Grain of Salt

It’s a good thing I love salt. Having teenagers is one thing. Having traumatized teenagers is…special. You should never take them too seriously. These pairs of quotes came from the same child’s mouth within minutes (or at most hours).   This summer is not fun like last summer. I thought we were going to do […]

{Classical Conversations} Cycle 2 | Week 16

This is the year of simplification and getting back to basics. We are making a more concerted effort to incorporate memory work review into our day and relying on great books. You can read about our routine by clicking here and detailed curriculum choices here. Below you will find booklists for the week and this […]

Our Reading Teaching Method

Forget higher math, teaching a child to read has to be the most intimidating part of homeschooling. It didn’t help that our guinea pig, I mean first child, taught himself to read when he was four. When we decided to homeschool, I almost left my daughter in school one more year just so she would […]

{Christmas} A Thank You

In early December, I sent out a message that read: It’s a tradition for Melissa’s parents to get an ornament for the kids every year. The missing ornaments from past years for John, Kayla, Grace, and Ty really stir up a lot of grief and sabotage their sense of belonging. We’ve decided to fix it! […]

{Christmas} The Night Before

Also known as Christmas Eve. We tried something different this year. We opened presents (except stockings) on Christmas Eve after church and after dinner. I was a little worried it was going to be too late of a night and that we would have to deal with multiple breakdowns. However, everyone was on their best […]

{Classical Conversations} Cycle 2 | Week 15

This is the year of simplification and getting back to basics. We are making a more concerted effort to incorporate memory work review into our day and relying on great books. You can read about our routine by clicking here and detailed curriculum choices here. Below you will find booklists for the week and this […]

{Classical Conversations} A CC Timeline Book

I’m such a nerd. Both of Leigh Bortins’ books (The Core and The Question) and a set of CC Timeline cards made up the majority of my Christmas loot. Remember this timeline project? I had good intentions and was able to keep it up for the majority of last school year and the beginning of this […]

{Christmas} The Grinch Reading

It just wouldn’t be Christmas without the Annual Grinch Reading. This is a family tradition started by my parents and godparents roughly 30 years ago. As you can see, it’s a photo-worthy experience for all. Just kindly ignore that evil look from my Hubby. Sometimes he’s Grinchy about photo opportunities. Ty and Mia are the […]