Teachable {MOM}ents

We like to play Monopoly Math in our house! There are two different ways you can play this game. You cover the board spaces with post its (or some type of paper) and write numbers on them.  1. Number Recognition: Have child roll dice and find the number they rolled.  2. Addition & Subtraction: Have child roll dice and find that number. Now, they will roll dice again and add or subtract that number from the number they are on (depending on child's level/what you are working on).  This could even be adapted for multiplication and division for older children! Enjoy :) Thank you for stopping by! Please leave a comment & share :)

I have this girl . This five year old, tea party planning, sweet, princess curtsying, letter writing, ballet dancing, fantastical story telling, sassy, clothes designing, pastry baking, Jesus loving girl . She has changed my life - she made me a mother. She was my "easy" child. The first born. She was advanced in almost everything as a baby, speaking in full sentences by 18 months, writing her name before she was three. She is smart and brilliant and challenging. I often have to remind her the I am the mother, that I am in charge and we have many talks about obedience (apparently she gets this from yours truly - just ask my mom!). She made me become an intentional mom. I realized that this girl would never be satisfied with the worlds standard of child rearing. She wanted to be challenged and stimulated. She has a strong will, a righteous fervor and a zeal for life - I needed to foster those traits...find a way to bring out the very best in her. But most impo...

This past Christmas, my goal was to make as many homemade gifts as possible. Partly for financial reasons, partly because I love being crafty, and partly because I get so sick of buying junky toys! One of the gifts I decided on for my two oldest was lap desks. I thought that they would enjoy them, but would also be very functional gifts. As homeschoolers, they are very useful for school work in the living room or even on their beds. They are also great for car trips! Here is the simple tutorial... What you will need: An old t.v. tray (or piece of wood) Pillow  Craft Paint Industrial Velcro Hot Glue/Gun Letter Stickers *optional* Step One: We had some old wooden tv trays sitting around from our pre-children days that we never use. So, I asked my husband to remove the actual tray (the top) from the legs. You could use any rectangular piece of wood. Step Two:  I put my children's name on their lap desks using stickers and then painting over them. Fi...

I have this boy - this wild, almost four year old, sword wielding, dirt digging, hose spraying, LOUD, train track building, matchbox car hoarding, ball throwing, tape measuring, block organizing, tender-hearted boy . He has changed my life. He has changed almost everything about my parenting. Mostly in a very good way. He taught me that I did not have it all figured out...suddenly I became the mom I never thought I would be. He humbled me. But I have also found myself more exasperated and frustrated than I ever was before as well. I have said things I *swore* I would never say like "If you don't come here right now you are going to bed for the rest of the day!"...at 11:00 a.m....yeah, not my proudest moment or smartest threat ;) I know better. I know the right things to say and the right way to handle defiance...but this boy - well, all my logic flies out the window. I have lost my temper more times than I would like to admit. In fact, I have prob...

Fun in the Sun: Paint with sidewalk paint Have a squirt gun fight Colored bubbles - food coloring in bubbles Make a giant banana split  Nature walk/bug collecting Create an obstacle course in the backyard Homemade  slip n slide  - use large trash bags or a tarp Tie-dye t-shirts Have a backyard circus Throw water balloons Sack Races Play yard twister Roast marshmallows & make s’mores Stargaze Catch fireflies in mason jars Make fresh squeezed lemonade Campout in the backyard Play in a creek/river/pond Make homemade ice cream Family bike ride Go fishing Set up lemonade stand Build a sand castle -  at the beach or in your sand box! Paint with popsicles Build with fruit blocks Watch a movie under the stars - many parks show movies, or just set up in backyard Make dirt pudding Play kickball in the backyard Go to a baseball game Fly kites   Service Projects: Water neighbors' flowers/plants O...

Loveland Castle We stopped here on our way to the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Nashville. The Loveland Castle is located just outside Cincinnati and is a wonderful enchanting experience. Only $3 per person (and our kids were free!) plus they have a lovely picnic area overlooking a river. You will notice that we had a knight and a princess with us...plus some cousins ;) Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment & share :)