I have always been an avid reader.  My mom tells me that when she would send me to my room as a punishment I would gladly go.  She would find my nose buried in a Little House on the Prairie book or the Bible or some other book.  I also loved going to the library during the summer.  There were... »

Growing up on a working farm is a much different experience than growing up in a suburb or city.  As a child, I lived on a farm and for a period of time in the suburbs of Houston.  Depending on where I lived, I had different responsibilities. Some of my fondest memories were from my... »

I wrote last week about inspiring your children.  Well, sometimes adults need to be inspired, too.  We need to be encouraged by like-minded individuals and our spirits need to be refreshed.  Every year for the last five or six years I have left the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) State Convention and Family Conference in The Woodlands feeling renewed and... »

This month Lane and I went to Gruene, Texas with the adults in our extended family.  It was a beautiful and fun weekend.  We floated the Guadalupe River twice.  It was flowing fast.  Several of us joined the Guadalupe Swimming Team, including myself. Some were more sunburned than others.  Some had a few bruises and scrapes... »

I have a confession to make.  I am addicted to soft drinks.  In Texas we call them coke, regardless of the brand.  In Oklahoma, they call them pop.  My grandmother used to call them soda water.  It doesn't matter what you call them; I like to drink them even though I know how bad they are for me. Since high school,... »

Early last year as I read A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille, I was intrigued by the Seven Keys of Great Teaching.  One of the keys is "Inspire, Not Require," a phrase coined by Tiffany Earl.  The premise of this idea is that forcing someone to learn is a bad way to teach. There are many negative outcomes and attitudes... »

My daughter absolutely loves cucumbers.  She will eat an entire cucumber as a snack.  In fact all of my children love slices of raw cucumber, but not quite like Kyla.  You cannot always eat enough before they start going bad.  Our favorite way to preserve cucumbers is pickling them. In the past I have... »

We have been getting a lot of rain recently.  It began with the Hurricane Alex a week or so ago.  Even though the hurricane was a long way away, it dumped inches of heavy rain on us.  Now we are experiencing the typical afternoon thunderstorm during the hot days of... »

Every once in a while we find dead scorpions in our house when we sweep the floors.  Less often do we see one run across our floor in the late evening.  I do not like it at all. Scorpions give me the creeps.  I have always been afraid that one would... »

Some friends of ours generously gave us a couch and love seat set.  The colors and the floral pattern on the fabric looks great in our home.  The couch is very comfortable.  The set definitely looks better and feels better than the couch we used before. [caption id="attachment_1388" align="alignright" width="300" caption="This couch looked like the top cushion. Now the bottom... »

When I go to plan for the up-coming school year, I begin by reading books on education.  It helps me remember what things are important.  And, I begin by setting goals.  My goals will not be strictly related to "schooling" in every sense of the word, but will also include family goals, life skills I want my children to learn,... »

There is nothing better than the taste of a fresh, vine-ripened tomato.  Store-bought tomatoes do not even compare with those raised in your garden.  I love Roma tomatoes, the big traditional tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes.  They are all doing well in my garden this year, especially the Roma. We have... »

Our family had a great time at the 2010 Grimes County Fair.  It was the first time that our children completed and showed animal projects for the fair.  In addition to caring for the animals we raise here at home, the travel and stay at the fairgrounds consumed our week.  We were... »