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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Littles Learning Link Up: July 31, 2018


 Each month you will find:
  • A seasonal round-up (usually toward the beginning of the month)
  • Posts where I share what I have been up to with my early elementary children (including occasional highlight posts where I share how we used ideas that have been linked up here on Littles Learning Link Up).
Each week, I will host a link up, where you can share either what you have been up to recently, or old posts that may go with the theme.  Feel free to link up more than one post.

Each week I will continue to feature a couple of posts from those that have been linked up. 

I hope you will continue to share your wonderful posts, and I hope you will find something new to try with your child(ren).

It would be great for everyone to stop by and visit the other linked-up posts as well. Check them out, leave some comments, pin those that interest you. Let's make this a real party and socialize with each other.

What have we been up to?

We have been busy focusing on the different review products we are reviewing right now, in addition to reading books on Ancient Greece. 

For science Tabitha and Amelia were working on the Dinosaurs and the Bible online study from Northwest Treasures. Harold and Hannah have been using the science lessons from WriteBonnieRose. Hannah was learning about hibernation, and Harold was learning about the water cycle. We are all going to start focusing on plants using the lessons from WriteBonnieRose plus our science textbook and books we have out from the library. 

In addition to reading books on Ancient Greece we have also been building a timeline on Ancient Greece from Home School in the Woods.



And we have been having fun learning about England and Peru with our Paddington Bear Lit Study from Branch Out World. We just added in learning grammar with Grammar Planet. 

The children were also having some artistic fun using clay. It's the kind that will harden when baked in the oven (which is why it is in my baking dish).



And of course, we are still participating in those Summer Reading Programs, though Tabitha will miss out this week as she is at camp for the week. She was quite happy to finally get to go, especially because this is the first year she gets to go to Art Camp.



Let's take a look at that review schedule real quick:

Last week I shared my review for the online courses from Northwest Treasures titled Taking the Mystery Out of Geology and Dinosaurs and the Bible. This week I will be sharing my reviews for science lessons from WriteBonnieRose, and the timeline from Home School in the Woods. In August I will be sharing my review of the Paddington Lit Study from Branch Out World and GrammarPlanet.

Here are some things I would like to share with you:

Here are some ideas for keeping your children busy this summer.


Whether you can get to the beach or not, here are some fun beach related ideas.



Maybe you prefer to camp over going to the beach. I have a round up for that as well.



Now onto:
Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 3 wonderful post linked up. I decided to feature each of them as there were no clicks.

Please, don't forget to stop by other posts that are linked up. See what catches your eye, stop by, pin the post to a relevant board, and perhaps leave a comment to let the author of the blog know you have been by for a visit. I know I appreciate others commenting and letting me know they have read my posts, so I am sure others do too.

This week's first post:



This week's second post is:


Brandy from The Barefoot Mom shared Rainbow Science.

This week's third post is:


Kristen at A Mom's Quest to Teach shared Learning About the Alphabet: G is for Giraffe.

Join the Party!

I would love to have you join in this week! What sort of activities do you do with your young children? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on one of my relevant boards, and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up.

Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our school time. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your child, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Linky will be open through Monday night, to give me time to check out all the posts and get the Features organized. Please take the time to visit some of the other wonderful posts linked up.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button. Just link it to my Littles Learning Link Up permalink please.



I am sharing over at

Homeschool Coffee Break




Monday, July 30, 2018

Tuesday's Giveaway Link Up- July 31, 2018


Welcome to Tuesday's Giveaway Link Up with your hosts Karen @ Tots and Me, Emily @ Emily Reviews, Shelly @ The Attic Girl, and Rena @ An Ordinary Housewife.

So glad you could join us as we share our giveaways on  Tuesday's Giveaway Link Ups. 

This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways.

Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up

1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)

2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)

3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!

Featured Giveaway

Teepee Joy US only Ends 8/24


Featured Reviews





If you would  like to follow the  hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.

Thank you for linking up with Karen @ Tots and Me, Emily @ Emily ReviewsShelly @ The Attic Girl, and Rena @ An Ordinary Housewife.


Saturday, July 28, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday - July 27th, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday
July 27th, 2018

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

Tabitha still has a wide variety of books she is working through. Here are the three she is currently in the middle of.


Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger is the first book in the series I am also reading. We are both having a hard time putting the books down. They are full of adventure and fantasy, a great combination. 

The Hidden Staircase is the second Nancy Drew book by Carolyn Keene. I'm so glad Tabitha is old enough to read these books now. I loved them when I was a kid.

Warriors The New Prophecy: Sunset by Erin Hunter is the last book in this second Warriors series. Tabitha is really enjoying this story and is quite obsessed with it.

Amelia is still trying to work her way through the following two books.


Survivors The Gathering Darkness: A Pack Divided is another series by Erin Hunter (the author of Warriors). Amelia couldn't quite get into the Warriors books, but she was really enjoying this book. That is until she realized she was confused about some of the things that were happening in the story and she realized there is a whole other Survivors series prior to this one. So, I am going to have to find those for her to read first.

She is also enjoying the Great Illustrated Classics version of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

She didn't read that much last week, but we are going to make sure she does better this week.

I sort of forced Hannah to start reading something different as she had been rereading the Tales of Sasha books over and over. Not that I don't understand the draw of rereading something you really enjoy (been there done that), but I want her to try other books too. I know I need that little nudge now and then. So, she is reading the following two books.


The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Book Two: Race to the Ark by M.J. Thomas is a book we read as a family last year. This is a part of a time-travel series where the characters go back to events in the Bible and have to solve a mystery to get back home. The author wrote these books so children could have a fun way to learn about the Bible. You can read my review here.

Jasmine's New Rules is one is a series of Disney Princess Beginnings. I honestly don't know much about them, except for the fact that they are about the Disney Princesses when they were children. Hannah seems to be enjoying them though.

Hopefully next week I will have a chance to have the girls tell a little about the books they are reading. I planned on them doing so today, but I took a nap and then forgot to ask them before they fell asleep.

As a family, we finally finished reading Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan, and the Kane Chronicles: The Serpent's Shadow, by the same author. These really were a fun way to learn a little about the mythology of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. I now have the third book of Percy Jackson out from the library and we will be getting to that soon. We are going to be reading the following book right away though as it goes along with our review of the literature study of Paddington from Branch Out World.


A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond was a book I loved when I was a child. I have been wanting Tabitha to read it for a while, but she has so many books in her TBR pile she hasn't gotten to it yet. So, we are now making it a family read-aloud. 

And I am up to the final two books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. 


I am absolutely loving this series. It's got a great mix of fantasy and adventure, plus a bit of mystery and suspense that really keeps the pages turning. Lodestar is the fifth book in the series and I just love the story and the characters. It is very rare that an author can get me so emotionally involved that I find myself in tears for the characters, this is one of them. 

In this series Sophie, who was brought up by a family of humans until she was 11 year old, suddenly finds out she is an elf, and part of a magical world that keeps itself separated from the human world. She also finds out she has a very important role to play and has more powers than most elves, though all have different skills, and the majority have at least one special ability. She finds herself in many dangerous circumstances, some of her own making, while trying to first find her place in this new world, and later while trying to help fix problems that have evolved in their world. 

I definitely recommend this series for lovers of the fantasy genre.

The following series came to my attention when I was looking for books by Christian authors in the horror genre for the adult summer reading program at the library. They are next up in my TBR pile.


Not a huge fan of horror stories anymore, but this one caught my attention. I'll have to see how they are once I start reading them. 

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Studying Dinosaurs From a Biblical Perspective with Northwest Treasures {A TOS Review}


Being able to look at science from a biblical perspective is something that is very important to me, and one of the big reasons I really wanted to homeschool my children. I do not want them to be indoctrinated into the secular, humanistic lies that go with evolution. The children need to understand that the Bible can be trusted, so when I find books, programs, and curricula that espouse a biblical worldview, I am quite excited. I became familiar with Northwest Treasures a little over a year and a half ago when I wrote a review of one of their products for The Old Schoolhouse website. When I learned that we were going to get a chance to review one of their online classes titled Dinosaurs and the Bible I was so excited. 


We actually received two online courses, the license for each is meant to be used by the immediate family only. Each of us on the Homeschool Review Crew received access to the online class titled Taking the Mystery Out of Geology, which is sort of a starting point. I was one of the reviewers who also received access to the six-lesson course titled Dinosaurs and the Bible. Another six-lesson course the Crew is reviewing is titled Geology and Apologetics. As we focused a bit on dinosaurs while learning about creation and Noah's Ark this year, I figured Dinosaurs and the Bible would be the best course for us to try out. Additionally, Geology and Apologetics is actually recommended for slightly older children. Though I am sure I would have enjoyed it, I preferred being able to review the class that could be part of the girls' summer curriculum.

You will need a computer with internet access to view the videos, plus a printer to print out the worksheets and Comprehensive Exam. Personally, I didn't print out the answer keys so I could save ink, but you could if you wanted to.

I watched Taking the Mystery Out of Geology by myself.


This "starter" class is twenty minutes in length and the subscription lasts three months. This class impresses upon the viewer that learning about geology from a biblical perspective is foundational. We need to impart to our children a love and appreciation for what God has created. The fact that the global flood of Noah's time is the biggest geological event in Earth's history is also important for children and adults to understand. 

Mr. Nurre goes on to explain the following 13 terms: 
  • Science
  • History
  • Philosophy
  • Uniformitarianism
  • Evolutionism
  • Creationism
  • Bible
  • Geology
  • Rock Cycle
  • Rock Types 
  • Tectonics and Orogeny 
  • Geologic Time Scale (Deep Time)
  • Fossilization (Petrification)
It is a great introduction to the concepts that will be taught in further classes.


The girls and I focused on Dinosaurs and the Bible.


The subscription for this class lasts six months, giving you plenty of time to watch and even rewatch lessons. Along with access to the online class you will find links to download worksheets, answer keys, and a final exam (also with the answer key).

Each of the six lessons is approximately 20 minutes in length and features Mr. Patrick Nurre teaching the lesson off screen while sharing powerpoint type lessons full of drawings, photographs, and charts. Here is a list of the lessons included in this course along with the length of each lesson:
  • Lesson One: How We Got Our Modern View of Dinosaurs (18:26)
  • Lesson Two: The Classification of Dinosaurs (18:24)
  • Lesson Three: The Great Dinosaur Rush (16:55)
  • Lesson Four: The Extinction of the Dinosaurs (16:23)
  • Lesson Five: Dinosaurs and the Ice Age (17:51)
  • Lesson Six: Fossils, Age, and Soft Tissue (21:38)


While working through each lesson you will be able to understand just how much the secular world has influenced the study of dinosaurs, though it doesn't have to be that way. This course is meant to help set the record straight and validate the Bible. Mr. Nurre states that he hopes it is both enlightening and rewarding. 

Let's take a quick look at each of the lessons.

Lesson One: How We Got Our Modern View of Dinosaurs

In this lesson you will discover who invented the word "dinosaur," along with what it means and why the word was used. You will be introduced to such people as Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell, and James Hutton. Mr. Nurre explains how the time of the "Enlightenment" actually brought darkness and how this huge shift in philosophical thinking shaped the study of geology and dinosaurs. 


Lesson Two: The Classification of Dinosaurs

We look at different classification systems that have been used throughout the years and discover who the first taxonomist was. Mr. Nurre also explains why the different classification systems don't work for dinosaurs. We also see how illogical this current theory of dinosaurs evolving into birds really is, and how evolutionists are relying on assumptions and imagination.


Lesson Three: The Great Dinosaur Rush

In this third lesson Mr. Nurre teaches us about "The Great Dinosaur Rush", also known as "The Bone Wars" and "The Dinosaur Wars." This was the period in the late 19th century where there was a huge competition for finding and naming the most dinosaur fossils. We learn about such men as Barnum Brown, Roy Chapman Andrews, and Ferdinand Hayden; however, the most famous are Edward Drinker Cope and Othneil Charles Marsh. These men started out as friends, yet in their desire to be first they ended up bitter rivals. Not only that, but in their rush to find these fossils their work became haphazard and led to many misconceptions. 


Lesson Four: The Extinction of the Dinosaurs

Mr. Nurre now moves on to look at the difference between the secular view of the extinction of the dinosaurs and the Biblical view. The most popular theory for the extinction of dinosaurs is that of the asteroid colliding with earth to bring about an Extinction Level Event. This view is treated as fact these days, even though there are even secular scientists who have doubts. Mr. Nurre shares how the Biblical story of the worldwide flood makes a lot more sense. And though the flood led to the death of the majority of the dinosaurs, as it did for all life on earth, there are historical accounts that support the existence of dinosaurs alongside humans. 


Mr. Nurre compares the Geological Time Table developed primarily by Sir Charles Lyell with the Biblical Historical Framework. I have to admit that the children and I were a bit confused by the chart that was shared for the secular time table and didn't quite feel it was explained well enough. From what I remember from school, I did sort of understand it, but I wish there was a bit more of an explanation for those who do not have any background information to go on. However, we did take away the important information of there being a boundary between the time of the dinosaurs and that of mammals (according to evolutionists), and we didn't have any issues understanding the Basic Biblical Framework.


Lesson Five: Dinosaurs and the Ice Age

In this lesson we learn how the Ice Age would have contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs, along with other animals. Secular scientists insist there have been many ice ages throughout earth's history, with some saying there were as many as 25. Which in a way is ironic, seeing as we learn that originally, when Louis Agassiz the "Father of Modern Glaciology" first theorized an "Ice Event" in Earth's past, he was ridiculed because of the belief that the Earth was formed from a ball of molten rock. However, there is most definitely evidence for a huge spread of ice, snow, and glaciers in earth's past. The thing is, even the Ice Age (and yes there was probably just one) fits with the Biblical Framework when you realize that the worldwide flood of Noah's day also involved the "fountains of the deep" bursting open.


This would have meant earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, in addition to the torrential rains, all of which combined for the perfect conditions for an Ice Age after the flood. Of course, all these factors would have led to more extinctions of animals, such as the cave bear, Irish elk, and the mammoth, in addition to the dinosaurs.


Lesson Six: Fossils, Age, and Soft Tissue

The final lesson focuses on the age of the fossils and how they are dated, explaining why prevailing old-age dates are not science but are a belief or worldview and have become dogma. Mr Nurre explains the evolution of the word "fossil" along with the conditions needed for fossils to be preserved. He looks at the problems with radiometric dating when it comes to dating fossils and why results of "old" dates are not going to be accurate. 


Mr. Nurre also looks at the problems that soft biomaterial being found in fossils is causing those who believe in evolution and an old-earth. 


When it comes right down to it, all of the evidence really is lining up perfectly with a Biblical framework.  

So, how have we been using this online study?

Well, I watched the Taking the Mystery Out of Geology video by myself, as mentioned above. Some of the information was new for me, and some I already knew from previous study. When it comes to the Dinosaurs and the Bible class, I've actually been allowing the girls to watch the videos and work on the worksheets independently. At first I figured they would be able to get through a couple of lessons a week. However, I have since decided that one lesson a week, spread out between two or three days is a better rate for children at the younger end of the grade range. This study is recommended for children in grades 5 and up, so it is appropriate for both of them. However, Amelia is just going in to fifth grade and struggles a bit more with figuring out what the answers to the questions are, as Mr. Nurre does not spell out specifically what the answers are, and they aren't always found in the same order he talks about them. Not that that is a bad thing, it just isn't something they are used to.


The girls will read the short-answer question on their worksheet and listen to the lesson until they hear the answer. At times they will have to help each other figure out what the answer is supposed to be. They have been able to answer most of the questions without my help, though they have been stuck a few times, especially on lesson four. There was also one time where we didn't quite agree with the answer that Mr. Nurre was looking for. In lesson four, he states that the flood of Noah, where all the people and animals who weren't on the ark died, is extinction. The thing is, to us, it wasn't extinction because God saved 2 (or more) of every created kind by taking them on the ark. Thus, God through Noah prevented extinction of these animals. I admit, I know what Mr. Nurre was getting at, and that all these animals died during the worldwide flood, we just didn't see it as extinction.

Here's a look at a finished page from each of the girls.



What do we think of these classes from Northwest Treasures?  

Other than that minor disagreement, I have really been enjoying this study. The children have definitely been learning, though some of the information is still over their heads. And though I have been reading books and articles on creationism for the past 20-some years, I found myself learning new things as well. Mr. Nurre does a wonderful job explaining why a biblical worldview can still be trusted when it comes to dinosaurs, fossils, the Ice Age, and so much more. It's all about where your starting point is. Both evolutionists and creationists have the same information. What needs to be understood is that the evolutionists are also going on belief when it comes to so much of what they teach as fact these days. And when you get right down to it, and get rid of those preconceptions and biases, the evidence really does point to a young earth and a global flood. 

I am so thankful we had a chance to take this class. I can't wait to see what the girls actually retained once they take the comprehensive exam. As we had gone on vacation, and have been going through the lessons slowly so as to not overwhelm them, they have only gotten to lesson 5. I, however, have watched all the lessons and took the exam. I did read through the questions on the worksheet, but I didn't write down my answers. I'm actually thinking I may not have gotten the two wrong on the exam if I had taken a bit longer on the questions. 

I think it would be wonderful to be able to take the other online class that my fellow Crew Mates are reviewing titled Geology and Apologetics. In fact, I can't wait to read some of the reviews myself. I was also excited to see that they have other educational kits and curricula. I knew about their Geology for Kids Kit which comes with a text book, journal, and sample kit (with different rock and fossil samples) as this is what I reviewed in the past. As I was perusing their site, I realized the Fossils and Dinosaurs for Little Eyes, one of their Geology for "Little Eyes" books, looks like it would be a fun book to work through with the children, as it is meant for younger children (preschool through 3rd grade), and had fun activities. 

Anyway, don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates have to say about the class they reviewed. 

You can find Northwest Treasures on Facebook and Pinterest.

Online Geology Classes{Northwest Treasures Reviews}
Crew Disclaimer

Throwback Thursday Blog-Style #214: July 26, 2018

Welcome back to... 


I know, I know, Throwback Thursday seems to be all about sharing pictures from the past, great memories that mean something to you, that you would like to share with others. At least that is how it appears to me. Throwback Thursday wasn't something I was participating in, and then I came up with an idea.

I thought it would be great fun and a help to my blog to share old content, but not just any old content. Each week I will share an old blog post from a previous year, any year, BUT it has to be from the current week (for example, something I've posted around July 26th, from any previous year)  I will go in, edit the post if needed, add a pinnable image if I don't already have one, and share it on Facebook.

Would you like to join in? You do not need to edit your past post in any way, you don't need to create a pinnable image, though it couldn't hurt, in fact it will help your blog traffic to add quality pinnable images to your posts.

Just go into your archives, choose a favorite post from this current week from any previous year, and link it up below. (If you don't have anything from this current week, it is still okay to link up with a post from a previous year around this time. And if you haven't been blogging for a full year, feel free to share any earlier post.)


Please make sure to share from the past as instructed above. Most weeks I find that there is a wonderful post, but I can't feature it because it is a current post, not from the past. Sadly, I am going to have to say, I will be deleting posts that do not follow the rules. The spirit of Throwback Thursday Blog-Style is to share posts from the past. Please follow the guidelines.
Thank you

I will be pinning posts to my appropriate Pinterest boards and will be randomly selecting a Featured Throwback Thursday post to share next week. Just a note, I will be sharing a picture from your post if you are selected as the featured post, but I will link back to your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. By linking up you are giving me permission to use your picture in the post. 

Here is my Throwback Thursday post:

Here is this week's randomly selected
Featured Throwback Thursday:

Kristen from A Mom's Quest to Teach shared 


To participate, link up below. It would be great if you could visit several of the other posts that have linked up. Stop by, comment, and pin images so we can help each other.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button. Just link it to my Throwback Thursday Blog-Style permalink please.



Happy Throwback Thursday!


Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Wordless Wednesday: July 25, 2018 (w/linky) - Vacation Field Trip Day 2: The Ark Encounter

Two weeks ago we were just getting back to our "home-away-from-home" after an exciting and educational day at the Ark Encounter. Last week I promised I would be focusing on the Ark in this week's Wordless Wednesday. I have to apologize for the length of this post. I know it is going to be really hard for me to narrow down which pictures I am going to be sharing. It is just such an amazing place to visit. Without further ado, let's get started.

Ark Encounter

Our first sighting of the Ark Encounter sign:



First sighting of the actual Ark.


See it there in the background? Past Tabitha's head.



Getting ready to get on the shuttle to the Ark.


This shuttle was the one that left right before ours.


Here's ours!





Ark Encounter:









Finally beginning to understand the enormity of the Ark.



In we go.














No, it isn't just filled with animals. There are samples of what the animals may have been housed it, with lots of different kinds of animals; however, there are a lot of exhibits too.










Quite a few interactive exhibits for children too.










Thoughts on how they may have fed the animals.



Looking at the interactive display that contemplates a few different ways there would have been lighting in the ark.



We headed out of the ark to the buffet restaurant next door for lunch.


Then back to where we left off in the ark.







The dangers of those little tiny arks pictured in children's storybooks.



A look at what the living quarters for Noah's family might have looked like.




Thoughts on how Noah and his family may have grown food on the ark.





More exhibits with theories of what happened during and after the flood. From a creationist perspective. 














I soooo want the top timeline pictured below. They do actually sell it in the store.


The one door.
Just as the Ark only had one door, there is only one way to God, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. See the cross on the door?


Yes, there were even some live animals on this Ark.

Here's the porcupine. There were also some alpacas and some sort of lizard.


Walking past the gardens on the way to the Ararat Ridge Zoo.



















I LOVE those huge flower pots. Wish I had gotten a better shot of them.


Last view of the Ark Encounter.


Sorry there are so many pictures (though I think I did a good job narrowing them down seeing as I took over 1600 pictures during our three day vacation.
 I hope you took the time to look at them. The Ark Encounter really is an amazing place that affirms God's truths.

Looking forward to seeing your Wordless (or not so wordless) Wednesday posts this week.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button on your Wordless Wednesday post or in a list of Wordless Wednesday linkies. Just link it to my Wordless Wednesday permalink please.