Family backpacking is a team effort, and as we’ve taken more trips over the last few years, my husband and I have divided the backpacking planning duties. John is the lead planner. He conceptualizes the trip and does all the trip planning. He spends hours studying maps, reading about trails, watching backpacking videos on YouTube,…
Sending our oldest daughter to college and retiring from homeschooling this fall have elicited more sadness from my husband and me than we expected–even though this is a natural change and taking steps to become more independent is truly a good thing for our kids. Still we are grieving the passing of the stage in…
Is there some freewheeling watcher Shooting marbles in the sky? Holding your years between their fingers Watching it burn till the fire dies In her hauntingly beautiful new song, “Returning to Myself,” Brandi Carlisle sings about her love for her family, her sadness when she is forced to be alone, and her relief when she…
Last year I implemented a class catechism in my high school level British Literature class at our homeschool co-op. Like a traditional catechism used to teach the doctrines of Christianity in question and answer form, the class catechism is a series of questions and answers taken from the books we read throughout the year. This…
Deadly fights with monsters and dragons, gory details, lavish treasure hoards, legendary weapons, feats of heroic strength, feasting with friends, and luscious wordplay—what’s not to love about Beowulf? This fall the students in my British literature class read Beowulf and then wrote about life lessons for the 21st century from this thousand-year-old poem. They did…
(Choosing passages for a class catechism is like choosing from a box of yummy donuts!) Earlier this spring, I read Josh Gibbs’ book called Something They Will Not Forget: A Handbook for Classical Teachers. Gibbs describes a common and disheartening experience: realizing just how little you remember from a course you took recently or, for…
Despite the huge growth in homeschooling over the last few decades, something about opting out of school still feels a little bit odd or contrarian. Four years ago, when we were first considering homeschooling,* we were mostly motivated by a practical difficulty with transportation at our current school and a sense of curiosity: would the…
It’s the beginning of June, and we are setting our school books aside for a few months to enjoy a break from our regular routine. I’m looking forward to some slow mornings, working on my garden, taking the kids to the pool, and cleaning out a few cupboards and closets. It’s refreshing to clear my…
What could be cozier than a campfire? The glowing coals, the crackling wood, the bright flames, the floating sparks, and the moments of excitement when a child pokes the fire with a stick and knocks a burning log out of the fire ring all contribute to an experience that is both magical and primal. The…
Are you a little sad that Christmas is over? Me too. By the end of 2020, our whole world needed the joy and generosity of the Christmas season so badly, and 2021 still needs the hope of Christmas. I hope my neighbors keep their lights up well into February. Thanks, neighbors! In many Christian churches…