Truth, Love And Books

April is often a month of hope, warmer weather and natural beauty in bloom. And most likely, homeschool mama and/or kiddo burn-out. The struggle can be real. You are thirty-ish weeks in, you can taste summer break and the kids are stir crazy and so over math. Mom is so over math. The remaining weeks can feel like the end of a marathon. I never have attempted the 26.2 miles endeavor but my youngest brother has. Watching a video via text message when he hit mile 22ish, hit me hard. I could feel the anguish, the physical and mental battle. Give up and spare his body the immense pain and crippling fatigue? Or keep going to the victory that you've endured arduous training to reach? I learned soon after my brother finished, around mile 23, a friend and former marathoner saw him, jumped in the race, and ran alongside him. Fortifying him and inspiring him to envision the finish as tangible. The thought brought out some big sister crocodile tears. Running alongside someone who has done it o...

Confession time: I regularly miss our daily, bible reading. I really shouldn't even dub it "daily" well because truthfully, we are lucky to get in 5 bible-reading days in a row.  Oh and confession numero dos: I never start  our mornings with bible.  Three years ago, I attended a life-changing homeschool conference and one common, encouraging message was to always always begin your homeschool days with bible. While I certainly see the value in that, I habitually have found myself letting my babes play after breakfast and I try to sit down with my own bible reading (and coffee hopefully) for a mere 7ish minutes. And then we do math first! And bible always at lunch.  When my big kids were little, it seemed easier to complete or almost complete a bible story whilst they were munching. Now it's a habit they've begun to expect. There's so much good material that I have yet to get my hands on, it can be quite overwhelming. Especially when it comes to the all importa...

 When my husband Winston, and I were just 23 we had the opportunity to visit the big island of Hawaii. His company promised to cover expenses, including an airline ticket and 3 nights in a stunning, seaside resort. Before-hand, there was some friendly debating between my father-in-law and I, as to who should accompany Winston. I had recently begun a new job, had zero paid leave, was too young to rent a car and was not exactly rolling in the dough. Winston’s dad however, was unattached, retired and apparently had made wise fiscal decisions over the decades. He held the obvious position in the argument. But I was not, not going. Not without a fight, mind you. In the months leading up to the trip, my older cousin (whom I always looked up to) was selling me on the island. She bi-annually visited Maui and had cast a vision for how remarkably beautiful the beaches were. Being an ardent beach (and adventure) lover, I begged and begged Winston to ignore our miniscule savings account and ...

Just last week, I called a good friend of mine and fellow homeschool mama and said: "I'm having one of those days." You know, where you-tube is the stand-in teacher. I'm huddled in my bed probably with a piece of chocolate all while mentally coaching myself out of chasing down the next yellow bus I see and putting my kid on it. She understood because well, she was having a day too. Home education, like anything worthwhile, is not always easy. In fact, there are days when it feels downright cumbersome. And overwhelming and frustrating and exasperating. Nonetheless, at this point in my life (when my toddler is either on my hip or climbing on the kitchen table as I teach math) I feel more satisfied and at peace with my circumstances then I can ever recall. (It might also be because my stud of a hubs is working at home now too woohoo!!!) In life, there is a keen difference between working and toiling. Toiling is the never-ceasing striving that often involves a task that...

My children are not amazed by Amazon Prime. Like at all. They know that when we order, we can expect a package to arrive on the porch in about 48 hours. Nearly every time I purchase, I’m incredulous. Is this real life? How do they have that many color options? How many warehouses do they even have? It consistently astounds me and I’ve never even utilized the drones. The majority of American kids are growing up in a world where if they want something, they can get it. Virtually anything at any time. Somehow, sadly, this idea seemingly has translated to truth. What’s true is like a custom Starbucks latte, what’s good coffee for me, may not be good coffee for you. Relative truth is the name for this mainstream ideology, and when we are talking about lattes, I’m whole-heartedly on board. But often, in parenting (and all that is significant in life) in order to be loving you need the truth. Objective truth. (Objective just means it supersedes opinion. ) Today’s youth has collectively adopte...

Ahh yes. The time of year to pull out the picnic blankets and a stack of books. I have high hopes to spend a considerable amount of time at our local metro parks with our school reading in tow. But also, little Mr. into-everything-spitfire will be joining us so the only reading we may do while out and about may consist solely of the audiobook in the car ride over. And that’s okay. Happy Spring! Here’s what we are reading. Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant is a family favorite. It’s an early reader and it’s well loved by all. Including mom, dad and little man. It’s hilarious. There are three short stories. We can’t get enough Poppleton. Our Science reading. The Let’s Read and Find Out Science series has been perfect for my 8 year old and 6 year old twins. It’s easy, interesting and books can be reserved through our local library system. The picture book historical biographies by Ingri & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire are great for early elementary history reading. My girls have been fascinated by ...

Growing up as a home-educated kid, my siblings and I quickly became accustomed to the shock and the questions that came along with the statement: “I am home-schooled.”   Unlike now, in the late nineties, my family was in the stark minority as far as education goes. I definitely consider myself a lucky girl to have encountered a potpourri of experiences when it comes to learning. I attended a private school through 3 rd grade, was home-schooled through freshman year and the remaining high school and college years were at public institutions.  I have had countless, phenomenal teachers. In fact, I can’t think of a single teacher that wasn’t good. Now that I’m a parent, and have decided to be my own kids’ primary educator, I’ve reflected on the social interactions that often result whilst discussing education. There are several formal school teachers in my life. Family members, old and new friends. To be honest, each time anyone of them asks me about homeschooling, a part of me w...