Earlier this summer I received a box of Pendaflex items that I got to play with to see how they could help me be a more organized homeschooling mom. If only they’d come with an organizational guru to get me there! Now that we’re moved into our new home, I have a challenge in that I don’t have a designated schoolroom. …
The Tale of a Homeschool Mama’s Denial
This week I’m in denial. I’m in denial that summer is almost over. Between teaching graduate classes and moving, I don’t feel like we’ve had much of a summer. Add in moving, and the chaos has been complete. Where. Did. Summer. Go? I truly want to know. Summer, come back wherever you are. I’m in denial that school is right …
Summer Plans? 4 low-cost ideas to try with your kids
Summer is officially upon us. The calendar is well into June and that means school is out. It also means we need to fill the suddenly empty days. Whether you homeschool or not, here are a few ideas to get you started. Then let me know what ideas you can pass on to the rest of us! Become a tourist in …
4 Ideas for Transmitting Faith
One of my goals as a homeschooling momma is to transmit my faith to my kids. I want them to have a personal relationship with Christ from a young age. But I also understand they can’t ride on my coattails, or my husband’s or their grandparents, or aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. You get the picture. Transmitting #faith to your kids …
4 Tips to Finding Peace as a Perfectionist Loving Mama
From my earliest days, I knew I wanted to be a mom. I also knew I wanted to take Katie Couric’s spot on The Today Show – hasn’t happened. Wanted to take Sandra Day O’Connor’s spot on the Supreme Court – also seems highly unlikely. And wanted to be the youngest state senator in Nebraska history – my college friend …
Back-to-School Already? 4 reminders
One of the unique things about me is that I’m a second-generation homeschooling momma. That means I was homeschooled and now homeschool my kiddos. Yesterday morning, my heart was in my throat as I watched my baby girl board the school bus. She may be 13, almost 14, but this was the first time she’s stepped outside our homeschool to …
How Our Homeschool is Different from a Traditional School
If you’re a homeschooling family, you have a list of reasons why you chose this educational form. You like the freedom. Your kids need a challenge. You want to direct your child’s education and avoid a cookie-cutter approach. Fill in your own reason below. As we prepare for a new school year, what our homeschooling looks like will shift because our …
An Unexpected Pause
This week I got hit with the stomach bug — hence no midweek post. It laid me flat on my back. Fortunately, it was quick. But I’ve thought about grace as my plans for this week exploded around me. Two days of school gone thanks to the stomach bug. But God’s grace showed up in so many ways in the …
Struggles of a Homeschooling Mama: Algebra
As a second-generation homeschooler, not much fazes me. I’ve experienced it, heard about it, done it. However, we’ve just hit a stumbling point in our homeschooling. ALGEBRA. The big, bad, oh-so-necessary-to-graduate algebra. So what’s a mom to do when Algebra becomes a daily battle? Here are a few things I’ve done: 1) I’ve had to reexamine why I homeschool. Do …
Do We Dare to Dream Crazy Dreams with God?
Last summer my family had a crazy adventure. For awhile the longing for a shared adventure had grown in my heart. Because my husband spent seven of his growing up years in the Far East, I’ve harbored a desire for our children to share a similar experience. The more I thought and prayed about it, the crazier it seemed. Yet …