Voting Day 2011 - plus other stuff

Voting Day 2011
Today is voting day for our country's 21st General Election.  I'm proud to say that I exercised my right to vote today.  I'm sad to say that I haven't always done that.  For many years I had taken my right to vote for granted.  I found the whole process confusing and pointless.  Then I started to learn more about it.  I had to learn, because I wanted to teach my children.  That's when I started getting interested in the whole political scene.  I still don't know a whole lot about it, but I know a whole lot more than I used to and I am continually trying to learn more.

This year I had the privilege of presenting an information session about the election and our electoral system to our local homeschool group.  During our last federal election I had discovered the StudentVote site, which puts off a parallel election for students under the voting age so that they will become educated about the process.  When I told our homeschool group about StudentVote this year they were excited to take part in the StudentVote program during our 21st General Election.  Because of school holidays in our province we had to hold our Student Vote earlier than most provinces so we didn't have as much time to spend learning about the whole process as we would have liked, but we still had a great time.  I created a Student Vote 2011 Zapd website on my iPhone using pictures I took with my iPhone at our StudentVote. They are seriously looking forward to the next election so that they can do this again. Hopefully these kids will be inspired and educated enough that they will never take their right to vote for granted.

Mixed Feelings about the Big World News Story
Something else making big news in our country, and many others, today is the death of Bin Laden, as reported on the CBC News site.  While I am not sad that Bin Laden is dead, I am also not celebrating his death, as many others are.

I think much like Dara, of Readily a Parent, in what she has to say in her Why I Won't Be Celebrating Bin Laden's Death post.  I can't say that I'm fearful, because my hope rests in God, but I am sad to think about what happened and what potentially could happen still.

Just Two Weeks to Expo Time!
The Old Schoolhouse Spring 2011 Expo, an online homeschool conference, starts on May 16th, just two weeks away!  I can't wait!  I really enjoyed the last Expo that I took in and I'm expecting no less from this one.  If you don't already have your ticket purchased to take in the Expo live, you are out of luck!  The tickets have sold out!  That said, however, you're not totally out of luck because you can still purchase the Expo-to-Go.  If I were you, I'd hop to it.  You seriously don't want to miss it.


And that's what on my mind today.

Can I manage to post daily?

I had made a promise to myself that during the month of May I am going to try to make at least a short post daily to this blog. As I climbed into bed a few moments ago I remembered that promise and realized I hadn't posted here today. It's a good thing I take my iPhone to bed with me. :)

It's not so easy writing my post on my iPhone so I'm going to have to work harder at remembering to get my post done before I crawl into bed. But it's nice to know that if I forget I can still post something, though it will be rather short and less polished than if I'd done it earlier

Think I'll leave it at that for tonight. Lots on my mind I'd like to share but typing on here is too bothersome. Hopefully I didn't make too many mistakes while typing this. Not only is it hard to type, it's also hard to see the small screen, especially as my eyes are wanting to close in sleep. At least I haven't failed at my goal on the first day. :)

So, that's what's on my mind at the moment and now I'm hoping to clear my
mind of all thoughts and sleep well.

Can I post from my iPhone?

I have been spending less time at my laptop lately and more time with my iPhone so I'm wondering how difficult it would be to do a blogpost on my phone. I decided to try it out to see what I thought. I struggle with the typing so that makes it a little difficult. I'm not sure if I want to do it this way or not. I guess we'll see.

2011-2012 Schoolhouse Planners now available!

Passing on this notice from The Old Schoolhouse.

Need a tool to help maintain a well-organized home and homeschool?
Want to get your kids organized too?
Get ready to plan another great year with The 2011-12 Schoolhouse Planner, the brand-new 2011-12 Special Needs Schoolhouse Planner, and the 2011-12 Student Schoolhouse Planners for students from kindergarten to high school.
Erase the frazzled feeling of disorganization with The 2011-12 Schoolhouse Planner and bring order and efficiency to your school year.
Packed with relevant articles, clever calendars, useful forms, handy lists, and so much more, this planner is the key to meeting your many goals for the 2011-12 school year.With over 175 new forms, you'll have all the organizational tools you need to make this the best school year ever.
New forms this year will help you:

• Plan beautiful holiday celebrations.

• Run a successful home business.

• Plan a course of study over four years.

• Run a well-organized home from top to bottom.

And so much more!

Whether organizing your homeschool curriculum, household tasks, a home-based business, or jotting down lists of things you hope to do some day . . .
The 2011-12 Schoolhouse Planner has all of the planning components you will need to make this year a great success.  http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.phpmain_page=index&cPath=191_193
Don't wait! Take advantage of great prices with the special presale going on now until April 14.

These are available in digital format so I assume you can print off only what you need.  Sounds interesting!

World Read Aloud Day Report

March 9, 2011 was World Read Aloud Day.  Anna and I celebrated at to two events.

Our local library has a story time every Wednesday afternoon. I told our librarian about World Read Aloud Day and she talked to the kids about it during story time and then explained about it to the parents present.

Our local homeschool group got together for a special World Read Aloud Day celebration.  We talked about how privileged we are to be able to read and the advantages it gives us.  Then each child shared a favourite reading from a book they brought with them.  It was great fun to see each child's personality reflected in what they had chosen to read.  One of the boys chose to challenge us by reading clues from little fact cards about different animals and plants and having us guess what it was before he read us the answer. His brother read one of his favourite verses from the Bible (1 Thessalonians 4:11), while their sister read her favourite Bible story (Jesus feeding the five thousand).  Another boy read one of his favourite poems.  Another child read a favourite book of his dad's while his sister read a passage for a new book she just got the day before.  My 5 year old daughter did her first public read aloud at the event.  She read Splat!, a first reader, and everyone congratulated her on her great reading.  I read a couple of our favourite read alouds, What if Your Mom Made Raisin Buns by Newfoundland author Catherin Hogan Safer, and Watch Out Big Bro's Coming by Jez Alborough.  There were about 16 of us present and we all had a great time sharing about the joys of reading.

If you did something to celebrate World Read Aloud Day be sure to send in a report about it.

Weekly Character Projects

Doorposts, a company who's mission is to supply you with "Bible-based, parent-designed, family-tested products to help you apply Scripture in your home" has a new blog titled Doorposts of Your House.

One of the features on their blog is a weekly character project.  The first project is on How to Develop Patience Towards Others and it suggests a real simple, practical way to work on this.  I know it's something we all need to work on in our family and I'm glad I came across this great idea.  I'm looking forward to future character projects.

TOS Homeschool Expo Preshow

The TOS Homeschool Spring Expo takes place May 16-20, but they have bonus Pre-show nights on March 16 and April 12 for those that register early for the Expo.  Sooooo, last night was the first pre-show!

I almost missed it!  I didn't even realize it was happening until it was started and I was scrabbling to get everything set up so I wouldn't miss it.

The first session was Teaching with Technology: Boon or Bust with Terri Johnson.  I loved a statement she made early in the session.  The gist of it is that the education community is experiencing these "New Revelations" in Education, but in reality they are just learning what homeschoolers already know!  Things like you don't need desks, teacher lectures, peer groups, or classrooms to learn.  She then talked about what technology is and what it isn't and how it's changes over time and shared number of interesting quotes.  My favourite was "In times of change, it is the learners that will inherit the earth while the learned will find themselves beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists. –Eric Hoffer".  It is important for us to teach our children how to learn and to take advantage of all the tools that will help.  Then Terri introduced us to a number of apps that can help our children in their quest to learn.  Great session!

The second session was Home Business and Homeschooling: The Dynamics of Delegation with Malia Russell.  She made a great point about how important it is to delegate and even pointed out in scripture that delegation was important to God.  One statement that she made that really stuck with me was that if you are over worked you are doing things you shouldn't be doing! - either doing things that someone else should be doing or doing things that nobody should be doing.  Another great session.

Unfortunately I didn't get to take in the last session because I had to put my little one to bed.  I can't wait to get the MP3s so that I can see what I missed.

I'm looking forward to the next pre-show in April!

Canadian Homeschoolers - make sure you are counted!

Homeschool Horizons is having a fun challenge to see which is the top homeschooling province in Canada.  Really, it is not an actual account of homeschoolers in each province, just an account of how many homeschoolers in each province have filled in the Homeschool Horizons Survey, but it's still fun. Along with giving you a chance to have your province more accurately represented in numbers, the survey also gives you a chance to help ensure that Homeschool Horizons will meet the needs of homeschoolers across Canada.  They post updates of the results each week on their facebook page.  Come join in the fun.

Here are how the provinces stand right now:

Ontario 30%

Alberta 21%

British Columbia 13%

Saskatchewan 10%

Newfoundland 8%

Nova Scotia 7%

Quebec 6%

Manitoa 4%

New Brunswick 3%

Prince Edward Island 0%

I can't believe that their are no Homeschoolers in Prince Edward Island!  I know that is wrong.  I also can't believe that the numbers are so low in some of the other provinces.  I also know that it is not a true reflection of the numbers.  People need to help get the word out and get these numbers up!

Why don't you help?  If you are a homeschooling in Canada, make sure you fill in the survey so that you are counted.  If you have friends that are homeschooling, point them to the form and stay after them until they, too, fill it in.  Post about it on your facebook, on your blog, in your provincial forums or email lists.  Talk about it at support group meetings.  Get the word out!  Let's get those numbers up and have some fun!

Which province do you think has the most homeschoolers?  Where do you think your province falls?

What are you doing for World Read Aloud Day, March 9, 2011?

You'll find suggestions for how to celebrate, a tally sheet, a certificate, and lots of other things on the WRAD activities page.

If you're looking for some suggestions for books to read aloud for World Read Aloud Day tomorrow, check out my 365 Days of Children's Books blog.  There are lots of suggestions there.  Why not check out at least one book by a Newfoundland Author and at least one book by a Canadian author?  While you're there, check out the March Reading Challenge.  I'd love to have you join and hear about what you read, even if it's just on World Read Aloud Day.

Anna and I will be attending Story Hour at our local library as well as participating in a special WRAD celebration with our local homeschoolers.  We love any excuse to enjoy books!

Homeschool conferences are a great encouragement

I'm in conference planning mode.  Our provincial homeschool group, CHENL, has been organizing a "Conference on the Rock" homeschool conference every year since it's beginning.  The purpose of the conference is to bring together homeschoolers from across our province and provide support, encouragement and inspiration.  Plans are presently under way for the 2011 CHENL Conference on the Rock.  It is great to be able to get together and I wish we could do it more often.

We are so spread out across our province that many homeschoolers are the only family in their community that is homeschooling and they never see any other homeschoolers.  For some, even getting out to the conference once a year is a struggle, because of the travel, costs, or timing.

I think these times of getting together are very important.  I don't think I would have survived all these years without the times that I was able to receive encouragement and support from other homeschoolers.

One year, before our provinical homeschool group started, a couple of other homeschooelers and I traveled to New Brunswick for a conference.  It was great to see so many others and not feel so alone!  I wished I could go every year but of course it just wasn't feasible.  I was glad when our provincial group started and I at least had the option to go to their conference each year.

Last year, thanks to the Old Schoolhouse Expo, I discovered the wonderful world of online conferences.  I still think there is nothing better than face to face conferences, but the online conference is definitely an added blessing when you don't get a chance to have face to face get togethers very often.  The really great thing about the Expo is that if for some reason you can't take in a session when it happens, you can always enjoy it at a time that is more convenient for you, because when you purchase a ticket to the Expo you also get access to recordings of each session.  I was so encouraged by the first Expo that I participated in!  It was just what I needed at just the right time.

Right now the Old Schoolhouse Expo is taking preorders for their Expo to Go.  If you aren't able to take in the Expo when it is taking place, May 16th-20th, you can still order the recordings and enjoy them when it is convenient for you to enjoy them.  For $19.99 you receive all the MP3 recordings from the Expo along with a great bunch of free gifts.  It's worth your while to check it out.

If you are homeschooling in Newfoundland and Labrador, I really hope that I will see you at the 2011 CHENL Conference on the Rock.  If you decide to take in the Old Schoolhouse Expo I'd love for you to let me know.  I plan on taking in both the provincial conference and the Old Schoolhouse Expo.  I love the opportunity to connect with homeschoolers all around the world!

Canadian "Homeschool Horizons" Magazine website has launched!

Check it out by clicking on the magazine logo above.  Read the explanation of the Homeschool Horizons logo, check out the Homeschool Horizons We Care page to read about a wonderful plan, send a link to your blog so that you can be added to the Homeschool Horizons' list of Canadian bloggers, and take a minute to fill in the Homeschool Horizons survey to have a say in what the magazine becomes.  Before you leave, don't forgot to sign up to be notified of updates.  Pass the word.  Here's a chance for homeschoolers across Canadian to connect and support one another.

Simply Music Online Music Lessons!

I don't remember where or how I first heard about the Simply Music program but it intrigued me the very first time I heard about it.  I recently took part in an introductory session to learn more about it and was even more intrigued.  I want to learn more, so I've decided to take part in the Online Simply Music Lessons "Live Class" Piano Camp/Level 1 Intro .

Tami Duvall, licensed and accredited Simply Music Instructor at Natural Notes Piano School Online Classroom,  is giving away a month's worth of weekly online piano classes. ($70 value)

From the Simply Music Website:

"Simply Music is the largest playing-based music education institution in the world, with educators at 520 locations throughout the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It presents a revolutionary, Australian-developed piano and keyboard method for those who would like to teach music, or learn how to play. This breakthrough program has students of all ages playing great-sounding blues, contemporary, classical and accompaniment pieces - immediately - from their very first lessons.
Simply Music educators look at music in an entirely new light, transforming the teaching and learning process. The program sets a new standard in music education, and presents the possibility of a new era in self-expression through music. "

 
The classes will be held LIVE on Tuesdays at 1:00pm CST (5:00pm NST) starting Feb 22. The drawing will be held on Feb 19. If you would like to be entered into the drawing, post a comment including these words, "I would like for my child(ren) and me to have music as a companion for the rest of our lives!"

*Note: Only students from USA and Canada can participate in Natural Notes Piano School Online Classroom.*

Act Fast to Get the Early Bird Price!

The Early Bird ticket price for the Spring Expo ends at midnight Eastern time on Wednesday, February 9.


Do you have your ticket? If not, act fast! You don't want to miss the deal.

Salt Fish and Scrunchions

Anna and I recently read a book titled Jack Likes Salt Fish and Scrunchions, Do You?  I have a confession to make.  Even though I am a proud Newfoundlander, I do not like Salt Fish and Scrunchions.  I did, however, really like the book, which is also known by the shortened title Salt Fish and Scrunchions.

The book was written and illustrated by Newfoundlander Necie and it is actually featured on my 365 Days of Children's Books blog.  You can read more about the actual book on the Salt Fish and Scrunchions feature at the 365 Day's of Children's Books blog.  You can check out Necie's Website for sample pages from the book and for the recipes mentioned below.

Here I want to share some pictures of the fun Anna and I had inspired by this book.  In the page section of the book are recipes of Newfoundland dishes and as soon as we finished reading the book Anna wanted to set in cooking.

We put the book into a clear plastic bag to protect it before we started.  We decided to try the Molasses Buns recipe first.

We put the first lot of ingredients into the bowl and Anna set to work mixing it together.

Some of the ingredients need to be warmed in the microwave so Anna helped punch in the time.

It got a little hard to stir when we started to add the flour in.

Finally it was all mixed together and ready to put on the cookie sheets.  Though the recipe said to form it into balls, we just dropped spoonfuls on the cookie sheet.

Here are the yummy results! - minus the three that Anna ate from the first batch while the second batch was cooking. 

A couple days later Anna wanted to read the book again and try out another recipe.  This time we decided to try the Blueberry Crumble.  The book went back into the clear plastic bag for protection and then we set to work.

Once again, Anna really enjoyed the results.

I wonder what we'll make on our next reread?

Ever thought about starting your own business?

Ever thought about starting your own business?  Have your kids ever shown any interest in starting their own business?

I think it's something just about everyone dreams about at some point in time.  It seems to me lately that a lot of homeschoolers - parents and/or students - are making that dream come true.  I read about it more and more all the time.

If you or your children have any interest in running your own business you should definitely check out the upcoming TOS Expo.  There are a number of sessions planned for the Expo that have to do with starting and running a business.

If you have teens, whether they are interested in business or not, they still might be interested in some of the sessions in the Teen Track planned for this Expo.  Last Expo there were also a few sessions that were great for teens. Check out the speakers and topics here.

The really great thing about the Expo is that it is an online conference so you get to enjoy it without having to leave the comfort of your home and what makes it even better is that when you purchase an Expo ticket you also get recordings of all the sessions so that if you can't watch them at the time they happen, you can watch them at your leisure at a more convenient time.  Often at conferences you have to pick which ones your going to take in and which ones your going to miss.  With the Expo you don't have to miss any!

If you want to hear more about it check out this post by a mom with two sons making the most of their interest in entrepreneurialism.

Canadian "Homeschool Horizons" Magazine website launching soon!

If you are a Canadian Homeschooler then you should go join the Homeschool Horizon's Facegroup page now!  The editor of the magazine, and owner of the facegroup page has suggested that the website for the magazine could launch next week, if we get 300 people to join the facebook page.  We are presently at the time of this writing at 255.  Help us reach the 300 goal before the weekend is through.  Go join the facebook group.  You will then be one of the first to know about the launch of the website.  I've also heard that there will be a special surprise for everyone.  While you're on the facebook page, make sure you check out the new logo.  It has so much meaning packed into it!  Check out it!  And don't forget to spread the word!

And the Winner is....

Carla!  She won the free ticket I had to give away to the TOS Spring Expo.

Be sure to get your ticket to the TOS Spring Expo while the early bird price is still available!

Last Week's Library Loot Reviews

Goose Girl by Joe McLellan and Matrine McLellan, illustrated by Rhian Brynjolson (Canadian Authors and Illustrator)
The illustrations in this book are very nice.  I'd love to have some of them as artwork in my house.  It tells the story of a Cree girl and her special connection to geese and how she found her special calling in life.  Overall I liked this book but it does have some spiritual ideas that I don't agree with.  At the back is a page of information about Canadian geese.  Would be a good addition to a social studies lesson on native people.

Night Flight by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Carl Pelletier (Canadian author and illustrator)
Every night when Lucas goes to bed his imagination takes him on wild adventures.  In rhyming text we are told of some of his adventures.

Bear in the Air by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Amy Bates
Very cute story about a bear that falls from a stroller and ends up having all kinds of adventures before it is found and returned.  Love the illustrations too.

Emma's Treasure by Gerald Mercer, illustrated by Jillian Nicol (Newfoundland author and illustrator)
Loved it!  Emma found an old trunk that once belonged to her grandfather.  The trunk led to all kinds of fun learning for her and her friends.

Emma's New Game by Gerald Mercer, illustrated by Jillian Nicol (Newfoundland author and illustrator)
Love this book and actually featured it on my 365 Days of Children's books blog.  Emma and her friends learn about a game that her grandfather and his friends used to play.  The game was called conkers and involved making your own playing peice from a chestnut.  The story ends with the children and their grandparents having a competition with the conkers they make.

Newfoundland And Labrador ABC Alphabet Book story and original paintings by Dale Ryan
The paintings in this book are beautiful!  I actually featured this book on my 365 Days of Children's Books blog.  We loved it!

Sadie And The Snowman by Allen Morgan, illustrated by Brenda Clark (Canadian author and illustrator)
Sadie has great fun building snowmen all throughout the winter, though she is a little sad at first when the animals pick her snowman apart and the snowman starts to melt in the heat.  A really cute story.  She keeps using different things to make the snowman and in the end places what's left in a bowl and when it melts puts the water into a bag and keeps it in her freezer until winter comes again.  I featured this book on my 365 Days of Childen's Books blog

Do You Still Love Me? by Charlotte Middleton
Dudley the dog has a great life with Anna, his owner, until Anna gets a new pet and Dudley wonders if she still loves him.  Dudley is not crazy about this competition but before long they find a way to all be happy together.  Cute story.  Of course Anna liked the fact that the girl's name was Anna.

Freddy's Hockey Hero by Susan Chalker Browne, illustrations by Hilda Rose (Newfoundland Author, Canadian Illustrator?)
Freddy is really excited to be going to a hockey game and is convinced he's going to see his favorite player there.  Not only does he get to see him, but he gets to take shots with him!  Kind of cute story but I bit too wordy for me.  Some repeat phrases on some pages that werwe kind of cute but once again a bit too wordy for me.  Maybe it was my mood when I read it.

The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
Minna longs to go to school but can't because she doesn't have a coat to wear in the winter, until the Quilting Mother's come up with a plan and make her a very special coat.  Unfortunately the children at school make fun of her coat, but soon Minna helps them see how special the coat is.  Beautiful watercolor pictures of a time past.

The Tooth Book: A Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums by Edward Miller
I wasn't crazy about this book, but Anna liked it.  It is an information book about teeth and how to take care of them.

I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt, illustrated by Cyd Moore
As Mama tucks her little one in bed and tells her/him? she loves him the little one asks a question, "would you still love me if..."  A cute book.

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Charlie likes school, but he doesn't like being the smallest one in his class.  One day Charlie's teacher gets his students to do an activity with pumpkins and Charlie learns that size alone is not the only important thing.  Lots of chances for learning in this book.  Great for a fall activity.  Helps teach observation, estimating, counting by twos, fives, tens.

Hog-Eye by Susan Meddaugh
Little Miss Pig decided to skip her bus ride to school, because her bus was too noisy, and ended up being caught by a wolf, but she outwitted the wolf and got away.  Anna and I both thought this was a pretty good book.

Star's Island by Margaret O'Brien, illustrated by Veselina Tomova (Newfoundland author and illustrator)
Star the pony loves his small island in the middle of the ocean, but one day Cordell, a big white bird, convinces him to check out the big island where Cordell insists everything is bigger and better.  Star goes to check it out and enjoys himself, but he longs to get back to his little island again.  In the end Cordell and Star decide that even though the both prefer different places they can still both be best friends.  A cute story that makes me think about how many Newfoundlanders feel about thier home.  Found a YouTube video of the book's launching.

Duncan's Way by Ian Wallace (Canadian Author)
It looks like Duncan and his family might have to follow the steps of many of their friends and leave the island they love to find work, until Duncan comes up with an idea that just might make it possible for them to stay.  Many Newfoundlanders will relate to this story.

Brave Jack and the Unicorn by Janet McNaughton, art by Susan Tooke (Newfoundland Author, Canadian Illustrator)
The story in this book reminded me of a folk tale that I had read before.  An old lady has three sons, one who's handsome, one who's clever, and one who seems to be no good for anything, but is very kindhearted.  The kindhearted son goes through a series of circumstances that shows his true worth.  What makes this particular version of the story different is that it is set in Newfoundland.  The illustrations are of 15 different locations in Newfoundland and Labrador.  There is a list of these locations in the beginning of the book.  One complaint I have about the book is that the page numbers are not on the pages, making it a bit of a pain to find a particular page.  It would be great to us this book in a study of Newfoundland and us the different illustrations to learn about different places in Newfoundland and Labrador.  I featured this one on my 365 Days of Children's Books blog

The Blue Door: A Fox and Rabbit Story (A First Flight Reader) by David McPhail, illustrated by John O'Connor
Fox invites Rabbit to go with him on a visit to his Uncle's place, but there is one problem, Fox doesn't have an address for his Uncle's place he only remembers that he had a blue door.  Fox and Rabbit set out anyway and eventually find Fox's uncle.  It is a cute story.

Count Down to Kindergarten by Alison McGhee, pictures by Harry Bliss
Honestly, I wasn't real crazy about this book.  I'm just not a fan of a book that tells a lot of the story with speech balloons.  Being a book about getting ready to go to public school for kindergarten it is also not a book that goes along with our philosophies.  That being said, it wasn't too bad and it would be a cute book to read to a child that was preparing to go to Kindergarten.  The little girl in the book has been told that kindergarteners have to be able to tie their laces by themselves and she is very worried because she doesn't know how to do that.

Adele And Simon by Barbara McClintock
Love this book! The story is cute and the illustrations are wonderful. The book tells about the struggles big sister Adele has trying to get her little brother Simon home without losing all his things along the way. She's not too successful with that task and it is fun to find hidden on each page something else that Simon has lost along the way. Set in the early 20th century Paris, the illustrations in this book make for a great social studies lesson.  In the back of the book the author shares the inspiration for each illustration, giving information about many historical places in Paris.  I featured this book on my 365 Days of Children's Books blog.

I'm Sorry by Sam McBratney, illustrations by Jennifer Eachus
Beautiful pictures in this book which tells about the friendship between a little boy and a little girl.  They have so much fun together, but there are also times when they need to say "I'm sorry."

Where Are You Bear?: A Canadian Alphabet Adventure written by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by Sean L. Moore (Canadian Author and Illustrator)
Sophie is excited to go visit her Grandma in Vancouver but she can't find Bear and has to leave without him.  Bear sets out on his own adventure to get to Sophie and both Sophie and Bear see all kinds of things as they travel across Canada.  Each double spread page features a different province or territory and different letters of the alphabet.  Kind of cute but a little too contrived for me, or maybe I was just in a bad mood when I read it and I need to reread.  The inside front and back pages show a map of Canada and a chart showing what Sophie and Bear saw in each province.

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (Canadian Author)
Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his home because he's afraid of everything, until one day he accidently leaves and finds out the big wide world is not quite as scary as he thought it was.  I wasn't a big fan of this book, mostly because of the style of it.  Anna, however, thought it was great.

Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland (Canadian)
Bear loves to hug everything, until one day he sees something that makes him angry.  He decides to put his anger aside and hug anyway.  Cute story.  Featured on my 365 Days of Children's Books blog.

Maggie and Hero by Margaret O'Brien, illustrated by Veselina Tomova (Newfoundland Author and illustrator)
Maggie the puppy is always getting in trouble and feels like she's no good for anything, until she meets a big dog named Hero. and Hero convinces her that she is good for something and with Hero's encourgement Maggie herself becomes a Hero and rescues a boy.  Cute story.

Heroes of Isle aux Morts by Alice Walsh, illustrations by Geoff Butler (Newfoundland author and illustrator)
Tells the true story of how a Newfoundland dog helped save passengers from a grounded ship of Isle aux Mort in Newfoundland in 1832.  Featured on my 365 Days of Children's Books blog.

P is Puffin: A Newfoundland and Labrador Alphabet written by Janet Skirving and illustrated by Odell Archibald (Newfoundland author and illustrator)
This book can be read and enjoyed as a simple alphabet book by reading just the main text on each page, or it can become the jump off point for some great social studies learning by reading the additional information on each page, making it a book applicable to many age groups.  To be perfectly truthful, I found some of the rhyming in the book's main text to be difficult and contrived, but I do see us coming back to this book again as a basis for some social studies learning.

Johnny and the Gipsy Moth by Deannie Sullivan-Fraser, illustrated by Hilda Rose (Newfoundland author)
Inspired by true events in the author's father's childhood.  Johnny has trouble fitting in when his family moves from the big city to a small community, but a special visit from his uncle changes things.  His uncle arrives in a Gipsy Moth aiplane and takes Johnny for a ride, stirring up envy and interest from the young boys that liked to make fun of Johnny.  The story is sprinkled with Newfoundland words and sayings and has a one page glossay in the back to explain some of them.  It is a nice book to read just for fun but it can also be used to initate some social studies lessons about dialects and also about the history of flight in Newfoundland.

Two books for me:
Be Safe Little Boy and Stay Close Little Girl, both by Karen Kingsbury.  I cried my way through both.  They would make great graduation or wedding gifts for adult children.  The kind of reminded me of I'll Love you Forever by Robert Munsch.

Get Your Ticket NOW for the TOS Spring Expo Coming up May 16-20

Chance to win a free ticket below!

The TOS Expo is an online homeschool conference.  You get to sit in the comfort of your home and connect with homeschoolers around the world and hear homeschooling experts share their expertize.  If something happens and your schedule doesn't allow you to enjoy a session when it is scheduled, there's no need to worry about it because you get recordings of all the sessions to listen to at your own leisure once the Expo is over.  Also, during the Expo there are free gifts and door prizes offered during each session.

I took in my first Expo this past Fall and I will never miss another if I can help it.  I was so inspired and encouraged by the speakers and I enjoyed the interaction with homeschoolers around the world, all while sitting in my own living room!  I was also the lucky recipient of a couple of great prizes offered during the sessions.

Tickets are on sale now for the TOS Spring Expo (to be held on May 16-20). There are a limited number of tickets available and right now they are having an early bird sale.  You get a package valued at $419.87 for just $19.50!  Here's what you get:
Live Schoolhouse Expo Ticket—$39.99
Free Gifts Package—$211.73
Bonus Freebies—$103.15
HLA Membership—$65.00

February 10th the price goes up to $29 and you don't get the bonus freebies so you get a package valued at $316.72.
Febuary 27th the price goes up to $39.99.

Susan Wise Bauer, of The Well Trained Mind is one of the speakers this time around!  One of my favorite speakers from last time was Carol Barnier.  She was so entertaining and encouraging.  I am thrilled that she is speaking again this time.  Another speaker that I learned a lot from last year was Dianne Craft.  I won one of her books in her session last time.  I'm excited to learn more from her this time around.  I'm also really looking forward to the devotionals with Deborah Wuehler.

Check out all the speakers and the topics at the Expo Site.

I am thrilled that I have been given a ticket to the Expo to give away to one of my readers!  I'd love to see more Canadians take part in the Expo so if you are a Canadian Homeschooler and are interested in getting a free ticket, with all the extras, to the Expo, just leave a comment and tell me what it is about the Expo that interests you.  I will put the names in a bag and get my daughter to pick a winner Thursday night and announce the winner right here Friday. If you blog, twitter or facebook about my free ticket and leave me a link to check it out I will put your name in a second time.

So, leave a comment, pass the word around and be sure to check back to see if you won.

Schoolhouse Expo Freebie for Facebook fans Starting Today

Go to the Schoolhouse Expo on Facebook and "like" the Expo to recieve a freebie - an ebook called "College Success Begins at Home:  Seasoned Homeschoolers Share Their Experiences." Hurry before it sells out and the offer ends.

Besides getting the freebie, liking the Schoolhouse Expo on Facebook will mean that you will be notified of all exciting happenings in preparation for the Spring Expo which starts May 16-20.  Tickets will be going on sale very, very soon.  Stay tuned!  :)