Blog Posts
For this week’s installment of What to Read Wednesday, I’m reviewing Anne Bogel’s latest book, I’d Rather Be Reading, wherein she shares universal “delights and dilemmas of the reading life.” Bookworm to …
I’m tickled pink to be reviewing another Who Was? Who Is? Where Is? biography alongside blogging pals online. These books are terrific additions to any home library and particularly great resources for …
Today was pretty much the best day ever, because Firstborn decided to make public and official her saving faith in Jesus by being baptized. Husband pushed back with written questions to …
In addition to our own two cats, two bunnies, two fish, a solitary snail, and one remaining guinea pig, my kiddos are presently tending to nine alpacas, eighteen chickens, three additional …
Confession: My family is Tolkien crazy, and “Who Was J.R.R. Tolkien?” is not a question one should ponder aloud in my presence. We love hobbits, elves, dwarves, and ents, wizards, …
Genetically my family’s not Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish —nor even Finnish or Icelandic— but today we were honorary Scandinavians. Uffdah! We enjoy learning about and celebrating other cultures, and immersive experiences —such …
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Cicero Firstborn’s back after a marvelous week away at summer camp, and we’ve resumed our normal reading …
Back in the 50’s, the Army Corps of Engineers dammed Oregon’s North Santiam River to create a reservoir. The dam still stands tall and proud today, providing Salem’s drinking water …
Hello Muddah, hello Faddah… We’re dropping the ball as bookworms this week because Firstborn’s away at summer camp. Sob! It’s a big deal for all of us– her first time overnight. I’m confident …
Six years and six thousand miles ago our son was born. At that same time, in Oregon, Husband had just accepted a new job and was poised to relocate our small …
This is not inaccurate. Still, the library’s best when you want to “try before you buy.” As homeschoolers, we’re frequent flyers of our local library year-round, but it remains on our …
Learnin’ needn’t cease entirely simply because of the tilt & rotation of the earth ’round the sun. I find it easier to keep some educational momentum going with our homeschool studies by following …
The Kindergarten graduates recently had another themed “book club” party, after procuring identical copies of Happy Pig Day at the library. Willing to do ‘most anything to keep them reading during …
For this week’s installment of What to Read Wednesday, and in conjunction with online pals, I’m reviewing a recent addition to our home library from our favorite modern historians who publish the most …
Our close friends moor their boat in the same lake where my Great-Grandfather drowned, years ago, on opening day of fishing season. Our daughters’ favorite new friend tragically drowned in …
In the margins of our summer adventuring and backyard science lessons, we’re actively logging reading hours to redeem at our local library. Does your library host a Summer Reading Program? In the same …
Handsome Husband whisked the fam off for a restful, yet adventure-filled couple of days at the Oregon coast to celebrate my recent birthday. We hiked, frolicked in the sand and …
Now that it’s officially summer, Little Man and the next-door cousins are joining in our daily homeschool riffraff… translation: backyard science, field trips, library days, read-alouds, & parties. We’re presently enjoying …
Smack in the middle of June busyness, on the last day of school, Center Sister turned eleven. Her current jam: Being a mermaid, making slime, watching silly YouTube videos, working …
We’ve put a bow on our school year, and what a year it’s been! 7th grade, 5th grade, and Kindergarten, respectively. Field trips, read-alouds, pet-sitting, art classes, youth group, park …
Castles, knights, catapults, and coats of arms– we’ve arrived in the Middle Ages in our chronological history studies for homeschool. Aiming to flesh out the kids’ curriculum with a practical, …
June’s always a bit bananas in our household– with birthdays, graduations, our anniversary, Father’s Day, and end-of-the-year school celebrations… this first week in has been no exception. Plus, with our foray into …
Firstborn seems to have received a generous helping of dramatic flair at birth; she’s a natural thespian, an undying lover of the theatre arts. She’s learning that being a true champion …
I love all books, but well-worn vintage books? They’re my favorite. I have quite the collection, I just can’t quit them… The history, the heft in my hands, displacement of …
The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me… last week’s What to Read Wednesday topic was religion, so I figured I’d share a smattering of our favorite faith-based books with y’all– …
Two years ago, as part of her birthday gift from her dorky parents, Firstborn ran the Save the Manatee Virtual 5k. To clarify, she actually ran, biked, skated, scooted, kayaked, …
It’s officially been a year since we closed on the purchase of our 1970’s fixer-upper… time flies when you’re swinging a hammer and rolling paint! Before: After: We never set out to …
Mother’s Day’s right around the corner, so naturally we’re featuring books about moms this week on What to Read Wednesday. I’m more of a Molly Weasley than a Caroline Ingalls, m’self. …
May’s proving nearly as full a month for our household as April was– in addition to our regular activities we enjoy celebrating whatever simple, minor holidays dot the calendar and incorporating them …
The only thing better than a good book is a good book series. We’re presently reading aloud the Mysterious Benedict Society series, but in our very first year of homeschool …
This silly meme is going viral in homeschooling circles: Frankly, I don’t get it… I love my village. And who doesn’t love The Village People?!* Last week alone we had two …
Spring rains have ceased and the sun has been luminous all week. We’ve been swamped with birthdays, theatre productions, choir concerts, and tball; yet we’ve managed to find time to …
It’s happened: Handsome & m’self are now officially parents of a teen. Firstborn turned THIRTEEN this week… it seems like just yesterday we were nervously securing her into a fresh-from-the-box …
Handsome Husband turned a year older this week. The kids and I were delighted to celebrate the guy who keeps all the plates of this family spinning, who quells the crazy with …
Earth Day falls on a busy week again this year: We’re celebrating Husband’s and Firstborn’s birthdays, have a choir concert & drama production (plus dress rehearsals), plus two t-ball games …
The topic of this week’s WTRW is supposed to be ladybugs; but little known fact: I’m afraid of ladybugs. I mean, not when they’re merely bumbling about the garden helpfully ridding …
Earlier this week the girls and I joined some favorite friends on a fun and informative tour of our state capitol as a homeschool field trip. Our guide explained the …
Pluviophile: Any organism that thrives in conditions of heavy rainfall. One who loves rain; a rain-lover. Surprise, surprise… this Oregonian loves rain. And what pairs better with a romantic, gray …
When it comes to Easter, we’re not really bunny and egg folk– though I dig a yolky Cadbury Creme Egg as much as more than the next guy. Still, we have one …
Happy Holy Week! Sunday was Palm Sunday; Holy Thursday, Passover, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday are later this week. Accordingly, for this week’s What to Read Wednesday I’m sharing our …
We were blessed to take a wee homeschool field trip with some visiting Montana friends recently, zipping north to rendezvous in bustling Portland where we discovered a hidden oasis amid …
Happy What to Read Wednesday! This week we’re talking about Mythology. When we studied ancient Greece for homeschool history we took an epic side journey into mythology, and lingered there for …
Surest Signals of Springtime– Crocus cups and croaking frogs; daffodils, tulips, and cherry blossoms. Babbling brooks, bunnies, and a bevy of birds; creeping caterpillars and clumsy calves. Conflict of compulsions …
It’s that time of year again, when nearly every American enthusiastically claims some fraction of Irish lineage. I’ve always believed myself to be of mostly Scottish (by way of Canada) …
This week’s official WTRW theme is monsters, but that’s not really our jam, and since we’ve no shortage of books in both our currently reading and to be read stacks, I’ll simply …
Warning! File this under the label: Topics Devoid of Even the Slightest Semblance of Eternal Significance, and brace your haughty eyes. I love the Oscars. With mere minutes until the ceremony …
As I mentioned in my last post, we’ve just returned from a little trek down the freeway to sunny California. Good golly, five persons in a Jeep for two thousand …
This week’s WTRW is a day late, because we’ve just returned from an extended literary field trip of sorts. Namely, a road trip to California wherein we once again visited …
Warning: Nostalgia alert! Do these glistening, golden spines transport you right back to your youth? Little Golden Books are a timeless fixture of many a childhood. Goldilocks and the Three …
Xin Nian Kaui Le! We rang in the Year of the Dog last night with a proper Chinese feast. As a bi-racial, adoptive family it’s important for us to honor …
It’s a full week of holidays: Abe Lincoln’s 209th birthday was Monday, Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) yesterday, and Chinese New Year is Friday. Firstborn found the baby Jesus in the …
Who’s excited for the Olympics? We are! The Winter Games commenced last night, but we’re especially excited for the Parade of Nations in the opening ceremonies tonight. Feeling internationally inspired, …
For this week’s WTRW theme we’re traveling ’round the world to India. It seems particularly poignant to focus on international titles as the Winter Olympic Games officially start TOMORROW! #ColorMeEcstatic …
On Gobbler’s Knob, bright and early this morning, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and officially declared six more weeks of winter. I’ve got chocolate pudding cups & teddy grahams at …
This week’s WTRW theme features Little Man’s very favorite animal… the panda! We have a plentiful plethora of pandas in our house, from tshirts to stuffies, mainly because –like Little …
Did you know? Today is Multicultural Children’s Book Day! Despite missing a year, I’m positively delighted to be participating once again by formally reviewing the most beautiful book… Getting quality, …
A group of kangaroos is a mob, a group of primates is a troop, a group of otters is a romp, and a group of penguins is a waddle. (see …
In honor of Monday’s Martin Luther King, Jr. day, this week’s WTRW is focused squarely on human rights. Human rights: Moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human …
I’m pretty proud of Firstborn for submitting an essay into the Humane Society’s annual contest. Though her entry wasn’t selected as one of the winners, it’s [she’s] a winner in …
In my What To Read Wednesday post all about tigers, I mentioned my family pet a baby tiger cub recently… but then it dawned on me I never shared the …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday is all about tigers. It’s timely, as we recently wrapped zoology studies on Feliforms. We appreciate tigers as much as the next family, and …
I’ve been waiting all year for this installment of WTRW… We’re a bi-racial, adoptive, globally-minded family aiming to instill pride in our varied heritage. We incorporate traditions, customs, and celebrations …
One year ago today we were still hibernating from the cold Montana winter, still reeling from the loss of my grandmother, and bracing ourselves for the impending loss of Husband’s …
Today, for this post-Christmas What To Read Wednesday, I’m sharing a small sampling of titles that my family exchanged as Christmas gifts. Perhaps we are Icelandic at heart? In preparation …
Karen Carpenter was right, there’s no place like home for the holidays. This was our first Christmas back in our home state, after five years introverting in Montana. Even more …
This week’s official WTRW theme is all about owls, but seeing as how Christmas is right around the corner I decided to be a maverick and go rouge on that …
This week’s WTRW theme is all about Royalty. While I enjoy binging episodes of The Crown or The Tudors as much as the next anglophile, and I’m certainly happy for …
Advent: from the Latin “adventus” (arrival); from “advenire”, ad (to) +venire (come) Ooooooh tannenbaum… I’ve got a December bucket-list a mile long. Husband keeps gently reminding me we needn’t exhaust …
The rest of the WTRW crew is sharing titles on the topic of manners this week, but seeing as how today’s Saint Nicholas Day I figured they’d forgive my deviation… …
It seems Oregon’s the land of plenty when it comes to field-trips; there’s no shortage of adventure and extracurricular opportunity– only lack of sufficient time to squeeze it all onto …
Forgive me for being tardy with this week’s WTRW edition, but my current read (a gripping new science-fiction stolen from Husband’s stack) has me in it’s grips and actively shirking …
Friends near and far are forever asking for recommendations when planning a visit to foodie-mecca Portlandia… strong coffee, craft beer, gourmet donuts, robust wine, and food-trucks– there are almost too …
We gave thanks and feasted yesterday, as per tradition… Thanksgiving has quietly become one of my favorite holidays– all casual comfort and nourishment, without fuss or pretention. Even the kids …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday is a bit of a cornucopia. Alongside Pilgrims, Native Americans, Turkeys, and the Mayflower, I’m including a formal review of Jess Ronne’s poignant memoir, …
If you enjoy turkey/cran sammies on repeat for a week, post-Thanksgiving, go ahead and look away now. The rest of y’all? Listen up. We leave nothing to chance and are …
Greetings and warm, bookwormy salutations from this monogamous, altruistic, extroverted introvert of a reader… How ’bout you? Comment below! Folk tale: A story originating in popular culture, typically passed on …
Alongside some online pals I admire, I’m blogging through the alphabet– this week we’re focused on the letter E. In our homeschool, E is for Energy & Encouragement. I’m not …
This week Little Man had his annual well-check with his primary-care physician (he remains quite tall for his age & is expected to exceed even his Daddy in height– take …
In my haste to usher in Fall, I neglected to bid a proper farewell to what was arguably our most exciting, action-packed summer to date… “All in all, it was …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday’s a wee bit tardy, due to our post Halloween sugar crash. Coincidentally, our theme is all about nature— which makes this earth muffin especially …
We started planning for Halloween months ago. Our first back in Oregon, we knew we’d be coordinating a group theme with the cousins and spend it with our entire extended …
Fret not, Last-Minute Loo’s: Dress-up is my jam and our costume bin overfloweth. The following’s a non-exhaustive, off-the-cuff list of creative costumes that can easily be pulled together from most …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday theme is hobbies. My favorite hobby? Reading! (obvi) Besides, I’m also blogging through the alphabet with online pal Hopkins Homeschool, and this week we’re …
It is good to live in a fertile valley where one can gather wild blackberries from the briar, forage for chestnuts, fill baskets of apples from the orchard, chop down …
The best things in life are free… at least when it comes to fall décor. Each autumn I seek out the nearest chestnut tree fixin’ to add fallish charm to …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday is all about seasons. I’m fickle when it comes to weather… a fan of changing seasons, grateful to live in a valley that so …
I’ve been blogging through the alphabet with several online homeschool chums since Spring. They’re at it all over again this Fall, but that gives me the perfect opportunity to wrap …
Sometimes I joke that we really moved back to Oregon for the fresh, local produce. This summer we picked our fair share of berries, and now that autumn’s here it’s …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday is all about fire safety. It’s a timely topic as I recently took the kiddos to a fun public safety fair at the local …
We love autumn. We love astronomy. We love traditions and holidays. We love learning about other cultures, Little Man’s Asian heritage, and we love any excuse to celebrate. The monstrous, orange-tinged …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday theme is supposed to be all about gorillas. Though Husband and I just watched the latest Planet of the Apes film, and though we …
Calling all bushwackers! One needn’t venture abroad in head to toe khaki to experience a real-live safari excursion through herds of exotic animals. At Wildlife Safari in southern Oregon Husband …
This week’s What to Read Wednesday theme’s supposed to be all about war, but I deviated just a smidge, focusing instead on literature featuring fictional skirmishes and battles rather than …
Strike up the polka band and dust off your drindle– recent revelry at the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest filled my multi-cultural-loving heart to capacity as the girls and I posed as …
School’s in session, the rain’s finally arrived, and today’s the autumn equinox. Break out your boots and the pumpkin spice, ’cause it’s fall y’all! “Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that …
Wherefore art thou Shakespeare? This week’s What to Read Wednesday theme is all about Stratford-upon-Avon’s most famous citizen. I’ll spare my feeble attempt at iambic pentameter, and instead simply share …
Ah the glorious Oregon coast… moody, romantic, tumultuous yet serene. Five years in a landlocked state gave me a better appreciation for the blessing I took for granted my entire …
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