Trial and Error
I like learning new things, but I hate making mistakes. I don’t mind the “trial” part but the “error” part is distinctly painful. In a way, then, parenting and homeschooling … Continue reading Trial and Error
Category: Homeschool
Epic Battles for Middle School
My son is using Don and Jenny Killgallon’s Paragraphs for Middle School as part of his writing curriculum this year. The idea is to introduce writing concepts, illustrate them with … Continue reading Epic Battles for Middle School
Junior Philosopher
The past several lunchtimes, my kids and I have been listening to Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates, with varying levels of attention. Today, my son and I had this conversation: son: … Continue reading Junior Philosopher
Raising Readers: Selecting Books
A week or so ago, I wrote about how my spouse and I accidentally created a Reading Culture at our house, and then accidentally inculcated our children into it. Today, I wanted to … Continue reading Raising Readers: Selecting Books
Raising Readers: Reading Culture
I was sitting and reading one afternoon last fall when the cat got up from my lap and, wakened from the world of the novel on my lap, I realized … Continue reading Raising Readers: Reading Culture
Fruit Punctuation
This morning while I was peeling and chopping and tossing things into the slow cooker, my six-year-old told me about something in a book he was reading. “It says ‘Anakin’ and … Continue reading Fruit Punctuation
Guess Who
Me: Do you know who that statue is? 6yo: Oh! I know him! I’ll give you a hint. His first name starts with “Z” and his second name starts … Continue reading Guess Who
Studying Ancient Egypt
To complement our study of ancient Egypt, we built a pyramid. In order to be as authentic as possible, each of these LEGO bricks weighs three tons. Next we need … Continue reading Studying Ancient Egypt
Monarch Butterfly Rearing Recap: Release and Conservation
The ninth and last butterfly was still a pupa when I went to bed last night. The chrysalis seemed smaller than the others and hadn’t changed colors in the same way … Continue reading Monarch Butterfly Rearing Recap: Release and Conservation
Mothering Monarchs
Wednesday before last, I went out to check the mail and discovered a Priority Mail package from Pennsylvania. It held the ten swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) plants and one dozen live … Continue reading Mothering Monarchs
Pandora’s Homeschool
“Mom, did you say eighty thousand people died in one moment?” asked my daughter. This afternoon, my children and I sat under the Tree of Knowledge, and they accepted with trust the apple … Continue reading Pandora’s Homeschool
The Starry Afternoon: An Artistic Victory
My kids love crafts, but for the past couple of years, my eight-year-old has been very resistant to anything labeled “art,” especially drawing. I think it has to do with … Continue reading The Starry Afternoon: An Artistic Victory
Imperfect Happiness 