Random Thoughts

Thoughts in no particular order:

I got a strange and unfamiliar burst of energy, creativity and optimism yesterday. I have been patiently waiting for this since, oh... Christmas or so. Maybe Thanksgiving? I'm jumping on it. No telling why it happened, or when or if it will ever happen again!

It's true what I've heard - in one day, it's not possible to cook from scratch, homeschool and keep the house clean. Two out of three is great. If you do happen to get all three accomplished, please don't tell me about it!

There is nothing better than a sleepy "baby" crawling up in your lap and falling asleep. It hurts my heart to think this might be my last go-round. She is so, so big already.

Yesterday was a good day because we kept the TV off almost all day. Then I assigned some EWTN kids shows and a science show as "school". Ahhh. I am a genius.

I've decided the school/activity/play room is my office. I will be checking in after breakfast and making it my base until before dinner time. If I am busy in there, everyone else wants to be in there too. I am a genius, again.

We made this chicken recipe last night - fast, easy and completely delish. I couldn't use all that butter but it says you can use chicken broth. I didn't have any, so I just made less sauce. Did I say it was wonderful?? I was a rock star (and a genius).

We are getting a nice snow storm today! I'm looking forward to getting the kids outside this afternoon. It might mess up my office hours (see above). Oh well. Snow Day!!!! Jeff got around it nicely last night and will sleep through it all day. Hopefully the roads will be cleaned up some before he has to drive back tonight.

Sweet hubby texted me a link to a Chicago mail-order pierogi store. He has a lot of nerve to send me that in the wee hours when I am starving. Drooling...

Well, that's my Wednesday morning! Hope it's a good day where you are.

Ordinary Time

Oh, hello again, lonely blog! After the merry mayhem of the holidays and the richness of the liturgical feasts that defined them, we are ready for the wholesome simplicity of ordinary time, with its rhythm and predictability. The problem is that I can't seem to find a groove to get back into here! The past weekend was devoted to organizing and packing away. I'm hoping it's given me a little momentum to retake control of our home life, even though I haven't started to feel it yet. Monday is always hectic here. Tuesday, things usually settle in again. We'll see what this week brings.

Ordinary time brought a definitely non-ordinary outing here. The kids were blessed with the opportunity to visit the Newport Aquarium near Cincinnati over the weekend with Auntie Ann and Grandpa. It is so expensive that we haven't been able to make the trip previously. Even though Jeff and I couldn't go this time, we were happy the kids got to experience such an adventure! We heard all about it in the evening, and new recollections keep popping up through the day. What an amazing place...

We are so thankful that our generous family made it happen for the kids! Jeff and I had the house to ourselves for about 8 hours, which was definitely strange for us. We were ready for everyone to come home!

In other exciting news, a new nephew made his appearance January 9th. Jeff's sister and her husband welcomed their second child, Joseph. We were able to meet him last Saturday and visit the growing little family. Such a dear baby, and it makes those newborn days seem really far away for me - can you believe it's been two-and-a-half years since I was the one holding a lil' peanut? He sure is a sweetie:

The rest of this week I am planning to hunker down and focus on our learning activities. We have had tons of fun since Christmas, lots of building kits and "fun" learning opportunities. I'm hoping to bring back a little stronger emphasis on literature in the coming weeks. For now, check out this great new game we picked up on a recommendation from family friends: Blokus. We can fit it into the math slot, or call it thinking skills, strategy, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, or whatever you like. Really it's just a barrel of fun for all ages, and we're all addicted. Fun, fun!

Hope everyone is having a good week! Come back soon for more updates.

St Nicholas Day Party

The St. Nick party last week was a success! We did have 23 kids and a total of 34 people in our house. It went amazingly well since there were plenty of activities to keep everyone occupied. We did 2 crafts: a color-your-own holy card with an image of St. Nicholas, printable here, and some foam ornaments that were simple even for little kids to put together.

I was thankful for my sister-in-law Katie supervising the crafts - she even cleaned up this mess afterward! Not a small feat for someone just about full-term with the newest member of our homeschool group.

Meanwhile, we finished setting out dinner in the kitchen (it was potluck).. You can see that some Dads were able to join us. Food, fun, and fellowship in the kitchen!

We had already made a nice dent in the dessert area by the time I took a picture...

...before we put on the St. Nicholas movie. The kids surprised us by relaxing long enough to actually watch the whole thing this year!

Then we played "St. Nicholas Chimney Toss" (inspired by Charlotte, here) with the kids grouped by age level. I had made a "chimney" out of a cardboard box, and the kids tossed in "bags of gold" in imitation of St. Nick  (see the moneybags on the table there?) The top scorers in each group won prizes.

I didn't get any action pictures since I was too busy running the game. But here I am with one of my favorite winners. Those are reindeer antlers on his head!

Finally, a large red sack appeared on the doorstep filled with treat bags for all the kids, a great finale to all the fun. A very good evening!

We just enjoyed relaxing weekend... now it's "real" St. Nicholas Day and the kids found their shoes stuffed with small treats and toys. Blessed Feast Day to all, and may St. Nicholas provide whatever it is you are needing today. God bless you, readers!

(from stnicholascenter.org)

Michaelmas

The feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (all named in the Bible) was celebrated September 29th. I found this easy craft idea for the kids, perfect for a last-minute mom like me to set up! The kids had fun putting their angels together, although for Brendan, who colors meticulously, it was a lesson in diligence - coincidentally, our "virtue of the month" for September.

Anything they can cut out and turn into "action figures" is motivating for these guys! I get their hands busy and then read them stories as they work. I read about each Archangel from our Picture Book of Saints. St. Michael is our favorite - swords and battles, what can I say?? I also read a kid's story about how we can battle the devil in the present, and taught them the St. Michael prayer.

Here is where I found the printable template for the angels. Make sure to click on the image, not on the words. Also be sure to go to page setup and change your printer to landscape setting, so it fits. These could be used as Christmas ornaments too, don't you think? If  you have crafty-er kids than I do, there are all sorts of ways they could decorate these.

 
Next year, if I plan ahead, we can have angel hair pasta or angel food cake. Or, I could steal an idea from someone I read of (sorry, I can't remember where) who made devil's food cake and gave the kids cocktail swords to stab it with. Now that would go over well around here! Holy Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, pray for us.

Learning Space

Nothing like a perfectionist to have to rearrange the whole house in order to get one room in shape! I had to make room for the toys that were cluttering this space, so I pulled all of my Christmas stuff out of the closet, moved that upstairs, moved the toys into the closet, cleaned out some cabinets to make room for the craft stuff that was also in the closet, moved my photo boxes to another room... you get the idea... Humorously, after all that, the only logistical change I really made from last year was to rotate the table 90 degrees so that we have more linear space to work at.

This is essentially our 3rd bedroom. It's the front room of the house so I think it would make an awkward bedroom anyway, what with the front door in there and all. (The door is not ever used as an entrance.) Unfortunately the room is painted pink - why, I just can't figure out - and we can't change it. At least it is light and bright and has plenty of natural light pouring in! Very important to me.

I always have the window blinds open during the day, but the door has to stay shut or "people" would get out! Here is the opposite view, with me standing in the doorway looking in toward the interior hall.

My cabinets are next to the stairs (to the right of the bookshelf above) which go up to a little room that we use only for storage, since it is not climate controlled. Frankly, this room isn't well climate-controlled in winter, either. We didn't even use it in January and February last year, so I hope we can come up with a working solution this year. Back to the cabinets: some school supplies are in there, but also my crafting supplies and all of my home decor stuff as well. I'm thankful for the doors; it's not so pretty inside!

I added some seasonal border to the shelves just for fun.

My file corner with activities to keep Molly out of trouble. Yeah, right.

New this year - a little white board for all kinds of fun things, but especially for illustrating things I want to show both older kids at once.

Supply boxes for the boys:

My beloved apple bucket that I found with no tag on it at WalMart. The manager asked me what I wanted to pay for it so I said "a dollar!" Are we noticing a pattern here??

Our most diligent scholars enjoying some table time:

Or windowsill time, I suppose.

Let's be honest with each other though. You all know this is what it really looks like when not staged for the photo shoot. Right?

I thought you would understand.

On my wish list: A globe, a history timeline, and some comfy cushions or beanbag chairs to make a reading corner by the window.

Now you know where we are hanging out most afternoons. Thanks for visiting our learning corner!!

Note To Self...

...always shop at the dollar store before heading to the Teacher Supply Superstore!

Our learning room is stylin' with these Fall leaf garlands.

Wall posters: Telling Time and US Map.

Cool math facts slide-y things to play with:

and a geography facts "Spin & Learn" with each state's capital, flower and bird.

For fun, some autumn window clings and a package of 14 harvest border pieces (about 20 feet).

I even got myself some giant calendars to fill in.

All from the Dollar Tree, where everything really IS a dollar! I was really thankful, only to top that deal the next day by ending up at a yard sale as they were cleaning up (occasionally, it pays to sleep late!) They GAVE us everything we wanted from the kids' toys and games that were left, so I scored several math games and learning activities from Discovery Toys, for free. Someone was looking out for me! I have bigger dreams for our learning materials than my budget allows for, so it feels like a blessing straight from God when I have a weekend this good. And of course, it strokes my inner cheapskate at the same time.

I'll have a picture of the whole space next time. We are having a lot of fun pulling it all together.

Choosing Educational Materials

 
Now I know a lot of you already have this locked up for the coming school year, but I'm still in the trenches here. I have nothing brilliant to say, really. Just a big vent about how hard this is!!

Before this year I have always pieced together a plan using materials we already had. I have almost all of the materials from when my mom was teaching us, plus lots of things people have given me over the years. It adds up to lots of stuff. I am tired of the random bits and pieces, plus I want to target the kids' individual needs and our unique family goals more particularly. So I have been poring over catalogs, websites and blogs. Such lovely plans and materials! I really enjoyed Sarah's latest plan here.

The world is just filled with wonderful things with which to build an atmosphere of learning. At the same time, I feel that simplicity is key. It's easy to "over-plan", but if you're overwhelmed with stuff, even the good things get lost in the shuffle and everyone burns out. Planning too far ahead is another concern of mine, since we like to change direction as needed. So my goal is a few well-chosen supplies, a simple routine and lots of real life to make it connect.

Wouldn't it be nice if money were no object? But even if that were the case, how would I decide? I have to admit that I go for beauty as well as content. It is so much nicer to hold and use a visually lovely, well-made book with a nice weight and feel. I also look for a layout with plenty of white space for an uncluttered feel, as well as appealing images throughout. Because I am so visual myself, I really pay attention to this part of my quest. It's a little tricky to do from a distance. Unfortunately, when I had the chance to actually handle materials at our local (!!!) homeschool conference in June, I spent all my time gabbing with friends and didn't pay enough attention to the vendor tables. Maybe next year!

Along with beauty, as I mentioned, content is the main concern. I love the internet for reading reviews and hearing the experiences of others. Often, a peek at the inside of the books is available as well - so helpful. I ask opinions of other homeschooling moms I know, particularly if they're gifted or trained in a subject I need. Knowing my kids and what they respond to, it's not too hard to get a feel for what may work for us. I'm looking for: age appropriate, faith-centered, imaginative, non-fluffy and, again, simple. materials. The more literature-based, the better, from my perspective. Stories make information come alive! (And it's just easier on me that way, let's be honest.)

When all is said and done, though, many times it comes down to trial and error. Sometimes, a program may look great on paper but just doesn't work out the way you'd expect. That's when I am thankful for used materials! I always check to see if I can get it for less than new, so it's easier to let it go or pass it on if necessary. And if it's something we love, we can feel good that we got a great deal on it.

Some things I do need, and new, are some higher quality art supplies. Our first two kids are not the least bit artistically inclined, but I'd like to make sure that it's not due to lack of materials. Good materials are just so much more inspiring. It's OK if they don't become great artists, because then all the supplies can be mine and I can play with them as much as I like! Back to the browsing... I hope to share some details before long.

If you are schooling, what are you excited about trying this year??

photo credit

Staying Home

 
I can point to many seasons in my life up until now, and probably could slap a label on most of them. One that has been ongoing, and pretty much simultaneous with my childbearing career, could be labeled Stuck At Home. I know this is not a terribly common problem to have, as many people are more concerned with not being home enough, as I once was.... but bear with me here.

Having been a free spirit from the age of about 16 until said childbearing, which began at age 33, it was quite a reality shift when I brought Brendan home and became responsible for him every moment. The days began to stretch on... and on... They ran together and often, I couldn't even come up with the date if you asked me! Going from two incomes to one meant that we also went down to one car for the majority of the time. With mostly 12 hour shifts and frequent overnights, sometimes even weeks at a time, my dear husband (and the car) were noticeably absent. Are noticeably absent! We further limited our social life by keeping an off-beat schedule (call it 2nd shift) and having 3 kids in 6 years - both more or less intentional. And of course, we chose to homeschool. It added up to lots and lots and lots of time at home for the kids and me.

When Jeff began working 7 days a week earlier this year just to keep a roof over our heads, I did expect to stay home even more. But dear friends took pity on us and lent us a spare car indefinitely. My world suddenly seemed wide open! The possibilities were endless! All 3 kids are old enough to take places with relative ease at this point, and I had a nice list of things I hoped to do with them. I had so many plans... and then the wretched heat set in. There is no AC in the van. We do enjoy going to the store any time of day we need to now, but any longer trips are just too hot for me to strap the kids in the back row with windows that won't open. So... for now, stuck at home it is. (Fortunately, it's a good home to be stuck at, all things considered!)

It must be recorded that, at the beginning of these years, I did not accept my situation gracefully. The four walls closed in relentlessly and, although my choices, our choices, were the cause, I still resented everyone with freedom of movement - including my husband, who, ironically, gets to drive all day and see lots of interesting people and places, sometimes even St. Louis! If you can imagine... (This is not the tone in which he describes his job, however. The grass is always greener...)

The demands of several small children coupled with the isolation and monotony were too much at times. I did try to break it up by having friends over to play, especially the last few years, but that in itself was also demanding. The ability to keep the house together when four or more people are constantly in it is, well, a superpower which I do not possess. But the chaos adds to the dejection and the isolation. I well remember when we lived near my in-laws, the relief I felt when they would sometimes bundle both kids (we had 2 at the time) into the stroller and take them for a walk. A precious hour or two meant that I could get ahead of the rising tide of clutter. Once in a while, I would just nap during that time. What a blessing it was for me, one that many mothers would give their right arms for!

Being alone in my own home is as necessary for me as occasionally getting out. This couldn't happen when I had a tiny infant, of course, but having the older kids go out with my sister or my husband for a few hours was a godsend. It used to be rare indeed. Luckily, in the past year, it has become a regular occurrence and is the source of my sanity! Isolation is a genuine concern for many newer moms, and each family will need to hammer out a solution depending on personalities and circumstances. Eight years in, I have figured out some coping mechanisms for myself. At the same time, my thinking has shifted a little regarding this season of staying home.

Recently I followed a discussion among some homeschooling moms who lamented the over-scheduling, scattering and running that is so prevalent in families with growing children. Every single mom who replied to the discussion advised choosing fewer activities and enjoying more togetherness while it was still possible. Most poignant were the words of older moms whose children had already left - the years were too short and the commitments were too many. I began to look at our extreme togetherness as more of a blessing.

Interestingly, even without many outside obligations, the world comes into our home in so many ways anyway. We finally ditched TV service, but the internet is ever-present and a bigger part of my children's lives than I ever expected. People visit us frequently - hardly a week goes by when we don't have guests, usually a houseful of children. We are now able to participate in some homeschool group functions, church activities and frequent family gatherings. These provide an important social outlet, but truth be told, there were times we didn't have many of these. When the children are very young, I think these are less important than many people believe. The home and family provide a familiar and secure environment in which little souls grow and flourish. It is the moms who really crave companionship, and find creative ways to get it.

Since my children are still young, I don't have experience to go by when envisioning our lives with teens. I like to think we will still have the friends they grew up with, and some group activities based on our interests and church involvement. Co-oping some classes at the high school level sounds like something I would have enjoyed as a young adult. Some mobility is a godsend for providing educational experiences for growing kids. But those words of the experienced moms ring in my ears - never sorry for how little their families had taken on, but for how much. We will need to guard against over-committing in those all-important years as well.

I'm well aware that balance is the key to sanity in any season of life. Clearly, I have sometimes been too isolated, and others mothers I know have been too busy. We all need some quiet, some recreation and some diversion. But for those who have made difficult choices for the sake of the family life they aspire to, the focus need not only be on the sacrifices and the deprivation. These long days at home can be a sort of incubator for the young family to put down its roots, undistracted by tightly-packed schedules and outside expectations. It may take the perspective of years to truly understand that it is so, but meanwhile, choosing to love the season for its very challenges can free us from resentment and bring contentment to our hearts.

What I know right now is that "stuck at home" is where I am supposed to be. I feel sure this is increasingly temporary for our family, so I have tried harder to embrace my season of life. The dawn-to-dusk noise of an energetic brood and the inevitable disarray still makes me crazy, but I am trying not to hide so often from my kids behind a computer screen or in a book. It occurred to me that I could view these years as my "novitiate" - traditionally, the time a young woman becoming a nun would take to separate from the world and even from loved ones, in order to focus on her new life of service to God. My novitiate would be my time to attend the school of my children's hearts, to learn how to serve them and love them, how to teach them and reach them in their own unique ways. It should be a time for turning inward and nurturing in the heart of the family. The outside world will claim them soon enough.

Each family will need to decide at some point how much outside activity is beneficial for its particular needs. For some, circumstances will dictate a path they might not originally have chosen. Others choose to be at home, but find it daunting, especially in the early years of parenting. If being home seems more challenging than expected, we can grit our teeth and offer it up. Or we can wrap our arms around this amazing gift and choose to love it and to use it grow both personally and as a family. In a very few years, we will already see that it was a blessing and a particular grace from God, not to be squandered by thoughts of self-pity and resentment. The family tree deeply rooted in this fertile time of grace will surely bear abundant fruit in the future.

Family Personality, Learning Styles and Schooling

I've been thinking more about what makes different families favor certain educational methods. It's very much about the background, values and personalities of the parents (often of the mother in particular), but I have seen the course changed by the addition of a child with a particular disposition or need. In fact, many families begin their homeschooling journey due to the unexpected needs of one or more children.

It's interesting to see a family evolve over time, bending and adapting as new little people join the ranks and contribute their unique charisms to the learning journey. I like to think of the resulting dynamic as the "family personality". It's born when a newly-married couple hammers out its new identity as "us" rather than "you and me", and it grows with each new family member. - not just a combination of all the personalities of the family members, but the new dynamic of "this is what's working for all of us" as life unfolds in the family circle.

Like individual personalities, family personalities are very diverse. Some are fun-loving and spontaneous; some are focused and orderly. Maybe some have a little of each! In terms of education, different families will wish to emphasize certain aspects of learning - not just "math and science" or "art and drama",  but the pace and flavor of everything their children experience. The balance evolves for each family as the members grow and discover their natural talents.

No matter what learning path a family takes, some flexibility is essential, as children come with different strengths and challenges. Some families consciously assess these by researching their children's learning styles. It turns out that all people have a predisposition to learning in a particular way - some things just work better for one than for another. Parents are way ahead of the curve if they can determine who is a visual learner, who is a hands-on, kinesthetic student, and who does well with auditory instruction. We all recognize the effects of this distinction when, distressingly, something that worked beautifully for one child turns out to be a disaster for the next one! It is really a great blessing to understand what makes each child tick and why. Even the parents can find new understanding of one another when they discover their own learning (and teaching) styles!

With this information, families are better equipped to decide how schooling should look in their homes. Having the "learning styles" tool makes it easier not to compare one's particular family to other homeschoolers or  to the world at large. It clears the way for decisions based on everyone's best interests - another reason that the primary teacher in the home should also assess his or her own skills and strengths (and difficulties), as these factor strongly into the daily operations of the family.

I've seen multiple recommendations for the book Discover Your Child's Learning Style by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Hodson. Yet another must-read to add to my growing list! Just an awareness of the differences in styles has been helpful to me. I feel less frustrated with what I perceived as our shortcomings, now that I understand how what we do is meeting our needs in our family dynamic. At the same time, I am more equipped to fill in what is lacking with carefully chosen elements that I know will work.

If you have used knowledge of learning styles to help you teach your children, I'd love to hear your experience!

First Communion Preparation

We are so blessed that our first child will be receiving his First Holy Communion next month. We received permission from our pastor for Brendan to receive for the first time at my parents' wedding vows renewal Mass on June 26th. It promises to be a joyous day of grace! At the moment, we're trying to make the most of our final weeks of preparation. We are using the New St. Joseph First Communion Catechism as our base.

Other materials include some First Communion saint stories and coloring books that were given to me. I found a wonderful list of resources here. If time permits, I may draw on some of the suggestions. One thing we will be doing for certain is a special notebook similar to this. I know the hands-on aspect will really cement the lessons we have been discussing so far.

Please pray for Brendan as he prepares to receive the sacraments of Penance (Reconciliation) and Holy Communion for the first time!

What is this unschooling thing, anyway?

Recently ABC News did a piece on an "unschooling" family, creating great controversy with sensationalist reporting. It seems that, not uncharacteristically, the mainstream news sought an extreme example in order to make the world gasp. I thought that the portrayal was rather shocking, but to my mind, the problem was that it failed to paint a broad enough picture for anyone to even understand the subject. Just searching on my own and reading a few blog posts "from the horse's mouth" have given me a much more complete view of this unique type of education.

This past year I've investigated the whole concept of unschooling with curiosity. I find the very term "unschooling"  negative and misleading. Don't you just think "not schooling" when you hear it? As in, "not learning"? That would be a grossly erroneous conclusion (ahem, ABC). Some families have tried to rename the concept, which does in fact have many shades of meaning. Interest-led learning. Relaxed learning. One moniker that I find intriguing is "tidal homeschooling" - meaning the lessons ebb and flow with the seasons, with the liturgical (Church) year, and with the family's natural rhythms of life, birth, growth.

Inside all the terminology is a lifestyle based on natural curiosity and unhindered discovery. Learning stems from life experiences which are not boxed in to age groups or sharply-defined subject boundaries. There's no time of day when you're "in school" or "out of school". To our very limited experience of school, here and now in our culture, it seems alien. But it's really not strange at all. One thinks of Abraham Lincoln reading by the fire, working in the fields, giving speeches to the tree stumps in between his chores. Basically self-educated, he followed his passion all the way to the White House. Learning through apprenticeship was once very common as well. The world is full of wonders, and it's a lucky young person who is given the freedom to explore and pursue them at will. Everything is interesting when a child learns freely. As a parent to a child who resists outside pressure to do anything, including learning, I've discovered for myself the merit of following the natural inclination to discover. In our case, it's freeing for all of us, and I consider it a gift to have had to explore this path.

Importantly, unschooling parents are not lazy. They are often relaxed. But they are always watching for opportunities, seeking to know their child's strengths and interests, cultivating a home atmosphere to nurture the sprouts of genius in each child and to pass on their most cherished values. Those with several children may employ different methods with each child, as one loves to do math workbooks for fun, and one wants to build things with his hands. Many times, different methods are tried and abandoned and tried again later, or cycles of bookwork follow cycles of fieldwork. Over-arching is the peaceful integration of learning with normal life.

One thing I've noticed about the unschooling crowd is the diversity of sources from which they draw learning opportunities. Of course, books are the backbone of learning in many cases, but not often textbooks. Electronic sources are shunned by some and embraced by others. Outside activities are common, from simple nature hikes to community involvement and a broad range of real-life exposure. Sometimes the kids run their own businesses or work with a parent. The one sure thing is that there is no one way to do this education. It's as diverse as the many families who practice it - an estimated 100,000 in the USA.

As I have mulled over the various shades of non-traditional education recently, the metaphor I see in my mind is that of a huge tree. Institutional education is set up for everyone to learn the exact layout of the trunk and where each branch is, and exactly how far it is from the other branches. The alternative educational view is more like the freedom for each child to play among the branches, finding a nest or examining the seeds and flowers, wandering from one branch to another and taking the time to find out more. It's also comparable to driving on a main road according to a map, versus wandering through neighborhoods and exploring. As anyone can see, both have their merits.

I'm still investigating. Like many parent educators, my method is in flux. I see advantages in many kind of learning. I try different things. As a control freak, I'm scared to abandon my textbooks! I worry that my husband will think I'm crazy. But we both watch in awe as our kids learn and flourish and go in directions that they clearly didn't get from either of us. Maybe you'd like to explore, too. I'm posting some links in my sidebar to share what I've been reading. But be careful! Pretty soon you might be finding that institutional schooling feels strange. You might even feel sorry for that kid waiting for the school bus. It's a slippery slope, my friend! I'll keep you posted on how things unfold.

Melissa Wiley on Tidal Homeschooling
Math learned naturally
A relaxed take on learning




(photo credit)

Yes, I am a home school mom

Now go read my disclaimer! Kudos to Kris on an excellent post.