Popcorn is our favorite go-to snack, whether we’re watching a movie or doing schoolwork…especially now that we’ve discovered that we can just put regular popcorn kernels in a paper bag and microwave ’em! Using these simple steps, it makes the perfect single serving: Add 1/4 cup popcorn, 1 tsp oil, and 1/2 tsp salt to a paper bag. Fold top over. Shake. Microwave (on its side) for 2 minutes. I put a 1/8 scoop…
We got new school books the other day. Please excuse the lonely little cotton stem; he needs friends. Yep. In January. Adds a little excitement to the drab days of winter. I mean, who doesn’t need a little sparkle amidst the gray? We’re conditioned to think that our students must begin a new textbook in September and be finished with it by May. And sometimes it works out that way… sometimes, it doesn’t. The reality is, a child might speed through a book because they love it and be ready for the next…
Today, I’m taking a little break from light-hearted posts to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart… the most precious gift of all… life. Thirty-one years ago today, my family lost my baby brother. Due to birth complications, he was only with us for four months. But he was, and is, so loved. And on this very day, as I write, my own (16 yr old) baby boy is with friends at the march for life in Washington, DC to say with others there, that life is…
No, I’m not kidding. I thought about naming this post “How to Get Your Very Picky Teenage Son to Eat Vegetables,” because that’s how it came about. For a child who has had a life-long aversion to vegetables and all things good-for-you, he somehow loves restaurant salsa and store-bought salsa in the jar. In his mind there is no connection to vegetables here. However, if I buy tomatoes and chop them up to make fresh salsa, which is amazing, nope. He won’t eat it. Go figure. So…
After-Christmas presents are the best, aren’t they? Totally unexpected and straight from the heart. That’s how I got this rustic rocking chair. My husband saw it while out and about, the day after Christmas. He knew I wanted one, and he picked up this super sturdy cedar rocker (for $20!!) for me to stain, paint, or seal. (He’s sweet like that.) I love the look of it, so, besides sanding a few rough spots and adding a weatherproof seal, I am going to leave it just as it is. I can hardly wait…
I remember where I was when I was first confronted with the truth. I’ll bet you do, too. A cousin of mine (who was much older and wiser, six months older than I was) informed me as we stood in my grandparents’ house after Sunday dinner that, of course she “didn’t believe in Santa Claus anymore…there’s no way he could get to all those houses in one night.” I stood there, stunned. She had a point there. It’s a funny story now, but at the time, I…
Even though Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the bursts of autumn color are winding down, I wanted to share one last little bit of the season, because **it’s my favorite.** 🙂 And also because I did something new with the kids this year that I love. I really wanted to foster an attitude of gratitude with them, so I made them think a little bit. Y’all. This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. It’s not the perfectly printed or stenciled banner that I may or may not have had…
Homeschooling is… having to stop and think about what grade you’re in, because… it really. doesn’t. matter. Are you shocked? Homeschooling is having to stop and think about what grade your children are in, even though you are their mommy AND their teacher. Are you appalled? I might’ve been too, once. But that was before 15 years of homeschooling. Actually, home educating sounds so much better, doesn’t it? Use that one when talking to the most critical critics. 😉 My children get asked this all the time. Sometimes they answer right…
Last week, as I was using this little thingy for the bazillionth time, I realized I love it just as much now as I did the first time I ever used it with a student- 20 years ago!- and I thought maybe I should share this little goodie with you. If you have ever tried to teach a child to tell time, you know that it can be a LITtle frustrating (for them, of course.) There’s a short hand, long hand, the three is also a fifteen, the six means thirty, and then there’s the problem…
Who knew? Black beans make a great gluten-free cake. Am I the only one who thinks that’s crazy? Recently, I looked up a recipe for one and we made one for the first time. (And by we, I mean she, our 13-year-old resident baker.) And it was really good. Then, someone suggested adding chocolate chips, and it was uh-mazing. (Thanks, Jess!) Because, don’t chocolate chips make everything better? It’s been our go-to chocolate cake recipe lately, because it’s a. gluten-free b. easy c. flourless d. and…
