Art Camp

Last week, we went to Art Camp.  Every year for the past twelve years, my family has descended en masse on my aunt's cottage on Lake Huron.  Here we do normal family vacation things -- like enjoy big meals together and play outside and go swimming and have board game tournaments -- and not so …

Family Project: Puppet Show

We have just returned from our annual week on Lake Huron with my family. Most families enjoy just hanging out on vacation, but we are not most families. For us, family time is project time. We paint and draw and quilt and crochet and dance and make pinatas and Chinese dragons and have masquerades and …

Olympic National Park Ecosystems: Pacific Coast

  We spent our last couple of days in Olympic on the Pacific Coast, staying at Kalaloch Lodge and visiting Ruby Beach.  Prior to our trip, we had prepped with several books about wildlife in the Pacific Northwest and Native American legends from the region, but the book that really paid dividends was this little …

Olympic National Park Ecosystems: Temperate Rainforest

The word "rainforest" conjures images of brightly-colored macaws, 15-foot anacondas, and jaguars creeping along tree branches; however, rainforests are designated simply by the amount of precipitation they receive each year.  Their flora, fauna, and climates vary in every other way.  If you're interested in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Penninsula, set aside your visions …

Olympic National Park Ecosystems: Forests, Rivers, and Waterfalls

Our hunt for more waterfalls led us to explore the Elwha River, Barnes Creek, Falls Creek, and the Sol Duc River.  Hiking to Marymere Falls gave us our first good look at an old growth forest. Immense, moss-covered trees towered over us, and the incredible assortment of wildflowers varied with each change in altitude, sunlight, …

Olympic National Park Nature Study

The American National Parks are a dream come true for families seeking an opportunity to explore wildlife and wilderness.  This summer we made our first visit to Olympic National Park.  Located on the Olympic peninsula of Washington state, this park offers a uniquely diverse experience.  Moisture from the Pacific hits the western side of the …

Travelling with Littles: Fostering Independence

We've recently returned from our first major trip with our kids, and now that we're home, I can safely call it a success.  There is plenty of advice out there on how to entertain your kids on an airplane.  Some of the typical ideas worked for us, like loosening up your normal screen time restrictions …

Heirloom Bloom

My grandfather loved his flower garden.  I recall my mom planting a few tomato plants for them one year, but for the most part, they grew the flowers.  A mountain of snapdragons.  Hoards of little pansies that my grandma always says look like men with mustaches.  Peonies as big as your head.  And my favorite: …

Ezekiel 37

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said …

Charlotte Mason: Whole Child

Since making the decision to home school my children, currently ages one and three, I have been researching various methods of home schooling.  Over the next few weeks, I'd like to share with you some of the benefits I've seen in each of those methods.  If you are considering home schooling, this may help you …