Bwekfast Turtle

Once or twice a month, the kids and I try to make a trip to our county zoo. Going that often is a very different experience from the trips we used to take in grade school every May. For one thing, I don’t have to worry about where to sit on the bus. My seat is pretty much assigned these days. The biggest advantage is that we get to know the animals better. The elephants are... Read More

Sunshiny Smiles From the Zoo

I’m moving on from the Friday series of posts (at least for now, in this venue). Too dark! I felt like I was reliving it all over again. I’m unspeakably grateful for family and friends who prayed us right on through those years. Some sunshiny smiles are in order… The kids and I went to the zoo last week for the first time since we moved. It was swelteringly hot,... Read More

What Rhymes with Penguin?

Today is closing and moving day – a milestone and a sweet time for our young family. This is a filler post until I have my computer set up again. Happy, happy Wednesday! A while back, I read a post by Kristen Chase on Pioneer Woman’s homeschooling section. She asked readers to share some of the everyday questions that their kids ask, and to reply in Haiku. For the next... Read More

The Things Kids Say: Bible Memory Verses

Scroll to the bottom of this post to view the list of verses, or printable PDF of the verses we’re using (plus how they fit with our school topics), click here. If you do use these, please double-check the verses for accuracy, in the Bible version you like to use. Some of the verses are only partial; older children could memorize the entire Bible verse. Also, several verses... Read More

A Marathon Field Trip

I had a another post planned for today, but I’m out of steam. There seem to be plenty of people I know who are out of steam lately. Can we just take a break today? Want to leave the house and worries behind and come with us on a field trip?! This is a virtual field trip, so we can visit the zoo, the gardens, and the aquarium all in one day! We can also skip the blowouts, the... Read More

Of Felines and Phonics: Teaching Preschoolers to Read

My older daughter is enamored with cats lately. Here she is, below, with Aunt Annie’s remarkably patient cat: This is more than just a brief, passing phase. In the house, she crawls around looking for bowls of milk. When she takes a bath, she’s a catfish. When she gets hurt, she cries, “MeOW!” This is serious. I wasn’t worried until one day when she... Read More

A Homeschool Preschool Schedule

I think that if I never had children, I might have flown through life by the seat of my pants, accomplishing things in bursts of energy followed by down times. God apparently thought it was a good idea to give me a child who is different from me. My oldest girl thrives on schedules. She stretches me as I try to serve her. We don’t follow a schedule every day. But even doing... Read More

Gearing Up for A One-Year Homeschooling Trial

Most endeavors – even the most fun ones – hit a lull at some point. I hit one recently with my section of the blog. I can’t describe how much I’ve loved “meeting” with friends and family each week to talk photography, kid antics, and even the occasional identity crisis. 🙂 This has brought some positive things to our home, and I’m thankful... Read More

The List: A "Typical" Homeschool Morning

Each morning, I hand each of my kids a clipboard with a list attached to it. This list, folks, is a pipe-dream, a wild hope that they can manage to get through all of their assignments before 4:00. It rarely happens. But, after seven years of homeschooling, I still hope. And, after most-of-their-lives of homeschooling, they still react with shock and dismay to The List. Our... Read More

Homeschool Books and Materials: Singapore Math to Memoria Press

I opened the door to my daughter’s room Friday morning, camera in hand, to tell her that she needed to help me get some pictures for my blog, and this is what I saw, just inside her door: We’re not taking dowry offers yet, so don’t even ask. Anyway, my idea was to use the blog to answer the question that I so often am asked, “What do you use for homeschool... Read More