Homeschooling
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moreHow to Cultivate the Habit of Focus . . . . . in an Age of Distraction
On Wednesday, September 05 th, 2012The rest of us cracked open books here. A certain little someone walked around with posies of pink erasers on the end of slim yellow stems. We read about maple trees and conifers and the Canadian Shield and made the ivories sort of sound of mostly like Ode to Joy. When I turned a page and read about the ceremonies of native ...
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moreWhat Fills the Space after a Goodbye
On Tuesday, September 04 th, 2012He wasn’t yet a week when I changed his diaper in the front seat of that Ford Escort and he’d christened his father’s steering wheel with this stream of pale gold. The Farmer had muttered something about this boy of his being the death of him yet. I’d chuckled, tucked the falling hair behind the ear, ...
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moreHow to handle (parent) temper-tantrums
On Tuesday, August 21 st, 2012‘M y boys come in from the barn. I lay out bread. They banter, hard, the brother-scrape. One of the boys tosses in slices of bread for toast, careless. I set ...
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more10 Ways to be a Happier Mom
On Wednesday, August 15 th, 201210 Ways to be a Happier Mom 1. Life is not an emergency. Life’s a gift. Just. Slow. Down. 2. Now is not a...
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moreThe Very Best Way to Schedule Your Life {The Law of Life}
On Thursday, August 09 th, 2012I confess, it felt counter-intuitive—just plain wrong. Just plain, straight out wrong to bend over each strawberry plant, press the delicate white petals — and all subsequent hopes of fleshy scarlet sweet — press between thumb and index finger — and then just pluck it off. I had forced myself o...
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morehow the size of your house has nothing to do with the size of your life
On Tuesday, July 03 rd, 2012After such a week as last week, I’m feeling very small & hushed & I’ve slipped away to the woods with the Farmer & kids. Thank you for prayers last week, for grace as our family tucks away quiet for just a few days…and we’re delighted to invite you up to the front porch to share with some of the best writers on the Web — today, with a ...
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more1 Step Towards Raising Happier Kids…
On Thursday, June 21 st, 2012Dear Ann, This morning my 12 year old son told me he’s about to reach his four thousandth thankfulness journal entry. I bought One Thousand Gifts at the 2011 KWCHEA homeschooling conference and heard you speak there [about How to Raise Grateful Kids]. At the time, my son was preparin...
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moreA Perfect DIY Mother’s Day …………… {or “How to make Your Own R&R Day”}
On Saturday, May 12 th, 2012Because there are days when every mother – every woman – just needs to have her own perfect little DIY project: 1. Go for walk just anywhere quiet, ju...
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moreWhy We Honor You This Mother’s Day: Because You Really Mother Thousands
On Friday, May 11 th, 2012Because there’s something about the sound of opening up a bag of seeds in spring. Something about holding a promise right there in the palm of your hand. And the Farmer’s whole tilled field, she’s laid right open, expectant and waiting. The Farmer’s got his Wranglers on and he’s got his hands into those seeds all like pearls and the man’s ...
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moreThe Habit of a Mother Who Changes The World
On Tuesday, May 08 th, 2012Houses may be bought, built, or borrowed. But homes can only be made. And only with bits of ourselves. The kids and I sit together close in a house with dishes on the counter and read about painters and artists and look at a flock of ducks, preened and nestled, a painting, oil on canvas. The children press in close for a better look at the open book, at Alexander Koester...
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moreHow Everyone Can Be An Optimist
On Wednesday, May 02 nd, 2012My Grandma Barbara Ruth, she ever only saw a cup one way. Didn’t matter if the tea’d been poured out or if the sky’d tipped over or the tap was still running loud. Every cup she ever held or tipped back or drank from, they were all right empty as far as she was concerned. She’d been dying of old age since she was 42. Every picnic was bound to get rained ...
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moreTop Time Management Secrets to Know
On Thursday, April 19 th, 2012‘God gives us time. But who has time for God? This may not make any good sense. A we...
