Ah, summer

It is hot. The kids have started camps. In fact, all three were at a day camp today and I had the majority of the day all to myself for the first time in over a year. I got a summer hair cut. Hubby and I went on a lunch date. I had to do…

Making Homeschool Life Easier: Chores Plan

It's Thursday on our last week of Christmas break. On one hand, I cannot wait to get back into the structure and routine of our school days. On the other hand, I am not feeling ready for the time and energy demands of being both Mom and Teacher again in a few days. Two things…

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A 2021 Refresh

The new year has brought the promise of brighter days ahead. The 2020 pandemic took a personal toll, as our family suffered a loss. The political turmoil of the election and civil unrest set social media on fire. Things that we enjoyed, such as field trips and birthday parties, were swapped for small celebrations and…

Magic School Bus Gets Ants in its Pants

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I designed this year's science curriculum around Magic School Bus books and videos. We are beginning our school year this summer with insects. The first book/episode I chose is Gets Ants in its Pants, a book about Ms. Frizzle and the kids visiting an ant hill colony. The…

Kicking off the 2017-2018 year

Two weeks ago today, we started our new school year with an excited 1st grader, 4th grader and 5th grader. I baked donuts with icing and sprinkles for breakfast. We made new school shirts. We painted grade signs for taking photos. We wrote about ourselves on the first day of a new grade. Then I…

Planning for a year of Magic School Bus

I have been wanting to do this since last year: design a complete year's hands-on science curriculum based on Magic School Bus books and videos. My oldest kid is going into fifth grade. It's now or never. The science lessons for each topic are based on the 5-E method: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate. Engage…

Hunting for curriculum deals

One of the perks, and drawbacks, of homeschooling is choosing (what you believe to be) the right curriculum for your child...and then purchasing it. Some companies offer complete curriculums for hundreds to thousands of dollars. I am not a fan of the boxed curriculum. Some are, and it works for them, and that's fine. I…

“So, how long are you gonna homeschool for?”

"So, how long are you gonna homeschool for?" I get asked this question often, mostly by non-homeschooling folks. And, my standard answer is, "For as long as the girls want to." I just had the conversation with each of them this week about whether they want to continue to homeschool next year, or go to…

Sewing a sampler

My kiddos are sewing their first sampler. While reading a biography about young Betsy Ross with our Beyond Five in a Row unit curriculum, we started on this sewing project this week. So far, it is a hit. Pinterest provided the idea of using a gingham material for a grid to make stiching easy. I…

Made me laugh: 6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Homeschool Your Kids

This blog post at lifeofahomeschoolmom.com made me laugh. I loved it so much, I had to share: 6 Reasons You Shouldn't Homeschool Your Kids. Ahhh, satire.