Classic Hilton's

One of the podcasts I like to listen to is Homeschool Snapshots with Pam Barnhill. It's a peek into the lives of the homeschooler next door. She often asks her guest, "What literary classic is your homeschool day most like?" and occasionally she gives options: Swiss Family Robinson , Little Women , or Lord of the Flies . I finally know what my answer would be. This weekend we took the kiddos to see Little Women by the marvelously talented folks at Servant Stage Company .  That's when it hit me. When my kids get a second of time for free play (which is pretty often), the go up to our playroom, dress in costumes, blast some tunes, and put on a show! I've always identified with Jo, the night owl whose mind comes alive with stories! Plus she starts a school with the house left to her by her aunt, so, bonus!

"Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" In Matthew 14:22-33, Peter experiences the miraculous. Again. Earlier in the week, John the Baptist had been beheaded. Grieving, Jesus and his disciples withdrew to a remote location for some privacy and instead encountered a crowd of needy people. Jesus had compassion on them and spent the rest of the day teaching and healing and then feeding them all a huge meal with just a few loaves and fish. Then Jesus puts his disciples into a boat and went away for some quiet prayer time. I imagine there were some big emotions on the boat that evening. The rush of the miracle, the demands of the crowd, the ache of sadness accompanying the news about John, the fear that they could be next on Herod's list (!), and the exhaustion of such a full, demanding day...so much so that they didn't even not

We have entered into birthday season and I am lost somewhere along memory lane. This evening I came across this gem from my blog, written five years ago: "Where do you see yourself in five years?  Isn't that a strange question to ponder? My life today is so drastically different from where we were  one  year ago, I can't even begin to imagine what five years might be. Brooklyn will be 11.  ELEVEN!!  Jr high! Puberty!! Grayson will be six, and tiny, newborn Madi will be five. So hard to imagine! I can only hope that Ray will be working steadily as an actor, earning enough to cover our bills, and that I will be coordinating multiple classes and shows for CYT Smyrna which by then will be boasting enrollment numbers in the hundreds and a staff of more than two. I can dream." Well here we are...five years later! Grayson IS six. Brooklyn and Madi are on their way to 11 and 5. Ray IS working full time as an actor, covering our bills, and I am living my dream. Not exa

Our days in this season of life follow a very relaxed structure. Each day has such very different demands. While I would prefer to go with the flow, whatever that may be, my kids prefer a more defined plan. They like to know what to expect at any given moment. So our daily rhythm falls somewhere between these two extremes.  My day starts between 6:30 and 7:00 AM with coffee and my Bible. I love connecting through Hello Mornings because of its grace based approach to starting my day in submission to the Lord. Through accountability, community, and Bible study I get that flexible structure I need - a big theme in my life right now! My "early riser" (the four year old) will often join me on the couch while I read. My husband makes breakfast while I enjoy a second cup of coffee and supervise morning chores. By 9 AM he is out the door to work (except when he's not...because that would be too easy.) At this point I give my kids a warning that we will start our school day at 9

I adore September.  It's not what you're thinking. I'm not a big fan of pumpkin spice anything and I'm not counting down the days until Christmas, but I do love Fall and Winter. True, September 1st is not the start of fall, but it is the beginning of the end of summer.  In September I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The end of the oppressive heat and ever fluctuating vacation schedules. Rhythms return to normal. Apples will soon be out in delicious abundance and yes, pumpkins will turn the world a lovely color of orange. Cooler weather and warmer drinks; September is beautiful and full of promise. 

The 2016-2017 Academic Year officially commenced on July 1st, 2016.  I am now the proud (and terrified!) mother teacher of a 5th grader, kindergartner, and pre-k-er.   We planned to start school on Monday July 11th, but an unexpected tour around Lancaster county turned out to be very educational, so we counted it as a field trip and Monday became day 2 of our school year.  We are now in our second week of our summer term, and things are going swimmingly.   We are keeping a light, flexible schedule, leaving plenty of time for impromptu play dates and lots of time outside. We start with "Morning" time, which usually takes place after lunch when it's too hot to be outside.  We read aloud (we finished Roverandom ,and a really bad adaptation of  Peter Pan , and we are currently working through  Cricket in Times Square ) and color for about 10-15 minutes.  Then Brooklyn works on her math while Grayson and I do Calendar time. Madi sort of flits around, half participating, ha