Speed Reading

I have always been a very fast reader. From the time I started reading "chapter books," it was not uncommon for me to read a couple per day. When I was in elementary school, I received special permission to exceed the limit for what students could check out from the school library at a time. I have always (and do to this day) looked at the length of a book first, favoring longer books, knowing that the longer the book, the longer I could immerse myself in the characters' lives. The average 300 or so page novel is good for an evening's entertainment, no more. Something like Stephen King's Under the Dome (awesome book with a cop-out ending) will last a week if I ration. In fact, my predilection for really long books is one reason that I embraced the Kindle pretty early on. Holding very heavy books in bed at night became more and more difficult, especially since I often read until I fall asleep. That "whap!" is painful! The Kindle Paperwhite is a dream come true for bibliomaniacs bibilophiles like me!

I digress. My point here is to point out that without knowing it, I have spent my whole life speed reading (well, I didn't know it until I was a young teenager. That's when I saw an episode of 20/20 about speed reading wherein a man read a looong novel in the time it took someone to bake a pizza. Speed reading was explained in the segment.). When I read, my eyes don't move side to side over every single line of text. Instead, my eyes focus pretty much on the center of the page and take in the page as a whole. I'll let the infographic below explain. Very occasionally, I will realize that I missed something and have to flip back, but this only happens when I am reading a mystery and a very subtle clue was dropped. In  both my undergraduate Honors classes (humanities classes, essentially) and in graduate school, we would have hundreds of pages to read per night, and I could not have read everything without reading as I do. In fact, people who read every single word simply can't get through a reading intensive graduate program. It won't happen. Plus, when you're reading academic papers, not only is it not necessary (unless you're the peer reviewing for the peer reviewed journal), but it might just turn your brain to pudding.

Without further blather on my part, I give you "The Science of Speed Reading"

Review of Spelling You See

Some kids are natural spellers. I have a couple of those. Kids like these almost don't need spelling programs at all. In fact, if all of your kids are natural spellers, it is likely with some bemusement that you look around at all of the spelling programs out there. However! There are plenty of kids out there for whom spelling is a big struggle. I give you Exhibit A - my dysgraphic Michael (10). Even though he is an avid reader, he has always struggled with writing and spelling. He has worked hard, and the older he gets, the better his spelling has gotten, but he still writes some things that have me shaking my head. Because of his struggles, I was so excited to receive Spelling You See's newest program. 

Spelling You See: Ancient Achievements (Level F) is unlike any program I have ever seen. Through three distinct but interrelated activities - chunking, copywork, and dictation - students practice spelling words in the context of some really fascinating passages about famous, well, ancient achievements (think cave paintings and the Great Wall of China)! The best way to understand how Spelling You See works is to look at a sample lesson (link on this page). First, the student marks "vowel chunks" (many of which I would call dipthongs) with one color (you can use pencils, crayons, or highlighters). Then he marks "consonant chunks" with another color. Finally, he marks the third letter combination type (whatever the lesson is focusing on) with a third color. In this way, the words are broken down into their component types. The second and third days, the passage is both "chunked" and copied. The fourth day, new pieces of the passage are marked and the student does his first dictation. On the fifth day, the final dictation is completed and the student sees how many words he spelled correctly.

The Instructor's Handbook ($14.00) is a very useful tool. Not only does it have all of the answers (which is really nice - sometimes it can get hard sorting through all of that "chunking" to see if your child has isolated all of the right pairs!), but it also has a *ton* of useful information about spelling. It explains the purpose of each of the steps undertaken by your child (the chunkings and the dictations, etc.). It also presents the overall philosophy of the Spelling You See program and an overview of the entire program, beginning with Level A and going all the way through Level G (the level we reviewed is the penultimate level). It is definitely a necessary part of the program.

There are many things that are great about this program. First, it really holds Michael's interest because the subject matter is so diverse. Also, the need to "chunk" words into their component parts has the feel of solving word puzzles, which Michael really enjoys. It also requires a level of concentration that we have not typically found in spelling programs. The concentration required does not equal frustration with the program, though, and that is a huge bonus for us! Also, each day's work does not take very long. Initially upon receiving the program and looking through it, I worried that spelling would all of a sudden become a very time consuming subject, but it really hasn't. It takes about 15-20 minutes per day, the same as it always has. The difference is that the week's work truly is cumulative, something that other programs strive for, but usually miss the mark on. 

The Ancient Achievements Student Pack includes two student workbooks (parts 1 and 2 of the program) and a pack of erasable colored pencils (which we also received and used - cool!). It costs $30. We are really enjoying this unique approach to teaching spelling. To see how 39 other Crew members have been using Spelling You See, click the banner below! Also, check out Spelling You See on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpellingYouSee
G+: https://plus.google.com/+SpellingYouSeePage/posts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SpellingYouSee
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/SpellingYouSee/

Review of Critical Thinking Co.

I have already reviewed new material from Critical Thinking Co. once this year, and I am thrilled to be able to talk about two more of their brand new products: US History Detective Book I and Understanding Algebra I ($39.99). Critical Thinking Co. has a knack for covering material that has to be covered, but doing so in a way that doesn't feel like *work*, either to moms or to students. These two books fit perfectly into that mold, and to be able to say that about a book with the "Algebra" in the title is just flat-out amazing!

Understanding Algebra I is a full year's Algebra course for upper-middle or high school. At first, it is easy to wonder how that's possible in a paperback "workbook" style book that looks so, well, non-threatening. If you know Critical Thinking Co., you know it's possible! Take, for instance, the dreaded "traveling in opposite direction" problems:

I can't help but think that I would have found these much easier to learn if they had been presented with such nice graphics. I am a huge fan of computer-based learning, but there is something about math that just seems to call for a textbook to me. Understanding Algebra I is the best possible marriage of technology (beautiful, although not overly colorful or complicated, graphics) with old-fashioned textbook. Plus, if you have a son (as I do!), you may very well be trying to limit his computer time anyway. Being able to present him with a textbook whose components on the page *look* like they could be on a computer screen is such a happy compromise for everyone.

The table of contents of this book is very standard for an Algebra I course:

1. Our Number System

2. Evaluating Expressions and Solving Inequalities

3. From Words to Algebra: Translating and Solving Word Problems

4. From Words to Algebra: More Word Problems

5. Inequalities

6. Polynomials

7. Factoring

8. Working with Radicals

9. Linear Functions

10. Systems of Equations and Inequalities

11. Other Types of Functions

12. Working with Algebraic Fractions

If you compare across other Algebra I programs, you really are covering an Algebra I curriculum!

I used this book with my son, Nicholas (11). Nicky is well ahead of his age group in math, but he's definitely an 11 year-old, maturity-wise. That makes finding the right math program a real challenge for him. Further, he really loves workbooks. Needless to say, this curriculum was made for him. Although he has taken Algebra, I am kind of between curriculum for him right now. I don't know whether I want to do Algebra II with him (seems a bit much) or Geometry (seems a bit much). At the same time, I don't want him to stagnate or (far more likely with an ADHD/OCD/Tourettes kid) forget everything he's learned. That's the reason this book is so completely genius! Because it doesn't belabor the point, so to speak, it works so well as a review for the younger kid who has already learned the material but needs a quick review. To that end, it would also be ideal for public school kids who have completed Algebra (or even Pre-Algebra), but want to keep their skills fresh over the summer. Really, there are so many ways that this book can be used. Also, I need to reiterate Critical Thinking Co.'s amazing copyright policy. You can make up to 35 copies per year of any page of any book. That means that you can use these books in your homeschool (or classroom) pretty much as long as you need to. That policy alone will always keep me coming back to this very generous company.

Because I have already used and reviewed World History Detective Book I, I was very excited to receive for review US History Detective Book I ($39.99)! Like Understanding Algebra I (and so many of The Critical Thinking Co.'s other products), this book can be used as a standalone curriculum, but it can also be used to supplement any other US history program. If you're like my nerdy kids, it can also be used just for fun (and let's be honest: isn't the entire Critical Thinking Co. catalog like that if you're the parent of a gifted kid? It's like browsing for candy in a candy store: my kid would love that, she'd love that, ohmigosh! She would *devour* that workbook! Analogies? Please, sir, may I have some more?!).

I digress. US History Detective Book I presents history lessons (the Colonial Era through Reconstruction), yes, but it incorporates critical thinking skills (imagine that) into the lessons themselves. If your child doesn't cotton to such things - don't worry, it's done so subtly that they won't even realize it's happening! The feature that I love so much about this book is that when it asks students a question, even when the answer is multiple choice, it requires them to identify the sentence or paragraph that supports their answer. Learning that skill is such a valuable one! Also, the full-color graphics are just gorgeous!

Each chapter follows a similar format. A reading selection is provided (with each paragraph identified by a letter and each sentence identified by a number for the reason identified above), followed by multiple choice, short answer/essay, and graphic questions. The format is deceptively simple, but the content is surprisingly deep. For example, there is an entire activity on analyzing political cartoons. In one chapter, students are asked (through guided questions) to analyze the Gettysburg Address. The lessons aren't long (which is *great* for so many different reasons, whether you are using this book because you have a child with a short attention span, or because you are using it to supplement another program), but they cover everything they need to.

Both of these books are such worthy additions to Critical Thinking Co.'s catalog of offerings. I am so excited to be using both of them with my children, especially Understanding Algebra! In fact, I am already perusing Critical Thinking Co.'s online store to see what else I can buy for my math-loving (but work-averse!) son. They have such a knack for making every subject seem like a game. Whether you have used and enjoyed this company for years or are hearing about them for the first time, I have wonderful news for you!

Critical Thinking Co. is offering my readers 15% off their entire order until 5/31/2015! To take advantage of this amazing offer (since we're all planning for next year, right?!), use the code BLOGR315 (one use per customer). Offer does not apply to ios or Android apps, or manipulatives like Attribute Blocks, Interlocking Cubes, or Pattern Blocks. Offer may not be combined with other discounts or offers and is not retroactive. Offer is not valid on wholesale orders.

I would love to hear what you buy, so leave me a comment below! Thanks so much to Critical Thinking Co. for providing me with the opportunity to review their wonderful products!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of these products free from Critical Thinking Co. in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

Response to "5 Reasons We Can't Handle Marriage Anymore"

I have been wanting to write a response to this piece for awhile now. When I first read it, I was initially amused, and then simultaneously angry and sad. The author claims to want to be married (in fact, he has been married), but maintains that his generation is pretty much just not cut out for marriage. He cites five reasons, to which I will respond below. (N.B., for those who may not know, I just turned 40. I got married in 1996, the day after I turned 21. I got engaged when I was 19 while still a sophomore in college. While married, I finished college and completed my Ph.D. By the time I finished my doctorate, we had two children under the age of 3 and I was pregnant with twins. I was 29 years old. I mention these facts because I consider them relevant in the context of the article. Hopefully that relevance will become clear.)

The author's first reason why his generation can't make marriage work is that sex becomes almost non-existent. For this he blames the ubiquitous presence of technology and "pictures of men and women we know half-naked - some look better than your husband or wife." The fact that this even makes it as a reason for the failure of a marriage baffles me because the solution is so unbelievably easy. Turn it off. Unsubscribe. Guard your eyes. Value your marriage over everything else. Decide what the most important thing in your life is and then treat it that way. I can say with all honesty that *no one* looks better to me than my husband. I look at him and I see our past and our future. I see our children and our struggles. I see our inside jokes and the things that no one could ever understand. I don't know what anyone else thinks, but to me, he's majorly hot, and he just gets hotter as we get older. I'm not Facebook friends with anyone who posts half-naked pictures of themselves (and I'm friends with everyone from teenagers to elderly people), and I were, I would press that little "x" at the upper corner of their posts that would allow me to hide what they post without going through the drama of unfriending them.

The author states that sex becomes boring. I guess my answer to that is, what did you expect? Manage your expectations. Like all good things, there are ebbs and flows in marriage. Sometimes there will be fireworks and many times it will be the same old crackers. If you love your crackers, that's okay. When I was a young teenager and my father was teaching me about sex, he told me that when everything else in your marriage was pulling you apart, sex was the glue that held you together. Viewed that way, it really doesn't matter whether you find it boring, does it? I know that I'm not likely to win any converts with this reference, but if you stop viewing sex as a way to get your ya-yas, and start viewing it as an essential (dare I say sacramental?) component of your marriage, if you stop viewing your spouse as one possible choice among the many potential partners out there and start viewing him/her as the person with whom you *will* spend the rest of your life, then saying that a generation is not cut out for marriage because they don't have sex just sounds silly.

The best piece of advice, of course, is the oldest one in the book: wait until marriage to have sex in the first place. That will bond you like nothing else. It's the easiest way to overcome Reason #1.

Reason #2 stated in the article is "Finances cripple us." My initial reaction to this reason was laughter. When I read further on, I laughed harder. First of all, finances can cripple any one of any generation. The author of this piece, though, thinks that his generation is uniquely qualified to be financially challenged. He writes, "Years ago, it didn't cost upwards of $200,000 for an education. It also didn't cost $300,000+ for a home." And it still doesn't have to today, my friend. I offer you a key term that you should consider, should you ever get married again - PRIORITIES.

According to the College Board, the average cost of a year of college, including tuition and fees, for an in-state resident at a state college in 2014-15, was $9,139. Now, my degrees are in political science and history, but I'm not getting $200,000 when I multiply by 4, not even when I throw in housing (assuming casa mama is closed for business). I am guessing that Harvard may end up in that $200,000 range once you throw in housing and the premium you are probably required to pay for "safe spaces."

Now, the author is pretty dead-on with his average home cost, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that if you can't afford to buy a home (and most newlyweds probably can't), then don't. No one says you have to own a home. Also, the average home cost is just that - it means that there are a fair number of homes that come in *under* that price. If you don't want the stress of a large house payment, don't buy more house than you can afford. I do speak from experience here. When Henry and I bought our first (make that our only) house, we could have afforded much more home than we got. However, we considered the fact that we would at some point in the (probably near) future be having children, buying new cars, possibly taking pay cuts (as in, mine would go to zero when I stopped getting a stipend in grad school), etc. It's called not biting off more than you can chew.

Just for perspective, the author talks about these difficulties when you're in your mid-20s. Henry (as the breadwinner) was in his mid-20s at the time.

The author talks about not being able to go out to dinner, buy anniversary gifts, or take vacations because the bills are due. He talks about it putting a strain on the relationship. I can only say, "Really? REALLY?" What relationship could you possibly have in the first place? Make dinner and take it to a park. Go to the dollar store and buy clever anniversary gifts, or - here's an idea! - DO something for your spouse for your anniversary! Go camping for vacation. Go on a road trip. Challenge each other to come up with a trip with a $150 budget or something of the like. Don't have that much? Work with what you do have. Can't go anywhere? Again I say - go to the park! Go for long walks - you're newlyweds! Act like it! You talk about wanting to live like your grandparents - what on Earth do you think they were doing? Not living it up like millionaires, I'm guessing. I know mine weren't.

Reason #3 is that "We're more connected than ever, but completely disconnected at the same time." Click to the article with the link at the beginning of this piece to read the author's explanation of this reason, because, honestly, it is so facile that I can't even summarize. All I can say is, if it's not working for you -- and your marriage is at stake! -- Turn. It. Off. For my husband and me, our technology facilitates our relationship, he sends me texts throughout the day to tell me he loves me and I do the same. He is rarely at his desk, so I am not all that likely to be able to actually hear his voice. His texts do not replace his actual "I love yous," though. We still exchange those multiple times a day in person.

Again, I say to this apparently clueless millennial generation - manage your expectations. Also, treat the most important person in your life like they're the most important person in your life. There is nothing new here. Back before all of this technology, there were similar distractions. Ever heard of football widows? It's the same exact thing. This touches on one of my pet peeves. There is nothing all that special about this over-protected, over-studied generation. People have not changed and will not change. Basic selfishness is basic selfishness regardless of how you dress it up.

Reason #4 is that "Our desire for attention outweighs our desire to be loved." and #5 is "Social Media just invited a few thousand people into bed with you." I have to group these two because, again, the answer is Turn. It. Off. and, perhaps, far more importantly, don't marry a narcissist. Yes, narcissism is becoming an increasingly huge problem, but I don't believe that every single millennial is a narcissist. This oldie but goodie hasn't changed - you can't change them after marriage. If s/he is intent on capturing every single moment of her life on social media now, s/he will be the exact same after your wedding. If you can't stand it now (and who could?), don't convince yourself that you'll be able to put up with it then.

Again, it's all about priorities. If your desire for attention outweighs your desire to be loved, then don't get married. Spend all your time building up followers on your YouTube channel. Make sure you're Tweeting dozens of times per day. It won't give you someone to grow old with, but you will get nice plaques from YouTube when you hit subscriber milestones.

I don't think any of these reasons demonstrates, however, that the millennial generation can't handle marriage. Immature people of any generation have trouble with marriage. This generation just has a higher preponderance of immaturity. An unrelenting focus on self stunts your emotional growth. I guess my biggest problem with the article cited above is that the author takes no responsibility. He just tosses of his reasons. Technology is a tool - use it, don't blame it. Don't pull punches - call out the vacuous and vapid individuals who find it more important to post pictures of their breakfast than to relish the time they spend eating it with the love of their life (oops, I guess that would be themselves in many cases!).

Is there a real problem? Of course. It's ridiculous. For the current generation of teens and tweens, though, that problem will only be curtailed when parents put their collective feet down and say, "No more selfies." We have a no selfies rule in my house (no joke). So far we haven't needed it, but it's there all the same. If everyone lived by the maxim, "I am always third," (Henry's motto, taught to him by the Jesuits) marriages and families would flourish. As long as the author's Reason #4 exists, though, marriages are not the only relationships that are in mortal peril.

Random Facts and Thoughts

So many things are brewing in my brain that I thought I would just spew them on virtual paper. 

1. I have written previously about Scribd and what an incredible bargain it is, but I just have to say again what an incredible bargain it is: Scribd is an incredible bargain. They are adding more books and audiobooks daily (at least it seems like daily). They have current best sellers like Girl on a Train, Game of Thrones, and so many more. In fact, I am seriously considering canceling my Audible membership (yeah, the one I've had since 2007 - the one with which I have acquired approximately 1,200 audiobooks - that one).

2. Tom Ford's Black Orchid perfume. 

3. The last thing my kids saw before we got to the Conroe tournament on Saturday (so, right before the twins competed in juniors and right before Therese debated quarters against an AWESOME team) was a puppy get hit by a car. I'm dead serious. It was horrible.

4. I'm unreasonably excited that MAC is doing a matte lipstick collection in June. Most of the shades are repromotes, but there are a few new ones. Does this make me shallow? Ask me if I care.

5. If I could give teenage girls one piece of advice - well, that would take a much longer post - but if I could give them an important piece of advice, it would be to make good girl friends. If they find it to be hard, do it anyway. I *know* guy friends are great. I *know* they make the best friends. I know girls are too much drama for words. Been there, eschewed that. Living proof that you get to a certain age and your best guy friend can't be your best friend anymore. Make those girl friends now and be able to have them forever.

6. My favorite modern fictional character is Aloysius Pendergast. I think I'm in love with him.

7. Just when I think my worst fault is anger, I realize what a complete sloth I am, and that makes me very angry. It is a vicious (if entertaining) circle.

8. I loathe debate tournaments with every fiber of my being...until I'm actually there. Then I love them.

9. My attitude toward getting older is pretty much one of entertainment. I am amused by almost everything about the process, especially about how old I don't feel. The most fascinating thing is how vastly different time works the older you get. Even the youngest child begins to understand this early on, but the exponential rate at which the process accelerates is astonishing. I look forward to being my dad's age and being able to genuinely not give a damn about anything. I care about everything way too much.

10. I say damn a *lot*. I am truly sorry if it bothers you. I likely will not be stopping anytime soon.

11. I'll be doing a debate version of this random facts list next. Here's a teaser: if you want to win on neg, go for plan.

Review of Star Toaster

I have to confess that I didn't know what to expect when I found out that we would be reviewing something from a company called Star Toaster, but finding out that the software is called Orphs of the Woodlands made my kids really excited to pursue the review! After all, a name like that sounds like it belongs either to a really great movie or a really awesome book. It turns out that this computer software is kind of the very best of both of those worlds!
Orphs of the Woodlands is described as "an online interactive reading adventure," and that's exactly what it is. At its heart, it's a storybook, and throughout the course of the book, the reader (cast in the role advertised below) performs "jobs" in order to collect woodland orphans. The jobs are academic tasks that don't feel a thing like academic tasks.

From your parent log in page, you can immediately get a snapshot of where your child is in Orphs of the Woodlands.

If you click on "View Skills," you can see the skills your child has worked on.

Getting even further in, you can click on a specific skill set:

This allows you to see the specific lesson your child has learned under this skill set. He might learn something on armadillos.

After learning the lesson, he will have a quiz, or "job," to see if he has mastered what he learned.

Here are just a couple of other examples of things that you learn with Star Toaster (all you have to do is look at the skills screenshot above to realize that these are just a couple of *hundreds* of examples I could show you!):

The lessons, or training, are integrated throughout the book and work seamlessly into the story. Star Toaster has done an amazing job with this product. Probably the best endorsement is Michael's:

Michael's (10) Assessment

"Orphs of the Woodlands is my favorite review program. I can't stop reading it. When I found out there was going to be another book, I was so excited! The book was action-packed and full of adventure. I learned Latin phrases, quotes, math from Prof Forp, rhymes, all about different kinds of animals, new vocabulary, and much more. I love the program because you can interact with the book. You can name the squirrel and open the letters. You learn things in Science, like if you pour cabbage juice over invisible ink, the acids in it will bring out the invisible ink. There are memory workouts. You write spy dossiers about the characters. You can click on the little voice icons and hear noises that go with the book."

Michael could have gone on forever (in fact, he's still talking!). He really does LOVE this program, and he's so thrilled that there's going to be another book to work through!

As for me, I love how much Michael loves this program. I also received subscriptions for Mary-Catherine (10) and Nicholas (11), and they will be working through it, too, but for the course of the review period, Michael would not yield the computer. I decided to let him go all the way through because he was loving it so much! I am amazed at how much Orphs of the Woodlands covers in a short period of time. The material has depth and breadth and the interface is gorgeous!
Star Toaster is offering a free trial! A subscription runs for two months (with an available one month extension) and costs $19.99 for three children. You can finish the book in two months! Honestly, that price is so unbelievable that I would not hesitate. Because you can try the first 100 pages of the book free, though, you don't have to take my word for it!


Other Crew members with children of all ages have been reading this wonderful book, too, so click the banner below to see what they have to say about The Treasure of HighTower, the first book from Star Toaster!

Review of Memoria Press' New American Cursive

Memoria Press just keeps getting better and better! I first fell in love with their Latin more than eight years ago, but they have continually added curriculum over the years. The first time I saw their New American Cursive: Penmanship Program Workbook 1, I didn't envision using it with my children. I prefer a more formal style of cursive. As with all things, though, the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray, and I ended up with a child who is, I believe, dysgraphic. Writing is not easy for him. There is no way I am going to get beautiful swirly cursive out of him. Memoria Press' style of cursive is perfect for him, thus I was thrilled when I got the chance to review this workbook!
Even better (spoiler alert!), he loves this penmanship program.
The New American Cursive Penmanship Program is specifically designed to allow students to begin cursive at a younger age (due both to its simplified letter style, which eliminates many of the cursive strokes that other programs teach, and to its teaching format which utilizes the character of Mr. Meerkat to show students how to draw each letter). Now, Michael is 10, so he is definitely not the target audience of this program, however, he is not yet writing in cursive and has not had much success with other cursive programs that we have tried. He needed something that showed him exactly how to make the letters, since he is prone to things like reversals. Even better, Michael is able to write much more quickly and fluently when he writes in cursive.
So what does a typical day of cursive look like? Pretty much whatever you want it to :-) Seriously, although you can purchase lesson plans on Memoria Press's website, the instructions for teaching cursive even to very young children are so clear in the workbook itself that you really don't need anything else. The first thing taught are straight lines and curved lines (one page of instruction in each). Then capitals and lower case letters are taught in alphabetical order (a method that really worked for us, since Michael is older and has had a crack at cursive before). The pages are very minimalistic with everything in black and white, and the top is spiral bound.

Depending on how old your child is and how much handwriting he likes to do per day, this book could last you a widely varying amount of time. Because Michael is 10 and not a cursive novice, he completed the book in a couple of weeks. He really enjoyed working on it. I didn't have to ask him to do his handwriting - he just did it as part of his school routine (that is actually a nice endorsement of this book!). I am seriously considering getting Book 2 in this series (Books 2 and 3 are each available for $22.95).
Connect with Memoria Press at the following locations: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/memoriapress Twitter: https://twitter.com/MemoriaPress Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/memoriapress/ Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Memoriapress1/posts Instagram: https://instagram.com/memoriapress/

Taciturn Tuesday :-)

We've always said that Henry was driving with Jesus (see his license plate)...thank God for that.

So we got a new car last week...