher (book review)

I was happy for the chance to review another book by Robin Lee Hatcher. I have read many of her books and find them enjoyable. This book, Keeper of the Stars, is another one!

In Keeper of the Stars, Penny is a young librarian who lives in her hometown and holds a deep sadness, bitterness, and guilt inside. Guilt about the way that she treated her younger brother before his untimely death, sadness from his loss, and bitterness at the man she assigns responsibility to for her brother leaving his college life, joining a band, and ultimately dying in a wreck.

Trevor is the musician who encouraged Brad (Penny's brother) to follow his dreams and join his band. Brad had taught him by example about God and a Christian life, and when he was dying he requested Trevor go to his hometown. Not knowing what will await him there, Trevor travels to this new place, finds an apartment, and gets a job. He meets with Rodney (Penny and Brad's dad) and Penny and lets them know who he is and why he is there.

I cannot tell you more about the story without giving away things that you ought to read, so let's leave it here!

It is a good story. So many of us struggle with guilt and bitterness and these things affect so many sectors of our lives. We can really relate to someone who we see as having a very valid reason for holding onto these. We also cheer to see some of these being given to God and turned around by Him.

The characters were people you can resonate with, people you'd like to be friends with. The book is an easy read, interesting, keeps you returning to read a little more.

I didn't love how the chapters were written, with some chapters about Brad and his past years interspersed with the story, but it wasn't a huge drawback.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to you too!




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Meal Planning! Ideas and a link-up for your great recipes!

I tend to spend a whole lot less on groceries when I make a meal plan for the upcoming month...but along with that I think I tend to fall into a rut of the same meals over and over :) We raise meat chickens and turkeys and my husband hunts and we all fish...so the freezer is full of lots of different meats :)

SO -- how about a linkup to share some of your favorite meal recipes with me?  I'd love to expand our repertoire with some of your great recipe ideas, and I'm sure many of you could use some fresh recipe ideas as well!

Hey, how about healthy-ish ideas :)  NOT looking for stuff like packaged mixes or processed foods :)

To join in, please add a link to your blog post (from whenever, doesn't need to be from this month!) with the "name" section the name of the recipe!

Thanks in advance for all the great ideas! :)

Link right up here!! :)

The Angel of Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall (review)

Looking for a quick and easy read for the winter holidays?  This Amish-like book by Cindy Woodsmall, The Angel of Forest Hill, is worth reading!  It's a short and enjoyable read, though a bit lightweight (I think).

Rose, the main character, has been sent away from her very large Amish family by her bishop to help out a very small Amish community -- all the way (from Pennsylvania) to West Virginia.  She is intended to assist a family who has two children and one imminent.  When she arrives she is met with a mourning family, the mother having died in childbirth.

The community tries to find a way to help out the new widower and the solution suggested by his father is that he marry Rose, not of love (of course) but a kind of way to find a live-in mother type figure to care for the children.  Rose agrees and they begin this strange relationship of sorts.

A few years go by and Rose and Joel have formed some sort of bonds.  They work well together, though their relationship is not like a traditional marriage.

I don't want to give too much away...the story follows the progression of their relationship from this sham marriage to the possibility of something more meaningful.  There are major hurdles along the way, some being Rose's past upbringing, some jealousy and anger, and others.

I thought it was a nice story.  It was not really deep, can be read quickly.  It didn't seem like many Amish-type books I've read before -- the characters seemed much more liberal.

Basically it's a love story with (yes) a happy ending :) If you're looking for a feel-good quick read, pick this one up!

I received this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.  I was not required to write a positive review.