Hi there! It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m sure.

I’m Patricia, and I’m so honored to be part of this great group of homeschooling families.

We began homeschooling in 1986 when our oldest son Nick was ready to begin kindergarten. I’d recently resigned from a successful thirteen-year career in professional nursing, and it didn’t seem fair that, as I was transitioning into a stay-at-home-mom, my oldest son had to go off to school – just when he was getting to be so much fun to talk to.

“I’d teach kindergarten to Nick at home, if I could,” I casually commented to a friend. “You can teach him at home,” she responded. “I know someone who does it.”  That was the beginning of what would be 23 years of homeschooling Nick, his younger brother, Casey, and his sister, Emily.

Our nephew, Michael, came to live with us when he was 8 years old, and by the time I began homeschooling Nick, Michael was already in high school. At the time, it didn’t seem appropriate for us to take him out of school. In fact, our initial plans were to homeschool Nick for kindergarten and enroll him in public school for 1^st grade.  The concept of homeschooling through high school wasn’t even a thought we entertained that summer before Nick’s kindergarten year, but before the year was over, our vision for homeschooling had begun to expand. By the end of 2009, Nick, Casey, and Emily had all completed their education through high school at home.

Today, Michael, Nick, and Casey are married with families of their own, and I’m “Mimi” to {almost} 8 grandchildren. One of them is just 3 weeks old, and another one is scheduled to arrive May 30^th. I am one happy Mimi!

Emily is 21, and much to my delight, lives at home while taking college classes online, working part-time in a local pre-school, and remaining actively involved in conservative politics as the local representative for both the Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Tom Rooney election campaigns.

Emily with Senator Marco Rubio

And me? I’m a simple, blue jeans and t-shirt, raised-in-the-south, small town girl who married a handsome sailor turned citrus farmer.  By the grace of God, Louis and I have been married for thirty-five years. We’re multi-generational native Floridians, and though I {too often} complain about our stifling summers, there’s sand between our toes, and unless the Lord has other plans, we’ll likely never leave.

My handsome husband Louis

Louis and I grew up in the church, but we were prodigals – young adults before either of us began growing in our relationship with Christ and living like the Christians we’d professed to be. Reformed in doctrine, we worship on Sundays at a Southern Baptist Church. Truth is we love Jesus, the Body of Christ, and the fellowship of believers and can worship where two or more love Him too and are gathered in His name.

Many of my friends call me “Pat.” Others know me as “Patricia.” It helps to clear up the gender confusion “Pat” often creates.

Pollywog Creek is the name of my blog and where we live. It’s five good acres with a modest house, a pond and a creek, a dog and two cats, and my favorite backyard swing. It’s been exactly what we have needed and so much more.

Over twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – an autoimmune disease of the digestive tract.  Two years ago, my life and mobility were drastically altered when I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis and an auto-immune lung disease that has continued to progress without remission.  Every day brings different challenges but always new mercies and grace.

Now that I’m retired from homeschooling, it’s been my delight to write, speak, take photo walks {as I am able}, play with my grandlittles, and enjoy a good cup of coffee.

Me with four of the grandlittles

I’m an avid blogger and a freelance writer and photographer – cultivating an eye for life’s mercies wherever God takes me – which is usually not far from home.

Meet Patricia! is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

If you haven’t taken the time to watch Frozen Planet, may I recommend that you do?

We are recording the series and have really enjoyed it as an educational supplement to our studies of the world’s oceans. I like to use as many resources for education as possible so we use this series, along with maps and books, to teach the children about the ocean as a habitat for marine wildlife. Not only is the ocean filled with gorgeous colors and intriguing wildlife, but we can learn from the behavior of the wildlife as well.

photo credit Sophie

Other shows that we found to be both educational and enjoyable are Shark Week and Planet Earth. We also enjoy the various resources online like National Geographic (don’t miss their story about the albino killer whale),  the Ocean Institute (did you know they have camps and special field trips?), and the National Aquarium.

Now that we live by the ocean, we get to walk to the beach several times a week to enjoy all that it has to offer. We have observed the differences between low tide and high tide along with how the wildlife responds to the tide. We get to see seals, dolphins, pelicans, seagulls, starfish, and even a few sand dollars from time to time.

One day, when we were walking along the shore, several children were collecting shells, and I commented on one beautiful scallop a boy was holding. I should have know better than to say something; for once I did, all the other children started bringing me shells to identify for them. I’ll admit, I had to come home that evening and further my knowledge of sea shells. I wasn’t prepared for all the amazing questions those children had, but we had a lot of fun hunting for different types of shells.

photo credit Lady Jess

I was so excited to see the Ocean Institute has labs, which would be perfect if you need a lab for your high school student’s Science requirements for graduation.

Now that we live on the coast, we will be taking advantage of the opportunities we have to enjoy the many possibilities to get educated about marine life.

How do you teach your children about marine life?

photo credit Sisterlisa

Studying Marine Life is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

Proverbs 3:5-6 is a verse near and dear to my heart for a few reasons. This precious piece of scripture was my son Ethan’s life verse.  Ever since his passing, I’ve had to cling to this verse over and over again. Will you cling to it with me?

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

There are many things that will happen in this life that do not make sense. In my almost two years of walking this journey of grief, I’ve learned that I cannot question why my son died but rather lean into Christ and trust Him to guide my steps. When I do this, I’m inclined not to step off the path of faith but rather cling more to Him when I am spiritually weary.

When we become spiritually weary, our homes become susceptible to attack from none other than the enemy.

Dear mothers: Trust Him to carry you when the dishes are piled high, the laundry seems never-ending, and there is yet another day ahead to lesson plan and instruct our children in the ways of the Lord. Instead of panicking (which I often do), would you join me in stepping into a quiet room for a few minutes?

Take a deep breath. Talk, cry, however it may come out, to our Father who wants to hear from you and guide you. Trust Him to carry you another day in this journey of life and homeschooling. He is so good! And He is faithful and will never let you down.

Dear Gracious and Heavenly Father, We love you and thank you for Your love, grace, peace, and provisions you give us each and every day. Bless each of these women as they are obedient to your calling of mothering and instructing these precious children in Your ways. Remind us to trust in you, and to lean on you…not our own flesh and bones. Forgive us where we have failed you. We love you! AMEN!

Scripture Sundays: Trust in the Lord is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

Having graduated 2 of our 9 kids, I have a little experience with putting together a graduation ceremony. It can be a challenge to figure out what to do. The world has its customs and expectations. How do we, as homeschoolers, decide how much of that to include in our own ceremony, if any?

For us, participating in a group graduation ceremony was not an option. So we decided to host our own. Yes, one child in the graduating class is a bit unusual. But we are used to being the weird ones; can I get an amen?

Our oldest daughter, Grace, graduated in 2008. She wanted something personal, and so we hosted the event at our home. We rented tables and chairs, bought a couple of outdoor fans, and invited about 150 people to come and celebrate with us. Since it was going to be a family affair, we tried to make it kid friendly. We covered the tables with printer paper and used buckets of crayons for the kids to color right on the table. We made a little village out of appliance boxes and bean bag games for the kids to play.

I ordered cakes from Costco and BBQ (You have to have BBQ in Texas!) from our favorite local spot. Grace asked several women that had been an encouragement to her through her life to say a few words. They shared, my husband spoke a few words, I shared my thoughts and experiences then Grace played her violin and said a few words. That was it – a half hour ceremony – then we ate!

On the front porch, we laid out some of the things that she had loved and/or made, school projects, and a slide show of pictures of her throughout the years.

It was an easy, peaceful day, and I think our friends were blessed to have shared it with us. I know we were blessed by them!

Two years later, when it was time for Jacob to graduate, a graduation in the yard wasn’t what we wanted. It didn’t fit Jacob’s personality, so we decided to have it in a local church. It was more of the type of ceremony that people expect but still with only one graduate.

I found frames at IKEA that were perfect for holding pictures of little Jacob, and we, again, put together a table of his favorite things.

He asked 3 men from his life to say something at the ceremony; then my husband and I shared about raising sons and homeschooling. Then Jacob spoke (we called it the “Valedictory Speech” in the program), and we gave him a diploma – which was actually just a rolled up piece of paper with a ribbon around it!

Instead of serving a meal, we opted to just serve dessert and punch. We bought cookies (Costco again) and served punch from a large bucket. We aren’t a formal bunch, so a crystal punch bowl didn’t fit our style.

The girls and I made little chocolate graduation caps. They were a hit!

Be encouraged to just have your own ceremony and do whatever fits your family! If you want to have it in a bowling alley or on a cattle ranch – do it! Play instruments, serve ice cream, build Legos….the sky’s the limit! You can be sure of one thing – it will be a graduation that no one will forget.

What to Do for a Homeschool Graduation is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

What image comes to mind when you hear the word adventure-seeker?

Do you picture someone bungee jumping over a 300 foot cliff? Or do you imagine someone climbing to the top of Mount Everest?

Adventure for me is pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. It’s doing something different and out of the ordinary.  It can mean something big, like when my family went swimming with the dolphins in Grand Cayman Island, but it can also mean something less dramatic like cooking a new type of food or sleeping in a tent in the backyard.

Going on adventures can be exciting, but did you know that having new adventures plays an important role in learning?

When you stick with your same daily routine or go about learning things in the same way, your learning reaches a plateau. Your brain starts to run on autopilot instead of making newer and stronger connections.

An article titled Learning by Surprise in Scientific American does a great job of showing how novelty enhances memory. We can recall things much better when we’re introduced to something new within a familiar context.

My kids and I love to seek out adventure in our lives. We make it a point to have two to three outside adventures a week – visiting new places, trying out new activities, or meeting new people – and many smaller adventures at home – investigating our questions, riding bikes a new way home, or playing a new game.  We also plan three or four big adventures a year as a family, too.

So how can you introduce more adventure into your family’s life?

Need some inspiration?

Here are 10 ideas to get your adventure on:

1. Go to a farmer’s market or supermarket and buy a new fruit or vegetable you’ve never eaten before.  Think of a way to cook it or eat it that you’ve never tried before – maybe fry a plantain or boil a yucca root.

2. Go to an ethnic museum you’ve never visited before.

3. Travel to a place in your city or town that you’ve never been to before in a way that you wouldn’t usually travel – take a bus or train, ride a bike, hike.

4. Take a virtual trip to a famous historical site. My favorite way to do this is to use Google Earth. You can visit almost any place in the world this way.

5. Make a list of seven questions you have and research one question a day for a week. If the answer you find brings up more questions, keep going and research those questions, too.

6. Go to a thrift store and buy something you wouldn’t normally buy.  If you’ve never sewn something before, pick up a cross-stitch kit.  If you don’t like listening to classical, jazz, or blues music, pick up a CD of that type of music.

7. Find a fair or festival close to home that you’ve never attended. When you’re there, do something you wouldn’t usually do.

8. Think of something you’d normally do in the summer and do it in the winter – like have a picnic outside in February. Do something in the summer that you’d usually do in the winter – like decorate an evergreen tree.

9. Read a new book in a new place – inside a museum, on the top floor of a skyscraper, or waiting at a train station.

10. Take a picture of the same type of thing over the course of a year in as many different places as you can and then make a collage when you’re finished. You can make a college of trees, people smiling, fences, sunsets, cars, feet, apples…you get the picture.

What can you do today to create a life of adventure? Do you have a bucket list that you could adapt in to an educational experience for your family? Share some ideas with us to get our creative homeschool juices flowing!!!

Christina Pilkington is the creator of the website Interest-Led Learning. She lives a life of passion, adventures, and connections with her husband and 5 year old boy/girl twins. She’s written an e-book called A Thrift Store Curriculum which you can get for free when you sign up for her newsletter. You can also connect with her at Twitter and Facebook.

10 Ways to Add More Adventure in Your Homeschool is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

Anyone else have this experience?

You’re going through the school year feeling like you are swimming upstream in a particular subject, and then all of a sudden – in April or May – it hits you that the program you’re using just flat isn’t working for you – or your children – or maybe even both.

What’s a momma to do? Keep plowing forward because you’ve already paid for the books or go ahead and chuck it.

For me, I say “Chuck it!” If it’s not working, then they aren’t learning from it anyway. They are not likely to retain the information, and to make matters worse, every day you use the offending curriculum, you may be turning them off from the subject all together.

Source: flickr.com via Gidget on Pinterest

But, before you decide, I do want to caution against throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Is there a way to tweak your program to make it work better for you? You can always make changes to fit your family – don’t feel like a slave to the Teacher’s Manual – think of it more as guidelines than out and out rules.

OK, so you’ve decided to just toss it – now, what do you do? Find another curriculum? Work from the library? Wait until next year to start again?

Well, here’s where it gets a little bit tricky. I think it kind of depends on your homeschooling style. I know some mommas out there like to have a definite start and stop to the school year, and want all the books finished by year’s end.

I’ll have to be honest; I don’t know what they would do, but I do know what I did. For us, we school year-round taking mini-breaks here and there; so, there is no deadline to finish a particular book, and we are always at different points in different subjects.

For my son who was struggling with grammar, I determined he was just not ready for the subject material. I put the book aside and cancelled formal grammar for a time – until he was ready for it. When we had trouble with a  writing program, I took some time to research, and we just did made up activities using what we had at home until we found something that work better. You might amaze yourself with what you can put together on your own, using bits and pieces of discarded curricula. Talk about “green” and “cheap”!

Most importantly, remember the goal of making learning fun and memorable… not difficult and painful. Definitely put down that book if it isn’t working for you. If it’s frustrating and not working, you aren’t accomplishing anything by plowing ahead with it, anyway.

What has worked for your family when you’ve had to change direction midstream? Tell us about it in the comments!

Put the Book Down is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

Recently, my kids and I have been on a serious road trip across Texas. Over 800 miles – one way.  Texas is HUGE!

I was so excited being in a hotel room with little distractions and lots of homeschooling to get done.

Field trips can be a lot more rewarding if you plan just a little.

• If you know you are going to visit a certain area, call the area Chamber of Commerce and ask for any brochures or fun things for children to do in their town.  Sometimes they might even have coupons for area businesses.  They also have nuggets that usually aren’t featured anywhere else.
• Contact the State’s Travel Site.  Texas has an awesome travel book that highlights each towns’ claim to fame.  Plus, it is free.
• Go to your library.  Check out books that feature people who helped form that area’s existence.  We used a series of books called Legendary Texians.  This helped us understand who Judge Roy Bean was and why we didn’t want to follow in his footsteps.  We had stopped at his “courthouse.”
• Contact a local homeschooler co-op leader.  Who better to know what field trips to do in an area than a local homeschooler?  I did this when visiting El Paso – talk about a plethora of information.  Deb Roennebeck of Vista Hills Homeschool Ministry gave me tons of ideas that were not on the map.  Not to mention, when I got ill – she helped me find a doctor.  I love how homeschooling helps build a bridge.
• Make a Lapbook to learn more about the area.  This also provides a place for all those brochures you can pick up at the local travel centers.
• Give your child a camera and let him or her do a photo diary.  This will also let you in on their perspective and what is important to them.
• Give an assignment of writing an obituary of a famous person from the area.  Gives the child a chance to really learn about how the person was important and how they made a difference to others.

I would love to hear how you make trips more “educational.”  Let me know in the comments!

Blessings to you!  You are loved!

Making field trips more educational and rewarding is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

Why are we mothers content to put our health at the very bottom of the list? Our lists may go something like this: Bible time, children, homeschooling, dinner prep, gardening, blog posting, facebook checking, book reading, bathroom cleaning, mopping, sweeping the front porch, bill paying, laundry, . . . . maybe, if the world doesn’t fall apart, a little bit of exercise.

Motherhood is probably the most physically demanding job. Not only is pregnancy, labor, and birth some of the hardest work, we are constantly on our feet, walking, cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, sometimes into the night on very little sleep. And unlike most professions, there is no rest.

It is because of this that we must keep our bodies in health! (Notice I did not say to keep our bodies in shape. We are all different shapes and sizes, and I don’t think most of us were made to look like these stick-thin, boyish bodies that are in style.) I am going to share a bit of my experience in hopes that it will provide some encouragement to my fellow homeschoolin’ mamas.

In the past couple of years I have noticed my body becoming sluggish, worn out, and just plain exhausted. I always felt as if I was in a cloud, and my metabolism slowed considerably. Slowly, but surely, I ended up spending most of the day from the couch instead of getting cleaning done or playing with my children. It was miserable.

A few months ago I decided enough was enough. I gave myself a challenge to complete – the C25K program on my treadmill, add some additional cardio, and do some strength training 3-4 times a week. It was hard going at first because I am probably the least athletic person out there. And I hate sweating. Seriously. I hate it.

There was also the problem of when. I have five young children and getting it done during the day just wasn’t going to happen. So I had to move my wake-up time to o’dark hundred (or 5:30, if you want to be more accurate) in order to make sure that I was able to care for my body in this way.

Lo and behold! After a few weeks, getting up early and running and sweating wasn’t as unpleasant as I first thought it. Instead, I found that the days where I did run, I was much more alert and able to be on my feet. Running became my “high,” and I looked forward to setting out my workout clothing and shoes the night before, knowing that I would be building up this mother’s body to ensure I could take care of my family the best I could.

Now, running just may not be your style. Not all of us live in safe areas or maybe you have bad knees. There are so many other ways to exercise:

DVDs (walking, cardio, tae bo)

Equipment I love my treadmill. My husband and I were not comfortable with me running by myself early in the morning, so we bought one that I could use in the comfort and safety of my own home. You can add one to your budget, or look on craigslist for barely used items.

Take a class Our city offers classes as do many across the country. Gyms also offer ways to get your exercise in a group setting.

Use your gaming system When I am not running that day, I use my Wii to Zumba. Wii Fit Plus is also a family favorite and gets the children going as well.

Tips:

If you are going to run, get fitted for the proper shoes.

Sometimes exercising, especially running, will make your body think you need to eat more than it needs to. Make sure you aren’t eating more than you really need.

Drink lots and lots and lots of water. I mean lots. Many moms do not drink enough water and are dehydrated. Keep an eye on your water intake or fill up a pitcher ever morning that will show how much you have had to drink and how much more you need to drink. Coffee and tea are not counted.

A visit to the doctor to see if you are deficient in any vitamins and minerals is important. After being pregnant and/or nursing for 9+ years I became severely deficient in some vitamins, and it caused deep depression.

Let your husband and friends know your new plan in health living and exercise. They will be able to provide the support that might just keep you going – and it might encourage them, too!

*PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor or a health professional or a nutritionist. I am only sharing a few things I have learned that have helped me. Please check with your family physician before you start any exercise program.*

Photo credit: h.koppdelaney

Healthy Moms is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

“We are all meant to be naturalists, each in his own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.” ~ Charlotte Mason

Kids naturally like to explore outside, and will inevitably find all sorts of interesting critters, plants, slime, fungi, seeds, and more which will lead to lots and lots of questions.

“How strange that Nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude!”  ~Emily Dickinson, letter to Mrs. J.S. Cooper, 1880

Nature study has definitely been a delight-directed affair in our homeschool over the years. Gardening is a wonderful way to incorporate learning from nature into your days naturally, even if you’re only able to plant a few flowers. We’ve had those kinds of years, too, times when any more gardening than that just wasn’t possible.

Get outside, look for loveliness, take (or draw!) some pictures, catch some bugs, and play in the dirt!

You just never know what you might find…

“The poetry of the earth is never dead.”  ~John Keats

Our outings have inspired many reflective moments and a few creative endeavors for me,  as well as the kiddos over theyears. Nature’s rewards are abundant.

“In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia.”  ~Charles A. Lindbergh, Life, 22 December 1967

“I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.”  ~e.e. cummings

Thankfully, nature study around here hasn’t been dependent upon me. It just tends to happen on its own, quite naturally, in spite of my lack of planning or implementing. Yes, there are so many really great books, pocket guides, websites, and nature journals (we have those too, and I highly recommend them) out there that you can use to enrich and supplement your adventures; however, I didn’t want this post to be about the resources…

“You must not know too much, or be too precise or scientific about birds and trees and flowers and water-craft; a certain free margin, and even vagueness – perhaps ignorance, credulity – helps your enjoyment of these things…” 

~Walt Whitman, Specimen Days, “Birds – And a Caution”  (Thanks, Corinne)

I hope to simply inspire our getting to the SOURCE… OUTSIDE, with our children.

First and foremost, just make sure to let it happen.

Put everything else away, and seek it out if you must.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” 

~ Albert Einstein

“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.” ~Author Unknown

Most often once we’re there (in nature; outside= source of nature-study) I can be found just following along to see what the kiddos have found (usually with my camera).

This last January a friend’s goats were having babies, so we rushed right over, of course!

“Good heavens, of what uncostly material is our earthly happiness composed…if we only knew it.  What incomes have we not had from a flower, and how unfailing are the dividends of the seasons.”  ~James Russell Lowell

In looking back at some of our adventures in nature study over the years, I found this, which cracked me up. It’s a classic example of how you just never know what may be the catalyst of your next study!

You know you’re homeschoolers when your seven year old daughter gets stung by a bee, and her brother’s first inclination is to save the stinger and get it under the microscope! And Mom is just as excited about the stinger as brother, and rushes to clean a slide as daughter mixes her own batch of water and baking soda and applies it to the sting herself, bravely wiping the tears away as she anxiously awaits her turn at the microscope, announcing, “It’s MY stinger!”… lest Bubby try to claim it as his own… all of which turns into over an hour spontaneously spent “Ooo-ing and Aaaah-ing” over plucked hairs, examining threads, and ten year old son asking if he can prick himself so we can examine his blood cells.

My kids have gotten to where they expect me to be as interested in their finds as they are, and that makes my heart glad… especially as I notice how big my son’s hands are starting to look to me in these pictures. How time flies, and these are precious moments of togetherness, as we wonder over our Creator’s amazingly beautiful handiwork.

“Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience.” 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

All I usually have to do is  say “okay” (as often to my naturalist husband, who calls to tell me he’s bringing some critter home that he’s found while at work, as to the kids). Sometimes this is not easy, nor even convenient.

Their timing is not mine. Usually, our best finds and lessons weren’t planned or scheduled (besides sometimes our decision to go outside, and take a walk/hike together- though even that is usually spontaneous!).

Practice with me… (reminding myself here!)

“Yes, honey. Yes, you may keep and tend to _____ awhile. Let’s look it up and see what he/she needs.”

…and then facilitate (find containers, rearrange counter-top-space, and take the time to investigate with them).

“Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.”  ~Standing Bear

I’ve learned that if my husband and I will only facilitate their thrilling over our Creator’s many lessons found within nature, and welcome them when they come, that the learning possibilities are boundless.

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”  ~George Washington Carver

It has been fascinating to see what each season sends us over the years. We’ve saved baby opossums that had fallen from their nest, constructed ant farms and mini-ecosystems in jars, raised tadpoles (that the kids found in the creek), caught mud-puppies and crayfish, attended animal husbandry classes and hunting courses, chased fireflies, and kept caterpillars in a tank and watched their metamorphosis from cocoon to butterflies (and moths, too). Many of these studies we drew, charted, and researched as we observed. Once we tried to save a baby raccoon we’d found while hiking that had fallen out of its nest and was covered in ants. Recently we bottle-fed a trio of baby squirrels that Chris (a phone guy) found while at work.

“Ewwwwww” was my first thought when Nathan and Chris called to let me know they were bringing home baby squirrels – and was that okay? Chris said that he’s just too much of a sucker to leave them in a field somewhere, which he’d considered, but couldn’t bring himself to do, knowing they wouldn’t have had a chance, since their eyes were still closed.  I was not thrilled. Uggh, I thought, and almost said no – why would we want to bother saving and handling squirrels?! Then I felt bad, and relented. However, once he brought home these babies he’d found in a nest in an “aerial splice closure” box, and I saw the absolute and delight and concern written all over my kids’ faces, I was reminded of how much I appreciate my hubby’s spontaneous contributions towards their education in areas I’d otherwise have left alone. Apparently these squirrels were giving a CenturyLink customer some serious trouble with their line, and soft-hearted Chris couldn’t bring himself to just toss them to die, nor stomp them to put them out of their misery (as his co-worker had suggested). I’m glad, and the kiddos learned a lot.

Eventually, the girls started taking them outside to play in the sun, and then began putting them on trees. It was so cute that the first time Tabitha did this, the baby squirrel (all of which they’d named, of course) ran 30 feet or so up the tree and then ran back down and climbed up her legs, body, and onto her shoulder. She was thrilled, of course! We released them in our front yard, and they’ve chosen to live in the tree closest to our house and still come to visit, letting us approach them and hand feed them. This little guy (though noticeably wilder by now) still let me walk right up and take his picture yesterday! They’re all healthy and have been thriving on their own for about a month now. The kids are so proud to have saved the squirrels! Yeah, I’m so glad I said yes.

So what nature have you and your family found outside lately?

Take school outside soon and see what lessons might find you…

Embracing the adventure,

Stay tuned for part 2 of Beth’s Nature Study…Naturally.

Nature Study Happens…Naturally, part 1 is a post from: The HSBA Post
© 2012 The Homeschool Post | All rights reserved

Guess what today is? Yep, it’s Friday, but more importantly, today is the day we get to announce the winner of the Glo Bible Premium App.

And, now – drum roll please – Congratulations to Daniele at Domestic Serenity! (Entry #225 chosen by Rafflecopter) Her top three educational apps are Stack the States, Math Magic, and Brain Pop.

There were so many good apps shared in the comments of 23 Apps for Homeschoolers, so make sure that you go back and look over those. A great big thank you to everyone who participated by sharing your favorites!

Carnival Time

We also thought that we would do something fun this week by having a sort of Carnival of the Post and share what some of our authors have been working on – when they aren’t writing for the Post.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day life of making sure you’re getting it all done. Carlie reminds us that There’s More to Life than Homeschooling on her blog, So you Call Yourself a Homeschooler.

Maybe you’re in search of the Art of Balance? On Raising Autodidacts, Angela, who admits that she has to read this to herself daily, has the top five indicators that you may be over-scheduled.

Heather‘s family proves that you aren’t stuck with where you start. They have found their own pace and rhythm, and on her blog, Sprittibee, she shares some of their adventures in the series 10 Days of “Accidental Unschooling.”

Have you ever wished that wildflowers bloomed year-round? Shannon may change your mind when you read her Faith-Filled Fridays: I’m Glad Wildflowers Don’t Last Forever on her blog, On This Glorious Homeschooling Journey.

For a beautiful story of hope that’s just perfect for Mother’s Day, make sure you check out Lana‘s Birthday Letter that Brings Hope that she shares on I Love My 5 Kids. Be sure to have the tissues nearby.

Need to strengthen the obedience muscle in your children? On Tolivers to Texas, Gwen uses a well-known game to tackle the Crazy Notion of First Time Obedience.

On Whit’s world, Whitney shares how blessed they are to have found a science curriculum that fits their family perfectly with Noeo Science Biology 1…the Journey Continues.

Marshmallows and math? On Math is not a Four Letter Word, Bon‘s daughter, K8, explains how Flash Cards & Marshmallows [work perfectly for] Teaching One-to-One Correspondence.

Manda celebrated 1 Year of Wedded Bliss on Where the Sun Always Shines with a weekend trip that included a visit to the Mystic Aquarium. You don’t want to miss the Lion Fish or the Moon Jellies.

Looking for a different kind of math program that is easy to administer and delivers results quickly? Gidget is hosting a Learn Math Fast! Giveaway on Homeschooling Unscripted.

Carnival of the Post and Glo Bible App Winner is a post from: The HSBA Post
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