Hey! If you want your kids to be entertained but don't want them in front of a screen, catch these early Prime Day deals before they go away! We got these books earlier this year for my 12YO and 8YO and it did the trick when their older brother had an archery tournament. Enjoy!
Highlights Brain Teaser book - good for younger and older kids
The Codebreakers Club - solve the mystery of the missing puzzle professor! - good for preteens
Great hidden pictures book from Highlights!
It's finally happened. Erik and I have been outnumbered by the number of children we have in baseball. That means carpooling is a thing and I am SO grateful for all the friends who have jumped on board the wagon of helping tote around the Wegener kids.
It's crazy how much a good friend can lift your spirit. Every time I drop a kid off so they can be brought to practice, I drive away thankful.
Not everyone has friends like I do... and that stinks. Friendship is something that is vital to humanity. It is the core of what we need as humans. We need others in whom we can trust and look to for laughter, input, and adventure. We learn from each other. I wish everyone could have beautiful friendships like the ones I'm so grateful to have!
Which brings me back to baseball and three things I've learned.
1. I've learned that it is incredibly beautiful to let other people shine. Brielle is a rising baseball 8U star, as proven by her multiple triples and doubles and tonight newest additions: her first homer and two catches at first base where it sounds like she was practically in the splits, scooping up the balls that were heading her way. I appreciate how her older brothers are learning to embrace what she is doing well. I appreciate how fun it is to watch her excel.
2. Teach your kids to prioritize helping others AND how to be flexible. Jase has had to do that since he's been asked to help fill in for older baseball teams who needed help. He wears a black jersey normally... but he became his brother's twin once and a friend's brother another time... and both times, he set aside nerves and stepped up to the plate and did amazing things to help out teams who needed help. (He fit in much easier with 13U as a 12YO. 15U was hard!)
3. I love watching the kiddos find their thing and learn to grow and excel at it. Both boys are catchers, and have grown in their abilities this season. Brayden has gotten more time at catcher and really stepped up to be a "wall" at the plate. Jase has had less time in the catcher position and has started to grow in his abilities in other places on the field (in addition to being a catcher). Brielle still plays all the positions, but wouldn't that be fun if she loves catching like her brothers (and my dad!).
That's all for now. Unless you want to watch a little of Brielle playing ball with an amazing slide... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zM2wr4zpPTI
As a homeschool mom, I'm always on the lookout for how kiddos can learn in a fun way, for I'm convinced that interesting learning will stick with kids far longer than boring learning.
That's one reason why I like Life of Fred math curriculum. This is not the traditional math curriculum. Look inside and you'll see far more text than math problems. You'll also see stick drawings, nice paintings, different font, and all sorts of other things that make the text on the page interesting to read. Plus, it covers topics of all sorts - not just math. It's a life lesson with integrated math problems.
I've tried to explain to others what our math curriculum looks like and it's just not easy without visuals... so I finally made a video and posted it on our family YouTube channel. Here it is.
Comment below or on the video if you have questions and I'll do my best to answer!
Hate is a strong word, so I hate to use it, but there's one thing I do like to use it for... trips to the dentist.
I don't know if you're like me or not, but I've never liked the dentist. I'm shocked that anyone actually likes working on teeth. Plus, I somehow feel that the dentist report on your teeth is like a report card and when you get cavities, you flunk.
I've even been honest with my kids - sorry, I hate going to the dentist, so I can't help you much if you dislike the dentist too.
So essentially, I've let the dentist become a point of mental exhaustion in my life... and I've even extended it to my kids. Well, that's not entirely true. My youngest proudly enjoys the dentist.
Yesterday, however, I saw the light. While my teeth were being cleaned, I took a breath and enjoyed the moment of doing nothing else and I also asked, how can I be grateful for this moment?
I took a moment to be grateful that someone else had the desire to help me avoid and deal with tooth pain.
For one moment, everything changed. Well, I can't say I love the dentist now, but it reminded me how powerful gratitude is. It really can revolutionize your perspective.
Last fall, it happened too. Well, not the new perspective on dentist, but a mental switch that changed my perspective. Fall is usually my least favorite time of the year, for a whole list of reasons that includes the anniversary of my brother's passing and the heavenly birthday of my firstborn son who was born early and passed within an hour.
I made a mental change going into the fall, thanks to the Lord's leading, and I said to myself, "This will be my best fall."
Somehow, that change created it. I enjoyed the change far more than usual... all because I dared to change my thinking.
What perspective shift might you need today?
.jpeg)
