Activities, Activities, Activities

A lot of time has gone by since my last homeschooling post. I've posted about raising kids, loving your spouse, but today I'm taking it back to the home school (somebody out there gets that :)).

The girls spent a day catching lizards and making habitats for them. I am so glad that they are not squimish like me when it comes to lizards. I am not afraid of bugs of any kind but a lizard on my front porch will send this grown lady who LOVES being outside, into the house pretty quickly.

We've completed our science project using the scientific method from springtime science. Madison wrote out her conclusion, and I challenged her to think about her sentences and incorporate what she's learned from her Rod & Staff English book this year. I told her that if she wrote a great paragraph, we would skip the English lesson because I would see that she's learned and retained the information that we've covered this year. Let me tell you, I was impressed. And I'm glad because during the 5 months that she was in public school I saw some pretty amazing writings posted on the walls of the 1st grade halls at the school. I determined from that that I really needed to make sure that she is able to write coherent sentences as early as she is read, and I was proud to see that she's there.

Chelsea took a spelling test. She's doing great at 4 years old with reading, writing and spelling. I am not excited because she is only four doing those things. I am excited because at this rate and on this path she should have a good year for the school year coming up. She will be independent enough to work on her own confidently and she most likely wont have a hard time understanding her daily lessons.

proud of her work

For Mother's Day, we made the footprint butterflies that I'd seen all over pinterest, but we did a little something different with ours. I did not get a chance to post them because we did them at 9pm the night before Mother's Day. Oh well, there's always next year. Instead of making these adorable little butterflies on canvas bags and such; we did our footprints on stones to be placed in Nanna's garden. It seemed like a perfect idea for that project.

We made and hung our butterfly feeder, again, a great idea from pinterest!

While the kids were away at their god-parents' house for the weekend of my and Phillip's birthdays, I made little cardboard dog houses (from a box) for their little doggies; a cute idea that I got from the Mom's Library. If you have never been to that site...go! There are ideas a PLENTY on that site! The girls LOVE their doggie homes and went a little crazy decorating them. Honestly, I think they are using them more as a canvas for art than a domicile for their doggies. :)

 We've had our last classes for both kids' extra curricula activities; piano and ballet. We've had one end of year recital, and one more recital to go. Madison did so well at her recital that her piano teacher is moving her up in her books. The girl has a God-given gift and I as her mother, am so thankful. Now once she found out that she was moving up in books, her response was, "Already?!" She was ecstatic and I think she recognizes that it is an honor and that it's because she's doing a great a job.

Before the recital

Sister: A built in best friend

I need a better camera!

Mommy's little divas

We also had our last day  of co-op this week. Whew! I thank God that we made it all year! I wanted to give up and quit so many times this year, but I am so glad that we hung there. The kids LOVED co-op, it was just hard for me to incorporate the "homework" from co-op into our homeschool. I like to do school at our own pace and cover the information that I think we need to cover. Needless to say, this was a learning experience for us. We will still go to co-op next year, but we are only doing the elective courses versus the academic.

Shaving cream wars on field day

Homemade chocolate cake I made for end of year banquet

I had my very first podcast interview with Demetria Zinga at Christian Homeschool Moms. She was such a delight to interview with. She homeschools her two children out on the West Coast and contacted me for an interview based on some information that she read on my blog about raising children in today's world. If you have a chance and have never been to Christian Homeschooling Moms, check her out over there. She also has an iTunes channel that you can subscribe to for great ideas on homeschooling, or great encouragement if you're new to homeschooling or have hit a rough spot in your homeschool.

 Listen here!

I also did more work on my ebook which will be coming out very soon. I am soooo super excited about that. Phillip has been helping with proofreading, editing and publishing. Therefore, if you have preschool aged kids, be on the look out for it. It will be free initially, and I really hope that people, moms, will find it useful.

All in all, May has been a wonderful month for our family in so many ways. God is a wonderful God and He, according to His word will teach you how to profit. He will guide you. He loves you and He is so very interested in our lives as His children. If you are in a rough patch right now, if you feel overwhelmed at all, distracted, pulled in a million directions, don't throw in the towel. Hang in there! If you are a born-again follower of Christ, you have the spirit of an overcomer on the inside of you. There are times that we may need to slow down and check to see if we are headed in the direction God has planned for our lives, but if you know you are, then just keep going don't give in to inadequacy, doubt or fear. He loves you, you are in Him and He in you. You CAN do this.

Linking this post up at Collage Friday and here.

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10 Ways to Connect Deeply with Your Spouse

Phillip and I had a great birthday weekend together this past week. Our birthdays are six days apart so it's always a great week of celebrating for us. Our kids love it because essentially, they get two "birthday parties" in one week. What kid wouldn't love that?

Well we got a chance to connect on a deeper level since the kids were away at their god-parents' for the weekend. During this time, I realized all over again that intimacy with your mate can be created several different ways. It's not just sex.

1. Cook together. We do this on occasion. Phillip is probably the best omelet maker whom I know personally. Every now and again, we go to the kitchen and we tackle breakfast, together! It's perfect, I'll do the french toast or pancakes and he takes care of the omelets. It's fun moving around the kitchen together. Sharing the butter, stealing the spatula when the other isn't looking and as a result of this "close quarters" time, we engage is some of the greatest conversations about the kids or our future or some crazy things of the past. Which leads me to my next point.

2. Reminisce. Sometimes in the here and now, life can get hectic and stressful and busy. Take a moment sometimes to remember the days of living in your one bedroom apartment. Talk about how slowly you drove when you brought baby number one home compared to how you tore out of the hospital parking lot when driving baby number two home...don't even talk about how you drove home with baby number three...

3. Work toward a common goal. As a blogger I am blessed with a husband who knows a lot about web design and internet marketing. He's actually finishing up his degree in computer programming but it's fun when we're both engaged in our work and talking things over as we go. I love the fact that he wants to help out so badly and how he jumps at the opportunity to come over to my laptop to show me what he knows. He loves helping me out of a sticky situation. Now, if you're like me, you have the "I can do it myself" syndrome, but men do still like to come to our rescue. And while you may not feel like you're making a deep connection by allowing him to help you, you are.

4. Read together. Sounds boring right? Well, you have to read the right kind of books. (smile) I love to read marriage related books with Phillip. It allows us the chance to talk about things that we may have gotten too busy to discuss in our day to day lives. And I'll just say it. Read about making love. There have been great Christian books written on the subject. You can find a wealth of information on this subject at Sheila Gregoire's site To Love, Honor and Vacuum. One of my most favorite sites in the whole world wide web. Get it? www? ok.

5. Get a couples massage together. We got the opportunity to do this one for our birthdays this year. It was his first time so instead of relaxing, he was uptight. He actually said, while we were sitting in the relaxation room, and I quote, "I don't do relaxation." LOL That was just so funny to me. He's quirky like that. But he enjoyed the massage. He actually said that he was thinking of our marriage and being happy to be married to me. I'm pretty sure that it was because we were in the same room, doing something together. If you've been paying attention...it's pretty much whatever you do "together" will help you build that connection that's needed in any marriage.

6.  Create something together. This is akin to working together but it is a little bit different. Kind of like when we planted a garden in our backyard as a family. That was time well spent. We can watch it grow or NOT, together. :). We can see the product of something that we did with our own hands and relish in, or laugh at the results, together. Another creation of ours is Silly School Songs. We write and sing the songs together and when we're done, we share in the feeling of accomplishment together. It is an amazing feeling. If you don't have a talent that you share together then just create a baby. That'll give you some togetherness. LOL!

7. Learn each other's love language and try to deliver. I can just tell you that my love language is acts of service. But this is how I show love, it's not necessarily how I receive love. I do love it when Phillip does things for me, but it is only certain acts that communicate love to me. Some acts communicate and ignite feelings other than love. I don't know how many wives out there who DO NOT want their husbands to help out with the house work, but I am one! It's not EVERYTHING, just some things. When he starts to do the laundry for instance, it doesn't make me happy. Instead it makes me feel as if I've slacked off on the housework. I know that may sound 1950s to some people; however, he works so hard and so diligently at providing an income for our family that I want to hold up my end of the bargain. He's only being helpful when he does it, and I need to make adjustments in my thinking. At any rate, find out what your spouse's love language is and communicate love often.

8. Exercise together. I think that every top ten post that I've done about connecting with a loved one, kids or spouse or just yourself, includes exercise. This is not a joke, it really could be good bonding time. Depending on the exercise that you choose to do, you could catch up on some conversations that you may not be able to have with the kids around. It could be a fun time of laughing with or even at each other (this is what my and my husband's time is usually like--laughing and playful).

9. Steal away. Try getting away for a weekend, a night or just for a dinner. We all know this one, it's no secret, the secret may be figuring out HOW to get away.

10. Pray together. I was told that there was a study done that Dr. Phil McGraw quoted from on one of his shows that stated that couples who pray together everyday, have long lasting marriages. I wish I would take the time to put a link to that information for you, but I just turned in my argumentative paper for school last night and I'm just a little bit over references and citations for the time being. :)

As always, thank you for reading and linkin this article up at Top Ten Tuesday and here.

Peace in Learning

Peace in learning...that's what my four year old prayed and asked God for over a month ago when it was brought to my attention that my method of getting the kids to behave was doing a lot more harm than good.

You see, about a month and a half ago, I would walk into my daughters' room instructing them to do something as simple as brush their teeth or clean their room and I'd notice that my youngest daughter

would scurry in a hurry or shuffle nervously at the sound of my voice. Whether I was walking in the room or calling from another room of the house, she'd do this. My children are 7 and 4 and I'd been yelling so much out of frustration and impatience that it was becoming a very bad habit.

 After about 4-7 days of seeing this, I realized that what I saw in her was 'fear'. I could not take that. I gathered them both together and asked if they were afraid. The youngest said, "yes because the last time you were so upset with us." At that point, we talked and talked. I told them that there shouldn't be any fear in our home and that we are a family and that we love each other. I told them that discipline is for learning and is a must, but fear is not apart of the equation.

So I grabbed their little hands and asked them to pray with me to ask God to help mommy to communicate with them better so that there is no fear in our home and family.

After I  prayed (in an earnest and nearly desperate tone) not feeling any closure or complete-ness to the matter, I asked the youngest girl to pray (I rarely do this). We grabbed hands again, the three of us and she prayed one sentence that went like this: "God I ask you to help us to have peace in learning. Amen."

As soon as she was done, I knew that was it! I don't know how that sounds to you, but to me, it was music. It was as if the heavens opened up and the heavenly chorus began to sang hallelujah! I choked up some and looked into Chelsea's deep set dark eyes and said, "that's it Chelsea, that is it." "God answered our prayer through your prayer." She looked proud, elated, and a little confused all at the same time.

Here it is though. For us, we needed peace. It's kind of like The Sword in the Stone. I thought, with my much yelling and muscle strength, I could get the kids to behave and do what's right. However, the only fruit that I saw was fear manifesting in my girls' hearts. What I actually needed was to approach disciplining them from a peaceful perspective using far less muscle, so that they'd have peace even while being disciplined which simply means to teach. That's part of what a child needs. A peaceful atmosphere to learn and grown in.

Now, my husband and I believe in consequences for disobedience. So this is not your "talk to them and reason with them" speech although, we do do that. This was just what I believe God used to get through to me that yelling, in my home, was not necessary and not the way for me to discipline the girls.

Here's the take away of this post if that's what your are here for. Talk to the kids about discipline and how your yelling is not the best response but that disobedience is also unacceptable and that discipline is a must no matter what. Then, PRAY. Pray and ask God to help you. But don't do it alone, pull your kids in on it no matter their ages. They will see your sincerity in seeking God on this issue and realize that you are serious about making changes in this area. They will see how important it is to you. This will be just one more way for them to be eye-witnesses of your love for them.

What do you do when the heat is on? How do you handle these high pressure moments in your day with the kids? Leave a comment and feel free to leave a link so we can find your blog and comment as well.

Thanks for reading!

Steph --I would love it if you liked me on facebook!
 

Guest Post: 10 Reasons Why I Love My Wife

I’m laughing to myself right now because Stephanie has no idea that I’m “hijacking” her blog with this post. LOL

To all of Stephanie’s regular readers, this is her husband Phil. In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to do this post as a meager attempt to pay her back for the awesome post she did about me a couple of weeks ago. Man, I have a good wife. :)

I really could make this list go on ad infinitum, but I’m choosing ten of the most stand-out reasons for the sake of (or at least the intention of) brevity. So, here goes…

1. She is my absolute best friend in the whole world. This counts to me probably more than anything else, so I figure it’s a good place to start. Stephanie & I started our relationship as friends. We were friends for 2 years, and then dated for 2 years, and then we got married. Through all of our ups and downs (and there have been some), the one thing that has never changed is the fact that she is my ace, my “running buddy”, the one who I know will ALWAYS have my back. She truly is the most loyal person I know. I value our friendship more than I can put into words.

2. She is an AWESOME mom to our kids. Believe me, whatever great things people may see in our children, whether it’s their manners, intelligence, etc., it’s not by accident; it is largely due to Stephanie’s involvement with them. I have seen her go to near-unimaginable lengths to make sure that they have what they need to have, that they learn what they need to learn, and that they become the children that she & I desire them to become.

I have to tell a quick story regarding this point: A couple of Halloweens ago, our kids both remarked that they wanted to wear Princess Celestia costumes (My Little Pony fans, unite!). We couldn’t find any in the stores—to this day I’m still not sure if they even make them. Do you know what my wife did? She studied pictures (and our girls’ action figure) of Princess Celestia and literally made the costumes from scratch. She created the crowns, the colorful hair, the “hoof guards” (I guess that’s what they are), and everything else. She had to measure our girls like a tailor to get it done. She’s not even a “seamstress” per se, but just her love for our children would not allow her to rest until she had hand-made those costumes for them. Here’s a picture of how they turned out:

Of course, there’s so much more to this point than I have time or space to get into here. She thrives on teaching our kids, and our kids have truly thrived under her instruction. She is truly amazing to watch. 


Which leads me (in a double-entendre kind of way) to my next point… 

3. She is SUPER-HOT. In order to maintain this blog’s “G” rating, I’ll just leave it at that. 

4. She has a great attitude. This actually puzzled me when I was first getting to know her, because I was such a natural skeptic. She is always solution-minded and has always seen the glass half-full. This is one of the most attractive qualities about her in my mind. She doesn’t wallow in self-pity. She keeps the train moving, even when she doesn’t feel emotionally up to the task. She’s a trooper. I’ve learned so much from her in this area. 

5. She is her own person. She’s not afraid to stand out. She’s not afraid to have an alternate opinion. She doesn’t mind if people disagree with her. She prefers to maintain her personal integrity and honesty instead of being a people-pleaser. She’s not a blind trend-follower. She has a mind of her own. This is extremely attractive to me…I would hate to be married to a Stepford wife. Hey, this actually ties in with my next point… 

6. Even when we fight, I’m madly in love with her. I’m telling the truth. The reason for this is because we have an understanding. I know deep down that the only reason she may be bringing something negative about me to my attention is because she has a genuine loyalty to me, and to our relationship. If she didn’t give a rat’s behind about the direction we were headed as a couple, she wouldn’t fight. But when she does, I know it’s coming from a place of sincerity. Not a place of trying to “one-up” each other, but a place of wanting the relationship to get better. This is a critical point in my mind. We both know that we’re in this for life. We tussle, and then we get over it, and keep moving on. Sometimes we have actually busted out laughing right in the middle of a spat. LOL 

7. She is a passionate person. In a world full of people that simply don’t care, this quality of hers really stands out to me. She puts her all into whatever she sets her mind to do. When she began to get serious about blogging, she would be up at all times of the night, perfecting posts, pinning photos, tweeting on Twitter, etc. etc. She has always been able to run circles around me. I’m more of a thinker, an analyzer, a planner, and she’s just simply more of a doer. To me, apathy is one of the great sins of our generation. She is far from apathetic. She loves hard and she works hard. 

8. She supports me. She gives me the space to make decisions without henpecking everything to death. There have been times when she knew that I wasn’t fully thinking something through, and although she would tell me her honest opinion, she would still give me the space to do what was in my heart. On the occasions where my own plans blew up in my face (which they have quite a few times), she wouldn’t rub it in or go the “I-told-you-so” route. She would simply help me pick up the pieces and roll with me to the next venture. 

9. She is an honest person. Probably one of the most honest people you’ll ever meet. This is similar to point # 5 in my mind, but I wanted to add a little something extra here. She exalts truth. She believes in dealing honestly with people. She doesn’t placate. She doesn’t patronize. She leans towards telling people what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear. This is a very attractive quality to me. I don’t have to wonder if she’s hiding something, or suppressing her real feelings. She simply tells the truth. It reminds me of that old saying: “Always tell the truth. That way, you won’t have to remember what you said.” 

10. She can COOK!!! This could definitely take the top spot if I think long enough about it. She can bake cakes that are out of this world. She can try cooking a particular dish for the first time and absolutely nail it. I’ve seen her do this over & over again. They always say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I can’t lie…there’s a whole lot of merit to that statement. 

So anyway, I just wanted to wish Stephanie a Happy Mother’s Day, and just let the whole wide internet know why I love her so much. I love you baby!!!!! 

DIY Name Art for Child's Room

O.k. Here's the background story. Somewhere around 8 months pregnant with our oldest child, I realized that we'd gotten furniture and bedding for her room but no wall art...what does a mommy do? We go to work! I found a blank canvas that my husband had lying around. He's a bit of an artist.   I took the canvas and some of his acrylic paints and made this.

Well about two and a half years later after giving birth to daughter number 2 I realized that I HAD NOT done name art for her. Well, this time, I went into mommy freak out mode because heaven forbid I don't treat the second child JUST LIKE the first.

My husband was literally laughing at me as I scrounged around the house looking for a canvas, a sheet of paper, anything to create some name art for baby #2. I was serious.

Lo and behold, I did find a canvas but it wasn't the right size. Oh well, she's here now and I just have to get it up before she's able to pull up on the crib to a standing position and see that there's nothing on her side of the wall!!!!!

You guys understand this right? I had to or else her future and mine as a mother hung in the balance...I literally thought this to some degree back then. LOL!

So as you can see, I got the art on the wall. And although she was a whole 2 days old when I finally got it up, she doesn't hold it against me in the least. :)

A few parting thoughts:

• If you are a new mommy...relish every waking and sleeping moment...they're only this size once.

•  If you're having baby #2 (specifically), calm down...everything wont be the same for both kids and that's a good thing. Love them both and EVERYTHING will be just fine
• As for the DIY part of this, it's probably not the BEST job ever but every stroke was gently and carefully crafted by mommy's hand...and that's pretty much the point!

Thank you for reading each week, leave a comment and feel free to leave a link to where we might find your carefully crafted baby name art for your little bundles of joy!

Taking a Look at Online Homeschool Programs

Online home school programs are growing in popularity and with good reason. I think it's partly due to the fact that colleges and universities have had great success with offering college courses online. I'd like to think that it is partly because of homeschooling mommies who've said, we want the best for our children's education at every level.

Still though, it's no wonder that these same institutions are now offering online courses like the one offered for homeschoolers by  Liberty University. Some online offerings begin as early as kindergarten and others start at 3rd grade and then there are those that only offer high school online learning.

In my own happenings about, I have come into contact with several parents through our co-op, our small group and online who draw the line at homeschooling their high school children. It is at that point that they have turned to either a hybrid school or flex school to help with transcripts and course or credit requirements or; they turn to online homeschool programs.

I've researched a few of the online programs being offered. K12 online was a program that a friend of mine tried and another friend is considering for her kindergartener. My advice to her was that most home school parents are passionate about being their child's teacher and providing a biblical perspective to their child or children's educational experience. I was honest though and told her that it would definitely make her job easier in that there's no searching for a home school curriculum and your lesson plans are already done for you.

That has to be one of the greatest appeals of online homeschooling; lesson plans are done and no searching for curriculum (well that's two, but you get my drift) :). I'd say that those two items may be the least enjoyable part of homeschooling for some moms. To me, teaching, is what is fun, exciting and rewarding. However, I know that I have my detractors where that is concerned also.

For instance, last month I was talking with a parent at my daughter's ballet class who uses the Abeka Academy for her 4th grader. She loves the fact that he has videos to pop into the dvd player or laptop that gives instructions on which books to use for the lessons for the day and teaching instructions for the material he has to learn. The Jubilee Academy offers similar benefits with their online homeschool and virtual school. She's thrilled that her program of choice frees her up so that she can give her 5 year old a good educational foundation. This mom also works full time while homeschooling both kids. I can definitely understand her draw to have assistance in her home school by using an online home school program.

At the end of the day...and this post coincidentally...it still is choosing what is right and best for your teaching style, your child's learning stye and your lifestyle. These types of programs are making it easier and easier for parents of ALL types to home school their children if they desire to do so.

One of my favorite articles on parents being "able" to homeschool was written by Mary Prather at Homegrown Learners called  Stop Telling Me Why You Can't Homeschool. Check it out!

As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to share your thoughts on alternative homeschooling methods.

Stephanie.

Emotional Lessons in Home School

With the end of the school approaching it is becoming quite a challenge to reign in two little girls. Every morning after breakfast the question is. "Can we go outside?" Although they already know that the answer is, "It's time to do school." Oh well, they get it honestly, I love this time of year!

With that said, this week was pretty ordinary, not too much excitement at all.

Monday, we had co-op.

Tuesday, school at home and lunch on the lawn of our courthouse.

Wednesday, school at home.

This is awful! Thursday gets better...sorta...

Thursday, we started out having school but Madison had such a pouty attitude that it was hard to ignore. She was so moody that she was blaming her sister, who was barely paying any attention to her at all, for silly stuff. It was almost like she wanted to upset Chelsea. I guess the old adage is right, misery loves company.

It's my job as her mother  though to show her that what she's doing is not o.k. and definitely not the best choice. Don't bring others down because you are. So I stopped school and told her to go lie down on her bed until she felt more peaceful. She did, but she was still having troubles. So we ended up stopping school altogether. And I think that that's o.k. I believe that that is one of the great benefits of homeschooling.

Now we don't always stop for a bad day because I also believe that in this life, you cannot take a seat on the sidelines because things are not going your way or because you're not feeling well. You have to keep it moving! Ultimately though, my belief is that balance is the key to life. And knowing when  to do what is the mark of good teaching - homeschooling or otherwise.

We also took the girls to see Wreck It Ralph at the dollar movie theater where we live. It was a really cool movie as it relates to the idea of the movie. The message might have been a little iffy. It was still fun to watch though. As Phillip and I figured, they were crawling into bed with us at 2:30 this morning. This is why we don't allow them to see a whole lot of movies and why last night was probably the 3rd time they've even been to the movie theater. It's just so impactful on little kids' minds; the big screen and the volume level. And if your child is as imaginative and as occupied with his/her own thoughts as Madison, you probably understand this decision quite well.

Friday, we're doing school today and the girls are getting ready for a weekend sleepover with the God-parents. We are so blessed to have great God-parents for the girls. Phillip and I will be celebrating our birthdays and spending quality time together as husband and wife. More about that on Monday at HWC.

Linking this post up at Collage Friday and here.

Thank you so much for reading and leave a comment on what you think about kids and movies! I'd love to hear how you handle seemingly harmless movies with your child and how it affects them.

Also, what sort of emotional lessons have you had to teach in your homeschool?

 Feel free to leave a link so we can find you and comment on your blog.

Stephanie

Are You Participating in Screen Free Week?

Are you participating in screen free week this week? Before I begin, I want to make it clear that I think screen free week is great! However, I tend to lead a more traditional lifestyle. For instance:

1. I believe that children should play outside as much as possible. Not the most popular idea in the world of on-line games that you can play with kids you've never met face to face. Or with social media that allows school friends to talk without talking!?! Also not so popular since you can get your exercise by playing your wii (nothing against those guys, just an observation) rather than being
outside.

courtesy of Google Images

2. I believe in books with PAGES to touch and turn. I love electronic readers, I do. They are convenient, a space saver and impressive when you're sitting in a lobby or waiting area with nothing to do. You know that right? It looks super cool to thumb an electronic device in public. With all of that said, my 7 and 4 year olds have no need to read their books on my electronic device. I do want them to know how to operate it. I believe that in their generation, I'd be doing them a disservice to keep them away from the new fangled gadgets of their time. However, they read 99.9% of their books without an electronic device.

3. I believe in conversations at the dinner table. We don't eat together every night but whether there are adults at the table or not, there are no phones, dsi's, leapsters, readers or laptops allowed.

4. I believe in creativity. Granted, my girls don't enjoy coloring as much I did as a kid (or as much as I do now) but on road trips and at home, along with the dvd players and handheld games, we bring/have books, crayons, markers, coloring books, word search, word scrambles, decoding messages activities and notebooks for entertainment; screen time is still limited. We sing car karoake (thanks to my Mother-in-law who gave this to us as a Christmas present 4 years ago) and we play games on the road, like try to get the truck driver to honk. They love it!

5. I believe in limited t.v. time EVERYDAY. Thanks to Roku streamers and Netflix packages, our kids, who love watching t.v. are not as distracted by it. When we had cable it was all too easy for me to allow them to watch everyday and sometimes it felt like ALL day. It was just too easy. Now  though, with streaming t.v., it takes more than just a tap of the remote control to watch a program and you know what, the kids were not the problem, it was daddy and me. ::shhh:: They rarely ask to watch t.v. It's only when they "feel" they have nothing else to do that they even ask. Usually, like right this instant, they are outside playing, homeschooling or cleaning their room which is an on-going project.

So, will we be participating in screen free week? We actually live a life of minimal screen time.

What about you? Are you be participating? How? What ways do you minimize your family's screen time in general? Leave a comment and feel free to leave a link to your blog!

Thanks for reading and linking this post up here.

Stephanie