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e love eating egg-in-a-hole for breakfast. It’s a simple yet tasty way to start the day. Recently, it was such a nice morning here in Florida, my son requested eating our breakfast outside on the back porch. I thought that was a great idea. I encouraged him to clear off the table outside and wipe it down so it was ready for our meal. He accomplished this task and added some candles to it.

It made me stop and appreciate that joy in the simple things, such as having breakfast outside, and making even that a special moment, is being passed on.

Another morning before hubby started work, we all ended up piled on the small couch in our daughter Ruby’s room. Tickles from Daddy always produce giggles and we all had this sense of rest and peace in just being there together.

Often, when it comes to homeschooling, I think we start focusing on academics more than anything else. I know I often slipped into that. We feel compelled to make sure we cover everything (Oh no, they might have gaps!) while keeping the house running smoothly. We even start labeling ourselves with different roles—wife, mom, teacher—and begin acting as if we are three different people.

And because of that, we make things harder than they need to be.

f you are new to the concept of notebooking as a way to homeschool, you probably have questions. Let’s look at some common questions about notebooking. I think you’ll agree, it’s an easy, flexible tool your children will love!

many of us find ourselves feeling guilty… that we’ve failed to be the homeschooling supermom we aspire to. We feel like we don’t have enough money, time, wisdom, or patience. We cannot tell you how many times we have sat at “Mom’s Night Out” events and heard or uttered the phrase, “I feel so guilty for _____________.” We put ourselves on trial and declare our guilt.

Let’s just ban that word from our vocabulary because to quote the Princess Bride, “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.” Most likely you have not knowingly committed a crime or offense or violated a law. We declare you “NOT GUILTY!”

What if we saw them all as equally important to our children’s education? What if we actually incorporated art into the academic?

It’s so easy to fall into a trap of making everything separate. Most of us grew up that way! But the beauty of homeschooling is this: we can show our kids the connections by how we choose to study the subjects.

remember a time when there was a predominant belief that going to college was the key to achieving the “American Dream.” We know better now. We’ve heard so many stories of young adults with undervalued degrees working in retail while there is a shortage of skilled labor in well-paying trade professions. The fact is, if we don’t help our teens develop a realistic plan to support themselves, they will face heartache and frustration when they are starting a life on their own.

asked my daughter to take a minute to grab all the trash from the car before she got out and then left her to it while I headed inside to see what the other kids had been up to while their sister and I were gone for a few hours. I’d left a list of schoolwork and chores. On some of these “appointment days” the fourteen and ten-year-olds crushed the to-dos, and on others, my house looked like a tornado hit while I was gone. Today was a tornado day…

Homeschooling is filled with seasons of highs, lows, and everything in between. As a homeschool mom, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to do it all every day and keep the house, kids, meals, and planning perfect in the process. The reality, though, is that no one can do all the things all the time. In the midst of lesson planning, extracurricular activities, household chores, and the myriad of responsibilities that come with being a parent—it’s crucial for homeschool moms to recognize that it’s okay not to do it all every single day. In fact, acknowledging this truth can be liberating and pave the way for a more fulfilling and sustainable homeschooling experience.

ife is busy here. Just got back from vacation, and I feel like we’ve had non-stop babies being born since the middle of summer. If you’re keeping track, we’ve had three grandbabies since July and one in the oven due in March.

It seems like only yesterday that we were the ones having babies, and now our babies are having babies. Actually it’s kind of fun watching them navigate the turbulent baby years. We just watch and smile knowing that they’re going to figure it out… just about the time they’re done having babies.

Back in the day, my rule-following wife was researching and reading what she could on how to do it all right. I remember one book that was all the rage at the time that stayed beside her chair called What to Expect When You’re Expecting.