Designing a home-centered life: learning, exploring, and creating with our five littles
Ever since I read this article, I've been wanting to talk with y'all about it. These statistics on biblical illiteracy reveal a sad state of affairs. Researchers George Gallup and Jim Castelli put the problem squarely: "Americans revere the Bible--but, by and large, they don't read it. And because they don't read it, they have become a … [Read more...]
{I say with the utmost affection,} You might be a math geek if you play board slam at home at night with your husband. You might be a competitive math geek if you happen to forget to tell your husband he can use cubes and squares to get the answers he needs. Ha! But, either way, here are some ideas for keeping the game interesting … [Read more...]
I saw Valentine's Day Envelope Chairbackers similar to these years ago in a Pottery Barn catalog. Adorable, but more money than I could spend for them. I figured out a DIY which was so fun and easy to do. My littles have loved them now for more than a few years, so I'm super glad I made the effort. Even though they are white, they've held up just … [Read more...]
Over the years, I've stumbled on a few ideas which my children have loved that are now our family traditions leading up to Valentine's Day. They are simple, meaningful, and easy to execute, which is why we enjoy returning to them every year. 1. DIY card making station: At the beginning of February, I fill a simple wooden box with paper and … [Read more...]
I've used and (unintentionally) abused my Homeschool Classical Planner for the last several months. I still feel badly about the water spill which soaked and wrinkled its pages. But, in spite of my goofs, it's lasted through it all. The parts which have been my favorite: 1. The pockets. I've used them lots to stash all manner of papers … [Read more...]
Okay, confession time. Our CC memory work review time has been a little chaotic. I blame the children. ;) Truly, there are four of them. They move and talk and distract. Then add in the toddler (he makes 5) and it's all a big fat mess. My threshold for frenzied school times is low, so we've modified how our review time works a little bit in order … [Read more...]
“Moms, let me say it again. You can’t help him too much. Okay?” These firm, but gentle, generous words from my son’s Essentials tutor washed over me for the second week in a row and I realized what freedom they had brought to our homeschool experience. I had been warned the first year in Essentials could be overwhelming and it's certainly … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
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...]