Barbara Frank

I had just used the random number generator to pick the winner of the Shovelhorns and Black Bruin giveaway when my husband came into the office and said, “Since we had such a nice response to this giveaway, let’s pick two winners.”

Can’t argue with that! So the winners of a fresh new copy of Shovelhorns and Black Bruin  are Tammy and Bev. Congratulations, ladies! And many thanks to everyone who entered. I loved reading your responses  

…but we’re back! Our downtime was due to a mishap while I was updating my mom’s Wordpress. I am very sorry for the inconvenience.  I understand that some of you were trying to enter into the latest contest with no luck, which is why the contest deadline has been extended to midnight on Sunday, April 11th.

There may still be a few hiccups as I finish polishing the site. Please bear with me, and thank you for your patience!

Sincerely,
Mary, webmaster (aka DD18)

All week long, I’ve enjoyed the scent of this hyacinth as I worked. (It’s also a welcome distraction from the messy desk, don’t you think?) Spring is finally here, and not a moment too soon.

Congratulations to reader Jacqueline H., whose name was drawn in this past week’s Giveaway. If you haven’t won yet, keep trying. There are three more giveaways; this coming week’s winner will receive a copy of my first book, Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers. You can enter that drawing here.

Have a blessed Easter, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I’ve got to go make the gravy, and the potatoes are almost done, but I just wanted to share a terrific story with you today. I don’t know how long this link will work, so check it out soon:

“Suburban Family Adopts Son, Then Decides to ‘Adopt’ Birth Mom, Too”

We have a couple of medical issues in our family lately, plus we’re having trouble finding a house (we’re supposed to be moving in a month!) So please pray for us, if you feel led to do so. (Thanks!)

In the meantime, I’m looking for smiles wherever I can find them. Here’s something that made me smile, and I want to share it with you:

For many years, we were the only homeschoolers in our neighborhood, our church and our family. We got used to being the oddballs. Even after homeschoolers began popping up in our town, we remained the only homeschoolers in our church (other than a brief period when Indiana Jane and her family attended there) and our family. Until now.

I have three sisters. Ironically enough, two work in the public school system. The third has been a radio personality in California for over 20 years. But last year, she lost her job when the station she worked at switched to Spanish-only programming. A single mom, she’d had her son in daycare during the day. But the daycare recently closed down because so many out-of-work parents had brought their kids home. So she’s decided to homeschool our 3-year-old nephew for a while.

I’m no fan of formally homeschooling a child before the age of five or six, but I understand why she wants to keep this very bright little guy challenged until she finds a job and puts him back into daycare.

She asked me for suggestions of online resources she can use with him. Here’s what I wrote back:

You’re homeschooling! 

Read to him A LOT, do little fun crafts, play games like Chutes and Ladders so he picks up number concepts (not just identifying numbers) easily.  Keep it low-key, a little a day, very little desk work. Anything with music is a big plus.

Some cool sites with lots of free and fun stuff, like printables:

http://www.starfall.com/

http://www.dltk-kids.com/

http://www.letteroftheweek.com/index.html

http://www.learningpage.com/

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/

Animal cams: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/default.cfm

Printable preschool games: http://www.preschoolprintables.com/filefolder/filefolder.shtml

Can any of you (particularly those homeschooling young children) recommend any other sites for them? Thanks!