Winner of the New SEEDS Family Worship Album

Congratulations, Heather K!

(This post contains affiliate links.)

You are the winner of a copy of the new SEEDS Family Worship album, The Word of God (vol. 8)!You will be contacted via email and will have 72 hours to respond or your prize will be forfeited and another winner will be randomly selected.

Thanks to all who entered. I'm sorry I could only pick one winner. But, if you still have a desire to own this or any other Seeds Family Worship album, be sure to check them out on Facebook or Twitter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dear Homeschool Momma with a Struggling Reader

Dear Homeschool Momma with a Struggling Reader, 

If you're anything like me, you've taken full ownership of the struggle. You wear it like a badge of shame...an ugly cloak that veils all the successes of your day. As if it is your fault. As if something you have done or haven't done has crippled your child's ability to ever get it right. You tell yourself, "if only someone else would have taught him how to read..." or "maybe a 'real' teacher would know how to do it better."

But, what you don't know, momma, and what you don't see, is what a dear friend reminded me of recently...a "struggle" shows that you are doing something RIGHT!

Construction Worker Birthday Party

Since he was a tiny tot, Greased Lightning has loved all-things-construction.  You may remember that when given the chance to do whatever he wanted to do around town on the last day of school a few years ago, he wanted to go down the street to watch the road construction workers on the job.  

So, it was only natural, that he should ONCE AGAIN want a construction worker-themed birthday party.  Since he was turning five, he also got to invite a few friends over to celebrate with him, per our house rule.  

Here's a peek at his five-year-old fun!

New SEEDS Family Worship Album! {Giveaway}

In the words of Mary Poppins, "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and SNAP! the job's a game."

OK...scratch that last line.

It isn't exactly fun.
If doing a job were always fun, it would be called play, not work.
But the fantastical nanny with "rosy cheeks and everything" did get one thing right when she encouraged the bright-eyed Jane and Michael to clean up the nursery.

Child of the Day: Privilege + Responsibility

With a large family, it's easy to slip into the "herd mentality" of doing everything as a group...of lumping all of my children into one big collection and operating with a "if it's good for one, it's good for all" anthem.  

On the other hand, while parenting in an era characterized by child-centered homes, I can quickly find myself frittering these few foundational years of childhood away on overindulgence...on building a very me-centered child whose myopic lens only sees his own needs...his own wants.

God's Girls Club for Tweens: GLAM Books

For the fifth summer in a row, I set aside time for discipleship...for passing on faith and femininity to my favorite girl.  It's not as if SUMMERtime is the only time I do this.  Summer just brings about a looser schedule and with it, the opportunity to invite a few other young ladies to join us in our fun. It provides moments of intentionality...of purpose.  

This year, Sweetie Pea and I extended an invitation to ANY teen girl who wanted to join us.  I didn't want to limit our group to just our current social circles.  I wanted to open our doors and our hearts to new girls in our church and in our community...girls that needed to connect...girls that needed to know God's love.  And so, we invited ANY and ALL tween girls to join us...or at least as many as would fit in my tiny dining room...that would be seven.

National Museum Day: FREE Admission to Participating Museums!

Pssst...in case you hadn't heard, Saturday, September 27th, the Smithsonian will be launching their annual Museum Day!  Head on over to Smithsonian.com to download your FREE tickets to any of the participating nation-wide museums.  Not sure if your favorite museum made the cut?  Just enter your zip code on the Search for a Museum page to see what museums in your area qualify for two FREE admission OR use the handy google map to find out locations of participating museums all around the country.

***VERY IMPORTANT- A free admission ticket must be presented for FREE ADMISSION.  Be sure to follow the instructions under the "ticket" tab to print your two free admission tickets.

We'll be heading to a museum on the 27th, will you?

What We're Reading in September 2014

We're back in the saddle again. After a lovely, albeit lightning fast, summer, we are embracing our school day routine once more.  Which means books...books...and lots more books.  Stealing away time to crack open a book in July and August proved to be a bit tricky for some. But, in the land of perpetual cold (Did I mention we live in the land of perpetual cold?), I never feel the least bit guilty setting the books aside to enjoy a day in the sun...those days are so rare 'round here.

First Day Traditions (For Homeschool) 2014-2015

When blending learning with living, it's easy to just START the year...with no fanfare...with no fuss. But beginnings should always be marked with a bit of pageantry, in my opinion anyway.  To me, a monumental, memory-making first day is the curly-cue flourish on the otherwise straight line of the school year.  

Over the years, I've tried to make each first day a memorable one.  (Yes, EACH!  Around here, we have a first day dedicated to each one of our kids...because doesn't everyone deserve to be celebrated individually? For more on the HOWS and WHYS of our many first days, head here>>)

It took us nearly a whole week, but we've had a very successful start to 2014-2015.  Here's what occupied our days.