HomeSchooling
That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not alone and isolated from anyone. You belong. - F. Scott Fitzgerald
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an apology/not an apology
I wish I had more time to write here. I wish I had more time to undertake creative endeavors. Why has it been harder to write blog posts for the past six months or so? Overseeing the education of five people requires a LOT of effort. The teenage years provide a plethora of fodder for blog posts but so very little of it is shareable since they are older kids with bigger feelings and stories of their own. Let’s just say, the parenting of teens is a FULL TIME task that hits at the most unexpected hours and in all sorts of dramatic must-respond-immediately sort of ways. My part time…
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Taking Them on an Adventure: The Literature Odyssey
If any current job of mine fades away, I’ve got a pocketful of other ventures I’d love to take on. Full time writer.Lost Valley Ranch Staff.Professional Trip Planner.Font Developer.Product Tester. I don’t even know if most of those are actual jobs. But if there was a job where I could plan trips for people, I’d be all in. I’d theme the trips for target audiences – A Literary South Adventure. Art Museums Only. Cities That Have Inspired Songs. I’d pair food options and I’d provide opportunity to journal your feelings and record your memories. I’d even be happy to pick the sound track and the audio books, the podcasts and…
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making music (and art) accessible
I’m tone deaf. It’s true. And it’s almost tragic. Just tonight, after leaving church, I asked the kids, “If you had to pick to be really great at singing or at acting, which would you prefer?” I think I’d pick singing. Because, even if no one else ever enjoyed it, you could entertain yourself. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to sing beautifully and on key and all that? Well, maybe you can already do that. But I sure can’t. And I don’t play any musical instruments either. Again – it’s a shame. But here I am, all talentless in these realms. Here’s a rabbit trail. (I’m excellent at…
Keep Reading . . .
Chasing the Christmas Chain
Grill. Master.
oh, the month ahead. and the month now.
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Colorku: A Timberdoodle Review
This is a sponsored post. I received this item from Timberdoodle in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and words and opinions are, as always on this page and in real and regular life, all completely and totally my own. ________________________ Oh goodness – this is a pretty one. And I know that isn’t the goal of this game or product or educational tool. (I don’t exactly know how to categorize this one.) But I’m also saying – it’s so cute. The colors are beautiful. Just look at it. It’s called Colorku. I keep wanting to call it Color Sudoku because that’s what it basically is. If you’ve ever…
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Hey Clay: A Timberdoodle Review
This is a review post. I was given this item by Timberdoodle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are for sure and for certain my own. The fascination of clay never gets old. (Basically, I’m saying that the magic of Play Dough is ageless.) Like I mentioned in my Plus Plus review, any item – toy, game, educational tool – that can engage all the ages at my house is a big it with me. And although maybe my teens wouldn’t confess to enjoying Play Dough, somehow calling it clay changes its acceptability. Actually, this is called Hey Clay and it’s available at Timberdoodle. This Hey Clay…
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Plus Plus (A Thanksgiving Version): A Timberdoodle Review
This is a review post. I was given this item by Timberdoodle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are for sure and for certain my own. I wish I could remember when I first heard about Plus Plus. But, like all sorts of important facts and needless numbers, that detail has slipped from my mind. All I know is, my kids love them. From big to old, from grandchildren (!) to teens, these little bitty square ish shapes are a big deal. They’re not Legos and they’re not Perler beads. (Thank goodness they are not Perler beads. Oh my word – how I have had a continual love/hate…
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five finds friday. (apple season is the best. and more.)
Second week of school. I’m still struggling to find a decent writing life/work/teaching school balance. It is hard. Also hard? Managing money. You guys – August is a pricey month. That is all. funny London and I were driving home from her last driving school session. (!) And we were talking about all of the possibilities that independent driving will eventually bring. Driving to math class. Driving siblings to practices. Driving on errands for me. And the wide scope of new babysitting jobs that this opens the door for. (Trust me, I know that parents adore a babysitter who can drive herself to their house.) At which point, my sixteen…
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this day. this life. some sort of a mood.
We started school this week. Which feels sad now in August but should feel pretty happy come May. I have three high school students. THREE. I feel as if I need to shout everything I say today. It all feels monumental. Or something. I’ve been saying to the kids all day – I’m in some kind of a mood today. I really cannot explain it. The start of school. Am I ready? The stress of high school math. Shoot, of all math. The high cost of education. And I do mean that both figuratively and literally. And don’t even get me started on whether public school is free or home…
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parenting at the end of a school year. bless us all.
It’s that time of year when, if you have children or are involved in education in any form from any angle, every bit of your life feels like a train running off its tracks, a snowball on its snowy descent down the steepest hill in town, a monkey spinning plates on a tilt-a-whirl. You get the idea. When’s the last morning my children ate a hot breakfast? It’s been cereal for far too long to admit over here. (I’m reminded of this old post from Jen Hatmaker that makes me laugh and feel understood every year about this time.) Last night at church, four of us parents sat huddled together…
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the weekend ramble (1. a mouse 2. a race 3. a whine)
1. There was a mouse. It was deceased. The location of its demise? Under our stove. (Yes, please be horrified with me.) Its removal was necessary. The other day Otto asked me who my favorite child was. I think my answer is – whichever one of them gets that rotting mouse carcass out of my house. Turns out it was a team effort so now I have two favorite children. Their names are Mosely and Otto. I stand by that decision until another horrible task is set before me. 2. We ran the Swamp Rabbit 5K. This is a race we have been running since, well – since kids were…
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A Reason for Handwriting: A Timberdoodle Review
This post is an affiliate post. In exchange for my personal and honest review, Timberdoodle sent me a free copy of this workbook. ____________________________________ It’s that time of year when every teacher and every parent is suddenly pulling out the calendar and counting down the days. Let’s just make it through, right? Finish strong and all that. But it’s also that time of year when most of us have to make decisions about our children’s education for next year. Ugh. Who designed this system? This systems that says – just when you’re real tired and over and out with the current school year, just when you have given up trying…
Keep Reading . . .
rocks & roots
weekend ramble. (a weekend both peaceful & productive)
parenting blues
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five finds friday
This week in numbers. (Even though numbers are NOT my thing.) 3.5 hours at a testing facility for kids and school testing. 1 broken motor mount on my Yukon. 5 hours spent driving kids to cross country, soccer and errands on Tuesday afternoon. 10 kids at my house on Wednesday. 22 baked potatoes for a group dinner. 19 chocolate chip cookies stolen and devoured by Ryder. funny Our pup Talluah is a funny one. She adores sleeping curled up on a pillow. Preferably above someone’s head. And I know I share a lot of photos of this dog sleeping – but it’s what she does a lot. And –…
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five finds friday (a long winded run down of yesterday and white chicken chili and student success)
I want to humor myself here and lay out the schedule of what Thursday was like. thank you. Prior to 9 am – Wake up. Shower. Make certain kids are all up. Print out papers needed for teaching school. Oversee lunches packed. Create a crockpot dinner. Maybe eat breakfast and see if kids do the same. Make sure kids do chores like feed pets, take them out to the bathroom, get them resettled for their day while we’re gone. Wonder why we have so many pets. 9:30 to 12 – Teach a literature and writing class to junior high and high school students. Kipling. Wordsworth. Spring poetry. Compare and contrast…
