Deciding to Love Math

One of the BEST choices I made in our homeschool journey was to do math consistently. We started and stuck with a curriculum called Saxon Math. Only now, as I look back can I fully appreciate the strong foundation and mindset it instilled in all of us and I’m so grateful.

I’m going to make the case that embracing Math is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself and your children. It’s not just about understanding how to do it - it’s deeper than that. When you decide to work at understanding Math concepts and you commit to doing the work, you show your children how to be problem-solvers and that skill and mindset will serve them for all their days.

We want our children to be academically successful yet we often perpetuate the cultural norm that it’s cool and common to be bad at Math. When we look at our child’s Math lesson and joke that “it’s beyond me” or “I am NOT a Math person” we think we are being funny or humble. We are simply agreeing with everyone else that Math is a task to be endured; that it is NOT something worthy of our time and effort. But what we are doing without realizing it is showing our children that it’s okay to give up and not try to figure things out. We don’t do that with sports, so why do we allow it with Math?

The truth is, life does not let us get away with that! There are always going to be problems to solve and solutions to find. When we create a habit and model for our children the process of looking closely at a problem we don’t understand and taking time to use our minds to THINK and WONDER and PONDER and SOLVE a problem we are giving them an important LIFE SKILL!

If you’re not completely annoyed with me at this point (or even if you are), keep reading and I’ll show you how to embrace Math in your home and homeschool.

1) Examine your own mindset. Banish phrases like, “I’m no good at Math.” There’s a good chance you have your own old stories running in the back of your mind about Math, especially if you adopted a belief early in life that you weren’t good at it. If you FEEL inadequate or ashamed about Math, it’s because of the thoughts you are having about it. Really take a moment to write down what thoughts go through your mind when you think about Math. Once you examine your own thoughts, you can change them. You will also realize the power of those thoughts and be more motivated to make sure your children don’t cement negative thoughts in their own minds. Speak life. Do not say, “You are not a Math person.” Say instead, “You might not love Math, but you sure are good at it.” What you think about becomes reality and your attitude towards Math is contagious.

2) Start early* in age-appropriate ways to lay a firm foundation. Early competence breeds confidence and early confidence will fuel your kids when problems get more difficult. Here’s where Saxon Math really helped my children. In the K-3 grade levels, the daily lesson is heavy with routine, repetition and hands on activities.. It included the use of manipulatives which are very effective and fun for young children. I’ll admit, it was a lot of work for me as the teacher. Every day, I would fill out a little form with the daily exercises using money, counting, arithmetic, telling time and later word problems. I would sit and read the lesson with my child at that age because they weren’t yet reading themselves. It took effort and required that I plan a schedule of activities for the other children so I could focus on one at a time.

Only later did I experience the fruit of all that labor and consistency. Once my children could read on their own, they were able to complete their Math lessons on their own. They knew how to read a lesson and do the work because we had done it over and over again together. They also knew that I was invested in their Math success and would help them when they had a question. The habit of doing Math first, every day made it much easier to stay on track. Most of all, they had a firm foundation from all that practice. They knew their Math facts, so addition, subtraction, multiplication and division were easy and didn’t hold them back as their lessons got more complex. As a tutor now, I see often how painful Math is when these foundational pieces are not in place. It is difficult to learn Algebra if you don’t have your multiplication table memorized!

*A clarification about “starting early”: Toddlers can count cars or oranges - but only for FUN. If we radiate joy and wonder at learning, our toddlers and preschoolers will WANT to learn. Even still, no formal lessons are needed at all until age 6 or 7.

3) Make it fun and personal - allow Math to be relatable to every personality and giftedness. I understand that Math will not be every child’s first love, but there are so many ways to make it work for each person so please don’t let that be an excuse to hate it. My oldest daughter is an artist. She’s a day dreamer, a writer and a dancer. Math felt so uninteresting to her but I found ways to make it relatable. When she was little, she loved fairies and spent considerable time building fairy houses in the yard or drawing fairies so, when we came across a multiplication problem, I would say something like, “Oh these mathematicians! Sometimes they use so few words! Let’s pretend that you are hosting a party for 100 fairies. You can sit 10 fairies at each table. How many tables will you need to decorate for the party??” If I had a child that was baffled by long word problems, we would take the opposite approach. “Okay, this feels like way too many words - let’s simplify it by writing what they are saying in numbers and symbols. The word “of” means times, the word “is” stands for =,” etc… Find creative ways to make Math relatable to your kids by talking about it in terms that interest them - Do they love cars, trains, dance, or Marvel heroes? Talk about Math concepts in ways that make it real to your child. Making it fun and personal does NOT mean switching curriculum every 6 months because your child is still not enjoying Math. When you keep switching, you lose time and create holes in your student’s knowledge base. You create a mindset in which the teacher or the tool is blamed for not imparting knowledge well when it is actually the student’s job to take in knowledge and make it their own. So make the best decision possible to find a curriculum that works with your child’s learning style or special needs and then commit to staying the course. If you pick a high quality, well-designed program it WILL do the job if you do. Put your head down and do the work.

Making it fun and personal does NOT mean switching curriculum every 6 months because your child is still not enjoying Math.

4) Be consistent and create habits. Competency breeds confidence and early thoughts about one’s Math abilities stick. When you do these lessons regularly, it becomes less of a burden. We did Math at least 4 mornings a week. It does not work to do Math once or twice a week because concepts are easily forgotten if they are not practiced regularly. It slows progress and creates more moments and memories of NOT knowing how to do something. This is so important especially in grammar school because remembering how to do things and making a habit of working out problems builds character and grows competence. The more moments of success your child has early on, the more skilled your child will be and their confidence will determine their belief about their ability which, as we know, will determine how they feel about their own Math ability for a lifetime.

5) Always be a problem-solver - you don’t have to know all the answers, but you do need to be willing to be curious. Be willing to THINK and PONDER and try different solutions yourself in partnership with your child. Show them how to look back at the explanation in their Math book. Reread the lesson. Be a scholar! You are modeling for them how to solve their own problems later in their schooling and throughout all of life. If you reach an impasse, get help because you WANT to know the answer, not because you’ve given up. This is important. We shouldn’t google the solution or watch Khan Academy or hire a tutor because we have given up but because we WANT to understand.

Sprinkler Repair courtesy of youTube, Ace Hardware and ME!

Life will provide many opportunities to problem-solving either in our work or our homes. A toilet handle will need replacing, a sprinkler will break, a car battery will die, a schedule will need to be adjusted. A can-do mindset serves us for the rest of our lives and it is strengthened by early experiences as a problem-solver.

I’m proof of this concept, having learned many ways to care for a home over the years. I didn’t WANT to have to learn these skills, but I did. Did I feel overwhelmed by household tasks? Yes! Did I WANT to throw in the towel and get someone who was skilled or trained to do them for me? Yes! But I learned to calmly “work the problem” until I found a solution. In the end, it really wasn’t that bad. Math wisdom, my friends. Math wisdom.

I even created a FREE guide so others could learn from me: Fix-It Mama Household Basics.

You see, it’s not about whether you were going to need to use the Pythagorean Formula as an adult, it’s about appreciating the beauty of problem-solving and finding a bit of joy in struggling to reach a solution. So, have I convinced you to value Math more? I hope so. I hope you feel encouraged and a little bit inspired. If you haven’t been doing this, start slowly. Mind your mind and be really gracious with yourself and your children.

The best way to do Math in your homeschool is early and consistently, but it is very common for students to have missed this experience. If this is true for your student, it’s not too late!! We can adjust our thinking at any stage of life. If your student needs help finding some joy and competence in Math, I’m hosting a 4 week class for students who need some encouragement and support. It’s designed for Junior High students preparing to start Algebra.. The goal is to strengthen skills, encourage a love of Math and build confidence. You can read more about it and sign your student up here: Algebra Prep School. Maybe we should have a mom version so we can have fun with Math together. I’ll serve wine.

5 Ways that Time in Nature will Change your Life

I find comfort in accomplishing tangible tasks. Because of this, I tend to put time in Nature in the category of recreation. Unless I’m gardening, being outside doesn’t usually provide an end product that I can see so I resist giving my time to it. But every time I do get outside, my mind is refreshed and I know that the time spent makes whatever I’m working on better. Here’s what I’ve learned about nature’s benefits:

1) Fresh air and new scenery refreshes the mind.

A walk around the block is a quick reset, but spending an hour or more on a hike is transformative. Yesterday, my kids and I drove into our local open space - Mt. Diablo State Park. The green fields, early blooming trees, and running streams were stunningly beautiful. As we drove higher up the mountain, the scenery changed to bare oaks and scrub bushes and we were surrounded by a cold fog. We hiked a steep trail for the last 2 miles to the summit, climbing over rocks and admiring the moss and lichen growing profusely on the trees. Getting my heart rate up and looking closely at the details along the trail, I was aware of using parts of my mind that had not been tapped of late. When I got home I was full of ideas and had a new perspective on my work.

2) It’s a great way to spend time with your teens.

Nature is the great equalizer. I live with 5 teens/young adults and finding an activity to do together is often a challenge. Food and media are the favored choices these days; family outings are more difficult to pull off. But going on a hike; being outdoors has been an easy sell lately. The more we go, the more memories we have together. When we have fun together outdoors, the more likely it is that my gang will be up for doing it again. It becomes a habit. Maintaining a strong family connection as our kids get older is a challenge. (I think our teens WANT to do things as a family, they are just pickier about how they are willing to spend their time.) Going on an outdoor adventure is a great solution.

3) Nature Instructs

Spending time in nature is a great way to build critical thinking in young children. Naturalist John Muir Laws teaches his students to ask questions as a way of observing in nature. They are, “I notice” - talking aloud about all the things you see (easy to do with a toddler or young child!), “I wonder…” and “It reminds me of…” You can read more about this process and other tips about Nature journaling in his book, The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling.

4) Nature instills a sense of place.

All too often I focus on my own house and yard, forgetting to spend time in the greater landscape around me. When we explore the place we live, we feel more grounded, more at home in our community. Visit your local state park’s visitor’s center for local guides to trails, plants, birds and history. One of my goals this year is to try as many trails in our local state park as possible, identifying the plants, trees and flowers that grow there and learning the history of the place names. I love the image of childhood that John Greenleaf Whittier paints in his poem, The Barefoot Boy. We memorized this over many weeks in our homeschool - it’s a favorite for sure! As a mom, I’m inspired by the idea that my children could possess as their own the beautiful natural world around them by knowing it well. Listen to a few of these lines: “Oh for boyhood’s painless play, Sleep that wakes in laughing day, Health that mocks the doctor’s rules, Knowledge never learned of schools, Of the wild bee’s morning chase, Of the wild-flower’s time and place, Flight of fowl and habitude Of the tenants of the wood; How the tortoise bears his shell, How the woodchuck digs his cell, And the ground-mole sinks his well; How the robin feeds her young, How the oriole’s nest is hung; Where the whitest lilies blow, Where the freshest berries grow, Where the ground-nut trails its vine, Where the wood-grape’s clusters shine; Of the black wasp’s cunning way, Mason of his walls of clay, And the architectural plans Of gray hornet artisans! For, eschewing books and tasks, Nature answers all he asks; Hand in hand with her he walks, Face to face with her he talks, Part and parcel of her joy,— Blessings on the barefoot boy!” I love that our children could feel the thrill of being masters and caretakers of their world, that they could look back on their childhood and think “ I was rich in flowers and trees, Humming-birds and honey-bees;…”

For more nature poems, grab my list of Favorite Poems.

5) Nature reminds us of God’s faithfulness.

I tend to worry about life. I feel the weight of responsibility to provide for myself and my children financially, physically, and emotionally. I easily slip into thinking that it’s all up to me. Observing the wonders of nature reminds me that even the smallest details are creatively and faithfully executed and repeated. The seasons change, the sun rises, the stars show up, the trees lose their leaves but new ones blossom, the flowers bloom, the grass greens and dries, birds sing, nest and have babies. It all repeats, creatively, faithfully, reliably. But we only witness these miracles if we are paying attention.

I love the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. “Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.”

Ways to get started:

A hike away from streets, houses, and noise is ideal but we can start with our children in small ways, sending them in to the yard with a magnifying glass, planting a garden, or filling a bird feeder with seed and watching to see who shows up. Have them collect things they find interesting then set out paper and colored pencils and let them sketch what they found. Pull out a field guide and try to identify flowers or trees or birds. As they get older, pick a hike that everyone can do and repeat it regularly. The photo at the top of this post and the one here is from our favorite hiking spot. My kids are big now, but we still think of this spot as one of our special places and like to go. We even took our family portrait up there one year.

Carole Joy Seid has inspiring advice that can help me know if we’ve been spending enough time in nature:

“If your kids aren’t dirty enough at the end of the day to need a bath, then they haven’t spend enough time outside.”

They don’t have to get THIS dirty, but if they do, it will be a fun memory!

How do YOU like to enjoy nature?

Getting Organized in the New Year - Teaching your Kids how to Never Need Marie Kondo to come Rescue Them

Have you watched it yet? Like so many, I’ve been enjoying the Marie Kondo Netflix series on Tidying Up. I never read the book, but the show about families who desperately need help getting organized in their homes has been inspiring and instructive. My 13 year old daughter has been watching it too and she recently commented that it surprised her how the people featured on the show seemed unable to manage their homes before meeting and being trained by Marie Kondo. It was one of those revelations kids have when they see that not everyone has had the same experiences in life that they have.

Since my kids were little, they have been doing chores. I made managing our home a team effort, delegating age appropriate tasks to the children over the years. It was my way of surviving with 5 children but it had so many benefits that I could not have imagined. They learned simple tasks like making their bed, dusting, vacuuming, wiping down the bathroom counter, cleaning windows (the Windex spray bottle was always fun!) and picking up their toys. We mostly tidied up together and I would throw the windows open to the fresh air and play music to make it joyful and fun.

Every once in a while we would tackle bigger tasks together. I taught them how to clean out their drawers, passing down clothes they had outgrown to the next child or putting them into the “grow into” box in the garage. Whenever they asked for new clothes, I asked them to first go check their drawers to see if they REALLY did need more.

My daughter’s drawer after a clean out - when she goes through her clothes, she sees all that she already owns and can share with someone else the items she no longer needs.

About once a year, we would all empty the garage onto the driveway and take an afternoon to purge the excess then organize it again into a functional storage space.

When we clean out a really full space, we start by emptying it of everything that will need to be addressed. If it’s not a shelving unit or a large item that is staying for sure, it comes out. It’s so much easier to make decisions as you put things back in the space than to stand in the middle of a mess and wonder where to start.

Doesn’t this look like a Marie Kondo inspired effort? These guys have done this over and over again throughout their childhood - about 3 Saturday mornings a year some big household task is tackled whether is gardening, cleaning the garage, or decluttering their bedrooms. We do it together because we all live here.

Now, don’t misunderstand me - our efforts never approach Martha Stewart perfection and I’m not as good at cleaning as I am at tidying up, but those team efforts at simplifying our home and giving away what we did not need created some helpful habits in my children which will serve them in the long run.

What’s your situation with clutter and household organization? Do your kids have experience cleaning out a drawer or a garage? Have they learned Marie Kondo’s method of asking if an item “sparks joy” for them or not? Do they know that they can thank an item for being part of their life before letting it go? (I love that one!)

I found this video a few days ago and it made me smile. It’s not exactly the same method Marie teaches, but it’s another good way of deciding what to keep and what to let go. Ask of each item, “Is it useful? Is it beautiful? Do I love it?” If the answer is “No” to all three, let it go.

You can make up your own questions to help yourself or your children sort through and make decisions about what they will keep. A friend of mine posted on Instagram about having her boys ask of their toys, “Is it boring?” That question was more helpful and understandable to them than “Does it spark joy?”

I’m grateful that I needed to find help within my own household. If I had been granted my wish of being able to hire a cleaning crew or gardener regularly my children would have missed the opportunity to learn a life skill. The blessing was in the midst of the challenge.

Several years ago I created a strategy I call “The 22 Skidoo.” It’s our way of doing a quick bit of tidying. If your kids are just learning to pick up the house, try this simple, short exercise. Whenever the house is cluttered, announce, “It’s time for a 22 Skidoo, everyone!” Each person - the young and the old - must pick up 22 items and put them away where they belong. It’s amazing what a quick team effort can accomplish!

I’d love to know what you do in your home to tidy up. Have you taught your children some of these skills?

How to make a Christmastime Birthday Special

My daughter was born on December 28 - right between holidays and in the middle of the week when most people are absolutely exhausted and tired of the hustle-bustle and socializing. I wasn't sure how to celebrate that first year - how could we make her birthday feel set apart and special?

I received a gift that December - the gift of a great idea - and it’s given us a creative way to slip into birthday mode in the midst of the holidays.

It’s the Birthday Tree.

On Abby’s birthday each year, I take the Christmas ornaments off the tree and transform it into the Birthday Tree. The first few years I bought new ribbon and shimmering balls in the theme colors.

On her first birthday, the theme was Angels:

I found ribbon in soft pastels with hints of golden glitter. Guests brought an angel ornament and I added in the ornaments we already had that referenced angels. I love this picture because the painting in the background was me, painted by my grandmother but it looked so much like Abby - she thought it was her for years!

Vintage angel cake toppers, wooden angels from our whirligig, angel tree ornaments and mercury glass candles surround the homemade carrot cake.

Birthday #2 was a vintage 1940’s theme. I chose ribbon in patterns and colors that referenced our favorite children's books from that era.

Birthday #3 was the Princess Birthday and Abby was ready to help decorate her tree - so much fun!!

Birthday #4 was a polka dot theme - all the ribbons were spotted and wrapping paper too! On this birthday, I decorated with old photos of the birthday girl.

Another year, the theme was ballet to match her passion for dance and the kids were all old enough to help make a Bûche de Noël for her.

As Abby got older, we reused some of these original ribbons, mixing them and hanging what felt right that year. We decorated with the ornaments she had received each year. Some years there was more of a theme than others. As I look back, there are a few years when we didn't make much of the birthday tree and there are no photos.

One year, when life circumstances had made the holidays particularly painful for me, I took the Christmas tree and decorations down right after Christmas (I needed it to be over) and made the Birthday Tree out of a large branch from our yard. It felt like a fresh start to a new year as well as a special “tree” for my girl.

When my kids were babies, I made up little songs for them. Abby’s was sung to the tune of Hark the Herald Angels Sing perhaps because she came at Christmastime. I’ll never forget the look on her face at the age of 3 when we were sitting in church and she heard the entire congregation singing “her song”. There is joy to be found in the imperfect and having a birthday at the holidays is one of those lovely limitations that inspires creativity.

I’m not sure yet what this year’s theme will be - perhaps Hygge, since my girl is now 13 and loves that style. Looks like I’ll be shopping the after Christmas sales to find little wooden ornaments and creamy neutral textures.

Do you have a family birthday during the holidays? What has your family done to make it feel special?

Homemade Advent Calendars

Happy December 1st!! Can you believe it’s here already?? We put our tree up last night - the earliest date ever for our family and I’m loving it! I’m ready for the music, the cookie-making, the Advent season at church, and that joyful energy of anticipation and celebration.

Today I’m sharing a sweet tradition - making homemade paper Advent calendars.

Years ago, I found a cardstock template with the little windows already cut out but that product hasn’t been available for awhile, so my kids have been making their own. Here’s how we do it…

1) Use the back of an old advent calendar as a template, tracing the little window openings.

2) Using an exacto knife and a self-healing mat, carefully cut along the lines, leaving one side still attached.

3) Turn the page over so the pencil lines won’t show.

4) Use high quality colored pencils to create a design that covers the entire front of the paper. Christmas books, cards or magazines can inspire the design as well as favorite things like sports teams or pets.

This one tells the Christmas story…

This one reveals what was top of mind for my 10 year old boy one year…

5) Number your windows.

6) Place a matching - sized sheet of paper underneath and trace the shape of the windows onto it.

7) Decorate the bottom page so little images or words fill the places the windows will reveal when opened.

8) Use a permanent glue stick to seal the two pages together.

9) Hang your Advent calendar and open the numbered windows for December 1-25.

Here’s Abby’s for this Christmas.

Have FUN and take JOY, friends!! Let me see what your kids make - in the comments here or on Instagram Merry Christmas!!

Mitten Strings Mindset

One of the most influential books in all my parenting life has been “Mitten Strings for God” by Katrina Kenison. The tagline is “Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry” and those bits of wisdom, shared so beautifully, were exactly what I needed as a young mother of 5 when I first read it years ago. With chapter titles like, “Peace”, “Dailiness” and “Simplicity”, Katrina’s experience spoke straight to my heart with understanding about what I faced but also encouragement to be more mindful about my choices as a parent. I’m forever grateful for that guidance from a mom who had gone before me.

And so, as I seek to connect with and encourage young moms, I must share this book. At the time of this post, we are entering the holiday season. I can’t imagine a better time to lock arms as mothers and think about the choices we are making for our children. How we are spending our time and our money? What really is most important? How can we enjoy these years and find true JOY in them?

I would LOVE for you to JOIN ME for the next 30 days and, whether you just listen in or jump into the conversation, I hope that Katrina’s words and my interpretation of them speaks to your heart and encourages you! Watch the brief welcome video below and consider following along.

It’s so simple to participate in my book study - Just sign up HERE and you’ll get a daily email with the video of the day - a short 5-7 minutes of me sharing my favorite tidbits from the book, chapter by chapter. You will have access to all the videos as long as the course is on my site along with a place to comment, connect, ask questions and gain encouragement. It’s completely FREE.

You don’t need to purchase the book to participate but there is so much goodness in it that I cannot cover in our short videos, it would be a great addition to your parenting library if your budget allows. (Yes, the link to the right is an affiliate link which I hope will eventually help me continue to create fun things for moms.)

I wish for you much JOY as you love and connect with the children in your life.

Warmly,

Jill

Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry

By Katrina Kenison

3 Steps to Changing your Home Decor without Creating more Clutter

The best method I know for successfully changing out your home decor for a new season involves just a few steps:

1) Create a blank slate. I got this idea from The Nester, who calls it Quieting the Room. She talks about it brilliantly here and here and also in her books, The Nesting Place and The Cozy Minimalist. Basically, you remove everything from the surfaces along with pillows and seasonal items, leaving only the foundational pieces - furniture, rugs, tables, lamps, etc…

In this room, I’ve left the items that won’t be changing.

2) Find something that speaks to you. Let it be the inspiration for the season’s decor.

In this case, perhaps the metal and wood of the lantern will set the tone and other items will follow the theme of metal and wood…

Or maybe this little vintage Santa will inspire the feel of your home this year…

This colorful item was brought into our home after the holidays last winter. It became the jumping off point for the stying of our red hutch.

Every item here was chosen with inspiration from the rooster on wood print.

So, in this case, I bought the rooster print (50% off at Hobby Lobby) then found decor items that I already owned to go with it. Check your stash of stuff before you buy more.

Before you head out to buy more stuff, check your stash of decor items. Taking the time to organize it by material (metal, ceramic, wood) will make choosing items easier.

3) Add a little bit at a time, rather than in a mad rush, so you can be creative. Holiday decorating does not have to mean pulling out everything in your red and green tubs. Slow down and see what feels right this year. The Nester talks about this HERE. Perhaps some branches from the yard or the extra boughs left over at the Christmas tree lot will serve as decor, filling the room with texture from nature.

All of this aligns with slowing down bit, making things simple and being mindful about what we let into our homes. I’m currently sharing a book that I’ve loved over the years about finding joy in the simple things. You can read about it HERE.

You are the home - maker. You set the tone. Have FUN. Be CREATIVE. Take JOY.

Jill

The Lonely Scarecrow

Since I can’t help but read children’s picture books ANY time of the year and ESPECIALLY not in Fall, here’s another installment in the series, Through the Seasons with Children’s Literature - Fall edition. This week’s book is Tim Preston’s “The Lonely Scarecrow” which I bought for the gorgeous cover, but fell in love with for the sweet story and Maggie Kneen’s vibrant illustrations. They are done in a raised texture which children (and adults) can’t resist touching. I’ve written some lesson plans and ideas for using this book with your children so you can create memories around another Fall favorite.

I also recorded another video of me reading the story, so if you’d like 8 free minutes, mama, you can park your littles in front of the video and I’ll entertain them. Or perhaps YOU need someone to read YOU a story? Then, cuddle up and I’ll read to you too.

Children can narrate the story by writing or drawing what they remember or, if they aren’t yet writers, dictating it to you. I’ve also had students create their own scarecrow with colored pencils, scraps of fabric, etc… Here’s an example…

The Lonely Scarecrow

By Tim Preston, Maggie Kneen

Strathmore 500 Series Visual Mixed Media Journal, 9"x12" Vellum, Wire Bound, 34 Sheets

Pro-Art

Enjoy this sweet book! Next week I’ll post one about Thanksgiving and then, (oh my!) we’ll be ready to look at holiday books! Happy reading!

xo

Jill

Through the Seasons with Children's Literature - Fall

My children are no longer little. We don’t cuddle up on the sofa and read picture books every day anymore. But sometimes we still do. Yes, even at 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 years old, they will sprawl out - long arms and legs spilling onto the floor and listen to one of our old favorites - for two reasons:

1) We have deep memories attached to these stories.

2) The best children’s literature is just as much fun to read as an adult as it was when one was a child. Sometimes it’s even better.

If I could recommend ONE activity that positively shaped our family life over the years, it would be reading together. Cuddling up together to share stories created connections, instilled shared memories, produced inside jokes, awakened imagination, inspired play, developed grammar and writing abilities, and cemented a love of learning in all of us. Choosing “living books” as educator Charlotte Mason called them made all the difference.

A living book is one that is beautifully written and that contains thoughtful ideas. It inspires deep thinking and fosters an attitude of wonder, causing us to find connections to other ideas and to see the world differently.

All this from well-chosen picture books? Yes.

Today, I’m sharing one of our favorite Fall read-alouds, a living book on many levels, “The Apple Pie that Papa Baked” written by Lauren Thompson and, just as importantly, illustrated by Jonathan Bean.

I’m also sharing my lesson plans for this book so you can simply read it to your children or also extend that activity in several beneficial and FUN ways.

1) Sit together and read the story. Isn't it sweet? Go slow enough that your children can observe the details in the illustrations. Some of the story is told with illustrations alone. You might let your children “tell” you the story found in the pictures. Don't make it a quiz. Just enjoy the story together. Let them react in their own way - there are no right answers. In fact, they might notice something that you didn’t see.

2) Read it again (in the same sitting or later), noticing the rhythm and repetition in the story. You might use your voice to emphasize how it builds. Don’t talk about the rhythm, just read it in a way that makes it evident.

3) Art: Notice the illustrations - they are made with woodcut printing. From here, you can either find other examples of woodcut artwork or, when you encounter it in other places, see if your children make the connection. “This reminds me of ________.” is a valuable line of thinking to use across all of life.

4) Grammar: Read it another time, emphasizing the ADJECTIVES with your voice.

5) Read it on another occasion, this time, leaving out the adjectives without telling your children you are doing so. They will notice and it will be funny! Talk about adjectives. “An adjective is a word that describes a noun.” Do the adjectives make the story better? You can extend this activity throughout your life this week. Ask your child to be more descriptive by asking, “What kind of __________?” or “Which one?” about everyday things. Whenever they speak a noun, ask for more detail. This will become a silly game, an inside joke, a point of camaraderie and connection with your children.

“How was the car ride?” “Long and boring.”

What kind of orange was it? “Juicy and sweet.”

What is your coach like? “Tall and kind.”

Which sweatshirt would you like to wear? “ - the one that is blue, warm and cozy.”

You can take this grammar lesson as far as you want. We got to the point where we were assigning a part of speech to each kid who was piled on the sofa when we read this story. I was the narrator and one kid would speak all the nouns, one only the adjectives, one the verbs, one the prepositions, one the articles, etc…. It was hilarious! And it was grammar.

6) Do an activity together: Go apple picking. Eat some apples, Make an apple pie.

Isn’t it amazing how much we can do with just ONE beautifully written children’s book? I’d love to hear what ideas you come up with to extend this story into other areas of life and learning. Share with us in the comments below.

At the very least, read this story, cuddled up with your children. Let the rhythm and the illustrations comfort and entertain. Enjoy it!

While your local library might have a copy, this is a great one to own. Here’s a link…

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

By Lauren Thompson

If your children would like to hear it read by me - here’s a 7 minute clip. I’ll try to keep them entertained and, If you hurry, you might just get a shower in today! Run!!

Make your Home Cozy - Fall Edition

One of my favorite things to do is to decorate my home. The process never looks like a designer’s dream though. Almost never has it involved buying new furniture or high end decor. I’ve had the pleasure of investing in a few big ticket items over my 25 years of creating a home, like sofas and some bedroom furniture, but the rest has been gathered over time and had a home before it belonged to us. In fact, everything I learned about creating a cozy home for my family came from working within my limitations. In the early years, I would buy a gallon of paint to refresh a room since we could never replace or remodel anything. I would move the few furniture items we had to new places, trying desperately to get the look I wanted. Often I would throw my hands up in the air and, half laughing/half crying, declare that I was just rearranging the garage sale display!

Nowadays, my house is furnished with a few things we bought new, most that I gathered used and a collection of inexpensive decor collected or made over time. I remember when I was young wondering how in the world my mother in law had managed to collect so many beautiful things - books, plates, candles and other decor items. Her home and cabinets were a treasure trove of beautlful things. I loved it all! I know now that 25 years into the homemaking gig, if you’ve gathered little things you love here and there, that you can have a collection of meaningful items that are beautiful and special to you and that it will be better then all new, all-at-once, on trend everything.

So now, when the seasons change and I have time to putter around the house changing up the decor, it’s still not perfect or new or on trend but each little item I put out is special, curated and full of memories. Here are a few vignettes I created this week in our home. For more ideas, grab my FREE Guide: 4 Ways to Create a Home you Love.

A favorite children’s book, pewter pieces from a dear friend, a photo of my children when they were little, old books from a neighbor’s yard sale, yarn wreath made by my daughter, an old French drawer, an old oil can, and a card from Trader Joe’s taped to a frame.

Tabletop beauty: wooden tray - Southern Living Home, old books from neighbor’s yard sale, antique shoe mold - a gift from my sister, a German beer stein, green balls from Homegoods, real white pumpkins from Trader Joe’s.

A few touches of Fall color change this room with the season. The striped chair is a roadside find with a PB curtain over it. Curtains - calico corners fabric sewn by a friend, end table, lamp, bust - consignment, oil painting by my grandmother, sofa - Flexsteel, pillows, rug and coffee table - Pottery Barn, string lights because we don’t have overhead lighting.

Watercolor of Mt. Diablo and frame was a gift from a sweet family member, fabric pumpkin made by my girls. Real pumpkins from Trader Joe’s.

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One of the people who has influenced my style and more importantly, helped me LOVE my imperfect home is Myquillan Smith - aka, The Nester. I found her blog about 10 years ago during a time when my kids were little, the days were long and we were renting a run down old ranch house. We had no money to make it pretty. I’ll never forget the first of her blog posts that I read. It was about making window “mistreatments” and it involved her standing on her kitchen counter and using her shoe to pound a nail through a piece of fabric to make a curtain for her kitchen window. I was inspired and I no longer felt alone.

She talked about “lovely limitations” and quoted Henri Matisse: “Much of the beauty that arises in art comes from the struggle an artist wages with his limited medium.” Amen. Eventually, she wrote a book sharing her tips and wisdom around creating a lovely home. You can order it HERE:

The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful

By Myquillyn Smith

She uses a great hashtag on Instagram: #idhtbptbb - it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. Isn’t that so true??

It took an attitude shift for me to start appreciating the simple little things I’d been able to gather over the years to not dismiss them as junk or not “real decor”. The whole purpose of creating beauty in our homes should be to tell a story, to remind us of moments and experiences and to invite us to engage in the most meaningful activities. It doesn’t matter that a chair came from the side of the road - it matters that people have a place to sit.

The Nester’s latest book is about creating a beautiful home without so much STUFF. I’m reading an advance copy right now and I love it. It’s available for pre-order and there are some great bonuses if you pre-order by a certain date.

Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff

By Myquillyn Smith

I hope you feel encouraged and empowered to embrace the imperfect and use what you have to create a home your family loves. For more ideas, grab my FREE Guide: 4 Ways to Create a Home you Love.