take the nickel tour




My girlhood dreams never included returning to my Rhode Island roots.  


Nope. 


I was drawn to more exotic things.  Tanzania, for instance.  Where our little family played missionary for a couple of years before our lives were radically redirected back.  Here.  To the Ocean State.  Much to the chagrin of my Virginia born hubby, who would much rather live within walking distance of Camden Yards.



And yet here we are, in what we believe to be a Providential placement.  Settled into a coastal New England hamlet.  My hubby is busy working a 9-5 during the week and pastoring a small church in his "free" time. Meanwhile, I bumble my through being his helpmeet and the privilege of raising three wonderful exhausting  kids.
  


This blog is where I like to share random moments of our life.  Mostly homeschooling-ish stuff. I share more about being a special needs mommy over at Happy Being Trevy.   
Where We Learn


We do a lot of learning snuggled up on the couch with the Chromebook. But I've also found that my kids need a designated learning space. We have a "schoolroom" but they've outgrown it and it's now primarily used for Trevor's therapies and mommy school. After observing that the big kids tended to land in the dining room, I decided I needed to make space for their desks there. He works at the tall desk. She works and little. They both love having window facing work areas. It allows for gentle nature study when the birds flit and bath in the driveway potholes. I like to call the plant stand my Ode to Charlotte Mason too. One of our handicraft projects this year will be to make a custom L-shaped desk for them. All of their books are on shelves in our main closet which is in the same room. Yes, it reduces storage. But the payoff of having everything out of sight but on hand is so worth it!





The Tools I Couldn’t Live Without


  • Painter’s Tape.  Cheap and great for sticking things to the wall without damaging the paint job! 
  • Library.  Ours just became fully cyber functional this year which has made my life SO much easier.  I can order books online. I can renew them online too!  Which saves us mulah since I’m usually running behind or too scheduled to make it over there in time. 
  • iPad.  We bought this for Trevy but it has really become invaluable to all of us!  Toby and Bristel each have their own little app folders where I like to add and delete games for them to play.
  • Charlotte Mason. I've always been drawn to Charlotte Mason-ish ideas, I just haven't always known it. I'm so thankful to have found Amblesideonline and Simply Charlotte Mason - both wonderful resources to learn more about this beautifully gentle and rich approach to education. 
  • Kindle. 'Nuf said.
  • Workboxes. Although the older kids have moved away from workboxes, I still live by them with Trevy. It's such a wonderful way to help organize and keep the kids on track. If you're struggling with encouraging independence or have a child with special needs - workboxes are an amazing tool!
  • YouTube. I use YouTube daily. We listen to our hymns, folksongs and even some read-alouds. Plus, I've found so many wonderful resources for myself that I'll frequently 'attend a seminar' on my own couch in my jammies! I love living in the day of technology. 
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