Getting Started

Yep . . . ready for high school. And, middle school, here we come. I have seen many back-to-school photos on various blogs lately, and I wished I had started this tradition when my kids were all younger.  It’s a neat way to record their growth and officially mark the first day of each new […]

Our Schoolroom Gathering Place Our big table in the center of the room is the place where we can all gather to work on projects together, or to just be together while working independently. It’s kind of the home base. When the kids were younger, we did all our schoolwork at the table, but this […]

Schoolroom Play Space J-man decided he has outgrown his little kitchen, so we moved the train coffee table/train table to the corner, and it is currently the lego table. It’s perfect for setting up stop-motion animation sets, and the boys are currently filming J-man’s latest screenplay, “Fire Man,” about a super-hero who can shoot fire […]

I’ve been busy getting our schoolroom sorted out and ready for our official start to the new school year. We homeschool year-round, but sometime around August, we promote to the next grade. This year, I’ll have a high schooler and a middle schooler and an elementary schooler! It’s difficult to come to terms with that in […]

As the official calendar school year winds to a close, I try to purge, dust, organize, revamp, and refresh our schoolroom before we start school for the summer. Even though we start the “year” with good intentions, it seems like the busyness of our days tends to cause things to get stacked up or stashed here […]

Whew! Two conventions, two weekends in a row. We’re tired, but we came away from the experience feeling encouraged, motivated, and inspired with a bunch of catalogs to read and a few new materials to explore, plus enough pencils and pens to last for years! These were the first homeschool conventions we’ve ever attended, and we will […]

This year, my oldest is keeping his own lesson notebook, and it is divided into sections for science, history, writing/grammar/literature, vocabulary, and math. His notebook is similar to mine, but without all the extras I include. Staying Organized It’s not rocket science, but it makes staying organized much easier. I bought him a notebook with a […]

When we started homeschooling, I used pre-made lesson plan books, but over the years my system has evolved to simplify the record-keeping process for me. Homeschooling is more challenging in some ways with my kids’ grade levels spaced widely apart, but easier in that my oldest has become more independent. Since my oldest is transitioning to high school work, I have made […]

Welcome to our homeschool room! We have the luxury of a bonus room upstairs in our home, which has been designated as our homeschool room. After six years of homeschooling in our tiny old house, having to share the kitchen table for school and meals and store everything in the pantry, it is so nice […]

There is an interesting article on Pioneer Woman today about school hours. I find myself telling my kids all the time, “Remember, it’s school hours!” when we have to go out and about during the day. I’m always aware that some people wonder “why aren’t those kids in school?” when we are out during normal school hours. […]

My favorite thrift store finds for the schoolroom have added a fun and functional touch to our shelves. The globe was still in the box, complete with the light bulb, and IT WORKS! Scored for only six dollars. I also picked up the cool spinning display rack for only $3, and it’s the perfect size […]