I was asked recently why my boys seem to be more mature than many other kids their ages who were not homeschooled. I had my own thoughts about this, but decided to get feedback from my youngest son. He pondered the question for a moment and then replied, “Because [...]
I almost always need to Adapt to some unforeseen circumstances and Adjust my plans! This is an important part of my homeschooling philosophy — to embrace the necessity for adaptation. After I have prayerfully formed my plan for the day by selecting certain experiences/activities, I often need to be [...]
Experience is the stuff all our days are made of — all the moments with and without shoes that decorate the fabric of time. Likewise, the E. in my P.E.A.R.L.S. homeschooling philosophy is really EVERYTHING that makes up our lives and provides the raw material for us to be [...]
“Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive–it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, [...]
The end of a homeschooling academic year gives us a wonderful opportunity to zoom out — to look at the big picture of growth and accomplishments and celebrate the good that we have done. Sometimes, though, it is too easy to focus on what hasn’t been done — the [...]
What does it mean to be made in the image of God? In reflecting on this idea, I have always connected the idea of having a soul as being made in His Image. But something Father Francis said today in his homily made me think about this in a [...]
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. “ I Corinthians 13:13 “As the queen bee never goes out into the fields without being surrounded by all her little subjects, so charity, the queen of virtues, never enters the heart without bringing [...]
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) That is how it all began and that is how we all began. Each one of us as a unique creation of God! Psalm 139 says this so beautifully: “For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in [...]
“I just wanted to tell you that you guys are one of the only families who haven't used electronic media the whole time you were here. You look like you really enjoy each other!” The compliment came from a waitress at Pasqual’s, a popular restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we [...]
We pray our Family Rosary most often in the evenings at home, before bed-time for our youngest. We also set a specific time for our Rosary (usually 8pm — but that can fluctuate quite a bit!). Most of the time, praying our Family Rosary is a wonderfully soothing meditation for us, but [...]