potw: winter burrows
Although this is the strangest Idaho winter I have ever experienced (we have no snow and my children run around on the yellow grass every day), we are going to memorize a poem about winter this week. Winter burrows, which sound so cozy and make me want to burrow down in my bed for months on end just like our hibernating friends. This poem is especially appropriate because we have not built a single snowman, gone sledding, or gotten out our kick sled to race down the lane. There isn’t any...
Read MoreZing!
I am mentoring a new class at iFamily this semester. Registration was this morning and in the first two minutes of it opening, I already had 18 students. Crazy! I am so excited to be teaching this class and to share my love of words with these children. My head is swimming with ideas about language, writing, and rhyming. Here is the class description I wrote in a rush when I couldn’t think in anything but Dr. Seuss style (Do you ever have those days? Days where you think in the style of...
Read Moreto destroy you is no loss
Do you know over 3 million people died because of the actions of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979? Do you know nearly 2 million of those were murdered in cold blood? Do you know many, many more lives were cut short or irrevocably changed? Do you know the Khmer Rouge’s mantra that played daily on the radio was “To keep you is no benefit, to destroy you is no loss.” and that people were told they were less significant than a grain of rice? Do you know people...
Read Morepotw: when a wrong wants righting
This has long been one of my favorite quotes and I am sharing it with my children this week with the hope it will become one of their favorites as well. I want my children to know that being fathers and mothers to God’s children is the most powerful and influential path they can choose in this life. I want them to know that we chose that path and are dedicated to their God-given missions. I want them to decide now to parent well and to be committed to building a healthy, functional family...
Read Morestories of the pilgrims
We love Jim Hodges’ audio recordings and listen to them often. One of our annual traditions is listening to Stories of the Pilgrims at Thanksgiving time. The first time I listened, I learned so much about these stalwart people who were determined to worship their God in freedom and to raise their children according to their beliefs. They give me courage to live my beliefs more fully, to pray more fervently, and to love more purely. You can order his MP3 disks or get an audio download...
Read Morepotw: the missing turkey
We have loved this poem for a long time. One of the girls performed it at The Speech Festival we participated in for about ten years and we all could have recited it back then, but I don’t think my younger two have ever heard it. It isn’t the most reverent look at Thanksgiving, but I think we get a lot of that with our other Thanksgiving traditions. The Missing Turkey It lay there on the table That turkey plump and round But when it was time to carve it It was no where to be...
Read More7th semiannual headstand contest
How long can you stand upside down on your head? Me? Not anywhere close to as long as I once could. Yesterday we held the Seventh Semi-Annual Headstand Contest at my gymnastics classes and once again, my students amazed me. Each time I hold this contest, they find some inner reserve of strength and balance and stay up for far longer than they ever have before. I am so proud of each of them! In the 5-to-6-year-old class, Paige stayed up for five whole minutes and looked rock solid the entire...
Read Morepaul klee
The Nazis hated Paul Klee. That was enough to pique my children’s interest in this artist. Anything or anyone hated by the Nazis is elevated to hero-status pretty quickly around here. Paul Klee was a musician…a violinist to be exact (another huge interest-piquing bit of info since we have two violinists and two wanna-be violinists)…but he decided to study art instead. He went to Germany to study, but after the Nazis came to power he had to flee because they decreed that modern...
Read Moregenevieve foster
This woman’s work is amazing. Really. If you don’t already own her books, you need to know you are missing out. Her maps are oh, so lovely. Her stories are lively. Her illustrations are the perfect blend of whimsy and simplicity. We have been reading The World of Columbus and Sons and have already learned so much. Did you know Spain wasn’t even a country when Isabella was born? Did you know she had a corrupt older brother? Did you know she had integrity at a very young age...
Read Morekandinksy concentric circles
Color is a power that directly influences the soul…color is the keyboard…the artist is the hand that plays. We are using our Art Treasury book to study artists and on Monday we studied Vassily Kandinksy. We learned that he was born in Russia in 1866 into a musical family. He began his career as a lawyer and in his thirties he started painting. He loved to study how colors blend together and how they contrast with each other. He believed colors expressed emotions and feelings in the...
Read MoreMy Book Shop
Inspiration
I think my sewing skills could handle these cute button flowers.
Although I have an I-hate-you relationship with Mod Podge, these photo frames are so cute that I just may need to try this. My house needs some color.
The Piano Guys are back with a new, hilarious movie. Watch it and fall in love with your instrument.
Three children, three moms, one journey for worth.
Love these thoughts on sustaining others by not focusing on their mistakes.
Want your children to have more empathy? Read to them.
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Archive for Inspiration »
Authors
Theoni Pappas writes hilarious, engaging math books. Check out The Joy of Mathematics and The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat.
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Archive for Authors »
Learning Now
The Third Choice is an interesting insight on Islam and Dhimmitude. It is our read for our book discussion this month.
Blythe’s current reads are Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.
Xtra Math is a fabulous way to help children (or adults) master their basic math facts.
The Wonder Book For Girls and Boys by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a read-aloud hit!
Sequence Numbers is a big hit! Fisher will do math problems for over an hour while we play.
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Archive for Learning Now »
Delicious Food
I MUST make this Asian Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing for my sweetie! He will love it!
These roasted-lemon potatoes sound delish!
Next time I have these fruits, I want to surprise my little one’s with this palm tree snack.
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Archive for Delicious Food »
Bookshelf
