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I Collect Rocks

Today we went “treasure hunting” at my parents’ house. They are decluttering and I am trying to help, although it appears that helping also involves me taking home a lot of stuff. I’m an alternate lover of used goodies and impetuous pitcher of said goodies. For an entire hour, we catalogued and put away my little brother’s rock collection. He hasn’t lived there for seven years, and the rocks were beautiful but very dusty. He was determined to become a geologist and had a rock and fossil collection that was amazing in its breadth. As a child and a young … Continue reading →

Homeschool Word of the Day: Strewing

Strewing means scattering, or dispersing haphazardly. In homeschooling, to strew is to leave education books, materials, and games lying about in the child’s path. Strewing is a word used by unschoolers. While unschoolers allow their children to follow their own paths, many do manage to direct the kids a bit with strategic placement of learning materials. Sandra Dodd, who coined the term, explains this practice well on her website. She explains, “Some of our most successful items have been toys or objects for playing with (sometimes not purely a toy) like pattern blocks, castle blocks, magnets (or some new magnet … Continue reading →

Make an Advent Calendar With Your Preschooler

In our house, the little elves bring a special gift on December 1st. They creep through their elf door downstairs and place the gift in front of the door, along with a helping of fairy dust. Or perhaps it’s elf dust. Let the Christmas count down begin! What special activities do you do to mark the beginning of December? Got an advent calendar? For those of you who haven’t yet gone out to the store to buy the chocolate variety, here are a few ideas that you can make with your preschooler today! The simplest calendar is a paper chain. … Continue reading →

Can a Cherry Pie Wave Goodbye – Preschool Music – Hap Palmer

Normally, I’m not a big fan of “preschool music”. I find it too sweet and too repetitive. Our marvelous preschool teacher used to play Hap Palmer music. Not only did the kids love it, I thought the songs were gentle, fun, and I loved the ways children could play along and learn at the same time. Can a Cherry Pie Wave Goodbye? : Songs for Learning Through Music and Movement by Hap Palmer will introduce preschoolers to all sorts of concepts and vocabulary words. They learn colors and body parts in “Put a Little Color on You” as they are … Continue reading →

A House Full of Boys

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I have three grown natural children and five young adopted children. Seven of the eight are boys. I have grown accustomed to knowing what to expect from them. We have five boys in the house who are very close together in age, two and a half to eight. There are some obnoxious behaviors that boys do and no matter how many times the behavior is corrected, they go back to doing it. Boys love to pick up, carry, swing, sword fight and run with sticks. We live on a wooded lot and there are a lot of sticks to choose … Continue reading →

Put Kids to Work

My parents were huge proponents of the idiom:  “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings.” In other words, my mom and dad hated seeing their offspring sit around when there was work to be done.  And when you’re living in a home occupied by six people, there’s never a shortage of tasks to be completed. For me, summer meant tennis camp, swimming lessons and plenty of chores.  In my dad’s eyes, no job was too dirty for his little girl.  Looking back, I don’t begrudge my father for keeping me and my brothers busy during the dog days of summer.  In … Continue reading →

Top 10 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Reading: Go Public!

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Do you want to get your kids excited about reading? If so, get ready for the countdown: ten days of ideas that will get you and yours into reading! Now, by going public with reading I’m not saying that you need to stand on a street corner reciting Shakespeare, although that would certainly make life interesting. No, by making reading public, I mean that you and your children can enjoy reading that takes place in a public venue. From story times to world famous authors, from poetry slams to a visit to the children’s bookstore, there are many ways to … Continue reading →

Water, Water: Enjoying a Wet Spring

I live in the Pacific Northwest. This time of year, we’re a little sick of wet and we’re looking forward to the summer time! If it’s wet where you are and you’re getting tired of staying indoors, here are some ideas to help you enjoy a wet spring. Become A Model You don’t need to walk down the runway to be a model for your kids. Your children learn from what you do, so get out and explore, even if the weather seems grim! Having a special adult who loves being outside is more important than anything. Get Out! Although … Continue reading →

Get Your Egg On

With Easter just a few weeks away, now is the time to start thinking about eggs, bunnies and Peeps. Many stores that have been stocking Easter merchandise since the day after Valentine’s Day are offering discounts to early birds. This is great if you are looking to snag money-saving deals on Easter goodies for your spring fling. If you don’t have the funds to go hog wild on Easter Bunny decor, then simply get creative with items you may have around the house. For example: Ice Bunny: Use a bunny-shaped cake pan to create a unique ice sculpture centerpiece to … Continue reading →

Go Green This Weekend

St. Patrick’s Day is less than 48 hours away and police from coast-to-coast are bracing for the madness. Law enforcement is on extra high alert since the holiday falls on a Saturday. Couple that with the fact that much of the country is experiencing unusually high spring temperatures and you’ve got a recipe for potential bedlam. If you are looking for a way to celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day without dealing with a bunch of drunks and delinquents, then consider hosting your own shamrock-themed shindig. Here are some party ideas to get you started: Costumes: What’s a St. Patrick’s Day … Continue reading →