Curriculum. I don’t share about what we use often, as there’s not a one-size-fits-all curriculum for everyone. Uniquely tailoring the education in your home to what works best for your family is after all, one of the greatest benefits of home education.
But over the last week questions have poured in from new home educators as to what we use, so I’m sharing here. 😊 +
I think the temptation is to jump into a curriculum before understanding how children learn best. I can’t recommend enough that you read A Charlotte Mason Companion and Teaching From Rest before buying a curriculum. This gave me the foundation of confidence in teaching and added enchantment to our homeschool. Teaching became my delight rather than a job. I learned that curriculum is my servant, not my master. I grew less tempted to jump from one curriculum to another. +
As each child is wired differently, it’s vital that you not simply buy curriculum to match a certain grade to age. Simply start where they are, and carry on at a healthy pace. Let go of the labels! Though Gavin was advanced in math, he was not at the matching age-grade level with spelling and grammar. Now, at 18, he’s a junior in college. It really will be okay! +
Our main ‘diet’ consists of reading wonderful books everyday. +
For details on what we use for curriculum, head on over to my ‘Homeschool’ story highlights on my profile. 😊. Next week I’ll be sharing regarding what we do for preschool/kindergarten. xoxo
When you look at us, I hope you see a deep, authentic love, because it lives here, but if your marriage is struggling, what I want you to see is so much hope.
There was a time in which I didn’t believe I could ever be attracted to Dan again. In our busyness early in our marriage, we had neglected each other. Dan may have had my first kiss, but I later shared my heart with another. Even when I kissed that man, convinced he was the answer to the fulfillment I sought, it was Dan I saw and felt. +
I confessed it all to Dan and we went through the agony of grieving all that was lost and began the process of starting again, this time with eyes wide open. We finally saw it was something to fight for, this love. +
We still can frustrate and disappoint each other, but we remember it’s better to be close than to be right. +
At the end of each day we process concerns and joys and parenting issues - life, and offer ourselves to God together. Two flawed human beings, simply surrendering ourselves to each other and to God. His peace meets us here and holds us as we hold each other.
And this just may be the secret of a relationship ever growing in intimacy, in greatness, in something more sweetly satisfying than words can hold. +
So, please, remember that what we have is not perfect, nor is it something unattainable, but simply the result of two people surrendering, and God working the miracle.
Restaurant play. 😍😁 It’s true that one of the main reasons I chose to homeschool was so I could do life with my kids, but another main motivating factor was so they could do life with each other. +
As I’ve spent hours upon hours going through all the photos of Gavin as he’s graduating this month (!), tears of gratitude have poured over. Science experiments (even those that went wrong but the explosions brought laughter), books read aloud, school breaks on the trampoline and in the woods, the time we wore sheets and ate like the Greeks, the hundreds of little films they created together, erupting laughter-spewing drinks across the table at lunch, the countless times they had to sit together until they worked through an issue and apologized, the times I lost my cool during a math lesson and brought tears to their eyes and had to apologize and point them to the One who would never lose His patience with them, the times we were all stretched, the times stories would spark discussions and leave us in awe, the continual talk over Scripture, raucous laughter leaving us in stitches over Willow’s performances or someone clearing the room 💨🙈. Our inside stories and jokes are endless.
Homeschooling has meant lives tightly interwoven under our roof.
I couldn’t be more grateful for this often messy, imperfect, often trying, beautiful, fun, rich, endlessly rewarding way of life, and I want you to know I’m cheering you on. ✨
Willow was determined to bring her little Bible up to the treehouse picnic with us; I didn’t know then it was so she could preach. 😆 •
And some lines from my favorite poem came to me.. “I dined with the greats of God’s army. I made their meals and tied their shoes. Today, I walked with greatness, and when they were tired I carried them. I have poured myself out for the cause today. .. I birth the freedom fighters.
In the great way, I am a leader of underground resistance. I smile at the disguise of my troops, surrounded by a host of warriors, destiny swirling, invisible yet tangible, with the anointing to alter history.” //Christianna Reed Maas •
You may see a mess around you, but what you’re investing in has roots and feet and destiny, and will change the world. ❤️
Chores. 😊 Several have asked, so thought I’d share here. We have used the same system for about 6 years now. Our house is never perfect, but this keeps it running rather smoothly, and the clutter under control. Mamas of only littles: bear in mind I have older kids; file this away for the future. Baby steps. 😉
After breakfast and God time, I ring the bell for the start of morning chores. (Our house is long; this keeps me from yelling)! We like to blast the music and everyone (starting at 4 years) neatens their bed, brushes teeth, tidies their room. Willow has a simple zip-up bed, so it’s easy for even a 4 year old to make. 🙌 And, getting dressed is obviously optional around here. 😆
Then, Quinn feeds the dog, Ellie wipes the table, Gavin sweeps under the table, I start laundry.
The big kids and I clean the kitchen. Takes us about 5 minutes to unload/load dishes and scrub it!
We then get started on our school day, and they put away all of their morning lesson work as soon as they finish it. •
After lunch each weekday, I clean the kitchen while the kids each do a 5-10 minute chore. It’s a different chore each day such as sweeping the mud room, washing bathroom counters, or dusting the living room. This keeps us from ever having to spend an overwhelming day doing it all at once, and I don’t have to figure out when a certain room will get swept or dusted, etc. •
They do a quick tidy of toys just before dinner. •
Tips: some quality control is necessary to ensure each one is doing their best according to their age and ability. I rarely have to check up on my teens anymore, but sweet absent-minded boys especially need reminders now and then. 😅 Except for movie nights, eating is at the table. This saves an abundance of sweeping! We also do a “screen-time check.” This means that on the days we have screen time, the kids do a quick run around the house to be sure all is put away first. Lastly, no they are not paid to do chores. We started out this way and saw an entitled attitude take root. There are, however, always some extra available tasks that they can earn $ for if they choose. Window and car washing, mopping, weed pulling, etc. ☺️
Willow informed us that she had laid out our clothes that each of us were to change into, and we were to meet her at the playhouse. 😆. All we knew is that within minutes we had stopped what we were doing and complied to her charming, managerial ways. 😅 •
When there’s so very much that we need to say a firm ‘no’ or ‘not now’ to throughout their childhood, it’s surprisingly refreshing to say yes to what we can, and rewarding when we see how they beam. ☺️ I can be very task-oriented and this has not come naturally for me, but my mom has lived this life of often playful and wild ‘yesses’, and over time I’ve held my to-do lists more loosely and said yes more readily. ☺️ •
Sometimes it’s rather simple acts that fulfill mighty big dreams of theirs, and remind them that you are for them. 🌟
You know that boy who struggled to read until he was 8 1/2, well, at 11 he’s reading through the Redwall series. 📚🎉 This is often the case of those who don’t read until they’re 7 or older: they seem to ‘catch up’ at a remarkable rate and will likely be in step with their peers within 2-3 years. •
Now, mind you, Quinn is rarely one to pick up books in his free time; it’s far more likely to find him on his bike or with his dog, but knowing he is capable has boosted his confidence.
When I look at him I’m especially grateful that he’s been able to grow without comparisons or labels placed upon him. He crawled at 6 months, walked by 9, but didn’t talk until he was 3!
He’s my creative, there’s-no-box-to-begin-with thinker, athletic climber, builder, and very tender-hearted soul. Each child’s ‘clock’ is unique, as they are. ✨ “We have the beautiful task of drawing out our children’s best qualities, identifying their gifts, and digging deeper for answers to the challenges they face, all within a nurturing environment. It’s not ever easy – but what a privilege, what a gift.”// Ainsley Arment •
“If we are teaching respect and honor for all people crafted by God’s hands, then our children will become protectors and advocates for all people, especially those who are unfairly found victims of a broken, fallen world.
If mothers rise to be the gatekeepers, making their homes places of excellence, cultivating love for each other as well as reverence and worship of God, the future generations will have hope.” //Sally Clarkson •
When the pain of what is happening in the world becomes great and I feel helpless, I’m reminded that it all starts at home, and that I do have a powerful role.
I ask myself, “Am I allowing disrespect and bitterness to reign in my home?” If so, my children will take that into the world. “Am I cultivating an atmosphere of love in my words and actions?” Some days I miss it and will continue to, but as I point my kids to the love and grace and forgiveness God has for each of us, hug them, and affirm them, it is love they will take into the world. ✨ {and hanging clothes is always best in the Spring breeze}
These are happy times. Not because pain is not present. It is there, the hurt in the longing for another child as time continues to pass, ironically emerging alongside the deepest joy.
Whether we’re hiking or at home, it’s a time in our lives in which the feeling is strong: we belong together. Yes, we deal with attitude issues and laziness and irritability here, but by the grace of God there is contentment and deep connections as we eat and rest and read and work alongside each other. •
I know it will change and that it’s meant to change. As Gavin attends university this Fall - even though he’ll do so from home - the pull on him elsewhere will grow. I believe we’ll still be a strong family unit, but it will be different so this season is sweet.
The season to come will have its own beauty, but it will never be quite the same.
I suppose it’s wise and yet bittersweet to see the beauty of the season you’re in. Knowing it’s fleeting motivates me to soak it up, be present, to keep my eyes peeled for the gifts each season of life brings, and inhale the sweetness. • {swipe over for the method Gavin invented years ago to ‘load’ Willow into the carrier 😄👌, and Gavin gets the credit for the last photo. He’s become a far better photographer than I am - what a joy to see him surpass many of my abilities}
This life - with these faces looking to me each day to see them for who they are and all they will be - is so much more than I deserve, and envelops me in the the reality of the goodness of God.
I get to do life with these incredible people, and though I pour myself out daily, and my body may be depleted, I feel all the richer. Isn’t that the miracle of God’s economy? • • “The self is ultimately never really sacrificed in giving, but our real self is ultimately found.
In the sacrificial giving of ourselves, we give ourselves back our real selves, the selves we were made to be.
Sacrifice isn’t about losing what you love, but giving your love on to whom you love more. When you sacrifice for what you love, you gain more of what you love.” //Ann Voskamp •
May you too, see and feel His goodness in your every day. It is there, waiting for you.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you amazing women. May you know your infinite value. xoxo
One night, 10 years ago, I laid awake wondering how on earth I could support Gavin in his passion in computers and technology - a field in which neither Dan nor I had interest or knowledge.
Then, last night he built a computer for a friend- one that he specifically tailored to his friend’s desires- while buddies filmed the process. Gavin is starting a little business, saving folks some money while putting together just the computer they need. •
I want to infuse peace into each of you mamas! Gavin never had formal computer classes of any kind, yet he’s been assisting friends and neighbors with their computer problems for years. We simply encouraged him in his interest and provided ample time for him to learn. I receive messages from so many, worried if they’re using the ‘right’ curriculum. We can get hung up on how many facts our kids are absorbing when it’s really their hearts and our hearts and our relationships that truly matter. Do they feel our support in their interests? Do they feel our love, and love the Lord and know how to work hard and help others? •
I took Gavin out of his part-time Christian school in the middle of 2nd grade, knowing nothing really about home education, but thrilled at the prospect of doing life with him. God took me on this adventure, and never seemed concerned, but smiling all the way. In those early years I swung from euphoria to panic on the night, but increasingly that panic turned to peace. Peace that didn’t make sense, but now it does. •
You’re likely doing much better than you think. Lean into the Lover of your soul and He’ll carry the weight. He’s got a plan. He knows all the right doors to open for each of your children. Relax. He wants you to lead in the joy of learning and living well, freely and lightly. xoxo
My Quinn. Reading and speaking did not come easily for this guy, while math and ukulele were picked up naturally.
Many of you asked if all the kids read for our entire daily reading hour. My teens do, but I’ve slowly increased Quinn’s reading time over years. At 11, he now reads 30 minutes, and then listens to an audiobook the remainder of the time. •
If he had been my first child rather than my third, I do believe I would have been frustrated and even panicked when he couldn’t read at 7. But I had learned the hard way with my sweet Ellie, that pressuring a child to forge ahead to meet some timetable before they’re personally ready only wounds the child and robs them of the joy in learning. It sucks the enchantment right out of home education. •
By God’s grace I carried ample peace through the years of daily reading to him and moving at a healthy pace, confident that it would one day click. At about 8 1/2, it did just that.
What a weight we are freed from when we trust that children are unique and not created to develop directly in step with others their age. Those comparisons cripple, but encouraging them and accepting them where they are, enables them to soar. •
photo of Quinn’s weekly FaceTime lesson with the fabulous @joshua.c.hunt .. a highlight of Quinn’s week ✨
I invite you to take a moment with me and journey back in our story - the crazy-miraculous story of how this place transformed from a small 2 bedroom house to our spacious forever home and our journey with it over several years. Our struggles, beauty, joys, God’s surprising debt-free provision. The entire story is in my Story Highlights on my page, titled “Our Home.” •
I’ve received more messages than ever (!) this weekend from so many of you who have watched it. Thank you, sincerely, for telling me how it encouraged you. This was my point in sharing, that as you see the hand of God in our life, it builds hope and trust within YOU. •
From my stories:
We could have taken an easier path. We could have taken out a loan. (No shame there). But as we had to trust God to provide what was needed for each step, we felt held.
We learned to live feeling held - each one of us - His arms almost tangible.
I’m not only sharing more of our most-loved books today that the kids helped me gather, but also some of our top games, audiobooks, and YouTube. I’m eager to hear yours as well. ☺️ •
Audiobooks. It’s a road trip tradition and so much more. Our top 3 are.... Cheaper By the Dozen, The Green Ember series, and Narnia (Focus On the Family does a beautiful job, but we prefer “Grandpa” - a jolly sweet older man on YouTube by the name of Ray Mossholder). •
Games. Pit, Ticket to Ride, Mexican Train, Monopoly, Cranium, Apples to Apples, Scattergories, Bananagrams, Memory, and the boys add Chess 😊 •
YouTube. Mark Rober (science), Gavin recommends Marques Brownlee (technology), Daniela Ballerina (preschool ballet - Willow absolutely loves and at her age this makes more sense to me than driving her to class -see example of Willow enjoying on my stories 😉), the band I recommended recently - The Okee Dokee Brothers have a few fun, song and nature filled shows on YouTube. Oddly enough, you know what we pull up most often on YouTube these days? Bob Ross. 😆. It’s Quinn’s favorite, and is inspiring the kids to paint more. Willow (4) is even mesmerized by his soothing voice and the beauty he creates. She commented while watching it, “I want to step into that painting. Wait, do you think we could already be living in a painting?” 🤣 Maybe so baby girl, maybe so. •
I’d love to hear your favorites! (And don’t forget to look back over these books. You can’t go wrong with any of these treasures)
xoxo
My Ellie. From birth, my heart outside my body. She’s at a fascinating age, on the brink of womanhood, yet joyfully still holding on to girlhood. My fellow Jane Austen fan, baker, budding writer and painter, but still eager to play with her younger siblings for hours a day and mold a sand castle. •
I watch her in utter delight these days, with a slight, sharp tinge of grief, knowing the playful child will fade.
God used her to reveal to me the slower path in life that He was guiding us toward. From the youngest age, I was in awe at the way she would engage with nature and draw her siblings into imaginary worlds with her. Never was a child more content at home. I knew I couldn’t rob her of that with a life of rushing here and there. No regrets there. It’s been a rich wonder seeing her grow these 14 plus years. •
Not perfect, but so full of patience, kindness, responsibility, and grace that she has long been a role model to me. “Born mature,” we’ve always stated. Soft spoken, yet confidently assertive. A strong, nurturing spirit, fully captivated by her little sister she long prayed for. The calm amongst the wild boys.
My pure delight. I think it daily: what I would give to freeze this time, this season of life with her.
Oh, the magic of reading hour. ✨ Without this quiet, peaceful break in the day, I’m drained by 4.
After smooth sailing for most of the quarantine, bickering erupted amongst the kids yesterday. But this quiet reading hour settles us, refuels and inspires us, and sets us in a better direction. •
And, one of my all-time favorite quotes for you: “The gift was not the books themselves, of course, but what those books formed within my heart and imagination.
My parents gave me the priceless gift of a life formed by story, because they understood the crucial truth that to read a great story is to begin to learn how to live one.” //Sarah Clarkson •
Who else has a reading hour? ❤️📚
I wanted to share a little list of our cherished music that has added a bit of whimsy and fun and wonder to our days. (Later this week I’ll share our top shows, audiobooks, and games to keep this a reasonable length). 😊 •
Music for children: The Okee Dokee Brothers. Their ‘Can You Canoe’ album is loved by all here; we can’t help but sing along and often play it while making pancakes on Saturday mornings. Their wholesome, fun music is filled with the wonder of the great outdoors.
Elizabeth Mitchell is delightful, peaceful, and beautiful. Every little girl will love - guaranteed - and it won’t cause gnashing of teeth among the other members of the family (looking at you Frozen 2). 😄 •
Ellie (14) recommends Lauren Daigle and Billie Holiday. Gavin (18) will always be a Switchfoot fan - but has a love for a wide variety of music, from John Williams to classic rock.
Steffany Gretzinger is my go-to for music filled with beauty and life-altering poetry. I’m always changed after worshipping alongside her.
And I’m always on board for some Rich Mullins, whose heartfelt, moving lyrics molded my teen years. His latest albums feel like going home. The song, Hold Me Jesus, is my all time favorite.
Dan is a Josh Garrells fan, but my kids commented that he sounds like Yoda, and try as I might, I can’t get past that. 😆 But with lyrics like that, I’m trying.
And of course, The Hunts are thoroughly enjoyed by all here. (How could it be otherwise)?! My Pride and Prejudice Pandora station is what Ellie and I turn to for soothingly beautiful music. •
Dan and I usually pick Jack Johnson or the 40s station for a romantic backdrop, perfect alongside candlelight and dancing in the kitchen. These stations are Dan’s top choice when he returns home after a long work day. Instant relaxation. •
And, don’t underestimate the value in wildflowers placed around the house. Ellie has remarked since she was 5 that collecting and placing them all over the house makes us rich. She’s right. •
Now, tell me the music that sets you and yours to dance. 😊
It wasn’t the Rockies as we had planned, but backyard camping was still under the great Milky Way, still complete with s’mores, reading books in tree hammocks, (me- Hannah Coulter, Gavin - To Kill a Mockingbird, Ellie - Pride & Prejudice, Quinn - Bear Gryll’s Survival Guide), a little hiking, a game of sardines in the dark, and stories by the fire.
Quinn came out prepared in all his survivor gear, guide in hand. 😆 I understood, and chuckled inside. We’re craving more freedom and adventure than currently allowed, but Willow put it in perspective as a 4 year old often does.
She asked me what I liked most about camping. I told her it was exploring nature. She said, “my favorite part is being with you.” I was tempted to reply, “but we’re together everyday,” but I just smiled. Us - together - is enough for her.
For now, it is enough.
Of course, a little feasting and fabulous books and music help. 😊 • {tomorrow I’ll share some favorites of ours - music, audiobooks, and games to happily pass this time} xoxo
Who else has jumped on the backyard camping bandwagon? 😁🏕
Another dose of our favorites.
These stories are interwoven with our memories. We’ve made cakes to calm nerves during great thunderstorms just as in Thunder Cake, Roxaboxen has inspired countless hours of play in our woods and on beaches, Bunny Bungalow always invoked laughter as the children are so alike mine (the firstborn with his nose in a book, the nurturing older sister, the 3rd kid basically part monkey.. 😆). •
I’ve loved hearing from so many of you who have bought the books I recommended last week and are enjoying them! •
During our reading hour on Friday afternoons, the kids put the chapter books aside and grab an assortment of picture books. With beautiful illustrations and rich language, they’re not to be forgotten. ☺️📚 •
It looks like a gorgeous weekend ahead. I hope you enjoy it fully! We’ve got some backyard camping planned. 🏕
We’re at that stage in quarantine in which Ellie and I are inspired to declutter, rearrange, and redo!
Our flooring is still waiting to be redone in here, but we took our piano from its dingy, lackluster brown to a smooth taupe with the help of chalk paint, and it’s freshened up the entire space. And with that hair, that Scottish highland cow is my spirit animal. 😆 .
We’re also focusing on a bit of habit training over here. We all could use a little improvement in taking charge of our own messes, and in being intentional and helpful if we see something out of place. I’m giving out rewards for improvement in this area! .
At what ‘stage’ of quarantine are you in?! {and chicken coop was created by my amazing mama}. 😄🐓
