One of the lessons that took me the longest to learn when seeking to simplify my life was to limit the emotional drainers. For far too long I allowed myself to be emotionally drained by things and people that were not really beneficial and did nothing to make my life more simple, joyful, or peaceful. …
I can’t remember how I found this, but it was one of the most insightful tidbits I’ve read in quite some time. It has to do with introverts and how they integrate (or not) into a local church body. Introvert Involvement In Church A review in Christianity Today highlighted this part of the book Introverts …
Growing up I was a voracious reader. But as I’ve admitted elsewhere, I’m not in any danger of being labeled a literary snob. I’m not much into reading all the classics that everyone says you have to read. Frankly, I read for two reasons. One, I want to learn something about a particular topic. Two, …
A friend wrote to ask my opinion about a situation she is facing with her oldest child regarding enrolling in young 5’s or kindergarten. I suggested I post her note here and solicit the insight and wisdom from other parents who have already walked this path. She writes: We have applied for several charter schools …
Today David and I are celebrating our thirteenth anniversary. Two people who met online and married in eight months. We’ve done very well considering our (at that time) very unorthodox beginning. But God’s hand was on us and continues to this day. It is only by God’s grace that we have what we have. As …
I’ve been finding interesting reading that has helped me think about the preschool question. My gut tells me not to send Caroline to preschool, but I am also trying to be open to God leading in another direction. She belongs to Him and He has plans for her. So I’ve been talking, reading, researching, and …
Caroline received The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (The Friendship Edition) for Christmas from my parents and it is all the rage right now. It’s long (74 minutes) so we only let her watch it once a day, but I think she would watch it a couple of times a day if we would …
I can officially call LeapFrog Letter Factory a big hit with Caroline. Now that I know she likes it, I’ll look into the other related ones as well. Thanks very much for the recommendations! I’ll be checking out some of the others soon! I also purchased the Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder today. We already …
I wanted to find some fun hands-on ways for Caroline to interact with counting numbers. I found some ideas on a few different websites and adapted them for our use. Hands-on Counting Numbers This activity was super easy to make! The flowers are from my scrapbooking stash. I wrote on them and the white strip …
One of Caroline’s favorite activities at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is the indoor sandbox. So far we haven’t purchased an outside sandbox for her, but we may look into that next spring. In the meantime, I wanted to come up with a way she could enjoy an indoor sandbox over the winter since she …
Yesterday I shared a bit about what I am doing with Caroline at home regarding learning. Today I want to ask a question. I’m sure I’m not the only one facing this. What do you do with a child who won’t play by herself and is bored with something within five minutes? I was sharing …
Several days ago Kat left a comment asking if I would share how I organize Caroline’s day, what we are doing with her learning, etc. So, for what it is worth, here is where we are right now with Caroline as a three year old. And this is honesty at its finest. I am motivated. …
