Culturing for Science Class: Sourdough

sourdough
  Last fall, my son asked me if we could make homemade sourdough soft pretzels.  Since I gave my sourdough starter away a few years ago, I suggested that we try an experiment– creating our own. I have a recipe for starter in my favorite cookbook; here are the instructions we followed: In a large
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Nature Study: Starting Sweet Potato Slips with the Dirt Method

sweet potato slips
  I like to start sweet potato slips this time of year, as a nature study project.  Unlike many plants, which start from seeds, sweet potatoes grow new plants from eyes that emerge from the potato.  When our last frost date passed in the spring, we transplant the slips to our garden and grow our
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Mamas, Let’s Show Each Other Some Grace

show each other some grace
  Recently, my daughter’s ballet school had their annual Nutcracker performance.  I volunteered to help the girls backstage for the dress rehearsal and first performance, expecting that I could sit and watch the second show.  However, only one other mom had volunteered, and when no one showed up to help her for the second show,
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What I Wish I Would Have Learned Before I Began Homeschooling – Part One: Boundaries With Children

homeschooling
  When I was preparing to begin homeschooling, I knew that I would need some kind of curriculum, school supplies, a plan and a method. However, once I was in the thick of it, I realized there was one area where I was desperately unprepared: setting boundaries. Years ago, a Christian counselor recommended a book
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Fall Nature Study: Saving Seeds

saving seeds
  Each spring, my children and I start seeds for nature study. Eventually, we transplant them to the garden, care for the plants and harvest the fruit. A few years ago, we decided to allow the process to come full circle by learning how to save the seeds, as well. There are a few different
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Growing Your Child’s Vocabulary Organically

vocabulary
  Recently, as we were en route to a camping trip, my six-year-old wondered how much longer the ride would take. Instead of asking, “Are we there yet?” she said, “How much more time until we reach our destination?” My husband and I chuckled at her choice of words, but we weren’t surprised. In addition,
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Finding Time for Art

finding time for art
  Did you ever begin your homeschool year with grandiose plans for all of the art enrichment that you were going to include, on top of your basic subjects? I have, only to become overwhelmed and then discouraged, feeling that there was no way to fit it all in. In the early elementary years, you
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Developing Patience for the Road Ahead

developing patience
  I almost didn’t get this article written this week because a tornado hit our state, and we lost power for almost a week. The first two days, my children kept asking when they’d be able to watch TV or use the computer again. I’ve made a point to limit their screen time, and because
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