Jul 24 2023

Book 19 of 50 – Up from Slavery

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We will study US History next year, so I was trying to get a head start in the reading material. Therefore, I read Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington to the kids out loud. What an informative, entertaining book!

Up from Slavery

One of the best books I have read so far this year.

From the first chapter, Booker wants everybody to know he is not bitter and does not hate his father, although they never met. Born into slavery, Booker framed slavery for what it was: a system which caught everybody in its snares. Continue reading »

Jul 19 2023

How to Pack a Lunch

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Homeschool mamas do not pack lunches, right? We are at home with our children and teach them in the morning while our instant pot or slow cooker prepares lunch for us, right? Or we cook with our children, thus checking two boxes: home ec and lunch prep, right? Wrong.

Bread Box

Our new bread box

These days, homeschool moms find themselves on the road with their children. A lot. Co-op, music lessons, orchestra, errands… All of a sudden, you have to pack a lunch because you do not want to have another fast food meal. Ever. You are done with that folly. Continue reading »

Jul 17 2023

Our Son Got Baptized

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As I said in this post about our 2022 electronic fast, our son planned to receive baptism this month. Well, it just happened. My husband and I are thankful to God for calling our son and for our son’s willingness to respond to the Holy Spirit.

Teenage boy getting baptized in the lake

Our son got baptized at Cohutta Springs Youth Camp on July 15, 2023.

Last summer, our son responded to an appeal in church. We encouraged him to contact the pastor to start studying the Bible in preparation for baptism. Knowing what the Bible says on key issues specific to our faith plays a huge role in grounding a new believer in Christ. Continue reading »

Jul 3 2023

Graduating to a Pedal Harp

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Our daughter has been taking harp lessons for 11 months and her teacher decided she was ready to move from a lever to a pedal harp. In harp playing, there is something called “overpulling.” When the student has developed the muscles and technique of plucking the strings really well, it is time to go to a bigger harp.

Girl playing a pedal harp

Our daughter playing a pedal harp; you can see the lever harp in the background.

Of course, lever harps are different from pedal harps in a fundamental way, not just size. Lever harps have small levers on top of the strings to produce flats and sharps. Pedal harps have pedals at the base of the harp, which the player activates with the foot in order to produce flats and sharps. Continue reading »

Jul 3 2023

Electronic Fast, One Year Later

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Exactly one year ago, I turned off all the screens in the home for three weeks. Dr. Victoria Dunckley wrote “Reset Your Child’s Brain” for parents whose children exhibit symptoms of Electronic Screen Syndrome (ESS).

These symptoms range from ADHD, ADD, OCD, to emotional meltdowns, to anxiety and depression, to sleep disruptions, to hating math (after loving it in younger elementary age) etc. The book details exactly what to do for the three weeks of the fast and the preceding week, when you prepare for it. It also informs you what to expect week by week.

Teen cubing on the floor

Our son cubing while waiting for orchestra practice

My son did not like it one bit, but it changed his life. Ten days into it, he started cleaning his room (which the book predicted). By the end of the fast, he had learned how to solve Rubik’s cube in less than a minute. One month later, he asked our pastor for Bible studies so that he may prepare for baptism. Continue reading »

Jun 26 2023

Summer Jobs

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Whenever possible, teenagers older than 14 should get a summer job. Homeschoolers are no exception. Unless your child is taking a full load of classes through the summer, a job is the perfect learning opportunity.

So many skills develop as teenagers interact with the real world and make money. It also helps with keeping a routine going through the summer weeks. It is much easier to say, “Let’s wake up at 7am so that we can have breakfast at 7:30am and then leave by 8:00am so we can get to work by 8:30am,” than to say, “Let’s wake up at 7am even though we do not have anything in particular planned.” Continue reading »

Jun 14 2023

My Favorite Week of the Year

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Of all the activities my children undertake, orchestra camp is my favorite. Every summer, we make the trek to Knoxville Monday-Friday so they can play in their respective orchestras and have fun while accelerating their growth.

Wacky Tacky Day

Our daughter dressed for success on Wacky, Tacky Day and she won!

Yes, it gets tiring for all of us, but it remains my favorite week of the year. On Monday, everybody gets together and starts playing their new pieces. On Tuesday, it is pajama or crazy sock day. Fun! Continue reading »

May 29 2023

Second Cubing Competition

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Our son participated in his second cubing competition, which happened to be named Westminster Squaners. Why? Because the main event was Square-1 and the location was on the campus of Westminster School of Atlanta. Get it?

Westminster School campus

One of the many impressive buildings on the Westminster School campus

It was a tougher field than in his first cubing competition, so it gave him motivation to get better. He did not make the final in any of the events, but he improved his personal record in 2x2x2 and 3x3x3. Also, he qualified for Nationals for the pyraminx (based on time) and got official competition scores for the 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 – an important stepping stone in becoming a well-rounded cuber. Continue reading »

May 22 2023

Rocket Launch

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While we were in Orlando for a family vacation, SpaceX and Axiom Space launched AX-2 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. We have always wanted to see a rocket launch. We drove the 90 minutes from our Airbnb home in Kissimmee to Jetty Park. One of the several viewing locations recommended online, this park was a good introduction to the whole procedure.

Axiom Crew Ship

Axiom Space Water Crew getting in position before the space launch

It was a superb field trip. We experienced something very few people have – the sights and sounds of sending humans into space. The sonic boom after the first stage of the rocket came back to land startled all of us, even though we were expecting it. Continue reading »