Skip to main content

A Little Taste of the West!

Just before we started our 2009-2010 school lessons, we received a package in the mail from Maverick Books which contained a book, a CD, and a game. The book was Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse, which is part of a series of Hank the Cowdog books, we discovered. The CD was a collection of songs from the Hank the Cowdog series, and the game was Tornado, which is based on another of Hank the Cowdog book, The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado. Being that we have never really introduced the kids to books set in the Wild, Wild West, this was new!
Straight away, Tornado was opened, constructed, learned, and played. Several times. The game is a fun chase-around-the-board game, much like Trouble, but the really beautiful part of this game is that it is self-contained: all of the pieces fit back inside the game board, which closes up into a rectangle slightly bigger than a VHS tape. For a family with stacks of school supplies, games, and crafts crammed into one big cabinet, this is a definite PLUS!

We began reading the book, The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse, and right away, my penchant for accents took over. The twang that I associate with the West came through, and the characters jumped right out of the book! My children giggled to some of the funnier comments these colorful characters make in the story, though I sometimes had to explain the jargon or the meaning of the words so they could "get it." Hank is a ranchin' dog, and he believes himself to be the keeper of ranch security. He has a bit of help in his pal, Drover, though admittedly not much, since Drover is definitely not the brains of the operation. The interactions between these two characters was quite entertaining to me, though the kids didn't always understand why Mommy was laughing. Anyway, there's Hank's true love, Beulah from a neighboring ranch, his sworn enemy, Pete the barn cat, and a bunch of other colorful characters that round out each of the Hank the Cowdog books.

Although the book did have some unfortunate negativity (words many of us would rather not hear our kids say, like "stupid"), I felt that my children are exposed to that stuff in movies already, not to mention with friends in the neighborhood. We just use those opportunities to make sure the kids understand how hurtful those words are and talk about why we don't say them around here... we call them "teachable moments."

The kids lost interest in the book after a few chapters, but that is probably because they are a bit more worldly than I would like and are not entertained by the simpler things anymore. This was an eye-opener for sure because I would like to believe that my children can still appreciate tales of dogs who live in the West and believe they are heroes. Sadly, they are more likely to be rock stars and Jedi masters around these here parts (say it with twang, y'all!).

So, if your children are less worldly, or are just in love with cowboys and the Wild, Wild West, the Hank the Cowdog series of books might be perfect for your family. The game, Tornado, is certainly a blast for anyone! {To see what my fellow TOS Homschool Crew Members had to say about Hank the Cowdog click here.}

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Weary of Winter

Last summer, we began a tedious journey through a difficult season in our lives: family trials coupled with unprecedented numbers of illnesses in our home have just about driven me batty.  So, after a frayed rotator cuff in my right arm (why i don't blog as often anymore), the discovery of a couple of possible learning disabilities in my kiddos (not covered by our insurance, naturally, so we're on our own), two stomach viruses (TWO!!), possible RSV that led to pneumonia (myself and the Littlest Princess), bronchitis (hubby), and an ear infection (the Man-Child)... i was deeply touched to be sent the " Stylish Blogger Award " by a friend from my reviewing days on The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Homeschool Crew !  Wow! I needed that reminder that there is life out there and i used to be a part of it!! Thank you, Heather!! :^) Check out her awesome site at http://faithfamilyandfun.com/ I don't know how she does it, but there is always something new and inspirin

Missing My blog...

Okay, it seems like forever since I wrote on here, and I really have nothing to say and too much to say all at once! There is so much that God is showing me lately, and there is so little time to do more than just soak it up and take one step at a time. The kids are great! We survived a few days of babysitting while my sister-in-law was in Hawaii. Yeah, that's a rub, right? :-) We enjoyed a teaser of Spring, which prompted us to begin some seedlings... (can you say "germination?" what a wonderful teaching opportunity it was!) we planted 2 different kinds of tomatoes, basil, early peas, and some flowers. Most of our seedling pots are on the kitchen table, but in a month or so, we will have some work to do to transplant it all outside! Yay! We learned today that Quin is actually halfway through first grade on his reading and math. That is a really nice surprise to a laid-back homeschooling mom! Calysta is trucking along in all her subjects beautifully. And Dania is

Perimenopause: What to Expect that You are NOT Expecting

Perimenopause: What to expect that you're NOT expecting. Chapter 1: The Hot (Fire) Flash (Surge) The fan must be on. In every room. And you are now Mr. Rogers. You have a sweater for every outfit. However, you live in tanks and short-sleeved shirts underneath because nakedness is frowned upon in public places and you must disrobe in haste, frequently. The socially-encouraged bondage device, a.k.a. the bra, is more despised than ever. Fuzzy socks are your friend, because your circulation is poor and your skin is dry. You will end up with a pair in every room because you inevitably needed them off for extended periods and wandered away from them, only to need them again in another room. Winter weather is both bone-chillingly cold and a delight to overheated skin. Sometimes simultaneously. Summer is intolerable. Do not get me started on having a fever while experiencing a hot flash. 😳 And while we're mentioning it.... "Hot Flash" is not an adequate phrase for the rush o