Sonlight's Latest

...will be revealed Monday.

Until that time, I will only give you a teaser image:


Coming Soon...

I am super excited!

Don't forget to get your pictures in before Sunday!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Ethics, God, and Debate

Read this long article and the comments that follow.


JJ

For those who don't have the time to read a long article, I'll try to sum it up:

A "religious studies" professor states that he is completely different from a theology professor because he focuses on how and why religions exist (from a social level) whereas theologians focus on defending a made up set up beliefs (from an errant view). He is thus, naturally, frustrated that the two are so often lumped together. There's also a bit about how theology leads to no knowledge but only lies because god doesn't exist...

The comments tear this article apart (for the most part), though there is a rather interesting comment that seems to agree.


I've not really had an idea of what to say about all this, but it reminded me of a debate recently held at my alma mater. Now, people can disagree that God exists, but I think Craig did a good job of showing that God does exist. And, from the articles linked at the bottom of the announcement, Craig had the better argument.

But, as Doug TenNapel points out:

Hitchens won the debate. It's not the argument of the debaters, it's the condition of the audience that wins the day. While few of Dr. Craig's arguments are dispersed through culture, even religious culture, I've been raised on most of Hitchens' arguments. Dr. Craig's arguments are true and well-reasoned by difficult to comprehend on a first hearing. Hitchens' arguments are what we'll find spoken against God on prime time television, at the water-cooler, I've even heard some of them on Animal Planet. Culture generally makes Hitchens' argument by default. And it's easier to claim the skeptic's nothing than affirm the something of God...

I find this kind of thing fascinating, and important to consider.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. There is a new Box Day Flair at the bottom of the Widgets page.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

I'm back!

While on my short vacation I had the opportunity to start reading and thinking about two books that have some interesting applications (implications?) for Sonlight... but since I haven't had a chance to spend too much time with them yet, I'm not going to tell you about my thoughts in this post. <Bwahahaha ha!>

Instead, I will quickly remind you that Sonlight's Photo Contest ends this Sunday!

So, if you want your beautiful pictures to have a chance of ending up in the Sonlight catalog, or on the cover like Ariana's family (she mentions it toward the bottom of the post), then you need to start snappin' and submittin' your photos!

The good news is that, because of the work we did last week, you can now upload huge .jpg images.

What are you waitin' for? Send in your Sonlight pictures now.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. And don't forget: I'd love to add your Box Day stories to the Sonlight Box Day page as well.

Sonlight Box Day

Our official box day was months ago, but I let the kids dive in today and take a peak at what the year has in store for them. We are trying Sonlight this year. We have the Core K program (Introduction to the World: Cultures) with First Grade Readers since Pumpkin is in Pre-K4 and the boys are in First grade.
I'm not usually a fan of a packaged curriculum. I prefer to piece together our own curriculum following our own scope & sequence. However, we have 4 children in our home, 3 in our homeschool, and are nearing the end of a 2+ year construction project that will culminate in a complicated move and move-in. In other words, Mommy needed a break this year. I needed something I could just open and follow without a lot of prep work on my part. Thank goodness homeschooling allows us some flexibility, both in our scheduling and curriculum choices.


I chose Sonlight because of their great reputation, wonderful literature, and because their curriculum is most compatible with my teaching style and personality. I'm looking forward to spending the year exploring Sonlight with my children. Everyone found several books in the box that they wanted to start reading right away---Mommy included!
I'm so glad that my children are so enthusiastic about starting school. They cannot wait until we finish each book so that it can come out of Mommy's school box and onto their personal bookshelves.

~Karin T.

Timelines and Timetables

Organizational skills are essential to get through huge projects like MathTacular or Discover & Do. In editing, you must keep track of hundreds of activities with many little clips and graphics and audio files which all combine to make hours of educational fun.

But sometimes my internal organization and penchant for order gets hijacked by the necessity of getting something done quickly. ...always with the hope that I will never have to go back and sort out the mess again later. Like the timeline I was building just a few hours ago:


Messy Layers on a Timeline

It's always nice to have tools that can help you keep track of everything, especially as need arises to make changes. And in homeschooling, Sonlight's IGs can be a huge help in this area. In media production... I have no such handy tool.


And just a heads up: I'm going to go visit in the in-laws for an extended weekend, so I probably won't see you all until Wednesday. We leave tonight sometime after 9pm, and your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated as we travel.


Have a great weekend, friends!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. Since I am trying not to compare my rather juvenile writing to the brilliance of others, I am happy to refer you to Billy's post about good days. It is excellent. And you'll find that post and lots of other interesting bits from the blogosphere in what I think are Other Posts of Note.

Sonlight Frenzy

After much schedule arranging and profuse pleading from the short people who live in my house, we finally found an afternoon to open the coveted box sitting on our living room floor...

I attempted to get some good pictures, really I did, but there was much frenzied activity!  Protective paper was flying every where, books were being admired and soon I, too, was mesmerized by the treasure in the box!

We carefully went through every thing we ordered talking about all the great books we couldn't wait to read.  I carefully stacked them all back into the box and had my husband carry them downstairs for safe keeping.  Yesterday I found Isaac (12) half way through one of his science books!  He was excitedly telling me some amazing facts about tornadoes.  I began to tell him that he needed to put the book back downstairs, because it was for next year and he hadn't completely finished core 5 yet.  Then I thought better of it.  Why stop him.  He's learning and enjoying it.  And in the process he is teaching me and his younger brothers when he shares what he has read. 

Thanks Sonlight it looks like another awesome year of learning is ahead of us!

Jenn B.

A Few Fun Images

A couple evenings ago one of my friends, Marie, came by and we did a photoshoot. My best friend, Jason, is really good at photography, and we keep trying to find subjects he can practice on... and I tag along because it's fun.

We were shooting in what will be Eduard's room, and our model suggested we snap some pictures of her reading some of the children's books. Jason then came up with the brilliant idea of having her read Time for Friends. And, sure, I stayed up past midnight that evening, but I got to help my best friend practice his photography and got an awesome promotional picture for my little book:


Marie Reading Time for Friends

[By the by, Marie said the story was super cute. So... you should get a copy if you don't have one already <smile>]

In even more directly Sonlight related news, we have debugged an issue surrounding submitting large images to our Photo Contest. You can now upload .jpg images that are up to 25MB... which is huge. And we've said that you could for a long time now, but now you really can.

In attempting to fix the bug, I had to run a couple of tests. Here are the results from one of them:


Bob - The Fictional non-Homeschooling Sonlighter


And one more little thing:

If you open an image of any of Sonlight's products, you will now be greeted by this cheery little guy while your image loads:

See if you can find him--er... "it"?--floating around Sonlight's website...

Enjoy!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Gambit, Gamut and Gauntlet

Gambit: an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker (wordnetweb)

And now that you are all supremely interested and feel that I know what I'm talking about, I will shatter that myth.

Because the word I was looking for this morning was actually: Gamut-a complete extent or range.

But other than gambit, the only other word I could think of was gauntlet, which also isn't right. Though, when I came in this morning, I felt that the gamut of my experience was a gauntlet because the gambit of an email I sent yesterday was wrong.

Luke turns on his computer and discovers that the email he sent yesterday had the wrong subject line. Luke thinks to himself, 'Self, this is less than ideal. Good thing it only went to 28,000 people...'

Luke proceeds to struggle to focus for the rest of the day while everyone scrambles to figure out how to make it right.

Which is the other possible title for today's post:

D'oh! The Turning of a Big Ship

Sonlight isn't huge as far as corporations go, but we are bigger than when my mom and dad pretty much did everything back in the day. Then, if something like this had happened, my dad would write an apology and send it.

Done.

Today it's a little different. We get a bunch of feedback, have a writer synthesize that down, get it approved, tested, tweaked, coded, and finally sent...

The good part of all this is that we can be methodical, careful, get wise counsel and ultimately help more people. But it's certainly slower than if Sonlight were a one man band.

We're no longer a sailboat that can tack--hmm... turns out it's actually "beating"--its way up a stream, but we can help many, many more people get to where they want to go.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Sonlight Box Castle

I always put in my order after the catalog comes out so that we can receive our box toward the end of May. The girls (12 and 9) get excited about the Fall books which seems to rejuvenate our spirits and allows us to finish strong.

Because we've always homeschooled, I own every Core.

My five-year-old was initially sad because he only got a couple new books to add to Core K UNTIL he noticed the inside of the box. Here he is with his finished product:


Sonlight Box Castle

BTW, the fuzzy balls are cannon balls and he painted the entire outside and inside by himself. He has played and played with his special Sonlight box for the past two months.

Ms. Lynn S.

Christmas in July~ Box Day

Jayden didn't really understand what Box Day was since this was our first experience. I kept telling him, but he just didn't get it until those two big white boxes showed up on our doorstep.

I couldn't believe the excitement and glimmer in his eyes as we started unpacking and opening up his new school supplies for the fall. The photos I took doesn't begin to show the excitement he had.

First he had to pull out all the brown paper before he could start taking out all the goodies. As he kept pulling out book after book, Jayden got more and more excited. He couldn't believe all the new, beautiful books that we got!

After we unpacked the boxes, he of course had to go through and open all the packages and look through all the books. I then reorganized and cleaned out the school shelf. Doesn't it look beautiful and inviting?!?

Jayden asked me when we would be able to start with his new school stuff and I told him I was planning for September. "Momma, that is not right. I want to start tomorrow." =)

I am so glad that he is showing so much excitement about doing school at home. I love that he has such an awesome love for learning. With a newborn at home and it already being mid-July, I have a lot of planning still to do, which is why I was shooting for September.

With Jayden's excitement and mine, we shall see if we last that long.


















--
Missy

Is It All In Your Head?

I have a sensitivity to wheat. If I eat something "wheated" then something goes wonky in my body and I suddenly have difficulty responding to negative situations appropriately. But I didn't figure this out until I was in college.

And it took a while for me to believe that wheat did, indeed, throw me off.

In fact, it wasn't until a year of not eating wheat had gone by that I could feel the shift if I had any. And there were enough times when I ate wheat without realizing it--and freaked out; only to discover that, say, Teriyaki sauce contains wheat--that I came to accept the fact that I have a sensitivity.

But before that, I was pretty sure it was just a negative placebo. An excuse. Life was just really horrible when I had an "episode"--the wheat, just a convenient scapegoat.

My distrust of my body's signals was due in large part to the fact that I know placebos work. People really do get better taking sugar tablets they believe are a wonder drug. Which, I guess, further indicates how right my mother-in-law is: We know so little about how our bodies work, there are many things the medical world just doesn't know yet. Like, what's up with wheat sensitivities.


This morning I came across this very short paragraph about educational placebos, and it got me thinking. Give it a read; I'll wait.

...

Much like my wheat sensitivity, I don't think education is a placebo. But there is something to be said for the mystery of how education works. Everything from radical unschooling to the most strict and mass-produced of public educations have lead to some wild successes as well as dismal failures.

How? Why?

<shrug>

What this does mean is that homeschooling is a fantastic option. Perhaps not a panacea, but also not a placebo. And homeschooling with Sonlight could be just what the doctor ordered...

(figuratively speaking, of course)

 ~Luke Holzmann
A Friend, Not A Doctor

Graduated ... now what?

This is a topic that comes up periodically when I chat with parents of high school homeschoolers. I was encouraged to see an article in the May/June issue of HSLDA's Court Report dealing with this very topic! I think that Becky Cooke and Diane Kummer have provided some excellent ideas in their suggestions for that first post-high school year.

In case you haven't had time to read the article, please allow me to summarize here and offer some thoughts of my own ...

• Take time to mature ... a very valid point which discusses the differences between those kids who are "born old" and those who may be "late bloomers" when it comes to deciding what to do in life after high school is ended.
  
• Gain a year's job experience ... another good option for kids whose financial status requires them to bulk up their bank account a bit before heading off to college or pursuing a different life's goal. College debt can be a huge burden, so this may be a valid choice for kids seeking increased financial stability from the very beginning.
• Explore the globe - this is one I wish I had thought of as a high school senior! Let's face it, most of us won't have this kind of opportunity again once we are married, or begin a full-time job. So if your student has dreamed of travel and is financially able to swing it, this may be a great time to fulfill that dream.
• Find ministry opportunities - short-term missions is a wonderful avenue for gaining personal experience and exploring possibilities for future ministry. Our daughter took part in a 6 week ministry opportunity the summer between graduation and college. It was a tremendous experience that gained her valuable people skills and increased maturity.
  
• Pursue special interests - perhaps you have a student who excels in music, or a specialized trade or even a foreign language. A year of additional exposure may give them a leg-up when applying to college or seeking a job in their field of interest.
  

But are there any downsides to taking a year off between high school and college? A couple come to mind. Having spoken to some who have done so, it can be difficult to get back into the "swing" of academia once you've experienced a year away from the demands of a schedule. There may also be some scholarship opportunities that are only available if you are entering college immediately following high school.

Ultimately, it will depend entirely on your student's circumstances and goals, but it is nice to know that there are a world of options available to choose from!

Blessings ...
~Judy

Marketing

Three posts on marketing today: one, two, three.

And me?

Well, I have a few thoughts bumping around, but nothing solid.

Amy Bayliss' post further indicated the need for me--and my best friend, Jason--to get our book out (raise your hand if you knew I was working on writing a book). Dana Hanley's post made me think of my gamer wife (who plays World of Warcraft, Sims, and FreeCol, not Barbie's Disney Musical Dress Up Shopping Pony Show III). And my dad's post contained a very interesting video link that was, well, interesting. And I'd be interested in your thoughts (especially if you have a rebuttal, which I will then ask you to send to Perry <smile>).

But all that has almost nothing to do with the rest of this post.

I'm part of Sonlight's Marketing Team. And that sometimes feels very odd to me because... well, most of the time I really dislike marketing. I've read and listened to many marketing "gurus" who spout off their "surefire ways to make a trillion dollars in your PJs from home in less than six minutes, your money back, guaranteed" with such amazing steps as:

1. Sit at home in your PJs
2. Do a ton of market research to find a product you can sell for a trillion bucks
3. Create said product
4. Find a person to buy it
5. Sell it to them by using things that motivate them to action (be very specific)
6. Reap the rewards 6 minutes later

It could just be me, but I don't resonate with that kind of thing.

I also just don't "get" the idea of getting the word out so more people will buy. I resist "hard sales" and "cold calls" and talking up your product in a "salesy" way. I hate most sales copy I read--it just feels pushy and insincere to me, in the most falsely sincere way. And I think I have very odd views of marketing in general. And even when I wrote good copy for my production company's website, I didn't get any clients. So, what am I doing here?


I'm connecting with people so I can do my best to help them.


And that is something I love doing. And that's something Sonlight is big on: Letting people know how we can help them. Not making money--though that is essential for us to keep doing what we're doing--but helping homeschool families around the world. Helping you educate your children. And I can get behind that.

I love doing it.

And if I have to post videos of an attractive young woman talking about everything Sonlight gives you in an Instructor's Guide... well, I'll do it, even if it is an obvious marketing ploy of using youth and beauty to sell the0 product <smile>. [the videos aren't very clearly marked; click on any of the little links under "Relax and enjoy homeschooling your children"]

By the by, that "attractive young woman" in the videos is Laura Lee, one of our copywriters. She is currently in the hospital giving birth to her first child. Please be praying for her and the baby.

Thanks!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

This is Better Than Christmas!

I am one of those moms who never thought I would homeschool. I didn't have anything against homeschooling, I was just certain it wasn't for me.

But then we started looking into Kindergarten options for our daughter, and I wasn't very happy with what we found. So I emailed a few homeschooling moms that I knew and asked them a bunch of questions. Their answers were so enthusiastic I knew I needed to look at this option more closely.

I sat down with a mom who has six kids and has used Sonlight with the two oldest that she homeschools. After looking at all the great materials she uses, I left saying, "Maybe I could actually do this!"

After a few weeks of researching various curriculum, we decided to use Sonlight's Newcomer Kindergarten Package. We placed our order and the wait began!

I knew our "Box Day" would be exciting, but I had no idea just HOW exciting it would be!

The delivery man rang the doorbell and there on our doorstep was a huge box with the Sonlight logo on it. "Thank you!" I called out after him. "That's not all!" he laughed, and carried another huge box to our door.


Sonlight Newcomer Package Boxes

As my daughter and I pulled books and materials out of the boxes, she kept saying, "Mom! Look at this!" over and over. At one point, I was fighting back tears as I thought about what a great year we have ahead of us using these fabulous materials. I never dreamed that I could be this excited about homeschooling!


Sonlight Box Day: Better Than Christmas

Thanks to Sonlight for making Box Day far better than Christmas morning!

Kristen S.

Box Day

I was agitated all day today. Every time a car went by, my ears perked up to see if the engine was rumbly enough to be the FedEx truck. Several times, I muttered to Jeff, "Where is my box?!"

Together, we speculated about its location. Maybe it was accidentally delivered to the church office. No, the office manager was still there. She would have called. Maybe it went to a house up the hill. Last month, we got someone else's FedEx package. Maybe this time, that someone got ours.

I went online and checked the tracking info again. "On the truck for delivery." Same thing it said two hours ago.

Had it been on the FedEx truck that went by around 10 am? Maybe, maybe not. Those packages would have been of the 'guaranteed by 10:30am' variety. Mine was FedEx Ground. NOT guaranteed by 10:30. Or noon. Or 2:30. Or 5:00. Or today.

But I had been waiting for this box not just all day, but all month. Its delayed arrival accounted for our extra week of summer. Its appearance at our door would mean the long-anticipated beginning of my very first year as a homeschool mom.

But the hours ticked on. 1:30pm. 3:00pm. 3:30pm. Such a long, long day.

Finally, around 4:00pm, I surrendered the arrival of the homeschool books to the Lord, assuring Him I would be fine if they didn't come today after all.

After ten more minutes of pacing, I resolved to put my mind on something else, and I headed for the front door to get a bit of fresh air (and watch for the FedEx truck).

Just as I reached the door, through the window I saw an unmarked FedEx-looking van brake as it drove past our house. But it kept going. I yanked the door open and trotted off the front porch and down the sidewalk in my bare feet.

My excitement grew when I heard the truck's back-up beeping noise. As the van came into view, the driver, amused at my wild wave, poked his head out the van window and grinned, "I have a box for you?"

I nodded vigorously. He jumped out of his truck and headed around to the back, asking over his shoulder, "How are you today?"

I said, "I'm very excited about my package."

He carried it to the front porch for me and I dragged it on into the house. James pulled out one of the books and sat reading it, entranced, for forty minutes. Good sign.

I pulled out the instructor's guide and began to frown at all the pages, unsure of what to do. There was a handy brochure, giving me all kinds of confusing instructions. I'd ordered the 4-day, but I found instructions for the 5-day. There were so many readers, and I wasn't sure if they were too advanced for James or not. I looked at the fifty or so books strewn about my living room floor and went numb.

By the time Jeff and the boys left for karate, I was in a bit of a panic. But I was thankful I'd have a few minutes alone to sort everything out.

I remembered an email I'd received from Sonlight. "Click here to see three nifty videos about 'Box Day'."

The nice homeschooling moms on the screen were so pleasant and reassuring that I just burst into tears. Then I chuckled. Just before Jeff headed out the door, he'd said, "Do something girly..."

Well, crying over homeschool materials definitely fits into the 'girly' category.

So, alone in the house and free to be as girly as I pleased, I just let myself cry tears of relief and hope and fear and anticipation, all the way through all three videos.

You see, I've been so excited to homeschool that I forgot all about the rest of my emotions. Beneath my all-encompassing excitement lurked something else: sheer terror. Good gracious. What was I thinking? What if James hates it? What if *I* hate it?

Can I even do this? Abba, HELP!!!

Then God reminded me that I was not alone in the house at all. He wrapped His loving arms around me and covered my soul with His incomprehensible peace.

And I had my answer:

No. I can't do this.

But God can.

Becky

Box Day made me revamp my plans!

We have used 8 Sonlight Cores so far with our 5 children. My 12yo daughter was supposed to take two years to complete Core 7 before beginning the high school Cores, so I did not order new books for her this year.

My 17yo son will be doing Core 530 for his senior year and was not too excited--he would rather not do school at all!

Everything changed on Box Day.

My dear daughter saw all the great books that are in Core 530 and eagerly asked how long she had to wait to read them. When I told her probably 11th or 12th grade, she was visibly upset. She pleaded with me to allow her to read them with her brother NOW and has spent her summer finishing up Core 7 so that she can dive into British Lit!

My son is happy to have someone to discuss his books with and is now ready to conquer this final core! Thank you Sonlight for teaching me I can be flexible and for providing a curriculum so wonderful that my kids are chomping at the bit to get started.

Jessie L.

Get 'er done

I haven't watched much Larry the Cable Guy, nor am I recommending that you do. But his phrase "git-r-done" (which, I think, should be written as "get 'er done"--hence this post's title) can get funnier the more times it's repeated and the later it gets.

I'm just sayin'.

But there are times when I feel like I just can't get it all done. And sometimes that's depressin'. But if I remind myself that it's okay, that I'm never going to do everything, that the fact that there is more to do is a good indication that there is still purpose to life ...well, then it's not too bad.

It's harder when you can't get everything done because you're waiting on a few elements to come together. And I am.

Waiting.

Once they get here--my kids, a few updates to Sonlight, a couple new features and tools--well, then there will be much rejoicing--yay. Until then, I need to be okay with the fact that I can't do it all, that I have to wait, and that Monday will come with renewed opportunities to work on things that we didn't get to today.

Have a great weekend!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Box Day !!

I checked Sonlight's website for the tracking info this morning. Our package was in the Big City, on the truck for delivery. Well, I had an appointment today, so I called to see if it needed to be signed for. They informed me that home deliveries do not happen on Mondays. Well, someone should train them..... because that big beautiful truck pulled up to my driveway just after 1pm today!!!!!



I can't wait to really look at them all, once the children are in bed!!! Mr. Q. is hogging them all ;-)

Jana

Love to Learn Starts at Box Day

This was our very first box day!

My son Dylan, 8 and daughter Mandy, 5 had no idea what to expect from the word "Box Day." I pitched the idea and struck out for about a week. Dylan was so not interested in books. Actually, I bought Sonlight because it pitched, Love to Learn, and boy, did we need that!!! The day finally arrived and Dylan cautiously approached Mandy and I digging into this huge box. He casually asked where the castle was, and I told him where it was in the box... and then it happened....

He looked at a book, and another, and another, and another.....
Pretty soon he was digging in and helping sort them out. He even read <--- I did ask him to read the packing slip for me.

We are on our way now, Week 3, and he has had a blast with it...

THANKS SONLIGHT

Belinda, Dylan and Mandy

I have never been so keyed up

[title link here]

Seriously?

No one else gets all giddy about Box Day stories?

Well, I do.

They make me so happy. And that's why I want to share them with you (and I want you to share them with me so I can share them with the world!). Toward that end, I have started another blog--for ease of updating--where I will post the Box Day stories you send to me. I already have a few up, so please send me yours!

boxday.blogspot.com

Hop on over there, get some inspiration, and then send me your Box Day story.

Please!

...oh, and commenting and letting me know how much you enjoy reading said stories is also a very acceptable course of action at this point. Thanks! <smile>

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Yeah right, Mommy...sure.

We ordered Sonlight Core 3 this year for the first time for our 3rd grade son. In my excitement, I built up how much fun it would be to read all the new books that come with it. He is always saying that I don't have enough books for him to read (uh...not true - it's just that he reads them too fast for me to keep up)! However, each day that I said this, his response was, "Yeah right, Mommy....sure."

So when the "package man" brought us a huge white box, the kids were excited to see what it held. Sure enough, they ripped out the books and poured over as many as they could. My son had to admit that all the new books did looked "pretty neat!" Then he wanted to read them all NOW! I had to tape the box up again so that he wouldn't read them all ahead of the school year! Sheesh - what a problem to have, huh??


SO excited to begin our first Sonlight year!
Andrea C.

My Brain Has Been Otherwise Occupied

Last week was Taxmas Time like Christmas at our house. New books arrived daily from the UPS man, or the Fed Ex guy or the Spee-Dee delivery truck because of our annual curriculum buying spree. We watched the tracking numbers online and followed the packages from their destinations to our doorstep. The longest leg of the journey seemed to be "On truck for delivery".

History suggested that we'd be the last drop off of the day, so we'd sit with our noses pressed to the windows perking up at every diesel sound for blocks. All day, not accomplishing much but waiting.
Because, you know, if you step in the shower, there will be a delivery needing a signature. Or, if you run to the gas station, you'll find a note on your door return stating delivery confirmation was needed........

This year, our biggest order arrived at 8AM! We had hardly finished breakfast when we heard the truck out front. (As evidenced by the uneaten bagel in the midst of packing material.) In the past, I have been know to hog all the box opening fun for myself, wanting to make sure everything that was supposed to be there was, was my excuse This year I thought I'd let the kids have the fun IF they would follow
a few simple rules. No books were to leave the living room. I let
them empty all the boxes and paw through all the new books while I finished my breakfast.

Then and only then did I get out the packing slip and sit down to separate the books into their appropriate piles. The older boys helped me sort...


...while I shooed the little boys into the bedroom to watch TV.
Hey, I've come along way with my BDD (Box Dominance Disorder) and plus...they ASKED me to tape the boxes shut. Honest!


Soooo, that is where I've been. My creative energy has been channeled into turning the massive piles of books into a meaningful year of learning for 5 children. And I am trying to get a head start on all their reading...
...but as you can see, I'm already behind...

Kari B.

"Mommy, this is the Best Day EVER!"

Need I say more? :)

When the FedEx man arrived with our first shipment of Sonlight books, I'm sure he was taken aback by my two eager helpers. Liam grabbed the 4 lb box and ran it to the school room. Emily immediately went for the other box, which unfortunately weighed 55 lbs!


Emily pushing a large Sonlight box

Undeterred, the two of them insisted on pushing it from the doorstep to the floor of the schoolroom all by themselves, then danced with glee until I got the boxes open. Liam was especially impressed that the boxes could be recycled until he saw the castle print inside; then he begged me to keep them! Not only were the boxes cool to play in, but they had awesome books and maps inside!



My son was just beside himself over the science books, asking me over and over again if they were his and if he could keep them in his room!


And my daughter was so excited with her new Bible that she sat down to read it immediately.

To see more of our first box day pictures, feel free to look around the gallery.

Thanks for letting us share our story; we can't wait to start school!

Amy S. of Covington, GA

I Can Haz Box Day Stories?

[title link here]

Okay, I'm super excited: I'm working on a new little project to highlight Sonlight Box Day stories.

But to be able to do that, I need yours.

And those of your friends.

...what?

No! Not the boxes themselves; your Box Day stories! <sheesh> People thinking I want to take away their Sonlight materials... <smile>

So, please, if you have a Box Day story, send it to me! I would love pictures and video clips too (if you have them on your blog, Photobucket or YouTube account already, just send me the link; it makes it easier for me).

Send your Box Day stories--and any applicable media/links--to: lholzmann[at]sonlight.com

Don't forget to come up with a clever title for your story if you have one. If not, I'll come up with something slightly less clever but still effective.

When I've got a few stories, I'll make this thing public.

...it's gonna be awesome <smile>.

Not sure what Box Day is? Feeling lost and a little left out? Don't fret, there are a few examples of Box Day stories in my Other Posts of Note. Speaking of which, there is an article by Rebecca LuElla Miller that I think is, well, a a post of note, so give it a read.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Tape the Box Back Up

My family went over to the M. house for a cookout & play time. When I walked into my friend's kitchen, there were two Sonlight boxes stacked on the floor. Since I hadn't yet ordered for next year, I said, "O, did you get an order in?"

She said, "Yes, and you can look at them, if you want."

I quickly picked up a box and put it on the table (I love books) and then had to ask for some scissors. She said, "I had to tape it back up after I looked at them or I knew I'd just want to sit down and read them all. And, if the kids saw them, I knew we'd not get anything done!"

We love Sonlight! We are 4 year Sonlighters (I just ordered our 3rd Core for this year!) I have 4 kids: 8, 5, 4 & 2 who will all get a taste of Sonlight throughout the year.

--
Nate & Jill W. of Hugoton, KS

Insecure

'What am I, 12?'

I ask myself that every now and again.

Because I feel that way every now and again.

And I think I've been this way since I turned 13.

I'm insecure. I get bogged down. I'm immature.

Yesterday was one of those days. I struggled to write my post. And after I hit "Publish" I almost went back to add:

ETA: This is a lame post. Feel free to skip. Sorry for wasting your time.

And, as if to prove how far off my preconceptions are, I got fantastic comments that were totally encouraging.

And I read Lysa Terkeurst's latest post which reminded me that half of my insecurity stems from trying to prove that I'm better--or, at least, equal to--other bloggers. 'My thoughts matter! I'm important! Believe in me!'

How quickly I forget that I have specific gifts and talents and I need to use to bless others, not try to make myself look better. You'd think I'd remember a lesson that I first wrote about back in 2006. But no. No, I like to compare myself to every measuring stick that's taller than me. I want to hear not just that I'm "doing enough," but that I'm rocking!

And, being as narcissistic as I am, I'm guessing you're feeling the same way about some area of your life. If that is, say, homeschooling, stop comparing yourself to those who finish a Core in 6 weeks and then move on to differential calculus with their seven year old. Those kinds of tales, while impressive, are usually just depressing because then I wonder what I was doing at that age (search for "composer")...

That's why I much prefer to read stories from people who are successful but not superstars. They're encouraging because I could see myself get there with just a little more time and effort.

And you can too, it just may take a little time and effort.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Evil Prevails

They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."

~Lord of War (there is language on the quotes page)

I strive to be a good man, but I rarely act.

In fact, just this weekend I chatted with my best friend about a political hot topic: Abortion. Since I read blogs of all persuasions, I was giving him some of the reasons that I've read recently that come from "the other side."

After a while he looked at me and said, "Where are you coming from with all this? You state these opposing views but you never say where you stand. What are you getting at?"

I said, "The current arguments are getting us nowhere. It's the same with homosexuality and a bunch of other issues: People just aren't discussing this because they're calling each other names. I want to find a way where we can keep talking."

"That's the difference," he replied. "The other side is coming from such a different worldview/perspective that we can't talk. And that's not going to stop me from trying to get involved at a legislative level to get our nation going in the right direction."

That was sobering to me. And the point is well taken. But...

But these are my friends, people I care for, fellow bloggers who are really smart, good people... they merely look at the world from a completely different perspective. And while I firmly believe their perspective is flawed/wrong, they're not going to see it my way, especially if I keep using phrases that point out the "evils" of their way of thinking.


And even if I did speak up, does it help?

I read a post earlier today that demonized a popular Christian figure. I left a comment that I thought was well reasoned, backed with Scripture, and gave another view. I'm not sure how it will be received, and I doubt the comment will be published. And, ever since posting my response, I've wondered: Should I have just kept my mouth shut? Am I helping anyone (especially Sonlight) by challenging people to think through their ideas?

I write such responses because I want to be active on the blogosphere, but does it help people think through things better? Is it helpful?


Presuppositions. Pet ideas. Hidden agendas. Assumptions. All of these allow bad ideas to prevail, which then, in turn, allows evil to prevail.

Even if you can come up with rock-solid logic that cuts to the heart of the issue, the heart of the issue doesn't matter. Evil still prevails.

Much like religious discrimination in our nation.


May your family continue to strive to be good, have the wisdom to know when and how to act, and may we all rest in the grace given to us while evil continues to prevail. Because, yes, evil prevails, but it doesn't win.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

4 Years!

Brittany and I were married 4 years ago today.





You can see a few more pictures from our wedding on our abandoned family blog. The wedding went great! ...I just had a huge zit on my forehead that popped up that morning and the haircut I got was way, way too short. Good memories <smile>.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. In other news, we shipped two boxes to our first Sonlight Sweepstakes winner. Congratulations, Tonya! We look forward to cheering with you on your first Box Day!

School Year in Review

Yesterday I was putting the finishing touches on the final reports I needed to send to my school district. Included in those reports were the results of my students' assessment tests. We happen to use Iowa tests ... but have tried various assessments in the many years we've homeschooled.

As I compared the test results with those from previous years, I once again noted a pattern of strengths and weaknesses for each of my kids. It's always good to keep current with areas that my kids excel in and areas where they struggle. I find this especially helpful as I plan for the coming school year. Test results are often part of my decision making process when I purchase curriculum materials.

I also enjoyed looking back over material studied, books read, and projects completed. I allowed myself a few moments of proud reflection as I noted areas where my kids did very well. I also struggled for a bit with that always present homeschool mom "guilt" over areas where my kids didn't do as well. But all in all, I'm once again thankful for the opportunity and privilege to educate our children at home.

Feel free to share some of the highlights of your school year!

~Judy

A Little Help from My Friends

Thank you to everyone here and on Facebook who helped me figure out that math issue yesterday. I knew that was what was wrong but I couldn't get my head around it. Y'all are the best!

And having friends who can help you figure stuff out is super important with things that are complex but can be hugely rewarding. And this post got me thinking about it even more.

Growing up I played a cheap knock-off version of Tetris--which, I've since found out, is probably okay because of the sordid legal history of the Russian game (check out the documentary my wife really liked: Tetris: From Russia with Love).

No one really had to explain the game to me. I figured it out pretty fast.

But since that time, I've started playing World of Warcraft. And, as Seth points out in his post: WoW is far more immersive than Tetris (though, I would add, both can be equally addicting <smile>). In fact, it really helps to have someone who knows the game sit down with you when you start playing WoW. They can explain everything, show you how it works, and get you pointed in the right direction as you set out on your first quest to clear the forest of unwanted pests that are ruining the lives of the locals.

And that's probably one of the many reasons Blizzard includes a 10-Day Free Trial account with every copy of the game.


Tetris vs. WoW

The same is true of Sonlight. Unlike some other programs, it really helps to have someone sit down with you and talk you through Sonlight the first time (or two). Many people come to Sonlight because a friend showed them how it works and got excited about starting their own journey.

If you want to know more about Sonlight but don't have a friend who will "show you the ropes" by sitting down with you and showing you how it works, then contact one of the Sonlight Curriculum Advisors who can answer your questions and get you started.

Want to help some noobs get started in the world of Sonlight? Want to get some coin for passing on your love of Sonlight to others? Then become a Sonlight Affiliate, and let us reward you for giving a little help to us and your friends.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Updates, Outtakes, and Odd Dates

First, some really cool news on the Sonlight website front:

1. We now have a new Cart at Sonlight.com. Hop on over there and look in the upper right corner of the window. There's an awesome "View Cart" button that pops out from the side. How cool is that?

Pretty cool.

2. We've extended our free Live Chat hours! That means that you can get help from a Customer Relations representative until 7pm Mountain Time. How cool is that? Well, to loosely borrow from the kid in The Incredibles:

That is totally wicked!


On to MathTacular:

"What percent of ½ is an eighth?" Easy, but just in case you're a little rusty, I'll break it out for you:

x * ½ = ⅛ (divide both sides by ½)
x = ⅛/½ (solve division of fractions by flipping and multiplying^*)
x = ⅛ * 2/1 -> x = ¼ -> x = 0.25 (multiply by 100 to get a %)
x = 25%

But then we turned it into a word problem:
"What percentage of half the income of the farm (which is how much is used to pay wages) is paid to one of the eight farm hands?"

Working out the numbers we naturally get 25% again... but wait, there are 8 guys, so how could any of them get ¼ of the money?

...umm...


cipherin'

No matter how I worked it, I couldn't get it to make sense. I ended up with things like:

x% = 1/400% workers
$1 * $8 = ⅛
and my personal favorite: x% * ½y = ⅛

But if I stuck with just the numbers, I got 25% every time.

I know it has something to do with how we're saying the problem, but I can't figure it out. And I don't often get this stumped. I mean, especially when I understand the math--I can solve the numbers in a flash--but for some reason the moment I add in the units the whole thing falls apart.

And I'm still stumped.

But I know the moment someone shows me where I've got it wrong everything will be clear. At the moment, however, I have killed math. Math is dead.


Speaking of fun numbers and death, today, for a moment, it was 04:05:06 07/08/09... which, I'm pretty sure, will not happen again for another hundred years in 2109. At which point, I will likely be dead.


Dave

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

^*Proof: Solve for ⅛/½
We can multiply both the top and the bottom by 1 and the answer will remain the same: ⅛/½ * 1/1 = ⅛/½. But any number over itself is still just 1.

So, we can have 2/2 = 1

Multiply both the top and the bottom by that
⅛/½ * 2/2 -> (⅛ * 2)/(½ *2) -> (⅛ * 2)/1 and that is just:
⅛ * 2

Fried

I had an idea this morning about something I could write about that wasn't the MathTacular shoot.

But I have since forgotten what it was.

Perhaps this is due, in part, to the fact that I am fried.


Fried

It is also due to the fact that I did not scribble myself a note of what it was that I needed to remember. And that is always a problem because I don't remember things too well in my old age <smile>.

Actually, it probably has less to do with my deteriorating mind and more to do with all the stuff that's rattling around in it. These jumbled thoughts tend to cause me to become completely confused. Like, this morning, when I wrote a note about the "Primate" email... that was actually a "Private" email.

And just now I read something that had to do with feedback not Facebook.

...I think it's time for me to go home...

If you're fried today, may you get the rest you need tonight so tomorrow is incredibly productive and full of joy.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. Thankfully, I was alert enough to catch the misused "costed" on set today, which immediately caused me to think of similar words, like caustic and accosted...

Foam and Furtherance

Sometimes to move forward you must go back.

Almost sounds like a fortune cookie.

Every once in a while we have to re-watch a clip we just shot to try to sort out what we want to change. Much of what we do is ad-lib based off what we've agreed is the best way to teach something. We discuss, and then Justin stands up and says it. And then we have to cut and try again, tweaking his words here and there. Unfortunately, sometimes we'll forget what it is we wanted to change and so we rewind the tape and watch it again.


Amber Taking Notes on a Scene We Just Shot

On the technical side of things, I have to remember to record some "post roll" before rewinding. I do this by placing my hand over the lens and recording about 10 seconds. If I don't do that, we can have a break in "time code"--the numbers that keep track of how far into the tape we've recorded and are used by the computer when capturing--or we accidentally record over something we've already shot.

Guess how many times I did that before I learned my lesson?

Yeah.

In other news, we did a fun little thing on camera that ended up with overflowing foam. It turned out beautifully. You can tell because we were all laughing once I stopped the camera.


Foam

So even if you feel like you're taking a few steps back today, may you press on to even greater heights! ...especially if there's a controlled mess along the way. <smile>

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father