• Blue’s Clues,Together Time, and the Challenge Years

    Keep Together Time Alive   Long before I considered teaching my children from home our family had adopted the habit of morning time. We’d come together, open God’s word, pray, read, play and discover the world before separating into our individual routines. How did this begin? I didn’t have an epiphany as I read the scriptures. There was no correlation between how Jesus bonded with and taught the 12 that brought about our quaint routine. At the time, I had never heard of Pam Barnhill, Sarah Mackenzie, Charlotte Mason, or any other homeschool savant. I hadn’t even read a single book on child education. No, Bean, my then 3-year-old, came…

  • Summer Break From CC

      Whether the core of my home school year was 24 weeks or 30 weeks long, by the time end of year celebrations roll around I’m exhausted.  My brain has absorbed as much new data as it can store and the time has come to reflect, relax, and reboot.  My kiddos feel little different.  They too are drained and strained to their limits.  They may be sad to say goodbye to the weekly promise of friends but inwardly they’re done with the push.  One tiny problem…  in most states 24 to 30 weeks does not a school year make.   Add to that the tension and worry of summer time’s sieve…