Emily
Intentional Motherhood
This word is rather trendy right now so I apologize if you are sick of hearing it, but I also kind of love it. Amazon-the-all-knowing is...
top of page
Homeschool
Chronicling our life of learning together at home ~ from 2018 until the present
Emily
Oct 28, 20237 min read
Sing For the Light
Have you ever felt a pull inside of you that says something along the lines of, "This is meaningful; this is good; you/your children must...
Emily
Sep 24, 20238 min read
When Kids Love to Read
It's been four weeks since we started back to school, and I feel like we are finally getting the hang of our schedule! And by "we," I am...
Emily
Aug 19, 20238 min read
Planning for a New School Year
I have never been so late in planning for the coming school year. During our first couple years, I was so excited for the next school...
Emily
May 26, 20237 min read
Just An Ordinary Homeschool
I recently listened to an episode of the Read Aloud Revival podcast (which is one of my favorites, highly recommended) and Sarah...
Emily
May 14, 20239 min read
2022-2023 School Year Summary (4th, 2nd, 1st, and preschool)
Our school year is almost/basically/pretty much/maybe finished. I told the children that sometime next week will be our Official Last Day...
Emily
Apr 3, 20234 min read
Classical Conversations Year 2 + Book List
The year has flown by, as they tend to do, and we have only two weeks left of our second year in Classical Conversations. Last spring I...
Emily
Mar 17, 20235 min read
To My Son
Ten years have passed since I first heard your cry and held you in my arms. You are so tall now that I sometimes forget you were small...
Emily
Mar 3, 20235 min read
Spring Update
Snow still covers the ground and most of our temperatures are below freezing but I feel hints of spring in the air and I know it will be...
Emily
Jan 26, 20237 min read
Looking Back ~ Looking Ahead
This may be a bit late, but as it's still January I would argue that it is still the season for reflecting and planning and resolving and...
Emily
Dec 21, 20228 min read
Different
My son is different. You probably can't tell just by looking at him, but he always has been. We've wondered, guessed, suspected for quite...
Emily
Nov 29, 20225 min read
Homeschooling in the Holidays
It never fails: every November, at the end of the month, I feel the itch to loosen our school schedule (which is already fairly loose to...
Emily
Oct 27, 20226 min read
To Number Our Days
The weather has changed, and fall is here in all its glory! One of the many reasons I love this season is that the public schoolers are...
Emily
Sep 30, 20225 min read
I Can't Be a Good Parent, and Neither Can You...
... and that's a good thing. Truly. If you are alive on this planet in 2022, you've probably heard the lie that YOU ARE ENOUGH.* Let me...
Emily
Aug 25, 20227 min read
Back to Homeschool 2022!
I was hoping to end the summer with a bang, packing in lots of fun adventures and organizing the whole house before embarking on this new...
Emily
Aug 11, 20225 min read
You Probably Shouldn't Have Kids
Never mind the fact that I have five. I've been thinking about this topic and have come to the conclusion that there are many good...
Emily
Jul 20, 20229 min read
I Am Not a Classical Homeschooler
It's a funny thing to say, considering that we will soon be embarking on our second year of Classical Conversations, and I will be a...
Emily
Jun 20, 202210 min read
Homeschool Tips From Leonardo Da Vinci & Curious George
I recently finished reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Leonardo Da Vinci and it was wonderful. Well-written biographies are gripping...
Emily
May 30, 20225 min read
May in Review
It's been a blur of a month, and somehow we're at the end of it already! Two birthdays in our house, a visit from my dear mother, an...
Emily
Apr 30, 20227 min read
2021-2022 School Year in Review! (3rd Grade, 1st Grade and Kindergarten)
Another school year is (almost) in the books! Phew. We've got two more weeks left in which to wind down our last few subjects before we...
Emily
Apr 8, 20225 min read
A Half Birthday and a Spring Update
Baby Brother is six months old this week! He is alert and smiley and loves to laugh at his siblings and try new foods and he takes a...
Emily
Mar 12, 20229 min read
Classical Conversations Year 1
One of the perks of living in a big city is that there are many opportunities available to homeschoolers. For some time now I have been...
Emily
Feb 16, 20226 min read
Servants and Helpers: In Action
I chose this blog title because we want to teach our children the importance of serving others, and (more importantly) model that mindset...
Emily
Jan 22, 20226 min read
Homeschool Goals for 2022
New Year's resolutions may have a negative connotation, but I still enjoy the practice of setting aside some time to think about the...
Emily
Dec 5, 20214 min read
December 2021 Update
One of my favorite months of the year, December, is here! We've started our advent calendar countdown, we recently finished our last...
Emily
Oct 29, 20213 min read
Five!
He's here! Littlest Brother arrived at the beginning of the month and we are so glad he is finally in our arms. I have pictures to share...
Emily
Sep 24, 20213 min read
Freedom to be Flexible
Hello, Friday! It's been a long week, and by some standards, a bad one on the homeschool front. I spent Monday in bed, struggling with...
Emily
Aug 29, 20215 min read
Doing Good Things Badly
I recently found a quote which I am embracing as my mantra for this current season of life. This is the fun stage of pregnancy where...
Emily
Aug 5, 20214 min read
Back to (home)school 2021
We dove back into our homeschool routine this week! Hooray! Actually, lest you are visualizing a graceful Olympic-worthy dive, let me...
Emily
Jul 15, 20216 min read
Ideas for Teaching Geography
Don't let this title fool you - I have actually "taught" my children very little geography, in the traditional sense of the word. Big...
Emily
Jun 15, 20217 min read
Tests and Grades... Do We Really Need Them?
I recently noticed that the various books and curriculum we've chosen do not include tests. Our math program will have an occasional...
Emily
May 4, 20214 min read
2020-2021 School Year Summary (2nd Grade, Kindergarten, and 4K)
I'm not quite sure where we are on a "normal school calendar," but the weather is telling me it's time for us to be done. As spring warms...
Emily
Apr 13, 20213 min read
Summer Plans - 2021
We have now finished reading our science and history for the year and are hoping to wind up most other subjects within a month. Wisconsin...
Emily
Apr 5, 20214 min read
Evaluating Daily Success
I've already written about how I'm a lazy homeschooler. And also how we don't make daily plans of how much we will get done each day. I...
Emily
Mar 18, 20217 min read
Why Homeschool?
I can see the end of this school year in the distance, beckoning us onward with encouraging visions of warm weather and outdoor...
Emily
Mar 10, 20212 min read
Finding Homeschool Inspiration
One of the blessings of homeschooling in 2021 is that many, many people have walked this road before us and we can learn from their...
Emily
Feb 28, 20215 min read
How We Use Our Phonics Curriculum
We've tried many different programs and books since starting our homeschool life 2.5 years ago, and some we have liked while others have...
Emily
Jan 6, 20215 min read
Catching a Break at Home
Here in Wisconsin we are settling into the heart of winter, with many months of cold weather still to go. Some days are too cold to send...
Emily
Dec 15, 20205 min read
Homeschool Reflections ~ 2020
December continues to march along quietly, and we've had two weeks of low-key cozy-schooling already. We've sung songs, wrapped presents,...
Emily
Dec 4, 20203 min read
December Update
Well. It's been an eventful month-and-a-half since my October update, and I'm reminded again that it's good to be consistent and work...
Emily
Oct 28, 20201 min read
How to Homeschool when Mom has Covid: a Detailed Step-by-Step Tutorial based on Personal Experience
Open your school books and carefully examine the next lesson. Close the books and go lie down in your bed. Tell yourself that you'll try...
Emily
Sep 25, 20204 min read
Lazy Homeschooling
This is a sneaky method of education and I almost feel like a Homeschool Ninja when I see it happening in my home. You could also call it...
Emily
Aug 13, 20202 min read
Curriculum Choices for Fall 2020
So far in our short homeschool career it's worked better for me to plan from behind - writing down what we accomplish AFTER it's...
Emily
Jul 30, 20202 min read
Play Is Work: Riddles to Guess
I was observing my children yesterday and thinking again about all the learning that happens while they "play." If you're skeptical of...
Emily
Jul 23, 20204 min read
Choosing a Curriculum + Keeping Your Sanity (Part 2)
You can find the first four steps of my planning process here! At this point I now have a list of topics I would like to cover for each...
Emily
Jul 14, 20204 min read
Choosing a Curriculum + Keeping Your Sanity (Part 1)
As I wrote here, this can be hard! Too many choices plus uncertainty about what you want equals STRESS. We are about to embark on our...
Emily
Jul 7, 20202 min read
Favorite Homeschool Books
Planning a homeschool year can be very overwhelming. There are - quite literally - a million and one resources and curriculum available,...
Emily
Jun 23, 20201 min read
Pond Life
Charlotte Mason recommends returning to the same nature spot over and over again, and just recently I've begun to see the wisdom in this...
Emily
Jun 22, 20203 min read
Interest-Based Learning
I've never been a huge fan of unschooling but if all my kids were like my oldest I just might be converted. We affectionately call him...
Emily
Apr 23, 20209 min read
2019-2020 School Year Summary (1st Grade & 4K)
You know there's a pandemic going on because this is my third post in a month. Ha! Suddenly we've all got a little (or a lot of) extra...
bottom of page