Family Life | Heart of the Matter

I Don’t Have Time to Homeschool

It’s February and spring is fast approaching. We have chicks in the incubator and plans for more. Ducklings and goslings are on the way. My seed starting shelf is set up and ready for my first planting as we wait for the...

Dealing with Chronic Illnesses, Part 4

Taking Care of the Kids Let’s face it: a household need a certain number of things done daily in order to run smoothly (or at least stumble along). And moms with chronic illnesses don’t always have the energy to do them....

TV, Hoarders and Teaching Our Kids

My daughter watched the TV show about hoarders with studied focus. She stared frozen as the show shared the lives of people who collect things to such an extent that they can no longer move through their homes. Stacks of...

Planner Perfect: A Fresh Idea on Organizing Your Life

Congratulations to Courtney, Ariana, Pamela Jorrick, Hillary M, and Bethany LeBedz!! *Please note: We hosted a Planner Perfect giveaway a couple of weeks ago but the comments on the post were lost. If you entered that...

Creating Boundaries at the Homeschool Table

Like many, we homeschool at the dining table. Every day I’m amazed at the speed with which it is covered—books, papers, folders, colored pencils, and sometimes a bowl or a cup is squeezed in there, too. Worse, I’ve seen a...

Jumping into the Deep End Head First

I feel as if I have been pushed into the deep end of the pool now that our family has been tossed into the world of homeschooling three. I was use to schooling ten and eight year old girls. Even with their special needs I had...

Teachable Moments in Spanish

It has been said that play is child’s work. Do you agree? I do. Vygotsky’s famous statement emphasizes this: “Play creates a zone of proximal development of the child. In play a child always behaves beyond his average age,...

Sick Day Tea Party

“But we were all ready to go and…now…we’re doomed!” ~my daughter’s response when I told her Mama was sick. There’s just something about January and February that guarantees them. Sick days. Maybe the...

Is Your Homeschool too Heavy on the School?

It started early this year. As in, really early. On our first day of Christmas vacation (which was, blessedly, the day before Thanksgiving since we take all of December off), I found myself sighing, “Only five weeks...

Be Original – Within Reason of Course!

A few years ago I saw a spoof of a motivational poster that said, “Remember, you are unique, just like everyone else.” I had to laugh because it’s a human tendency to want to believe you are unique and special, which is...