What I’ve Learned from Homeschooling

Full disclosure: Pre-pandemic me thought homeschooling was weird. Pulling my kids out of public school had about the same likelihood as me taking a rocket to the moon. But then came lock downs and distance learning and a lot of uncertainty. My husband and I looked into switching our daughters to private school, but then one day I had an epiphany that must have come from God himself (because it certainly didn’t come from me). I was going to homeschool them.

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A Reading Wrap-Up

I may have mentioned once or twice that I love to read. Getting lost in a different world, time period, setting, or situation is a great way to decompress, relax, and even learn a little–or to remind yourself that things aren’t quite so bad out in the real world. If you’re anything like me, and want to get lost in some good books this coming year, you came to the right place.

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The (Sleep) Struggle is Real

Every winter, I pull my 20-pound weighted blanket out of the closet, lug it across the room, and use all my strength to toss it onto the bed. Then every night I get in another mini workout, grunting as I slide under the blanket and pull it up to my chin. It is finally time to sleep. Hopefully.

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How to Raise Readers

It’s no secret that I love books. And thankfully, so do my children. Maybe I passed on some bibliophile gene to them or perhaps their love of reading came from watching me with my nose often in books. Or maybe both. But one thing is for sure–I believe creating a book-friendly environment and routine for kids is beneficial.

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Books I Loved This Year

It’s that time of year again–the time where I reminisce about all the wonderful books I read. Spanning a variety of genres, these 15 were my favorites.

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Woman’s Best Friend

This is probably going to get me a lot of flak, but I’ll say it anyway. I’m not an animal person. Don’t get me wrong, I think many animals are adorable or beautiful or majestic or whatever other adjective you’d suggest…I just want to keep my distance from most of them. Observe them from afar.

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Who Me?

Achy hips. A bad shoulder. Crow’s feet. A mortgage that I pay with paper checks. The realization that it has been almost twenty years since I graduated high school. At this point it should be beyond clear that I am a full-fledged, full-grown adult. Confession, though–I don’t always feel like a grown-up.

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A Year That Was Made for Reading

I tried. I really tried to write this year…But my mental energy was practically nonexistent thanks to the second year of pandemic life and the addition of homeschool teacher to my mom-ing duties. But, and it’s a big but, I did read. A lot.

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A Mama’s Words of Wisdom

Every day I look at my children and wonder how they went from tiny little babies, completely dependent on me, to these lanky, beautiful young girls who can climb trees and read and have their own strong opinions. I miss the days they were curled up on my shoulder, sound asleep, but I also look forward to the days to come. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about all the things I want to teach them as they get older.

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