I am always looking for new or different gift ideas for my kids. I love a good gift list. Seriously, I read every one of them; it is a problem! I wanted to make a list of toys that my kids love and that have held up well over time. The majority of the toys on …
The change in season means it is time to update my stash of kid supplies in the car — a stash for the inevitable kid emergencies, like my 2-year-old jumping in a puddle and ending up completely wet in the middle of winter. Every fall and spring I switch out a bin of clothing to make sure …
Self-control is hard. Seriously hard. It is hard for me so I can only imagine how hard it is for my kids. My 5-year-old struggles with self-control more than the rest of my kids so I have worked to find ways to make it more tangible for him. I want to give him tools that will …
I was scrolling through my blog feed reader and I noticed I was marking more as “read” than I was actually “reading.” I subscribe to a lot of blogs; many of them are homeschooling blogs. They have good content written by people who are teaching their kids well. But I have found that reading them …
While on vacation a year ago, the ultimate showdown occurred over a few bites of a casserole my mom made. Our then 5-year-old daughter refused to try it, even though she had eaten it before and liked it. My husband pulled aside 5 bites and said she needed to eat it. What happened next was a …
I have a planner problem. I love them. I want them all. I have had an absurd number of planners in my life. They are so pretty and fun. Every time I purchase a planner, I think it will change my life. Every time I purchase a planner it ends up in a drawer somewhere after a …
This afternoon Judah hurt Levi’s feelings and then laughed about it. I snapped. I lectured and ranted. Instead of dealing with it and then letting it go, I imploded. Seriously, we are talking about a 4- and 5-year-old, and their crazy mother. It ended with me apologizing and talking about how I make bad choices, too. …
I already mentioned that last week was our week off from school; it turned out to be a great change of pace. As the week went on, I noticed I was still so busy that I couldn’t really relax. Sure, the kids were enjoying their time off, but I didn’t take a break. On Thursday, I decided if I didn’t intentionally take …
Did you know you can make mashed potatoes in a crock pot?! Maybe I am just behind on the times — and everyone already does this — but if I am not the only one, I want to share this. Crock-pot mashed potatoes are a very convenient dinner dish I can get ready with only a few minutes of …
It always amazes me how much my kids learn from different apps. Sometimes I use them during our school time to occupy the younger kids or during a doctor’s appointment when I have to take all the kids along with me. Below are some of the apps we are using. Feel free to comment and let me know your favorite …