What's In My Teapot?

The first day of August seems a bit early in the season to call a halt to summer vacation and get back to school, but since we're still up in the air with our move, it seemed prudent to start sooner than later. The thought is that if we move, I will need some time off and starting early will give some wiggle room, and if we don't move, well, who minds getting out a little earlier in the spring? I don't feel as prepared for the beginning of school as I would like, but some of that will happen with time as we work out a schedule and learn a few things by trial and error. I am realizing that homeschooling is an ever-changing scene, and that no two years are alike! Yes, you learn things that stand you in good stead from year to year, but other things have to remain flexible. Last year I had a new baby; this year I have a very busy one-year-old, a house on the market, and the possibility of a move in the fall. Last year I had two scholars, this year I have three! He...

Today my sister and I spent approximately 5 very enjoyable hours at a homeschool curriculum fair in Frederick, Maryland, and I came away with new wind under my sails! I guess you know you're a homeschooling mom when you go to a curriculum fair and feel like a kid in a candy shop, but there's nothing like brand new school books and other fun educational things to get a person excited!!! It may seem a little odd to be worrying over second grade before we're even through with first, but taking care of curriculum decisions now means that you can think about the next year based on how the current year is going, plus enjoy summer vacation when it arrives knowing that you're books are ready when you are! I looked at curriculum a bit, but actually spent the majority of my time fascinated by all the "extra-curricular" books, games and gizmos and picking up a few things I thought would be good additions to our family library and homeschool experience in general, l...

One of the most wonderful things about being a mom is reading to and enjoying books with my children! It honestly is one of the best ways to save your sanity while having fun at the same time!!! Children bored? Read a book... Dad late coming home from work? Read a book... Want to teach your children something new about manners or octopuses? Read a book... Need a ritual to announce naptime/bedtime? Read a book... Siblings fighting? Read a book... Rainy day in November? Read a book... No food in the house for supper? Read a book... Someone broke their leg? Read a book while waiting for ambulance... Okay, so it may not be  that good, but still... where would we be without books? (You don't have to answer that- I really don't want to know!!!) I enjoy children's books in general, but storytime went up several notches once Elasa was ready to move beyond Curious George and Frances (no offense to these beloved characters, of course!) to what we refer to as ...

I am not an artist. Nor do I consider myself to be particularly creative. To be honest, my tendency towards neatness and order has a way of stifling the creative tendencies in my house because... well...  creativity is messy !!! Maybe this is why The Artful Parent , by Jean Van't Hul, has me so intrigued...it speaks to something that I want more of and it gives me hope. Could a non-artistic person like me be an artful parent ? Browsing through this book and seeing the pictures and interesting projects has given me the confidence to say, "YES!" Here is a quote from the book: You can invite art into your home with your actions, your words, your attitude, and the activities you offer. You can do it by having the space to do art, making art materials available, and introducing new concepts and activities. The author also says, I define an artful activity as any that's full of art, beauty, and creativity. As parents, there are innumerable ways we ca...

Now that we have officially completed our first month of school, and have 20 whole days under our belt, I thought I would give an overview of what first grade looks like at our house! The state of Pennsylvania does not require a child to be registered for school until age 8, so right now I have it easy from the aspect that since Elasa is not registered, we can do a lighter load and skip the affidavits, portfolios and required 180 days until she is in 3rd grade- two years from now. Because of this, I am focusing on 3 main subjects- math, reading & hand-writing- and waiting to do some of the "extra-curricular" subjects until they are needed. Of course we do a lot of reading and also participate in our church's Co-op School, so that helps round out the education! I like to start out our school day by reading aloud to Elasa and I chose the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, which we are both really enjoying! Some of the books are pretty familiar, as we've listened to...