Comments on Field Trips & Extra-Curricular Activities

Here is one homeschool mom's review of the Field

Trips Book and the new "lifestyle of learning"

she is discovering with and for her family..

Hi Barb,

Wow! I mean WOW! I am getting hiccups gulping in all the gasps of fresh air this Field Trips & Extra-Curricular Activities book has brought to me! Ooooohhheee! I wanted to give you my 2 cents worth on it...

I have to say I put off buying it for the longest time, because the last thing my family needs is more activities. I have spent the past five years gradually "bringing us home," and have lived everything in your chapter 1, "It's About Time." [which is on staying home more and having a more peaceful home life] I agree with it all, couldn't have said it better myself (and I have "said it" lots ), BUT.....here's what was missing with us – I have 5 kids, ranging from 14 years old down to 4 months. My two oldest girls have piano lessons and other than church, that is it. I have found over the past couple of years that staying home Monday through Thursday (my husband's work schedule), then running errands on Fridays, library, etc., then having weekends for family works well for us.

This is good, but I felt we were still lacking something. I was starting to get a feel for it this year, when I discovered "scrapbooking" along with "notebooking" – via your wonderful Booklet Building book. I am convinced that memories are really all we give our children, and for our family these are great tools to remember our lives with. Last year we notebooked school instead of workbooked school (well, I've never done much of that, but went even farther last year).

I bought your Senior High Form+U+La a year ago, Wisdom's Way of Learning, and your Jumpstart Navigators – love 'em all! Anyway, since pulling away from everything and isolating ourselves, it has been difficult to get back into a good balance of fellowshipping with other families, and your Field Trip book is exactly the answer to help us get there. There's a lot of people (like me) who would love this book, but might be put off by the title. Perhaps you could add something in your review or description of this book about it being "A help to making memories with your kids"!! This is absolutely great and with the first chapter we can all know where you're coming from, and I can't wait to try some of these activities (key word = some <G>).

I constantly praise God for you and Marilyn, for helping me get a vision for what family life can be. It's just so great – I've looked forward to starting school the past two years, but this year I am looking forward to continuing our life! Making memories and lovin' on my kids and learning to brag on them more than I do. God has brought me sooooo far, and like I said, I will forever be grateful that you have done this work God called you to do. If you hadn't, how old would I have had to get before I figured it all out on my own? Yikes!

I know you're terribly busy, so don't even answer this note, just let it bless you if you can find a blessing in it... you've been SUCH a blessing to me, I'm still gulping the air. :o)

– Joan; a homeschool mom of 5, for 8 years, in Wisconsin