My oldest son turned 9 last week. One of the ways he wanted to celebrate his birthday was to make Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. This ice cream is simple to make, delicious to eat, and is a big hit with anyone who enjoys minty flavors.
We were able to get raw cream from our local dairy, so that’s what we used this time. … Continue reading
We are fortunate to have a community that supports our homeschooling endeavors in a great many ways. Our friends, our library, our local Maker’s Space, our favorite market, a local farm, an art studio, and more. They all come together to expose our boys to a wide array of information and experiences that we wouldn’t be able to easily provide on our own.… Continue reading
Over the summer, we picked up a flat of peaches from our local farmers’ market. We ate most of them simply as they came, raw and either whole or cut in slices. After we had consumed about half of the peaches, I decided to freeze some so we could have a special taste of summer in the middle of the winter.… Continue reading
My 8-year-old received a Ticket to Ride board game over the holidays. He loves it so much, we’ve played it almost daily since he received it. Some days we’ve even played it more than once.
The game looks complicated at first. It gives you several different things to think about and manage as you play. But once you’ve played through a game and see how it all comes together, it’s fairly straightforward.… Continue reading
The winter holidays have now passed. My boys decorated gingerbread houses sometime in November, and since that time they’ve served as holiday decorations. (You can read about all the reasons that making gingerbread houses are great learning fun HERE, and some things I learned as a parent HERE.) At this point, the houses have sat around for a couple of months and we’re ready to let them go.… Continue reading
My 4-year-old has repeatedly requested that we make bath bombs again (you can read about our first endeavor HERE). So when our friends suggested that we get together and make a batch, of course we said yes.
The bath bombs in the picture may not be the most beautiful (please remember they were made by young kids), but they are everything a bath bomb should be. … Continue reading
When we told our boys that we were staying home over the holidays (see HERE), of course they were disappointed. Like my husband and I, they were looking forward to seeing their extended family as well as the celebrations that accompany the holidays. Since we changed plans at the last minute, we had no celebratory plans of our own, so we decided to do some new things to make the time special.… Continue reading
We were planning to take a road trip out to California to visit my family for Christmas. But between snowstorms in the mountains, sick relatives in CA, and our own exhaustion at year’s end, we decided we would be better off taking the opportunity to rest and spend time together here at home.
While we enjoy these big road trips (see HERE), we always come home exhausted; and often my boys have picked up a cold or other minor sickness while we’re on the road. … Continue reading
Yesterday hosted a small birthday celebration for a dear, long-time friend (over 25 years!). She and the other friends present routinely spoil my boys, as well as my husband and me, so we took advantage of the situation to put together something special for them.
My 8-year-old planned out the meal. He read through cookbooks and started with an extremely elaborate menu. … Continue reading
Two weeks ago I decided to learn to play the didgeridoo. It’s totally different from anything I’ve ever done before, and it’s challenging to learn. But I’m having fun, and really enjoying it. The deep resonance of the sound is soothing. And the complete concentration it requires forces me to focus on only the one thing before me, making it a wonderfully meditative act.… Continue reading