This summer, I attended a yoga retreat and one evening we sat around a fire together. We were encouraged to write three things we wanted to release, let go of, on a bay leaf and burn the leaves in a fire. We also wrote an intention – just a word – on a rock and …
Planning for a Waldorf-inspired fourth grade
I have been deeply immersed in planning for the upcoming school year over the past few weeks. My oldest child will be a fourth grader this year (how did that happen!?) and for the first time I am planning without a curriculum. We have used and loved Lavender’s Blue Homeschool for first through third grades …
May in our homeschool
It’s funny … I often sit down to write these summaries and think “hmmm… what DID we do in May?” Then I spend a little time looking at my calendar and photos and think “wow! We did A LOT in May!” Third Grade Our family makes an annual trip to a farm stay in Alsea, …
April in our homeschool
I missed writing about March in our homeschool because our family was so swamped with a big undertaking. We were still homeschooling, but it was definitely put on cruise control for the month and it was nice for me to see that homeschooling doesn’t have to be at the center of our life for it …
Layer It In
Here’s the best advice I’ve ever heard about homeschooling, especially as it pertains to homeschooling using a particular method: “layer it in.” I’m not sure where I first heard or read that phrase but it is homeschooling gold. When my oldest was little and we arrived at the decision to homeschool her, I felt it …
February in our homeschool
Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Ahhhh … February. It always feels like a challenge. February often feels like a Bermuda Triangle of crummy weather, colds and flu circulating, fun activities getting cancelled …
January in our homeschool
As I look back at photos from our January, there is so much goodness! That’s one of the reasons I love documenting our homeschool with photos and writing. January was full of lots of cozy learning for us a some fun winter adventures, too. Third Grade This month we did a Hebrews block. I wasn’t …
Moving through a homeschool slump
Every year, like clockwork, I slide into a January or February homeschool slump. The excitement of the holidays – and the direction that provides – has passed. The enthusiasm and novelty of back-to-school energy has faded in the rear view mirror. The days are dreary and monotonous and without fail I start questioning my decision …
December in our homeschool
Our homeschool in December was dominated by one thing: The Nutcracker. It is (I now know…) a tremendous commitment for a young child to participate in a professional ballet production. My nine-year-old was in Oregon Ballet Theater’s Alice in Wonderland back in February, so the Nutcracker was her second show, but this time around there …
November in our homeschool
November was a good reminder of the gifts of homeschool, though it really didn’t feel like it at the time. We were hit with illness after illness in November and struggled to maintain our usual rhythm. I had to remind myself that it was a gift that we were home. Because we are home we …