What We're Reading in June 2021

Late spring was no friend to my reading life. While I was busy trying to wrap up the school year--speak at my last homeschool conference of the season, close out co-op with a flourish, host one final tween book club, organize an end-of-the-year field trip for my kids and a few of our homeschooling friends, and celebrate my first homeschool graduate--I was also juggling some summer activities that were already getting underway--baseball practice, softball games, and driver's ed. It was a collision of seasonal activities and the fallout was not pretty. 

5 Easy Ways to Be the "Fun" Homeschool Mom

There's never enough time in the day to get to the necessities, better yet to add in "fun."

"Fun" just turns into a massive mess that I have to clean up.

I'm not very creative. I don't know how to make learning "fun."

If you've not said the previous three statements out loud, you've probably at least whispered them under your breath as you rage-cleaned glitter off the carpet, declaring that you're just not the "fun" homeschool mom and never will be.

What We're Reading in March 2021

Since the moment I was old enough to stumble my way through the one-vowel words of a Dick and Jane classic, I've been told never to judge a book by its cover. This month, I learned how very wise that readerly advice truly is.

After scouring the Libby app for an audiobook to take with me to the first Teach Them Diligently Convention of the year, I settled on one by a new-to-me author that came highly recommended by a few moms during our Storied Mom Reading Challenge. The cover was lackluster, to say the least--girl in a sweeping Civil War-era dress, standing wistfully by a window with light streaming around her, giving her an angelic glow. It had all the classic markings of a fluffy, romance novel.

It delivered romance, yes. But it also contained some very rich and timely themes. More on that later...

Here's a peek at what we've been reading this month.

Why I Don't Regret Staying Home to Teach My Kids

Written by Krista Smith.

There is an unspoken secret many homeschool moms keep, myself included. It’s a question we try to ignore but one which still finds its way into our thoughts more often than we care to admit.

Is homeschooling my children just as important as having a job? Am I missing out on some "pivotal" role in society by choosing to stay home with my children?

What We're Reading in February 2021

This past weekend while speaking at the annual North Dakota Homeschool Association conference, I received a lovely card from Wendy, a long-time blog follower, thanking me for creating this little community on the web. At the end of the note, she mentioned that these monthly What We're Reading posts are her favorites to read. 

I hear that a lot. 

Turns out, people who like to read, like to read about what others are reading.