Product Review: TOS' Digital Magazine

Have you ever read a magazine and thought to yourself, "I need to remember that web page!" Subscribe to the The Old Schoolhouse magazine in digital format and you won't need to!

You will absolutely love reading a digital magazine, as long as you can get over the fact you are not holding a paper magazine in your hand! You won't have any bent-page magazines to recycle either - and that's definitely a bonus. You get the same magazine, only digital, at a discounted price. Plus you have access to it 24/7 via your computer.

The digital interface is friendly and easy to use. There is a toolbar across the top with many options to personalize your reading experience. Turn the digital pages by clicking the left and right arrows. Figuring out how to adjust the settings to meet your personal visual needs is self explanatory.

Two of the toolbar items that are helpful in navigating the magazine are the "Contents" tab and the "Pages" tab. By clicking on "Contents" you fill find links to the contents of the entire magazine. By clicking on "Pages" you will see the entire magazine in thumbnail sized pages (that are clickable to full pages).

The best reason to subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse digital magazine is the clickable links. You have access to clickable links for homeschool related articles and homeschool related products. If you are interested in a homeschool product, you don't have to find their url and type in in the address bar correctly... you just click on it and it magically takes you to their site!

View the sample Summer 2007 edition of The Old Schoolhouse HERE.

Subscribe to TOS HERE.

If you would like to receive a free one-year subscription to the digital version of The Old Schoolhouse magazine, leave me a comment in the comment box on my blog before the end of August be entered into my drawing! Forward this on to friends to give them the chance to win a subscription too! www.homeschooling4life.com

Product Review: The Schoolhouse Planner by TOS

The Schoolhouse Planner is a downloadable ebook for homeschooling moms. An all inclusive planner that has just about every conceivable fill-in-able form that any homeschooling mom would ever want.

It should have been called
"TOS' Great Big Book of Everything!"

So, what's inside?
*July 2008-June 2009 Monthly Calendars
*2008 & 2009 At-A-Glance Calendars
*Recipes for each calendar month
*Monthly Teaching Tips on writing, unit studies, foreign language, and more.
*Monthly Resource Lists that correlate with the teaching tips.
*Almost every homeschool form you can think of (from curriculum planning pages to nature journal pages).
*Household forms (from chore charts to meal planning).
*Over 240 pages of helpful planning materials!

The Schoolhouse Planner has two *incredible* features:
First, the table of contents items are clickable to the actual pages of the items; which means that if you want to find the "field trip log," you can click on "field trip log" in the table of contents and it will click you there!

Second, unlike many .pdf files you open in adobe acrobat, TOS has published the planner so that you may fill in the blanks and save the file with your own personal information in it! Fill it in, save it and print it out at your discretion. Thank you TOS!

Print only the pages you use and put them into a binder for your own personal use!

You'll find The Schoolhouse Planner HERE at The Old Schoolhouse Store!

Not familiar with ebooks? Save it to your hard drive, and view it with a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat (a free download at www.adobe.com).

To see a special sneek peek click HERE.

Post kudos on my blog (by clicking on "comments" below) and I will put you into a drawing for a free copy of The Schoolhouse Planner at the end of August! www.homeschooling4life.com

Share the Welt!

This last week or so has been interesting.... Actually, the whole month has been.

The kids went to the dentist, and no cavities *again* Yay!! We had a hard time with Josiah when he was young, and we've come a long way in this dept.!

This is a picture of us on the 3rd of July, down at the Hasenhorls on the 3rd of July party in Stanwood, Wa.

Rod and I are adjusting to life. Things are going well... as well as can be expected anyhow.



Josiah played in the AllStars tournament at the beginning of the month. I'm not sure I would have him play again. They stayed in for four games. Won-lost-won-lost.

7/13/08: A friend of ours, through Friday School, had a bunch of free tickets for paintball. So they took a group of about 40 people, including a bunch of our friday school teens. I didn't think anything of going, until the day before when I realized what we were going to be doing. Then when we got there *sigh* I was SO chicken!!!

There were quite a few of us who hadn't played before. By the end of the day, I felt like I was one of the boys. Can you see me crawling on the ground with a gun and hiding behind paintball shelters? Funny, huh? I played every game, and had so much fun.

They have a sign up that said "share the welt". Yah, we sure did. I have a couple of big ol’ bruises. We took Josiah with us. He was a real trooper - figured out fast to stay out of others' sights. One of my favorite memories from that day will be seeing him "charge the hill" like he was playing in Star wars Battlefront! Living the Dream - that's what he did! I ended up really enjoying myself. Told Rod that we need to invest in some guns and create a paintball type field out at mom & dads... that would Rock!

Left: Josiah with his paintball gun.

Afterwards we spent the evening out on Samish Island at the beach. Bonfire & BBQ. I love bonfires. (The only thing missing was Jay & his guitar!)

Left: Julia on Princess Amy.

This last week the boys went to horse camp. Josiah full day. Jedediah and Jaden half days.

Monday when went to pick the boys up, Julia was mad as a hornet. She wanted to ride a pony so badly!! There was a big "show" over it. (The boys have been talking about it for two weeks, and she thought she was going too, but she's not even close to being old enough.) So we signed her up for a couple of pony rides. She rode the pony named Princess Amy. That was a befitting ride for my little girl. Josiah rode Digger (horse) this year. Jedediah rode Maple (horse) and Jaden rode Rex (pony).

Below: Jedediah on Maple.

Graduation was last friday.. where we go watched them ride and where we hear our boys get awarded… Josiah “best drill team leader”, Jedediah “speedy cowboy,” and Jaden “energizer cowboy”. I got a kick out of each of their titles… they don’t’ EVER have a boy be the drill team leader on graduation day… so it was a BIG deal for Josiah to be one! And he did an awesome job! Jedediah really found his place in horse riding this year… Jaden I guess had enough energy for the entire group! It was a good week.

Below: Jaden on Rex.

Rod got his first unemployment check this last week. I seriously wonder how anyone is expected to live on that... but it's a good something. His severance check hasn't come. They have 30 days to give it to him. I sure hope they don't wait till midnight on July 28th (last day) to give it to him!

For what he has looked for work, he hasn't found anything. Honestly, i'm enjoying his time off. I just keep thanking the Lord for keeping enough in the bank to pay our bills and put food on the table. I'm really trying not to stress because I really do believe that the Lord will provide for us.

It's Friday School newsletter time again. I haven't had to do it (take a couple of months off in the summer), but it's time to get that started up again. I'd put it so far out of my mind, that I had to try to remember what program we do it in. Polli began using this particular program, and it works fantastic for us, but I only use it for the newsletter.. so I had to laugh at myself about that. So, you can see me.. sitting in front of a large monitor working on it for a few hours trying to fit all the new stuff & changes into it!!!

Hope you're having a great July! Thinking of you all! Looking forward to some sort of get together when the TenBrinks get home :) Zip.

Here's More

Seems like a lot is still going on. Thinking I need one of those trips to Florida to clear my mind!!!

Josiah & the Allstars. (Sounds a bit like Alvin and the Chipmunks!) Well, practice has been going well. Coach had him get a longer bat. So, I thought this wasn't going to cost me anything :) We found out that the tournament is in Oak Harbor this year (rotates yearly...). Hmm. Yah. So we'll see how that goes. The most we could drive over there is six times... Minimum I believe is four. Double elimination tournament. Honestly, we just didn't know what we were getting into when we signed him up. Excited that he made the team.. a little concerned about the process. It should be fine... But what's wierd is that I feel like i'm supposed to put 10 evenings on hold between July 6 & July 16.. and life doesn't happen that way.

Rod's work.. well.. his job ends friday. I can tell you that I feel anxious. Not because I'm afraid of him being laid off... but because i've waited about 6 weeks for this date and I just want it to be over already! Tired of the goofy corperate stuff... like his boss getting chewed on because the store isn't selling anything.. ummm duh, on that one. Like Rod's getting the cell number cut off after 8 years of the same number (most likely anyway) because they won't allow him to change it from a dealer to a non dealer line. Yah. Tired of this type of stuff.

Wondering what we are going to be doing with the severence money. I'm thinking that we'll probably hold on to it, or a significant portion of it, until we figure out what is really going on financially.. job-wise.. etc.

This last friday, we lost a family friend. The guy that died in a hamilton construction accident was a friend of ours. Rod and I weren't terribly close to him per se, but I've known the family since Kindergarten. We've done thanksgivings with them, family parties, and so much more. My friend, my age, Erica, lost her husband. He was 34. They have two young kids. My heart really goes out to her. On our anniversary, we found out about what happened to Caine, and Rod and I went and spent time with the family. I may have sacrificed an important evening of my relationship with Rod, but she'll never get another one on this earth with Caine. I was so glad that we did. Interesting enough, it's made the whole job thing seem so much smaller. A job is a job. It's not the loss of someone you said that you want to spend your forever with... The funeral is tomorrow, ordered flowers tonight. I really wish I could help... I'm going to pray pray pray that she makes it through this!!! I told her that if she EVER needs me to watch the kids, for any reason, that I definately will. Rod asked if he could get the funeral off. I didn't think his boss would let him... but she said yes..

On a different note... when we took the kids rafing... one of the parents suggested a missions trip for the teens... hmm... so I looked into doing a missions trip with Alternative Missions (the people that Jay & Faith work with)... and it looks like it may be a Go. We've only talked with a few of the parents, and allll of them have been positive. I didn't expect that at all. We are hoping to plan it, if it goes, for Sept of 2009. So we have plenty of time to get the money together.. as well as go right before friday school starts.. so that the kids are all amped up at the beginning of friday school. I'm hoping that this works.. but we need a fundraising coordinator. I'm willing to plan it, but we need someone who will step up to do fundraising. I've got tooo many irons in the fire to do that part!!!

Ok, well, that's all for now folks! Zindra

Nelsons: June 2008

Where do I begin? June has been crazy! Rod has found out that he is getting laid off. I think i'm finally out of shock into accecptance on this one. He's had an interview, but it's not one he would take. At the moment we really are considering him working from home doing Advertising for FCHM. Even if this doesn't become a full time job, FCHM needs the support so... either way he'll be doing their advertising!

Josiah is on the All Stars baseball team for Mt. Vernon. It started today. Here in June, it was pouring down rain... so I didn't sit on the bleachers until the end of practice to meet the coach (I sat in the car.) Garrett had bmx practice at the same park, so Mom ended up bringing Josiah home. I guess Josiah gave the coach our number, so I hope to hear from him soon, but next practice is saturday morning (when i'm supposed to be at a baby shower :?)

Jedediah has a friend, Xavier, who has played soccer for the last couple of years. His friend's mom, emailed me the other day and told me that soccer registration is happening. So I signed Jed up. I think they don't do anything until the end of august... so we'll see what goes on there. Haven't done soccer before.

Lately, my parents have had a lot of outside work that has needed to be done. So Rod and I set up a service project for our teens group to come work out at Mom & Dads. That was today! We are going to be providing the teens a service project completion letter for their college portfolios (which I guess is a big deal..). We had so many kids we finished early and the kids got to hang out.

My parents needed a ditch dug for the propane line to the house, the wood pile moved, the big outside windows washed.. rocks taken out of the front and back yards so that grass can be seeded, and last but not least, they moved the blocks for a retaining wall for the front yard and then built the wall, and filled behind it. They got a month's worth of work done in ONE afternoon! How much did it cost my parents? They bought the fixins for a bonfire BBQ. What was so cool, was that the kids earned respect.. and my parents saw Christian kids in action, showing Christ's love! Now, that was a cool way to use the influence Rod and I have in our group. Since the parents are all interested in service projects... i'm looking for another one to do later in the summer. I'd like to get the kids into the habit of doing them quarterly or something.

One of the parents of the teens had some free paintball tix. So Rod, Josiah, me and some teens are going to get to go paintballing (sp?) for the cost of the paint in a couple of weeks. Never done it before, got to try it at least once! I hear i'm supposed to wear layers!!!

One other friday school thing that is interesting... some of the parents want to do school bags & letterman jackets & rings for the older kids... Yet we hadn't decided on a mascot. Our colors have always been blue & white.. but today we talked to the teens (a parent said that the teens should decide, and we've all gone with that suggestion) and I think we've decided that we are going to be the First Class Skagit County Eagles. Skagit Valley has a history of eagles and then there is strong biblical references to eagles. It just seems to fit. So we will take that before the board and get final approval next month. (it helps that we are on the board). So, when Josiah and Jedediah are ready for a school bag or a class ring, we will have school colors and a mascot.. so all that will be ready when they are old enough to understand all of that stuff. This has been one of the things Rod & I have discussed, as homeschoolers, that our kids will miss... and now, they won't have to!!!

Me? I'm trying to hold things together, like usual. Money, time, kids, friday school stuff, FCHM stuff, friends.. It's one huge balancing act. Yet, it's rewarding. Some days I'm wondering what i'm doing, other days I've never felt so alive! Well, that's all for now.. Zindra