Random Five on Friday: August 23

I have been so busy lately. We had computer problems so I didn't blog as much as I wanted. These problems are causing a lot of stress and frustration. The Internet was soooo slow; I couldn't get anything done. Furthermore, I couldn't access my drafts in Blogger for several days. Well, everything is NOT YET back to normal, because now my screen is completely BLACK. My computer screen is also flickering. I checked all cords, shut down, and restarted on several occasions. I hope it is not dying on me. I have too many amazing files that I haven't backed up yet.

Anyways, sorry about venting. This edition will cover events from our life over the last two weeks.  

1.) Places We Went and People We Saw . . . 

We had a play date last Wednesday. Four of Alyssa's friends came over to play in her new playroom. The house was still a mess and we aren't completely unpacked yet so I probably should have waited. We still have unfinished house projects that most people see complete when visiting a new house.   

We left the house early this Friday so that we could stop by the post office to pick up a package. We won the 102030GO! accountability system after entering the giveaway during the Mommy Time Facebook party. I love how it works and plan to switch the chore and reading time amounts. I want Alyssa to complete her chores in twenty minutes and have 30 minutes of reading time. 

Afterwards, we drove to the library for an AWESOME book sale. I can't wait to tell you about the deal I got, but it will be on another day. Now, I just have to figure out where I will put all of the new books.

We also went to our friend's birthday party (Rylee) on Saturday. I haven't seen her and her mother in a long time. I enjoyed having a little adult conversation while the girls played with dolls and other toys. We played a few games, ate snacks, and hit the pinata. In the photo they are drawing their favorite sweets and food. 

Alyssa and Rile
Yummy Mini Cupcakes!

2.) In Our Homeschool This Week . . . 

I finally posted my Strega Nona review for In the Hands of a Child. We had a blast creating this lapbook. I hope you will check out my review. They are having a huge sale until the end of August (50% off e-book purchases). 

We received our new review product in the mail on Wednesday. We started reviewing See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish from Flip Flop Learning. My husband also completed a lesson. We are all liking it so far!

We were blessed and won one All-Access Student Plan from Essential Skills Advantage thanks to Jill at Blessed Beyond a Doubt. I signed my daughter up for the third grade curricula hoping this level will meet her needs. I am super excited about the Science program which covers K-3rd grade concepts. We have an older computer and JAVA doesn't always work properly. We have to shut down and restart the computer if we want to go to a different subject. The all-access student program begins with a series of pre-assessments for all subjects so that Alyssa can be placed in the appropriate assignments. She is working through Science, Math, Reading, Spelling, and Grammar material.

Alyssa finished the Reading Kingdom program on Tuesday! She was super excited about her accomplishment! Reading Kingdom states that upon completion of the program your child will be reading and writing at a third grade level. We are hoping the Essential Skills Advantage Third Grade Reading will be a good fit for an online program to supplement her core curriculum this year. I may have to upgrade our computer this year to make it easier to use. I love how the third grade reading program focuses on comprehension. She truly enjoyed the articles in the assessment phase.  

Her A+ Interactive Math Online lessons have become more of a challenge lately. She is learning concepts that I haven't thoroughly taught yet. We slowed down the pace and are completing only one lesson each day so that she doesn't get frustrated. She still enjoys and LOVES the program. I want to keep it that way since I already purchased the second grade level. 

My daughter is also still working through the Bible Writer Volume 1 copywork lessons I mentioned in a previous post. 

3.) I Feel So Blessed and Grateful For . . . 

• The Lord's Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness
• My Family and Home
• Giveaways We Won This Month

*I find it simply intriguing how God sends just the right products to us when needed. 

4.) What We Are Reading . . . 

Alyssa just finished reading the American Girl book titled Felicity. We just started reading Samantha as a read aloud. I recently purchased a Felicity lapbook for only $1.25  from Knowledge Box Central. It retails for $5.00. I used a 75% off coupon code. We hope to reread the book and begin it soon. I also plan to throw in a few craft activities and additional lapbook topics. You can purchase it on sale for $1.50 through CurrClick. Prices are subject to change. 

I am currently reading several curriculum manuals (mainly my Mystery of the History volume 1) and trying to plan for the new school year. I still need to purchase curricula. We won't officially start school until September 16th. I will slowly introduce subjects increasing our work load each day. Please keep in mind that we do homeschool year round. In the summer, I am a bit more relaxed with schooling and not so schedule oriented. 

5.) My Favorite Things This Week . . .

I won the Motivated Mom app from the MommyTime Facebook Party. I am loving how it organizes and helps me complete daily household chores for the entire family. The app also incorporates Bible reading verses. 

I also made some Skinny Peanut Butter Cookie Granola this week. The recipe was found at Dashing Dish. My family scarfed it down! This is definitely a recipe I plan to make more often. I added a few ingredients and adjusted a few amounts. It was delicious! Seriously, go try it and make it to your preferences. 

I will link this post up at Random 5 on Friday hosted by Miranda at The Pebble Pond. Please join the fun and link up your random five thoughts, facts, or occurrences for the week. I will also link this post at the Happy Homemaker Monday at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom and The Homeschool Mother's Journal at So You Call Yourself a Homeschooler?