Full disclosure, I had originally written this post in January, which is just so telling of how homeschooling in the new year can go. We are now deep into February, a time in the homeschool year that Sarah McKenzie of Read Aloud Revival calls “low tide,” meaning that everything is pulled back and the raw issues that can make homeschooling difficult or frustrating are revealed. For me, the...
So let me get this straight. You’re 41. You’re 41 and feeling old. Your body is tired. You’ve been exercising more than you every have in your life and pay attention to every bite that goes into your mouth, but your body hurts and is still heavy. Strong, but heavy and weighted down. You feel broken sometimes when your joints betray you and the doctors have no good answers...
We are a read-aloud family. When I was a child, being read to was as much a part of our daily life as regular meals, especially when I was very young. Those times spent with my mom and dad reading favorite stories formed me as a reader and a writer. Later in school I was blessed with teachers who read to us as a class and really instilled the love of stories shared in community. I love to read...
This is the third post in a series about why our family makes playing games together a priority. The first post was about how we use games to connect as a family, and the second post focused on how playing games challenges our minds to learn and grow in situations that might not be encountered otherwise. Today’s post is about how playing games develops character in us and in our children...
2023 has been the year of “Less is more.” I decided in the summer that I wouldn’t be participating in anything additional and, in fact, our family would be making deep cuts to our activity schedule. It was hard because it meant less time with other families and risking feeling left out of fun things. I stepped out of a leadership position in a scouting organization that I had been in for three...
When I tell people that our family’s big hobby is collecting and playing board games, we get a few different reactions. Sometimes we get the blank stares followed by a comment such as “You mean, like Monopoly?” And then I get to watch their eyes either glaze over as I talk about the different types of games we enjoy, or I see their eyes light up as they realize that this world...
We survived the holidays. Lots of boundaries. Lots of intentional time together, including enjoying new games of coarse. Limiting outside activities, which meant lots of saying “no” to possibly fun activities so we could say “yes” to peace. Oh, and a new kitten. His name is Chase and he is the fuzzy, warm balm to my weary soul. He’s primarily Ms. A’s kitten, and she is doing a fabulous job...
Mr. B has been struggling. Hard. We had two months of traveling and birthdays, which are major anxiety triggers for my intense child. Mr. B is diagnosed with level 1 Austism Spectrum Disorder, which is the new categorization of what used to be called Aspberger’s syndrome or “high-functioning” autism. His flavor of autism comes with lots of “scripts” that he runs in...
My dearest son, Today you turn *gulp* 20 years old. This is an incredible thing in so many ways. First of all, it means that you, your dad, and myself are all in the same age decade for the next year and 3 months. That’s pretty unique. It also means that I officially get to turn more heads and raise more eyebrows when people ask about my kids and I can now officially say that I have a 20...
My sweet Busy Boy, Yesterday we celebrated your third birthday. I am writing this letter the day after because I went to bed early on your birthday because I was really, really tired. It’s no surprise that your mommy was tired, because you fit your nickname well and are a very busy boy. You are so joyous an exuberant that I can get lost simply watching you play. I am so glad that God saw us...
Wife, mother, chauffeur, referee, teacher, chef, caretaker, etc...All unto Christ.
