Centennial Park fountain in Dunnville, Ontario This particular frieze was her favourite. Because it's a girl. Because it's a canoe. Because it reminds her of herself. It reminds me of her too, but also of E. Pauline Johnson, one of my favourite Canadian poets. As we looked at the sculpted panel, I told my daughter … Continue reading The Best Kind of Learning
It's officially summer break (with the exception of some leftover math and spelling lessons), and I'll soon be sitting down to schedule and plan curriculum for the fall. I already have most of what we'll need for next year, which is a wonderful feeling. Since I love reading about other people's curriculum choices, I thought … Continue reading Our 2019-2020 Homeschool Curriculum Choices for Grades 3 and 4
Winter. When the temperature drops and the icy wind howls, there is nothing cozier than snuggling up under a blanket with your children and reading stories together. Add in some candles or twinkle lights? Gezellig! I usually start our day with picture books and read-alouds, and we all treasure these sweet times together. Especially when … Continue reading 100+ Winter and Holiday Themed Storybooks to Read to Your Child
My daughter discovered the cure for asthma last year. It had been hidden away for almost a hundred years we're guessing, tucked inside the yellowed pages of an old book. The book, reeking of mildew, was laying on a dusty shelf in the corner of a creaky barn in rural Western Ontario. The owners … Continue reading Wolf Pups, the Cure for Asthma and Other Spontaneous Adventures
Every morning, my girls and I sit down together and read stories. Like any home educator, there's usually a huge pile of seasonal literature on hold for me at the library (and an equally huge amount of late fines that I need to pay!). With each new season that passes, we discover more amazing books … Continue reading 100+ Autumn-Themed Storybooks to Read to Your Child
They were so little. The youngest just a toddler. It was the last day of our homeschool co-op, and I promised the girls that if they were ready early enough, I would take them to the coffee shop beforehand for a special treat. They were so little. Yet they got neatly dressed in record time, the … Continue reading The Stranger in the Coffee Shop
The mid-summer heat is almost unbearable, yet I hesitate to turn on the air conditioning. Fans hum in unison with cicada songs drifting through open windows. I've just come in from inspecting the gardens, which are in a sad state. Despite my best efforts, most of the vegetables have been dug up by a marauding … Continue reading Each Day Special: Finding the Sacred in the Common
Ah, that new book smell. As I was opening boxes a few months ago, I breathed it in and smiled. When I was a child, I loved September. I loved it because September meant new textbooks, new readers and new notebooks—September was full of new book smell. As a home educator, I get to experience … Continue reading Our 2018-2019 Homeschool Picks: Grade 3
It’s almost autumn. The mid-afternoon sun is hot, and in the orchard, sleepy cows rest in the shade of an apple tree. Although the tree is old and gnarled, its leaves are still green and plump fruit hangs red. Near the fence, thistles are bursting with wisps of seed waiting to be caught in the … Continue reading (Almost) Autumn Hikes and Room to Breathe
“Older women … are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:3-5, NIV) I feel it acutely. There’s my mom, of course. She is an … Continue reading To the moms whose kids are grown…
