Charlotte Mason promoted handicrafts as an opportunity for children to spend careful attention + neat effort making useful products while encouraging them to build skills that would help them to be industrious adults. Doesn't that sound noble? While she was suggesting this in the early 1900s, I think they're still an important part of a … [Read more...]
Today I’m Choosing More Home, Less School
The lessons, the calendar, the schedule was making us all a bit weary. I could feel we needed a slow-down, but instead I wanted to hurry ahead to finish. I'm like that. It can feel productive, but it's often quite the opposite. And besides productive? Producing what exactly? Harried children and a frazzled mother? No good. And that's when … [Read more...]
My Favorite Finds for Homeschool Decor
Us homeschoolers, we're renegades, right? Let's ditch the primary colored wall posters and seasonal cork boards to create our at-home "schoolrooms". Instead of making our homes look like classrooms, let's make learning look good. In our home, we happen to have a dedicated school room, but our learning certainly doesn't keep to only that … [Read more...]
Keeping It Together On The Sidelines: My Essential Gear for Game Watching with the Family
We are a baseball loving family. I can remember being a young girl having fun on the sidelines of my dad's games and as a college girl, there was no better way to spend a spring or summer night than cheering on my future husband. Now as a mom of three boys who are playing, I spend even more time (lots and lots of time!) on the sidelines … [Read more...]
Weasel Family Tree Race
Please welcome my 9 year old son, Kyle, back with his third post on animals. He provides the topic and research, does all the writing, and selects the pictures. I simply help with the technical aspects. Although I imagine, I won't even keep that job for long. I hope you enjoy this and share it with the littles in your life! European … [Read more...]
Food for Thought Friday
Been picking up tidbits from around the internet that I thought you'd be interested in too. Consider it weekend reading and be sure to leave me your thoughts in the comments. It's dialectic. Screentime is Making Kids Moody, Crazy, and Lazy I definitely think I see times where this seems to be true for my brood. We limit their time, but this … [Read more...]
Homeschool Classical Planner Review + Giveaway
I have never before used a homeschool planner. While I am very much a planner, they all felt a little intimidating and not quite what I needed. However, when I saw the chatter on the Classical Conversations group Facebook page about the Homeschool 18-Month Classical Planner by Hot Pink Lime, I was instantly interested. The folks over at Hot Pink … [Read more...]
Traveling the 50 States with the Flat Littles: Florida
I love this story from Kim & her family of the Flat Littles' trip to Florida. They attended the dolphin show at Sea World first, but half an hour later were destroyed from the splash by a killer whale. Haha. Guess that's what happens when you sit in the Splash Zone! I know visiting Sea World can be considered controversial these days. If … [Read more...]
Back to School Printables
Y'all, it's about that time! We're planning to start next week. I wanted to share with you some fun printables I found to use for that first day back to homeschool. First Day of School printable picture sign - These are grade specific, include the year and are in a fun chalkboard style. First day of HOMEschool printable picture sign - I am … [Read more...]
Scheduling Our Day Using Blocks of Time
I always like to consider our first schedule a rough draft, because I typically make changes as I see how things shake out. And truly, our schedule is more of an order to our day than actual times to do things. That sort of predictability without strict rigidness works for us. Mondays: Our Classical Conversations community day now … [Read more...]