raising rileys

a homeschool life conversation with brandi mcintosh

With some difficulty (not a morning person) I rise around 7 each morning and get started on breakfast. This morning Ellie surprised me with eggs ready. She's my early bird and frequently helps in this way, knowing how much it helps her morning zombie of a mama out. (Mamas of young children - easier days - they are coming)! By the time breakfast is ready, the younger kids are up and Gavin (15) joins us with a little help. ;) We've all agreed we prefer to get going somewhat early so that we can move through our day at an unhurried pace and have time for what matters.

mothering is a joy

We are getting ready to head out of town, but I wanted to briefly share about the United Nations CSW (Commission on the Status of Women) conference, documents are being produced that refer to children as “burdens;” with the expressed desire to have the efforts (unpaid care and domestic work) usually performed by mothers “reduced and redistributed” to “national care systems” (the government). Please see the link here. This cannot be! I wish I were able to hug mothers everywhere who struggle, because the truth is, it's hard work! But I cannot think of a greater work that I could be doing. It makes me cringe to hear children referred to as "burdens," and I want to stand up and shout in support of home and family!

i stand for life

On Saturday, January 21st large groups of women wearing pink caps marched in Washington DC and in other cities across the world. The women held signs saying “equality,” “human rights,” “defend dignity,” “women are people,” and the ever-popular catch phrase: “Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” Despite these inspiring slogans, since day one, the Women’s March on Washington’s purpose was to advocate for abortion. These aren’t my words, one of the march’s organizers said “If you want to come to the march you are coming with the understanding that you respect a woman’s right to choose.” The fact of the matter is that this demonstration was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the abortion movement.

a homeschool life conversation with kimberly lowry

Hi, I feel honored that Elizabeth asked me to talk about how I homeschool. My name is Kimberly. I grew up in a little town in south-east Idaho. I have 7 children. My oldest daughter is 20 and is a sophomore in college. I then have 2 boys ages 17 and 15. Next, 3 girls ages 11, 10, and 8, and finally a boy age 3. We live in Fairbanks, Alaska and although we spend most of the year freezing, Alaska is a great place to raise kids. I homeschool all of my children, and have since my oldest was in 3rd grade.

a day at the museum and some thoughts on trust

The more comfortable I grow into my role as a homeschool mom, the richer the experience is for our family. I think it's because the I am learning to trust myself! Maybe that sounds strange, but learning to trust yourself is a huge component in successful homeschooling, When you learn to trust yourself as your child's educator, you are less concerned with measuring what you're doing against what you think someone or something else expects of you (isn't that a silly way to live anyway?). And you are more in tune--more intuitive in helping your children progress and reach his or her potential at any given time. Learning to trust yourself can't help but extend also to the child. I believe that children can feel it when we trust them--by that I mean that they can feel that we have confidence in them. We are "in tune" with where they are--and respectful of their individuality and recognize the greatness within them. And that helps them develop the confidence to soar. Pretty amazing stuff!

Motherhood, HomeschoolElizabeth RileyDecember 20, 2016Homeschool, Homeschooling, Homeschoolmama, Field trip Comments

a homeschool life conversation with heather robison

Hello Friends. We are the Robisons. My name is Heather, and the incredible man I'm married to is Jordan. We have 5 crazy, energetic, and happy kids. Brayden is 10, Corbyn is 8, Gabryella is 7, Jordy is 5, and Quinton is 2 1/5. Our life consists of lots of laughter, wild adventures, learning at home, service to others, a bit of craziness, and lots of love. My husband and I were both raised in the Salt Lake Valley area. After being married for about 2 years, we moved to a super small town named Roosevelt. We lived there for 7 years and moved to an even smaller town named Bluebell. Incredibly charming in an amazing community with loving people. We have been living in this town for almost 3 years. We are in love with having lots of space to explore and having farm animals.