National Merit Commended Student

 Friday, we received notification in the mail that our son, Jesse, has been named a National Merit Commended Student.  

This was not a surprise to us since we have gone through the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying process five other times and have a good idea of what score is needed to achieve this.  Based on his PSAT selection index score, we knew it was not high enough to qualify as  a Semi-Finalist in Texas (selection index 218) , but would qualify for Commended status.  We are proud of his accomplishment.




What is a National Merit Commended Student?

Family Favorites Friday: Easy Homemade Pizza

I need to apologize.  I thought I had already shared this easy recipe with you, but discovered I hadn't when a friend recently asked me for the recipe and I was going to send her a link.  I am so sorry, y'all.  You need this recipe for Easy Homemade Pizza.

Why do you need this recipe?

1.  The crust is super easy to make and doesn't need to rise = quick.

2.  It makes  3 large pizzas = enough for everybody and maybe leftovers.

3.  Your children can help = fun family activity.

4.  It is inexpensive to make = save money.

ILLUMINATIONS

As I have mentioned before, we are studying Scotland for our history this year.  

I found a couple books that we are using as well as a website.  The internet does make creating your own curriculum much easier than when we began our homeschooling journey twenty-three years ago.

We definitely have seen a pattern in Scottish history up to this point:

College Admissions Essay

 
In the mail today, I was excited to receive my review copy of  Admissions Essay Boot Camp: How to Write Your Way into the Elite College of Your Dreams.

I don't think my son has elite colleges in his dreams, but it is always a good idea to write an excellent essay, so I was interested to see if this book would give us any new insight.

Responding to Teenagers

"I'm thinking about getting dreads," my college freshman son declared to me as we were leaving his university for spring break at home.

FAMILY FAVORITES FRIDAY: Open Book Cake

Through the years I have made decorated cakes for my children for their birthdays.  Not every year, but sometimes.  

When my oldest daughter was engaged, she requested a book cake for her engagement party.  She has always loved books, so this seemed like a fun cake to make.

BOOK REVIEW: Your Family In Pictures

A DSLR camara is a fairly new addition to our family, so I was thrilled to find Your Family in Pictures: The Parents' Guide to Photographing Holidays, Family Portraits, and Everyday Life  to review for Blogging for Books.

High School Vocabulary: DIY Curriculum