After hours of Star Wars viewing, and even more hours of loud and active light saber battling, my boys couldn’t contain their excitement upon hearing of a Cub Scout Go-See-It entitled Swordsmen Rendezvous! Swordplay was a must-know skill for every 18th century gentlemen, and Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria, Virgina was a center of social and…
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 As homeschooling parents, we work endlessly to ensure our children master the basics of reading, mathematics, and grammar. We allow caterpillars to live in jars on our counter tops and build pyramids…
“Mommy, I love when Ryan has Kids Nation! It’s so much fun for me!” Those words, uttered by my joyous six-year-old as we walked across the street alongside our church Friday evening, took me by complete surprise. Ryan was at the first meeting of the third/fourth grade church youth group, and since Patrick was out…
I’ve always loved Fall! I didn’t realize just how much I looked forward to the change from Summer to Fall each year, until we moved to Florida. After 11 years in Jacksonville with no beautifully-colored Fall leaves, no piles for the kids to jump into, no crisp Autumn days, we moved to Northern Virginia. I…
Today is Grandparents’ Day. I gave my parents, my boy’s grandparents, the best gift I could think of: I picked up the boys and brought them home, providing my parents with the first quiet night alone at their home in over three weeks. Happy Grandparents’ Day, Mom & Dad! The boys had a wonderful time…
“But what about socialization?” I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard that question, don’t you? It’s one of the most commonly asked questions related to homeschooling, and in my mind one of the easiest to answer. Our boys have participated in Cub Scouts, AWANA, Sunday School, Classical Conversations, ice skating lessons,…
I LOVE OUR BOYS! I love spending time with them. I love listening to their imaginative play and just hearing them romp through the house. I love relaying their latest antics to their Grandma and Grandpa. But… our boys are high energy. They are high activity. They are high maintenance. And they are…
The Beatles’ All You Need Is Love was on the radio. Connor listened carefully, and then stated emphatically, “Incorrect! That song’s not true! You need water and food and shelter and maybe friends, too… not just love.” And he was right… sometimes, love is not enough: In Memory: James Coburn II July 30, 1975 –…
When I was 16, my parents bought a small vacation cabin in Central Vermont. At the time, it provided our family a place to stay when we visited my Dad’s parents who lived in a little home of their own nearby. In the years since, that little cabin has become so much more. It is…
Growing up, I lived at least a five hours’ drive from my grandparents and extended family. I have fond memories of visits to Grandma and Grandpa’s home at the holidays and during summer breaks, but I remember being envious of cousins who lived nearer to my grandparents and were able to visit for a…