Life is Labor, and Death is the Transition Phase
The whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth as it awaits its final redemption from the effects of the fall. ~Romans 8:22   As my grandma lay dying a year and a half ago, I was struck by how her suffering reflected the pains of childbirth. I felt as I watched that she was somehow being "born" ino heaven, passing out of the pain of this world to be caught up in the loving arms of her Savior on the other side, as all the angels stood by watching in joyful anticipation. I even had this Norman Rockwellish image in my head of the whole event. While it was very sad for all of us, there was a certain beauty in th

History of Art Co-Op: Ancient Art
We've been studying the history of art at co-op these past two months. The class is being taught by one of our wonderfully talented co-op mothers and I have really enjoyed being a casual participant. Every week, she sends home several projects ideas. The children are supposed to complete them as written, or do a similar project that they or their  parents might think up.   My mom was in town for the first two weeks of co-op, so we were taking break from our other schoolwork. This gave the children a lot of free time, so the first week's of projects were a lot fancier than the later ones.  For Ancient Art, the assignment was

Teaching Literature in High School with High School Classes You Can Use
The responsibility of teaching highschool literature can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many questions to be answered: what books ought to be read, should poetry be included, should literature and writing be taught separately, what are the elements of literature, how should literature be analyzed. The author of this book does a wonderful job answering all these questions and more. If you plan to homeschool through the highschool years, you will find a wealth of information and encouragement in this book. The author explains in great detail her own goals in teaching literature, and gives several practical ways to accomplish these goals. There are ideas for teaching liter

Another Reason To Dodge Cameras
Ducking, dodging, and hiding is a common occurance wherever cameras are found. (Let's face it, some of us just aren't that comfortable with our photgraphic image.) But with the  increasing popularity of digital technology comes yet another reason to hid our faces- and those of our children- from the lens.   Watch out! You may appear on Facebook!   It seems like everywhere I turn these days I find my childrens'  names and faces plastered on the internet. And, to be honest, I find this a little annoying. Though my husband and I  have tried to protect our children by keeping thei

If You Give a Child Some Cheese Wax . . .
Recently mother-in-law bought the children some little cheeses as a special treat. Who knew it would lead to a new hobby for my 12 year old son! Here are some examples of the wax modeling he has done.   wolf chasing deer Billy goat The neatest thing about this medium is that he can rework his creati