Welcome back to 10 Days of Lasagna Learning: Teaching Multiple Ages. For over a dozen years we’ve turned to our habits as the ‘bones’ of our day. Our habits help us accomplish a basic school day and get food on the table. We leaned on one or two more heavily when all were age 10 [...]
I have an old hymnal – one passed down. I’m not sure how it came to be on my end table. But I’m sure glad it is there. I’ve always loved the old hymns. Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole… Like many, I was [...]
That was the question this week. How to get back into a routine after a couple weeks of sickness. The answer? A hodgepodge. A mixture of these: Lower expectations. Do just the basics. Then, fall back into your habits. Leave room for spontaneity. Lower Expectations I reminded myself it was ok. Really it was ok, to [...]
I thought it was about time for an update on the Hodgepodge workboxes! As with all aspects of homeschooling now and then, our workboxes needed a makeover. See, I was quite taken with workboxes about this time two years ago. I still, very much, appreciate their usefulness. When my friend Angie first introduced me to [...]
I feel like Pinterest is a party. See, I can breeze by all this visual inspiration and plan. I can scan through my Google Reader and pin ideas from posts. But Pinterest is a party because Pinterest is fun! Here’s how I use this virtual bulletin board. 1. Party Planning. Pinterest sure makes it easy [...]
Hold your hat – it’s a real Hodgepodge this week… Why did this girl deserve an Oreo McFlurry? Another ER visit. All because of a whiffle ball. But you won’t believe it. So I have to tell you. It was deserving of a whole ‘nother post. And was the biggest lesson we learned all week: [...]
Last October, the Human Resources department where I work scheduled a leadership conference. All of the managers and directors for the organization were required to attend. Most of the people I work with thought this would be a colossal waste of time. There was simply too much to do to spend two days away from the [...]
In the shower. While I’m driving. Late at night. At the crack of dawn. During afternoon quiet time. On a family walk. In batches on a Saturday morning. A Hodgepodge of writing? With a busy, homeschooling household there really are no long, quiet stretches of writing time. I have to carve them out. Or snatch [...]
What fun it is to…laugh! 1. Make Christmas cookies | 2. Get an early Christmas present – new washer and dryer! | 3. Go on a library trip then laugh over Diary of a Spider | 4. Make tents on a rainy day | 5. Catch Eldest Boy in the laundry room again | 6. [...]
In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. He only had one major hurdle to overcome — funding the project. He lay awake nights, worrying, thinking, [...]
We had so much fun making Christmas cookies this week! Continuing the habit of sharing a helpful habit on Fridays, today I’m answering a friend’s question: When do you plan for school and how long does it take? For several years now I have looked forward to annual planning and goal setting – on vacation [...]
A peaceful spot. The boys examining a slug while listening to the birds. Keep calm and count on. Encouragement posted above my coffee pot. You may remember, earlier in the week, I had a refocus? This has been the week for everything. Every possible event (and still going). But, they are each and every one [...]
