I wanted to share what we're using, and some things that have helped me settle into our first and now second years homeschooling! (read last year's post HERE) I am really loving the comfort this year has brought. It feels good to be back to our routine and a little more settled into this lifestyle. Preparation To prepare for the year, I read through Raising Godly Tomatoes again on tomato staking. The act of holding your little ones close to you rather than away in time-out as a discipline. I hesitate to recommend the book because the style of parenting displayed is vastly different than mine, but the idea of tomato staking as a lifestyle has really stuck with me through the years. When one of my children is acting up, they stay ...
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We painted our house | One Year Later | exterior renovation
I can hardly believe it's been a year since we started our exterior renovation.. starting with painting our house white. I have had so many overwhelming moments this summer of days I hoped we'd have here last year. It's such a neat thing to watch an idea come to life, and for me, this is especially fulfilling in house projects because it enhances the way we live. This year's before and after feels a lot more "finished" than our first post last year. Along with adding shutters, we took out some overgrown bushes in the front, which opened it up a lot. I'm hoping by next spring we have even more pretty color lining our front flower beds... I'm a learning flower gardener, so cross your fingers for me! We've come a long way! Let ...
lessons from the island
Over the last several weeks, since we got home from Hawaii, I have been processing much wisdom I gained while we were there. Before Hawaii, I had been in the darkest depression of my entire life. I suffered my closest loss, and dealt with endless negative circumstances surrounding that loss. My life felt like it had a tangible darkness wrapped around it, blinding my eyes from seeing past my painful present, my heart from feeling anything but darkness, captivating my capabilities. The trip planning became a teensy speck of light, that grew brighter as we walked toward it. Our first evening in Oahu, we walked to secret beach to watch the sun set. As my little girls played on the sparkling shoreline, my two guys sharing a sweater ...
homeschool update : from the heart
I had originally planned to write more in real-time about our experience with homeschool. I learned quickly though, how close it felt to my heart, and how vulnerable I felt as I shared. It's delicate knowing which parts of my story to tell, the parts of mine which overlap with theirs. We've made it over half way through the year, and we've been on a journey, for sure. In the summer, we were just figuring all this stuff out. By fall, I felt in a world of my own. My friends settled into their public school routines, while my new homeschool friends were well into their own groups and schedules, leaving us with a lot of time together. (which I guess is the point, right?) All was going well, but for me, I had a wave of ...
girls shared bedroom reveal | family home interiors
I am finally finishing up the girls shared bedroom! When we first moved into this family home, we had the two big girls in one room, the two babies in the other room, and the large room for a guest/media room. However, the three girls were constantly wanting to have a "sleepover" in the guest room, so we decided to switch up how we were using our spaces. Let me tell you, I LOOOOOVE changing up rooms so I can utilize them better. This is such a better use of our space, and the girls love their new room. It accommodates all their things to be able to host friends and play in there, too. I for one love having this little bachelorette pad at the end of the hall. I wish I could move in! It's what sisterhood dreams are made ...
tidbits from the island
Harlo - loving the island. Stoked about homeschool, and is doing well finding facts about the island and keeping up with learning while we're here. She did say today she was missing home a bit, but we're now in the last week of our trip, and so I think that's pretty dang good. She's had a blast playing in the water and stepping out of her comfort zone all the time. Stella - Would send for her things and live here forever. The island fits so nicely on Stella. I think she may love it the most. She is always down for any adventure, whether it is hiking to a look off, diving in the waves of the ocean, or jetting around the neighborhood on the golf cart. She is so go-with-the-flow, and full of love, ...
