When we started this school year, my husband and I agreed that if both of our middle children could learn to read -- and that is all they were able to accomplish -- we could call this year a success. My nine-year-old has had an especially difficult time with reading. Since our traditional method was not working, we have been pulling out all of the stops with her and trying a variety of methods. Continue Reading >>
View of a Spider in the Discovery Scope
We found a spider on our front porch yesterday. A huge spider. A hairy spider. I almost killed it. And then I remembered the Discovery Scope. I asked my 11 year-old if he would help me catch it and he refused. He kills them for me, but catching them alive for me is apparently where he draws the line. I had to figure out how to get it into the little plastic viewing box that came with my scope all Continue Reading >>
Adding a Simple Fringe and Beads to a Child’s T-Shirt
A couple years ago, I noticed two little girls on the last day of Vacation Bible School who had cut their VBS T-Shirts and added a very cute fringe to the bottom and sleeves. I kept that idea in the back of my mind, and this year when Anna attended VBS with her best friend, I asked them if they wanted to embellish their t-shirts for the last day. Both were excited about the project, so I started Continue Reading >>
Product Review: The Pilgrim Story Online Course from Dayspring Christian Academy
My children have never used an online course before, so we had absolutely no idea what to expect. I watched the preview video for The Pilgrim Story ($99 for six months of access) from Dayspring Christian Academy and I thought it sounded pretty cool. Certainly it would be a change of pace from our typical path of reading books and listening to audio books in the car. Plus, with Thanksgiving Continue Reading >>
Product Review: Zoo Whiz Premium Membership
Did you ever want to be a zookeeper? I think on the list of childhood answers to "What do you want to be when you grow up?" -- zookeeper probably ranks pretty high on the list. It seems like so much fun to have all of those cuddly, growly animals to play with all day! Of course, as adults we realize all of the drudgery that would accompany the fun. Mucking stalls is no fun at all. Very few of Continue Reading >>
Get Your Children Exploring the Great Outdoors
When you were growing up, did you have a great deal of freedom to explore? I listen to books like The Sugar Creek Gang with my children now, and I am astonished at how much freedom the children of by-gone eras had. Even I had much more freedom then I feel it is safe to give my own. I think this is has to do with increasing moral decline. Should my own thirteen-year old daughter go traipsing Continue Reading >>
