I began researching colleges last year, when my daughter began her Freshman year of homeschooling high school. Does that sound a bit early? I feel that the more I know about college requirements for homeschooled students, the more effectively I can prepare my daughter for the admissions process. I think as a homeschool parent, it’s essential to know all the options available. […]
So, Can You Get Me a Cadaver?
Like most parents, I love to hear my kids think big. I do whatever I can to help them reach their goals. But sometimes, I can’t make their dreams a reality. In the past week, my daughter has asked for a few things. She’d like to learn to fight like Michonne. Yeah, me too. This has […]
Little High, Little Low {The Trials of a Sugar Addict}
The following post is a flashback, written shortly after I was diagnosed with Lyme and put on a restricted diet. Years later, I’m still on it. I’m still dealing with Lyme. A true addict, I’m still craving the sweet stuff. A few things are essential to my happy survival. They are faith, hope, love and until […]
Zen and the Art of Shoveling Snow
Here where hell has frozen over in New England, we’re accustomed to long snowy winters. We have a plan to deal with all the snow that falls. We have our ways of staying warm and (slightly)cheery through the dark winter months, like chili, warm fires and Irish coffee (or so I hear). New England even […]
Fresh Eyes on Autumn
I saw the world with fresh eyes this morning. Everywhere my gaze landed glistened with a sprinkle of snow, the first of the season. Instead of dreading winter and complaining (as I typically do), I enjoyed it a little. I enjoyed it because all day long, as we drove her sisters from place to place, […]
Blurred Around the Edges
I’d love to paint you a clear picture of where I’ve been or what we’ve been doing these past couple of months. Can I simply say it’s complicated? Maybe we’ve been busy? We’ve been doing the things we always do, but for the past few months, I’ve been without words. It’s a rare and strange […]
My Tween Needs Yoga {and so do I}
It’s 4:30 on a beautiful summer afternoon. My 10 year-old just had a mini-melt down. She couldn’t find the DVD she desperately wanted. You’ve been there, right? They get something in their mind and they must see it RIGHT NOW? Well, she wasn’t looking for Frozen (thank God, I might hurt someone). She was searching […]
Discussing Body Image and Marilyn, On Her Birthday
If I told you that I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about how my daughters feel when they look in the mirror, it would be an understatement. If I told you that I can now, at 42, look in the mirror and see beauty looking back at me, it would be a lie. […]
Learning to Shine
I know, I know. You’re sick of me writing about my kids performing. You’re tired of watching me grapple with the stage-mother within. Still, I have two things to say. 1. This is the face of victory. The director wanted her to own the stage as the Queen of Hearts in Alice: A New Musical. […]
Following Your Child’s Lead is Essential to Their Happiness {and yours}
It trips parents up. Often. We assume that we know what will make our kids happy – and they don’t. Occasionally, when introducing something new, we’re right. Last week, I took the girls to a local trampoline park knowing they would all love it. My youngest sat for 45 minutes insisting she wanted nothing to […]
Seeing Wicked in a Blizzard
If you live anywhere in the U.S., you can probably relate to the headache (and backache) caused by recent weather events. SoCal friends: stop bragging about your sunshine! In case you didn’t get buried in it, a huge storm hit the New York area late Wednesday night and stretched through Friday morning. As fate would […]
Smiling Yoga {with Cats}
It’s been 29 days since we began practicing yoga daily at our house. The girls love it. The cats do too. For me, it has been nothing short of astounding. I swear, I’m not exaggerating one little bit. I’ll get to that in a minute… Daily yoga was not a New Year’s Resolution. It started […]
Fashion, Cats and Lyme – The Week in Chaos
Let me start by saying…I feel like my mind trapped in a thick fog. This makes writing in complete sentences a challenge. I spend a fair amount of my time trying to determine if I’m suffering from a Lyme relapse or if I’m, you know, just getting old. Then I forget from day to day […]
Put Down the Phone and Listen
What are your children trying to tell you? While I was drinking coffee and tuning out all the noise around me by escaping into my iPhone, I came across a video. Now I have to get up on my soapbox (placed squarely in front of my mirror) and rant a little. First, watch the video: […]
Building Communication and Team Work Skills in Minecraft
My kids love to share what they have created on Minecraft. They love to talk about what they are working on, get their sister’s opinion, and help each other with new and challenging projects. To wrap up my 10 Days of Learning with Minecraft Series, I’d like to talk about the social and collaborative learning […]
Building with Redstone: Minecraft Engineering
Building with redstone is an advanced concept in Minecraft. After mining redstone underground, the dust can be used to create wires that carry power. This enables players to build a wide range of machines and powered structures, from gates and trap doors to elevators and pressure plates. Building and designing machines requires a solid understanding […]
The Wonders of the World – A Minecraft Study
This is day 8 of my homeschooling with Minecraft series. To catch up on previous topics including math, reading, science and even Shakespeare, see 10 Days of Learning with Minecraft. Have you explored the Wonders of the World with your child yet? This is a fun way to bring a little history and architecture to […]
Exploring Science with Minecraft
Physics, geology and engineering. Earth science and agriculture. The list of science topics that can be explored using Minecraft is long and filled with possibilities. In this post you’ll find a ideas and resources to help you get started. Follow your child’s interest whenever possible and let them run with it! Provide opportunities for them […]
Learning Shakespeare with Minecraft?
I know what you’re thinking. “She’s really lost it now. How can kids learn about Shakespeare while playing Minecraft?” I haven’t lost it. At least I hope not! In case you are new here, I’m raising a few actresses at our house. We’re currently learning about Shakespeare for a possible upcoming performance. Why not extend […]
Resources for Teaching Math with Minecraft
Don’t tell my kids, but Minecraft is a mathematical game. If you have any doubts, a quick glance will confirm this. The game can help develop or deepen a child’s spacial awareness and skills. Building and creating with Minecraft requires a solid grasp of symmetry. The game is educational for these reasons alone, but you […]
