When I started this blog two years ago I started out by writing monthly journal entries about homeschool life. Last year, I switched to writing about specific blocks I was teaching my then fourth grader. Having looked back at old posts over the summer I’ve decided I like the monthly journal entry approach best. They …
Author: annieandfam
Back to school 2020
This is our fifth official year homeschooling (meaning, my oldest is in fifth grade … my kids have always been home …) and this year’s back to school vibe is unlike any other we have experienced. Normally back to school involves back to our lessons – yes – but also back to ballet and back …
Self-care during a pandemic
I have been reluctant to write about step three of Plan It Out because it’s about self care. What even is self care for mothers in this time of the Coronavirus pandemic? We are home with our children 24/7 and I know that for me, many of my self-care practices have gone out the window. …
Resources for a Waldorf-inspired Fifth Grade
I am right in the thick of figuring out the resources I will be using for my fifth grader this year. I’m sharing about resources (click here to see my resources planned for first grade) and honestly it’s all still a bit messy for fifth grade. For one thing, I am concerned about libraries being …
Resources for first grade (the second time around)
Hello! This week in Plan It Out we are talking about resources and rhythm, and I thought it would be fun to share about what resources I’m planning on using for my second child’s first grade. You can see last week’s post on our block plan for this coming year here. I’ll write about fifth …
Block plan for fifth and first grades
Hello there! We are really in the heart of summer now. My oldest daughter and I almost share a birthday, so when we celebrate the Fourth of July and then our 48-hour birthday, it always feels to me that we’re at the apex of that expansive, light-filled stretch of summer that I love so much. …
Rethinking summer
I haven’t written here in this space in several months. The Coronavirus quarantine has taken every ounce of my attention and effort. There are so many fourth grade homeschool posts I have swimming around in my head, but I find myself with very little alone time these days, and even less time to just think, …
How to spend all day at home with your children
As the novel coronavirus spreads, the United States has declared a national state of emergency today. Many parents are facing school closures and the reality of needing to spend the next couple weeks – at minimum – with children at home. I have received several texts from friends jokingly suggesting that they’ll drop their kids …
Embracing the quiet season
After what was definitely our busiest holiday season ever, I was congratulating myself for juggling all the things and pulling off a happy, connected Christmas for our family. Then, I caught the flu. We had driven to Central Oregon to attend a family Christmas party and the combination of being super burnt out, and coming …
Norse Myths
In January, my fourth grader and I spent the month on a Norse Myths block. Studying the Norse Myths is a traditional component of a Waldorf fourth grade, but I was completely unfamiliar with the stories myself. I am not using a curriculum this year, so I was quite intimidated teaching a block of stories …