Homeschool
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1000 Hours Outside – Take Two!
Have you heard of the “1000 Hours Outside” challenge? The premise is simple: spend 1000 hours outside in one year. I found their Instagram page in late 2021. It seemed like it would be a great fit for my kids and a fun challenge for us all! On January 2, 2022, we started our first timer. I do not like to call it a New Years Resolution, I do not make them because I do not like to set myself up to fail! I was quickly amazed how much fun we had with intentionally spending time outside. I am not going to lie, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the…
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To Use or Not to Use . . . a Tutor
Math. It’s the bane of my existence. Apparently, I can do math, but I’ve had a difficult time teaching two of my three kids math. One, because I really don’t like math, and two, my daughter and I have very similar (ie, strong) personalities, which can lead to some difficulties. It’s hard teaching and explaining when a person’s expectation exceeds their ability or knowledge, someone who just has no interest in math whatsoever, or they have decided a career path that requires math for college that I never learned. So I decided to get a math tutor. I have to admit, it was a difficult decision. I felt like…
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Back to School Excitement!
by Heather Grier I always end our school year in May with bubbling excitement. The excitement is not because that school is over for the ‘year’ or we have successfully completed another year of homeschool (pats on both of our backs for that, though) but because I have all the new stuff right around the corner! I’m already excited about the new classes I’ll be teaching at our Co-op and getting into the nitty gritty creativeness for them. I am so excited about the new curriculum we’re doing this year, reading and getting to know it. I’ve already cleaned out and mostly organized our school l closet at this point…
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To Start or Not to Start – THAT is the Question!
I have a dear friend who is adamant. Nothing SCHOOL-related is to even be spoken about until AFTER LABOR DAY. As she says, “August is SUMMER. Enjoy it!” Now, I know what you’re thinking: Does that mean she hasn’t even thought about curriculum? Is she planning out the year?? Is she just going to WING it? Oh, please. You KNOW she’s got a plan. She’s a homeschool mom, for heaven’s sake! But, when it comes to starting a formal school day, nothing official is happening until that first big fat Tuesday in September. I’m on the fence. I have planned. I’ve purchased. I’ve cleaned and decorated. I’m excited about the…
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Joy & Peace of Christmas
Every year, we expect Christmas to magically bring tidings of good cheer, comfort, and joy. We go to Christmas gatherings and events hoping that they will help us create that “Christmas Spirit” that we all long for. We all hope that whatever hardships and heartaches that have come throughout our year will fade among the lights, the music, the decorations, and traditions. It’s our hope that in this, we will find peace and joy.I didn’t realize when I chose the Christmas music for our church choir and the candlelight services that we’ll be singing at few weeks that one particular song would reverberate with me so much: …”Life is a…
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10 Ways to Homeschool through the Holidays
Do you homeschool through the holidays? Every year, I go back and forth. The problem for us is if we take a break in December, it’s very difficult to get back in the groove in January. So this year, I’m taking the bull by the horns, so to speak. Here are a few ideas for easy homeschool days through December (just in time for your monthly planning): 1. Revisit some of your favorite holiday books. While looking for one of my Advent devotionals last night (yes, I’m extremely late trying to find it), I came across a bunch of picture books we *used* to read aloud in December. Books like…
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The Doldrums of Winter
As we are heading into the holidays, there is a lot on my mind. While I love Thanksgiving and Christmas and the thought of a new year, January and February tends to not go so well for me. It should. One of my kids has a birthday, our co-op is on break for the month, and with the cold and sometimes snowy weather, it’s nice to just be home. But. There’s always a but, isn’t there? But the days are horribly short. Darkness hits us by 4:30 pm it seems. And it’s winter, which means gray dull days. And I find myself slipping into a quagmire of bad moods. Add…
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The Gift of “1000 Hours Outside”
I am going to be upfront and admit, I used to not love the outdoors. I am more a creature of comfort, i.e. temperature controlled, bugless indoors. That was before 2020 happened. Before my eyes start to twitch thinking back to the “2 weeks to flatten the curve” and “social distancing,” I can tell you that one blessing came out of it. I learned to love and appreciate the outdoors. When the world shut down on March 13, 2020, I was 37 weeks pregnant, with a VERY spirited 20 month old and energetic 5 year old. My husband is a first responder so not much changed for him in those…
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Homeschool for High School
Part 1 Whether you have homeschooled your kids since the beginning, have entered the journey midway, or have just started, we can all to some extent say that homeschooling for high school can be intimidating. This is when you most certainly need answer keys for some subjects, keep track of a transcript, and guide your child through the last leg of their school years. It may take a little more pre-planning and effort, but it doesn’t have to be too daunting or “break the bank”. In addition, with some creativity, students won’t “miss out” on regular high school milestones or events. It can be provided in the homeschool world. There…
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We now have a Goodreads account.
Reading plays such an important role in education. I love to read and I loved reading to my kids when they were younger. It was hard to move on after reading the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid or the Harry Potter series so I was always looking for my next recommendation. There are many places you can get recommendations. Facebook has a bunch of groups you can join, there are a ton of websites out there, and there are dedicated accounts on other social media that are just for recommendations. I personally prefer Goodreads. I love my Goodreads account. In case you’re wondering “What is Goodreads?” Goodreads is a website,…
