Laura Parker

Create Your Own Barnyard: Ideas for Charlotte’s Web

We are reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White as a family for our homeschooling this month. The kids and I are enjoying this delightful book, and the novel has spilled into an integrated multi-week project for my first grader. If you are looking for an easy, literature-based activity that sparks creativity and teaches the element [...]

Off the Bookshelf {May}

26. May 2010

For the Kids . . . For the Mom . . . So what are you (or your kids) reading these days? See more Off the Bookshelf. SHARE Recommend on Facebook Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend

The Bribe

17. May 2010

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I am not a parent who considers herself above a bribe. In fact, I think we all bribe and are bribed, whether we like to admit it or not. If we do the homework, we get an A. If we make the numbers at work, we get the bonus. If we clip the coupons, we [...]

Off the Bookshelf: April 2010

19. April 2010

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I am going to start a new series here at Life Overseas called, “Off the Bookshelf.” Essentially, since reading is such a major factor in our kids’ homeschooling and adult lives, I thought I would pause every now and again and write about the books we are reading in our home. If I had the [...]

LOVE

14. February 2010

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am reposting this lesson learned in February last year. Here’s to hoping I am learning to love a little better now than I was then . . . The Lesson for My Kids. As often happens in “teaching” my kids, I seem to learn more than I impart. This week [...]

Some Days

28. January 2010

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Some days are not about accomplishing anything extraordinary. They are simply about trying to endure the ordinary. Some days as a mother are not about instilling quality character traits or creating memories full of laughter for your children. Some are just about making it to bedtimes without totally losing it on them. Some days are not about exceptional [...]

Egypt: Pyramids and Mummies

9. December 2009

Here are two super-easy projects we tackled last week as we read about Ancient Egypt from Susan Bauer’s The Story of the World. If you are looking for something to focus on for a few days in your homeschooling, go check out some books at the library about Egypt, and then try out the following two [...]

Season of Thanks

26. November 2009

Remember our Tree of Thanks? Over the past few weeks, it has gotten full of leaves, each declaring a gratitude. Things like: opportunities to be humbled crackers family my Wednesday lunch friends paper towels date nights Jesus a warm house, though it’s snowy outside God’s word grace to make it to naptimes Gratitude is a [...]

Tree of Thanks

13. November 2009

A Lesson for Me. I am finding personally that there is nothing that will pull me out of a self-pitying mood more than remembering, writing, speaking, claiming, and praying the multitude of things I have to be thankful for. When I can see that the list of blessings is far longer than the list of desires, [...]

From Books to Life

21. October 2009

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I am finding this to be true in our homeschooling– if the mom is not enjoying teaching, the child will not be enjoying the learning. When the first grader starts crying and stating emphatically, “I hate school” everytime the workbooks come to the table (a.k.a. our house two weeks ago), it should be a tip that something [...]

If I Led Better . . .

25. September 2009

Bickering voices.Unthankful hearts.Critical spirits.Rebellious attitudes.A lack of service,An abundance of self. These are the things I correct, daily, in my children. These are the attitudes and actions that get verbal reprimands and long time-outs. And yet, while so much of my attention these days at home is given to trying to train out the ugly [...]

The Daily

4. September 2009

The homeschooling daily schedule is always a challenge to arrange each year and seems to change with the ages and stages of these kids we call our own. This being only my second year educating my little people, I by no means claim expertise. I also know that homeschooling is a fit for evey family [...]

Nature Journaling

31. August 2009

On Mondays, my goal in homeschooling is to have the kids and I do nature journaling together. The concept is a Charlotte Mason idea, and you can read lots about it in Karen Andreola’s book entitled The Charlotte Mason Companion. The idea is that you send kids into nature with art supplies and fresh drawing paper. [...]

Another Year Begins

27. August 2009

Kelty’s first day of school was this week. We now officially have a first-grader in the house. She is going two afternoons a week to the public school to take classes like art and music and hands-on science labs with other homeschooled children. We love the program, and we love that it is free. We [...]

Ordinary

16. August 2009

When I think of ordinary, I think dishes in the sink and laundry piled in the floor. I think of the daily routine with children—up at 7, chores after breakfast, naps at 1 o’clock, teeth brushed before bed, lights out at 8. Ordinary means Tuesdays at 10:30 and the month of March. Ordinary to me [...]

A Mother who Read to Me

6. August 2009

“You may have tangible wealth untold: caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be. I had a mother who read to me.” -Strickland Gillilan I am thankful for summertime afternoons reading library books on the back porch. I am thankful for my friend Amanda who inspires me with literature [...]

My Offering

20. July 2009

I wrote this this morning as I was struggling with the importance of my day . . . My Offering I don’t have much talent,And I don’t come with riches.I’m not at all famous,or beautiful,or strong.I’m not walking through fiery trials,Nor am I tasting much glory.I don’t have big accomplishments,or even big dreams,to lay at [...]

Building Up

30. April 2009