2019 Gratitude Challenge, Day 3

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Day 3: Today, I am grateful for our new “home” church.

It’s hard moving around often, and it’s especially hard for us to find the “right” home church. Every move, this has been a struggle. We try to be patient. Still, as much of our “community” and activities and friends often come from our church family (wherever we may be), adjusting feels like it takes much longer than it should. Some years we have visited ten or eleven churches (and researched countless more) before we find the “right one.”

Moving to a new country with a new language and a vastly different culture made this extra challenging this time, but we finally found Mount Carmel Presbyterian.

This church has not only welcomed us with open arms but continues to welcome us every single week even more. Every single week, someone has introduced themselves and gone out of their way to make sure we have all we need. We have had Sunday School teachers walk this American mama through WhatsApp (it’s a chat app) and add me to the class group chats, personally making sure I know of each sign-up for an activity for the girls. Someone sitting beside us in the service handed my husband their business card – in case we needed help getting adjusted to living here and if we needed help with basic things – like how to set up a local bank account. (We didn’t, but the offer itself was such a kind gesture.)

Yes, we might be the only American family in the room, and almost the only non-Asian family in the church, but we knew the very first day that we have found something very special here.

 

This post is a part of the Homeschool Success Hacks: 2019 Gratitude Challenge series. You can find more posts and more participating blogger articles by going to this link. You can find my other participating posts here.

 

2019 Gratitude Challenge, Day 2

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Day 2: Today, I am grateful for good attitudes while cleaning.

Yes, that’s right, all of my family members pitched in and helped me do a thorough cleaning of the house today, without complaining, without eye-rolling or moaning. (Which also might go to show how bad the house had gotten if they were so willing to help!)

After a late breakfast, I announced that no one was allowed to have any fun whatsoever until all the bathrooms were clean – and we split them all up and got them done. And once that was done, we kept adding to the list, and the house was pretty darn clean by lunch!

How much easier is it now that everyone is old enough to really pitch in and truly help in the cleaning, but also old enough to appreciate how much more relaxed and better it goes when we all do the work with a cheerful heart! Cleaning doesn’t make me half as grumpy when I’m not dealing with anyone else’s grumpy attitudes. Cleaning was . . . almost . . . pleasant. HA!

 

This post is a part of the Homeschool Success Hacks: 2019 Gratitude Challenge series. You can find more posts and more participating blogger articles by going to this link. You can find my other participating posts here.

2019 Gratitude Challenge, Day 1

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Day 1: Today, I am grateful for Air Conditioning!

 

Now, growing up in the South, of course, I’ve always appreciated air conditioning. However, it wasn’t until moving to a fully tropical climate, in a culture that considers air conditioning such a waste of money and resources that public spaces are only minimally cooled – and living with a subpar-working airconditioner in my bedroom, that I’ve learned to be TRULY GRATEFUL. And, finally, we got repairmen to fix our bedroom AC, so now I can sleep without constantly sweating! So very grateful for an AC that actually cools!

This post is a part of the Homeschool Success Hacks: 2019 Gratitude Challenge series. You can find more posts and more participating blogger articles by going to this link. You can find my other participating posts here.

Homeschool Convention

It’s time! It’s time! I’m on my way to HEAV Convention and can’t wait!

Here are my last minute tips to take advantage of all the HEAV Convention has to Offer!

1. Follow #HEAVCon on Facebook and Twitter! It’s a great way to stay in the know! PS. Follow me and keep up with my Facebook and Twitter! I’ll be all over the place with pictures, interviews and more!

****I also plan to have a “Freebie for my Friends” swag bag with me! If you can find me, you can choose your own gift from my bag! (These are all freebies I have been given in the past. I am on a mission to clear space in our tiny home.)***

See something you like? Find me at HEAV and it could be yours!

2. Order the Recordings – Don’t worry about missing a session, just order the recordings! I do this first thing so I can’t forget!

3. Drop of stuff at Used Curriculum Sale. One of our very first stops is to drop off all of our sale items at the Used Curriculum sale, and say a quick prayer that people buy our stuff! (And this year, we have A LOT of stuff!!

(P.S. Please buy my stuff. LOL)

4. Check out speakers and sessions! Before I go, I print out the schedule and highlight all all the sessoins I want to go to in person! I make a list of the vendors in the Exhibit Hall that I want to check out first.

5. Bring labels and business cards! I also bring labels and business cards already prepared! That way I can save myself from the carpel tunnel of writing my contact info down at all the booths, and also have my business cards ready to go when I meed fabulous new people I want to stay in contact with!

What other tips would you share?

What Exhibitors Are You Excited to See at HEAV Convention 2018? – Veritas Press Review

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HEAV Convention is coming up NEXT WEEK! Who’s excited?? And who are you excited to see?

Us, we’re excited to meet and check out the Veritas Press booth!

I’ve been researching many different options for my 7th grader next year, and we’ve pretty much settled on Veritas Press’ Self-Paced, online Omnibus 1 program for next year. She wants less of “mom teaching” and more independence. I want a strong, structured program that is engaging and challenging, that she will learn with a solid foundation all at the same time! Hopefully, this will be exactly what we are both looking for.

Veritas Press is based on a Classical Education method, which is new to us personally, but my husband and I always like the idea of – though I was intimidated by “mom work” of many of the classical-based programs I saw when we began. That is one of the reasons I am very pleased with all that I’ve learned about the self-paced Omnibus Program. Especially great for me – it does all the grading for you!

The Omnibus 1 program is broken down into two parts, the Primary and Secondary. Both are created to be done together, at the same time. However, I’ve heard from many parents online that for a first-timer, this might be too much. So, one option suggested to me was to begin with the Secondary (which is considered more optional/extra by Veritas Press) and then add in the Primary program later on. There is also a lot of reading with this program and it’s not always easy reading, so if your student doesn’t enjoy reading, then this might not be completely for you. Even my oldest, who is a voracious reader, isn’t exactly enthused by some of the choices (R.C. Sproul is one of the authors we starting with) because it’s not straight-up action-fiction. The complete Omnibus program all together covers biblical history (they call it Bible), history and literature. The online self-paced program doesn’t included a “written” component so much

In good news, I learned that the Omnibus 1 Textbook isn’t completely neccessary for the online program because any readying from that is included for download! So, unless you find the textbook cheaply somewhere you can skip that expense! Luckily, I found someone local who wanted to get rid of it for a great price!

If you aren’t concerned with the actual grading, you can call the corporate office and have them “unlock” the course, turning it into more of an audit. No grading would be done, and would allow you to move around the course at-will.

Cathy Duffy Review of the Omnibus 1 Program

From a religious perspective, Veritas follows a Reformed Protestant theology, and Biblical perspectives are referenced throughout. In the clips I watched beforehand, I found none of it to be overhanded. Their statement of faith can be found on pages 11-13 of their Terms and Conditions.

Be sure to go check out the Veritas Press Booth in the Exhibit Hall at HEAV!

Previous posts about HEAV Conventions that you might enjoy:
Making My Convention Plan 2018!
How to Get the Most Out of HEAV Convention 2018, Part 2, Part 3
Review: Take Time for Art
Review: Apologia’s Anatomy and Physiology
HEAV’s Used Curriculum Sale
Getting Dad Involved in Your Homeschool
Other Ways Homeschool Dads Can Be Involved
HEAV Convention Wish List Tip!
HEAV From the Dad Perspective
Lessons Learned from Past Conventions
My Biggest Question about the HEAV Convention!
Getting Ready for HEAV???
Last Minute HEAV Convention Survival Tips

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HEAV- Home Educators Association of Virginia – website
“I am excited to be a blogger for HEAV this year. In exchange for sharing my honest opinion about this convention, I was provided with a family registration at no charge.”
“The Apologia links above are affiliate links and I appreciate your support of my site! Please review my affiliate and review policy here.”

What Exhibitors Are You Excited to See at HEAV Convention 2018? – Berard Auditory Integration Training Systems

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HEAV Convention is coming up NEXT WEEK! Who’s excited?? And who are you excited to see?

One of the exhibitors I’ve very curious to meet is the Berard Auditory Integration Training Systems.

As many of you readers know, our youngest has Sensory Processing Disorder, and we have gone through many extensive Occupational Therapies with her. Some of that therapy was to focus on her extreme auditory sensitivity, and some of the programs we did look similiar to this.

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Their site talks more about their “In Home” program:

BERARD AIT HOME PROGRAMS

Supervised In-Home Berard AIT Programs are provided, as appropriate. The Home Program is individualized for each person based upon a review of all of the following:

    • the applicant’s AIT Evaluation Form
    • Telephone evaluation(s)
    • A local audiologist’s report

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Following our review of the applicant’s AIT Evaluation Form and the audiologist’s report, we will schedule a phone appointment to complete the evaluation and give our recommendations as to whether the person in question is a good candidate for AIT. We can also make other recommendations, as appropriate.

If AIT is appropriate, we can usually accommodate the In-Home Program fairly quickly. You will need a CD player; we supply the rest of the equipment. The AIT is 20 sessions, 1/2 hour each. The recommended program sequence is twice per day for 10 days. Re-assessments are included.

I’m very excited to see this group at the 2018 HEAV Convention, so be sure to go meet them in the Exhibit Hall!

Previous posts about HEAV Conventions that you might enjoy:
Making My Convention Plan 2018!
How to Get the Most Out of HEAV Convention 2018, Part 2, Part 3
Review: Take Time for Art
Review: Apologia’s Anatomy and Physiology
HEAV’s Used Curriculum Sale
Getting Dad Involved in Your Homeschool
Other Ways Homeschool Dads Can Be Involved
HEAV Convention Wish List Tip!
HEAV From the Dad Perspective
Lessons Learned from Past Conventions
My Biggest Question about the HEAV Convention!
Getting Ready for HEAV???
Last Minute HEAV Convention Survival Tips

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HEAV- Home Educators Association of Virginia – website
“I am excited to be a blogger for HEAV this year. In exchange for sharing my honest opinion about this convention, I was provided with a family registration at no charge.”

How Homeschooling can be Incorporated Into Any Vacation, Part 5

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I know “Vacation Season” is coming up, though many of us homeschoolers tend to vacation Off-Season! We did this last fall, with a trip to the Dominican Republic (where my husband’s family is from)! While there, I brainstormed this series, though I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you!

Part 5 of this post can be found here.

Here are some of the educational aspects we incorporated into our trip to the Dominican Republic.

After Your Trip:

1. Laundry – I’ve never returned from a trip without a mountain of laundry to do. Might as well use the opportunity to learn a life skill, right?

2. Sleep – Reentry is never easy on anyone. Getting back on a regular sleep schedule right away is the only thing I’ve known to help. Use this as an opportunity to talk to your kids about the importance of sleep, but also giving each other grace as you all get through this time.

3. Technical skills – If your kids are old enough, this might be a great time to show them how to upload and edit pictures from your trip. Won’t it be great when they can do this for you in the future?

4. Journaling – Let the kids decorate cute journals or scrapbooks and then make sure they write their memories down!

5. Follow up on any new interests you discovered on your trip!

 

What other suggestions would you share?

Other posts in this series are able to be found here.

How Homeschooling can be Incorporated Into Any Vacation, Part 4

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I know “Vacation Season” is coming up, though many of us homeschoolers tend to vacation Off-Season! We did this last fall, with a trip to the Dominican Republic (where my husband’s family is from)! While there, I brainstormed this series, though I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you!

Part 3 of this post can be found here.

Here are some of the educational aspects we incorporated into our trip to the Dominican Republic.

During Your Trip:

 

7. Are you visiting family, or staying in an area of importance to your family? Ask for suggestions and see things off the beaten path. Where did your grandparents grew up and so on. This can give your kids a personal connection to your trip. Inviting family along can provide you unique touch guides and instant kid entertainment. (Have you ever noticed how kids listen so much better to someone else besides mom? Use it to your advantage!!)

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8. Focus on cultural and artistic sightseeing! Let’s face it, most places you go are going to look the same. Pretty much every city is going to have the same chain restaurants wherever you go, and so on. Focus on the activities and sights you CAN’T do anywhere else. Biggest ball of yarn nearby? Go for it. Another McDonalds? Not so much. Teach your children to look for adventures everywhere.

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9. Let your kids follow their own interests. Keep an eye out for new interests to form and let those opportunities take flight. Collect the shells. Answer the 50,000 questions. (Google is your friend!) Teach your kids to talk to the tour guides to ask those questions from the experts.

 

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Who knew this kid is a natural on a horse??

 

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10. Throw the list away! Sometimes it’s better to just throw out all the to-do lists and just live in the moment. Isn’t that what a vacation is really all about?

 

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Yes, we found a playground. Every single trip – our family tradition!

 

When we lived overseas, our “local” friends would tell us they could always tell who the Americans were – they were the tourists who were more concerned with checking off a long list with an “I was here” selfie in as short amount of time as possible; instead of truly experiencing the place.

So, consider slowing down. Experiencing real life wherever you go. Watch a sunset. Feed the birds. Carry on a conversation with a local, and learn about their life.

 

Be sure to check out the Part 5 in this series here! What other suggestions would you share for during your trip?

Other posts in this series be able to be found here.

How Homeschooling can be Incorporated Into Any Vacation, Part 3

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I know “Vacation Season” is coming up, though many of us homeschoolers tend to vacation Off-Season! We did this last fall, with a trip to the Dominican Republic (where my husband’s family is from)! While there, I brainstormed this series, though I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you!

Part 2 of this post can be found here.

Here are some of the educational aspects we incorporated into our trip to the Dominican Republic.

During Your Trip:

1. How to haggle decent deals on souvenirs with the locals. I don’t like buying much clutter, but we did need new beach hats for the sun! First, teach your kids to purchase souvenirs off of the main tourist area to get better deals. For those hats, I haggled us down to a decent rate but realized I probably should have done even more when I later mentally converted the money to US dollars. Or, I also recommend having a hubby that is a native speaker of the language, because after that I had him do all the haggling and he was able to get much better deals!

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Trust me, prices are always ramped up for tourists, but if they see you as a local, they will give you a better rate – though my husband disagrees with this. He believes that they worked him harder than they would have me (if I spoke better Spanish and could haggle more) because they saw him as a “returning successful son”  and expected him to share the wealth, in a sense. Luckily, he caught on to that fairly quickly.

2. Teach your kids the money conversion! It’s not just basic shopping and money lessons, but the addition of converting local currency prices to another in your head! That’s like Super Math, folks!

3. The proper way to bodysurf and jump a wave. I mean, that’s an important life skill! Along with sand castle making.

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4. Did your kids earn spending money for the trip? Help them practice budgeting it throughout the trip.

5. Reading menu and ordering food. Also, perhaps add in a discussion about well-meal when they decide to order pasta and french fries in the same meal.

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Traditional Dish – La Bandera (rice, beans, and meat) – like the Dominican Flag

6. Try the local cuisine! Our favorite way to learn about a culture is through its food!

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Our family favorite is tostones – fried plantains!

Be sure to check out the Part 4 in this series here! What other suggestions would you share for during your trip?

Other posts in this series are able to be found here.