Today, I enjoyed a calming activity with the kids—sketching and coloring flowers. 🌸 The flower activity was part of a science lesson for the kids to draw, color, and label a flower with pollen.
I turned on a jazz playlist to help us focus on our artwork, and as we were creating our sketches, it started to rain.
Perfect timing! 🌧☺️
We discussed shapes we could see in the image of the flower.
One shape that stood out to Zaya (5) and Zephaniah (8) was the middle of the flower reminded them of a hexagon.
So, together we sketched a hexagon shape onto our sketch pads.
Surprisingly, drawing a hexagon is not as easy as I thought it would be! It took me several tries to finally get the six sides connected to form the shape. 😆
Next, we discussed the vibrant yellow color of the pollen and its purpose. We also made connections to the flowers and vegetables growing in our garden.
There was something unexpectedly joyful sitting at the kitchen table with Zaya and Zephaniah, drawing and coloring together.
Keep in mind I am not an artist 😅.
However, the children told me they thought my purple flower looked amazing, and really, that’s all the recognition I needed. 🥰
We do something a little different from the traditional chores allowance. Instead, we give the kids a reading allowance. 📚🤑
Think 90s Book It!, but instead of a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut 🍕📚 (which I miss BTW! 🥹 #90sKid), they earn a little money when they fill up their reading logs.
And my kids LOVE doing this! 😁
I always take them to the stores where it’s easy to find fun things for under $10.
Places like Walmart, Five Below, Target, and Dollar Tree where a kid gets excited over novelty products, inexpensive art supplies, plushies, puzzles, slime, posters and unique gadgets. 🤩
You know the kind of stuff when you’re out grocery shopping and your kid picks up some random fuzzy pen that costs six bucks and asks if you can get it.
But you’re like, “Absolutely not! That fuzzy pen is $6! 😲 We’re here to just get some milk and bread, dude.” 😂😏
I found this fun sign when we went to Five Below. Lol 😹
But with their own money they can get any fuzzy pen or quirky doodad they want! 😆😉
Yeah, those are the kind of stores I take the kids to on their allowance payday. 🤩😂
They learn price comparison, estimating, paying tax, counting money to pay for purchases at stores, how to save their money…and bonus…social skills—how to interact with the cashiers and staff!
Zhen (13) and I have been reading a kid-friendly retelling of Hamlet. I found this great find at our local public library!
I thought reading Hamlet For Kids (by Lois Burdett) together would be a fun way to introduce Zhen to Shakespeare without overwhelming her with heavy Elizabethan English.
I found this kid-friendly retelling of Hamlet at the public library! 📚🤓
Today, we read the part of the drama when Hamlet sees his father’s ghost and the ghost tells him Claudius killed Hamlet’s father.
“What does prophetic soul mean?” Zhen asked after reading the passage.
I broke it down for her by asking her to think of what a prophet means and what they do.
I explained, “So, this is basically Hamlet’s poetic way of saying, ‘I knew it! I knew it was my Uncle Claudius!’ Hamlet was suspicious of his uncle, and now the ghost has confirmed those suspicions.”
“Ohhhh, so Claudius is sus!” Zhen exclaimed. 🤣
We both started laughing, and I said, “Well…yeah! I guess King Claudius is sus!”
Such a Gen Alpha way to explain Shakespeare! Haha 😄😎 But it made me happy Zhen made the connection!
A trip to the local greenhouse turned into a math discovery as my five year old excitedly ran over to the flower baskets and exclaimed, “Look, Mommy! Patterns!”
Zaya has been learning about patterns in math, so she was amazed to find beautiful patterns on all of the flower petals.
For our homeschool math, we use Math with Confidence and living math books we check out from the public library.
Zaya’s discovery got the attention of her big brother, and soon they were both checking each flower basket to see how many more patterns they could find.
It brought me so much joy to see the kids make a connection between math and nature. 😊🌻
Today, the kids took a homeschool nature science class on maple sugaring.
I was so excited I was able to get them registered for this class because last year’s spots filled up fast. It was a wonderful hands-on learning experience for the kids! 😊
Here are a few moments from today’s homeschool maple sugaring class.
The naturalist instructors walked the kids through the science behind how trees work, starting with photosynthesis and how trees use sunlight to make the sugars that eventually become sap.
I loved that the instructors also talked about the history of maple sugaring, tracing its roots from Indigenous traditions to its adoption by colonial settlers.
Zaya and I spotted a little snake while on the nature hike. She wasn’t afraid of it at all. She thought it was “so cute and cool.” 😄
The kids learned how tree sap is turned into syrup and used for some foods (like pancakes!), and that not all trees produce the kind of sap that can be turned into syrup.
The kids also learned how to identify different types of trees such as birch, maple, and oak trees.
They enjoyed collecting maple leaves while on our nature hike, and we brought a few leaves home with us. I’m going to add them to our homeschool scrapbook.
The class ended with a sweet treat for the kiddos—ice cream with maple syrup on top! 😋
The kids had so much at this maple sugaring class! We’re going to be spending the next few weeks learning more about trees.
Inspired by the class, I’ve started putting together a tree-themed unit study.
I already checked out a stack of books from the library about trees, and we plan to add in some nature drawing, nature hikes to observe different trees, and a few forest-school-style activities so the kids can learn directly from the outdoors.
Last week, we did a fun DIY craft for President’s Day based on the book What Presidents Are Made Of (2004) by author and illustrator Hanoch Piven.
It’s a creative nonfiction book for kids that shares playful and memorable facts about U.S. presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush.
In Piven’s whimsical portraits of the presidents, the artist uses everyday objects in the illustrations to reflect the personalities and traits of each leader.
The kids loved his mixed media collages so much that they thought it’d be fun to give it a try!
This President’s Day craft is super easy for kids to make. All you need is a print out photo of the president of your choosing and art scraps you have at home!
My kids had so much making their mixed media collages while I read the book to them. They used items such as old Starbucks gift cards for the upper body, tulle and sequin snowflakes for the hair, buttons for the eyes, and even Sourpatch Kids gummies for his shirt! 😂
Materials You’ll Need:
printout of a president (the kids chose George Washington)
glue
scissors
construction paper
pom poms
glitter
googly eyes
buttons
ribbons
any other art scraps you have at home!
For kids who love to draw, they can also draw an outline of a president and use paint, markers, or color pencils to color in the president’s face.
How We Made It!
I used our Canva account to print out a black and white illustration of George Washington, and then the kids cut it out and pasted the picture to construction paper.
Using glitter, googly eyes, old gift cards, sour gummies, and other fun art scraps we had in our supplies, the kids decorated their president craft.
This was such a playful way to explore presidential history together. The kids had fun creating their silly designs, and they liked reading the book, too.
I love when history feels both creative and memorable. 😊
Last week, when we went to the library, a kind man said something to me that made me pause and rethink how I see myself as an educator.
I was diligently searching for library books for our homeschooling studies—glasses on, checking my handwritten list of titles and call numbers, and pulling a wagon filled with stacks of books I had already thoughtfully selected.
A voice breaks my concentration while I am searching for alphabet-themed picture books for my five-year-old.
“You’re on a mission, huh?!”
I look up to see who is talking to me, and I see—who I assume to be a grandfather—an older man with his young granddaughter smiling at me.
I politely smile and say, “Oh…yes, I am!”
Then the man asks, “Are you a teacher?”
I apologetically reply, “Oh…no. I homeschool my kids.”
The man nods his head and says, “Ah.”
But after pausing… he turns back to me and says,
“So you ARE a teacher.”
I look up at his smiling face and chuckle. “Yes, you’re right. I am a teacher.”
Sometimes I don’t know why I still doubt myself and my talents. Of course, I am a teacher.
Not only do I have an extensive college education and a few years of experience in the public education field, but I have also been a home educator for over 12 years now.
I spend countless hours researching home education methods, learning materials, crafts, projects, field trips, community programs—you name it!
I’m always filling notebooks with notes on unit study ideas, school supply lists, book titles, learning objectives, and assessments.
I listen to podcasts, read homeschool articles (including legal info), and watch videos other home educators share.
And I am always at the public library checking out over 60 books at a time—with just one or two books for my own reading. Lol! 😂📚
I think I just got so used to people scoffing at me or saying something negative when they find out I homeschool my children. I’ll be honest—I’ve let some of that negativity get to me at times.
But this kind man simply saying, “So you ARE a teacher,” was the encouragement I needed that day.
It was a gentle reminder to myself I can feel proud of the quiet, steady work I’m doing with my children each day.
💜XO
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” — Mother Teresa
Lent begins tomorrow, starting with Ash Wednesday. We’re exploring five meaningful Lent books for kids that are gently guiding our family through this sacred season. 🙏🏽💜
We are also using these faith-based books as part of our homeschooling studies. This will give us an opportunity to reserve more time for deeper reflection and help us grow in understanding and devotion.
Here are a few kids’ books about Lent we’re readingthis season.
1. Child’s Guide to Mass by Sue Stanton (2000) — Understanding the Catholic Mass can be challenging for adults and children alike. So, I love how this picture book is written in a fun story format that will hold my kids’ attention and keep them engaged.
Sarah, the main character of the story, invites the reader to attend Mass with her. She explains every part of the Mass including the Introductory Rite, Penitential Rite, Liturgy of the Word, and Homily.
There are even questions throughout the story that invites children to find key terms and identify faith symbols in the illustrations.
2. I Believe: The Nicene Creedillustrated by Pauline Baynes (2003) — In this book, the late author and illustrator Pauline Baynes shows the beauty of the profession of faith in her remarkable illustrations of angels, Christ’s passion, animals, beasts, and celestial imagery.
It’s a lovely book to read for prayer time with the kids, as part of a homeschooling lesson, to take to church, or even as a bedtime story.
3. Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspirong Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage by Carey Wallace (2020) — This isn’t a book on Lent. However, we just started learning more about saints this month. So, we are going to include this book with our Lent studies.
Stories of the Saints features 70 saints such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Monica, Francis, Thomas Aquinas, Joan of Arc, and Moses the Strong.
The illustrations are beautiful and reminds me of graphic novel art style. I only wish the saints were featured chronologically in order according to their feast days.
4. Lenten Survival Guide for Kids by Peter Celano (2014) — I like how this Lenten guide explains to kids the meaning of Lent and how to practice it in a relatable and sometimes funny way.
This guide features what Lent means, what is fasting, prayers for kids to say, Stations of the Cross, scripture references, and encourages regular Bible reading for the children.
5. An Introduction to the Liturgical Year by Inos Biffi (1994) — This book is perfect for year-round guidance for kids to help them grasp the Catholic Liturgical Year. It helps children (and dare I say even the grownups!) understand the feasts as they are reflected in the missal.
For Lent purposes, there are features on the meaning of Lent, the significance of 40 days depicted numerous times in the Bible, the objection of Peter, Jesus is the living water, Jesus is the light of the world, Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and so much more!
I plan on purchasing this book for our home library collection so we can use it throughout the Liturgical Year.
So far, our library picks on Lent books for kids are serving as a great guide for our faith journey, adding a meaningful rhythm to our Lenten days.
Are there any other children’s books you’d recommend for Lent?
Exhausted and inspired. That’s how I’m feeling right now.
Zephaniah (8) had a dentist appointment today. He did great! No tears. The dentist was finished in about 30 minutes.
Zephaniah at the dentist. They give the kids fun sunglasses to wear so the bright light doesn’t bother their eyes. 😎
The kids are really thriving with the new dentist office we switched to (in December). I think it’s because this practice is calmer and quieter.
They don’t feel anxious and overwhelmed at the new dentist like they did at the other dental office we used to go to.
And honestly—same! 💯😂
After the dentist and a cozy lunch at home, we went to the library to checkout new books. I also let the kids play for a while. Whenever we go to the library, we stay for at least two hours.
I spent over two hours (maybe three? 😆) researching and finding the books we need for homeschooling in February and March.
I can’t wait to dive into these new library checkouts! I’m a total geek when it comes to getting new books and materials for our homeschool. 🤓📚😂
But even though I’m excited for the new books we collected, this mama is pooped! 💩😴
We ended up getting home around 7 p.m. (the library closes at 8! Lol) and eating dinner late. It was worth it because today was a happy, productive day! 💯😊📚
Time for bed! 😴
💜XO
P.S.— Here are a few moments from today.
A simple lunch before heading out to the library.
Zaya (5) and Zephaniah (8) pulling the wagon to the library. 📚
The library was hosting a book fair! 📚 I’m thinking about taking the kids back so they can pick ONE book to buy.
Zephaniah checking out the axolotl merch at the book fair. The kids are obsessed with axolotls! 😅
🍕 Zaya (5) was excited to show me this pizza book from the book fair. 😊
Zechariah (10) really wanted to get this book. 🫣 We ended up checking it out at the library. I just don’t understand the kids’ interest in Five Nights at Freddy. It’s so weird to me! Lol
Today, we went to Hobby Lobby to get a few Valentine’s Day decorations. ❤️
Hobby Lobby is just like Target for me—it’s my one weakness. I think it’s the sales that get me. Lol
You go in the store planning to stick to your short list, and next thing you know, you walk out of the store with more items than you had planned! 😆
Zaya (5) really loved this pink, sequin Valentine heart. 💗
The kids were excited to decorate for Valentine’s Day and make a few crafts. They LOVE decorating for holidays and making crafts!
As soon as we got home from the store, they started digging through the shopping bags and pulled out the decor and the Valentine’s craft kits they picked out.
I also bought some more construction paper and Valentine’s color-themed pipe cleaners (Chenille stems) so we can make some homemade crafts, too. 😊
Here are a few moments from today. 💗
💜 XO
“And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.” — Colossians3:14
