The other day, my boys and I were reading our favorite version of The Lion and the Mouse. It’s a wordless, illustrated version put together by Jerry Pinkney. My boys love the fact that a small mouse can help to save the life of a mighty lion. In it, they see the power that lies in every small creature.… Continue reading
A new study finds that household products, such as perfumes, cleaners, paints, and so on, now rival auto emissions as the primary source of urban air pollution. This is a big deal. It means that the products that we are using in our houses – those products we utilize to clean, decorate, and maintain our homes as well as those we use directly on our bodies – are poisoning the air we breathe. … 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
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
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
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
When my four-year-old began donning his rain boots to head out into the sleet, I asked him if he wanted help with his jacket.
“No,” he replied, “I just want to taste it. I don’t need a jacket.”
I watched him walk out the back door onto our deck. My husband snapped this picture of him tasting the rain/snow/sleet that was falling from the sky. … Continue reading
We’re headed to California next week to take care of my grandmother as she recovers from back surgery. Recovery and two young children don’t always go hand-in-hand. That said, my two boys are so excited about going and helping and spending time with their Great-Grandmother, that I’m hoping it’ll be a wonderful experience for all of us.
In order to keep my boys entertained during times when my grandma needs quiet over the next couple weeks, I picked up a few activity books from our favorite local bookstore. … Continue reading
For two years now, I have made my own calendar notebook, which doubles as a journal/planner. Like many people, I used to buy a paper calendar every year. However, I never found a calendar that allowed me to do everything I wanted to do with it.
When I used pre-made products, something always felt problematic. Sometimes there wasn’t enough space for each day. … Continue reading
Last year, my elder son made a family friend a series of four bead ornaments depicting the life-cycle of a caterpillar (an egg, a caterpillar, a chrysalis, and a butterfly). She loved them, and suggested that he start a business selling them. My then 7-year-old leaped on this idea and began to make ornaments to sell.
The problem arose when we couldn’t find a venue through which he could sell them. … Continue reading