Crime and Consequences? - Our Trip to Court

Today we went to court.  A teenager very close to my heart had to make an appearance for attempting to steal a beer from a local grocery store.  I took my two youngest boys so that they could see what court was like.  It was an interesting experience.

The first thing that made an impression was the 210 people on the docket for the morning.  210!  I know people make dumb mistakes, but 210!!!  This is a small county – it just goes to show that poor judgment is rampant.  I don’t know if this is a daily event or only a couple of times a week.  If it’s daily, that’s 1000 people who pass through this small court system for misdemeanor offences a week. 

The second thing we immediately noticed was the people.  There were all kinds there – young, old, well-dressed, tattooed, tall, short, disheveled. 

The boys were wide-eyed listening to the conversation happening right next to us.  A young man was talking about the last time he was locked up and who his cell mate was.  He then rattled off his current charges including possession, drug paraphernalia, etc.  He was speaking very openly as if this was an any-day event.  His expectation was to spend at least 45 days behind bars this time.  What struck me the most though was his attitude. 

I’ll do my 45 days and pay my fine, but…  They aren’t here to do anything for me, so I’m not doing anything for them.  I’ll do my time and get out.  F#$& them!

Really?  You Are A Criminal!!!  What do “they” owe you?  Seriously?

As we went into the courtroom and were seated, we noticed the carving on the back of the bench in front of us.  F#@! Cops.  F@#$ this place.  My youngest was most bothered by the attitudes of the people there including this inscription.  He immediately noted how they weren’t taking it seriously.  A good lesson for him, but sad.

Our final lesson was as court started.  All those wanting a court-appointed attorney were told to come forward.  A long line formed.  There goes our tax money to pay for other’s mistakes. 

I know just like the teen we were with that mistakes are made; goodness knows I've made my share, but consequences have to be the logical repercussion of mistakes.  Sometimes mistakes are accidental.  Breaking the law is not accidental – it’s willful and should be treated that way.  The point of repercussions is to dissuade.  Obviously, as evidenced by what we saw in the courtroom, for many, the consequences they receive are just a bump in the road.  Scary.

I would have liked to stay longer and see the proceedings, but our teen was pulled out by his attorney as they were getting started.  Our teen got a continuation as did his friend who was also charged.  They will find out shortly if they have to complete a class or community service before the next court date.  If they do, their cases will be dismissed.  I don’t want their permanent records affected, but, I can say, that a little community service or a class feels like a slap on the wrist rather than a consequence for them.  I hope they are both smart enough to learn their lesson before they become a regular like some of the others we saw today.

April IPad Frenzy is Coming - Win an IPad 3 or $550 cash

The February frenzy iPad2 and Cash giveaway was such a success that we’re going to have another one in April!
Details:

- Event Dates: April 1 – 21, 2012

- Prize: iPad or $550 Cash (winner’s choice)

- Signup Fee: $11 for Facebook & Twitter (+ $2 for each additional link)

- $10 will go towards the prize and $1 admin fee will be used to cover advertising and the blogger referral prize

- Isis of Bay Area Mommy will be randomly selecting blogs where follow tasks will be hosted (Great for pageviews!)

- Giveaway will be open worldwide
To sign up:

- Send your $11 (+$2/addl link) signup fee to alice@bayareamommy.com AS A GIFT or add $0.60 if sending as a service. Please write your blog’s name on the notes.

- Fill out the signup form HERE!

Wordless Wednesday - Bearded Dragon Photo Shoot

My son decided to do a photo shoot of our bearded dragon, Marley.  She was feeling especially photogenic that day.  Isn't she a cutie-pie?  Such a sweet little smile. 

Knorr Green Chicken Chili

Knorr has a new product out - Knorr Homestyle Stock in chicken and beef.  I was excited to try these as they small tubs of stock flavor that fit nicely in the pantry and are a quick go-to when you don't have stock readily available.

Knorr recently sent me an email with recipes - one that caught my eye was the Green Chicken Chili.  I love green chili!  This is a healthy recipe that sounded great and let me testdrive the Homestyle Stock I had in my cupboard.  Here's the recipe:

I made a couple minor modifications.  First, my husband can't eat jalapeno, so I left it out. 

Chicken, Onion and Garlic

Second, I doubled the recipe. 

Four cups of water, 2 Knorr Homestyle Stock and a full can of Green Chili

When I tasted it, it was a little bland sans the jalapeno, so I added a can of diced tomatoes with green chili to give it more flavor.  Yum!  I also added another can of beans (or 1/2 can for a single recipe).  This gave it a more chili-like consistency.

Three Cans of Cannellini or Great Northern Beans

I have to say - this one was a winner.  My VERY finicky son who swore he'd hate it loved it as did my husband.  I'm adding it to the repetiore as it's quick, easy and healthy.  Yum!

Finished with Tomatoes and Cheddar Cheese on top

Looking for a quick, easy recipe that's a little different from the same 'ol, same 'ol - give this one a try!



Knorr® Homestyle Stock: Thanks Knorr for my free sample. Learn more about Knorr Homestyle Stock and get great recipe ideas at http://bit.ly/sDRUdc.

Blog Cruise - Our Favorite Free Resource - Alice 3D Programming

This week's cruise asks - What is your favorite free or cheap homeschool resource?

There are TONS of free or cheap resources out there.  Of course, my favorite resource is simply – the internet.   What a wealth of information right at the tip of my and my student’s fingers.  We can find information, exercises, lessons, supplements, etc. on just about everything. 

However, if I had to narrow it down to one favorite resource, for right now – it’s Alice.  Alice is a 3D programming environment created by Carnegie Melon at http://alice.org/ that is free to download and use.  It comes with some tutorials, but, a quick scan of the internet will lead you to Duke University’s site where there are numerous additional tutorials to help your student understand basic programming. 

I don’t think I have to tell you that we are living in a technological world.  Even if your student isn’t interested in being a great programmer one day, he/she should understand the basics of what goes into programming all those games and web sites they enjoy.  Additionally, using Alice helps your student understand basic logic in a very dynamic way.  If this, then that – if this, else that – loop this – do together – do in order.  Learning how to group actions to get desired results is not only an experience in programming, but an experience in basic ordinal logic.  

I have found that kids really enjoy Alice.  Unlike basic coding where you write a bunch of lines of script and then hope they work, Alice is visual and dynamic.  There is a drag and drop approach to the coding that can automatically be tested with each step.  Student automatically see if they have achieved their desired result or not.

I am currently teaching Alice 2.2 at our local co-op.  It’s been fun for both me and the students.  They get really excited seeing their programs leap into action.  When we finish the course, they will have not only learned basic programming, but will have learned how to program a story using a storyboard, create a dynamic quiz, and develop a basic game.

Note: there are several downloads on the Alice site.  Alice Storytelling is a brief tutorial for PC users.  Alice 2.2 is the most recent stable version and includes several “getting started” tutorials.  Alice 3 will include java integration, but, is still in beta and not considered ready for regular use.  I recommend starting with Alice 2.2 for middle or high school aged students.

No, your student won’t be ready for MIT once they complete Alice, but they will have a sense of what programming is about.  This taste just might lead to a college computer science major, or it just might lead to a better understanding of the computing environment and logic.  It’s a win-win.

Here are some additional free resources that can be used with Alice:

http://alice.org/
http://www.cs.duke.edu/csed/alice09/
http://dickbaldwin.com/tocalice.htm
http://media.pearsoncmg.com/aw/aw_snyder_fluency_3/alice/index.html

If you have children interested in computers, I can’t recommend this highly enough.  The Duke University tutorials are easy enough for a parent and student to walk through.

If you have questions about how I approached using Alice for a co-op or the order to use tutorials with your student, just leave me a comment and I’ll happily share my experiences.

To see what other TOS Homeschool Crew Members consider their favorite free/cheap homeschooling resource – click here.

Review - BeeYouTiful Facial Bar and Lip Balm

BeeYouTiful

Milk and Honey Facial Bar and B.A.L.M Lip Moisturizer

Web Site: http://www.beeyoutiful.com/

Cost: $10.00 (Facial Bar)

How often do we pamper ourselves?  If you’re like me, not often.  There just isn’t enough time or money to spend on the Mom part of the family.  That’s not to say I don’t have everything I need, but it is nice every now and then to indulge.

Imagine how happy I was to find out I got to review  BeeYouTiful products!  There were a wide range of options for what we’d receive.  I was just excited to review something for me!  J 

When the package came, it had a 4.25oz Milk and Honey Facial Bar and B.A.L.M All Natural Lip Moisturizer.  The lip moisturizer immediately went into my purse.  We live in the South where it is humid seventy-five percent of the time – we are currently in the other twenty-five percent and my skin is drying out.  It does every winter.  The lip balm is a perfect go-to for keeping my lips from chapping and peeling.

I thought the facial bar was just adorable.  It’s shaped like a bee hive with little bees on it.  They sent it to me in a bubble envelope, so some of it got dented.  If it were a gift, I would not have wanted it to be dented because it is just so cute.

The scent of the bar is hard to describe.  It is made from honey and goats milk.  It’s a very earthy scent.  Not at all unpleasing.  It’s not perfumey or artificially floral/fruity like a lot of body washes are these days.  I found it to be a refreshing change.  The key though is my husband.  He says he has a “Bob Hope nose” meaning he is very sensitive to different smells.  He usually picks out my shampoos, colognes, etc. so that he is comfortable with the odor.  He hasn’t said a word since I started bathing with the Milk and Honey Facial Bar so I can definitely say it is pleasing and very mild.

Note I said “bathing” above.  While it is a facial bar, it is also winter and I’m drying out head to toe.  The web site notes:

“Two natural treasures in one bar of soap help repair sores, fight acne, soothe chapping, and balance uneven or oily skin. Bee products—honey, propolis, pollen and wax—meet goat milk to clean up the toughest skin problems you can muster.

Honey cleanses dirt and impurities while smoothing wrinkles by increasing your skin’s elasticity. Propolis—a mixture of the essential oils, pollen, and wax bees harvest from plants—nourishes dry, itchy skin. Pollen, rich in enzymes and vitamins, contains the complete family of amino acids. It promotes new skin cell growth while scrubbing away built-up dead cells without stripping the skin of its natural protection. Milk & Honey’s beeswax base is the all-natural “carrier” for other ingredients that leaves your skin feeling soft and clean.

Raw goat milk is rich in enzymes beneficial to your skin, and five natural, skin-replenishing oils balance and moisturize. This abundance of revitalizing components is topped off with a touch of sweet orange essential oil for an agreeable, bright aroma.”

Why should only my face get these wonderful benefits?  I do believe my skin feels softer and a lot less itchy since I’ve started using the bar every morning.  Yay!

This review turned out to be exactly what I selfishly hoped it would – a little indulgence for me.  It has been fun trying out the Milk and Honey Facial Bar and the B.A.L.M lip moisturizer.  My skin feels better, and I feel just a little bit pampered.

I love the BeeYouTiful web site – it’s so inviting with several products aimed at keeping yourself healthy and happy.  Personally, I’m looking forward to reading the reviews from other crew members who received different products from  BeeYouTiful.  I’m excited to hear what they received and what they thought of their products.

*** I received these products free as a member of the TOS Crew in exchange for my honest review.

Apologia Who Am I? Review

Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?

Web Site: www.apologia.com

Cost: Text - $39, Journal - $24, Coloring Book - $8, Audio CD - $19

Ages: Elementary to Middle School

I was simply amazed by the generosity of Apologia when they sent us their Who Am I? curriculum for review.  Not only did they send the text, but also a coloring book, notebooking journal and the entire book recorded on MP3-CD for audio learners.

I’ve always been a big fan of Apologia.  Since we started homeschooling, Apologia has been our go-to curriculum for science.  Last year, I was blessed to review Volume 1 in their What We Believe series – Who is God?  You can see that review here.  Who Am I? is the second volume in the series.

We have not had the opportunity to finish the series; however, as usual, I am impressed with the organization and approach Apologia has taken to discussing with children their faith and the Christian worldview.  You can view the Table of Contents to see the organization and thorough breakdown for each chapter.  Each chapter contains scripture, story, discussion and relevant aspects of both Christian and non-Christian life today.    For example, we learn about the day-to-day life of a girl living in a Muslim country.  Another chapter discusses communism and North Korea.  By including history, present day example, biblical study and fictional story – children are exposed to a wide-range of learning methods to better define their own Christian walk.  To see a sample lesson - click here.

I LOVE the note-booking journals available for many of Apologia’s subjects.  My son completed two while working through science the last few years.  This journal is no different.  It’s a hands-on way for students to not only read the material, but interact with, contemplate, practice and illustrate their reactions to each lesson.  The Journal begins with lesson plans to help you coordinate reading the text with using the journal.  My younger son particularly enjoys the mini-book projects, crosswords and word searches.  These journals help the kids really own and enjoy the material they learn.  Additionally, when the book is complete and the journal has been finished, they have a nice memento of their time spent learning that they can refer back to.  I think it would be especially nice to keep these journals and then have them revisited once the kids are in high school to see how their perspective and their faith has grown and matured.  To see a sample page from the journal, click here.

My boys are too old for the coloring book and are not auditory learners, so we didn’t really use these tools.  However, I believe if you have a mixed age group of children using this book, having the coloring pages would be great for the younger children while the older ones work on their journals.  Additionally, the auditory CD is good not only for auditory learners, but for groups of children where the parent can have the younger ones listening while the older ones follow along in the book.

I can’t recommend Apologia enough.  Their materials are always high quality, in-depth and include the tools necessary for your student to not only learn, but exerpience the materials being taught.  I’ve seen first-hand how this leads to long-term learning.

To see other reviews by the TOS Crew – click here.

*** I received this curriculum as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest review.