Sorry for the blogging hiatus! I’ve been having extended family time and I’m also working on a project that I will announce sometime in the next few months. I love summer! It’s that time of year when you hear talk of back to school, especially if you live in AZ. Public school there started last week, and our homeschool once-a-week group starts today! Yikes, I’m not ready for all that! If any of you have been reading my blog for a time, you know how much I hate to see summer end. I am enjoying summer vacation in Utah, in between a bunch of mini, informal family reunions. I love this time!
My oldest child graduated from BYU-I a few weeks ago, along with my son-in-law. That was a bit of reunion to be there for that. We traveled with my mother-in-law, and my parents, brother and his wife attended as well. We also got to see my son-in-law’s family who are dear, delightful people. I also got to visit with my husband’s cousins which was fun. We did a temple session at the Rexburg Temple, which was wonderful.
Then I’ve been able to see dear friends, both new and old, on the down days when there hasn’t been stuff going on with my extended family. I got to get with my Veggie Gals girlfriends! Oh the joy! I love these ladies! Some of them were new to the group. It’s always great to find new kindred spirits.
We made some new friends at a reservoir where the kids spent over half the time moving this giant log so they could float on it. God orchestrated this event so I could meet someone there that I’ve been wanting to meet for a over a year. God truly does “order and provide”!
We actually had a wonderful formal reunion last week with my dad’s cousins. The hosting family had a giant inflatable water slide that gave the kids hours of joy. Then this week we have an informal reunion with a bunch of cousins, and next week we get to see more, with my daughter’s baby shower after she comes from Idaho and a cousin returning home from his LDS mission!
In celebration of #notbacktoschool for me and my family, I am posting some resources to ease into “back to school,” mode, in September, the proper time to start “school,” especially if you homeschool. Even then, I like most of the school work to be family work of preserving the harvest of gardens, reading, exploring nature, and other work of preparing home and yard for colder weather. This is hard to do when you live in AZ and you can harvest year round, LOL! I read aloud to the kids often through the year as they slice tomatoes for our food dryer. I like Diane Hopkins’ idea that formal schoolwork is easier done when it’s cold and blustery outside, what she calls “pencil weather.”
My explanation of organic education here.
#notbacktoschool, playing Coup card game at Grandma’s house, with (l to r), a 14 year old practice scholar, a 12 year old practice scholar, and a love of learner, age 8
(To understand the terms of scholar, and love of learner, read my organic education post. )
Sarah Mackenzie’s website, including her podcast and booklists. This is an amazing resource to help you help your kids fall in love with books, which is the best way to cultivate a lifelong love of learning.
This list of books for reluctant readers.
We toured BYU with the cousins as we have in the past few years and saw Grandpa in his office. He loves to research and teach and mentor, and his books and papers show it.
My list of “19 Things to Do When You Feel Stuck as a Homeschool Mom.” I had a few years when I felt so depressed when the new school year rolled around. This list shows how I dealt with that.
Videos on how to do homeschooling from the attitude of “teaching from rest” with Sarah Mackenzie.
At my parents’ hometown city celebration parade with cousins and bags to collect the candy tossed out. They were serious about getting as much as they could!
These science videos based on the Universal Model, which is true science.
How to get your homeschooling child into college. I wrote this blog post when the son pictured above started college. Now he has graduated and is off to a new job in Texas as an engineer. #homeschoolingworks, #lemiworks
We went to the Bean Museum at BYU with our cousins.
A year of living books to read as a DIY American History curriculum. If you teach LEMI’s Key of Liberty class, or have scholar phase kids taking it, these books can help make it more interesting.
My list of things to stop, things to keep, and things to start with homeschooling. It still applies to me for this new season.
The best books on history, government and politics for teenagers and adults.
Science videos with Steve Spangler.
Why I love the freedom of homeschooling.
We helped Grandma and Grandpa with dejunking and yard work. I call the week we helped Grandma an informal cousins’ camp. My daughter and her cousin organized the bag and gift wrap closet and decided to make shoes out of bags, lol.
New ideas to make homeschooling more fun and meaningful.
Economics resources for teens and adults.
A list of videos, podcasts, and books to fan your love of learning as a mom.
Assurance that your kids will thank you for homeschooling them someday! My married daughter and my missionary son have thanked me as well. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to do it. It has been so worth the sacrifice!
Happy homeschooling! It’s best to keep it simple by reading books, doing service, connecting with friends with weekly groups, and playing! Enjoy and don’t stress too much about checklists!
Tree of Life Mothering 