I often wake up early.  This morning I fed the ponies at 6:00.  The grass was dewey and there were flat spider webs strung across the field in several places, sparkling.   It was stunning. I was on the road by 6:30, as Sparky was being shipped out for an angiogram at … [Read more...]

GET IT RIGHT HERE Once again, the Canadian Homeschooler pulls together an outrageously good learning bundle including (ahem) my own resource, Homeschooling simplified:  Great Books to Study Canadian History (CHECK THAT BOOK OUT HERE on AMAZON) And so many other awesome … [Read more...]

Case in point:  this summer. I've been quite busy with weddings and trips and new babies and anniversary parties and Shakespeare plays. I know that next summer will be different.  Because of the way it is. At any rate, everybody's advertising their back to school stuff … [Read more...]

  I’m going to do a little back tracking here.  June was an ever-so-busy little month.  June 8th, Sparky and I left for six days ALL BY OURSELVES for a little conference/holiday.   I was speaking at the ARCH Catholic homeschool conference in Houston.   So much fun.  A … [Read more...]

Last Thursday, my daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.  Our three grandsons now have a new little sister/cousin to win their hearts. In our homily yesterday, on the Feast of St. John the Baptist, Father reminds us that John, and all of us, and of course, new baby girl … [Read more...]

Sparky is in the music room, playing out of the Young Life music book.  He starts playing "Less of Me" by Glen Campbell.  I used to have the lyrics posted up in my house, because they are, well, the Gospel message.  Not only the what of the gospel, but the how to do … [Read more...]

  Tonight, as every night, I sat with Rosebud to say prayers.  Now nearly twelve, she's been able to say prayers on her own for ten solid years.  But we should pray together.  Really. We have night prayers we say together.  Tonight, however, I departed from tradition … [Read more...]

So first, this: Deep need to acknowledge the arrival of grandson number three...wee William. It's a good life, my friends.  And he, and all the babies in the world, is the reason I will forge on with this little series on literacy.  I used a term in the LAST POST.  that … [Read more...]

Reading matters because love.  Read last post if you don't know what I'm talking about.  Don't worry, it's short. We want our kids to be literate because we love them.  What does literacy mean?  At first glance, we think of literacy as being able to read and write.  And … [Read more...]