Summer Fun 2017

Wow! Our summer has flown by this year! It is hard to imagine that it will be time to start a new school year soon. My children are actually asking to start school, which we will start (hopefully) in about three more weeks.  How has your summer been? Are you (or your children) ready for "Back-to-School"?


We have participated in summer reading programs, played card and board games as a family, the children loved making mud puddles with the water hose in the backyard, they spent time with the grandparents, and they played at a near-by creek. Summer memories have been made! 


If I were to ask my children to name their favorite thing we did this summer, it would probably be the Summer Reading Program for our local library with some homeschooling friends. A sweet homeschool mama headed up this great program. They had a goal of reading 400 minutes over a 5 week period and were able to collect pledge money for meeting this goal. Afterwards, they each got to pick out a book from Usborne as a reward. Usborne also let the children pick out a book valued at half of their pledge amount collected to be donated to our local library. I love having opportunities for my children to help their community as well as our local library. 

Summer is also my time to plan for our upcoming school year, review what did or did not work for us last school year, and to continue my teacher training. I read a lot of books and online articles concerning how to teach children, child development, and educational methods. Over the past year, we have been dipping our toes in the Charlotte Mason philosophy. A good many of my books in my reading pile reflect this as well. Here is a list of what I have been reading here and there over this summer:

1. Different by Sally and Nathan Clarkson (rereading)
2. A Different Kind of Hero by Sally and Joel Clarkson (rereading)
3. Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon
4. Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison (rereading)
5. More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison (rereading)
6. Give Your Child the World by Jamie C. Martin
7. Beyond Survival by Diana Waring
8. Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes
9. Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

My summer reading!

In other news, I wrote my first magazine article this summer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! I am still tickled pink that I had this opportunity. I've been reading the TOS magazine since we first decided that we were going to homeschool. You can read the current issue online at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

My copy of the Summer 2017 issue.