Thrift Schooling

Welcome to the first and longest running vertical wind tunnel open to the public!  After a quick classroom briefing we will assist you with your flight gear and then teach you the basics of human flight in our vertical wind tunnel.  No experience necessary, our instructors will be there to guide you as you spread your wings and learn to FLY! Special Offer $ 5.00 Off Video Service . Take the experience home! Show your friends! HD video of your flight on USB thumbdrive. Bring your Flyaway USB back to record additional flights. Disclaimer: This post is made possible by our friends at USFamilyGuide.com and Flyaway Indoor Skydiving.

We recently have had the opportunity to review an    Á La Carte  product from Home School in the Woods . I chose to have my kids work on The Erie Canal Lapbook Project for several obvious reasons. 1- I grew up in a canal town. We were less than a two block walk from the Erie Canal. I have memories of biking, canoeing, eating ice-cream and attending festivals along the canal. I remember the boat rides, the locks and the bridges. My first job growing up was at our local library that overlooks the canal. This was my childhood and to share both the memories and the historical significance of this canal with my children, is priceless. 2- My father is presently vice-chair of the Erie Canal board. I hoped to share the history of the canal with my children so they would be able to learn something that was important to their grandfather.  3- We love lapbooks! When I am in need of a quick, fun and easy resource for my kids to do when we are not working in our normal...

*I've heard of bloggers doing a Five-Minute post. They set their timer for five minutes, and write. They don't stop, they just write until the time is up. This is my attempt at such a post!* Some people ask me, "how do you do it all?" Sometimes I want to ask them the same thing! There are many different choices about how we manage our lives in relation to our childrens and they are all valid options. 1- Stay at Home Mom: This is both easy and not easy all in the same. For one, I am home. So if my kids are sick or if the roads are too terrible to travel, I am already home. Some people might not choose this option because even though the work load pretty much equals out to about the same, the pay is significantly different. 2- Work at Home Mom: Not everyone can afford, or think they can afford to live on one income. Depending on your expenses, this might be the only option for some. The benefit to this is you will have an extra source of income for your family. Th...

*I've heard of bloggers doing a Five-Minute post. They set their timer for five minutes, and write. They don't stop, they don't edit, they just write until the time is up. This is my attempt at such a post!* I was still in my PJ's. I mean it was only 10am in the morning on a Monday morning. Our power had been out for several days, three and half to be exact. I heard someone knocking at the door. Who in the world? Once I peeked out, I knew. No, it wasn't two men with neatly pressed white shirts and black nametags beginning with "elder." Rather, it was a neatly dressed lady, none other than a Jehovah's witness. Awesome. I opened the door and let her begin her speech. Quickly I began asking her about Jesus. Knowing that they do not believe that Jesus is God but just one of many gods, I quickly began asking her about this. Quoting scripture about Jesus and asking her personally why she follows the JW religion. I talked, she talked. I asked, she answered....

We have found what we have been looking for in The Pencil Grip Inc .'s 24 pack of Magic Stix Washable Markers . These markers are the perfect fit for a homeschooling family such as ours. I am thrilled to tell you about our experience with them! Normally, I do not have a favorable impression of markers for several reasons. For one, as a kid, I remember markers having such a strong smell that it would give me a headache. I know some kids enjoyed the scents but it certainly was not for me. And to be honest, if I had markers like that in my house today, my kids would probably stick them up their nose or something. Another reason I have a distaste for markers is the drying out factor. As a parent of many children this is super frustrating. I finally teach the older ones to put the caps back on when they are done using their markers but then a younger one comes along and just doesn't understand. This then leads to the undue frustration of your child sitting down to...

My second grade daughter has recently been enjoying a one-year subscription to the The Starfall Home Membership  from the Starfall Education Foundation . From day one of homeschooling I had known about this program . It was talked about online, with friends at church and among other homeschoolers. I had known several people who had purchased a membership, and loved it, but when I first downloaded the app I only used the limited free version. I was impressed with what I saw and let my kids frequent the site but the kids always wanted more since they were not able to access the entire site with the free version.  Now that I have The Starfall Home Membership, the disappointment has been lifted and my daughter especially has been thrilled to have access to all of the content.  With the membership, you receive access to not only the app but the website. In addition to the fun activities geared towards children pre-k through second grade, there is a plethora of parent tea...

Resurrection Rolls Recipe The week before Easter, I call the kids into the kitchen for a special breakfast treat, Resurrection Rolls to help prepare them for the celebration of our risen king. I don't have a problem with letting them dye eggs or eat marshmallow peeps (we don't do the Easter bunny though) but I do make sure they understand the true meaning of Easter. This fun activity helps to get the point across! The ingredient list is simple: 2 (10 oz) Cans Refrigerated Biscuits 1 (10.5 Oz) Bag Marshmallows 1/2 Cup Sugar 3 Tablespoons Cinnamon 1/4 Cup Melted Butter While the oven is preheating to 400 degrees, the children combine the sugar and cinnamon. I hand each one a flattened biscuit and they place "Jesus" (the marshmallow) in the tomb. They fold it up so the edges are wrapped firmly around the marshmallow and then dip it into the "oil," (butter). Then they dip it into the "spices," cinnamon and sugar. I place them in the ov...