The Autodidact

When my kids were very little, I wanted to get them involved in some activities. Everyone else was doing it, so I figured that was a good enough reason to plug my kids in somewhere too. Just kidding. Anyway, we did ballet and gymnastics, some ice skating and swimming and possibly basket weaving, but it was a long time ago, and my memory is blurry. But after the 3rd child, and when it seemed apparent that more children would join us in the future, we realized that our time and money and energy would not be sufficient to have all our kids involved in a bunch of stuff. Nor was it really necessary, we realized, for our kids to be well rounded individuals, for them to be shuffled off to this and that 5 afternoons a week. Starting from the age of five. But we still wanted to introduce them to things, especially physical activities. (Music and art is a discussion for another time). But how to choose? How do we decide who gets to do what? And when and how many? After going around and a...

Teaching your kids how to write is daunting, even for someone who likes to write and happens to have a degree in English. Many homeschoolers pull their hair out trying to get their kids to write well, and then when they do, more hair pulling ensues when mom tries to figure out how to grade their child's writing. It's not as easy as grading a math or science test, when all the answers are neatly laid out for you, and you can grade with a good deal of objectivity. But here's the thing about writing: it's not an exact science. Yes, there are grammar and spelling rules that must be enforced, but beyond that, writing is very subjective. It's a unique expression of thoughts and ideas, much like a drawing or a painting or other works of art. And while most people would agree that there is good writing and bad writing, it is largely a matter of opinion. I struggled in my early homeschooling years to figure it out, even though I have a strong background in writing and gr...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Marinos! Well, here's a summary of what is going on here, at least as far as I can tell. It is hard keeping track of all those kids, and I am getting on in years. As you can see, some of us are happier than others, but that's the way it goes. Jared, 12, is excelling in drawing and has branched into drawing actual people, in addition to dragons and wizards and fantasy creatures. He's turning out to be quite a sharpshooter with a bow and arrow and a .22. His days are filled with reading, drawing, using his imagination and creating. Ellie, 4, fills the role of baby of the family quite adeptly. She draws and sings and plays all day long fairly contentedly, and is learning to ice skate. She was pretty close to swimming all on her own by the end of summer, and gleefully jumped off the diving board into the deep end, where her big sister was waiting to catch her. At least, that's what I'm told; I...

There are occasional lists or rules presented around Christmastime to help parents navigate the gift giving part of the season, and hopefully reign in the madness of too much stuff under the tree. Years ago, a friend shared that she limited the gifts to three things to commemorate the three gifts mentioned in the Bible that Jesus received. And that's a helpful place to start. On the other end of the spectrum, I have known parents whose kids make lengthy lists of things they want and the parents can choose from that list (or get all of it). Recently, there has been circulating the Four Gift Rule: one thing the child wants, one thing the child needs, an article of clothing and a book. Again, it's a helpful place to start. Some parents protested that rule because the last three suggestions were not, actually gifts. And, as can be expected, this got me to thinking. What are good gifts to give our kids? Just things they want? Are things they need, such as clothes or books, real...

It's nice to be thankful, and I admit that while I am thankful for much, I am not thankful often enough. Sure, it's easy to be thankful for the big things in life: health, family, Christ. It's easy to be thankful for enough money to live on, or to have a car that works and a nice home to live in. And I am so very thankful for those. But it's harder to be thankful for the small things, the things that can easily escape our notice if we aren't careful. The sound of the car of a loved one pulling in the drive, signaling an upsurge of activity in the house. Bare feet running through the house and thundering up the stairs when I'm tired or not feeling well. Boo-boos that need kissing and tears that need wiping when my hands are preparing a meal. Dust that I can't keep up with on beloved pictures and furniture and hardwood floors. Embers and ash on the hearth from last night's cheery fire, spilling onto the rug. A serviceable bathroom full of pro...

There is a lot of controversy over Halloween in the Christian culture. There is sufficient Scripture to convince me that it is something to avoid, and I feel that it treads too close to danger to risk it. Does that mean NO Christian should participate? That's not for me to say. Does it mean that Christians who do participate aren't really Christians?  I don't think so, but God knows the heart. I am disheartened at this time of year, hearing Christians bash each other over it. So, what to do? Leave home and attend a party at someone else's home? That's fun. Stay home and hide behind the shades and pretend you are somewhere else? That sounds like a drag. This is what we do, and this has evolved over the years from fully participating in the day, to backing off, and ending up not participating at all. It came about after we started feeling not quite right about the celebration of death and evil, mixed in with the the cute and innocent costumes and the Harvest aspec...

Today was the last time we walked to our library. For 13 years, I have walked with the kids to our lovely neighborhood library. Sure, we could drive, and we do, but many walks were taken there, as well. We would talk about the birds we could hear and see, the flowers blooming in spring or the changing leaves in the fall or we would have deep conversations about this or that. But today was the last day. We would check out our materials, but usually spent time greeting the fish, visiting the fountain or their favorite bust. We would wander into the children's area, marvel at the wooden doors,  and wonder what lurked behind the black door... For years, I had at least one or two kids convinced it was the door to the dungeon where misbehaved children were sent.  The wrought iron fence elicited the imaginations of some... And some pretended to be princes and queens wandering their castle. It was a magical place...