The Gift of Summer

High up in my tree, peering through the foliage, I surveyed my domain. I shifted slightly on my perch, satisfied that no one could spy my nest. An old pillow, wrapped around a stout branch and secured with bright pink yarn, afforded me a measure of luxury . It offered enough cushion to keep me comfortable for a time in my leafy hideaway. I opened my book and stepped into another world…

Creeping silently through the bamboo grove, exotic and foreign foliage in our tame Pacific Northwest neighborhood, I mimed a warning to my assistant, Joey. We were on an African adventure and I was certain I had seen a lion up ahead. How would we get past the wily beast without being eaten? We must find a way or we’d never get to the priceless treasure!

The 3 R’s for Homeschool Moms

I have been hearing some nasty rumors.  Whispers of foul deeds waft on the breeze to my ears.  Little birdies speak of happenings that simply should not be.  Plottings and plannings that have no place in the warmth of summer.  Spending your summer worrying over the next year’s homeschool schedule is just wrong ladies! Wrong, I tell you!

I know who you are.  Oh yes, my friends, I know exactly who among you are the guilty ones.  And while I may step on some toes, I feel compelled to take you back to school.  To remind you of:  The 3 R’s for Homeschool Moms.

How Being a Techno-Dummy Saved Summer and Helped Me See the Light

I hit the save button, feeling inordinately proud of myself. I was using a computer based curriculum for part of our homeschool this year and was trying to reset the automatic lesson plan that the program had generated. We had gotten busy and I had decided to let the kids take the day off. I had endured the mind-numbing tutorial on how to change the lesson plan so I was feeling downright tech-savvy on that day. However, when I went back to the weekly plan, my changes had not been implemented. I tried again. Fail. After several attempts, I gave up and told the kids that we would just have to make up the work until I could ask my techie friend what I was doing wrong. None of us wanted to live with the little red exclamation marks that were stark reminders that we were BEHIND.