Category: Homeschooling

Reflections on homeschooling techniques that worked well

Hypnotizing a Chicken

November 18, 2016

Have you ever hypnotized a chicken? I hadn’t either until we became urban poultry farmers.  Although I’ve hypnotized a few fowl in my day, it’s the kids who love it most!  There’s something entertaining about holding a soft, fluffy living thing in your hands, massaging it on the wishbone and then watching it blissfully melt … More Hypnotizing a Chicken

The Missing Mushrooms

October 22, 2016

We’ve been  looking for mushrooms for weeks!  No mushrooms!  Not good, since we’ve been trying to study them this semester. Talking with my young student a couple of weeks ago, we got on the topic of the missing mushrooms. “Could it be because of the drought?” I asked. He shrugged, “They need moistness.” “I guess … More The Missing Mushrooms

reading hour

Workbooks Anonymous

October 1, 2016

“Another workbook, Mom?”  I could already see that baked look on his face.  As I peered at my young student,  a rather cumbersome pile of consumable workbooks cast a shadow on his work space. Since I wasn’t able to honestly answer his question, I said to myself, “Yikes! He’s right. We have too many workbooks going!”  This September, like so … More Workbooks Anonymous

The Golden Hour

September 19, 2016

It dawned on me recently that we are in the golden hour!  So glad I noticed! In photography, the golden hour is that time right before the sunset, when the colors are rich and glorious.  It’s hard to mess up a photograph in the golden hour. Warm, saturated hues envelope your subject’s face and features making … More The Golden Hour

Easing in!

September 5, 2016

What does the first two weeks of school look like in our house?  It certainly isn’t typical! But, what is?  This year, we took the first couple of weeks to “ease” in.  With my oldest still at home getting ready for a late-August start to college, there were plenty of distractions. Plus, we made it … More Easing in!