Liebster Blog Award - Wow!

A huge Thank You! To Christy Willis for nominating "Around The Homestead" for the Liebster Blog Award.  Well, okay, it's really a "pass it on" kind of thing for small blogs, but hey, it's nice to be noticed!  

Now I get to post 11 facts about myself, answer Christy's 11 questions, and nominate 11 blogs with under 200 followers for the Liebster.  This could be fun;)

11 Facts About Me:

1.  I have 4 of the most amazing, awesome children anywhere!
2.  I am Grandma to 1 incredibly intelligent, genius grandson!
3.  I love to travel.
4.  I make my own soap, lotion, deodorant and toothpaste.
5.  I write.
6.  I have played the flute since I was 7 years old, piano since 8.
7.  I love camping.
8.  I get my milk right from the goat and cow.
9.  I raise my meat in my backyard.
10.  I steal eggs from my chickens.
11.  I love to sew.

Whew!  Now for Christy's questions:

1.  Who or what is your inspiration?
            There are so many inspiring women out there.  I love the wisdom of Mother Theresa of Calcutta and the courage of Dorothy Day.

2.  What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
             Fill the kettle for coffee.

3.   How do you handle a stressful day?
             Pray, pray, pray.  Chocolate.

4.    What book do you recommend all parents read to their children?
              Just one?  Definitely The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Also The Chronicles of Narnia.

5.    When the kids go to bed what do you do?
              Read to them, then read to myself.

6.  What is one thing about your past you wish you could change?
              Nothing.  Everything has brought me to where and who I am today.

7.   If you had a million dollars, what would you buy?
              I would pay off my debts, put the rest in the bank, and set up special funds for scholarships and other needs in my community.

8.    Why did you start blogging?
              To discipline myself to write more and experiment with writing styles and topics.

9.     Are you going to follow all the award nominees?
               Yes.

10.   What is one thing you hope your children remember about you?
                That I love them.

11.    How would you define your character?
                 Strong, stubborn, loyal.

My 11 nominees:

Following Him Home
Homesteading In The Southfarthing
I Can't Decide
Joy In The Journey
Live, Laugh, Learn
Reaping A Harvest
Rowangarth Farm
Spring Peeper Farm
Sunshine Sentiments
The Home Front
Training 6 Hearts 4 Him

And so, my awesome nominees, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is:  

Post 11 facts about yourself.
Answer my 11 questions to you.
Choose 11 of your favorite blogs under 200 followers and nominate them.
Share the love by following my other nominees.

My 11 questions for you are:

1.  What is your favorite hobby?
2.  What is your favorite dinner to make for your family?
3.  What is one thing you do to keep your sanity during your busy day?
4.  What is your favorite book?
5.  If you could go anywhere in the world for 2 weeks, where would it be, and why?
6.  Who is your favorite musician, and what is your favorite type of music?
7.  What is the big thing you want to do "when you retire"/"when the kids are grown"/"whenever"?
8.  How do you relax at the end of the day?
9.  What is the most important thing you try to teach your children?
10.  Are you going to follow all the award nominees?
11.  Why do you blog?

Okay, my friends, I hope you enjoy doing this as much as I have.  Link back here when you're done, so I can follow your answers;)   

Book Report

Some time back I posted about my first book, "The Working Mom's Parents' Guide to Homeschooling".  I was going to begin serializing it, as I am about halfway finished with it.  Then came the opportunity of a lifetime for a new author:  an agent has requested a book proposal!  Wow!  So, naturally, I set aside all marketing activities including the free download of Chapter 1, and completion of the manuscript to write my first book proposal.  It is certainly a learning experience.  It is nearly as long as the book itself, but the closer I get to finishing it, the more I believe in my book, and the more excited I get about finishing it.

So, apologies to all of you who were looking forward to the next installment of The Working Mom's Parents' Guide to Homeschooling, but for now, I have to finish the book proposal and get it off to the agent.  Never fear, whether my baby gets picked up by a traditional publisher, or I go the self-publishing route, this book is going to happen, I believe in it now more than ever.  Besides, I have several other titles lined up for future books, and they are pestering me to get on with it!

Thanks to all of you who participated in the free download.  Keep checking back for updates on the publishing process, and other updates about life Around the Homestead.

Talking Fingers - Learning to Read, Write and Type

I taught myself how to type on dad's old Royal portable typewriter using an ancient college typing text. I was about fifteen years old and I remember how much it hurt my fingers to strike those keys. Now I tend to type too fast for the computer to keep up. (Ya, that's it, not my accuracy problem, the computer's.) My son has been using the computer, under supervision, of course, for at least two years already. So that makes him ten years ahead of me there. Still, he is benefiting by leaps and bounds with Talking Fingers.

Talking Fingers “Read, Write, Type” is an online program that teaches proper qwerty hand position and typing technique through interactive games and stories. At the same time, children learn letter sounds, spelling and reading, as well as composition. My son is reading well above his grade level, but does not get bored. He looks forward to his daily session on Talking Fingers and proudly prints out every certificate he earns.



There are 40 levels for students to work through, learning finger placement, building sentences and stories, with certificates awarded for every 4 letters mastered. The program keeps track of each student’s progress and starts them where they left off at the end of their last session. Parents can sign in and print out progress reports and see where their child is in the program. Students and parents sign in with separate usernames and passwords (student’s account is set up by the parent), so multiple children can each have their own record. Younger children may need help signing in, but should be able to work independently from there, as the animated characters guide them through everything.



Two options are available to take advantage of Talking Fingers. Online license for 1 student and parent is $39 and includes unlimited usage and printable reports. The Home Edition is $79 and is good for all children in the family, and has the same great games and interactive instruction as the online version PLUS progress reports, printable stories, clip art for stories, activity book, laminated practice keyboard and 2 sets of stickers. We test drove the online version and were very pleased, although being able to print out my son’s stories, which is a feature of the Home Edition, would be nice. For more keyboard-shy children the Home Edition would definitely be an advantage, though, as it includes a practice keyboard and other offline activities. Also, the Home Edition would be better for anyone with more than one child using the program, or families that would want to use it for several years, thereby saving the yearly license fee.

Once a child has mastered all the levels in Read, Write, Type, he is ready to move on to Word Qwerty, another program available from Talking Fingers. If you wish to purchase both programs, a K-4 Reading Bundle is available. Jingle Spells, songs to spell by, sounds like a great CD to have in the car for road trips.

One final feature of all these programs is the ESL option. Students learning English as a Second Language can click on a yellow balloon on screen for clarification of any portion of the program in Spanish, Arabic or Bahasa Melayu.

I am proud of my self-taught typing skills and look fondly at old portable typewriters in second hand stores, but I am ever so grateful for the light touch required of my computer keyboard. Talking Fingers has come along at just the right time for my son and I am glad that he is enthusiastic about Reading, Writing and Typing!

We received one free one year online license for the above product, for the purpose of using and commenting on it. No other compensation was received.

To see what other Homeschool Crew members are saying about Talking Fingers click:  http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783204/